One of the great parts about being in the wedding business is that there are so many other amazing people I get to meet and work with on a regular basis. TWO of those people are Andrea VandeBerg and Sarah Sarbacker, creators and owners of Cherry Blossom Events, winner of Wisconsin Bride’s BEST OF Wedding Planning Award the past few years. These two women are seriously amazing and one day I hope I can be half as talented as they are. They came up with the idea to put on their own retreat this year, pulling together the best in the business for a few days of fun in the sun at the beautiful Camp Wandewega in Elkhorn, WI. Camp Wedding included workshops from top wedding professionals around Wisconsin and the county, food and beverages from spectacular vendors, beautiful floral and other details, new head shots for everyone, and also a DANCE PARTY.
By the way, I would like to credit Lexia Frank Photography for the photos in this post. She was one of the presenters, attendees, and a new friend who has a talent like no other. Please check out her website and keep her in mind especially for any destination or cultural wedding photography needs.
The bulk of our three days at camp consisted of well thought out workshops by some of the most knowledgeable professionals I have ever met. I really appreciated the variety in these, all proving to be equally important to attendees whether there alone or with a business partner, working for themselves or with a company. We covered topics including but not limited to: destination and cultural weddings, chalkboard design, small business taxes, authenticity and being happy, videography, and illustration to name a few. Each presentation led to a discussion and each discussion built new friendships and potential future partnerships. It would take me years to get this kind of knowledge on my own.
Did I mention that the weather was BEAUTIFUL the entire time? If you have never heard of it, please check out Camp Wandewega sometime. I’ve been describing it to people as “Summer camp from the movies” complete with teepees, camp flags, announcements over a bullhorn, a giant bonfire circle and a lake pier to jump off of. They host many different groups throughout the year including weddings. When they are a little more free you can also rent a room from them on Air B&B to enjoy the area. It was picture perfect.
In addition to workshops, there were so many opportunities to get to know my colleagues better including mealtimes, swim breaks, over cocktails, and at campfires. Kudos to all of the vendors who participated in and provided for these, as everything was first class, from the delicious cocktails of Gib’s Bar to the Gourmet s’mores from Bloom Bake Shop. It was definitely the finest I’ve eaten in a long time (or maybe even in my whole life). Our final dinner was even catered by Celebrity Chef Scott Wagner, who has personally cooked for Justin Timberlake and Kobe Bryant. Pretty cool, right?
Overall, I feel that Camp Wedding is probably one of the best things I could’ve
participated in being as new as my business is. I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous, but still so much to learn, and couldn’t have asked for a better group to be with. While participants were from all over, many are from the Madison area and hopefully people that I get to work with more in the future. For now, it’s time to absorb and practice until the next opportunity. Or the next camp!
