The Homestead
Updated
The Homestead Photos
The Homestead Videos
About This Vendor
About This Vendor
More than you ever dreamed
The Homestead, a sprawling resort in Glen Arbor, MI, is the ideal wedding venue for couples who love the great outdoors. Set amongst luscious greenery with a view of Lake Michigan, the resort can cater to various budgets and preferences. The Homestead's world-class service is sure to live up to every expectation on your big day. Owing to the location, The Homestead can offer couples a variety of choices when it comes to lodging. Depending on your preferred accommodation, your party can stay in a warm lodge, a historic inn, a quaint village, or one of the privately owned villas. The team will walk you through all options to help you reserve a room block. For the main event, you could start with a cocktail party on the beach or a trip up Bay Mountain on the chair lift for some spectacular views. A spa day or a few rounds of golf will help your loved ones relax before a rehearsal dinner at any of the delicious restaurants on site. After the wedding celebrations at one of the various ceremony and reception locations, couples can opt for a farewell brunch for the perfect send-off. From civil unions to vow renewals, ceremonies of all types are welcome at The Homestead. The resort has a guest capacity of 160 people and is wheelchair accessible, so everyone you love can be there to witness your special day. The catering team has plenty of experience creating menus to match the atmosphere of each wedding, be it rustic or elaborate, we have you covered. The bar has a wide selection of alcoholic beverages on offer but will be pleased to add any special orders for you. Event coordinators are also on hand to streamline the planning process and execute your vision. Whether you plan on a winter wonderland or a summer bash, The Homestead would be honored to host your wedding.
Amenities & Details
Ceremony Area, Handicap Accessible, Indoor Event Space, Liability Insurance, On-Site Accommodations, Outdoor Event Space, Reception Area, Wireless Internet
Guest CapacityUp to 200
Ceremony TypesCivil Union, Elopement, Non-Religious Ceremony, Religious Ceremony, Second Wedding, Vow Renewal Ceremony
Venue Service OfferingsBar & Drinks, Destination Weddings, Destination Wedding Planning, Food & Catering, Planning, Service Staff, Transportation, Shuttle Service
SettingsBallroom, Beach, Waterfront, Hotel, Mountain, Restaurant, Trees
Business AttributesPricing for The Homestead
| Option | Value |
|---|---|
| Starting Cost | Moderate |
| Cost Starting | |
| Price Range | $15,600 - $23,350+ |
| Couples Usually Spend | $19,500 |
| Peak Season Months | June-September |
| Peak Season Cost | $15,600 - $23,350+ |
| Peak Season Reception Cost | $200 |
| Peak Season Ceremony Cost | $1,000 |
| Peak Season Bar Service Cost | |
| OffSeason Months | January-April, November-December |
| OffSeason Cost | $15,600 - $23,350+ |
| OffSeason Reception Cost | $500 |
| OffSeason Ceremony Cost | |
| OffSeason BarService Cost |
The Homestead Reviews
Catherine DiSalle (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 30-07-2022
My husband and I did our whole wedding weekend at The Homestead and it was the best decision we could’ve made!! The resort in general is GORGEOUS, and we got married at Bay Mountain which overlooks Lake Michigan. Our guests loved taking the chair lift up to the ceremony. It was the most perfect spot to get married! The reception hall was perfect for our 140 guests. I also cannot say enough about how amazing the whole staff was!!! They did all our set up and were so organized. They were also all so so so friendly. My husband and I and our guests just had the best weekend ever and I’m so glad we picked the Homestead for our destination wedding.
Reviewed on 07-08-2022
Wedding Date 30-07-2022
My husband and I did our whole wedding weekend at The Homestead and it was the best decision we could’ve made!! The resort in general is GORGEOUS, and we got married at Bay Mountain which overlooks Lake Michigan. Our guests loved taking the chair lift up to the ceremony. It was the most perfect spot to get married! The reception hall was perfect for our 140 guests. I also cannot say enough about how amazing the whole staff was!!! They did all our set up and were so organized. They were also all so so so friendly. My husband and I and our guests just had the best weekend ever and I’m so glad we picked the Homestead for our destination wedding.
Reviewed on 07-08-2022
Anna Piotrowski (other) 5 out of 5 Rating
We had our wedding at The Homestead on 10/6/23 and it was absolutely gorgeous! After touring 4 other venues in December 2022, it was hard to top the view of the bay mountain ceremony site and the quaint feel of the whole campus! You really get it all - the beach, mountains, hiking trails, and an adorable village with restaurants and shops. Sandy did a great job as our day of coordinator and was attentive to detail and generally very great at responding to my questions in a reasonable amount of time. There was a period of time in the super busy season (August-September) where I waited a few weeks for email responses, but I was able to call the event sales phone number and Megan answered all of my questions on the spot. The ski lift was a fun and unique touch for our guests to ride up for the ceremony as well!The service was great at the rehearsal dinner, the after party at Whiskers, and the wedding reception. The servers and bartenders were friendly and professional and dinner came out right on time. Some of the chicken dishes were slightly undercooked, but we were able to send it back quickly and get replacements. The food was great! There were a few frustrating things we encountered, such as the discontinuation of the campus shuttle (without notice) and the 5pm check in time for the rooms. The shuttle would have been really convenient, since most of the larger properties are too far to walk to from the reception space, and we didn’t want people to have to drive home.The check in time made logistics extremely difficult since 99% of our guests were traveling from out of town. The rehearsals cannot be scheduled later than 4:30pm, which means anyone in the rehearsal/wedding cannot check into their room or change before the rehearsal after traveling that day. We requested an early check-in for a few rooms but they were adamant about not being able to guarantee that. We got lucky in being able to get into the main rooms early (before the rehearsal), but it was stressful not being able to rely on that. I’ve never heard of a 5pm check in time for any hotel or property before. It feels like a convenient way to get people to book another night. Billing was confusing in regards to the rooms. We had booked the rooms and put the deposits down with my card but my husband checked in so they needed his card to charge the balance. This caused a lot of confusion for what money was going where, as there wasn’t a clear balance sheet with property names on it. They also forgot to include our complimentary wedding night, but eventually adjusted it to reflect our free night. There was also no option for a cash bar, which would have been nice for the rehearsal dinner. In terms of the properties, the Little Belle suite was lovely and had a great jacuzzi! It was a very comfortable space for the 2 of us. Before that, I stayed in hawks nest 1 (I had booked hawks nest 33 but was told the renovations were not done 24 hours before we were to check in), and besides one of the toilets not working, it was a great space. We used it for getting hair and makeup done the day of the wedding as well. I do wish The Homestead had larger properties close to the main village area, which would have been ideal for my scenario. The only properties large enough were on the edges of the campus. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and everything went very smoothly the day of the wedding, and we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful setting!
Reviewed on 15-11-2023
We had our wedding at The Homestead on 10/6/23 and it was absolutely gorgeous! After touring 4 other venues in December 2022, it was hard to top the view of the bay mountain ceremony site and the quaint feel of the whole campus! You really get it all - the beach, mountains, hiking trails, and an adorable village with restaurants and shops. Sandy did a great job as our day of coordinator and was attentive to detail and generally very great at responding to my questions in a reasonable amount of time. There was a period of time in the super busy season (August-September) where I waited a few weeks for email responses, but I was able to call the event sales phone number and Megan answered all of my questions on the spot. The ski lift was a fun and unique touch for our guests to ride up for the ceremony as well!The service was great at the rehearsal dinner, the after party at Whiskers, and the wedding reception. The servers and bartenders were friendly and professional and dinner came out right on time. Some of the chicken dishes were slightly undercooked, but we were able to send it back quickly and get replacements. The food was great! There were a few frustrating things we encountered, such as the discontinuation of the campus shuttle (without notice) and the 5pm check in time for the rooms. The shuttle would have been really convenient, since most of the larger properties are too far to walk to from the reception space, and we didn’t want people to have to drive home.The check in time made logistics extremely difficult since 99% of our guests were traveling from out of town. The rehearsals cannot be scheduled later than 4:30pm, which means anyone in the rehearsal/wedding cannot check into their room or change before the rehearsal after traveling that day. We requested an early check-in for a few rooms but they were adamant about not being able to guarantee that. We got lucky in being able to get into the main rooms early (before the rehearsal), but it was stressful not being able to rely on that. I’ve never heard of a 5pm check in time for any hotel or property before. It feels like a convenient way to get people to book another night. Billing was confusing in regards to the rooms. We had booked the rooms and put the deposits down with my card but my husband checked in so they needed his card to charge the balance. This caused a lot of confusion for what money was going where, as there wasn’t a clear balance sheet with property names on it. They also forgot to include our complimentary wedding night, but eventually adjusted it to reflect our free night. There was also no option for a cash bar, which would have been nice for the rehearsal dinner. In terms of the properties, the Little Belle suite was lovely and had a great jacuzzi! It was a very comfortable space for the 2 of us. Before that, I stayed in hawks nest 1 (I had booked hawks nest 33 but was told the renovations were not done 24 hours before we were to check in), and besides one of the toilets not working, it was a great space. We used it for getting hair and makeup done the day of the wedding as well. I do wish The Homestead had larger properties close to the main village area, which would have been ideal for my scenario. The only properties large enough were on the edges of the campus. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and everything went very smoothly the day of the wedding, and we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful setting!
