A Rustic DIY Wedding at Big Tupper Ski Lodge in Tupper Lake, NY

Bridget Callaghan (28 and a fifth grade teacher) married Daniel Brown (28 and a school psychologist) in a rustic DIY wedding in Tupper Lake, New York. The couple first met through Bridget’s aunt, who worked at the same school as Dan. “After the first date, I knew I had had my last first kiss,” Bridget says. “From that day on, we were inseparable.” Dan surprised Bridget with a cushion-cut diamond engagement ring one night as the couple was walking through a park after eating dinner. “I always knew I would marry Dan, but this night made it real,” she says. The couple chose Big Tupper Ski Lodge as the location for their outdoor ceremony and indoor reception. For their theme, they took inspiration from nature and chose a “burlap and birch” theme with added touches of pink and navy. “We wanted a really rustic feel to the wedding while still being elegant and chic,” says the bride, whose mother designed most of the wedding’s look and put together all of the floral arrangements. Following the ceremony, guests attended a cocktail hour with appetizers made by the bride herself followed by a buffet dinner and an assortment of desserts. A big fire pit was also set up outside for guests to enjoy. “The advice I have for other couples is that you do not have to spend a ton of money to have a beautiful, elegant wedding,” Bridget says. “We used our resources, friends and relatives to help pull it all together.”