The Catskills are a gorgeous area for a wedding. The lakes and mountains give you the feeling of creating your own world with your celebration. Rachel and Collin are a sweet, loving couple. They wanted to find a Catskills wedding venue that would enable everyone to connect and enjoy the beautiful outdoors over an extended weekend. Camp Chipinaw turned out to be the perfect wedding venue for their laid back wedding. Their wedding photos show just how fun and in the moment everyone felt.

A Camp Chipinaw Wedding

Camp Chipinaw is a Catskills wedding venue near Silver Lake. This is a gorgeous part of upstate New York. It feels very off the beaten path even with how modern and built up the camp is. There’s a respect for nature that went into the design. 

Rachel and Collin loved the idea of a summer camp weekend because it felt so true to them. This venue caught their eye because of how many beautiful areas are included on the 300-acre property. There are multiple lakefront spots for swimming. Rachel and Collin held their ceremony at one of these locations. 

The camp also has cabins and a large dining hall. The dining hall is a popular spot for wedding receptions. It’s a beautiful wood structure with vaulted ceilings. Wide windows line one side. The other opens onto a patio. It’s easy to transform it into a gorgeous event hall.

Even though the camp is in a remote area surrounded by woods, it’s less than two hours from New York City. If your guests are coming in from out of state, they’ll have plenty of options for flying or driving in.

As a summer camp, Camp Chipinaw also has cabins where your guests can stay. Rachel and Collin preferred the cabins here to those at other similar wedding venues. They said, “Most of the camps we looked at would have most guests in bunk cabins, but this one had more private rooms for people to stay in. We want our guests to have as comfortable an experience as possible so that was a big plus to us.” That combination of privacy, comfort, and communal experiences is unique.

An Outdoorsy Celebration for Rachel and Collin

When Rachel and Collin were looking at Catskills wedding venues, Camp Chipinaw made perfect sense. They love keeping things laid back and traveling together. During the first year of the COVID pandemic, Rachel and Collin traveled the country in a campervan. They shared 70 square feet 24/7. 

Rachel told me the experience made them realize just how right they were for each other. “After going through that and not only tolerating each other but thriving, we thought we could do anything together… That experience made us so much more confident in our relationship.” That’s the feeling you want to have going into a marriage!

Camp Chipinaw gave Rachel and Collin a chance to bring their families and friends together in the way they wanted. Everyone got a chance to get to know each other. Instead of packing everything into one night, the couple decided to make their wedding a whole weekend of events. 

Because Camp Chipinaw operates as a summer camp, you can take advantage and arrange so many cool activities for your guests. You can play volleyball, roast marshmallows, or swim in Silver Lake. The camp has exclusive access to the lake. It feels like your own world.

Rachel and Collin had a bonfire with s’mores and a ropes course before their dressier wedding day. Everyone loved the mix of casual and more formal events. It gave them a chance to relax. By the time the wedding rolled around, everyone was at ease with each other.

Joyful Wedding Photos in the Catskills

Like I mentioned before, Camp Chipinaw has indoor space. The nature and outdoor gathering spaces are big pieces of its charm, though. On Collin and Rachel’s wedding day, it was supposed to storm all day. Luckily, it didn’t rain until after cocktail hour. We were all relieved that we could make the most of the venue until then.

Would you like me to photograph your wedding? I would love to document your celebration with eclectic and joyful photos! Inquire with me today.

Thank you to the vendors who made Rachel and Collin’s wedding so wonderful:
Venue: Camp Chipinaw
Photographer: Luna and Lark Photography
Cake: Jeffersonville Bake Shop 
DJ: Music Speaks Volumes 
Planner/Coordinator: Keelz in the City 
Florist: Lucille’s Florist