Reviewed on 15-11-2023
Jennifer Davey (other) 5 out of 5 Rating
“The best wedding I have ever been to” This is the comment we heard by multiple people. We couldn’t be happier we chose The Homestead Resort for our wedding venue! It is breath taking and a one of a kind treasure. Sandy made the day so special for us and was there for everything we needed. She is amazing at what she does! You will not regret having your wedding here❤️❤️
Reviewed on 14-09-2023
“The best wedding I have ever been to” This is the comment we heard by multiple people. We couldn’t be happier we chose The Homestead Resort for our wedding venue! It is breath taking and a one of a kind treasure. Sandy made the day so special for us and was there for everything we needed. She is amazing at what she does! You will not regret having your wedding here❤️❤️
Reviewed on 14-09-2023
Katlyn Martin (other) 5 out of 5 Rating
Where to start!? Sandy and Lexi were absolutely incredible. It gave us so much peace of mind to have a beautiful venue that was a one-stop-shop: we didn't have to arrange for booze, food, linens, tables, chairs, accommodations, etc. from separate vendors... instead, The Homestead had it all. Sandy is very organized, responsive, kind, creative, reliable, and authentic - she will give her opinion if you ask for it and you can count on her 100%! And Lexi, the summer intern, would be an amazing permanent addition to The Homestead team! All in all, I can't stress enough how much Sandy did for us, how much we appreciated everything she did, and how truly wonderful she is. Give this woman a raise already! We are so grateful to Sandy, Lexi, and The Homestead for hosting the most important party of our lives (i.e., our wedding!) and we couldn't have picked a better place to represent us, Northern Michigan, and the salt-of-the-earth/homegrown hospitality the Midwest is known and loved for <3
Reviewed on 25-07-2023
Where to start!? Sandy and Lexi were absolutely incredible. It gave us so much peace of mind to have a beautiful venue that was a one-stop-shop: we didn't have to arrange for booze, food, linens, tables, chairs, accommodations, etc. from separate vendors... instead, The Homestead had it all. Sandy is very organized, responsive, kind, creative, reliable, and authentic - she will give her opinion if you ask for it and you can count on her 100%! And Lexi, the summer intern, would be an amazing permanent addition to The Homestead team! All in all, I can't stress enough how much Sandy did for us, how much we appreciated everything she did, and how truly wonderful she is. Give this woman a raise already! We are so grateful to Sandy, Lexi, and The Homestead for hosting the most important party of our lives (i.e., our wedding!) and we couldn't have picked a better place to represent us, Northern Michigan, and the salt-of-the-earth/homegrown hospitality the Midwest is known and loved for <3
Reviewed on 25-07-2023
Lauren Major (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 17-09-2022
Getting married at the Homestead was one of the easiest choices for my husband and I. I had the pleasure of growing up at the Homestead with my winters spent on the LSC hitting the slopes, but to see the resort as our wedding venue just made it all that much more special. My Dad and I got to ride up the chairlift that he taught me how to ski on when I was two, and my husband's friends and family that have never been to Northern Michigan, got the best introduction to my hometown possible. The whole weekend was magic and we know the setting and all the venues, amenities, staff, and lodging options made it entirely unforgettable. Thank you so much to the entire Homestead team, Sandy and her coordination team, the reception team and lodging support, and even the Whiskers and Nonna's team that hosted the best Leelanau Welcome party for our guests! We could not be more grateful for such a beautiful weekend and venue to host!
Reviewed on 04-01-2023
Wedding Date 17-09-2022
Getting married at the Homestead was one of the easiest choices for my husband and I. I had the pleasure of growing up at the Homestead with my winters spent on the LSC hitting the slopes, but to see the resort as our wedding venue just made it all that much more special. My Dad and I got to ride up the chairlift that he taught me how to ski on when I was two, and my husband's friends and family that have never been to Northern Michigan, got the best introduction to my hometown possible. The whole weekend was magic and we know the setting and all the venues, amenities, staff, and lodging options made it entirely unforgettable. Thank you so much to the entire Homestead team, Sandy and her coordination team, the reception team and lodging support, and even the Whiskers and Nonna's team that hosted the best Leelanau Welcome party for our guests! We could not be more grateful for such a beautiful weekend and venue to host!
Reviewed on 04-01-2023
Mandy Anderson (bride) 4 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 07-10-2022
okay, if you are 100% organized and awesome at planning your own events and you know you will not be a bride or groom monster the day of then carry on:we went to see the venue in march 2021 and booked for october 2022. they make it seem like it’s your day and y’all can do what you want how you want. communicating with them can be difficult, so try to ask your questions all at once and be ready to wait for a response. we confirmed final details 10 days before the event and received our estimate 5 days before the event (get a good photographer to help you coordinate with a detailed timeline). day of, it was a bit chilly and they called the bride at about noon to persuade us off of bay mountain due to the wind and cold, but we were prepared for that. an hour before the ceremony they called the bride again (disregard your day of contact) to say that it was intermittently sprinkling (meanwhile it’s clear skies and beautiful sunshine) and we shouldn’t have the ceremony on the mountain and if we do still want to do it on the mountain they will not be able to provide transportation off of the mountain for us or guests due to safety issues with the golf carts, but never really gave us a plan b option for the ceremony other than we can’t get you guys off. at this point, I just wanted to get dressed and passed these duties off to the groom so the ladies could finish their photo session and be timely for the 4p ceremony. at 3:15 we found out our coordinator quit our wedding and we were given a replacement and we’re finally starting our ceremony at 4:30, we were done and off the mountain within 15 min. our officiant and ushers were getting guests off of the mountain. we were then rushed through family photos at camp firefly and told to maybe be announced and then come back out to finish photos once we get dinner started. we said no, we’re finishing photos with the daylight as it was getting dark, and we were well within our time point. we were announced 10 min later than we were supposed to, so for being 30 min late to start the day we were doing pretty solid. they said our coordinator quit because the groomsmen were intoxicated and cursing at her, which is untrue, she was just dealing with groomzilla, we were all very sober. by the end, the wait staff were phenomenal. the reception staff were amazing. the food was the best wedding food we have ever had. not very often can you walk thru a reception and see 60 medium rare perfect steaks. the mushroom ravioli was amazing. the bartenders were awesome. the venues are beautiful. camp firefly was so intimate and everyone loved every moment even though they froze their butts off for 20 minutes for the ceremony but all said the view was worth it. the rooms are meh, need updates. FOG glass shower exploded in the middle of the first night stay and they got downgraded from little belle to fiddlers pond for the rest of their stay, key cards often don’t work with the rooms, showers don’t drain properly. the housekeepers, bar tenders at whiskers, and people at cavannaughs are amazing and so welcoming. so all in all an amazing day with a few hiccups. the mountain, worth it. camp firefly, the best reception site.
Reviewed on 09-10-2022
Wedding Date 07-10-2022
okay, if you are 100% organized and awesome at planning your own events and you know you will not be a bride or groom monster the day of then carry on:we went to see the venue in march 2021 and booked for october 2022. they make it seem like it’s your day and y’all can do what you want how you want. communicating with them can be difficult, so try to ask your questions all at once and be ready to wait for a response. we confirmed final details 10 days before the event and received our estimate 5 days before the event (get a good photographer to help you coordinate with a detailed timeline). day of, it was a bit chilly and they called the bride at about noon to persuade us off of bay mountain due to the wind and cold, but we were prepared for that. an hour before the ceremony they called the bride again (disregard your day of contact) to say that it was intermittently sprinkling (meanwhile it’s clear skies and beautiful sunshine) and we shouldn’t have the ceremony on the mountain and if we do still want to do it on the mountain they will not be able to provide transportation off of the mountain for us or guests due to safety issues with the golf carts, but never really gave us a plan b option for the ceremony other than we can’t get you guys off. at this point, I just wanted to get dressed and passed these duties off to the groom so the ladies could finish their photo session and be timely for the 4p ceremony. at 3:15 we found out our coordinator quit our wedding and we were given a replacement and we’re finally starting our ceremony at 4:30, we were done and off the mountain within 15 min. our officiant and ushers were getting guests off of the mountain. we were then rushed through family photos at camp firefly and told to maybe be announced and then come back out to finish photos once we get dinner started. we said no, we’re finishing photos with the daylight as it was getting dark, and we were well within our time point. we were announced 10 min later than we were supposed to, so for being 30 min late to start the day we were doing pretty solid. they said our coordinator quit because the groomsmen were intoxicated and cursing at her, which is untrue, she was just dealing with groomzilla, we were all very sober. by the end, the wait staff were phenomenal. the reception staff were amazing. the food was the best wedding food we have ever had. not very often can you walk thru a reception and see 60 medium rare perfect steaks. the mushroom ravioli was amazing. the bartenders were awesome. the venues are beautiful. camp firefly was so intimate and everyone loved every moment even though they froze their butts off for 20 minutes for the ceremony but all said the view was worth it. the rooms are meh, need updates. FOG glass shower exploded in the middle of the first night stay and they got downgraded from little belle to fiddlers pond for the rest of their stay, key cards often don’t work with the rooms, showers don’t drain properly. the housekeepers, bar tenders at whiskers, and people at cavannaughs are amazing and so welcoming. so all in all an amazing day with a few hiccups. the mountain, worth it. camp firefly, the best reception site.
Reviewed on 09-10-2022
Chloe Belczak (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 13-08-2022
The Homestead went above and beyond to make sure we had the wedding we wanted! Sandy is a godsend and works way too hard, but we couldn't have been more thankful for her help in making our day happen just the way we wanted it to!
Reviewed on 27-09-2022
Wedding Date 13-08-2022
The Homestead went above and beyond to make sure we had the wedding we wanted! Sandy is a godsend and works way too hard, but we couldn't have been more thankful for her help in making our day happen just the way we wanted it to!
Reviewed on 27-09-2022
Alyxandra H (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 20-08-2022
Most beautiful place in Michigan to have your wedding! Everything was awesome! Sandy did an amazing job with all the details. Camp Firefly was the perfect spot for our welcome party. Mountain Flowers lodge was the most beautiful venue for our wedding! Seeing Lake Michigan while getting married says it all…. ❤️Best weekend ever!!!
Reviewed on 13-09-2022
Wedding Date 20-08-2022
Most beautiful place in Michigan to have your wedding! Everything was awesome! Sandy did an amazing job with all the details. Camp Firefly was the perfect spot for our welcome party. Mountain Flowers lodge was the most beautiful venue for our wedding! Seeing Lake Michigan while getting married says it all…. ❤️Best weekend ever!!!
Reviewed on 13-09-2022
Chelsea Neistein (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 27-08-2022
My husband and I had a weekend getaway wedding “up north” for all our friends and family. We could not have been happier with how everything turned out. Sandy, the on-site coordinator, is an absolute dream! She is so so organized, sets up and breaks down for you, and is everywhere you didn’t know you needed her. She is the sweetest human ever! Did I mention guests (and bridal party) get to ride a chair lift up to the Bay Mountain venue?! (i.e., cutest photos ever) Such a fun surprise for everyone involved. Absolutely zero regrets booking here and we wish we could relive this weekend over and over again!
Reviewed on 02-09-2022
Wedding Date 27-08-2022
My husband and I had a weekend getaway wedding “up north” for all our friends and family. We could not have been happier with how everything turned out. Sandy, the on-site coordinator, is an absolute dream! She is so so organized, sets up and breaks down for you, and is everywhere you didn’t know you needed her. She is the sweetest human ever! Did I mention guests (and bridal party) get to ride a chair lift up to the Bay Mountain venue?! (i.e., cutest photos ever) Such a fun surprise for everyone involved. Absolutely zero regrets booking here and we wish we could relive this weekend over and over again!
Reviewed on 02-09-2022
Laura Ferriss (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 16-07-2022
Looking for a destination wedding for all to enjoy?! Look no further than The Homestead. There’s something for EVERYONE (beach, trails, bars, restaurants), all of your guests are able to stay right on site, and The Homestead provides many things that ease finding multiple other vendors. You also can’t beat its close proximity to Glen Arbor and Traverse City. Working with Sandy, the head on-site events coordinator, was great and I would highly suggest anyone to have their wedding here!
