QUEER CAMP THEMED Wedding – Kira + Jimmy | Britt Hill Photo

QUEER CAMP THEMED Wedding – Kira + Jimmy | Britt Hill Photo

Kira (they/them) and Jimmy (he/him) had themselves a fun and playful queer camp wedding in Connecticut in mid-spring. And it changed how I think of weddings.

I am not someone who typically adheres to tradition just for the sake of it and I very much respect people who do things intentionally and in their own way. So when I first heard from Kira describing their wedding day as whimsical, campy and authentic – I was just hoping they would want to book. Lucky me, they did.

A wedding does not have to follow a traditional format to feel meaningful — it just has to be authentic. Easier said than done, though Kira + Jimmy made it look so easy. Their Connecticut wedding leaned fully into a camp-inspired theme, creating a day that felt more like a spring festival than a formal event. Think color, movement and a lot of personality. It was whimsical, a little nostalgic and intentionally unpolished in the very best ways.

An adult camp wedding opens up a different kind of experience. Instead of a structured timeline often found at a formal Connecticut wedding venue, the day becomes more fluid and interactive. Guests aren’t just seated observers — they’re part of it. There’s space to wander, to play, to reconnect. Compared to a more traditional, sometimes stuffy wedding format, a camp wedding feels hands-on and alive — people are laughing, moving, and actually doing things together, not just watching them happen.

It feels playful in a way that naturally brings people out of their shells. For couples like Kira (they/them) and Jimmy (he/him), that shift mattered deeply. They wanted something nostalgic, something that didn’t feel performative and something that reflected how they actually spend time with their favorite people. That’s a big reason more couples are exploring camp wedding ideas — it allows the day to feel less like a production and more like a shared experience.

From the start, Kira’s DIY wedding creations shaped the atmosphere. One of the coolest details was the set of rainbow pennants they made by hand, strung throughout the ceremony and cocktail hour spaces. They added movement and color in a way that felt playful but also intentional. Paired with bright, colorful florals and rainbow streamer maypoles, the entire setting became an honest and joyful homage to Kira’s queer pride.

That same energy carried into cocktail hour, where lawn games and play replaced more traditional setups of people standing around waiting for the next passed appetizer to come around. Guests moved between activities, talking, laughing and settling into the space at their own pace. It broke down any sense of formality right away. Instead of waiting for the next thing, people were engaging and playing, enjoying themselves. It was so fun.

The reception continued that tone. Tables were covered with white construction paper and each place setting had crayons so that guests could draw, write notes, or leave little doodles throughout the night. It turned dinner and sitting at a table with sometimes-strangers into something interactive and creative — exactly what Kira and Jimmy were going for. It’s one of those unique wedding ideas that sounds simple but completely shifts the energy in the room.

Kira baked homemade cookies for their guests, packaging them in labeled bags as favors. They also made sure to include separate goodie bags for anyone with allergies or dietary preferences. It’s a small thing on paper, but it says a lot about how they approached the entire day — thoughtfully, inclusively and with their community in mind. Kira’s mom even planned a surprise choreographed group dance for the couple during reception.

From a Connecticut wedding photographer perspective, being able to document a queer wedding felt like an honor and privilege – to be trusted and included in that way. There’s less staging, less direction and more observation that was allowed. The moments happen naturally without the performance and industrial pressure of a more traditional, heteronormative wedding. Moments like someone crouched over the table drawing, a group mid-lawn game, or Kira and Jimmy just being themselves dancing with hot dogs in hand (heck yeah to all hot dog luvers) felt authentic and so touching so be present to such honest an expression.

Kira’s approach to the day was deeply centered on expressing love and appreciation at every step, making sure people felt seen, safe and comfortable, but also that they were genuinely having fun. Their day was rooted in authenticity, intention and community care.

Their wedding lent itself to a more documentary, honest way of capturing the day because they were honestly just themselves. This invited everyone else, including me as the documenter, to also stay honest and feel free.

This wedding also changed the way I personally approach photographing weddings. It opened my eyes to how much heart and energy can exist in a nontraditional format when couples are fully leaning into what feels true to them. There was so much love in the way this day was built — not just for each other, but for everyone present. It doesn’t need structure to create meaning; it needs intention, and this day had plenty of it.

Documenting a queer wedding also taught me a lot about how I see wedding days in general. It challenged traditional gender norms in a very natural way — like Kira and Jimmy walking arm in arm down the aisle together, side by side, without predefined roles.

I appreciated reframing my approach to any necessary posing and becoming aware of why I put certain people into certain poses. I learned to examine where many of these wedding traditions come from, who they serve, why they exist and going into weddings with more intention because of it. I knew Kira + Jimmy were badass, authentic, inspiring people – but I didn’t realize how much I would take away from their day.

Kira and Jimmy did not try to fit their wedding into a mold and I love them intentionally choosing not to. They built something that reflected who they are — goofy, relaxed and fully authentic. Whether it’s through bold color, interactive elements or choosing a camp setting over something more traditional, their wedding showed how much more personal these celebrations can be when you let them.

They showed and celebrated their true selves, and everyone else followed.

Kira + Jimmy – as I (somewhat dramatically, but honestly) shared with you personally already, your day changed how I document weddings. Your vows were so touching. And I thank you for including + trusting in me. xoxo