Nestled in the small and historic community of Flat Rock in Henderson County, lies a Summer Camp that has been an environment for creating childhood memories for young girls since 1933. Camp Ton-A-Wandah has not only been operating as a Summer Camp for 90 years, but it has also been the location of classic comedy films such as ‘Heavy Weights’ and ‘Happy Campers’.

More recently, however, this property served as the container for one of the most unique, fun and memorable wedding experiences we have ever been a part of!

When Katherine and Nathan contacted us to help as the ‘Month of Coordinators’ for their wedding scheduled for September 2022, we were absolutely thrilled to hear that their overall theme was “A Wedding Festival”. Their Wedding Festival quickly became highly anticipated for us, due to the quantity of unique offerings that Katherine and Nathan envisioned for their memorable weekend.

Imagine having an entire Summer Camp reserved for your family, friends and their children to create unforgettable memories leading up to the moments before you and your True Love say your vows and step into a new life as One.

The scene when we arrived to Camp Ton-A-Wandah was like something out of a dream. The cabins were open for guests to make their selves at home for an extended weekend which created the perfect opportunity for strangers to quickly become friends. Adults and children alike were enjoying the activities the camp has to offer, fully immersed in TOGETHERNESS.

From paddle boards and kayaks, to racing down water slides and diving onto ‘The Blob’ and even testing their skills in the archery field and on the rock climbing wall, the joyous echoes of laughter carried across the 10 acre lake.

It’s no secret that it takes a lot of work to facilitate a successful wedding and when combined with the “Wedding Festival Theme”, attention to detail was key. At the check in station, guests could find a detailed map of the Wedding Festival, check in about their lodging accommodations and stay up to date on the daily schedule of events.

The Wedding Festival was a PLAYGROUND in every sense of the word. It made for some pretty epic photos to tell the story, too.

There are even majestic waterfalls on the property - It feels like you’re stepping into ‘Fern Gully’.

The ceremony location is tucked away from the main structures on the property, completely immersed in nature. To get to “The Chapel in the Woods”, you follow a gentle gravel path lined with dense rhododendrons, native trees, ferns and moss until you reach an open air chapel situated near a quaint stream.

Their ceremony was simple, peaceful and beautifully immersed in love and presence of the moment.

There is a saying, “Many hands make light work” - well, many hands came together to make this wedding an absolute success. Musician friends offered their talents as the soundtrack of the ceremony. Moms, aunts and family friends came together to create gorgeous floral tablescapes for the reception dinner. Cousins and friends took turns captaining golf carts for ease of transport for the other guests. Family friends even set up a late night grilled cheese stand complete with a flat top grill, which was a hit!!!

Katherine’s dad offered his art skills for signage, the invitations and he even created the adorable cartoon cake topper.

Now, you can’t have a festival without music.

Katherine and Nathan curated a unique experience by having the Charleston based band ‘Sol Driven Train’ lead the wedding guests with a rockin’ procession from cocktail hour, to the mess hall for dinner, and again to the gymnasium for a full on dance party.

The evening was capped with a ‘tunnel of love’ to send Katherine and Nathan off on a romantic, moonlit canoe paddle into the dark stillness of the lake.

The amount of support and love from friends and family surrounding Katherine and Nathan was truly astounding to witness. Their Wedding Festival was the epitome of community and it really does, “take a village”.

The village they are embraced by certainly is one of a kind!