Reviewed on 08-08-2022
Wedding Date 16-07-2022
Looking for a destination wedding for all to enjoy?! Look no further than The Homestead. There’s something for EVERYONE (beach, trails, bars, restaurants), all of your guests are able to stay right on site, and The Homestead provides many things that ease finding multiple other vendors. You also can’t beat its close proximity to Glen Arbor and Traverse City. Working with Sandy, the head on-site events coordinator, was great and I would highly suggest anyone to have their wedding here!
Reviewed on 08-08-2022
Annah Hunt (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 14-07-2022
My husband and I got married at Camp Firefly, it was the perfect pure Michigan wedding! The Homestead is such a beautiful place and at Camp Firefly we had the perfect reception for our nature loving friends and family. Our day of coordinator, Sandy Luthardt, was so incredible! She is so nice and on top of things, she was like my wedding fairy godmother! Sandy and all of the staff who worked our wedding were so professional and kind. We wish we could do it all over again! If you get the chance to work with Sandy at The Homestead, we highly recommend it!!
Reviewed on 27-07-2022
Wedding Date 14-07-2022
My husband and I got married at Camp Firefly, it was the perfect pure Michigan wedding! The Homestead is such a beautiful place and at Camp Firefly we had the perfect reception for our nature loving friends and family. Our day of coordinator, Sandy Luthardt, was so incredible! She is so nice and on top of things, she was like my wedding fairy godmother! Sandy and all of the staff who worked our wedding were so professional and kind. We wish we could do it all over again! If you get the chance to work with Sandy at The Homestead, we highly recommend it!!
Reviewed on 27-07-2022
Kat H (bride) 3 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 14-08-2021
I will say that the Homestead was an absolutely stunning venue for our wedding and reception. However, MANY things fell through the cracks which was very frustrating especially for the amount of money we paid. Leading up to the wedding I had to email multiple times before getting a response, I was told the day before the wedding that they would not do closest to the pin due to lack of staff which was the ONLY thing my hubby wanted for the wedding, and the part that really burned me was that they did not fulfill an early check in for me, THE BRIDE (for their most expensive room), on the day of my rehearsal dinner which was on the property and suggested that I get ready in a friend's room. Not cool when I paid thousands of dollars to have all my wedding events there. On the day of, there were also many details overlooked. There was no knife to cut the cake at the cake table and we just stood there waiting. I put the name cards in order for the head table and expressed this to them and they just set it up how they wanted with men on one side and women on the other. They did not do champagne or wine service for all the tables during dinner, which we PAID FOR and subsequently myself, the bride and my groom toasted the wedding toasts with water. Unfortunately, the staff was not the best - none of the appetizers were handed out at the rehearsal dinner and at the wedding you could not order any drink more complicated than a vodka soda. A friend asked for a martini and they didn't know how to make one which was embarrassing. We also spent a ton of money on welcome bags with specific directions to hand out one per person. There were important instructions regarding our welcome party in the bags and they were not handed out at all. When we went to collect the extras at the end there were SO MANY left and the front desk said they would try to hand them out when guests checked out!?? Overall you are paying for the views and convenience of being able to have all your events in once place.
Reviewed on 22-01-2022
Wedding Date 14-08-2021
I will say that the Homestead was an absolutely stunning venue for our wedding and reception. However, MANY things fell through the cracks which was very frustrating especially for the amount of money we paid. Leading up to the wedding I had to email multiple times before getting a response, I was told the day before the wedding that they would not do closest to the pin due to lack of staff which was the ONLY thing my hubby wanted for the wedding, and the part that really burned me was that they did not fulfill an early check in for me, THE BRIDE (for their most expensive room), on the day of my rehearsal dinner which was on the property and suggested that I get ready in a friend's room. Not cool when I paid thousands of dollars to have all my wedding events there. On the day of, there were also many details overlooked. There was no knife to cut the cake at the cake table and we just stood there waiting. I put the name cards in order for the head table and expressed this to them and they just set it up how they wanted with men on one side and women on the other. They did not do champagne or wine service for all the tables during dinner, which we PAID FOR and subsequently myself, the bride and my groom toasted the wedding toasts with water. Unfortunately, the staff was not the best - none of the appetizers were handed out at the rehearsal dinner and at the wedding you could not order any drink more complicated than a vodka soda. A friend asked for a martini and they didn't know how to make one which was embarrassing. We also spent a ton of money on welcome bags with specific directions to hand out one per person. There were important instructions regarding our welcome party in the bags and they were not handed out at all. When we went to collect the extras at the end there were SO MANY left and the front desk said they would try to hand them out when guests checked out!?? Overall you are paying for the views and convenience of being able to have all your events in once place.
Reviewed on 22-01-2022
Dina Leone (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 23-10-2021
If you're looking for an iconic and magical place to get married, this is it. Our big day was utterly amazing thanks to the beauty of the Homestead Resort and the experience it brings to not only the couple but the guests alike. We originally planned to get married in 2020, however COVID had other plans. The Homestead was EXTREMELY accommodating and worked with us to postpone our big day and find a date that worked. Sandy, Tony, Alex and the rest of the Homestead team worked tirelessly to ensure we had an amazing experience. From the number of accommodations to the natural Northern Michigan scenery, this resort will give your guests the true \"Up North\" experience. Some of our family and friends have never been this far north in the state or in the country and they were in awe at the beauty and serenity the resort and Glen Arbor brings. We had our wedding in October and had the perfect back drop of Fall colors throughout the area. It was stunning. As stated in the beginning, if you're looking for an iconic and magical place to get married, this is it. Happy booking!
Reviewed on 16-12-2021
Wedding Date 23-10-2021
If you're looking for an iconic and magical place to get married, this is it. Our big day was utterly amazing thanks to the beauty of the Homestead Resort and the experience it brings to not only the couple but the guests alike. We originally planned to get married in 2020, however COVID had other plans. The Homestead was EXTREMELY accommodating and worked with us to postpone our big day and find a date that worked. Sandy, Tony, Alex and the rest of the Homestead team worked tirelessly to ensure we had an amazing experience. From the number of accommodations to the natural Northern Michigan scenery, this resort will give your guests the true \"Up North\" experience. Some of our family and friends have never been this far north in the state or in the country and they were in awe at the beauty and serenity the resort and Glen Arbor brings. We had our wedding in October and had the perfect back drop of Fall colors throughout the area. It was stunning. As stated in the beginning, if you're looking for an iconic and magical place to get married, this is it. Happy booking!
Reviewed on 16-12-2021
Ameel Trabilsy (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 31-07-2021
Originally, we had our wedding scheduled for June 2020 but due to the pandemic we decided to postpone. The staff were extremely understanding and helpful during this time, especially since restrictions were just beginning to lift the months leading up to our wedding. We are so happy we chose the Homestead as our wedding venue! We could not have asked for a better day or a better event coordinator (we loved Sandy!). We had our ceremony on the Top of the Mountain and our reception at the Mountain Flowers Lodge. The view on the top of the mountain in summer is absolutely beautiful. You will have a stunning background for your photos here. The Mountain Flowers Lodge is beautiful too with the gorgeous wooden beams, fireplace, and waterfall right outside the side window. Many of our guests said it was the most beautiful wedding venue they had attended. They also loved staying at the Homestead—many of our guests went to the beach, pools, and hung out at Whiskers—the outdoor bar. It was really nice to bump into our guests around the resort in the days leading up to the wedding. The food was also delicious! I have many dietary restrictions and the staff were very helpful making sure that we had options, including vegetarian and vegan options. The only issue we encountered was communication. They are a very busy venue for weddings in the summertime so don’t expect prompt responses. However, they will always get back to you in time and this was not enough of an issue for us to warrant anything less than 5 stars. We highly recommend choosing the Homestead for your wedding
Reviewed on 08-12-2021
Wedding Date 31-07-2021
Originally, we had our wedding scheduled for June 2020 but due to the pandemic we decided to postpone. The staff were extremely understanding and helpful during this time, especially since restrictions were just beginning to lift the months leading up to our wedding. We are so happy we chose the Homestead as our wedding venue! We could not have asked for a better day or a better event coordinator (we loved Sandy!). We had our ceremony on the Top of the Mountain and our reception at the Mountain Flowers Lodge. The view on the top of the mountain in summer is absolutely beautiful. You will have a stunning background for your photos here. The Mountain Flowers Lodge is beautiful too with the gorgeous wooden beams, fireplace, and waterfall right outside the side window. Many of our guests said it was the most beautiful wedding venue they had attended. They also loved staying at the Homestead—many of our guests went to the beach, pools, and hung out at Whiskers—the outdoor bar. It was really nice to bump into our guests around the resort in the days leading up to the wedding. The food was also delicious! I have many dietary restrictions and the staff were very helpful making sure that we had options, including vegetarian and vegan options. The only issue we encountered was communication. They are a very busy venue for weddings in the summertime so don’t expect prompt responses. However, they will always get back to you in time and this was not enough of an issue for us to warrant anything less than 5 stars. We highly recommend choosing the Homestead for your wedding
Reviewed on 08-12-2021
Kelsey Kozuch (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 12-06-2021
The Homestead made all of our wedding dreams come true. We would get married here again and again. The event coordinators became family and The Homestead feels like our home. We can’t wait to celebrate with them for years to come! Thank you
Reviewed on 20-11-2021
Wedding Date 12-06-2021
The Homestead made all of our wedding dreams come true. We would get married here again and again. The event coordinators became family and The Homestead feels like our home. We can’t wait to celebrate with them for years to come! Thank you
Reviewed on 20-11-2021
Lindsey Englert (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 19-06-2021
After planning my wedding for two years (thanks to the pandemic), it turned out perfectly! The Homestead worked with me through all the changes and I couldn’t have asked for a better day.
Reviewed on 17-11-2021
Wedding Date 19-06-2021
After planning my wedding for two years (thanks to the pandemic), it turned out perfectly! The Homestead worked with me through all the changes and I couldn’t have asked for a better day.
