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Paulina and Ben at Camp Starlight

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Paulina and Ben at Camp Starlight

Posted on March 29, 2022 by New Jersey Bride

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How did you meet?
Like many millennials these days, Ben and Paulina met on a dating app in 2012. They went on one date and toward the end, Ben told Paulina he was moving to Costa Rica for the summer and would be back in three months for their second date. Paulina thought, “Yeah, right, I’ll never see this guy again,” but they surprisingly kept in touch over many Facebook messages back and forth throughout the summer months.

How did you get engaged?
Once Ben returned from his trip away and things became more official over the past 10 years together, Friday-night Shabbat dinners became a weekly tradition for Ben, Paulina and their many friends from different backgrounds. Ben is not Jewish, but those Friday-night dinners became a special way for the couple to catch up with each other, try a new bottle of wine and unwind after a busy week. During one of those dinners with some of their closest friends who happened to be in from out of town that weekend in May 2019, Ben popped the big question (unbeknownst to all of the guests), and their journey to the huppah officially began.

Details of the day:
Overall, the décor was an incredibly important part of the weekend. The camp is so large and they wanted to preserve the nostalgia of a traditional camp weekend, while also incorporating some more elevated details for the reception. Keeping budget top of mind and flexing their DIY skills was key to pulling this off. A BBQ rehearsal dinner on Friday night was very similar to a traditional Shabbat dinner at Jewish camp. For décor, the bride collected camp photos of the guests in attendance that night and set them around all of the tables as a conversation starter, and they incorporated camp canoes into beverage stations. It was an awesome way to kick off the weekend, share embarrassing and nostalgic camp photos (some dating back to the ’40s!) and help get everyone in the camp state of mind for the weekend.

The ceremony was held overlooking the camp’s private lake, and after days of rain, the sun came out and glistened through the trees and the lake; it was beautiful! The décor was minimal other than the huppah, and they used an eclectic mix of bud vases and wildflowers scattered on tree stumps to create an aisle. The signage was all DIY, created by the bride and her mother-in-law, incorporating their wedding logo on a large piece of wood from the groom’s family cabin on Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks, which is a very special place to the couple, as Ben’s late grandfather who passed away just after the wedding built the family camp in the 1950s. The reception was entirely DIY—it was held in the very vast gym which typically holds 1,000 campers, so it was a bit nerve-wracking for them to create an intimate experience for just 125 guests. Minimal waste was important to the couple, while also maintaining a more elevated experience, so the couple opted for recyclable bamboo plates and utensils, re-used their flowers and bud vases from the ceremony, and filled out the rest of the tabletop details with the help of Chippy White Table’s lace table runners; vintage glass goblets in pinks, amber and clear green; rattan “king and queen” chairs; vintage rugs; and neon signs. The florals were very important to Paulina from a budget, sustainability and free-flowing aesthetic perspective.

After scouring high and low for someone who could execute Paulina’s whimsical vision while staying within budget, she found Kate, who owns her own flower farm about 45 minutes from camp. They hit it off from the start, and decided to make the experience as collaborative as possible. The huppah flowers from Kate’s farm covered the white birch structure Paulina’s brother built who is an arborist. Kate created the boutonnieres and corsages for family, a flower necklace for the couple’s dog to wear with his bandana (it said “Best Boy Bodhi”) and a floral crown that Paulina wore during the reception. One of the most special parts of the weekend was on Friday: Prior to the guest’s arrival, Paulina and her bridesmaids spent the day at Kate’s farm learning from the best, and built their bouquets together, had lunch and toured the rest of Kate’s farm before heading back to camp. It was a blast and the most perfect way to kick off the weekend together!

Why did you choose your venue?

After scouring the Philadelphia region for a venue that fit their budget, playful aesthetic and low-key, romantic vibe, Paulina and Ben went back to the drawing board and expanded their search. They didn’t want the typical five-hour wedding reception experience that feels like it’s over in a blink of an eye. They wanted to prioritize spending time with all of their favorite people while incorporating some of their favorite activities, and fell in love with the idea of a weekend-long affair at camp. They visited over a dozen summer camps in Pennsylvania and finally found Camp Starlight, about two and half hours north of Philadelphia in the beautiful Endless Mountain Range.

What was on your menu?
Friday night was a traditional Shabbat camp cookout—burgers, hot dogs, a slew of different salads and sides—and ended the night with a bonfire with ‘smores. The reception meal was a southern-inspired BBQ, with the bride and groom’s favorite cocktails as a complement. The menu included roasted brisket, BBQ salmon, red potato salad, brown-sugar baked beans, cornbread (GF), stewed greens, roasted corn salad, Challah Incredible gluten-free cake (german chocolate for one layer and honey lavender for the other), plus a camp-y ice-cream sundae bar.

All about your gown!
Paulina had her eyes set on ethereal, romantic and boho-style dresses since day one. She wanted a full look that would bring out her inner-Stevie Nicks and allow for her to wear some of her most prized turquoise jewelry. After trying on a ton of dresses that were very much out of budget, Paulina went back to BHLDN with her mom and best friends on Black Friday to try on the dress of her dreams again—little did she know the dress was the only one left in stock, was marked down by half and then an extra 40% off with their promotion. It’s safe to say this eggshell lace appliqué Willow by Watters dress, with a V-cut neck, lace-up back detail and wider-than-life sleeves was truly meant to be. The dress was paired with a custom-made, hand-embroidered veil with appliqué flowers by the bride’s friend, Mollie; vintage dangling turquoise earrings; her grandmother’s gold and pearl bracelet; and pink floral Loeffler Randall heels. During the reception, she changed into a white wide-leg jumpsuit and custom tie-dyed Nikes given to her by her groom.

What was your favorite moment?
The surprise fireworks! Once Ben and Paulina decided on Camp Starlight and saw the gorgeous lake, they instantly decided to end the reception with a surprise fireworks show. After the last song, DJ Eagle told guests to make their way down to the lake for an after-party bonfire, and once everyone cleared the gym, the big show began. It was well worth the budgeting for this incredibly special surprise moment!

One detail you couldn’t live without?
Our camp guide (dog) Bodhi!

First dance song?
“Coming Home,” by Leon Bridges.

Any advice for future brides?
Work as a team, check-in with each other and leverage each other’s passions and strengths to make the process more fun. Because Ben and Paulina had to stick to a strict budget and Paulina had to be wrangled more than a few times, the couple separately made a list of their top-five priorities for the weekend, shared them together before diving too deep into planning and committed to honoring these priorities and not sweat anything that wasn’t on the list. It was incredibly helpful and grounding to always have this guiding list to refer back to when things got overwhelming, frustrating, or at times, felt too big to conquer. For example, Paulina handled décor, overall aesthetic, flowers and vendor outreach, and Ben handled food, music, activities, logistics and managing the many budget spreadsheets.

Honeymoon location:
The couple did a mini-moon in Isla Mujeres, but unfortunately, had to cancel their Portugal and Spain trip due to Covid.

the details

Reception Location

Camp Starlight, Starlight, Pennsylvania

Photographer

HanMariePhoto

Officiant

Rabbi Marjorie Berman

Bride’s Gown

BHLDN

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Paulina and Ben at Camp Starlight

the details

Reception Location

Photographer

Officiant

Bride’s Gown

Bride’s Shoes

Bridesmaid Dresses

Hair

Makeup

Groom’s Attire

Flowers

Cake

Invites

Music

Wedding Planner

Brides Jewelry

Brides Accessories