Timber Lake Camp

and welcoming and always happy to help us with whatever we needed. When we were first planning our wedding, we were looking for a more traditional venue for a standard, one-day ceremony. We stumbled across Timber Lake Camp, and we are so glad that we pivoted to planning a weekend affair. Choosing a venue like Timber Lake allowed us to create a multi-day event that was specific and meaningful to us and our guests. Having the full weekend meant we had time to have meaningful interactions with everyone there, which is much more difficult during a one-day affair. Timber Lake’s staff supported us from start to finish. In the planning process, our coordinator, Meredith, was very accessible and we had multiple zoom meetings with her leading up to the wedding. She answered our long lists of questions diligently, and gave us all the information we needed to know. Meredith worked with us to create exactly the weekend we wanted to create. There are several standard events they provide (the late night bonfire with smores was a hit with our guests), but they are also open to any other activities you suggest. We had a cabaret night in their theater on Friday, a partner dance class the morning of the ceremony (so guests could learn a few moves), and an arts and crafts table accessible all weekend long. They were happy to accommodate whatever activity we wanted. Once we were there for the weekend, the staff was accessible and always looking to solve problems. The kitchen staff was incredibly generous in making sure that everyone was always happily fed. We felt well taken care of and always had someone to ask questions when they inevitably came up. Special shout out to Alice, who helped one of our groomspeople to decorate our arch with wildflowers picked on the campus! We want to note that Timber Lake is not primarily a wedding venue, and it has all the advantages and disadvantages that entails. This allowed us to have the level of personalization and involvement that we wanted and that made our weekend so special. It also means the process is a little more hands-on for us as the couple and for the wedding party. We really enjoyed being part of setting up on the day before the guests arrived and having our wedding party there for an extra night to help, but we know that’s not for everyone. This may be less true depending on the caterers or wedding planner you hire, but we really loved that all parts of the weekend came from us and our loved ones. Also because the staff needed to deal with the camp, sometimes emails took a day or two to get a reply, but they were always answered thoroughly and within a reasonable amount of time. We are so happy with our experience at Timber Lake camp and could not recommend it more highly to anyone interested in a personalized, full wedding weekend!

to create a one of a kind wedding experience. There are few places where you can have all your friends and family in one place for a whole weekend, staying, eating, and hanging out all together. The fact that the grounds are stunning, the food is delicious and the camp activities are what kids (and adults!) dream of makes TLC a unicorn in the world of wedding venues. For our guests, it truly was a mini getaway. For us, it was a chance to get quality time to connect with and create incredible memories with our loved ones that went beyond the typical wedding experience. But what really really sets TLC apart is the people. If you’re reading this, you probably already know how stressful wedding planning can be. Scott and Meredith do everything in their power to make the whole process as easy and smooth as possible. They were always available to answer questions and hop on calls. In an industry where many places have strict rules for the way things have to be done, their open-minded and “can’t hurt to ask” approach to our ideas made all the difference to us during the planning process. All throughout they maintained a friendly, calm demeanor that made us feel supported and put us at ease. And that’s to say nothing of the rest of the TLC staff during our actual wedding weekend. Every single person we and our guests encountered at TLC was incredible. To be surrounded on our special weekend by their excitement, helpfulness, can-do attitude and kindness was invaluable and only added to an experience that exceeded our expectations in every way. I truly can’t recommend Timber Lake Camp enough!

