Whimsical Summer Camp Wedding at the Lake
I love a good wedding at the lake, and when Caitlyn first reached out to me, I was so excited to hear some of her preliminary ideas and the general idea of having the wedding at a camp!
Mid-way through the planning, the venue actually changed and they ended up at King’s Cabins (just outside of Emerald Bay, about an hour past Kenora), which I think is kind of a fishing camp and it was SO COOL. The ambiance was amazing and I can’t wait to show you how everything came together!
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: dahlias, ranunculus, toffee roses, delphinium, solidago, cosmos, amaranthus, feverfew, ferns, and dried poppy pods. A LOT of these ingredients were locally grown — always my fave!
As you can already see, this wedding was completely awesome. I suggested to Caitlyn that she hire a wedding planner, because hosting a wedding in a location where weddings don’t normally take place is a LOT of work. I was so happy to hear that she had hired Emily from Feast & Festivities, because I knew that the details Emily would pull together would be so unique and creative, and really bring the camp feel to life.
The focus was creating a whimsical, youthful ambiance with cheerful colours that played well with the natural woodsy surroundings.
The setting of the camp truly couldn’t have been more incredible. A long, windy driveway through the woods leading to the lake, with rustic log cabins sprinkled throughout the property. Some of the couple’s closest friends stayed on-site in the cabins, and it was so awesome to see how much fun they were all having and the way they supported the couple throughout the day. It wasn’t a hot day, so hearing some of the men squeal as they took some cold dives into the lake while I was setting up was pretty enjoyable for me 😂
The ceremony was tucked into the treeline, with guests seated along wood benches. The couple built and transported the arch to the cabin, and I designed a completely foam-free floral installation. If you’re not sure what that means, know that floral foam is really horrendous to the environment but like many things, it’s really easy to use. So, I’ve been challenging myself to get out of that comfort zone and design in a more sustainable way. This arch came together PERFECTLY using a single design tray lined with chicken wire, and some re-usable installation mechanics that hold water and are ziptied onto the arch structure. Everything aside from the zipties was reusable! Hooray!
I wanted this arch to feel really natural, bringing in lots of texture and greenery while popping the colour palette throughout to tie into the overall event design. I used a lot of different ferns, as they grow abundantly in the area, along with pine boughs that I foraged from the property on my drive in that morning.
Feast & Festivities curated some truly adorable camp-themed design elements, like the pennants, a chalkboard schedule, a mess hall-inspired seating chart, and camping mug favours.
Just take a look at this reception space! The tent was set up near the ceremony space as a backup, and though it was kind of misting throughout the morning, we decided to go for it and keep the reception al fresco — I love when couples make this decision! The stress is worth it when you can look around and see all your loved ones enjoying the open air and just having an awesome time together.
String lights, banquet and round tables surrounding an old stone fireplace, and the trees…the ambiance could not have been better!
I LOVE the way the colour palette was pulled throughout the wedding. I think a lot of people just say “I’m having a blue wedding” and then choose a blue tablecloth and bridesmaid dresses and leave it at that. This palette was so expertly layered to create depth and visual interest.
The florals on the tables were actually super simple — the round tables featured a short cylinder vase with a simple arrangement of ferns and white cosmos, and the banquet tables saw clusters of my cream pottery stem vases with petite arrangements. Adding in the coloured candles on those terracotta planter trays was another perfect addition.
I just LOVED Caitlyn’s dress — it’s dramatic in all the right ways, without taking any attention away from her stunning natural beauty. I don’t usually get to see any of the wedding pictures being taken, but given that everything happened on site, I actually got to be a bit of a peeping tom while their photos were happening and I was SO excited to see how they turned out. Aren’t these just gorgeous?
Lake weddings for the win, people!
gina brandt photography ~ Feast & Festivities ~ planned perfectly ~ collective event rentals ~ Emerald Event Rentals ~ Spark Rentals ~ Minted ~ Steven King Cabins
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