A Wedding at a Summer Camp in Texas

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bride and groom under wedding arch — Jenna McElroy

As freshmen at the University of Southern California in January 2015, Cody and Alyssa bonded over Freebirds Burritos and their shared passion for visual storytelling (he works as a filmmaker; she's a television development executive). Four years later, Cody proposed during a private picnic on the sand at Little Beach House Malibu, and the pair began planning a wedding for October 2020 in Santa Barbara, California. "When the pandemic forced us to pivot from October 2020 in Santa Barbara, then to June 2021 in Santa Barbara, and then again as COVID was still running rampant—all I could think about was how I wished I was just getting married at home in Texas somewhere carefree and easy," says Alyssa. Her mind immediately landed on the perfect place: Her childhood summer camp, The Retreat at Balcones Springs in Marble Falls, which she attended as a camper and then counselor for 14 summers. "Not only was it open-air, but it was so very special to me," says Alyssa.

Alyssa and Cody invited 130 guests to celebrate with them during a camp-inspired weekend that included cabin accommodations, a festive welcome party, horseback riding, pickleball, afternoons at the lake, and skeet shooting; the true highlight was the ceremony and reception on September 18, 2021. The couple chose an end-of-summer palette of pale peach, pink, and ivory, accented by natural wood elements and a dose of sparkle from gold motifs and a disco ball over the dance floor.

"The vision for our wedding was a magical warm evening under the stars full of love, laughter, and lots and lots of dancing. I dreamed of an intimate evening that felt romantic and refined, but still fun and casual," says Alyssa. "The pandemic reminded us about what was most important, and it was having all our loved ones together in one place (preferably on the dance floor!). When I woke up at camp on Friday morning, I felt like a kid on Christmas knowing that all of our favorite people were together in one of my favorite places to celebrate our love."

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Ring Masters

bride and groom's wedding rings — Jenna McElroy

After Cody bought Alyssa's engagement ring from Vram Jewelry, the couple returned for their custom gold and silver wedding bands. Inside Cody's band, they had the date and "2 hearts as one" engraved.

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Paper Sweet

wedding invitation suite in pink and blue — Jenna McElroy

Pink Champagne Designs customized Alyssa and Cody's invitation suite with a blush-colored print and fabric bow that complemented the pink details card. Three petite hearts on the back of the envelope mimicked the design of the rehearsal dinner invite.

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Making Their Mark

Jenna McElroy

Each guest's welcome gift bag included Topo Chico, lime, Casamigos tequila shooters, and a dash of hot sauce so guests could mix their own Ranch Water cocktails—plus a custom cookie modeled after the Texas state flag. Cody and Alyssa designed their own camp logo, which they had printed on denim hats, matchboxes, and plastic cups.

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True to Herself

bride wearing a silk faille trumpet wedding gown — Jenna McElroy

Alyssa chose her Carolina Herrera silk faille trumpet wedding dress by following a simple rule: "Always trust your instincts," she says. "It was both timeless and contemporary and I felt like my most authentic self in it." She also wore a pear-shaped diamond necklace on loan from her mother and pink drop earrings from the team that designed the couple's rings.

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Pops of Peach

bride with bridesmaids in champagne gowns — Jenna McElroy

Alyssa's 10-person bridal party wore silk Fame & Partners gowns in a subtle champagne color. "They were natural, elegant, and customizable," says Alyssa. The bride's loosely gathered, asymmetrical bouquet from Stems Floral Design set the tone for the bridesmaids' florals, too, with coral-and-peach ranunculus and tonal roses.

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Men in Black

groom with groomsmen in classic tuxes — Jenna McElroy

Cody and his groomsmen chose classic, timeless tuxedos from The Black Tux, which the groom accessorized with a set of his father's cuff links.

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Altar State

wedding ceremony gold metal frame arch with of peach roses, ivory spray roses, peach and white stock, white delphinium, and coral ranunculus — Jenna McElroy

An outdoor chapel area at the retreat center was dressed up for the ceremony with a gold metal frame; it was covered in installations of peach-and-ivory roses, white delphinium, and coral ranunculus. Ground-level arrangements placed at the end of each bench lined the aisle and accented the raised stone altar.

