Erica Techaratanaprasert is a writer and digital marketer living in New York. When she’s not exploring new places with her husband, Sutee, she’s usually reading blogs or feeding her Pinterest addiction.
Sutee and I love a good adventure. During the seven years we’ve been together, some of our best times have been on trips that have taken us within inches of Grizzly bears, hiking alongside mountain goats, sleeping in tree houses, and camping on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Fittingly, Sutee proposed while we were on an eight-hour kayaking excursion to the Columbia Glacier in Prince William Sound. In that moment, we knew our wedding would be inspired by the outdoors.
The most important aspect of the wedding for us was the venue. We wanted to be married in a place that was convenient for our relatives and friends in New York, but remote enough for the nature-inspired wedding we had in mind. It was pouring rain when we first visited the Inn at West Settlement, but even in bad weather the barn overlooking the pond seemed magical. The Inn was everything we wanted in a venue – simple, surrounded by a beautiful landscape, and a blank canvas for our own personal touches.

From the start, we knew we wanted the wedding to completely reflect us as a couple, which meant personalizing even the smallest details. From the escort cards to the favors to the table décor, we hoped each aspect of the day would tell our guests a part of our story. We relied on Etsy for so many elements of the wedding because we were looking for items that were both unique and customizable.

We worked with Jennifer of Paper Sushi to create a stamp that said “Where we love is home,” with an illustration of a camping tent. We stamped the image on small wood slices from Church House Woodworks to place at each table setting. Instead of table numbers, we asked Niki of Paper Tangent to hand paint the names of some of our favorite destinations on wooden signs. We decorated the tables with woodland animal place cards from Bluefin Works and wildflower-filled mason jars decorated with paper leaves from J Doore Creations.

When our wedding day finally came, we gathered with friends and family for an outdoor ceremony against a breathtaking backdrop of autumn foliage. Sutee and his groomsmen wore wooden cufflinks from Cabin with their grey suits. My maid of honor and Sutee’s best man carried our wedding bands down the aisle in a wooden kayak, and my nephew (wearing a bow tie from Clip a Bow Tie) toted a sign that said “Here Comes the Bride” from Reasons2Remember. After the ceremony, our guests played lawn games, made their own trail mix, and took photos in the photo booth with masks from Mahalo.

At the reception, we asked everyone to sign a large map we got from I Screen You Screen in lieu of a guestbook, and we set out compasses to serve as escort cards. A banner from Splendid Events decorated the barn; having our closest friends and family together there during the cool fall evening was amazing. Once everyone had their fill of a rustic, family-style meal, we let sparklers guide our way down to the pond and released wish lanterns into the clear night sky.

Looking back, planning a DIY wedding reminded me a lot of kayaking with Sutee on the day we got engaged – it required partnership, coordination, and a shared goal. I can’t help but draw parallels with that trip and our future lives together as well – just as we worked as a team to maneuver our way through the icy waters surrounded by such natural beauty, we now navigate life together in pursuit of all the wonder and joy it has to offer.
All photographs by Forged in the North.
1 Featured Comment
Karin Marlett Choi from intertwingle said 6 years ago Featured
Nice story, beautiful wedding and lovely pictures. My husband and I stated our relationship on a canoe trip. We always say that everyone who plans on getting married should go canoeing together for the very same reason you listed, "it require partnership, coordination, and a shared goal" we add communication and trust. It's a good bellwether for the future relationship dynamic.
149 comments
Renata and Jonathan from RenataandJonathan said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding. Congrats :)
SimpleTraditions from SimpleTraditions said 6 years ago
So beautiful and perfect!! And you look gorgeous in that dress!
Matejka Max from NattyMatty said 6 years ago
Gorgeous! All the best!!!
Debbie from SnowBunniesInk said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding. Your love story creates the perfect fairy tale!
Megan from MegansMenagerie said 6 years ago
Such a beautiful wedding! Congratulations!
Leda Design from LedaDesign said 6 years ago
How beautiful wedding! Congratulations!
Stone Maidens from StoneMaidens said 6 years ago
Stunning !!! xo
Lala Jewelry from Laladesignstudio said 6 years ago
What a beautiful and rustic wedding! It truly speaks to your love of the outdoors. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness, love and wilderness adventures!
