Candice & Wayne's Wedding Day

The campground owner's nephew, Wayne was introduced to Mary and Gary's good friend's daughter a few years ago and now they are getting married. They decided to have the wedding at the campground, where they met.  So, for days now, we have been getting everything ready for it. The guys have been sprucing up the campground and Mary, Patti and I have been getting decorations and planning for the big day.

Zoom Wedding Shower

Candice's Maid of Honor gave Candice a wedding shower via Zoom. She had Candice register her wish list and told everyone to check the list, purchase an item and have it sent to the Maid of Honor's house. On the day of the shower everyone was on Zoom in their own homes. We all zoomed in on our computer screens to hear and talk to each other, while only the Maid of Honor and Candice were together. For an hour we played games and watched Candice open her gifts. No one muted their audio, and it was very noisy like a bunch of chatty women; oh wait, we were a bunch of chatty women.

We Tasted the cupcakes

Candice ordered cupcakes for the wedding but hadn't sampled them. So, being the wonderful people we were, we picked up a few and Mary, Patty and I sacrificed ourselves and sampled them for her while we watched the shower. We told her they won't very good but of course, they were delicious. They were chocolate with chocolate ganache and chocolate chip pumpkin with cream cheese frosting. The zoom didn't have "smell-a-vision", but they could all see us enjoying them.  It was really different and lots of fun.

Planning the wedding on August 22, 2020

Wayne and Candice planned to have 150 guests with a buffet style dinner, cake, etc. but because of Covid-19, attendance had to be changed to 50 guests. Poor Candice had the unpleasant task of "uninviting" the rest, including all the seasonal campers (all of us). Then Mary saw that the servers were not included in that 50 count, so the seasonal campers became servers. Now, tables had to be at least six feet apart and all of us could not join the guests. Not only that but the weather was calling for rain that day after weeks of no rain, why did it have to come on the day of the wedding. What else could happen?

For two days, Mary and I made favors for the wedding. We all decided to put together bags filled with the makings for S'mores (graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate). We made up 97 bags! That way everyone, including the campers that were already in the campground, had one per person. Mary also made up a cute tag that read: "There is always room for S'mores Love" topped with a beautiful silver charm with "love" on it attached to the top of the bag held by a circle with their name and wedding date. What a job. It took us two days and I had to eat all the honey graham crackers we broke and a few too sticky marshmallows.

On Friday the 21st all the tables, chairs, benches and easy ups were delivered but we couldn't put any of them out because it rained.

Patty picked up the cupcakes from the bakery and we discovered they were left plain, so Mary, Patty and I spent the day putting small eatable pearls on top of 200 cupcakes and putting them in clam shell containers. We had a ball doing it and we only had one or two mishaps when they fell over; no one would notice a few missing cupcakes!

They were chocolate with chocolate ganache and chocolate chip pumpkin with cream cheese frosting.

Day of the Wedding

This place was hopping. Mary, Patty and I cut up stuff for 14 appetizer trays of cheese, pepperoni, and summer sausage, 14 vegetable trays of carrots, broccoli, and peppers, and 14 bowls of pickles and olives. Try to find a refrigerator to hold 28 large trays and 14 bowls, we didn't; we had to use two! The guys and Candice's friends set up the arch/alter for the ceremony and put out benches along the river, set up all the tables and chairs, installed the easy ups and decorated them, and set up the serving tables and a table for the cake and gifts.

Candice's friends did an excellent job

Decorated Golf Cart

Jack and I decorated the golf cart. The front had fresh flowers sprays on the hood and each side of the windshield. The back was decorated with bells, a drape topped with pink roses and a white rose with pearls on the corners. Each side had drapes and pink roses, and I made a huge container of white, blush and pink artificial flowers that sat in the bed of the cart. It really looked fantastic, even if I say so myself.

 Jack taped a "Just Married" sign Mary made to the back of the golf cart and eight noisy cans to the bumper and afterwards Wayne and Candice drove it around the campground as Mr. & Mrs. Let me tell you, it was noisy.

At 4pm, Gary drove the golf cart over to pick up Candice and take her down to the site of the wedding. From there she was escorted by her father halfway then her stepfather the rest of the way to the arch/alter. Roy, one of the seasonal campers, got his license to marry them and officiated the ceremony. Unfortunately, we as servers didn't see the ceremony because we were too busy getting all the appetizers and the rest of the food ready.

Candice made a beautiful bride

They are now Mr. & Mrs.

After pictures were taken, they were introduced as Mr. & Mrs., they cut the cake, they danced with fathers and mothers and the seasonal campers served them all, one table at a time. The caterer cooked the meal of brisket, chicken, sausage, peppers and onions, red potatoes, green beans, macaroni and cheese, salad, roll and corn bread. There was a DJ playing music the whole time and a huge bonfire. All the food was great, and everyone had a good time, despite the fact that everyone had to wear masks when not eating. The only rule that Mary wanted kept was that all the seasonal campers stay six feet away from all guests and to wear masks and gloves at all times while serving and cleaning up. She has to make sure no one gets sick, after all, we don't know all the guests or where they have been and if someone here gets sick and gets Mary sick, the campground will have to close. None of us want that.

I made up a couple of signs for Wayne and Candice that Jack and I put on their camper after dinner. One was simply a sign on their door that said "Honeymoon Suite" with a bow and silk rose draped over the top.  The other was words I printed on a picture of the bonfire at the campground. It said: "By campfire's glow & tasty S'mores kisses, we are now Mr. & Mrs." I also made another honeymoon sign and hung it under a small garden lamp I got from my sister lighting it up. It looked really cute. Candice loved them all.

Candice looked beautiful and though it wasn't the big wedding she had planned; I think it couldn't have been any better.

 What a beautiful wedding. We wish them many years of happiness together.