The final wedding feature of our four part series of #campstyle is here, and I’m telling you friends, this one is a beauty!
Kendra and Ted met in 2010 during their first days of orientation at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. According to Ted, Kendra was the striking beauty from across the room, the one he couldn’t quite gain the courage to talk to. So, like most of us would do (and don’t lie, I bet you’ve done it before too!), Ted resorted to Facebook to reach out to Kendra directly. Following his friend request was a curious message that read, “Is it weird to friend someone you have never met?” Not finding the friend request out-of-the ordinary, since many fellow classmates were regularly adding each other as friends, yet finding the message a bit odd, Kendra blissfully ignored him and continued on with her life.
“When I first saw Kendra, I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, said Ted. “But she was surrounded by like… ten guys… so I decided to play it cool.”
Fast forward one week later when Kendra noticed Ted for the first time since their Facebook interaction. And this time, he was simply staring at her from across the room. Ted, it’s a good thing we adore you because this story cracks us up! Kendra quickly recognized Ted as “the cute (but creepy!) Facebook message guy”. When Kendra departed with her friends to find another spot to hang out, and Ted mysteriously showed up at the same place, they both gained the courage to approach one another.
“Given his not-so-smooth initial advances, my first impression of Ted was that he was a bit strange, but very handsome,” explained Kendra. “But after meeting him in-person for the first time, I was immediately drawn to him.”
This instant attraction and unwavering connection between the two certainly did not stop here. Though Kendra was quite adamant about not wanting a boyfriend, especially with her time now fully devoted to law school, Ted was persistent in his efforts.
“Despite insisting that Ted was wasting his time on me, I found myself going out of my way at school to pass him in the halls and to “run into him” between classes,” Kendra admitted. “It took a whole year of this song-and-dance before I realized what Ted knew all along – that we were a perfect match! After nearly a full year, we finally officially began dating in the summer of 2011.”
Kendra and Ted’s first official date was a sweet, traditional trip to the movies. <sigh> After a year of friendship, these two were already comfortable with one another and knew they could spend an evening doing just about anything and still love every minute of it. After the movie, they spent their evening talking and laughing while eating Jimmy John’s sandwiches in Kendra’s living room. Not the most romantic first date if you ask Kendra, but charming and memorable nonetheless!
With their first official date complete, Kendra and Ted spent the next few years on a whirlwind of adventure. They navigated law school together, spent time with each other’s families, and traveled the world. In fact, one trip to Europe proved to be the perfect opportunity to strengthen their relationship like never before.
“Before moving from Philadelphia to New York to start new jobs, we took a trip to Europe with two of our close friends,” explained Kendra. “After visiting Slovenia and Croatia together, we traveled on to Budapest, Hungary, just the two of us. Throughout the trip, Ted insisted that he wanted to plan one day in Budapest on his own because I had done most of the work planning other parts of the trip. So, on our second day there, Ted woke up early and consulted with the concierge to plan a full day of activities.”
“We ended the night with a very special dinner at the restaurant in Fisherman’s Bastion, which has the most beautiful views in Budapest. Even though the restaurant was closed for a private event, Ted and the concierge managed to arrange for a private table with its own waiter and its own balcony. After a delicious Hungarian dinner, our waiter invited us to the rooftop terrace for an after-dinner drink, where Ted proposed. Despite several clues that a proposal may be coming (in addition to the fact that we had been ring shopping together several months earlier), I was completely surprised.”
When the planning process began for Kendra and Ted, they knew almost immediately that they wanted the assistance of a local planning and design team to help them find the ideal venue to transform their camp wedding dreams into a reality. Thanks to their forward thinking and long planning window, we had the wonderful opportunity of working with these two for over a year! And it was a blast, let me tell you! Kendra and Ted had a specific vision that included live music, vibrant colors, and lots of dancing. Talk about a fun party!
“It was really important to us to create an environment in which we could actually spend time with our friends and family,” explained the two. “We are a fairly laid back and very playful, active couple. Despite living in NYC, we love the outdoors and going on adventures. We wanted our wedding to reflect these parts of our personalities and decided that a summer camp wedding was the perfect fit.”
“More than anything, we wanted to host an event that was relaxed, personal, and FUN! When we saw Kingsley Pines summer camp, we knew it was perfect. Kingsley Pines is set in the woods on a beautiful lake in Maine, and it allowed us to host a weekend-long party full of lawn games, sports, swimming, music, bonfires, and more.”
