Weddings at YMCA Camp Northern Lights
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and thank you for considering Camp Northern Lights
for your special event! Camp Northern Lights is the perfect location for a rustic, simple ceremony
and reception in the beautiful north woods of Minnesota. Our outdoor ceremony sites, and a wide
variety of cabins can accommodate a wedding of up to 150 guests.
Limited dates for weddings are available September through May. Due to our summer camp
program, we are unable to hold weddings between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Please contact
Anastasia.Anderson@ymcamn.org for date inquiries. Reservations are made on a first-come basis
and require a deposit of 50% of the chosen wedding package and $150.00 deposit for each cabin
reserved.
Basic Wedding Package
This includes ceremony and reception space of art barn and tent, either Susi or Lyra for a cozy
newlywed cabin, and tables and chairs for 150. Your guests may reserve other available cabins in
camp when general reservations open in May.
This basic wedding package starts at $680.00.
This does not include sound equipment for a DJ or band, decorations, or food/alcohol.
Basic Wedding Package + Cabins
This includes ceremony and reception space of art barn, community tent, and/or Bear Island
Stage, either Susi or Lyra for a cozy newlywed cabin, and tables and chairs for 150. Any
combinations of cabins and lodging options can be set aside for Fall and Spring weddings. For
winter weddings there are a select number of cabins that are winterized. Your guests may reserve
other available cabins in camp when general reservations open in May.
The basic wedding package start at $680.00 + the cost of each cabin/night.
This does not include sound equipment for a DJ or band, decorations, or food/alcohol.
Amenities
A speaker system is available for an additional fee of $150. However, this would not be sufficient
for a DJ or band. All events in the Art Barn and/or Community Tent must end by 10:30 p.m., so
that guests will be able to wind down and make their way back to their cabins in time for the
camp-wide quiet time of 11:00 p.m. on reception night.
Wedding Day Coordination
All wedding packages can include a Wedding Day Coordinator, staffed by Stone Soup Events, a
local business that specializes in planning weddings, parties, and events. Payment for the event
coordinator would be handled with Stone Soup Events. Northern Lights staff have found the use
of a wedding coordinator key for the soon to be newlyweds to have a stress-free wedding day.
The last thing you want to do on your big day is answer a hundred little questions. They’ve got
you covered.
Upon reserving a wedding package at Northern Lights, we can put you in touch with a wedding
coordinator at Stone Soup who will consult with you before the wedding, recommend vendors,
manage your wedding day timeline, act as a liaison between the couple, family, Northern Lights
staff and other vendors, and more. This Wedding Day Coordination service is not included in the
cost of all wedding packages. Stone Soup has additional services available. Please refer to their
website at stonesoupevents.net for more information.
Decorations
The wedding party is responsible for putting up and taking down any decorations. Decorations
may not cause damage to camp property or facilities – including use of nails and heavy-duty tape.
Any candles MUST be in an enclosed glass jar or container that ensures candle wax will not drip
on the tables. We do not allow confetti, rice, glitter, fireworks, sparklers, or floating sky lanterns.
Set-Up and Clean-Up
The wedding party can usually start decorating the event space and ceremony sites the day before
the wedding. Please keep in mind that there may be other campers in camp unrelated to your
event. We will ask that you assist with clean-up of the event by removing decorations and
belongings by 11:00 a.m. the next day. All campers are expected to clean their own cabins at the
end of their stay.
Additional Services and Amenities
The Camp Host can help arrange for sauna times, if interested.
Guests staying at Northern Lights have access to canoes and kayaks in the fall and spring for no
additional charge.
In the winter, skis and snowshoes are available for rental for a cost of $10 per day and can be
paid for by the guests at camp. No reservation necessary.
Charcoal grills can be made available for use at no extra charge with one-month notice.
Catering and Alcohol
Northern Lights cannot provide meal service or place settings. Camp Northern Lights cannot
provide table linens. You are welcome to hire your own licensed caterer. The wedding party is
responsible for working with the caterer for all wedding dishware.
Wedding parties may serve beer, wine and champagne to guests, but not hard liquor. Alcohol
cannot be handled by Northern Lights staff. Minor consumption of alcohol is prohibited by law.
Event Insurance
Wedding parties are required to have liability insurance for their event. You might be able to simply
add a rider to an existing policy for the event and YMCA Camp Northern Lights, or you could check
out more comprehensive coverage from event insurance companies online. This protection usually
costs between $30 and $100 for one day.
Deposit Refund Policy
Deposits are non-refundable. 50% of the deposit will be refunded if your event is cancelled six
months or more prior to the scheduled event date. There are no refunds on deposits or payments
for cancellations made within 6 months of the event.
Payment Schedule
A deposit of 50% of the wedding package and $150.00 per cabin is due at the time of reservation.
50% of the fees are due 6 months prior to the event. The final guest count for proof of insurance,
and full payment for housing is due one month before the event. You will be billed for the number
of guests given at this time, even if the actual number is lower. If your numbers increase, payment
for the difference is expected at the end of the event. There are no refunds for cancellations
of cabins within one month of the event.
