A Camp-Themed Wedding at a Lakeside Venue in West Virginia That Took Over 900 Days to Plan

Yahoo

2 days ago

Kate and Victoria met at a restaurant in the San Francisco Bay area in April of 2017; Victoria was the managing minority owner at the time and Kate was a regular diner. Eventually, they hit it off and became a couple. Two years later, in 2019, the duo took a trip to the Greek Islands. There, Victoria proposed over breakfast at their cliffside Airbnb. Though they took some time to soak up the engagement, they couple was excited to start planning their wedding.
The first detail they needed to work out? Where they'd tie the knot. "Having lived in so many places across the country, both individually and as a couple, we've built a community of friends and family spread far and wide. With that in mind, we wanted to choose a location that was accessible both financially and geographically, making it easy for everyone to join us," the brides explain. "We also wanted a neutral setting—somewhere that wasn't anyone's hometown—so we could all come together, fully present, for the entire celebration." In the end, they decided to host a three-day wedding weekend with a 'family camp' theme at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia. 'We wanted everything to feel warm, natural, and beautiful, with the landscape providing a breathtaking backdrop for the weekend,' Kate says.
On June 15, 2024, Kate and Victoria were joined by 84 guests for a ceremony in the resort's formal gardens followed by a lakeside reception. 'It was important to us that both the ceremony and reception venues were outdoors, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the natural beauty of West Virginia,' Kate says. They worked with Samantha Leenheer of House of Joy for over 900 days to create an immersive celebration that encouraged their loved ones to connect—planning shifts meant that the wedding was rescheduled a few times, but the brides say Samantha's support and ideas was their guiding light. "I'm pretty sure we were her longest-running clients!" Kate laughs.
Read on to see the thoughtful details of their day, including the Y-shaped aisle and mixed-texture table settings, in the photos by Leslie Rodriguez Photography.
Related: Nature Preserves and Summer Camps That Double as Wedding Venues
Kate and Victoria's wedding invitation suite by Isidore and Augustine contained a formal invite, RSVP card, and details enclosures that highlighted other events, accommodations, and transportation. Scalloped edges, floral-lined envelopes, and a custom wax seal helped to personalize the paper goods.
As guests arrived for the weekend of events, they were offered welcome bags packed with a variety of different items. 'We created 'survival kit' welcome bags that included essentials like Advil, Liquid IV, maps, and even marshmallows for roasting, adding a playful nod to that original 'family camp' idea that started it all,' Kate says.
The brides spent the morning getting ready with their wedding party, which included a mix of family members and close friends. Kate and Victoria wore matching white pajama sets with black piping and monogrammed initials, while the women of the wedding party wore pale blue pajamas and the men wore navy blue sets.
Victoria wore a custom-designed ivory satin pantsuit by Teresa Eklund with Renee Grace Bridal, which featured a removable train—the style gave the bride-to-be the versatility she was looking for in her big-day fashion. 'I knew that I didn't want to wear a dress but wanted it to look like one,' she explains. The four piece look featured a plunging v-neck bodysuit with a standing-lapeled jacket with slit cuffs, sapphire buttons, and the removable train lined with sapphire satin.
She accessorized with a pair of white kitten heels and Kate's late grandmother's necklace that matched the bracelet her bride-to-be chose to wear.
On a busy wedding dress-shopping day, Kate finally tried on a charmeuse wedding dress with a scoop neckline and dramatic draped back by Justin Alexander and knew it was the one. Not only did she love the style, but she also felt the gown's monicker—which was the same as her maiden last name—was a fortuitous sign.
She paired her gown with navy open-toed platform sandals to match her sapphire wedding rings, which served as her something blue. 'For my something old and something borrowed, I wore a vintage silver bracelet that belonged to my late grandmother and was passed down to my Aunt Marilyn,' Kate says. 'Victoria wore the matching necklace from my grandmother's collection, which now belongs to my mom, adding a meaningful touch to our day."
Kate held a petite, organic arrangement of cream, mustard, and mauve flowers, including cosmos and zinnias, while Victoria held a white and cream bouquet of cosmos, roses, and greenery.
Since both brides were heavily involved in planning the wedding, they wanted to set aside time for a special moment of surprise. 'Early on, we agreed to keep our dress shopping and design experiences a secret from each other, making our first look a fun and memorable moment to share,' Kate says. Their bridal party orchestrated their first look, driving them to the location, guiding them out of their cars and across the hillside. 'When we finally saw each other in our wedding dresses for the first time, there wasn't a dry eye in the group,' Victoria says. 'Everyone clapped, cried, and shared in the emotional moment, making it even more special for us.'
