Move over dream date! The next big game, more appropriately aged involves planning your dream wedding. In this edition: romance on the shore.

Remember sleepovers with your favorite games? We can almost guarantee that Dream Date was one of them. Or do you ever remember playing the game MASH, where you tried to guess what version of your perfect life you would lead? Well, it’s time to play a new game! For brides to be or all wedding enthusiasts, we’re starting a new series where we imagine all the elements of a dream wedding. In this edition we want to imagine a lakeside extravaganza. We’re talking warm summer nights, fireflies and twinkly lights reflecting off still water!

A lakeside wedding has all the romance of the ocean but it can be more low-key, differently beautiful and is great for a bride with a penchant for the outdoors. Lakes are conducive to foliage dense environments, unlike a bare sandy beach. A lake might have picturesque willow trees which can create a natural altar or have lush grass for a barefoot ceremony. The water is an entirely independent element that you can choose to work with or work around. Because lakes don’t have large tides the water is not as intrusive or as elementary as it would be at an oceanfront event. We love the idea of canoe rides or watersports but if that’s too much of a hassle lakes just provide incredible backgrounds and views–especially if there are mountains involved! A lakeside wedding need not be outdoors either, frozen lakes are breathtaking in their own special way and we’ve even see a few floating venues (or on little islands, you decide).

What we love about this dream wedding is the flexibility. Day or night, summer or fall, a lakeside wedding is just so accommodating. Lakes are usually also more easily accessible but still in remote locations so it feels like a getaway without the trouble.

Image source: iStockphoto (view image)