The beauty of a destination wedding is that it feels like a vacation with all of your favorite people together. The beauty of a summer camp destination wedding is that all of your favorite people are together in the same place at a SUMMER CAMP. And when I say that there is nothing better than adult summer camp, you should believe me. The tl:dr of this post is that Michelle and Jeff did it 100% right with their Jimbo’s Club at the Point wedding in upstate NY and I loved all of it.
First of all, all of their guests were able to stay on site in camp cabins together for three entire days (including my second shooter Lisa and myself), which was an incredibly fun and unique experience. Cabins slept 8 people or more and each of our cabins were set up with towels, sheets and pillows for our stay. As should be expected with a summer camp wedding, it was three days of lawn games, relaxing and really enjoying the incredible scenery that Jimbo’s Club on the Point has to offer.
Located on a 25 acre peninsula surrounded by the Adirondack mountains on beautiful Brant Lake in upstate NY, I have to say that Jimbo’s Club at the Point has everything a destination wedding wants – tons of space, all inclusive service, and BEAUTIFUL surroundings. Lisa and I were in love the minute we stepped foot on the property.
Michelle and Jeff were another one of my COVID postponement couples and as such, they were very attuned to the concerns of those traveling great distances to celebrate with them. It was the most organized and considerate wedding I’ve participated in this summer – 98% of the guests provided vaccination information and everyone took covid tests before and after the event.
The night before the wedding everyone gathered on the beach for a feast, a few welcome toasts and lots of wine, good time and a bonfire. The day of the wedding, most of the day was filled with various sports, activities and lawn games before the main event. There was a breakfast on the deck to start it off, pizza on the lawn midday, and then ultimately, the wedding itself, which was perfect in every way. Fun fact: Michelle was part of a collegiate A Cappella Group: UCLA’s Signature A Cappella. Her A Capella members and friends performed “I Choose You” by Sara Bareilles during the Ceremony and it was so acca-credible and such a unique moment (over 500 weddings and that was the first time I’ve ever had an a cappella performance!).
In a strange and unexpected turn of events, I had flown to NY to work and immediately after arriving was alerted that all of South Lake Tahoe was about to be evacuated for the Caldor Fire. By the Sunday before the wedding, I was making a list of things I needed removed from my house. The day before the wedding my friends were evacuating my art and my dog and heading north. By the day of the wedding, I woke up and saw that the fire had crested the summit and was moving into Christmas Valley and Meyers. Within 15 minutes of that, it looked like it had consumed our community. I was and continue to be so grateful for my friends that evacuated my home and animal for me, and for Michelle and Jeff’s friends and family who were unbelievably gracious the entire time I was with them. No less than 20 different families offered their homes to me. People checked in routinely, asking what the status was, and to be frank, having something to do that day instead of doom scrolling my phone was the best thing for me. I started taking photos almost right away that morning, out of sheer desire to distract myself. The end result was that I delivered almost 2000 photos to Jeff and Michelle, encompassing the welcome dinner, the lawn games, and the wedding itself. It was so many photos I almost felt bad. But not that bad.
The reception itself was nothing short of ENERGETIC. Funk Evolution the band definately brought the funk – including a saxophone riff-off on the dance floor and hours of non-stop super sweaty dance intensity by all. Michelle’s friends and family members spoke non-stop of her generosity towards others, which is evident, her care and attention to detail in her relationships, and her insane enthusiasm for life. This is not an exaggeration. Michelle has a joyous and unbridled thirst that is unique and unparalleled. Her smile NEVER left her face the entire day. Her hands were always in the air in an expression of jubilation. It is infectious and it spread far and wide across the entire weekend in a way that was, specifically for me, very comforting because of the stress of what was happening at home, and for everyone else, simply inspiring.
At any rate, here are WAY too many photos for a blog post from their Jimbo’s Club on the Point wedding where I delivered way too many photos.
Venue: Jimbo’s Club at the Point | Invitations: Minted | Florist: Blooms for Rooms | Bakery: Perfect Blend Cafe & Bakery | Band: Funk Evolution | Couple’s Attire: Essense of Australia from Flare’s Bridal + Formal and tux from Generation Tux | Wedding Party Attire: Morilee by Madeline Gardner and Generation Tux | Hair and MU: Timeless Brides by the Loft | Supersonic second shooting by Lisa Hause
Thank you Lauren! What a beautiful account of a beautiful event. Glad your home and pet was saved in Tahoe!