Reviewed on 17-11-2021
Allie Sheehan (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 10-09-2021
5 stars is NOT ENOUGH to describe what a wonderful experience we had here for our wedding day!!!!!!! Sandy and Alex were the most wonderful, helpful, and kind people I can imagine working with on our wedding day.My husband and I grew up vacationing at the homestead, and it was the only venue we toured when deciding on our big day. We saw some less-than-positive reviews from several years ago, but our love for the venue outweighed any fear we might have had. Our initial tour (in peak covid times) involved Sandy leading us in a chain of cars behind her with us on speakerphone, while she told us what the venue would be like 9 months later. Unconventional? Yes. Helpful and exciting? Absolutely!Beyond the booking day, she continued to be helpful and responsive. The Homestead, like the rest of the world, appears to be shortstaffed, with Sandy (and Alex) taking the brunt of that work. I cannot imagine working 6-7 days a week all wedding season like those women do, and still showing up with the joy and enthusiasm that they had every time we met. They helped us coordinate trips up from our home in Ohio to do socially distant tastings, hair and makeup trials, and final decor decisions. Planning was way easier than I imagined it would be, without my own wedding planner and living 7 hours away!On our big day, these women were so attentive and helpful, and I don't know what they could have done better. That includes set up and tear down, where the morning after my wedding, my dad only had to pull his truck around while employees helped load all of our decor into it. Simply incredible. Besides the staff, this venue is awesome. Great rehearsal at Camp Firefly, beautiful outdoor and indoor spaces at mountain flowers lodge, people raved about the food, and everyone loved their lodging. I would give this 100 stars if I could, and I am so glad I chose to spend the most important day of my life here.
Reviewed on 06-11-2021
Wedding Date 10-09-2021
5 stars is NOT ENOUGH to describe what a wonderful experience we had here for our wedding day!!!!!!! Sandy and Alex were the most wonderful, helpful, and kind people I can imagine working with on our wedding day.My husband and I grew up vacationing at the homestead, and it was the only venue we toured when deciding on our big day. We saw some less-than-positive reviews from several years ago, but our love for the venue outweighed any fear we might have had. Our initial tour (in peak covid times) involved Sandy leading us in a chain of cars behind her with us on speakerphone, while she told us what the venue would be like 9 months later. Unconventional? Yes. Helpful and exciting? Absolutely!Beyond the booking day, she continued to be helpful and responsive. The Homestead, like the rest of the world, appears to be shortstaffed, with Sandy (and Alex) taking the brunt of that work. I cannot imagine working 6-7 days a week all wedding season like those women do, and still showing up with the joy and enthusiasm that they had every time we met. They helped us coordinate trips up from our home in Ohio to do socially distant tastings, hair and makeup trials, and final decor decisions. Planning was way easier than I imagined it would be, without my own wedding planner and living 7 hours away!On our big day, these women were so attentive and helpful, and I don't know what they could have done better. That includes set up and tear down, where the morning after my wedding, my dad only had to pull his truck around while employees helped load all of our decor into it. Simply incredible. Besides the staff, this venue is awesome. Great rehearsal at Camp Firefly, beautiful outdoor and indoor spaces at mountain flowers lodge, people raved about the food, and everyone loved their lodging. I would give this 100 stars if I could, and I am so glad I chose to spend the most important day of my life here.
Reviewed on 06-11-2021
Ashley G (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 31-07-2021
Originally, we had our wedding scheduled for June 2020 but due to the pandemic we decided to postpone. The staff were extremely understanding and helpful during this time, especially since restrictions were just beginning to lift the months leading up to our wedding. We are so happy we chose the Homestead as our wedding venue! We could not have asked for a better day or a better event coordinator (we loved Sandy!). We had our ceremony on the Top of the Mountain and our reception at the Mountain Flowers Lodge. The view on the top of the mountain in summer is absolutely beautiful. You will have a stunning background for your photos here. The Mountain Flowers Lodge is beautiful too with the gorgeous wooden beams, fireplace, and waterfall right outside the side window. Many of our guests said it was the most beautiful wedding venue they had attended. They also loved staying at the Homestead—many of our guests went to the beach, pools, and hung out at Whiskers—the outdoor bar. It was really nice to bump into our guests around the resort in the days leading up to the wedding. The food was also delicious! I have many dietary restrictions and the staff were very helpful making sure that we had options, including vegetarian and vegan options. The only issue we encountered was communication. They are a very busy venue for weddings in the summertime so don’t expect prompt responses. However, they will always get back to you in time and this was not enough of an issue for us to warrant anything less than 5 stars. We highly recommend choosing the Homestead for your wedding.
Reviewed on 25-09-2021
Wedding Date 31-07-2021
Originally, we had our wedding scheduled for June 2020 but due to the pandemic we decided to postpone. The staff were extremely understanding and helpful during this time, especially since restrictions were just beginning to lift the months leading up to our wedding. We are so happy we chose the Homestead as our wedding venue! We could not have asked for a better day or a better event coordinator (we loved Sandy!). We had our ceremony on the Top of the Mountain and our reception at the Mountain Flowers Lodge. The view on the top of the mountain in summer is absolutely beautiful. You will have a stunning background for your photos here. The Mountain Flowers Lodge is beautiful too with the gorgeous wooden beams, fireplace, and waterfall right outside the side window. Many of our guests said it was the most beautiful wedding venue they had attended. They also loved staying at the Homestead—many of our guests went to the beach, pools, and hung out at Whiskers—the outdoor bar. It was really nice to bump into our guests around the resort in the days leading up to the wedding. The food was also delicious! I have many dietary restrictions and the staff were very helpful making sure that we had options, including vegetarian and vegan options. The only issue we encountered was communication. They are a very busy venue for weddings in the summertime so don’t expect prompt responses. However, they will always get back to you in time and this was not enough of an issue for us to warrant anything less than 5 stars. We highly recommend choosing the Homestead for your wedding.
Reviewed on 25-09-2021
Wendy Peplinski (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 06-07-2021
Our wedding was scheduled for 2020 but we postponed a month prior due to the pandemic. The team at the Homestead worked with us through two years of planning and re-planning, and were so encouraging and patient every step of the long journey. I was not looking for our day to be perfect, life isn't... but it ended up being absolutely so! I can't thank them enough! We plan on returning annually for our anniversary. Our out of town guests loved their stay as well and raved about the dinner not only at our reception but also at Cafe Manitou as well. Thank you for a dream come true!The Bay Mountain location with chair lift to the top is the most beautiful, fun and memorable experience for everyone!
Reviewed on 24-07-2021
Wedding Date 06-07-2021
Our wedding was scheduled for 2020 but we postponed a month prior due to the pandemic. The team at the Homestead worked with us through two years of planning and re-planning, and were so encouraging and patient every step of the long journey. I was not looking for our day to be perfect, life isn't... but it ended up being absolutely so! I can't thank them enough! We plan on returning annually for our anniversary. Our out of town guests loved their stay as well and raved about the dinner not only at our reception but also at Cafe Manitou as well. Thank you for a dream come true!The Bay Mountain location with chair lift to the top is the most beautiful, fun and memorable experience for everyone!
Reviewed on 24-07-2021
Rachel Pavona (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 03-10-2020
A pandemic miracle! The Homestead was not our original reception venue, and with just a couple months left before the \"big day\" our existing venue had to be cancelled. Enter The Homestead - the literally perfect venue we were looking for all along. We wanted the beach pictures, the woodsy pictures, and even the ski-resort esque pictures, and we got it ALL. They made me feel at ease through the whole expedited process, were GREAT at communication (we're talking same day minutes after or next morning at the latest) and made me and our guests feel safe without making pandemic safety awkward.I would recommend The Homestead to anybody, anywhere.- The LOCATION: Beautiful, clean, and truly gives guests the feeling of being away and at a resort. If you do the fall or winter, pro-tip: have your guests opt for a King bed to get the fireplace in the room - amazing!- The FOOD: People are still dreaming about the spring roll appetizers, the filet mignon and the salmon, including me. I had multiple comments about this being the best wedding food guests (and our DJ who has decades in the biz) have ever experienced. Also, Cavanaugh's has shockingly good grab and go breakfast sandwiches. - The STAFF: Thank you LeAnna, Sandy and the rest for being amazing, supportive and fun. - For the bride+groom: Stay at the Inn - we stayed in room 3. GORGEOUS view, balcony, fireplace. It's perfect.
Reviewed on 13-10-2020
Wedding Date 03-10-2020
A pandemic miracle! The Homestead was not our original reception venue, and with just a couple months left before the \"big day\" our existing venue had to be cancelled. Enter The Homestead - the literally perfect venue we were looking for all along. We wanted the beach pictures, the woodsy pictures, and even the ski-resort esque pictures, and we got it ALL. They made me feel at ease through the whole expedited process, were GREAT at communication (we're talking same day minutes after or next morning at the latest) and made me and our guests feel safe without making pandemic safety awkward.I would recommend The Homestead to anybody, anywhere.- The LOCATION: Beautiful, clean, and truly gives guests the feeling of being away and at a resort. If you do the fall or winter, pro-tip: have your guests opt for a King bed to get the fireplace in the room - amazing!- The FOOD: People are still dreaming about the spring roll appetizers, the filet mignon and the salmon, including me. I had multiple comments about this being the best wedding food guests (and our DJ who has decades in the biz) have ever experienced. Also, Cavanaugh's has shockingly good grab and go breakfast sandwiches. - The STAFF: Thank you LeAnna, Sandy and the rest for being amazing, supportive and fun. - For the bride+groom: Stay at the Inn - we stayed in room 3. GORGEOUS view, balcony, fireplace. It's perfect.
Reviewed on 13-10-2020
Jake Eppehimer (groom) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 28-08-2020
The Homestead is such a beautiful venue, and a perfect place if you have many out of town guests. Everything is right on-site, making for an awesome weekend getaway with a wedding. So many of our friends and family complimented the facilities. Additionally, we were quite impressed with the support we received from the staff (particularly Sandy and Tony) in planning around COVID-19. And on the day of the wedding, Antonella and Liz were incredibly accommodating and helpful, even with tasks that weren't normally part of their jobs - Antonella even helped my wife when there was a struggle to bustle her dress! Overall, we're pleased with our choice to have our wedding at The Homestead. Everything turned out great!
Reviewed on 11-09-2020
Wedding Date 28-08-2020
The Homestead is such a beautiful venue, and a perfect place if you have many out of town guests. Everything is right on-site, making for an awesome weekend getaway with a wedding. So many of our friends and family complimented the facilities. Additionally, we were quite impressed with the support we received from the staff (particularly Sandy and Tony) in planning around COVID-19. And on the day of the wedding, Antonella and Liz were incredibly accommodating and helpful, even with tasks that weren't normally part of their jobs - Antonella even helped my wife when there was a struggle to bustle her dress! Overall, we're pleased with our choice to have our wedding at The Homestead. Everything turned out great!
