I grew up dreaming of getting married at Camp Kiwanee in my hometown. We'd held birthdays there, I learned to swim, I went to my first dance there. But by the time we were engaged and looking for venues, Camp Kiwanee had become what I can only describe as a wedding factory. They had strict rules and regulations on what you were able to do -- and it didn't seem so fun anymore.
Enter Camp Wing. A place where you can -- gasp!-- use candles! Light bonfires! Bring in your own alcohol! Party as late as you want because there's no one around to hear you scream with laughter! As soon as we visited the site, we knew this was the only place we'd be going to see. It was a blank canvas that was excited to see what we could make of the space, and would let us have a wedding that reflected us, not the standard "This is what a camp wedding looks like."
For one thing, the venue coordinator, Will, inspires endless confidence and is nothing but a pleasure to work with. He is on top of everything and will work with you to make sure you are aware of the limitations of the site and its full possibilities. By the end of our wedding weekend, every single person who worked directly with him was a little bit in love.
Aside from that, the place is gorgeous. We were shown more than three perfect ceremony spots (opting for the indoor barn because I don't like backup plans). We were able to deck out the hall to be precisely what we wanted. They brought in long tables, set up the chairs exactly as we wanted, and essentially made things as easy as they possibly could. Having the whole place from 5 PM Friday was a godsend. Our wedding guests all ate pizza in the stockade and then rolled up their sleeves, tramped through the rain back to the reception space, and hung bunting until midnight.
Saturday morning, my husband and I woke up, drove to pick up the cupcakes and the continental breakfast for our overnight guests, then joined everyone for danish and archery before I retreated with the bridesmaids to the Union House. (Oh... you need the Union House.) There we drank mimosas, I showered, we ate lunch and laughed. Then I got ready, with our photographer there to capture not only my joy, but the beautiful space and waterfront views. It rained, by the way, until half an hour before the ceremony. (We also had a second hour of archery that afternoon for guests who arrived Saturday.)
During cocktail hour, our friends and family played lawn games like cornhole and bocce, our flowergirl played basketball with our officiant (her father), and Island Creek Oysters made sure the raw bar kept everyone full. That we did not need a separate bartender meant we could serve only beer we loved -- Founders and cheap wine, plus a caramel apple cider vodka drink.
The afterparty happened earlier than expected and Will set up the fire pit for our smores. The bridal party and their partners trudged through the woods afterward to get back to the union house, where we drank one last glass of champagne, joked about the ceremony, and slept well in comfortable beds.
Also, if you do have alcohol or leftover barbecue, Will accepts good beer. Just, please do not leave it behind because they have young employees and it's better to not leave that out. read more