Low-Waste Romantic & Cosy Scout Camp Wedding

A very warm welcome to Brittany and Patrick, who are kindly sharing their cosy Scout Camp wedding with us, held at Saukenauk Scout Reservation in Illinois.

Their day was a total dream and completely focused on community feeling and meaning. They wanted a low-waste celebration and they thrifted, borrowed, rented, bought second-hand and made their own touches. I love this approach to planning and it must have worked really well for their budget too, as it came in below their estimate.

Their wedding really felt like a fairytale, with enchanting lighting, dried florals, an outdoor ceremony and super beautiful outfits. So so lovely!

Thanks ever so much to Rachael Marie Photography for sharing with us these touching images.

Scout Camp Wedding

The Proposal

Christmas morning 2018. I have always loved Christmas, but this one was particularly special because it was our first one with our little puppy, Bastian. We were playing fetch with his new toy and laughing at his floppy little ears and the steadfast determination in his little shiny puppy eyes.

I felt so safe, so at peace, so loved, and – to my surprise – I felt like a family. I thought to myself, “surely Pat would know that this is the absolute perfect moment to ask me to marry him” and so I waited, beaming at him in anticipation and joy.

The moment passed and I was admittedly a little let down. Not wanting to distract from the joy of Christmas morning, I excused myself to go contemplate what I was feeling. A little later, Pat being the gentle person that he is, came to check on me and pulled me onto his lap.

I explained how I felt such a light, unimpeded happiness with him this morning, how I loved him more and more all the time, and how I had felt a kinship between us. I said I didn’t want to wait anymore, I wanted to be a family and asked him to marry me. His face melted into his sweet, relaxed smile and he said yes.

It was intimate, honest, and raw – it was perfect. We went to my family’s Christmas a little bit later that day and told them around the dinner table. They erupted with cheers and laughter and shouts of “finally!”.

The Vision

Low-waste romantic fairytale wedding on a hobbit’s budget.

We wanted it to feel like a family gathering for wood nymphs, so a lot of natural textures (wood, moss, stone) that created depth and warmth and also what I like to call “eclectic grandma” decor that creates a cozy, familiar environment.

Budget

$15,000 – final cost was ~$12,000.

Your Outfits

Pat

As someone who doesn’t dress up very often, I was extremely worried about picking out a suit. I didn’t want to feel too stuffy, so I opted to try on jackets instead of 3-piece suits, trying on all the usual go-to colors.

And after slowly getting disheartened by every jacket I put on not feeling quite right, I found an odd red jacket hidden amongst the navy and black. And after looking at myself in the mirror, I knew that I had finally found the right one. Never have I been so confident in picking out an article of clothing, and after quickly finding pants and a dress shirt to emphasize it, I knew I had the right outfit.

Brit

What I was most excited about was the accessories! I had splurged on a pair of Blundstone Chelsea brown boots for the rougher terrain of our venue (and to be honest, this way I could budget for them as a “wedding expense”).

I also had a necklace engraved with our initials that I hope to pass down as an heirloom. And then there was my VEIL. I was so enamoured with this, I wish I could wear it every day. I wanted the wispy, romantic texture that a veil offered, but I didn’t want the traditional hairpiece.

Enter in: the chapel-length cape and WOW. This piece pulled it all together for me. It was ethereal, layered and had just a touch of fantasy, I felt so beautiful and nearly Elven in it!

The Venue

An old boy scout camp in Illinois that was meaningful to the bride’s family. The ceremony was at the lakefront and the reception was in the large, fantastically rugged lodge.

The Ceremony & Music

We had our ceremony in a little valley that faced a lake, with the reeds whispering behind the altar and our guests seated on the benches of an outdoor theater around us.

Our brother-in-law spent the morning putting all of the pieces together – a rented wooden archway, second-hand rugs, and locally grown potted flowers. The groomsmen and bridesmaids all walked down the center aisle to “Here Comes the Sun” instrumental version.

We were all a little nervous, as there was a chance of rain off and on all day, and it rained most of the morning. But as soon as the ceremony started, the clouds parted and a great ray of light spread all across the little valley in front of the lake.

Brittany descended to the altar, to the sound of “Julep” by the Punch Brothers, with her nieces throwing flowers in front of her. It’s an image I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

We are both writers, so it was important to us that we share our thoughts with each other through our vows. Our family friend officiated our wedding and even performed a Celtic knot tying ceremony for us.

We walked back down the aisle to “Making Breakfast” by Twin Peaks as our family enveloped us and tossed birdseed. This is the moment that the sheer bliss kicked in, we felt so loved.

Your Photographer

Rachael was absolutely instrumental in the success of our day. She has an intrinsic ability to both keep the day on track while also advocating (even to our loved ones) for us to be present and feel the moments that so quickly slip away in the rush of the day.

It was nothing short of wizardry how she was able to do this while also being warm, lively, and so very skilled at her craft. We didn’t expect all this out of her as our photographer, but wow, our wedding would not have been what it was without her.

Heck, she was instrumental in the planning process! We talked on the phone with her several times before the wedding day and each time she left us with another piece of the puzzle in place and reminded us that this whole thing is so much more than the stress of planning. She has a wonderful can-do attitude with a warmth and silliness about her that puts you instantly at ease. She is a force with sharp vision and man, can she set a mood!