Reviewed on 11-09-2020
Ashley Rhodes (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 14-09-2019
We absolutely love The Homestead! It will definitely be a place we visit and stay at for years to come . The entire team works together to create a wedding of your dreams. They are extremely accommodating and definitely were helpful in the planning process, especially as the big day was getting closer! The food is amazing and the service is exceptional. The resort is a pet friendly place and we were able to include our two dogs in our ceremony. Many of our guests were new to The Homestead and they had nothing but amazing compliments about the resort and stated they would visit again. Thank you for everything you did for our wedding. We are very grateful!
Reviewed on 17-11-2019
Wedding Date 14-09-2019
We absolutely love The Homestead! It will definitely be a place we visit and stay at for years to come . The entire team works together to create a wedding of your dreams. They are extremely accommodating and definitely were helpful in the planning process, especially as the big day was getting closer! The food is amazing and the service is exceptional. The resort is a pet friendly place and we were able to include our two dogs in our ceremony. Many of our guests were new to The Homestead and they had nothing but amazing compliments about the resort and stated they would visit again. Thank you for everything you did for our wedding. We are very grateful!
Reviewed on 17-11-2019
Lizzie Hollowell (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 18-08-2019
You guys! I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful our wedding was at The Homestead in Glen Arbor, MI. We had about half of our guests traveling from out of state and we knew we wanted a vacation setting for them to enjoy - our guests RAVED about The Homestead and so do we.After many hours of research and a few other site tours, we got to The Homestead and we instantly fell in love. We chose to have our ceremony and reception at Camp Firefly, a stunning but more laid back venue, which was perfect for our smaller wedding. We stayed at the gorgeous Stony Brook Lodge, which has its own pool and is right up the hill from Camp Firefly, so my husband and I were able to walk back to our suite the night of the wedding. Because we had our ceremony and reception (and even our rehearsal dinner) all at the same location, we did not have to worry about transportation between venues and it simplified things for our guests who had all already traveled so far.Sandy and Tayler at group sales, Liz who set up the venue, and ALL of the staff at The Homestead were so accommodating for us. They gave our guests who traveled the farthest (from Australia), an upgraded room, they allowed us to use a treasured family brownie recipe as our dessert at our reception, they took our decorations and made the venue even more beautiful than I could have imagined, and most importantly - they were attentive, responsive, and supportive when it was our time to get married. These staff work with people at the happiest, but often the most stressful times in their lives, and they do so with grace.I never knew that The Homestead existed until my search for wedding venues, and I have lived in Michigan my whole life. I continue to tell people - it is a GEM of a place. A magical place where we literally had our dream wedding. We will never be able to thank the staff at The Homestead enough, especially Sandy and Tayler, for all of their help in planning our wedding, but we DO look forward to MANY trips back to The Homestead with our family and friends in the future.THANK YOU!!Full of love and gratitude,Lizzie & Steve
Reviewed on 30-08-2019
Wedding Date 18-08-2019
You guys! I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful our wedding was at The Homestead in Glen Arbor, MI. We had about half of our guests traveling from out of state and we knew we wanted a vacation setting for them to enjoy - our guests RAVED about The Homestead and so do we.After many hours of research and a few other site tours, we got to The Homestead and we instantly fell in love. We chose to have our ceremony and reception at Camp Firefly, a stunning but more laid back venue, which was perfect for our smaller wedding. We stayed at the gorgeous Stony Brook Lodge, which has its own pool and is right up the hill from Camp Firefly, so my husband and I were able to walk back to our suite the night of the wedding. Because we had our ceremony and reception (and even our rehearsal dinner) all at the same location, we did not have to worry about transportation between venues and it simplified things for our guests who had all already traveled so far.Sandy and Tayler at group sales, Liz who set up the venue, and ALL of the staff at The Homestead were so accommodating for us. They gave our guests who traveled the farthest (from Australia), an upgraded room, they allowed us to use a treasured family brownie recipe as our dessert at our reception, they took our decorations and made the venue even more beautiful than I could have imagined, and most importantly - they were attentive, responsive, and supportive when it was our time to get married. These staff work with people at the happiest, but often the most stressful times in their lives, and they do so with grace.I never knew that The Homestead existed until my search for wedding venues, and I have lived in Michigan my whole life. I continue to tell people - it is a GEM of a place. A magical place where we literally had our dream wedding. We will never be able to thank the staff at The Homestead enough, especially Sandy and Tayler, for all of their help in planning our wedding, but we DO look forward to MANY trips back to The Homestead with our family and friends in the future.THANK YOU!!Full of love and gratitude,Lizzie & Steve
Reviewed on 30-08-2019
Kathleen Matyas (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 20-10-2018
Had our wedding weekend at the Homestead in October, 2018 - welcome reception (night before) at Camp Firefly; ceremony at Bay Mountain; reception at Mountain Flowers Lodge. Originally in selecting our venue and making initial arrangements we worked with Lynzie who was incredible and patient in answering all of our questions. We were worried when we received communication that she was leaving the Homestead, but the way they handled the transition was so seamless and fantastic. Veronika stepped in and was absolutely wonderful to work with! I really cannot say enough about how easy the entire staff was to work with. One thing that I found very helpful was a google doc workbook that Veronika had us fill in 6 weeks before the wedding. We went through it with her page-by-page so we knew going into our wedding weekend we were fully aligned and super stress-free about the weekend. On the weekend of, we met with Veronika upon checking in and handed off everything we brought with us and from that moment on she took care of everything! The Welcome Reception at Camp Firefly was absolutely perfect- they set up a bonfire for us, some tables and chairs inside and out and the staff was always available. Day-of was quite cold and it rained most of the morning, but we insisted on having it outside and, while I know she wanted it inside, Veronika helped inform all guests we were still having it outside! We did rush through our ceremony a bit because of the weather so some of our guests go to Mountain Flowers before our \"scheduled\" cocktail hour was set to begin - only feedback: I wish we were made aware or could have granted permission to open the bar sooner so guests did not have to wait for drinks as long as they did - all said, not a huge deal. The reception space was set up exactly how we had expected including a large head table that Veronika helped me figure out a way to make work! The servers and staff were so attentive and made it so much fun for my wedding party and family. They really looked out for anything that my husband or I needed the entire night and were never in the way but never too far out of sight. At the end of the night we could leave everything there and rest easy knowing we could come by the next morning and everything was boxed up and easy for us to pick up! Super thankful to everyone at the Homestead who really made it a fun, stress-free, and beautiful wedding weekend for us. We'll be back to celebrate our 1-year soon enough!
Reviewed on 26-07-2019
Wedding Date 20-10-2018
Had our wedding weekend at the Homestead in October, 2018 - welcome reception (night before) at Camp Firefly; ceremony at Bay Mountain; reception at Mountain Flowers Lodge. Originally in selecting our venue and making initial arrangements we worked with Lynzie who was incredible and patient in answering all of our questions. We were worried when we received communication that she was leaving the Homestead, but the way they handled the transition was so seamless and fantastic. Veronika stepped in and was absolutely wonderful to work with! I really cannot say enough about how easy the entire staff was to work with. One thing that I found very helpful was a google doc workbook that Veronika had us fill in 6 weeks before the wedding. We went through it with her page-by-page so we knew going into our wedding weekend we were fully aligned and super stress-free about the weekend. On the weekend of, we met with Veronika upon checking in and handed off everything we brought with us and from that moment on she took care of everything! The Welcome Reception at Camp Firefly was absolutely perfect- they set up a bonfire for us, some tables and chairs inside and out and the staff was always available. Day-of was quite cold and it rained most of the morning, but we insisted on having it outside and, while I know she wanted it inside, Veronika helped inform all guests we were still having it outside! We did rush through our ceremony a bit because of the weather so some of our guests go to Mountain Flowers before our \"scheduled\" cocktail hour was set to begin - only feedback: I wish we were made aware or could have granted permission to open the bar sooner so guests did not have to wait for drinks as long as they did - all said, not a huge deal. The reception space was set up exactly how we had expected including a large head table that Veronika helped me figure out a way to make work! The servers and staff were so attentive and made it so much fun for my wedding party and family. They really looked out for anything that my husband or I needed the entire night and were never in the way but never too far out of sight. At the end of the night we could leave everything there and rest easy knowing we could come by the next morning and everything was boxed up and easy for us to pick up! Super thankful to everyone at the Homestead who really made it a fun, stress-free, and beautiful wedding weekend for us. We'll be back to celebrate our 1-year soon enough!
Reviewed on 26-07-2019
Lindsay Crandall (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 27-04-2019
We had our wedding at Camp Fire Fly at the end of April and could not have been more happy with EVERYTHING. It was truly the best day of our lives. Sandy was our Coordinator and she was an absolute pleasure to work with. She was responsive, knowledgeable, detailed and kept everything running smoothly. We were BLOWN AWAY by how wonderful the staff was and our guests all said it was the best wedding they have ever been to and cannot wait to come back to the area! The rooms were all very comfortable and the food was very delicious. Every person we encountered went above and beyond and anticipated all our needs before we even asked about them. We did not worry about 1 thing - they all had it covered! It was the most perfect setting for a wedding and we plan to come back every year for our anniversary. I would HIGHLY recommend this location! It's perfect!
Reviewed on 29-04-2019
Wedding Date 27-04-2019
We had our wedding at Camp Fire Fly at the end of April and could not have been more happy with EVERYTHING. It was truly the best day of our lives. Sandy was our Coordinator and she was an absolute pleasure to work with. She was responsive, knowledgeable, detailed and kept everything running smoothly. We were BLOWN AWAY by how wonderful the staff was and our guests all said it was the best wedding they have ever been to and cannot wait to come back to the area! The rooms were all very comfortable and the food was very delicious. Every person we encountered went above and beyond and anticipated all our needs before we even asked about them. We did not worry about 1 thing - they all had it covered! It was the most perfect setting for a wedding and we plan to come back every year for our anniversary. I would HIGHLY recommend this location! It's perfect!
