Wednesday, June 11

inspiration for a craftsman-style summer camp wedding

Longtime readers of the blog already know that summer camp is a huge part of my life.  I started attending a local 4-H summer camp when I was in elementary school, became a counselor in high school, and worked on camp staff for three years in college.  Next week, I'll be back at the place I consider my home away from home, serving as an adult volunteer. Like many summer camps, my camp also serves as a venue for weddings and other special events.  Hosting weddings not only provides the camp with some additional income (always a plus!), it gives people who didn't attend camp as a child a chance to experience a truly magical place.  For the bride and groom, a summer camp wedding can be an opportunity to tie childhood nostalgia into one of life's milestones, and to create a sense of community and fun among special wedding guests.

Nesting Project Weddings on Etsy offers several Craftsman and Art Nouveau inspired designs, whether you're planning a wedding in the Rockies or the Appalachians.  This particular save the date design, inspired by the Rocky Mountains, is the inspiration for the rest of today's post.  A Craftsman theme and a calming mountain-inspired color palette would be amazing in a summer camp, state park, or other rustic setting.




While the sign on the left is a permanent fixture at Camp Wandawega in 
Wisconsin, a DIY version would add a touch of summer camp to any rustic 
wedding site.  I love the idea of styling that incorporates traditional camp 
arts and crafts and nature hike items - pinecones, anyone? - in beautiful 
ways, like this boutonniere from a wedding held at Camp Lane in Oregon.


Emily Steffen took this photo at Camp Kenwood in Wisconsin.  The bride's beautiful feather hair fascinator is perfectly in keeping with the 1920's vibe of a Craftsman inspired wedding.


This adorable little guest photo is from a wedding held at a Pennsylvania Boy Scout camp.









One of the biggest perks of a summer camp wedding is the opportunity to put a romantic spin on traditional camp activities, like this groom arriving by canoe.  When I think about the canoeing and kayaking cove at my summer camp, I automatically hear the sounds of splashing paddles and children's laughter, but I can also picture my dear friends leaving their wedding ceremony by boat from our camp fishing dock!









Shawn Connell and Glen Allsop of Christian Oth Studio via Brides








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