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Puppy Love

golden retriever dog at wedding — Jenna McElroy

Duke, a female golden retriever belonging to a family member, wore a handpicked collar and served as the flower girl. "She's very special to us," says Alyssa. "She was the reason we decided to get our golden retriever puppy, Ollie!"

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Effortlessly Cool

guests during wedding ceremony — Jenna McElroy

Guests kept cool during the heat of the afternoon with custom fans printed with the couple's wedding date.

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A Walk to Remember

bride walking down aisle with dad — Jenna McElroy

Castle Hill String Quartet performed "To Make You Feel My Love" as Alyssa's dad escorted her to the altar. "Walking down the stone step aisle with my father and seeing Cody waiting for me was one of the most special moments of my life," says the bride. "I felt so much love and joy and looking into Cody's eyes, and feeling all of his love and gratitude was a moment I'll never forget."

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In Their Own Words

bride and groom during wedding ceremony — Jenna McElroy

Alyssa and Cody invited pastor Tova Sido to perform their ceremony, and to work with them during pre-marital counseling. In addition to writing their own vows, the couple shared their favorite anecdotes with Tova before the ceremony. "We're pretty verbose when it comes to stories as we both work in storytelling mediums," says Alyssa. "To our surprise, Tova ended up reading every single answer to each of our questions! We both shared a knowing look with one another during the ceremony like, 'Oh no,' thinking it'd be too much in addition to our vows, but our family and friends commented afterwards on how special it was to really get an inside look at our relationship."

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Saying "I Do"

bride and groom kissing during wedding ceremony — Jenna McElroy

The pair planned a religious ceremony—"though we tried to keep it contemporary and inclusive of all of our friends from different religions," says the bride—and added a closing blessing from Alyssa's childhood chapel services. "The ceremony was so incredibly special, thanks to Tova and the vows we wrote to one another," says Alyssa. "Also, there were several guests who flew or drove in just for Saturday, so seeing our entire community out in the crowd made us feel so loved.

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Setting the Bar

the Little Beach House picante drinks at wedding — Jenna McElroy

A lineup of custom cocktails and local favorites included Jellyfish IPA beer and the "Little Beach House Picante," which was garnished with a jalapeño stem and named after the couple's engagement spot.

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Under the Stars

wedding reception tables with light-washed wood Oslo chairs — Jenna McElroy

Light-washed wood chairs—chosen by the couple to ground the outdoor space—were a natural complement to neutral linens and the summery floral palette. The meadow where the couple held their reception wasn't only a COVID-safe choice: It was also Alyssa's dream come true. "I'd always imagined lots of string lights, a live band, and guests dancing all night long beneath the moonlight," she says.

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Blooming Beauties

wedding centerpieces of ranunculus and roses — Jenna McElroy

Lush, textured ranunculus and roses in washed, late-summer shades were arranged in white speckled bud vases and placed in the center of each table.

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On the Menu

wedding menu on wooden charger plate — Jenna McElroy

Gold flatware added an elegant polish to the rich, acacia wood chargers the couple selected. The menu, catered by the venue, included chicken with red chili glaze and beef loin, alongside salad, roasted potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. A three-tier cake from Simon Lee Bakery included 2 layers of chocolate cake with chocolate mousse, and one of white cake with lemon mousse. The groom's father also secretly shipped in a selection of ice cream from Alec's Ice Cream, a store owned by a friend of the bride and groom.

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In Perfect Harmony

bride and groom during first dance — Jenna McElroy

For their first dance, the newlyweds chose a song that incorporated two of their favorite musical genres: NPR's Tiny Desk Concert recording of "Coming Home" by Leon Bridges. "Cody and I love listening to Tiny Desk concert versions of our favorite bands—plus, Leon is from Austin and we went to see him together for a date night at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, so his music is special to us," says Alyssa.

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Together at Last

bride and groom laughing during toasts at reception — Jenna McElroy

Guests shared stories and toasts honoring the newlyweds during the meal, kicking off an evening of much-anticipated celebration after years of limited social engagements. "It was such a blast and all of our friends danced until the wee hours of the morning with us," says Alyssa. "It felt so good, after two years in quarantine, to feel that much love and joy from all of our favorite people."

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