Reviewed on 29-04-2019
Luan Nguyen (groom) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 06-10-2019
The Homestead is rife with high turnover, mismanagement, deplorable business practices and atrocious customer service. Their staff is trained to dodge calls for the event reps. They are never available. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was so they wouldn’t have to field all the complaints and probable lawsuits. I had to explain that I was ready to put down a deposit before she “actually just came out of her meeting”. It took them over a month to turn over the contract. This was after being ignored for weeks on end. When we finally received the contract, it was littered with mistakes and had absurd fee, indemnity and cancellation language. We reviewed other venue contracts and it was not industry standard. When we brought up concerns that others have experienced on the Knot, we were told that the contract may be negotiable and changes would need to be reviewed by the president. Also, not to worry “the date is basically guaranteed”. They wasted 6 months of our time that could have been better spent securing another venue. An agent of the Homestead, negotiated a contract with us and finally agreed to it on behalf of the Homestead via email. This was a process that took 4 months at no fault of our own, but because of unreasonable turnaround times and an arduous review process with the president that saw almost none of our concerns addressed anyways. Turns out, the rep ended up leaving. After another 2 months of constant followup with another rep, and we are told that we \"cannot procced\" with no reasoning whatsoever ....and to add insult to injury, the new rep couldn’t even do it herself , but had a cook deliver the thoughtless message. Looking back, she probably left too. Jump ship before the ship sinks it seems. Negative Knot reviews are probably the least of their worries. They are most likely in constant litigation with this type of negligent and egregious business practice. It doesn't surprise me now that an otherwise simple contract was so lopsided. They can and will certainly cancel on you for no reason whatsoever. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. We did and accomplished in one week what they couldn’t do in 6 months -signed a reasonable contract and secured the date with no ridiculous cancellation clauses. We couldn’t be happier with our new venue and the attentive staff that will be leading this monumental day for us - that’s the silver lining in this.
Reviewed on 03-12-2018
Wedding Date 06-10-2019
The Homestead is rife with high turnover, mismanagement, deplorable business practices and atrocious customer service. Their staff is trained to dodge calls for the event reps. They are never available. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was so they wouldn’t have to field all the complaints and probable lawsuits. I had to explain that I was ready to put down a deposit before she “actually just came out of her meeting”. It took them over a month to turn over the contract. This was after being ignored for weeks on end. When we finally received the contract, it was littered with mistakes and had absurd fee, indemnity and cancellation language. We reviewed other venue contracts and it was not industry standard. When we brought up concerns that others have experienced on the Knot, we were told that the contract may be negotiable and changes would need to be reviewed by the president. Also, not to worry “the date is basically guaranteed”. They wasted 6 months of our time that could have been better spent securing another venue. An agent of the Homestead, negotiated a contract with us and finally agreed to it on behalf of the Homestead via email. This was a process that took 4 months at no fault of our own, but because of unreasonable turnaround times and an arduous review process with the president that saw almost none of our concerns addressed anyways. Turns out, the rep ended up leaving. After another 2 months of constant followup with another rep, and we are told that we \"cannot procced\" with no reasoning whatsoever ....and to add insult to injury, the new rep couldn’t even do it herself , but had a cook deliver the thoughtless message. Looking back, she probably left too. Jump ship before the ship sinks it seems. Negative Knot reviews are probably the least of their worries. They are most likely in constant litigation with this type of negligent and egregious business practice. It doesn't surprise me now that an otherwise simple contract was so lopsided. They can and will certainly cancel on you for no reason whatsoever. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. We did and accomplished in one week what they couldn’t do in 6 months -signed a reasonable contract and secured the date with no ridiculous cancellation clauses. We couldn’t be happier with our new venue and the attentive staff that will be leading this monumental day for us - that’s the silver lining in this.
Reviewed on 03-12-2018
Lisa Ermak (bride) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 06-10-2019
This place is a cluster of mismanagement, deplorable business practices and atrocious customer service. Their only saving grace is the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan, and I imagine that is the only way they stay afloat. The red flags began at the very beginning of our wedding planning. Their staff is trained to dodge calls. When we finally received our wedding contract, it was littered with spelling mistakes and had absurd fee and cancellation language like a $4,000 charge for not exiting the venue on time?!?! When we brought up the laundry list of concerns that others had experienced and shared on the Knot, we were passed around to different sales staff and heard excuse after excuse. No transparency and no honesty.Essentially after working with them for 6 months, they CANCELED OUR WEDDING by having a random staffer/cook who we had never worked with us email us. No call, no courtesy, no conversation. Just said that they would not host our wedding and good luck finding another venue.What a joke.Good luck to anyone who ever gets sucked in to this shithole.We love Lake Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes and Glen Arbor. Have been visiting for years, but we will NEVER spend a dime at this place.
Reviewed on 03-12-2018
Wedding Date 06-10-2019
This place is a cluster of mismanagement, deplorable business practices and atrocious customer service. Their only saving grace is the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan, and I imagine that is the only way they stay afloat. The red flags began at the very beginning of our wedding planning. Their staff is trained to dodge calls. When we finally received our wedding contract, it was littered with spelling mistakes and had absurd fee and cancellation language like a $4,000 charge for not exiting the venue on time?!?! When we brought up the laundry list of concerns that others had experienced and shared on the Knot, we were passed around to different sales staff and heard excuse after excuse. No transparency and no honesty.Essentially after working with them for 6 months, they CANCELED OUR WEDDING by having a random staffer/cook who we had never worked with us email us. No call, no courtesy, no conversation. Just said that they would not host our wedding and good luck finding another venue.What a joke.Good luck to anyone who ever gets sucked in to this shithole.We love Lake Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes and Glen Arbor. Have been visiting for years, but we will NEVER spend a dime at this place.
Reviewed on 03-12-2018
Amanda Hay (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Had our wedding at camp firefly and absolutely loved it. Charming and cozy. Perfect venue. Visited the venue the first time the week prior. Veronica was positive, enthusiastic and extremely helpful making smooth process responding to calls/emails with prompt attention. The wait staff were gracious and on top of their game. The salon was perfect way to start the day. Our families and friends traveled from throughout the country. They all loved the charm of the property
Reviewed on 24-09-2018
Had our wedding at camp firefly and absolutely loved it. Charming and cozy. Perfect venue. Visited the venue the first time the week prior. Veronica was positive, enthusiastic and extremely helpful making smooth process responding to calls/emails with prompt attention. The wait staff were gracious and on top of their game. The salon was perfect way to start the day. Our families and friends traveled from throughout the country. They all loved the charm of the property
Reviewed on 24-09-2018
Hannah Barnes (bride) 3 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 25-08-2018
We had our wedding at Camp Firefly, the venue was gorgeous and our guests enjoyed being able to go outside on the lawn and by the fire at night. Guests mentioned that the wait staff was very attentive. However, we had both the buffet and plated food services, and both had some dishes that were quite dry. Additionally, I had some communication problems with the event planning staff.
Reviewed on 09-09-2018
Wedding Date 25-08-2018
We had our wedding at Camp Firefly, the venue was gorgeous and our guests enjoyed being able to go outside on the lawn and by the fire at night. Guests mentioned that the wait staff was very attentive. However, we had both the buffet and plated food services, and both had some dishes that were quite dry. Additionally, I had some communication problems with the event planning staff.
Reviewed on 09-09-2018
Bethany Buschmann (bride) 4 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 01-09-2018
My wedding at the Homestead was beautiful and my event planner was very nice. The Homestead is a great location for your guests as it serves as a one stop location for your ceremony, reception, lodging and weekend activities. Once your guests arrive they can park their cars and relax. The beach is beautiful and perfect for sunset pictures and there are plenty of pools and hot tubs on property. Due to the weather, my wedding ended up being inside at Camp Firefly, but it was beautiful and the guests loved it. The food was also amazing and many of our guests complimented us on the food as well. Leading up to my wedding, I did experience a bit of stress with the planning of my wedding though. However, this was not the fault of my event planner. Currently, there are only two event planners for all of the weddings at the Homestead, making it nearly impossible to get the customer service that most brides expect leading up to your wedding. The turn over in event planners sounds like it may be a reoccurring issue which leads to issues with maintaining resort planning knowledge --meaning many questions were unable to be answered throughout the planning process. This caused confusion, frustration, and sometimes hidden fees to be discovered. Any bride that is considering the Homestead should just be aware that the planning process will be a bit frustrating, but it will end up being a beautiful wedding and worth it for your guests. Also, the salon on property is wonderful and so are the ladies that work there. They did an amazing job on my hair and makeup as well as for my wedding party. I highly recommend using them on the day of your wedding.
Reviewed on 24-08-2018
Wedding Date 01-09-2018
My wedding at the Homestead was beautiful and my event planner was very nice. The Homestead is a great location for your guests as it serves as a one stop location for your ceremony, reception, lodging and weekend activities. Once your guests arrive they can park their cars and relax. The beach is beautiful and perfect for sunset pictures and there are plenty of pools and hot tubs on property. Due to the weather, my wedding ended up being inside at Camp Firefly, but it was beautiful and the guests loved it. The food was also amazing and many of our guests complimented us on the food as well. Leading up to my wedding, I did experience a bit of stress with the planning of my wedding though. However, this was not the fault of my event planner. Currently, there are only two event planners for all of the weddings at the Homestead, making it nearly impossible to get the customer service that most brides expect leading up to your wedding. The turn over in event planners sounds like it may be a reoccurring issue which leads to issues with maintaining resort planning knowledge --meaning many questions were unable to be answered throughout the planning process. This caused confusion, frustration, and sometimes hidden fees to be discovered. Any bride that is considering the Homestead should just be aware that the planning process will be a bit frustrating, but it will end up being a beautiful wedding and worth it for your guests. Also, the salon on property is wonderful and so are the ladies that work there. They did an amazing job on my hair and makeup as well as for my wedding party. I highly recommend using them on the day of your wedding.
Reviewed on 24-08-2018
Lisa Abraham (bride) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 30-06-2018
Gorgeous location, awful service. Regretted choosing them once we started the wedding planning process as the entire staff was difficult to work with and not accommodating.
Reviewed on 08-07-2018
Wedding Date 30-06-2018
Gorgeous location, awful service. Regretted choosing them once we started the wedding planning process as the entire staff was difficult to work with and not accommodating.
Reviewed on 08-07-2018
Ashley Cox (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 20-01-2018
Loved everything about our winter wedding at The Homestead! Lynzie was a delight to work with and answered every question we had. Would highly recommend this venue to any bride looking for a lodge-y feeling wedding!!
Reviewed on 02-04-2018
Wedding Date 20-01-2018
Loved everything about our winter wedding at The Homestead! Lynzie was a delight to work with and answered every question we had. Would highly recommend this venue to any bride looking for a lodge-y feeling wedding!!
Reviewed on 02-04-2018
a member (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 15-03-2019
Our winter wedding was a fairly tale really. The Homestead was powdered with beautiful white snow that was amazing for our back drop. The staff were all great. From the staff at the salon to the waitstaff. Our wedding coordinator Lynzie Gotshall made everything flawless and I did not have to worry about a single thing. All our guests had a great time as well.
Reviewed on 15-01-2018
Wedding Date 15-03-2019
Our winter wedding was a fairly tale really. The Homestead was powdered with beautiful white snow that was amazing for our back drop. The staff were all great. From the staff at the salon to the waitstaff. Our wedding coordinator Lynzie Gotshall made everything flawless and I did not have to worry about a single thing. All our guests had a great time as well.
