Camie Carlock and Matt McKee met in Dallas through Hinge in March 2020 (“Yes, at the beginning of COVID!” Camie says). Many of their first dates involved walking and picnicking outside with takeout. On their second date, they grabbed some pizza and walked to Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, Texas, where Matt proposed the following year. And an epic proposal it was.
On Saturday, April 30, 2022, at 5:30 p.m., Camie Carlock and Matt McKee married at Camp Waldemar in Hunt, Texas. Revisit this dreamy riverside wedding with them.
On January 29, 2021, Matt surprised Camie in Klyde Warren Park on a night they were supposed to meet Camie’s sister and brother-in-law for happy hour. Camie grew slightly suspicious when Matt brought his laptop bag to happy hour after 5 p.m. — the wiring cutoff for the real estate closing she knew he had that particular day had already passed. Camie, a fellow transactional attorney, is very observant. Matt said he still had a few emails to monitor, so Camie didn’t overthink it.
This colorful wedding suite fully reflects the joy of this wedding.
“When we sat down in the park, he unzipped his laptop bag and handed me a manila file, asking me to proofread something for him. I opened the folder and found a closing checklist, which all transactional attorneys use to organize deadlines and deliverables before, during, and after a closing. I saw ‘matrimony’ written at the top and immediately started laughing (I didn’t know what else to do!),” Camie recalls. Matt was grinning. Camie stood up. He opened the ring box and asked the question. As onlooking cars honked, they popped some champagne, and family members popped out from behind the trees.
The closing checklist that Matt created was printed onto the groom’s cake at the wedding.
Camie is from Dallas, and Matt is from Lubbock, so when plans started brewing, a Texas venue was non-negotiable. “Waldemar is one of my most cherished places on earth,” Camie says. “Matt and I wanted a unique Texas wedding that was driveable for both families and afforded a weekend of opportunities for our guests to relax, unwind, and have fun.”
Camie attended the idyllic camp for nine summers and was a counselor there for three. “My sister, mother, and grandmother are all Waldemar girls,” she says.
They threw an adult summer camp weekend for the books. The weak cell service was a welcome break from life. There was archery and hiking. Canoeing and paddle boarding. Yoga along the river. Even a bride-versus-groom kickball game on Saturday morning!
Their engagement was 15 months long because Waldemar only hosts weddings during certain months of the year. “It was longer than we wanted but worth the wait!” Camie says. “I appreciated having a longer engagement — it gave us a better chance of securing the vendors we wanted. As soon as we booked our location, I secured our photographers, Caroline and Luke Jurgensen.”
They hired a local planner to assist with nearby vendors, but each mother did a fantastic job ensuring the details were perfect for Friday (pictured) and Saturday. They worked hand-in-hand with Waldemar’s on-site event coordinator, Lori Appleton.
“I LOVE bright colors,” Camie says of picking the vision for her big day. “For a spring wedding, I couldn’t resist incorporating pinks, corals, and oranges. We wanted a sophisticated but comfortable (and most importantly, fun!) Hill Country wedding with fiesta flare.” The Friday night kick-off party was filled with drinks, fireside ‘smores, and live music from the uncle of Natalie Maines (of The Chicks), Kenny Maines, a Lubbock native like Matt.
These precious beer burros were the true stars of Friday night.
Every little weekend touch added a Southwestern flare.
Camie’s sister wore a Lela Rose gown, and Camie has always loved that Lela is a fellow Dallas native. “I went in avoiding strapless gowns, but the bridal manager encouraged me to try on the one-of-a-kind strapless gown that has never been recreated and didn’t take at Market. It fit like a glove!” Because it was strapless, Camie used her sister’s veil to create a custom shawl she wore during the ceremony.
The detailed fabric of the gown was gorgeous and lightweight, so Camie could easily dance and walk down the steep stone steps at the camp’s chapel. “Plus, it had pockets!” she exclaims.
Bridesmaids in their perfectly Texas floral dresses line the camp dock.
And groomsmen clown around with tubing gear.
After a lively day of getting glam, toasting with their best friends, and reading heartfelt letters to each other, it was GO time. Camie and Matt loved having a first look. It was a special moment together before the festivities began. “Plus, as a bride, this is when your hair and makeup look best. Get those photos while you can!” she tells us.
Camie and Matt will cherish these dreamy forest portraits for years to come.
This first-look moment was tender and magical!
We love Camie’s floral colors with green fern leaves interspersed.
Guests filed down the gorgeous stone steps to the riverside chapel.
Camie and Matt exchanged traditional vows with personalized touches by their officiant and brother-in-law, Reverand James Madden. His touching sermon wove in the Old and New Testament readings the couple chose. “James and my sister founded an Anglican church in Dallas (St. Luke Medical District) that we are honored to be a part of,” Camie adds.