Ileana -Shamou Art from ShamouArtFimo said 6 years ago
Congratulations! So beautiful wedding :)
Caroline Barbosa from OldSoulVintageLtd said 6 years ago
Love this rustic/outdoor/mountains in the background wedding and theme! Simply beautiful, congrats!
Alaskalisky from AlaskaGoldRush said 6 years ago
Absolutely Beautiful! Congratulations!
Debbie Roberson-Brown from TheBrassHussy said 6 years ago
What a lovely wedding!
Aga from AgasJourney said 6 years ago
Beautiful! Huge congrats and best wishes to you both!
Gabriella Békési-Marton from bmgabrielle said 6 years ago
I wish you all the best to you both for the whole lifetime! That's a great wedding, lovely, rustic, full of love to nature and joy of life. Exciting, inspiring, enthusiastic! Thank you so much for sharing the Great Day with us! Congratulations! Gabriella
Kevin Dyer from Castpaper said 6 years ago
lovely!
Deanna from EmeraldCut said 6 years ago
Such a beautiful wedding! Love all the tiny rustic and intimate details, as well as your adventurous love story. Congratulations on your marriage!
Janine from AlteredEco2 said 6 years ago
Truly unique and beautiful, clever using the kayak for an ice bucket! Love seeing true nature inspired wedding! Love the compass favors!! Congrats to you both and many years of happiness to come!
Cristy Ramos from ArtisanBathandBody said 6 years ago
Beautiful Wedding! Congratulations! ♥
Thom Aten from Circa810 said 6 years ago
Looks like you had a very stunning and heartfelt event. Best of luck in a happy long marriage!
ApronStringVintage from ApronStringVintage said 6 years ago
Brilliantly Beautiful Romance
Paper Picker from PaperPicker said 6 years ago
Beautiful! Outdoor weddings are so romantic.
KatsKube from JamellaDaisy said 6 years ago
This is my favorite blog! I check it all the time to see the weddings and all the decor. Good Luck. Very beautiful!
mazedasastoat from mazedasastoat said 6 years ago
I was with you right up until you let lanterns off. These are potentially deadly to grazing animals, both wild & domestic, as well as being a grave fire risk. Both the "eco-friendly" types, with frames made from bamboo, & the regular wire-framed ones can cause horrific injuries to animals if ingested, quite apart from the amount of littering they cause if released to drift over wilderness. Autumn is the worst time for fires too, with the undergrowth at it's driest. Please don't send lit fires surrounded by sharp frames into the sky to drift out of your sight. It may seem romantic at the time, but condemning some animal to a painful death, or burning down somebody's home or business, doesn't add any good luck to your relationship.
Lindsay from SideStreetDesigns said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding, and such a nice story :) Best of luck to you both - the happy couple :) It's amazing when all the details come together...
Olivia and Abby from TinyForestPrints said 6 years ago
Wow such a gorgeous wedding!! Fall wedding are the best!:)
Fallsvale Crochet from FallsvaleCrochet said 6 years ago
Such a special and one of a kind wedding! congratulations on the beautiful day!!!
Adrienne Odom from aos9popup said 6 years ago
I love the compass escort card holders and the beautiful setting! Best of Luck!
Amy from needleandfelt said 6 years ago
Of course I noticed things like pecan pie + beer in a Kayak. So quaint and clever.
Amanda Fortier from MandaleighDesigns said 6 years ago
Amazing wedding! Everything was naturally beautiful... Congratulations!
Rhonda Griffin from Showbelles said 6 years ago
Soooo beautiful!!!. Best Wishes!!!!
Bernadette Rothlisberger from BLCouture said 6 years ago
Beautiful. Congratualtions. Wander On!
Xiu Li from Bridalize said 6 years ago
Lovely. Congrats.
Aristocrafts from Aristocrafts said 6 years ago
What a beautiful wedding! The outdoor ceremony was absolutely breathtaking! Congratulations to you both!
Kimberlee from GracefullyGirly said 6 years ago
What a fabulous rustic wedding! I love all the outdoorsy touches like the kayak ice chest and compass seating cards. All the best to you!!!
Deb Vasbinder from BabyCuteBaby said 6 years ago
Loved reading your story ! You're making for some great memories. Congrats to you both!
Arianna Featherstone from HerbNLiving said 6 years ago
Oh my goodness, such a beautiful story of love and adventure!! and such inspiring wedding decorations. Thank you for sharing
Aisa McGann from sunsouljewelry said 6 years ago
beautiful!