Reviewed on 15-01-2018
Michelle Bouley (bride) 2 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 26-08-2017
The Homestead has been a dream wedding venue for my husband and I since before we even met each other. The grounds are beautiful and you cannot pick a more beautiful setting for a ceremony and reception in Northern Michigan. Having on site lodging and catering makes for seamless planning. However, our good luck stopped there. We planned and coordinated our wedding details, timeline, and catering with Lynzie. She was very helpful and patient as we exchanged hundreds of emails over the course of a year and a half. However, The Homestead assigned a different coordinator for our day of needs, and Lynzie was not responsible for anything on our actual wedding day. I had heard great things about their experienced coordinator, Barb, who was assigned to our wedding day. I had sent pictures and written descriptions of our wedding layout and décor. When I arrived the navy overlays I provided were misplaced, tables were set incorrectly and some were out of place. Barb even told me I had not provided enough table covers and that my instructions were unclear (2 things you don’t tell a bride on her wedding day…) With guests outside enjoying cocktail hour, there was not much time to rectify her mistake. She and the team placed half of the table clothes correctly and the night went on. The food was great; however they had changed the fish recipe without warning and we were served a fish we had not approved as a meal option. When we went to clean up the next day, we had to call the staff to meet us. A third coordinator, whom we had never met, arrived very late and was unmotivated and generally unpleasant to work with. My parents and I packed everything ourselves with no help from The Homestead staff. The Homestead never returned our escort card holders, our cake topper, or our guest book (my parents had to return to the site and get the cake themselves, and the guestbook was later mailed to us after leaving a voicemail with the staff whom never returned our calls, the escort card holders were never returned and presumably thrown away) Last but not least, they’re lodging department could use a class on customer service. First and foremost, be warned that their check in time is 4pm, no exceptions. If you ask, they will suggest you either book your room for the night before or get ready in their public locker room (even if you are the mother of the groom). Our first issue came when we were promised that my 93-year-old grandmother would be in the room next to her daughter, this was even confirmed twice throughout the year. Upon check in my grandmother was not next to her daughter, in fact they were in completely different buildings. There was no compromise or attempt to rectify this. Secondly a guest was placed in a room with a faulty key. Instead of moving this guest, she was asked to call housekeeping anytime she wanted to enter her room, including past midnight following our wedding reception. Again, there was no compromise or attempt to rectify this situation for our guest. This property has been capitalizing on its location for years. I had heard rumors of its service degrading over the years, and unfortunately it is all true. You’ve been warned.
Reviewed on 25-10-2017
Wedding Date 26-08-2017
The Homestead has been a dream wedding venue for my husband and I since before we even met each other. The grounds are beautiful and you cannot pick a more beautiful setting for a ceremony and reception in Northern Michigan. Having on site lodging and catering makes for seamless planning. However, our good luck stopped there. We planned and coordinated our wedding details, timeline, and catering with Lynzie. She was very helpful and patient as we exchanged hundreds of emails over the course of a year and a half. However, The Homestead assigned a different coordinator for our day of needs, and Lynzie was not responsible for anything on our actual wedding day. I had heard great things about their experienced coordinator, Barb, who was assigned to our wedding day. I had sent pictures and written descriptions of our wedding layout and décor. When I arrived the navy overlays I provided were misplaced, tables were set incorrectly and some were out of place. Barb even told me I had not provided enough table covers and that my instructions were unclear (2 things you don’t tell a bride on her wedding day…) With guests outside enjoying cocktail hour, there was not much time to rectify her mistake. She and the team placed half of the table clothes correctly and the night went on. The food was great; however they had changed the fish recipe without warning and we were served a fish we had not approved as a meal option. When we went to clean up the next day, we had to call the staff to meet us. A third coordinator, whom we had never met, arrived very late and was unmotivated and generally unpleasant to work with. My parents and I packed everything ourselves with no help from The Homestead staff. The Homestead never returned our escort card holders, our cake topper, or our guest book (my parents had to return to the site and get the cake themselves, and the guestbook was later mailed to us after leaving a voicemail with the staff whom never returned our calls, the escort card holders were never returned and presumably thrown away) Last but not least, they’re lodging department could use a class on customer service. First and foremost, be warned that their check in time is 4pm, no exceptions. If you ask, they will suggest you either book your room for the night before or get ready in their public locker room (even if you are the mother of the groom). Our first issue came when we were promised that my 93-year-old grandmother would be in the room next to her daughter, this was even confirmed twice throughout the year. Upon check in my grandmother was not next to her daughter, in fact they were in completely different buildings. There was no compromise or attempt to rectify this. Secondly a guest was placed in a room with a faulty key. Instead of moving this guest, she was asked to call housekeeping anytime she wanted to enter her room, including past midnight following our wedding reception. Again, there was no compromise or attempt to rectify this situation for our guest. This property has been capitalizing on its location for years. I had heard rumors of its service degrading over the years, and unfortunately it is all true. You’ve been warned.
Reviewed on 25-10-2017
Erin Huggins (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 21-10-2017
Our wedding was perfect from the very start. The staff was very helpful and accommodating to us from when we first went up to check out the venue till our event ended. The View on the top of the mountain was breathtaking and our guests were in awe once they rode the chairlift up and looked across Lake Michigan. The food was to die for and they saved me and my husband some appetizers for us to much on before dinner. I would highly recommend this venue to anyone they have areas to accommodate all sizes or weddings on their property.
Reviewed on 24-10-2017
Wedding Date 21-10-2017
Our wedding was perfect from the very start. The staff was very helpful and accommodating to us from when we first went up to check out the venue till our event ended. The View on the top of the mountain was breathtaking and our guests were in awe once they rode the chairlift up and looked across Lake Michigan. The food was to die for and they saved me and my husband some appetizers for us to much on before dinner. I would highly recommend this venue to anyone they have areas to accommodate all sizes or weddings on their property.
Reviewed on 24-10-2017
Rachel D'Amico (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 25-08-2017
Where do I start? EVERYONE from The Homestead was helpful, courteous, kind, sweet and supportive. Lynzie made everything easy and had the most excellent suggestions to make life easy for us and all of our family. Our wedding was very small wedding and it was PERFECT! We had a rehearsal dinner at CQs BBQ, the food was SO delicious! Our bartender, Liz, was just so lovely! We had a beach ceremony. Audrey was our day of coordinator-her demeanor was so easy going it helped calm me immensely. Our reception dinner was at Nonna’s and the food was the most amazing spread-we had a made to order menu that was over the top. We also included a farewell breakfast, again at Nonna’s and the spread was just UNBELIEVABLE! Everything from an omelet station and mimosas to lunch service. Just incredible. Once again, we had had the privilege of Liz as our bartender. Also, the ladies had manis and pedis done the day before the wedding at LilyJade-Erica and Nicole made us all feel comfy and beautiful at the salon. Last but certainly not least: JESSICA made my hair look so AMAZING!
Reviewed on 24-09-2017
Wedding Date 25-08-2017
Where do I start? EVERYONE from The Homestead was helpful, courteous, kind, sweet and supportive. Lynzie made everything easy and had the most excellent suggestions to make life easy for us and all of our family. Our wedding was very small wedding and it was PERFECT! We had a rehearsal dinner at CQs BBQ, the food was SO delicious! Our bartender, Liz, was just so lovely! We had a beach ceremony. Audrey was our day of coordinator-her demeanor was so easy going it helped calm me immensely. Our reception dinner was at Nonna’s and the food was the most amazing spread-we had a made to order menu that was over the top. We also included a farewell breakfast, again at Nonna’s and the spread was just UNBELIEVABLE! Everything from an omelet station and mimosas to lunch service. Just incredible. Once again, we had had the privilege of Liz as our bartender. Also, the ladies had manis and pedis done the day before the wedding at LilyJade-Erica and Nicole made us all feel comfy and beautiful at the salon. Last but certainly not least: JESSICA made my hair look so AMAZING!
Reviewed on 24-09-2017
CALLISTA GLOSS (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 05-08-2017
My husband and I couldn't be happier with how beautiful our beach wedding was at The Homestead. Even though it is expensive to get married in Northern Michigan in general, it was well worth the money we spent. We choose the smallest venue (maximum of 35 guests) which happened to be on the beach overlooking the Manitou islands and Sleeping Bear Point. The reception was upstairs at Nonna's Loft. Our guests loved the ceremony venue and loved the food at Nonna's. Lynzie was an excellent Wedding Sales Associate and Day-Of Coordinator. If you're thinking about having your wedding at The Homestead, do it!
Reviewed on 24-08-2017
Wedding Date 05-08-2017
My husband and I couldn't be happier with how beautiful our beach wedding was at The Homestead. Even though it is expensive to get married in Northern Michigan in general, it was well worth the money we spent. We choose the smallest venue (maximum of 35 guests) which happened to be on the beach overlooking the Manitou islands and Sleeping Bear Point. The reception was upstairs at Nonna's Loft. Our guests loved the ceremony venue and loved the food at Nonna's. Lynzie was an excellent Wedding Sales Associate and Day-Of Coordinator. If you're thinking about having your wedding at The Homestead, do it!
Reviewed on 24-08-2017
Alise Trautmann (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 11-06-2017
We toured a few wedding venues in the area, but honestly - once we saw the view of Lake Michigan from the Top of Bay Mountain, it was game over. Luckily for us, the kindness and helpfulness of the staff at the Homestead rivaled its natural beauty. Lynzie, our sales rep/day-of coordinator, is one of the sweetest, most organized, on top of her stuff-kinda-person. She immediately got the vibe we were going for on our big day and not only helped make it happen, but anticipated our needs before we even knew we needed anything. Erica, Jess, and the rest of the LilyJade salon staff were also awesome and so easy to work with. The food was great, the drinks were flowing, the ceremony was gorgeous despite a liiittle rain, and our guests couldn't stop telling us that it was one of the best weddings they're ever been to. Recommend 100%!
Reviewed on 10-07-2017
Wedding Date 11-06-2017
We toured a few wedding venues in the area, but honestly - once we saw the view of Lake Michigan from the Top of Bay Mountain, it was game over. Luckily for us, the kindness and helpfulness of the staff at the Homestead rivaled its natural beauty. Lynzie, our sales rep/day-of coordinator, is one of the sweetest, most organized, on top of her stuff-kinda-person. She immediately got the vibe we were going for on our big day and not only helped make it happen, but anticipated our needs before we even knew we needed anything. Erica, Jess, and the rest of the LilyJade salon staff were also awesome and so easy to work with. The food was great, the drinks were flowing, the ceremony was gorgeous despite a liiittle rain, and our guests couldn't stop telling us that it was one of the best weddings they're ever been to. Recommend 100%!
