An Indie-Meets-Western Summer Camp Wedding in Wisconsin

At Amanda + Ben’s wedding reception, Ben shared with all of their family + friends the tale of the day they met. “Feeling defeated by online dating, Ben was about to take a break when Amanda’s profile caught his eye,” planner + event designer Danielle of Rosewood remembers of Ben’s story. “Amanda, too, was on the verge of stepping back from dating.”

“They decided to meet as a final effort before giving it a rest,” Danielle recounts. “On his way to the date, Ben passed a woman reading outside a café, lost in her book with a coffee in hand. Struck by her beauty, style, and intellect, he felt a pang of envy, wishing for a partner just like her. A short time later, that very woman walked in to meet him—it was Amanda! Ben says it’s his favorite story to tell.”

Talk about meant-to-be! A love story as charmed as Amanda + Ben’s definitely deserved a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, so these two decided to go all out, gathering their nearest + dearest at picturesque Camp Elsewhere. Guests camped in tents + cabins and Amanda + Ben said “I do” surrounded by the wilderness + early fall foliage of Waupaca, Wisconsin.

How did Amanda + Ben make this funky + outdoorsy celebration their own? “By doing whatever we wanted!” the couple says. “Throwing out any concerns of what’s traditional or what you’re ‘supposed to do,’ and indulging every silly idea that came to mind.”

And, it should be noted, bride Amanda Forgash knows weddings. As the floral design mind behind Chicago’s petalpushr, she’s seen + helped to create her fair share of wedding aesthetics, so she + Ben approached the design of their own celebration with some serious expertise.

“As far as the overall look and feel, we combined a bunch of different aesthetics we are fond of,” the couple says, “like vintage western, American outdoor heritage, retro summer camp, Wes Anderson, and indie chic.”

Joy Vassar’s photographs captured the joyful out-of-the-box energy of Amanda + Ben’s destination celebration so perfectly. We can’t wait to show you.

We 100% recommend rocking a signature scent on your wedding day. Such a great way to bring back memories later on! Just a spritz of the woodsy + romantic fragrance Bowmakers by D.S. & DURGA and Amanda + Ben can revisit what it felt like to get hitched.

We can’t help how completely obsessed we are with embroidered wedding suits. It’s so exciting to see grooms like Ben embracing colorful + creative style choices.

Goldust Woman was on hand to create Amanda’s sophisticated + glamorous wedding hairstyle and subtly shimmery bridal makeup look.

The First Look

Definitely dive into our collection of the best two-piece wedding dresses if Amanda’s breathtaking set has you thinking beyond the traditional bridal silhouette.

And check out our list of the best bridal capes, too!

The VIPs

We love seeing the exciting style choices that families make for the Big Day. Explore our lists of the best mother of the bride pants suits, the best mother of the bride dresses, and the best mother of the groom dresses to follow in this fashionable fam’s footsteps!

Amanda’s bridal crew rocked shorter, edgy black bridesmaid dresses to balance her long + sophisticated look.

Thistle + Plume had the task of creating wedding florals worthy a wedding florist bride, and they absolutely nailed it. Loving the sunny simplicity of this bridal bouquet.

The Looks

“Ben wore a custom chain stitched Western suit like the ones worn by country music stars of the 50s / 60s, made by Jerry Lee Atwood aka Union Western, who is one of a select few people producing authentic chain stitched western wear,” the couple says. “We both really enjoy that genre of music and its accompanying looks. It’s actually something we really bonded over on our first date.”

“We collaborated on the imagery for Ben’s suit,” the couple remembers, “choosing motifs that reflected Ben’s upbringing and our time together, and had a little bit of psychedelic feel because we wanted that unique, nontraditional touch.”

Amanda accessorized with a vintage mixed metallic beaded bridal purse she found at a local antique store the day before the wedding and this funky pair of white bridal sunglasses by LA-designer Lula Pace.

“Amanda wore a Sophie et Voila number from Belle Atelier in Chicago,” the couple says. “Amanda always knew she wanted a cape element and an updated take on woodland fairy vibes. The two-piece with the cape felt both old and new at once. It wasn’t what she initially envisioned for herself but it was absolutely perfect, and guests said it was giving space princess meets woodland fairy. The streamlined and sleek feel of the bridal look was the perfect contrast against Ben’s flashier outfit.”

The Ceremony

“Amanda’s approach to florals was subtle,” planner Danielle says, “allowing Wisconsin’s natural beauty to take center stage. She chose Icelandic poppies and colorful blooms, accentuating the landscape without overpowering it.”

We LOVE that Amanda started her walk down the aisle with a first look with her dad!!

“Though the style and whimsy of Amanda and Ben’s wedding deserve admiration,” planner Danielle says, “it’s their love story that stole the show.”

“They exchanged vows in a standing ceremony surrounded by tall trees and the calm of a nearby lake,” Danielle recalls.

Amanda + Ben’s choice of this isolated wooded spot to say their “I do’s” really was SO romantic. “It created an intimate moment filled with warmth and love from their guests,” Danielle says.

Sometimes all you need to create the perfect ceremony setup are some beautiful trees and an antique rug!

Antique rugs like the one Amanda + Ben chose will forever be one of our favorite aisle decor ideas.

Our Musical Choices
Processional
“I’m Not Asking You” by Jay Bolotin + “Something On Your Mind” by Karen Dalton + “Haenim” by Kim Jung Mi
Recessional
“Golden Road (To Devotion)” by Grateful Dead
First Dance
“A Song For You” by Graham Parsons + Emmylou Harris

A Private Moment for Portraits

If the scenic, nostalgic vibes of a camp wedding are really doing it for you, take a peek at some of our other favorites like this cottagecore camp wedding, this glam camp wedding, and this charming “elevated summer camp” wedding in Yosemite.

Amanda’s clean, white wedding nails were absolute chic perfection.

“Ben accessorized with an array of vintage turquoise rings and a turquoise cuff they found together in Santa Fe, NM, one of their fave places to travel,” the couple says. And Amanda’s funky, chunky gold jewelry? That was all Alexis Bittar.

The Reception

“Around the camp, pennant flags fluttered, and vintage camping gear brought nostalgia,” Danielle says.

“There were countless details that reflect who we are and things we enjoy,” Amanda + Ben say. “To name a few: using the same coasters they have at our fave bar, serving a playful beer cocktail vs champagne for the toast, setting out wedding games like a custom corn hole featuring our dog’s face, incorporating yellow retro-inspired fringe umbrellas similar to the one on a Neil Young album we both like, getting a band that we know personally and really enjoy to play during dinner.”

That band Amanda + Ben love? That would be Los Gallos, and they came all the way from Chicago!

Our Favorite Memory
Late night karaoke with our friends

Hawg Tyed BBQ was on call cooking up a killer barbecue feast for Amanda + Ben’s guests, and Legendairy Cookies ‘n Creamery rolled up in this food truck to handle all things wedding desserts.

For the reception, Amanda changed into The Ace High Jumpsuit in Pearl designed by The Creatures, a Western-inspired, retro-leaning wedding jumpsuit look perfect for for dancing.

Our Advice
We viewed wedding planning as throwing a big party for our friends. That helped us create an extremely joyous occasion, and everyone said it was the most fun wedding they'd been to, so I guess it worked! We also went with very small wedding parties, which is a great way to save a little dough.

Congratulations from all of us at GWS, Amanda + Ben! Your Wisconsin camp wedding was a retro indie Americana dream!