And the photos! My God, the photos. She worked with us the whole way through ensuring that we got the mood, style, and moments we wanted captured at our wedding. They are so gorgeous and perhaps more importantly, accurate. When I look at them, I tap into this memory of the sheer, perfect bliss I felt that day. I will treasure them and that feeling for the rest of my life.

The Styling & Decor

Choosing an indoor/outdoor venue at a picturesque but quaint boy scout camp made leaning into our “low-waste romantic fairytale wedding on a hobbit’s budget” theme easier to accomplish.

We used the natural beauty of the camp in autumn to our advantage and didn’t have to do much decorating for the ceremony. What we did purchase was either rented, secondhand, or locally grown (mums, pumpkins).

In the lodge, we wanted it to feel like a family gathering for wood nymphs, so it needed to feel cozy, inviting, and communal. We borrowed Christmas lights from family and strung them up on the rafters and that one choice packed a HUGE punch.

We used candlelight and rented cloth tablecloths and napkins to soften and elevate the mostly wooden interior. We had bonfires and an outdoor open bar to encourage movement in and out of the lodge.

As for the decor, I called it “eclectic grandma” which meant a collection of knick-knacks, antiques, and natural found treasures that create a cozy, familiar environment. I used pieces from my home, thrifted finds, and handmade candles, signs, wreaths and more from my loved ones.

My mom spent days foraging for acorns and drying them in the oven. My aunt pulled fresh flowering weeds out of her ditch the day of to put in the vase in front of our head table. My mom’s homemade wedding cake was nestled in with other treats made by Pat’s mom and my little brother.

Altogether it was magical. A loving homemade collaboration with the people we love most in this world. It was cozy, it was eclectic, and it was grandma.

We used a lot of natural textures (wood, moss, stone) to create depth and warmth. We also purchased dried florals from Etsy for our bouquets and some table arrangements.

My sister’s father-in-law cut wooden slabs out of a fallen tree. We used birdseed and dried floral pieces as table confetti. We arranged the tables to place the great stone fireplace as the focal point.

To balance the earthy texture of the lodge and the natural decor, we used quality materials at major touch points. Things like real silverware, glass mason jars, solid reusable plates, and cloth napkins. This allowed us to keep our waste way down for the night, which was a huge goal of ours, but it also elevated the relaxed, cozy, and communal environment we were trying to create.

The Honeymoon

After months of planning, collaborating and scheduling, we decided that for our honeymoon we just wanted to get away from it all for a few days. We found an AirBnB a few miles outside of Springfield that couldn’t have been a better fit: a two-story tiny house, sitting on rehabilitated prairie land.

We walked amongst the flowers and tall grass paths surrounding the entire house, got caught in a rainstorm while exploring the nearby forest, and sat out on the balcony all night, warm drinks in hand and peaceful prairie noises all around.

After a few days, we went north to stretch our legs, taking an all-day hike through Starved Rock State Park. It felt good to just be out in nature, climbing rocky paths and making our way through the trees, and was a great way to unwind between the hectic planning and our new life as a married couple.

Memorable Moments

For both of us, our most memorable moment was orchestrated by our wonderful photographer, Rachael. It happened right after the ceremony during our couple’s photos. We went down to the dock and Rachael played a personalized playlist for us while we looked out over the lake.

She recited the story of our love back to us as we embraced in the afterglow of our nuptials. It was so moving, so sacred and without her there advocating for us to continue despite our hungry guests, it would have never happened in that moment. It meant everything to us.

Later, while everyone was cozy inside eating dinner, it rained again, and it felt like relief. I laughed in the shelter of the porch as the kids in attendance ran out to dance and jump in the rain.

Our first dance was every bit of the lightness, the fun, and the magic that I feel when I look at Patrick. We danced to I Love You Baby, dancing slow and close at first, then spinning and dipping when the song picks up speed. We were both laughing and breathless by the end.

I sat with my grandpa after our first dance and he was beaming. He held my hand and told me how beautiful the love between Pat and I is. How happy, how proud he was. He passed away unexpectedly a few months later, and I cherish this deeply happy memory. Rachael even got a photo of it, of his face in that moment of shared bliss.

Advice For Other Couples

One of the best pieces of advice I got was from Pat’s aunt Christina. She said, “the moment that dress goes on, bam forget about it, let it all go.” When the dress goes on, the wedding planning ends. You leave it all in the hands of those you’ve delegated tasks to, but you, you enjoy yourself.

I was very deliberate about this and hesitated before I put my dress on to make sure I took a few deep breaths. And then I let it all go. This mantra meant the difference between having a beautiful but stressful day and having truly the most blissful day of my entire life so far.

As far as the planning process goes, I would say make a priority list alongside your budget. What are the most important elements to you individually and as a couple? This will help you find areas that you can cut back on.

Remember to take breaks from the planning to enjoy each other. Our officiant had us do marriage counselling before we tied the knot. This gave us a good chance to check in with each other. You review your whole life when you get married, who you were, are, and want to be. Together and separate.

It is an emotional time and remembering to enjoy each other and communicate about what you’re feeling through the whole process is vital.