Camie had some help from her new husband on the way back up the stairs.
Mariachi tunes filled the air during cocktail hour, and the band marched with guests to the main tent when the dinner bell rang!
Servers holding champagne on silver trays flanked the walkway from the ceremony to cocktail hour. As Camie and Matt greeted guests and captured golden hour photos, a surprise mariachi band kept the tunes flowing on the Guadalupe River while guests mingled. Then, the 165 guests and the new McKees walked with the band from cocktail hour to the main dining tent.
Camie’s signature cocktail was Reese’s Ranch Water (named for Camie’s dog). Matt’s was a Negroni.
Waiter-passed hors d’oeuvres included Pollo Santa Fe (marinated chicken breast stuffed with jalapeño and Monterey jack cheese, wrapped in bacon and grilled to perfection), Mango gazpacho shooters with grilled shrimp, and beef short rib empanadas with chimichurri.
A stately tent covered the next round of festivities.
Dinner was seated with two identical buffets that included citrus and avocado salad; crisp romaine salad; chile and brown sugar-cured beef tenderloin; corn pudding, and colorful southwest roasted vegetables. Once the guests were fed, they transitioned inside to the dance floor in the camp’s main hall.
Vivid colors and staggered floral display heights made for a jaw-dropping centerpiece.
The bridal cake was lemon, and the groom’s cake was chocolate with raspberry and Bavarian crème filling (a nod to the German-owned bakery in Fredericksburg, Texas).
Once the band began, Camie and Matt first danced to Stevie Wonder’s “For Once in My Life.” followed by another Stevie Wonder father-daughter dance to “Isn’t She Lovely.” Then Camie had the sweetest surprise up her sleeve. “I brought my then 95-year-old grandmother to the dance floor when the band played ‘Dancing Queen.’ I will never forget dancing with her and the huge smile on her face! Multiple guests teared up, including me,” Camie adds.
Camie’s sister (right) gave an unforgettable Matron of Honor toast at the reception, incorporating candle-lit tributes to mirror the Ideal Waldemar Ceremony that they were a part of as 16-year-old campers. Camie’s brother-in-law gave a Yellowstone-themed toast on Friday night.
The dance floor was constantly full all night long.
Camie always thought she would only wear her wedding gown the entire night (“after all, it’s your one night to wear it!” she says). But she found a beaded silver dress from Tootsie’s that she changed into after the cake-cutting. “I’m so glad I brought it because I was sweating so much from dancing, and my legs needed to breathe! Both dresses were so fun to dance to in their own ways,” Camie adds.
Camie surprised Matt by bringing him onstage to sing “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel. “I definitely forgot half of the lyrics, but it was our wedding, so I didn’t care!” she adds.
They wanted a killer last song before send-off to expend any remaining energy the guests had left. Then, Camie and Matt had a private last dance while their guests lined up for the send-off. They danced — just the two of them — to “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen. “Our dance instructor suggested this, and we’re so glad he did! It was an intimate way to capture the final moments of the reception before the party had to end.”
After the band played the final note of “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers, it was time to exit through a sea of streamers.
After a restful honeymoon at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, Camie and Matt settled back into married life in Dallas, where they are both attorneys. As for advice for future brides, Camie says, “Discuss your priorities, visions, and values for your wedding early on while maintaining realistic expectations with budgets and headcounts. Think about what stands out to you from attending other weddings. It’s probably not the small details like linens or flowers.
“And do the last private dance at the reception! We loved it!”
Thanks, Camie, for taking us back to Camp Waldemar. And thanks to Caroline Jurgensen of Caroline Jurgensen Photography for the fabulous photos!
*****
RESOURCES
Ceremony: Camp Waldemar
Reception: Camp Waldemar
Planner: Viridian Design Studio
Photographer: Caroline Jurgensen Photography
Flowers: Viridian Design Studio
Save-the-Dates, Rehearsal Dinner Invitation, Weekend Program: Emily Mayne Studio
Wedding Invitations: Arzberger Stationers
Hair: Danann Patrick
Makeup: Donna Bruns Guttenberger
Bride’s gown: Lela Rose Bridal
Custom veil turned into shawl: Altered for the Altar
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Mi Golondrina
Groom’s custom navy tuxedo: Samuelsohn
Groomsmen’s custom guayaberas: Dos Carolinas
Catering (cocktail hour and reception), glassware, and China: Cartewheels Catering
Bride and Groom’s Cakes: Sophie’s Bakery
Entertainment: The Pictures Band
Rentals: Peerless Events & Tents
Linens: BBJ La Tavola Specialty Linen
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