Dorothy from JewelrybyDorothy said 6 years ago
Just beautiful!
Celine from Trijoux said 6 years ago
Très beau!!! Bonne Chance!!! Céline xxx
Jennifer Serene from ViennaIsLove said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding and bride!
Pepitas House from PepitasStudio said 6 years ago
Congratulations
Katie from KateeMarie said 6 years ago
gorgeous wedding! :)
Marie Mertilus from HeiressVintage said 6 years ago
Congrats. I love the pictures.
Wood Iphone Cases from WoodiPhoneCases said 6 years ago
Great wedding, great photos, even better smiles. Were the compasses real, they look awesome.
Natalia from Nikifashion said 6 years ago
Lovely :O)
Jafeth Moiane from handicraftafrica said 6 years ago
So beautiful!
Erika from BixbyBasil said 6 years ago
Such a pretty wedding! Congrats!
Claire Reed from InOurStar said 6 years ago
nice wedding,amazing ,customizable!!!
Dara K. from DaraDecor said 6 years ago
Lovely! Congrats!
Veronica B. from VeryAndVery said 6 years ago
Pretty wedding!
Libivee from Libivee said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding! Congratulation!
Bangkokpants Pants from bangkokpants said 6 years ago
Romantic
Sirikuwan Thipkum from tantawanlights said 6 years ago
So beautiful and Nice !!
VintageFlutterbies from VintageFlutterbies said 6 years ago
Such a wonderful attention to detail!
Jess Masters from RefinedRock said 6 years ago
So beautiful!
Katie Porterfield from flowersnstars said 6 years ago
absolutely beautiful!!
Keats W. from keatskrafts said 6 years ago
Absolutely beautiful! Love everything about this and hope we can have as many adventures as you two one day!
Kelly Ann Taylor from CassiaAromatics said 6 years ago
So in awe of your wedding! Thank you for sharing it with all of us!!! <3 Congratulations!
Seçil Altun from URARTDESIGN said 6 years ago
very fantastic.
Ania from BabyAnita said 6 years ago
beautiful !!
thedelhistore from theDelhiStore said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding! Congratulations to both of you!
Victoria from VictoriaCampAllison said 6 years ago
So lovely! (Especially love the changing leaves in the background - perfect scenery!)
napkitten from napkitten said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding.
Valerie from Cabin said 6 years ago
Congrats to you both! And thanks so much for the mention!... happy to see the cufflinks and cake topper in such a beautiful ceremony! :)
Nadia Morgan from Felt4Soul said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding. Congratulations!
Laura Harris from silkandclay said 6 years ago
I love the compasses and drinks in the kayak! Really great touches!
Daisy xuchun from Sexy8baby said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding!
L. Matheney from LemonSweetJewelry said 6 years ago
Gorgeous wedding and Congrats! :)
Heide Kaan from PalePearlBridal said 6 years ago
such a beautiful wedding, Congratulations!!!
Lana Manis from HoneysuckleLane said 6 years ago
Absolutely beautiful! Congratulations!
ecoglowyogini said 6 years ago
Talkeetna!! That is where I live :). Congrats!! I am getting married in December and you gave me a few nifty ideas. Much love!!
Caitlyn Stout from StoutTent said 6 years ago
Beautiful!!
Karin Marlett Choi from intertwingle said 6 years ago Featured
Nice story, beautiful wedding and lovely pictures. My husband and I stated our relationship on a canoe trip. We always say that everyone who plans on getting married should go canoeing together for the very same reason you listed, "it require partnership, coordination, and a shared goal" we add communication and trust. It's a good bellwether for the future relationship dynamic.
Asma from PearlAmourJewels said 6 years ago
lovely!
Jennifer Presler from IlluminativeHarvest said 6 years ago
Beautiful touches!
Digital PaperStore from DigitalPaperStore said 6 years ago
What an amazing story! Thanks for sharing! I loved the way you used so many custom Etsy elements to come up with such a lovely, personalized wedding. I couldn't have pictured it all coming together before this!
Sarah Wood from FashionStreets said 6 years ago
Gorgeous wedding gown! Love the romantic design. An amazing love story. Best wishes to all of you!
D. Buesken from DuniStudioDesign said 6 years ago
Congratulations! Beautiful wedding; love the attention to detail! Thank you for sharing :)
WyomingCreative from WyomingCreative said 6 years ago
Ahhh, I love the beer in the kayaks!
