10 Campground Wedding Theme Ideas

If you are dreaming of a campground wedding theme, Camp Aramoni is the perfect destination for you. Nestled on 96 acres along the Vermilion River just 90 minutes southwest of Chicago, our property is equipped with a wedding venue, boutique camping accommodations, in-house catering, an on-site shuttle and in-house wedding coordination. We can help you turn your wedding into a weekend-long celebration with the people who mean most to you. At Camp Aramoni, your campground wedding theme is already built into the property which takes some stress out of the planning process. In this blog post, we’ve put together 10 campground wedding theme ideas to take the camping theme further so you can have the wedding of your dreams.

1. Campground Wedding Theme Invitations

Your invitations are the first wedding details that your guests will see. We encourage our couples to take their engagement photos here free of charge so you can incorporate the photos and property into your wedding invitations. We also commissioned a local artist to design a map of the entire property that we encourage our couples to use in their invitations.

2. Incorporate Animals

At Michelle and Matt’s August wedding, Matt surprised Michelle during their first look with a horse. Michelle loves horses and was absolutely thrilled. The couple also brought their dog into their wedding ceremony by hiring Paws Here Pet Resort. Paws Here Pet Resort is a luxury pet resort located only two miles north of Camp Aramoni. Set on six beautiful acres right across the river, Paws Here offers temperature controlled quarters and spacious double fenced yards. For $50 per animal, a staff member will transport your furry friend to and from the ceremony and ensure he or she is well taken care of while you’re saying “I Do!” (Photo credits: Aneta Wisniewska Photography)

3. Wildflowers Everywhere

We have taken great care to plant Illinois native wildflowers and maintain incredible gardens at Camp Aramoni. In September, Taylor and Rico incorporated wildflowers into almost every detail of their wedding day starting with the invitations. Taylor commissioned an artist to hand paint a rendering of our crumbling brick kiln for her invitations. If you would like to incorporate the painting into your own wedding invitations, we are happy to share the high-resolution file with you free of charge. The couple also used floral china, dreamy pastels and extravagant centerpieces to make guests feel like they were walking through a wildflower field. (Photo credits: Ashley Susan Photography)

4. Get in a Canoe

Now, we know that getting in a canoe in your wedding dress doesn’t sound like the best idea, but we promise there are some perks. In this shoot, the couple paddled out to the center of Ristokrat Pond and came back to shore without any problems! Their adventure made for some Notebook-inspired photos that would make Noah and Allie proud. Of course, we have a dock for easy boarding as well as life jackets. This idea is only for the brave! (Photo credits: Millennium Moments)

5. Add Lawn Games

At Anna and Mike’s August wedding, they rented lawn games from Camp Aramoni for their guests to enjoy. Because their ceremony was held off-site at a nearby church, the lawn games allowed guests to have fun while waiting for cocktail hour to begin. Wedding couples can rent cornhole, connect four and more through Camp Aramoni’s wedding rental inventory. (Photo credits: Melissa Mata Photography)

6. Visit Nearby State Parks

While there are acres of photo opportunities at Camp Aramoni, we are also located near Starved Rock State Park and Buffalo State Park. Melissa and Tommy visited Buffalo State Park to say hi to the buffalos before their October wedding ceremony. Afterwards, they stopped in downtown Utica for a gigantic pretzel and a beer. Because they chose a later start time for their ceremony of 5 PM, this allowed the couple and their wedding party to explore nearby towns. (Photo credits: Hello Hana LLC Photography)

7. Incorporate Wood Accents

At this October wedding, Corinne and Jeff incorporated wood accents and a fall color palette throughout their ceremony and reception. The couple chose Camp Aramoni as their wedding caterer, and our staff used wood accents to add dimension to their charcuterie table during cocktail hour. The couple also rented our handmade circle arch to create a rustic backdrop for their wedding ceremony. (Photo Credits: Ashley Susan Photography)

8. Campground-Inspired Guest Favors

At Camp Aramoni, we try to help you with as many aspects of your wedding day as possible. We offer gourmet s’mores as wedding favors that can be customized with any saying or colors you choose. As long as weather permits, guests can even roast these over our wood-burning fire pits after dinner! We also offer small containers of honey from our on-site apiary that make for incredible favors that appeal to everyone. Or, try a Camp Aramoni branded enamel mug to remind your guests of your wedding for years to come! (Photo credits: Matt Haas Photography)

9. Try a Glow Stick Send Off

Due to the abundance of prairie grasses on our property, we do not allow wedding send offs that incorporate fire like sparklers, fireworks or paper lanterns. Ruthie and Josiah got creative and tried a glow stick send off at their outdoor July wedding at Camp Aramoni. After their DJ prompted guests to line up outside of our outdoor pavilion, the happy couple made their way through the crowd of guests. It was a safe and fun send off that made for unique photos! (Photo Credits: Avery Louise Photography)

10. End the Night with Chicago-Style Dogs Around the Campfire (Or A Whiskey Flight)

Your wedding day will go by the blink of an eye, and a late night snack will hit the spot after your reception ends. At Camp Aramoni, you can stay on-site in our safari-style tents and have our Chicago-style dogs package delivered right to your honeymoon suite. This allows you to roast your own dogs for a true Chicago experience in the middle of nature. No ketchup allowed! The package includes six hot dogs and steamed buns complete with all the fixins for an authentic Chicago dog. Or, if hot dogs aren’t your thing, we also offer a whiskey and chocolate flight. The flight includes four premium whiskeys each paired with a unique chocolate truffle by Katherine Anne Confections. (Photo credits: Matt Haas Photography)

Incorporate Your Campground Wedding Theme at Camp Aramoni

Camp Aramoni is the perfect destination to bring your campground wedding theme to life. If you are interested in hosting your wedding or special event here, we invite you to schedule your tour as soon as possible. Weekend dates are filling up quickly! Our expert team is ready to help create a seamless experience for everyone involved in the planning process. Please fill out our Event Inquiry Form to learn more.