Whether you’re designing a rustic camp wedding or an elegant garden affair, let the fun of family, the beauty of nature and the meaning of flowers enhance your special day. Today, we’re sharing this beautiful love story and tips from a real couple on how to plan an outdoor weekend wedding.
BY JENNIFER REYNOLDS
Choosing a summer camp as their wedding venue perfectly reflects Sarah and Michael Duncan’s love story, which flourished during the pandemic. Their passion for hiking, portaging and camping influenced every aspect of their outdoor weekend wedding.
By hosting their celebration at Camp Timberlane in Haliburton, Ont., in September 2023, they crafted a weekend that seamlessly blended nature, adventure and heartfelt moments, embodying their shared affection for the great outdoors.
Embrace the outdoor venue
Sarah emphasized the best part of a camp wedding is its simplicity. “Everyone was there to have a good time, and there was something for everyone,” she noted. The 120 guests stayed in cozy cabins and participated in activities like basketball, tennis, kayaking and canoeing. Meals were served in the camp’s mess hall or under the open sky at picnic tables, with s’mores kits adding a nostalgic touch to the Friday night bonfire.
The couple envisioned a wedding weekend where guests could disconnect from their daily routines and immerse themselves in nature. “We were blessed with sunshine all weekend long, and our guests fully embraced the camp experience,” the couple reminisces. “With limited Wi-Fi, it was a chance for everyone to reconnect with nature and each other.”
Decorate with a natural aesthetic
Nature served as the primary inspiration for the weekend wedding decor, with flowers playing a central role in creating a harmonious and authentic ambience. As guests walked through the woods to the ceremony site by the lake, they were greeted by floral arrangements that mirrored the early autumn’s changing leaves and natural colours of the surroundings. This thoughtful integration of nature and florals set the stage for a celebration that felt both magical and meaningful.
Use locally grown flowers to tell your story
To enhance both the beauty and sustainability of your wedding, choose locally grown flowers and work with a local florist. This supports the community and reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting flowers from distant locations. Nicole, a local floral designer from Perfect Petals Muskoka, helped bring Sarah’s vision for the bouquets to life. The curated selection of ranunculus, dahlias, scabiosa, roses and baby’s breath in shades of pale blush, whites and dusty mauve used in Sarah and Michael’s wedding complemented the setting. It helped to transform the ceremony and weekend wedding into a deeply personal and visually stunning narrative.
Add something old to something new
One of the most touching floral moments was a surprise from Sarah’s mom: a photo charm of Sarah’s late grandmother tied to her bouquet. “My Grandma, or ‘Gram’ as I called her, was always my biggest cheerleader,” Sarah says. “The charm symbolized her everlasting love and support, and I felt her presence throughout the celebration.” This sentimental touch added an extra layer of emotional depth to the ceremony, making the flowers a poignant reminder of family and enduring love.
Get to know your vendors
Planning a weekend wedding requires careful consideration and a great team. Sarah and Michael found invaluable support from Camp Timberlane’s staff and their event coordinator, Julia Ludwig from Events by Jules. “Harley and his team at Camp Timberlane made the planning process enjoyable, allowing us to tour the campgrounds and envision everything,” Sarah says. “Julia was exceptional in bringing our vision to life.”
Personalize your petals
Flowers hold a profound significance in weddings, going beyond mere decoration to convey the essence of love, tradition and personal stories. Each bloom is symbolic – roses for romance, lilies for purity, daisies for innocence – adding layers of meaning to the celebration. Thoughtfully selected floral arrangements have luscious colour and texture and can reflect a couple’s journey, cultural heritage and individual personalities. Whether it’s your bouquet, table decor or the flowers surrounding you when you say “I do,” it’s important to incorporate elements that work with nature, have a light footprint on the environment and reflect your personal style and wedding theme. Here’s how:
Choose meaningful flowers
Select flowers that are significant to you and your partner. Consider using blooms with special meaning, such as flowers from your first date location or those representing your cultural heritage.
Reflect your wedding theme
Coordinate your flower choices with your wedding theme and colour scheme. Whether your theme is rustic, romantic, modern, or bohemian, choose flowers and greenery that complement – not overpower – the overall aesthetic of your weekend wedding.
Add personal touches
Personalize arrangements by incorporating family heirlooms, sentimental trinkets, or meaningful charms into the bouquet or centrepiece design. Enhance your arrangements with unique accents like feathers, berries, or succulents to add interest and personality to your floral designs.
Opt for seasonal blooms.
Use seasonal flowers to ensure freshness. Opting for flowers that are in season supports local growers and reduces costs. In addition, let your florist know that you would like to avoid floral foam and plastic packaging to reduce waste.
Choose sturdy flowers for boutonnières and corsages
The guests who wear flowers are usually the people at the wedding party and the closest family. They are also the ones who will be hugging and be hugged the most, so choose flowers like roses or carnations that can get a little “squishing” and still look fresh.
Mix and match greenery.
Experiment with different types of greenery to add texture and depth to your bouquets and centrepieces. Mix various in-season foliage, such as silver-grey dusty miller, deep green ferns, or chartreuse-hued herbs, for a lush and organic feel.
Diy or collaborate with a florist?
DIY options can be more cost-effective and allow for greater personalization, while working with a florist ensures professional expertise and execution.
PLAN AHEAD TIPS
Use Sarah’s essential checklist to help your wedding weekend go off without a hitch – except the part where you get hitched!
Do the details. “If you are planning a full weekend celebration, don’t underestimate all the extra details and logistics. This includes meals, cabin assignments, ensuring guests with special circumstances are comfortable, and creating maps of the property.”
Go digital. “Have a comprehensive wedding website/invitation that outlines the weekend wedding and what is involved. Given that it is a slightly non-traditional venue and will be a new experience for many of your guests, they will likely have questions. Try to be as clear as you can about your vision.”
Connect with staff. “Make sure you are comfortable with your primary point of contact. We had a great experience with Harley and the Camp Timberlane staff, and we knew from our first discussion with Harley how important it would be to him that our wedding was everything we wanted.”
Hire a fabulous wedding planner. “Our event coordinator, Julia, was an absolute pleasure to work with. She eased my stress and anxieties during the wedding planning process and on the day of. Asking our planner for an online workbook outlining the entire day’s timing, organizing contacts, and accounting for all decor kept us perfectly on schedule.”
Jen Reynolds is an eco journalist, gardening expert and certified sustainability leader. She has created floral arrangements and bouquets for dozens of outdoor weddings, and she shares her nature-based projects and tips on Instagram at @JNReynolds and on CTV’s Your Morning.
Photography: Katy Maclachlan @katymaclachlan | Venue: Camp Timberlane, Harley Hayman @camptimberlane Floral designer: Perfect Petals Muskoka @perfectpetalsmuskoka | Wedding Coordinator: Julia Ludwig, Events by Jules @events.by.jules | Sarah’s gown: Made with Love; The Modern Bride, Guelph, Ont.,
Leave a Reply