Each wedding we share is magical in its own way but once in a while we see a wedding that, when all the forces combined, is completely and utterly majestic. This summer camp wedding, tucked in the woods of New Hampshire, just wouldn't have been the same if it hadn't rained creating an ethereal mist that lovingly wrapped itself around the wedding cabin. Nor would it have been the same if photographer superstars Our Labor of Love hadn't been there to capture every magical moment. The result is something out of a dream! Click here to see it all!
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From the Bride...Josh and I have been together for six years and in this time we've traveled extensively around the world. He proposed in El Bolson, Argentina, midway through our month long trip to Argentina and Chile. It came as a complete surprise but the best part was being able to spend the next two weeks of our vacation as a newly engaged couple. I grew up in New York City and Josh is from Atlanta. We currently live in Brooklyn. While we would have loved to have had our wedding in one of these cities, we felt that having our wedding in a natural setting would both suit our budget and our love of nature. We took many road trips in search of a wedding location, then my friend suggested I look at places in New Hampshire because many of the towns had that quaint feeling that we experienced at summer camp when we were kids. I remember hearing about the Squam Art Workshop and how lovely the photos of Rockywold-Deephaven Camps were.
After first setting foot inside Rockywold-Deephaven Camp, we just knew that this is where we would have our wedding. The air was crisp and clean and the shimmering lake reflected the lush forest in every direction. As is customary with every cabin on Squam lake, they're built inside the forest so as not to cut down any trees unless it's absolutely necessary. Looking out across the lake, man-made structures are barley visible through the towering forest. Many of the cabins also have their own docks. I also love that the camp only allows three weddings a year. Rockywold-Deephaven Camps reminded me of the film Dirty Dancing and that was it, I was sold. I decided it would be my something old as it was founded in 1897.
Among our friends, we are known to have food fever. Every time we throw a cocktail party we make sure there's a ton of food, so we knew we couldn't disappoint our friends. My family's from Haiti, so we had an authentic Haitian feast of rice with mushroom broth, stewed chicken, shrimp creole, and Haitian conch. A few of the dishes were prepared by a professional caterer, but many were made by my mom and her friends. Josh's friend from college owns a dessert company, Ovenly, who provided a wide variety of delicious cakes, pies, and gluten-free cupcakes.
The night before our wedding, I was awakened by the sound of the rain pounding down on the rooftop of my cabin. Having heard the rain fall all night, it prepared me for the type of wedding we were going to have. Before I left our apartment in Brooklyn, I grabbed my rain boots as we were heading out the door just in case it rained. I was so glad I did. Everyone at breakfast kept telling us that the weather would clear up but when I checked the forecast it read 100% precipitation. We had to scrap our original plan of getting married under a birch tree trellis and decided to get married on the porch of the Longhouse. We were really lucky to have Lisa. She was our florist and day of wedding planner. She got married at Rockywold-Deephaven so she knew just what to do. Josh kept saying all week, "lean into it," and that's exactly what we did. The ceremony was incredibly majestic. The clean air and mist on the lake made it perfectly romantic. I remember walking onto the porch with my dad and seeing my best friend shed some tears. I tried my best to hold it together. I had not seen Josh prior to the ceremony and he looked so handsome. His eyes were just beaming with energy.
We were so glad to have Jesse & Whit of Our Labor of Love take our photos. They were recommended to us by Max Wanger. When we met them a few months before our wedding for our engagement photo session, we knew instantly that we had made the right decision to go with them. They made us feel so comfortable and they compliment each other so well. By the time our wedding rolled around we were confident that they would do an amazing job. They certainly were magnificent at capturing our special day.
Wedding Photography: Our Labor of Love / Ceremony Location: Rockywold-Deephaven / Floral Design, Design + Planning: Blooming Vineyard / Invitations: Bella Figura / Wedding Dress: Saja / Bride's Belt + Veil: Hushed Commotion / "Here Comes The Bride" Sign: Bragging Bags / Reception Music: DJ NikFit / Wedding Cake: Ovenly / Groom's Ring: Sarah Abramson Jewelry / Wedding Programs: Scrapping Innovations / Ring Pillow: Giggle Room