Sarah + Andrew | Jewish Summer Camp Wedding
If you’re looking for a unique place to have an unforgettable wedding weekend, you’ve come to the right place. As a wedding planner in Los Angeles, I’m hired by couples to find a wedding venue that uniquely represents their personalities and relationship and it’s truly one of my favorite things to do.
Sarah and Andrew were living in New York when they contacted me to help plan their upcoming wedding. Sarah is originally from Los Angeles and Andrew from New Jersey. Although they grew up on separate coasts, they had something major in common - they both grew up attending Jewish overnight camp from when they were kids until their teenage years and each had fond memories of camp. Furthermore, they maintained a love of the outdoors that was prevalent in their relationship as a couple.
THE WEDDING WEEKEND VENUE
Aiming for nicer winter weather (Sarah and Andrew were planning a January wedding), the couple decided to focus their venue hunt in the greater Los Angeles area. They came across Camp Alonim in Simi Valley, just outside of Los Angeles, and immediately loved the idea of having their friends and family from far and wide at the camp for the entire weekend. Their friends slept in bunk cabins, their family in counselor cabins, and the weekend was full of sports competitions, bonfires, and BBQs. Although it rained for a full week before the wedding, the sunshine came through a couple days before and dried up nearly every bit of mud created by the rain in the outdoor spaces, including the ceremony location.
With full reign over the camp for the weekend, they hosted a rehearsal dinner the day before the wedding inside a barn on the campgrounds. With long tables spanning the length of the barn, candlelit tables, and exposed wood throughout, the setup was certainly reminiscent of the dining hall in Harry Potter. Following dinner, guests were led through the camp to a bonfire where s’mores were roasted, and the couple was toasted, late into the night.
INCORPORATING TRADITIONS
Sarah and Andrew both hold their Jewish faith close to their hearts and chose to honor many Jewish wedding traditions on their wedding day. The couple were married under a Chuppah and the ceremony was preceded by a lively Tisch and Bedeken. If you’re unfamiliar with a Tisch or a Bedeken (similarly to my Jewish husband), a Tisch is a gathering of the groom, his friends and male family members as they prepare for the wedding with drinks, song and laughter. A Bedeken is the ceremony in which the groom places a veil over the bride in preparation for the ceremony. This is also often the moment where the bride and groom see each other for the first time before the ceremony occurs. At Sarah and Andrew’s Bedeken, there was live Klezmer (Jewish music with its roots in Eastern Europe) music and an explosion of dance and energy from the bride, groom and their immediate families.
THE PARTY
An epic dance party followed the ceremony where I witnessed the longest, most energetic hora I’ve ever seen. The hour-long hora (I’m not even joking or exaggerating) included Sarah and Andrew being hoisted into the air in chairs (as the tradition promises), Sarah crowd surfing, inflatable toys and candy being distributed to the crowd, and surprise basketball jerseys from Andrew’s alma mater, Indiana University, for the groom and his groomsmen. Sarah loves, loves, loves to dance and, about an hour into the dancing, Sarah asked me for scissors so she could CUT HER WEDDING DRESS! She was tired of it getting in her way and she wanted to just cut it and move on. Never having received this request from a bride in all of my years planning, I was exhilarated and happily obliged. Scissors were delivered, the dress was cut, and the party continued!
Since the couple had complete control of the camp, and their guests were all staying on site, there was an after-party that lasted into the morning hours. Thankfully, the guests were able to sleep in and make their way to a leisurely brunch on site the next morning.
Sarah and Andrew’s wedding was one of the most memorable weddings I’ve ever been a part of. If you’re looking for a unique guest experience for your wedding, consider contacting local camps during their off season to see if you can take it over and create a nature-filled, party experience unique to you and your guests!
