One company is taking “glamping” to a new level
San Francisco-based Shelter Co. is on a mission to help brides and grooms-to-be bend the traditional wedding rules—and they’re taking it to the great outdoors to make it happen. Founder Kelsey Sheofsky created the pop-up camping sites for people wanting to connect with nature, but without sacrificing a luxe experience.
“We like to take into account what nature has already provided for us and then accentuate and work with those elements,” says Sheofsky. “We’re never in a position where we need to cover up an ugly light fixture or horrible patterned carpet; we’re already starting with a gorgeous setting that’s different every time. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Sheofsky has made a career of planning and executing weddings and events even before launching Shelter Co. “Over the past six years, I’ve planned countless weddings that took a year to plan, a large amount of money to produce, and were over in the blink of an eye. So much money is spent making sure all the important people are able to attend, but then they may not even interact with one another once they are there,” she says. “By hosting everyone on a property for a full weekend, it creates a true sense of community, fostering new relationships that go beyond the pleasantries of normal wedding interaction. This was really the inspiration for launching our company in the first place.”
Fully furnished European-style canvas tents resembling luxury hotel rooms are equipped with a wood bedframe and real mattress, 400 thread count bedding, down comforter and pillows, and lounge seating. Activity and lounge tents equipped with vignette seating, bar setups, beauty stations, children’s furnishing and games, and a stocked library are available to help make each guest’s stay more unique and comfortable. And for brides and grooms looking to pack in a bit more luxury, options to customize your wedding weekend with a la carte services ranging from dog tents to yoga retreats to an outdoor movie theater and full catering services are readily available. “This is camping, evolved, but not without losing sight of what’s truly important,” says Sheofsky. “We want clients and event producers to come to us with ideas and locations on where they’d like to set up their Shelter Co. experience. Shelter Co. is not meant to be a static experience in fixed locations only—we’ll go where the wind, and the celebration, takes us.”