ins: Before booking with Timber Lake, my fiance and I toured a variety of summer camps, looking for a place that could provide our guests with an entire weekend of fun, as well as affordable lodging and meals. Timber Lake was by far the most beautiful camp out of any we've seen. The grounds are gorgeous--surrounded by mountains, small lakes, and forests. Additionally, the buildings are by far the nicest I've seen at any camp. The cabins are clean, air-conditioned, and in tip-top condition, and there are a variety of private cabins with full size and queen size beds to accommodate older guests. Our younger guests had a blast staying in bunks and getting to re-create memories of camp weekends as kids. Activities: We were able to fit in so many activities during our wedding weekend that people who have seen our wedding photos have asked me how it was possible to do so much. On Friday we had a rehearsal dinner BBQ with a musician, a campfire, and a comedy show in the Playhouse (a TLC theatre-like building). On Saturday we used the high ropes course, zip line, water slide, kayaks, row boats, and pool. Our guests also played golf, tennis, basketball, and went on hikes up the private trails to the mountains surrounding the camp. After our ceremony and reception, we went back to the Playhouse for karaoke, foosball, ping pong, and games. Multiple guests have reached out to me in the following weeks to tell me it was the most fun they've ever had at a wedding. Even the older folks who were skeptical about a camp wedding kept talking about how much fun they had, and how they enjoyed getting so much time to catch up with/meet other people over the course of the weekend. Staff: The staff are wonderful. Reggie, the dining hall manager, and Sheila, the chef, were exceptionally warm and eager to help us with any dietary needs for any guest. Scott, Lisa, and Willow were very attentive, responding to walkie-talkie calls immediately. When it rained for a few minutes before the ceremony, they immediately arranged for towels to be brought in to dry the seats. When the reception ended, they quickly set up the karaoke machine in the Playhouse. They also have a relaxed, can-do attitude and are quite flexible about making your dreams happen. Flexibility: It's hard to think of any other type of wedding venue that can give you the same flexibility as a camp. There are no curfews or noise limitations and you can play music/let the reception run as late you want. They don't have a "preferred vendor" list and you can hire anyone you want. You can also purchase and bring in your own alcohol which can save quite a bit of money. Scott and his team are so flexible that they allowed my fiance and I, as well as our parents, to come in on Thursday to start setting up.

he grounds are amazing. The camp has a pool, lake, game room, movie theater, multiple basketball courts, a baseball fields, and probably 50 other things I’m forgetting. Your guests are guaranteed to have a great time. It’s also beautiful, secluded in the Catskill mountains, so your ceremony, reception, and photos will look great too. Second, the food and lodging are fantastic. Every meal catered by the camp was delicious, camp-y enough to fit the setting but tasty enough to satisfy any picky relative. The bunks and private rooms are very comfortable with AC and their own bathroom. We’re not camp people and most of our guests weren’t either – but everyone was very comfortable. Third, and maybe most importantly, the venue comes with a ton of staff and they are all wonderful and willing to go above and beyond. The staff set up the rooms, facilitated every aspect of the wedding weekend, drove our older guests around in golf carts, and basically tended to our every need. They were a joy to work with and made sure everything went off without a hitch. Seriously, get married here. We are so happy we did.

cal weekend they ever had, and we in turn became friends and went all-in on our camp wedding. We were all set to wed in Fall of 2020, but then COVID hit, we were panicked about what to do, but Meredith of the TLC events team held our hand, listened to our concerns, and even helped to arrange to reschedule our wedding to the Fall of 2021 without any hassle or additional costs.We were so relieved and grateful! So, now on to the lead-up to our wedding weekend! The TLC team was a delight to work with on site tours, Scott was super knowledgeable and laid back, and Reggie won us over with his intimate understanding of the camp paired with his enthusiasm and charm! They were great at keeping our planner in the loop and always had a team approach from start to finish. We are a very laid-back couple, so the TLC approach to planning was the perfect fit for us, as they are not micro-managers they serve up what they offer and then match your needs and energy. When the start of our wedding weekend began, we and our guests were greeted and directed to our cabins with warmth and care. Our welcome events were amazing. The barbeque was flawless with Reggie at the helm! We hosted a Roller Disco at the Timber Dome (TLC's roller-hockey rink). The music system worked well, Scott was such a great help at making this all come to life, and it really was a dream come true. My only note would be to practice walkie-talkie communication with the staff at your venue tours, because it can become a little tricky to acclimate and make multiple welcome events run smoothly (In our case, barbeque, roller disco, and bonfire). Now for the main event, the day went off without a hitch! Reggie and crew were at the helm for breakfast, and all of our guests fell in love with him. The activities for the day involved the waterfront, pool, zip line, and adventure course. The team at each activity station was more than gracious and helpful whilst always keeping safety at the forefront. Special shout-out to the zip-line and adventure course team for really allowing for flexibility for our guests. The ceremony and wedding reception were expertly prepared by the TLC staff and our vendors. All seating was set to our specifications, they really made that day easy for us by ushering and helping guests down the ceremony site and reception sites. The show stopper was definitely the saddleback mountain that served as the backdrop for our wedding and reflected creating a mirror image in the lake! Our ceremony and subsequent reception were absolutely magical, they managed to be a little elevated, a little casual, but all together unforgettable! The majority of our guests had never been to a camp wedding and were completely blown away by the experience and now over a month later I am still getting constant texts from guests saying that they're dreaming of going back to TLC. The weekend was absolutely transformative and it's everything that getting married should be it was a relaxing environment for folks to let their guard down, connect with each other, and celebrate not only the love of the couple getting married but love in general. I would get married there again if I could.

