Is a Summer Camp Wedding Theme the Newest Trend?

Hey wedding officiants, grab your flashlights and friendship bracelets – the sleepover summer camp wedding craze is here!

 

 

Ok, it’s not quite a craze yet, but it certainly has the potential to become the new destination wedding of choice… 

 

A Seattle couple’s summer camp themed wedding went viral this month (even making national headlines) when a video posted by the bride on Instagram was viewed more than 4.5 million views in just a few weeks. Comments on the post (and following posts) are overwhelmingly positive, too:

 

• “This is SUCH a cool idea. Personally, id put the two guests of honor as counselors haha” 
• “You all win the wedding year! Blessings abound!”
• “What a fantastic wedding party! I have been married 36 years and now I want to renew those vows or something because this looks so fun! Sweet memories that will last forever!”
• “I’m devastated that I wasn’t invited to this flawlessly executed event”
• “Event Planner here! 👋🏼 This was flawlessly executed! Such a unique and fun idea! I want to throw a camp party just because!”

 

And while campground weddings and camping themed weddings have always been a hit with outdoorsy types, the glamping ‘summer camp’ approach elevates the experience, as Tom and Charlotte’s viral wedding post shows. 

 

The couple's multi-day wedding celebration included about 125 guests and was held at the Tierra Learning Center, a beautiful retreat center about 7 miles outside Leavenworth, Washington.

 

The weekend event included family-friendly games, yoga, a scavenger hunt, custom cocktails, multiple meals, a DJ and dance party, live instrumentalists, and an ‘enchanted forest’ ceremony in an outdoor amphitheater. Most guests camped out in tents overnight, sleepaway camp style.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Charlotte Erin Massey (@charlottegetscreative)

 

 

Details about the ceremony itself – and who officiated it – still haven’t been posted online, but given the couple’s DIY approach in other areas of the wedding, we think it’s likely the couple asked a friend or relative to officiate! 

 

 

Ask a friend to get ordained online to officiate your wedding: Online ordination with American Marriage Ministries is free, and our ministers are legally recognized in every state* (it's much harder in Virginia, where we're looking into our options). 

 

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Here are a few more highlights from the wedding weekend: 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Charlotte Erin Massey (@charlottegetscreative)

 

 

 

The bride wrote on her now-viral Instagram post: 

 

“One of my favorite parts of our camp themed wedding was our welcome party!

Tom and I really wanted to get the party started as soon as guests arrived to the venue, and help our guests start meeting new friends as early as possible.

 

We had two friends serve as “camp counselors” for rival summer camp-style teams, which were designated by whether you chose a gold or green bandana that I designed as your wedding favor. Our guests really got into the fake rivalry, and the bandanas added an easy point of connection early in the wedding weekend!

 

The camp counselors were also in charge of checking everyone in as they arrived and making sure they knew the schedule and where they were sleeping. The check-in process worked especially well because it also gave Tom and I an opportunity to welcome every guest as they arrived and make sure we didn’t miss talking with anyone!

 

We also had a scavenger hunt for people to fill out with prompts like “find someone who is wearing contacts” or “find someone in Tom’s family”. I was worried this was a tadddd too dorky but it was a huge hit! The prize for finishing first was that your table would go first in the buffet the following evening.

 

We had normal wedding games like corn hole for guests to play during dinner, but really stepped it up with two rounds of capture the flag (gold team won both times, rumor has it they must have cheated somehow 🤷🏼‍♀️)

 

The party started at 5:30 when the first guests arrived and easily continued until midnight when we put out the bonfire.” 

 

After a full day of camp themed games and revelry, guests went to sleep in tents on the meadow to rest up for the wedding day. 

 

The wedding day included morning yoga, a very-PNW concert by the Leavenworth Alphorns, followed by the wedding ceremony itself – held in an outdoor amphitheater in the woods. 

 

The ceremony vibe was more ‘enchanted forest’ than summer camp, and the transition between the two themes was seamless with help from friends and family. The couple also included a unique unity ceremony: sawing a log together, to symbolize their ability to work together as a couple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Charlotte Erin Massey (@charlottegetscreative)

 

The couple had a lot of help from friends and family to make this weekend-long wedding happen! According to posts on Instagram, the bride’s mom made all of the wedding signs, flowers were grown on a farm owned by the bride’s childhood friend’s mom and arranged by the groom’s aunt, and friends pitched in as ‘camp counselors’ to greet guests. 

 

And bride Charlotte was no stranger to hosting outdoor events (which is probably why this camp wedding went so well). She also started the Seattle Picnic Society, “a casual and fun environment where it’s easy to meet new people and spend time with friends.” People gather at local parks to picnic, talk, and make new friends. Check out scenes from the Seattle Picnic Society’s recent open-invite picnics in Magnuson Park and Golden Gardens.

 

Still, with all the DIY help and planning experience on their side, this epic camp wedding wasn’t cheaper than a traditional wedding. The bride told an Instagram viewer who asked about the cost of the wedding that it was fair, but pretty typical:

 

“It was definitely fairly priced! We spent around the same as a regular wedding but we did a lot of DIYs. The main cost increase was that we provided breakfast and lunch the next day for everyone, but we did it with Costco food.”

 

The average cost of a wedding this year is about $35,000 for a wedding with about 115 guests -- not a small number -- but we can’t be sure how close this wedding was to that average.

 

So, Wedding Officiants: Would you officiate a camp themed wedding? Would you stay overnight, or head back in the morning?

 

Would you plan a summer camp wedding of your own?

 

 

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You might also like: 

 

 

• Plan a Wedding Ceremony in a National or State Park

 

• Summer Survival: 10 Items to Add to Your Officiant Wedding Emergency Kit This Season
   
• 5 Great Reasons to Ask a Friend to Officiate Your Wedding

 

 

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Officiating weddings is an incredible honor, and a great way to show your love and support for the people getting married. As a wedding officiant, you will help to create memorable ceremonies and memories that last a lifetime.

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