Two-time Survivor contestant Erik Reichenbach is married!

Surrounded by more than 100 family and friends, Reichenbach and girlfriend Dana Ruff exchanged vows in a traditional afternoon ceremony on the shores of Lake Michigan on Thursday.

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Ruff, a 23-year-old medical transcriptionist, wore an ivory, organza lace and satin sweetheart trumpet gown made by Melissa Sweet. Her bouquet was a cascade of orchids and calla lilies. Reichenbach wore a light gray, slim suit vest with matching dress pants made by Egara.

The reception was held inside Camp Blodgett in West Olive, Michigan. Guests dined on appetizers of guacamole, brie cheese with fruit chutney, and fresh fruit. Dinner consisted of salad, pasta and chicken, served on tables lined with burlap runners and seashells. The bar served Patrén margaritas.

“Instead of a traditional guest book, we chose to place a blank canvas out with paint for our guests to create a painting which now hangs in our living room,” Reichenbach, 28, tells PEOPLE. “We had a warm, sunny day, with light rain, clearing up right before the start of the ceremony. It was a perfect day.”

The three-layer buttercream-frosted cake was made by Reichenbach’s cousin, Lindsey Bryant. Each layer was a different flavor: chocolate, vanilla and marble.

The couple had their first dance to John Legend’s “Stay with You.” As the sun set, Reichenbach says, the setting was picturesque. “Italian bistro lights covered the deck overlooking Lake Michigan,” he says. “Once the sun set, we had sparklers for our guests.”

Reichenbach, a freelance artist and illustrator, appeared on Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites in 2008 and on Survivor: Caramoan in 2013. He finished both seasons in fifth place. (He was medically evacuated in Caramoan.) After competing on the show, he began illustrating PEOPLE’s Survivor blog.

Reichenbach tells PEOPLE that his wedding day was one of the best days of his life. “My family had so much fun and everyone was laughing the whole time,” he says. “Between the guestbook painting, sparklers, and delicious margaritas, we all had a fantastic time with an incredible beach sunset in the background. Dana and I were so happy with how everything turned out and couldn’t be happier.”

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