had what we needed for our beautiful wedding AND ensuring that we had three days of the most fun ever. Guests were gushing throughout the event, and couldn’t stop talking about it afterwards! Not only was the weekend the best that my husband and I could’ve ever dreamed of, but it created memories of a lifetime for all of our guests. Many were saying that it was the wedding of the century! Reggie and Sheila cooked delicious food for every meal (note: we had an outside caterer for the reception) and were able to accommodate some special menu requests. The cabins were cozy and welcoming for the guests staying onsite. We had upmost flexibility in transforming the dining hall for our wedding reception, and TLC was super helpful with all the vendors we brought in. The outdoor activities (pool, lake, rock climbing, zip lining, and kickball) helped bring out everyone’s inner kid. It really was the best weekend ever! Thank you Jordan, Reggie and Sheila … and everyone at TLC!

guests *enjoy* their time at our wedding rather than just "attend" our wedding was a major focus for us. Timber Lake Camp (TLC), Jordan, Reggie, and staff made this possible. They were unbelievably accommodating and responsive in planning, and during the wedding weekend. The grounds and facilities allowed for endless entertainment for everyone (see their website for full details on their facilities). In the spirit of a helpful review, here is some advice to future wedding parties. Setting expectations and having strong communication is key! We chose NOT to hire a wedding planner so we were the ones directly communicating with the camp, hiring vendors, creating a schedule, getting the small details down to what we wanted, etc. Determining who was responsible for what was very important in avoiding mishaps during the event(s). Since we are not professional wedding planners, there were things that we missed. Would it have been nice if TLC covered every little thing for us? Yes. Did we expect them to be mind-reader, fortune tellers? No. We are DIY type of people, so the support of Jordan and his staff when we realized we needed something was what made this a 5 start experience for us. We hope one of my friends get married at Timber Lake Camp so that we can go back for another wedding event there!

idea of a non-formal, DIY wedding. My husband and I, on the other hand, could not imagine celebrating any other way, as it was incredibly important for us to celebrate with our friends and family over an extended period of time. Plus, I grew up going to sleep-away camp and loved the idea of staying in the cabins, playing games all day and all night long, and living among nature for the weekend. From the moment we reached out to the camp, Jordan Cooper was professional, responsive, and provided us with enough information that we felt 100% confident moving forward with planning our dream camp wedding. Jordan provided us with information on wonderful vendors for rentals and reception servers, he invited us to visit the camp on every occasion we asked (about 5 times), and he was always quick to reply to our emails and my (sometimes silly) questions. Jordan’s Google Drive planner helped us to organize the weekend timeline, menus, and cabins, and this support was huge in easing my pre-wedding anxiety. When the wedding weekend came, all staff at the camp was extremely accommodating and did not set any restrictions on the types of activities we planned or how we wanted the weekend to run. We had full reign and access to the walk-in fridges in the dining hall at all times, all cabins were clean and ready with towels and linins before our guests arrived, and when I had a little snafu and needed to print out new seating charts Jordan stopped what he was doing and let me use his computer for hours until I fixed the issue. And the weekend was absolutely perfect!! TLC staff was readily accessible to help out our guests, including those who needed a golf cart to get around. They made sure all activity areas were set up for us, they helped coordinate activities and they checked in on us throughout the weekend to make sure everything was running smoothly. My husband and I felt safe, confident in the process, and well-taken care of. And our guests – they still cannot stop raving about the weekend! They felt that the camp grounds and cabins were beautiful and clean, they loved being able to take full advantage of the camp, including the pool and lake, canteen and karaoke room, basketball courts and hiking trails, etc. Our guests loved that we gave them this opportunity to reunite and spend a full weekend with distant family members, and they appreciated the low-key and comfortable vibes of the weekend. My mom, who I mentioned was not keen on the idea of a non-traditional wedding, is still raving about how impressed she was with the food that Reggie, Sheila and their team provided for each meal. In the word of my mom, “No wedding, moving forward, will ever compare to this!” Overall, everything about the weekend – the support and help from Jordan and his team, the food, the activities, the quality of the cabins and beauty and cleanliness of the camp – exceeded our expectations. I was genuinely sad when the weekend and all of the planning (and my way-too-frequent email sending to Jordan) was over. The weekend was better than my husband, family, friends and I ever could have imagined and I would not change a single thing.