ArleenDesign from ArleenDesign said 6 years ago
Love the decor! Lovely wedding... All the best!!!!
Terry from Parachute425 said 6 years ago
Beautiful! Congrats and thanks for sharing.
GoddessOfJewelry from GoddessOfJewelry said 6 years ago
Congrats! Your wedding was beautiful! I hope you will cherish the memories forever!
Beverly J from teatimeandroses said 6 years ago
Absolutely Beautiful!
Michaela from MiniaturePeaces said 6 years ago
Congratulations !! Gorgeous wedding ! Best wishes of love , health and happiness always to you two !
Nikki Hills from NikkiHillsDesign said 6 years ago
Your wedding looked amazing. I love all of the attention to detail and that it was a day focused on what is important to you. Congratulations to both of you.
Rebeca from SecretDiamonds said 6 years ago
Congratulations to both of you!!
Sara from UrbanFarmhouseTampa said 6 years ago
What a beautiful rustic farmhouse style wedding!
Nicole from KarmaCodeOne said 6 years ago
Naturally classy ~ everyone looks like they are having a great tim. Cheers to happy adventurous journey's together
Adriana G. from karavakishopcrafts said 6 years ago
Wonderful wedding!!
Dori from dorijewellery said 6 years ago
Beautiful and classy, it looks like it was a wonderful day! Best wishes for the future.
Maria from sweetrevengesoapery said 6 years ago
Simply Stunning! What a pleasure it was to read about your story and all the beautiful details of your wedding. Happy Trails to you both!
Natalia Snemis from expressyourself said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding !
Antuanette from MatchaNest said 6 years ago
probably one of my favorite etsy wedding blogs!
WEN from WenPearls said 6 years ago
Beautiful and romantic wedding!
Tracy from happygotype said 6 years ago
so so lovely, congrats to you both!
Michelle E. Black from MichelleEBlack said 6 years ago
Gorgeous details, awesome photography, however I have to agree with mazedasastoat about the fire lanterns. Having been so close to a wild fire ourselves, it is that kind of short sighted carelessness that can devastate communities and wildlife as well.
D'Marie Trevino from DMarieTrevinoDesign said 6 years ago
Picture Perfect ! you both look happy and relaxes-that is what your special day should be all about.
D'Marie Trevino from DMarieTrevinoDesign said 6 years ago
Sorry typo-Said-Happy and relaxed.
Orli Golan from OrliGolan said 6 years ago
Congratulations!!!Beautiful wedding...******
Gina from TheHeadbandAtelier said 6 years ago
Congrats great job. Best wishes to you both. Gorgeous wedding
Rick Lee from QiQiDresses said 6 years ago
Romantic wedding,Congratulations!
Erica Olmos from BEEBSCLOSET said 6 years ago
U very romantic everything is beautiful , best wishes may you have a Godly life together and many many children to come in a wonderful life together, until you are old and grey and can love each other ,respect each other and always listen to each other . Love is great you must respected it and do not take it for granted. God bless you
February Fox from TheFebruaryFox said 6 years ago
Congrats! the photo's are gorgeous! wanderlust indeed :) best wishes!
Nancy from HerMajestysPug said 6 years ago
J'adore!!! I love the wanderlust theme!!! Congratulations!!! Pugs & kisses
Katie Harp from halfpintinkstudio said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding! Congratulations!
Irene from Erinbonnie said 6 years ago
what a beautiful and unique wedding! congrats!!
Lois Demers from UniqueRabbitDesigns said 6 years ago
Love the personalized wedding, we got so tired of the 'cookie cutter' weddings of the '80's and '90's (please don't get offended if you married in that era, not everyone's was the same!). Your wedding day should reflect you as a couple, not what everyone else is doing! Congratulations on a beautiful wedding!
iammie from iammie said 6 years ago
Beautiful! Congrats!
HappyThreads1 from HappyThreads1 said 6 years ago
Beautiful... Congratulations!!
Michelle from twobloomsds said 6 years ago
What an emotional and beautiful story. Congratulations on such a special day. I almost felt like I was there, it sounds incredible.
Jenna Keller from LoveJennaK said 6 years ago
Wow, this is beautiful! All these natural elements are so striking.
patrick braine from 111hudson said 6 years ago
very beautiful and perfect!
