DIY Camping Wedding
In the land of DIY pretty and rustic meets natural weddings, this gorgeous affair from Marcus Jolly reigns supreme. Because this isn't just any crafty affair - it's a labor of love between a beautiful bride and groom and their awesome friends and family. I'm talking cake, decor, florals and everything all created by this talented group of lovelies. See every fabulous moment in the full gallery.
From Marcus Jolly... I had the absolute pleasure of photographing dear friends, Sara and Adam, at the groom's childhood farm in the interior of BC. I know you must hear this often, but it had the most authentic, stunning DIY details masterfully and organically thought out and executed by the bride. From the spray-painted signage, to the improvised outdoor showers for campers, to the hay bail couches it truly was an intimate affair with unique DIY touches in one of the most breathtaking locations in Canada. I hope you can feel the joy and love oozing out of the photos of this genuinely beautiful wedding day.
From the Bride... When we thought about what we wanted for our wedding day, we knew we wanted everyone we love all together in one place ... sleeping in tents! Well, first we actually knew we had the perfect location to exchange our vows, under a giant willow tree on Adam's childhood farm in the interior of British Columbia, and everything fell into place after that. Adam grew up on this big gorgeous farm, which had enough space for all our loved ones to camp, and then from there we focused on making the wedding camping experience as beautiful, authentic, and comfortable as possible for all our guests.
We started by maximizing everything around us on the property and in Armstrong: hay bales for seating, old furniture from the property, church pews and benches, tables, silverware, and plates from Adam's dad's church.
The vast majority of what was used for the wedding was second hand, repurposed, or borrowed. Even my dress, which was the same dress my mother wore. All food was made from scratch by friends in a garage with no running water and a tiny kitchen.
Because we had no professional vendors, we relied heavily on friends and family. My advice to other brides is if you have loves ones that are willing and enthusiastic to be involved in the process, take them up on it. It only enriches the entire process and day.
My other advice is to take the time to think about the details that will improve the entire experience for your guests. Do the personal touches (we actually spray painted our faces on things!), but we also spent a lot of time working on the outdoor shower and getting ready area which we know everyone appreciated.
In the end the entire camping wedding weekend was exactly what we had hoped for and imagined, filled with love, a talent show, and an amazing barn dance party!
From the Bride... When we thought about what we wanted for our wedding day, we knew we wanted everyone we love all together in one place ... sleeping in tents! Well, first we actually knew we had the perfect location to exchange our vows, under a giant willow tree on Adam's childhood farm in the interior of British Columbia, and everything fell into place after that. Adam grew up on this big gorgeous farm, which had enough space for all our loved ones to camp, and then from there we focused on making the wedding camping experience as beautiful, authentic, and comfortable as possible for all our guests.
We started by maximizing everything around us on the property and in Armstrong: hay bales for seating, old furniture from the property, church pews and benches, tables, silverware, and plates from Adam's dad's church.
The vast majority of what was used for the wedding was second hand, repurposed, or borrowed. Even my dress, which was the same dress my mother wore. All food was made from scratch by friends in a garage with no running water and a tiny kitchen.
Because we had no professional vendors, we relied heavily on friends and family. My advice to other brides is if you have loves ones that are willing and enthusiastic to be involved in the process, take them up on it. It only enriches the entire process and day.
My other advice is to take the time to think about the details that will improve the entire experience for your guests. Do the personal touches (we actually spray painted our faces on things!), but we also spent a lot of time working on the outdoor shower and getting ready area which we know everyone appreciated.
In the end the entire camping wedding weekend was exactly what we had hoped for and imagined, filled with love, a talent show, and an amazing barn dance party!