, Reggie, Sheila and the rest of the staff at TLC. Scott was basically our wedding planner. we honestly didn't think the wedding would go as smoothly as planned without an official wedding planner. Scott was literally a phone call away during the upcoming months leading to the wedding. we even met with him couple of times to hash out the final details for our wedding. Ive never received such service where his response time was so instantaneous. i couldn't have asked for more. scott and rob also helped facilitate team bride vs team groom games to keep everyone occupied. even the staff security at the front gate was on point. they had an iPad checking off every single guest and who was suppose to be there. apparently there is another timberlake camp venue hours away.(don't forget this one is in Shandaken NY). there was a family who had the wrong address and came to TLC unannounced. i was given a radio to be able to communicate with the staff and immediately Scott and his staff radioed me to confirm if we had known the guests. long story short they came to the wrong wedding. whether it was getting a wine bottle opener, transporting elderly guests,or transporting ice,the service at TLC is second to none. I been to 5 star destination weddings before and i would say the service and hospitality is by far better than any other wedding i been to. my guests till today rave about the service and food at TLC. my grandparents from korea never tried american food like the food at TLC. they loved it! Reggie even made coffee for my family late at night because my catering company that i provided for the reception had forgot. you can't go wrong with the food at TLC. i highly recommend TLC for any wedding.this has been the best time of our lives including our family and friends. thank you for everything!

expected it to be the best weekend and day of our lives. Our expectations had been clearly explained in detail with our "event coordinator". However, they WERE not even close to met. We arrived on Thursday morning only to be greeted by Reggie and Sheila who live on site and manage the day to day operations of the camp. They were incredible, and did everything in their power to help us have a great weekend, we loved them... however.. we're pretty sure they didn't know a wedding was happening that weekend. When we arrived many of the cabins were still dirty from the weekend before. Half of the private cabins (that we'd been promised were going to be fully renovated) were disgusting and filthy.. with graffiti written on the walls, and dirt, grime and empty liquor bottles among them. OUR BRIDAL SUITE had a moldy fridge, and dirty linens wrapped in a ball on the floor, along with the filthy towels from the weekend prior. Our BRIDAL SUITE REMAINED THIS WAY FOR THE DURATION OF THE WEEKEND, EVEN AFTER REPEATEDLY ASKING FOR IT TO BE CLEANED ON THURSDAY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. It's a good thing that the groom had brought sleeping bags with him.. otherwise we would have been sleeping on that dirty mattress. Our Event Coordinator didn't show up until about 8pm that night... alone... We had been promised a team of 6 staff to help us with setup.. Instead, our family ran around in a commercial kitchen cleaning the glassware and silverware. We had to move every single table and chair in the dining room ourselves to set it up. (Thankfully Reggie was able to help us with some of this) Friday, again we ran around to set up the dining room, at some point 2 other staff members showed up, alongside the owner Jay Jacobs. We missed our entire rehearsal bbq because we were busy trying to salvage what was left of the weekend with Jay Jacobs..in HIS lovely home, we met with him to express our discontent, he simply stated " Perhaps your expectations are the problem, and not the service".... meanwhile.. our bridal room remained littered with previous guests filth. Saturday... our makeup and hair artists arrived and were shown to the dance studio where I would be getting ready. The mirrors were filthy... and there was a GIANT broken window on the right side... In the 33 degree weather and hurricane like winds... the room was freezing cold and for FOUR hours we battled the weather.. and asked repeatedly that they cover the window with SOMETHING, ANYTHING, wood, plastic garbage bags, or anything to keep the wind out... The breaker kept blowing every time a hair dryer or space heater was turned on, and each time that happened it delayed us getting ready by an HOUR because of the severely understaffed camp and their inability to react to loss of power with any kind of haste. By the time I was ready to get into my gown, not only was I an HOUR and a HALF LATE for my ceremony, but I was freezing to death, had not taken a single photo with my mother, bridesmaids, or family... (to no fault of the photographer) and was forced to PUT MY GOWN ON IN A HALLWAY! We also froze all weekend since they provided 1 space heater per cabin and if anyone used it the electricity would get kicked off....I have much more I can say about this place.... SAVE YOUR WEDDING, MONEY AND DON'T DO IT HERE!!!!!!!

