Eli and Chloe’s wedding near Lake Gaston was one of those weddings that felt personal from the very beginning. Held between Camp Willow Run and Camp Willow Springs in Littleton, North Carolina, the entire day reflected their story together perfectly because the two of them originally met while working at the camp.
The ceremony took place outdoors at Camp Willow Run in a beautiful rustic setting surrounded by trees and nature. The ceremony space featured built-in wooden benches and a large wooden cross behind the couple that created an incredible backdrop as Eli and Chloe exchanged vows. Everything about the ceremony felt peaceful and genuine, and the entire afternoon flowed perfectly from start to finish.
Cocktail Hour at Camp Willow Springs
After the ceremony, guests made the quick drive over to Camp Willow Springs for cocktail hour and the reception. Since the camps sit right next to each other, the transition between locations was incredibly easy while still giving the evening a completely different atmosphere.
Cocktail hour took place outside the dining hall with drinks served from canoes packed with ice, which was such a fun nod to the camp atmosphere and the couple’s history there together. Small details like that made the entire wedding feel personal without overdoing it.
A Reception Filled with Personal Touches
Inside the reception hall, more than 200 guests filled the massive dining hall for dinner and dancing. The room itself was laid out perfectly for the evening with dinner tables covering most of the space while the back section became the dance floor later in the night.
For the grand entrance, we did something a little different and used the camp’s built-in sound system from the front of the room instead of running introductions from my DJ setup in the back corner. It ended up fitting the flow of the evening perfectly. Eli and Chloe entered directly into their first dance as husband and wife before transitioning into a welcome and prayer from the bride’s parents.
One thing I really loved about this reception was how connected everyone stayed throughout the evening. Parent dances, toasts, and cake cutting all happened right in the middle of the room between the tables so guests stayed fully involved in every moment before we transitioned everyone onto the dance floor.
2000s and 2010s Dance Floor Energy
Once dancing started, the floor stayed packed all night long.
The music leaned heavily into 2000s and 2010s pop and rock, and the crowd absolutely brought the energy from the very first song. Eli and Chloe included several songs in their planning forms that I honestly had not played in a while, and every single one of them went over incredibly well. I always love when couples remind me about songs that deserve to make their way back into regular rotation.
The anniversary dance ended up being one of the highlights of the evening. We started with the guests who had known the couple the longest before gradually inviting more and more people onto the floor from elementary school friends all the way through college friends and even the guests who had just met them that day. Their college friends ended up being the biggest group on the floor, which felt incredibly fitting considering their story started together at camp.
Ending the Night with a Private Dance
To close out the night, everyone gathered around the dance floor for a huge singalong to “Sweet Caroline” before heading outside for the sparkler exit.
Before joining everyone outside, Eli and Chloe shared one final private dance together to “I Don’t Dance” by Lee Brice, which ended up being the perfect quiet moment to close out such an energetic and emotional wedding day.
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