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Camp Wedding and Baby

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Welcome to Day 5 of Wandawega Week!

Today I’m going to share a little bit about the friendly folks behind the oh-so-creative camp. David, Tereasa…and a sweet, little cherub-faced girl named Charlie.

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“Boy meets girl. Boy proposes. Boy suggests that they purchase his abandoned childhood summer camp to be wed at. Girl accepts on both counts.”

David and Tereasa’s wedding ceremony was held at Wandawega, atop a hill, and overlooking the lake. Tereasa, carried a bouquet of daisies, and her father, Tom, walked her down the aisle to Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” played on the guitar by Nicholas Barron. They hired a Nashville-based company called Hatchshow Print to create their wooden wedding invitations and silk-screened RSVP and Save-the-Date postcards. The invitation and RSVP cards were packaged inside a brown kraft-paper envelope, along with an old map of the Wandawega resort. The envelopes were secured with a gingham ribbon and fastened with a small embroidered patch.

Upon arrival, wedding guests were greeted by a 1955 Mercury Monterrey. The couple shares a love for vintage cars and motorcycles, so it was only fitting that they park one from their collection on the property. Next to the car, Tereasa placed a “D.H. + T.S.” sign, and surrounded it with pots bursting with bunches of daisies.

Even though the day was rain-filled, Tereasa and David still describe their wedding as being “the color of sunshine“. Partly because of all the yellow rain slickers, rain boots, and the abundance of daisies- but also because they believe that “sunshine is very much a state of mind“. (I whole-heartedly agree!)

Their vanilla wedding cake was decorated with buttercream icing and daisies. And, of course, no camp gathering would be complete without a bonfire, so following the reception, everyone gathered ’round to roast marshmallows, sing campfire songs, and enjoy the starry night in the woods.

*swoon*

Here are all the dreamy wedding deets:

Venue: Camp Wandawega; available for rental through Town and Country Locations
Stationery: Hatch Showprint
Band: Nicholas Barron Quartet
Photography: Chris Strong; Matthew Gore; Robert Jillson; Mitch Gordon; Landis Smithers
Cake & Catering: Rodney Oksuita, besteventscatering.com
Desserts & Brunch: Christine Busby of Busby Bakes
Daisy Wreath and Garlands: Pesche’s Greenhouse
Bride’s Dress: Jenny Lee

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Fast forward to nine months ago. David and Tereasa welcomed daughter, Charlie, to the world…

Tereasa created a woodsy-style nursery for her in their Chicago home…

…and another one at Camp Wandawega…

To create a paint-by-number (PBN) mural like the one above, Tereasa suggests searching eBay to find an old school PBN painting guide you love. Next, give each of the colors on it a number, and then match each number to a paint chip.

Once you’ve decided on your palette, take your paint chips to the paint store and buy ’em up, Buttercup! After that, use a projector to display your PBN guide onto the wall and begin tracing it out with a pencil.

Last but not least, fill in your numbers with the latex paint your purchased using a foam brush.

Tereasa also broke out her brush to brighten up a collection of old cuckoo clocks hanging on the wall in the Charlies Wandawega nursery…

Yesterday, I asked Tereasa about where she draws her inspiration from. She said…

“My inspiration is 3-fold:

1- Our biggest project yet, 9 month old Charliegirl

2- My dear (late) Dad, Tom (Turtle)

3- My freakishly patient husband, David.

Each of them has made me hyper-aware of just how fleeting life is, and that you have to chase down your dreams like a cheetah. My three muses inspire me daily to look at things with a lens of optimism, and quite simply, transforming the homes and spaces around my loved ones makes them happy, which makes me happy.”

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Outgoing and hospitable, David and Tereasa host a constant, rotating stream of visitors at Wandawega.

If you’d like to visit them and their magical camp, leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a 2-night stay for you and a friend, (if you’re parents with kids, the little ones are welcome too!) and we’ll randomly select a winner on Sunday (August 14, 2011) at noon (Central Time). Your getaway will include a welcome gift basket and access to all that wonderful Wandawega has to offer. Think: peace and quiet, boating, fishing, hiking, swimming, etc. David and Tereasa will be in touch with you to see about which dates will work best for you, based on availability. Good luck and may the fun force be with you!