Nearly all of Kendra and Ted’s 120 guests stayed in cabins at Kingsley Pines, participating in weekend-long festivities while enjoying the beautiful Maine backdrop that surrounded them. Thanks to the ever talented Jamie Mercurio, we are thrilled to share this fabulous weekend with all of you.
A favorite game enjoyed by guests was Kendra and Ted’s famous ‘triumphalon” – a series of sporting events that included a trail run, dodgeball tournament, wheelbarrow nose golf, chariot races, water balloon baby pool catch, a swim in the lake, and the traditional end-of-Triumphalon Mountain Dew shotgun.
Kendra stunned in her classic Austin Scarlett dress and beautiful L.K. Bennett shoes. And just look at those blooms! This vibrant bouquet filled with lush greens was created by no other than the fabulous talent of Snell family Farm.
Cheers! Celebratory drinks in dixie cups for the guys before the day begins!
Such love! These two had been waiting for this tender moment all day, and oh how perfect it was! With their nerves calmed and the excitement growing, it was time for Kendra and Ted to rejoin their family and friends and enjoy the festivities.
Okay ladies, we see you.. can we talk about FIERCE bridesmaids here?! What a fabulous group! We adored the variety of dresses here too; Kendra had the girls select their dresses themselves to allow for all of their unique styles and personalities to shine.
Can you even blame this little cutie for trying to steal the bouquet? I think not!
Kendra and Ted’s ceremony was truly a magical experience to be a part of. With the picturesque lake in the background, Kendra and Ted exchanged vows, rings, and moments that will stay with them forever. These two actually wrote their entire ceremony themselves, and gave Ted’s sister-in-law the honor of officiating. Just look at the sincere love on their faces! And my favorite part of the ceremony? When Ted’s former a cappella group joined him to up front to sing a few special songs – how unique!
Guests looked on as Kendra and Ted celebrated their first few moments as a married couple. Up next, party time!
Guests enjoyed a fun filled extended cocktail hour complete with lawn games, signature cocktails, and a delicious assortment of hors d’oeuvres from 111 Maine.
Our gold three panel screen was perfect for the place card display, and our gold honeycomb side table was exactly what we needed to display the gorgeous florals by Carolyn.
I will forever be in awe of the beauty that was created on this day. From the cozy lounge set up sourced from our in-house inventory, to the custom draping and stunning light installations by Maine Event Design & Decor, this barn was truly transformed into a magical space. Our amber water goblets paired beautifully with emerald green custom runners we created for them, and vibrant centerpieces in our silver trophy compotes. Not only did we swoon over this fabulousness, but most importantly, it was exactly what Kendra and Ted had envisioned for their special day.
Talk about making an entrance! These laugh out loud introductions coupled with Kendra and Ted’s playful first dance certainly set the tone for the rest of the evening.
“We cut out a lot of traditions that were not important to us and which we thought would take away from our (and our guests’) party time,” the two explained.” We didn’t do mother/father dances, bouquet tossing, cake cutting, or even a cake at all! We had a family style dinner, followed by an assortment of delicious pies, and LOTS of dancing! And it couldn’t have been any more perfect.
Designing this pie display was so much fun, and a surprise element from us for Kendra and Ted. We loved incorporating some color rich silk ribbons, candelabras, hand lettered signs and funky cake stands!
This party lasted long into the night as guests danced to funky tunes from Soul City Band while enjoying the many delicious pies from 111 Maine.
These guests know how to have a good time, let me tell you! Once dancing came to a end, the party quickly moved down to the beach to enjoy a bonfire and s’mores under the clear night sky.
Kendra and Ted – thank you does not even begin to cover how eternally grateful we are for you allowing us to be a part of your day! It was truly a a blast from start to finish. So hoping you enjoyed your December honeymoon to Patagonia – I expect to see some fabulous pictures very soon! Wishing you both continued happiness and love for years to come. Xoxo
We would also like to thank the following team of vendors for assisting us with creating such a memorable day.
Hair and Make Up: Portland Hair Co. ** Event Rentals: A Family Affair of Maine, Heartwood Essentials, and One Stop Event Rentals ** Wedding Dress Shop: Kleinfield Bridal ** Groom’s Suit: J Crew ** Wedding Favors: Gift bags from Custom Ink with contents from assorted vendors **
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