The couple's wedding planner worked with the women in their wedding party to choose attire in a combination of different colors and prints to match the theme of the wedding. They held bouquets consisting of daisies, scabiosa, spray roses, blue thistle, and other textured blooms. The men in the wedding party wore navy blue suits with rust colored ties and pocket squares.
The focal point of Kate and Victoria's ceremony was a deconstructed asymmetrical floral arch decorated with a collection of terracotta pots and plenty of textured florals. The arch was placed at the garden's entrance. Guests were dropped off by trolley and guided down a scenic garden path to the ceremony. 'Riding together, surrounded by laughter and conversation, felt like such a joyful and memorable way to bring everyone together before and after the festivities,' Kate says.
The couple's wedding planner created a y-shaped aisle so that Kate and Victoria could walk down the aisle at the same time before joining each other in the middle and walking the rest of the aisle together. A four-string quartet played Coldplay's 'Fix You' as Kate walked down the aisle with her mom, Marie, and Victoria walked down the aisle with her dear friend, Phillip.
The two exchanged personal vows, bringing tears to their guest's eyes. 'We both wrote our vows and had our ceremony officiated by one of our best friends, Nadia, which made it very personalized, intimate and authentic to who we are,' Victoria says. They happily recessed back up the aisle to Coldplay's 'Paradise."
The couple partnered with Isidore and Augustine to create all their wedding-related paper, including the seating chart display. Three blue posters in white frames directed guests to their tables for dinner. The display was set on a table dressed in the same blue and white tablecloth that would soon be seen throughout the reception. A mix of different flowers in bud vases and candles at varying heights were the setup's perfect finishing touches.
The string quartet continued to perform at the couple's cocktail hour, where they shifted to a more upbeat vibe with songs like Beyonce's 'Naughty Girl' and Madonna's 'Material Girl." 'For a touch of lighthearted fun, we even added 'Thong Song' by Sisqó,' Kate says. 'All of the songs were hand-selected by us, and for a few special tracks, we paid extra to have the quartet learn them just for the occasion.'
The newlyweds served a lavender lemonade signature cocktail, which was made with butterfly pea tea, lavender syrup, and champagne in plastic champagne flutes customized with their names and wedding date.
Kate and Victoria's reception took place beneath an elevated tent where guests took in views of the lake. To give the space a warmer, more inviting feeling, the tent's canopy and poles were covered with taupe draping. A mix of long rectangular tables and round tables were arranged throughout the space, then dressed with a variety of different tablecloths. 'Mixing the linens up in the tent made it more interesting for guests,' Kate says. 'We used a mix of a blue linen with a wave detail and then a blue with a leaf motif.'
The table numbers matched the invitation envelope liners and the centerpiece arrangements included cream, mustard, mauve, and blue florals, including dahlias, ranunculus, and thistle, among others, with organic greenery in terracotta and stone pots.
'A favorite part of the reception design were the place settings,' Victoria says. 'Our designer found the perfect copper colored charger with these modern matte green and cream plates.'
To prioritize the guest experience, a seating area featuring tan and rust couches and chairs on woven natural fiber rugs was set up during the reception. 'The lounge provided the perfect spot to watch the sunset and see the view,' Kate says. 'As the sun set, we wanted to keep with those quintessential summer bistro lights and brought those into the tent lighting.'
The newlyweds shared their first dance to 'Groove Me' by King Floyd. Then, they played 'Brown Eyed Girl' by Van Morrison for a special parent-child dance.
Guests enjoyed a dessert spread of brownies and lemon bars; sliders were served as late-night snacks. DJ Dayna Sol kept the dance floor packed by playing pop classics from the 80s before shifting to EDM tracks later in the evening.
To couples currently planning weddings, Kate and Victoria recommend focusing on what matters to you as a couple and ignoring the latest trends or other people's expectations. 'Prioritize the moments and details that reflect who you are and bring you joy. And when things inevitably don't go exactly as planned—because they won't—find the humor in it," the say. "Those unplanned moments often turn into the best stories!'Wedding Photographer Leslie Rodriguez Photography
Wedding Venue, Catering, Trolley, and Accommodations Oglebay Resort
Planning and Design House of Joy
Brides' Beauty Pretty Hair Salon
Flowers Lemonwood Floral
Invitations and Paper Products Isidore and Augustine
Music Innocenti Strings, DJ Dayna Sol
Rentals Lost and Found Rentals, All Occasions Party Rental, BBJ LaTavolaUp Next: Determining Your Wedding Priorities Is Essential—Here's How to Do Just That, According to 4 Expert Planners
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