Sarah’s Rehearsal Dinner at Camp Vanasek in Baxter, MN

Earlier this month, we flew to Minnesota to visit The Nerd’s family for his cousin’s wedding. Although I’d never met Sarah in person, I felt like I had known her for years and that we were already friends. I couldn’t wait to get to hang out with her and celebrate her marriage to Marc!

Sarah and Marc are really the perfect couple. They compliment each other and their love of one another was obvious. I was really impressed at how they crafted their wedding celebration around their personalities. One of the things I loved the most was their rehearsal dinner at Camp Vanasek in Baxter, MN.

Camp Vanasek sits on the shores of a beautiful lake. It has cabins, an outdoor area for games, and even a kitchen where you can prepare a meal. Family members and friends gathered for an evening of company and laughter — it was like a giant family reunion.

It was such a beautiful location. The cloudy sky reflected off the clear water — I’d never seen a lake so clear. Andrew couldn’t believe it either. He kept pointing at the water, saying, “Bath?!” “No, buddy,” we’d reply. You definitely don’t want to take a bath in that freezing water!

He also really loved playing in the sand. He even made a few friends!

Once the sun started to set, we built a bonfire and enjoyed s’mores along with the family stories. While most rehearsal dinners seem to focus more on the couple getting married, this felt like it was a celebration of our families. And as I would come to see over the days we were there, that’s totally what Marc and Sarah are all about. Rarely did they take in all of the spotlight without casting the light on others around them.

Sometimes I think that weddings can get out of hand. They can become this huge production that loses sight of the reason we’re all there — to celebrate love and family.

Sarah’s wedding was the exact opposite. It felt like love and family were never far away, and their rehearsal dinner at Camp Vanasek in Baxter, MN was just the first step.

I can’t wait to share some more photos and stories of our time in Minnesota with you!

What’s the furthest you’ve traveled for a family wedding?

To read more stories about our Toddler Travel adventures, click here.