Camp Fircom Wedding on Gambier Island

Dusty and Helena couldn’t have wished for a more perfect day for their Camp Fircom Wedding! We woke up to thunder claps and bucketing rain the night before their wedding day. But, by the morning it was all fresh ocean breeze, summer sunshine and just the right amount of cloud-cover.

“More than anything, the heart behind our wedding was to bring our family and friends together for as long as we could. We also wanted a venue that captured the beauty of BC and be outside as much as possible. Plus I love the idea of going to camp! Dusty and I also feel strongly about reducing our environmental footprint, and Camp Fircom went beyond our expectations! They produce their own electricity, compost and are a low waste venue.” – Helena

Ever since watching Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, a camp wedding has been on our bucket-list to photograph. There’s something so romantic about running off into the woods with your sweetheart. In this case, Helena and Dusty escaped with 100 guests in tow for one huge celebration. Visiting Camp Fircom brings back all those exciting childhood memories of summer camp. The late nights listening to stories around the camp fire, getting lost in the beauty of nature, and becoming fast friends with new acquaintances. Helena and Dusty’s weekend wedding was much the same, except a whole lot more fun, with cocktail dresses and suits instead of track pants and sweaters. Although some guests did trade their formal wear for more comfy clothes by the end of night!

Remote BC Destination Wedding Venue

Camp Fircom is a 120 acre property stretching along the pristine coastline of Gambier Island. Along with wild seascapes, this natural oasis is home to old growth BC forests and boasts plenty of mountain views. Spend enough time on the bluff and you’re sure to spot seals and whales swimming by.

Gambier is the largest of the four Howe Sounds Islands on the Sunshine Coast. That said, it only has 125 permanent residents and is largely off the grid, forging a sense of welcome isolation. If you’re into outdoor activities, Camp Fircom is an ideal location for your destination weekend wedding. And, it’s always a plus to have more than one meal to celebrate and catch up with your people.

DIY Zero-Waste Camp Wedding

The wedding party spent the morning hiking island trails, paddle boarding, canoeing and learning archery. After that, it was all hands on deck and DIY to the max. Dusty, Helena and their tribe joined forces to hang lights, decorate a wooden arch for the ceremony, set tables, make pierogies to keep dance floor energy levels up… the list goes on. Every detail was lovingly thought through and beautifully and sustainably curated, keeping in line with Camp Fircom’s zero-waste ethos.

The outdoor ceremony was held at The Promontory, a grassy clearing hedged in by forest, overlooking Canoe Cove and Halkett Bay. Emotions ran high, with many tears, heartfelt words and lots of laughter. One our favourite moments was when the flower girl panicked at the top of the aisle, dropped her basket of flowers and ran all the way back down again. These funny “imperfect” moments make each wedding day so special.

We felt incredibly privileged to capture this Gambier Island wedding and left with Mary Austin’s words ringing in our hearts… “Man is not himself only… He is all that he sees; all that flows to him from a thousand sources… He is the land, the lift of its mountain lines, the reach of its valleys.”

Maggie Rogers

Young couple sitting on wooden Muskoka chairs looking at the sea in British Columbia Simple rustic forest camp wedding table decor centre pieces made up a wood circle, fern, babies breath flowers, moss and a brown bottle with rose inside it
Bride and groom's first dance at Camp Fircom Wedding