Table of Contents
Photography, Ben Wagner Photography | Venue, NatureBridge, Olympic National Park, | Wedding Coordinator, Lyndsea Tim Tim, Carly Rae Weddings
Olympic National Park Wedding — A Summer Camp Wedding Vibe
There are weddings where everyone arrives for the day, celebrates, and then heads home. And then there are weddings where people slowly filter in to a place, taking it over for the weekend. A tiny little village, a community that will only exist for one weekend, once, ever.
Sara and Robert’s Memorial day wedding weekend at NatureBridge in Olympic National Park was the second kind. When they first reached out to me the phrase they kept using was “Summer Camp Wedding”. They wanted the weekend to be casual, camp fires and tie die t-shirts. Canoeing on Lake Crescent by day, sharing beers and Marshmallows by night.
NatureBridge is in the wonderful category of wedding venues that doesn’t feel like a wedding venue. It’s a little wild around the edges in the best way. Cabins nestled among mossy trees that have been alive longer than us, and will almost certainly outlive us. A dock jutting out into Lake Crescent. Walking trails and fire-pits and picnic tables. If you wanted a Summer Camp Wedding, this is the place.
Sara and Robert’s weekend wedding package included a hand crafted Documentary PhotoFilm — a one-of-a-kind video that combines the photographs and audio recorded throughout the day to create a keepsake highlight that tells the entire story of the wedding weekend.
Olympic National Park Wedding — Welcome Dinner at NatureBridge, Olympic
I consider it a great privilege when I get to attend welcome/rehearsal dinners, and this one had a loose, backyard BBQ energy that I love. Guests were playing catch, lounging in Adirondack chairs next to the lake, and chatting about the Mariners. The younger kids chased bubbles and played soccer with their grandparents. Sara had set up a station to make Summer Camp style bracelets, the picnic table full of embroidery and empty cans of Pacifico.
When twilight came the fathers of the bride and groom built a fire in the large fire pit as the group huddled together making smore’s. A swordfight broke out with the mallow roasting sticks as the group solidified.
The bride and groom moved through all of it less like hosts and more like participants. There was no pressure to perform. Just friends and family together by the fire, playing games and chatting under the stars.
Click any image to view in fullscreen or slideshow mode.
Olympic National Park Wedding — The Wedding Day
The wedding day was as serene as the setting. When I arrived guests were spread out across Naturebridge, some were helping prep the space for the wedding, some out on Lake Crescent canoeing, some still stirring from a late morning lie in. The Summer camp wedding vibe enhanced by sandwiches, lifejacket, and open coolers
Pre-wedding lunch was in out on the picnic tables as the kids played spikeball and soccer in the sun. Sara and Robert spent the morning together before breaking off to get ready. A seamstress, Sara wore a wedding gown she hand made herself, as her sisters helped her get into it Robert got ready quietly in the attic.
The first look was quick and casual on the Lake Crescent Shoreline, followed by few portraits and family photos. Then it was time for the wedding ceremony on the beach, the wind catching Sara’ veil constantly. Afterwards the couple sprinted for their cabin, immediately grabbing each other for a kiss of relief, the tension of the year of preparation melting away.
The reception leaned in to the Summer Camp Wedding theme, pendant banners and national park postcards, a corkboard with polaroids, Rainier beers all around (my pick for the most photogenic beer can).
Inside, the dancing started as glow sticks and bracelets passed around. The kids were in the thick of it, getting tossed into the air and laughing with delight. As the sun went down guests made trips down to the water to watch the sunset, a football came out, and late-night banana pudding (complete with Nilla wafers) was served.
Sara changed into pajamas, but kept the veil. Another fire was started and the group huddled around for smore’s again. The campfire was more subdued tonight, like the last night of Summer Camp, everyone sleepily content to watch the fire. Like the last night of Summer Camp, knowing soon it’s back to the real world.
The gallery below contains select photography from Sara and Robert’s Olympic National Park Wedding. Their chosen package included all digital photos delivered in both Color and Black & White edits, as well as analog film photography.
Having an Olympic National Park Wedding? Let’s chat!
Click any image to view in fullscreen or slideshow mode.
Olympic National Park Wedding — A Sunday After Adventure
A lot of wedding weekends have some sort of Sunday farewell brunch, but Sara and Robert took the Summer Camp Wedding theme to the next level. On Sunday the crew packed into the long Canoes for a guided trip around Lake Crescent. This career has taken me some amazing places, but getting to photograph this little adventure was a real highlight.
This wasn’t just a wedding ceremony with an attached party, this weekend was a true communal experience, a summer camp wedding executed at the highest level, complete with one final adventure.
Click any image to view in fullscreen or slideshow mode.
Digital images photographed on the Leica M11, Leica Q3, Ricoh GR3, and Fujifilm X-T5. Film photographs taken on the Leica MP, RolleiFlex 2.8E, and Hasselblad 500c with a variety of film stocks.
Film processed by Panda Lab, Seattle, WA.