Tammy Kowalczyk from FancieStrands said 6 years ago
Fantastic! I love the kayak ice cooler - very clever,
Zoui from XZOUIX said 6 years ago
amazing story, wish you guys all the best :)
Luisa Lavado from PavioseParafina said 6 years ago
Beautiful and magical! Congratulations to both :)
Brian and Tracy McKearney from SnowDogQuiltWoodwork said 6 years ago
Just Lovely!
Tina Jensen from BlumeAndJensen said 6 years ago
Very beautiful and personal. A Native American I know uses the canoe as a symbol of a relationship. To navigate it you have to communicate, trust and keep the balance. That a canoe is useful as an ice cooler just makes it better. Enjoy life together.
Sandra Kircher from LiLinspirations said 6 years ago
Very sweet.
OliverINK Publishing from Oliverink said 6 years ago
What a great setting. Beautiful!
Bren from PsychicBren said 6 years ago
I absolutely adored this entire wedding through the Pictures you have shared. I truly love the Brides Dress.
Evelyn and Lucy from artsyEVE said 6 years ago
Lovely! Congratulations to a very sweet couple!
Melissa Barton from SayYouDo said 6 years ago
Wow, so gorgeous of a wedding. I love this very rustic and remote look. It just feels so warm. It's also beautiful to see an ethnic couple working with the theme and featured. Excellent job!
Avianti Jewelry from AviantiJewelry said 6 years ago
Such a beautiful couple .Congrats on the beautiful wedding and the best wishes!
JWhiteCrochet McDowell from JWhiteCrochet said 6 years ago
So pretty
Katrina Dzerkale from Dominna said 6 years ago
I love save the date
YZfashionbridal Inc from YZFashionBridal said 6 years ago
LOVE this collection!!!
Stephanie from PristineCustomRings said 6 years ago
Thank you for sharing your Beautiful and Inspiring Story! Great photos and wedding ideas :))
Kerime Sevilen Mustafaoglu from ASHYL said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding, congrats!!
FrenchPaperMoon Gelman from FrenchPaperMoon said 6 years ago
Inspirational and gorgeous.
Mandy Spivey from TastefullyMismatched said 6 years ago
So beautiful!
Valentina . from Exclusive72 said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding.
Holly OConnor from HollyODesigns said 6 years ago
Stunning wedding and photos!! I love the kayak as an ice chest!!
Cedar Creek Patch Shop from CedarCreekPatchShop said 6 years ago
Very Pretty!!
XXVIjewelry from XXVIjewels said 6 years ago
Search for some bridesmaids jewelry? https://www.etsy.com/shop/XXVIjewels
J Thompson from ForgetMeNotandCo said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding! https://www.etsy.com/shop/ForgetMeNotandCo
Amber from BambuEarth said 6 years ago
Love this theme, especially the little compasses!
Kim McKellips from Dressmesewchic said 6 years ago
Love this wedding theme
Niki Weinberg from papertangent said 6 years ago
Oh wow!!! I just realized your wedding was featured Erica!! Absolutely stunning bride and stunning wedding. It was a pleasure hand painting your table numbers and I wish you and Sutee the very best! - Niki
Sugar Bakers Bakery from SugarBakersBakery said 6 years ago
Beautiful wedding and I love the story. Congratulations!
HappyEverAfter from FairyParadise said 6 years ago
So sweet!! Beautiful wedding.
a2zWeddingCards said 6 years ago
What a beautiful wedding. Congratulations!!
Nona Pidcoe from pidfam said 6 years ago
You make a beautiful bride and handsome groom. I love the map idea!! Congrats!!!
Mirela Lace Wedding from Laremi said 6 years ago
So unique! Congratulations!
UNEMPLOYED Custom Orders Wanted USA Made Superhero Cufflinks Wedding Jewelry from boloties said 6 years ago
Beautiful pictures! Congradulations!
D. McCall from MDesignGallery said 5 years ago
Nice story. Congratulations!
Barb Bronstein from BBesigns said 5 years ago
What a wonderful and unique wedding
Griffin Montgomery from GriffinJoyPhoto said 4 years ago
So beautiful! What amazing captures!
Sukran Kirtis from SukranKirtisJewelry said 4 years ago
such a sweet couple, love all the photos..Congrats:)
Krzysztof Orłowski said 105 days ago
Wonderful wedding! Great Colours!