PS- If you missed any of this week’s Wandawega posts- you can find them here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michele

    I have visited their site so many times this week it may be considered stalking now! 😉 What an inspiring place and family. I want to win!!

    Thank you, sweet Layla, for sharing with all of this the beauty and passion behind Wandawega. It is magical.

    xoxo michele

  4. Jen

    What a great wedding! I keep coming back to these posts, amazed at the transformation of the camp. Awesome! I’d love a chance to visit. Thanks!

  10. Momsy

    I hope I win, I hope I win! I have been so charmed by your posts this week; I’d love to see this awesome place in person.

    Thanks for a great contest!

  14. Abby B

    I would love to take my husband and steps-on to Camp Wandawega! If you looked up “outdoorsy” in the dictionary, you would see a picture of those two. And the tree house is now on our to do list for our next house.

  16. Mrs. Foot

    I have really enjoyed reading all about this wonderful camp this week. They seem like such an amazing team to have taken this on and created this beautiful place to share with others.

    I’d love a chance to escape and stay for two nights!

  18. Sarah

    I have LOVED this weeks tour and camp wandawega seems like “home”. I too have visited theeir site many times this week. thinking…If i could only visit their real site…in Wisconsin, that would be amazing! Alright random number picker…pick me!

  22. Kathi

    I would love to visit this place – it’ looks like the all American perfect place to spend a weekend in the outdoors…they’ve done an amazing job restoring it!

  28. linda t

    Oh my gosh, my husband & I would love to win a stay at Camp Wandawega!! We’re coming to Wisconsin (from PHX) in October and can not think of anything better than a two-day retreat at your lovely camp.
    And thank you Layla, for sharing Camp Wandawega with us. THE most inspiring transformation ever. And the fact that it is in my home state of Wisconsin makes it extra special.

  29. Alanna

    I’m already planning a trip here with the hubby for some time next year now – but winning would be super too! Thank you for introducing this lovely place to us.

  30. Jessica

    I fell in love with Wandawega the first time I read about it here. Even if I don’t win, thank you for letting us peek in on this magical place!

  31. Jody Heifner

    Have been checking and rechecking the reservations site for available dates. I would love, love, love to win this contest.

  32. Heather

    Pick me pick me! I live in WI, and would absolutely love to spend a weekend here. It seriously looks like my version of heaven!

  34. Debbie

    Oh how I am loving these posts! I look forward to them every day! Swoon is right! Wow! I would love, love, love to spend a weekend there!!
    Debbie

  35. Caprice

    David, Tereasa and Charlie are living my dream. What an amazing place!! I would love to take my family there to visit!!

  38. Erica S.

    I would love to visit Camp Wandawega! I have such wonderful memories of my time at camp as a kid and I would love to see someone else’s memories!

  39. Rebekah

    I want to go!!!! We have our own baby girl on the way — what a great family vacation getaway!

  40. Melissa H.

    I was just showing my husband the website for Camp Wandawega the other night and we were talking about how neat it would be to stay there! What a wonderfully relaxing getaway 🙂

  42. Ashley

    I feel like a stalker… I’ve been ADDICTED to every post this week & have often thought about it through my day! I am a camp kid myself and would love to open my own campgrounds someday nestled into the beautiful ozark mountains… 🙂 Hope I will get to see the wonder of Camp Wandawega!

  43. tracy hall-ingram

    Well, because of this series I am becoming obsessed with scout platform tents. I love what they have done. All marked on my Read It Later to refer to again and again.

  44. Laura Ingalls Gunn

    Dear Layla,
    You certainly saved the best for last! I cannot get over how much love lives in the details for this couple. From their wedding to their nursery and that sail boatin’ baby….precious.
    My fingers are tightly crossed to win.

  46. MiMi

    To be able to visit here and spend the night in a place decorated with so much awesome vintage would be a dream come true! I love barkcloth, gliders, paint by number etc. etc. etc!

  48. Sarah Brown

    What a beautiful place. Absolutely love it and know my husband would live it as well.

  49. zandermom

    Yes, please! And my son, (9), makes clocks – and wants to learn more about the cuckoo clocks in the baby’s room! Do they work? And where did they find one with a racoon???!!! Thanks!

  50. Emily D

    I would love, love, love to go. It would be just the getaway my hubby and I need to reconnect! Life is busy over in these parts!