the best summer camps in ontario for a wedding
a wedding weekend enjoying the outdoors at camp tamakwa in algonquin park.
^^^ the view approaching camp tamakwa by boat the evening before the wedding day. ^^^
^^^ scenes from a wedding at camp timberlane near haliburton, ontario. ^^^
^^^ gathering around with friends & enjoying the campfire at a summer camp wedding. ^^^
^^^ delmonte in the pines is just south of gravenhurst & has beautiful outdoor spots to hold wedding ceremonies & enjoy cocktails. ^^^
outdoor-wedding-venues-muskoka-lodges-ontario
^^^ a wedding ceremony on the dock at port cunnington. ^^^
we LOVE summer camps & think they are a brilliant place to have a wedding! usually everyone who is up for it can stay right there on site. you can enjoy a fun relaxed weekend with your guests instead of the rushed half-day of most weddings. there are tons of activities, like canoeing, hiking, swimming, or simply finding a sunny spot by the lake with a book -- truly there's something for everyone. the last wedding we photographed at a summer camp, there was a morning yoga class out on the beach & a paddle out into the lake. that's a pretty perfect way to start a wedding day if you ask us.it's a great getaway from the city for all your guests to enjoy, and so many of these spots are easy to get to from toronto & its neighbouring cities. many summer camps don't advertise their facility rentals, but are more than happy to welcome back former campers to get married on their grounds. for many others, their doors are open to anyone who'd like to reserve the site for the weekend. just keep in mind, all of these spots are functioning summer camps & will only be available outside of the months of july & august. here's our list of great summer camps we've found across ontario that we think would be wonderful spots for a wedding. if you're outdoorsy & a bit untraditional like us, we'd highly recommend thinking about a summer camp weekend wedding.
SOUTHERN ONTARIO SUMMER CAMP VENUES:
our list of top summer camps for your wedding in ontario :
camp tamakwa in algonquin provincial park / see our photos here
camp timberlane near haliburton / see our photos here
tapawingo ywca camp near parry sound
camp kawartha in the kawarthas northeast of peterborough
camp walden near bancroft
camp white pine near haliburton
camp muskoka near bracebridge
camp tamarack near bracebridg
ecamp arowhon in algonquin provincial park
camp kintail on lake huron near goderich
camp ahmek / camp wapomeo in algonquin provincial park
camp tawingo near huntsville
SOUTHERN ONTARIO LODGES FOR OVERNIGHT WEDDING WEEKENDS:
& just in case you're looking for something similar to a summer camp but maybe a bit less rustic, here's our list of wedding venues similar to summer camps with on-site accommodation for everyone to stay. many of these settings provide a variety of accommodation types for your guests ranging from private two-person cottages, bigger family-style units, or hotel suite style rooms on site.
our list :
the lodge at pine cove on the french river near sudbury (sleeps up to 58 in private log cottages, with room for up to 120 for wedding day celebrations) / see our wedding photos here
port cunnington lodge in muskoka (sleeps 100+ guests in private cottages) / see our wedding photos here
delmonte in the pines near gravenhurst in muskoka (sleeps 100+ guests in a mix of private cottages/hotel-style rooms ) / see our wedding photos here
the portage inn near huntsville & algonquin provincial park / see our wedding photos here laurentian lodge near elliott lake
clevelands house in muskoka
servern lodge in muskoka
windermere house in muskoka
lumina resort in muskoka
bartlett lodge in algonquin provincial park
trillium resort in muskoka
sherwood inn in muskoka
westwind inn north of peterborough
fernleigh lodge north-east of peterborough
bark lake leadership center near haliburton
we hope to continue adding to this list as we discover more camps and outdoor wedding spaces around southern ontario -- please let us know if you think we've missed any of your favourite spots! need to stay closer to the city? take a look at our list of wedding spaces in toronto & nearby.
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cheers & happy planning! x
KASSANDRA & MATT'S SUMMER CAMP WEDDING WEEKEND | a wedding at camp tamakwa muskoka
"... it doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals, or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine and your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn’t interest me who you are, or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back ..."
It's pretty hard to sum up this day, in words or in images, because Kass & Matt's day wasn't just a day, it was a weekend away in the wilderness of Algonquin Park, at a camp only accessible by boat. It wasn't just two people, it was a whole group of people, living in cabins and roasting marshmallows on the fire every night.... and it was beautiful and amazing because of what Kassandra told us the morning of her wedding day, heading to the dining hall for breakfast. She told us that being up there at Camp Tamakwa, that this was her idea of paradise.....[audio:https://jennanddavestark.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/04-Sun1.mp3,https://jennanddavestark.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/04-Sun1.mp3|titles=Sun,Sun|artists=Jonsi,Jonsi]
We had the best time, the absolute best! I can't even put it into words accurately. We can't thank Matt & Kass enough for their 100% trust of our eyes and hearts to document their weekend as it happened, and we would do it again in a heartbeat, really we would. xo, jennCamp Tamakwa in Algonquin Park, Canada | if it looks familiar, you might have seen this movie! | September 2012