Planning a Campground Wedding
The photos of this wedding were taken by Mike Yukon of YukonArt Photography and were used with permission. You can contact Mike through his website here.
Choosing a Wedding Theme
UPDATED June 29, 2024 – Having a campground wedding allows you to be creative and unique. Some current popular wedding themes that lend themselves to choosing Riverbend Campground as your venue are Rustic, Country, Vintage and Nature. Two fascinating themes that were held a Riverbend Campground in the past were a Viking Wedding and a Biker Wedding.
Cameron Campos Officiated at the biker wedding and had this to say: “I had the opportunity last summer to officiate a wedding for a young couple at Riverbend Campground. I live in Okotoks, and spend a lot of my summer at the river, but had never been to the campground before. My regular spot on the river, upstream from the campground, is a little haven of nature, and Riverbend Campground was no different. I ran through the ceremony with the couple the night before; they were busy with final preparations and decoration, and they had plenty of help from their family, many of whom were staying at the campground. The wedding venue at the campground has a rustic charm, and when they pulled a custom Harley in as a backdrop for the ceremony, it couldn’t have fit more perfectly.
Cameron continues: “The wedding went great and the pictures turned out excellent as well! The highlight of the wedding was after the kiss, when the couple walked out, they got on his bike, and as they rode off together, the rest of the guests revved their bike engines! It was a unique wedding at a venue that couldn’t have been more suited for the couple! I look forward to being involved in many more weddings at Riverbend!” You can contact Cameron through his website here.
Planning Your Own
When planning a wedding at a campground, there are a few things that can become your guiding principles. First off, remember you are close to nature. Taking things outdoors means great lighting and natural backdrops for the photographers. If the weather doesn’t cooperate on your special day, Riverbend has you covered. The large hall, with its rustic look and warm natural wood tones is an excellent backdrop. When you choose to have a campground wedding, you might be shying away from glitz, but your are embracing rustic. Rustic doesn’t need to mean shabby, rustic is warm, comfortable and inviting.
With themes like Rustic, Country and Vintage there are opportunities to create decor items yourself. Camping coffee pots make rustic vases for table centers, or choose some colorful camping lanterns. Mix the coarse and soft textures of burlap and lace by combining them for table runners. Search out some barnboard and use it for signage and/or decor. Hay bales practically scream country and rustic. They are readily available at places like the Okotoks Country Living store at the corner of Highway 7 and Southridge Drive. Use them for display or as seating but remember, they can only be used outdoors. Hay bales for use indoors must be are treated with fire retardant. These have a tag on them indicating they are safe for use indoors and they are not cheap.
Creativity for a Unique Wedding
If you want to have some fun and spark your creative juices, search Pinterest for the term “mason jar wedding.” It’s amazing to see what these simple glass jars are being used for. Another great idea, we’ve seen a wooden pallet, propped up with the slats used to itemize the wedding itinerary, simple and effective. There are endless ways to be creative and thrifty at the same time.
As part of your planning, check out our Family Reunion page here for some resources that might be helpful, such as catering companies in the area. And remember, the farther in advance you plan the better. Start by contacting us here at Toll free 1-866-938-2017 or local, 403-938-2017 or email reservation@riverbendcampground.ca.