Camping Wedding at Half Moon Bay
Today’s wedding is a camping lover’s dream, full of lush greenery, rustic wooden elements, and an intimate celebration that just about knocks our socks off. Kristen and Christian’s wedding is brimming over with so much love and joy that we’ve had just about the most difficult time ever narrowing down these images for you, due in no small part to the wonderful work of Braedon Photography.
From the bride, Kristen: We envisioned our wedding as a larger version of what we love to do most, which is camp along the coast with friends and family. That included an outdoor ceremony, dinner, dancing, and camping all in one place, and avoiding the curfew and late-night drive home that often occur at weddings. This seemed like a tall order at first, but pretty early in our venue search we discovered OVY Camp + Event Center which was pretty much the perfect spot for what we imagined! The camp has a redwood grove, outdoor amphitheater, main hall with a stone fireplace and exposed rafters, fire pits, and tiny log cabins.
Flower recipe: I left almost all the decision making to our super intuitive and tasteful florist, Lover Bee Botany. My few suggestions included eucalyptus, ranunculus and scabiosa, so those were all there, and she added lots of other green-and-white magic with green-centered anemones, ferns, and some wild grasses. She was a genius with the whole thing.
We also felt it was important to keep the whole thing true to who we are, so rather than outsource planning we did it ourselves, and recruited a bunch of our (very talented) friends for everything from bartending and DJ-ing to helping with decor, playing music, and being our day-of coordinator. It all ended up being that much more fun, and we wouldn’t trade that decision for anything else. Inspired by the landscape and campout, we created a woodsy feel using lots of greenery, raw-edged wood, white linens and candles, crocheted and plaid blankets, and baskets full of sparklers and s’mores sticks. We kept most things simple, including the color scheme (it was all neutrals and greens) and dishware, and put more energy into the lighting, amphitheater ceremony backdrop, and leafy florals.
One favorite element was our wedding-night camp setup: we found this awesome Sibley yurt tent, and our friends and family helped us do it up with bedding, lights, flowers, and even our own tiny bottle of Limoncello. I also enjoyed some of the smaller details: the leather sandals I made for myself, “Camp Morabito” sugar cookies our coordinator baked as a surprise, and the canoe cake topper we found on Etsy. For the reception, we made a botanical seating chart using a big wooden frame we made, tiny clothespins, and foraged rosemary sprigs, and made all the signage ourselves. I also made about a million of these paper clay barnacles with the help of my endlessly patient and helpful friends. They were clustered along the long dinner tables with glass tea lights, leafy table runners and simple painted wooden table numbers. My mom and her friends also made hand-knitted cowls for all my bridesmaids, Christian’s grandma and aunt did up the bathrooms with candles and sweet decorations, another grandmother made their family-recipe Limoncello to serve with dessert, and my sister infused all the alcohol that was served in the cocktails—all of which was incredibly special!
Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? We tried hard to keep the whole process fun and personal. Involving friends and family in so many ways definitely made that happen, and Christian reminded me at stressful moments that it should be fun! Also, while it’s great to have a vision, remember to sometimes be surprised by the way things often come together; unexpected moments can be the most memorable, and if something doesn’t perfectly it’s usually not important anyway. Focus on the fun and friendship!
View all images from this wedding in the gallery
Wedding Music:
Processional: “I Want You to be My Love,” Over the Rhine
Recessional: “Not Fire Not Ice,” Ben Harper
First Dance: “Painting by Chagall,” The Weepies