g, etc.), the food was great, and best of all nobody's cell phones worked so people actually had to talk to each other. We created memories that weekend that we'll be talking about for the rest of our lives. Reggie and the staff on site were so helpful. Definitely will admit that we bumped heads on a few items but that's to be expected with any vendor. My advice would be to be as clear as possible with them about your intentions. I would also ask lots of questions. All around a fantastic experience.

lucky enough to have the perfect weather: hot enough to want to swim and boat in the lake, but not so hot we didn’t want to be outside. We had a three-day-long weekend celebration that included a kickball game, outdoor barbeque, bonfire with s’mores, our own version of “color war,” a nice sit-down dinner, dancing, and Sunday brunch. Our guests enjoyed all these activities as well as just meandering around the beautiful grounds, utilizing the fitness center, morning golf at their 7 hole golf course (and also the best view of the camp), and hanging out in the pool for those a little uncomfortable with lake swimming. I cannot write an adequate review of the camp without mentioning the amazing job that Josh did. We had a LOT of back and forth with him before the event, figuring out what we wanted, how they could meet our needs, and even giving us advice and suggestions for how to run our color war. When we arrived, he worked tirelessly the whole weekend to make sure everything was going as we had planned. The rest of the main staff members were also amazing. They were all so friendly and helpful. They even went out of their way while we were cleaning up at the end of the weekend to get me ice cream, as I had missed our ice cream social that weekend (busy being a bride…don’t do it). Then there’s Reggie and Sheila in the kitchen. They prepared five meals for us and all five were beyond my expectations. I thought classic camp food, maybe a little better than I remembered from growing up, but I was met with excellent camp-y food. The barbeque was fantastic, breakfast had a hot food buffet and a large array of cereal, we had a taco lunch that was absolutely delicious, and a slightly fancier dinner with succulent hot roast beef. And ask for Reggie’s cookies! One of my co-workers is still talking about them nearly 3 months after the wedding! As the bride, I didn’t eat either breakfast or brunch because I was so tired (and had had a tad to drink the night before), but Sheila went out of her way both times after they had cleaned up breakfast to make sure I ate when I was ready. I didn’t even ask, she sought me out. Tips to help you and Josh prepare for your wedding: 1) The more you can have planned before putting together a contract with the camp the better. We had a ton of back and forth mostly because we were figuring out exactly what we wanted, and toward the end it was hard to remember what questions were answered, what the answers were, and what they still needed from us. 2) Have a point person who knows what is going on during the whole event, so he/she can coordinate with Josh, and solve any problems should they arise. He cannot be everywhere at once (although, it really seemed like he was at times). That person should not be you! 3) Get more lifeguards than you think you need. You never know who wants to be in the pool or the lake and when, so the best option is to have enough lifeguards to keep both covered the whole day(s). If my husband and I were to do the whole thing over again, we would definitely go back to Timber Lake Camp!