Kate and Will are funny, playful, and practical people who love their water sports, so it was only fitting that they plan an intimate lakeside wedding. They kept things as simple as possible by DIY-ing much of the décor themselves, having a super laid back timeline, and by utilizing Kate’s rowing team’s yacht club as their venue. Ironically (or maybe they planned it this way), the two locations that we took their photos align with their two favorite water sports (the club with for rowing and the Whitewater Center for his whitewater kayaking). You can also check out their adorable engagement session at the U.S. National Whitewater Center here!

The Small, But Meaningful “Yacht Club”

When most of us think of a yacht club, we think of a private organization for rich people who own fancy boats. In all reality though, “yacht club” really just means a club organized to promote and regulate yachting and boating. So when Kate and Will were telling us about the small yacht club where they spend the majority of their free time, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. Turns out, it’s actually a pretty small two-room cabin-like building with a small kitchen off to one side. The main wedding event was actually to be held outside: on the dock for the ceremony and at picnic tables for the reception. While it may not be a traditional wedding venue, it was the perfect intimate setting for this lakeside event.

A Simple Lakeside Wedding

You know how we knew that Kate and Will were our kinda people? Because they had a Beer Canoe and a pic of their cat at their wedding just because they wanted him there. Yup. Perfection. Kate DIY’ed almost all of the décor at the wedding minus the flowers. And the flowers were actually wooden! We loved all the small little touches that made this wedding so personal and the dock setting kept the vibe of the ceremony pretty relaxed. After the ceremony, we stole the newlyweds away for some gorgeous sunset photos down by the lake.

An Intimate Reception

Kate and Will kept their reception pretty casual, but still sprinkled in a few wedding traditions. They shared a sweet first dance followed by a hilarious speech by the Father of the Bride where he started his “notes” on the back of a Chick-fil-a box but ran out of room and continued on to a long roll of paper. Kate also has Polish roots, so she and her dad shared an upbeat Polka dance for their dance together and they held a Polish Money Dance at the end of the night. For the Money Dance, guests form a queue and pay for a dance with the bride! Usually the funds collected go towards the honeymoon, so we doubt Will minded loaning out his bride for a few dances. All in all, it was a beautiful night filled with many memories they will treasure for years to come.

Venue: Catawba Yacht Club | Catering: Carolina BBQ | Flowers: Sola Wood Flowers by Oh You’re Lovely | Wedding Dress Purchase Location: The Savvy Bride Boutique | Wedding Dress Designer: Scout Bridal | Groom Suit Purchase Location: New York Bride and Groom | Groom Suit Designer: Michael Kors