Reviewed on 10-07-2017
Chris Washburn (groom) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 21-08-2018
A stress free sunset weddingAs we were planning our big day, Lynzie and the team paid attention to all details and proactively sought out our input to ensure that all things controlable could be handled efficiently, which allowed us to truly enjoy each moment of our special day. The icing on the cake was the magnificent setting on Lake Michigan and the beautifully manicured grounds of the Homestead - the perfect venue for any wedding event.
Reviewed on 21-06-2017
Wedding Date 21-08-2018
A stress free sunset weddingAs we were planning our big day, Lynzie and the team paid attention to all details and proactively sought out our input to ensure that all things controlable could be handled efficiently, which allowed us to truly enjoy each moment of our special day. The icing on the cake was the magnificent setting on Lake Michigan and the beautifully manicured grounds of the Homestead - the perfect venue for any wedding event.
Reviewed on 21-06-2017
Adrienne Swartz (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 10-06-2017
My husband Scott and I just got married at The Homestead and it was beyond perfect. Lynzie Gotshall was our wedding coordinator and went above and beyond for us every step of the process! The staff at the Homestead was beyond accommodating and made sure our day went as smooth as possible. My bridesmaids and I got ready at the Lily Jade salon at the Homestead and once again, we were pampered from the moment we walked in. I would highly recommend the Homestead for a wedding venue to anyone who is considering it. You will not regret it!!!!
Reviewed on 16-06-2017
Wedding Date 10-06-2017
My husband Scott and I just got married at The Homestead and it was beyond perfect. Lynzie Gotshall was our wedding coordinator and went above and beyond for us every step of the process! The staff at the Homestead was beyond accommodating and made sure our day went as smooth as possible. My bridesmaids and I got ready at the Lily Jade salon at the Homestead and once again, we were pampered from the moment we walked in. I would highly recommend the Homestead for a wedding venue to anyone who is considering it. You will not regret it!!!!
Reviewed on 16-06-2017
Nicole Steele (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 27-05-2017
Our wedding at The Homestead was truly incredible. My husband and I feel so lucky to have found this venue. Our coordinator, Lynzie, was so helpful, organized, and responsive throughout the entire planning process. I felt very comfortable relaxing on our wedding day because I knew things were under control. The staff at The Homestead were so prepared with every detail of our day that things moved flawlessly. The food and drink service was fantastic – so quick and friendly. It’s like they anticipated everything we would need and would have it to us before we could ask for it. Our guests loved The Homestead, too. They raved about both the resort and our wedding. So many people thanked us for inviting them because it provided them with a weekend getaway at such a beautiful place. I highly recommend this venue!!!
Reviewed on 15-06-2017
Wedding Date 27-05-2017
Our wedding at The Homestead was truly incredible. My husband and I feel so lucky to have found this venue. Our coordinator, Lynzie, was so helpful, organized, and responsive throughout the entire planning process. I felt very comfortable relaxing on our wedding day because I knew things were under control. The staff at The Homestead were so prepared with every detail of our day that things moved flawlessly. The food and drink service was fantastic – so quick and friendly. It’s like they anticipated everything we would need and would have it to us before we could ask for it. Our guests loved The Homestead, too. They raved about both the resort and our wedding. So many people thanked us for inviting them because it provided them with a weekend getaway at such a beautiful place. I highly recommend this venue!!!
Reviewed on 15-06-2017
Heather McCann (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 13-08-2016
Our wedding at The Homestead was everything we wanted and more. Not only is the resort itself gorgeous, the staff was amazing before, during, and after our wedding. We were married on Bay Mountain and held the reception site at the lodge.My only complaint is that our wedding was during the hottest part of the summer and the lodge was BLAZING hot!! We asked the wedding coordinator from The Homestead to turn the air conditioning up and we were told that she had to have permission first but she would see what she could do. It remained hot the entire reception.Other than that detail everything went off without a hitch. I would also like to point out that my husband's aunt was stung by a bee between the wedding and reception and a staff member was nice enough to find Calamine lotion and a band aid for her, as well as hunting down her shoe. Way above and beyond in our eyes and we appreciated that so much!!Obviously the price is a little steep but to have your ceremony and reception site, food, and staff all included, we were more than willing to pay for the convenience of it all. And in our eyes having our wedding in such a beautiful area is priceless!
Reviewed on 06-02-2017
Wedding Date 13-08-2016
Our wedding at The Homestead was everything we wanted and more. Not only is the resort itself gorgeous, the staff was amazing before, during, and after our wedding. We were married on Bay Mountain and held the reception site at the lodge.My only complaint is that our wedding was during the hottest part of the summer and the lodge was BLAZING hot!! We asked the wedding coordinator from The Homestead to turn the air conditioning up and we were told that she had to have permission first but she would see what she could do. It remained hot the entire reception.Other than that detail everything went off without a hitch. I would also like to point out that my husband's aunt was stung by a bee between the wedding and reception and a staff member was nice enough to find Calamine lotion and a band aid for her, as well as hunting down her shoe. Way above and beyond in our eyes and we appreciated that so much!!Obviously the price is a little steep but to have your ceremony and reception site, food, and staff all included, we were more than willing to pay for the convenience of it all. And in our eyes having our wedding in such a beautiful area is priceless!
Reviewed on 06-02-2017
Emily Smith (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 15-10-2016
We just got married here October, 2016 and it was the most amazing wedding day ever!!! This wedding was more than either of us could have asked for and I will always remember my wedding day and the most amazing day of my life, up to this point. Stunning atmosphere, amazing staff and relaxing and peaceful place to spend the weekend. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for an amazing up north wedding on Lake Michigan!! This just blew us away! :)
Reviewed on 05-11-2016
Wedding Date 15-10-2016
We just got married here October, 2016 and it was the most amazing wedding day ever!!! This wedding was more than either of us could have asked for and I will always remember my wedding day and the most amazing day of my life, up to this point. Stunning atmosphere, amazing staff and relaxing and peaceful place to spend the weekend. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for an amazing up north wedding on Lake Michigan!! This just blew us away! :)
Reviewed on 05-11-2016
Alishia Feaster (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 16-10-2016
The Homestead was absolutely wonderful with our wedding!! Lynzie in Group Sales was great to work with and so accommodating. She eased my mind whenever I was starting to stress out and made the entire process so easy. Bryan was great during the actual day and during the rehearsal. He was able to keep us all as focused as we could be and keep everything running smoothly. I didn't have to worry about anything because they had it all together!!
Reviewed on 26-10-2016
Wedding Date 16-10-2016
The Homestead was absolutely wonderful with our wedding!! Lynzie in Group Sales was great to work with and so accommodating. She eased my mind whenever I was starting to stress out and made the entire process so easy. Bryan was great during the actual day and during the rehearsal. He was able to keep us all as focused as we could be and keep everything running smoothly. I didn't have to worry about anything because they had it all together!!
Reviewed on 26-10-2016
Amber Brackman (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 08-10-2016
If you are looking for a Northern Michigan wedding this is it! We loved our wedding day so much here, we would do it all over again in a heart beat.+best place ever to get married, so beautiful.+guest will love it+food was amazing..if you can find time to eat well on your wedding weekend.+rewards program for using The Homestead, points to stay for 1 year anniversary.+ Wedding coordinators are awesome and super detailed and response time is FAST.+Totally worth the drive and the wait to have our wedding here and for our guest, everyone loved it too. =)
Reviewed on 24-10-2016
Wedding Date 08-10-2016
If you are looking for a Northern Michigan wedding this is it! We loved our wedding day so much here, we would do it all over again in a heart beat.+best place ever to get married, so beautiful.+guest will love it+food was amazing..if you can find time to eat well on your wedding weekend.+rewards program for using The Homestead, points to stay for 1 year anniversary.+ Wedding coordinators are awesome and super detailed and response time is FAST.+Totally worth the drive and the wait to have our wedding here and for our guest, everyone loved it too. =)
Reviewed on 24-10-2016
Mary Koenigsknecht (bride) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 23-07-2016
DO NOT HAVE YOUR WEDDING AT THE HOMESTEAD. I chose the Homestead for our wedding because of the beautiful setting and the illusion that it would be easier to plan if our venue coordinated most aspects of our wedding. While our wedding was beautiful, we are still dealing with the aftermath of the mistakes made by the Homestead staff. HOMESTEAD STAFF STOLE FROM US: Multiple Homestead staff stole wedding cards with cash and checks in them during our reception. The Homestead will not reimburse the money that was stolen and has stopped responding to our inquiries over several weeks regarding the incident. They have fired a few suspected employees.OVERCHARGED OVER $5000: Our bill arrived two weeks before our wedding and I was shocked to see the total. In the 28 page bill, they had not applied a deposit of $4386 and they added our bill incorrectly, overcharging us $1000. Our coordinator admitted the error and sent me a new bill that was still incorrect.OVERCHARGED $1000 AGAIN: The new bill was still $1000 too much. They fixed it. BILL SENT TO STRANGER: The Homestead sent our bill to a former customer.FOOD PRICES: Price increases on food from 2015 to 2016 resulted in over a $1000 increase in cost that we were not expecting. When you book the homestead you do not lock in prices for food and beverage. AIR CONDITIONING DID NOT WORK AT RECEPTION: It was 90 degrees. The AC wasn’t working and the Homestead did not have fans. A Homestead employee complained about our guests who were upset about not having AC and that she had to ask the maintenance guy come in on a Saturday. (He didn’t fix the AC.) Meanwhile I was standing there with drenched hair and a sweat-soaked dress. The Homestead did give us a credit after we pursued compensation.AC DID NOT WORK IN ROOMS: The night before the wedding, the AC stopped working at Stony Brook. It was not fixed until the next day. The Homestead did give a small credit.POOR HORS D'OEUVRES: The veggie plate only had zucchini strips, large broccoli, some celery, and cherry tomatoes. The Homestead did credit us.SAD SALADS: We paid a large sum for tossed salads with veggies for our guests at the welcome dinner and at our reception and received salads that were basically lettuce with some onions on them. The Homestead did give a credit.SPRINKLERS: My brother and sister-in-law were drenched with sprinklers on barely lit paths after the reception ended. TARDY DRINK BILL: A few days after our wedding we were told we were receiving a credit for our drink deposit, but they would not tell us how much. It took almost two weeks. POOR ACCOMMODATIONS: The accommodations at the Homestead are drastically overpriced. If you have read other reviews, you will see that others agree. The rooms are outdated and disappointing for the cost. There was trash and dirty laundry in the halls all day. The homestead will claim that you are paying for the location and the view. Many of our guests voiced concerns over the quality of the rooms, the cost, and the staff. WILL NOT RETURN ITEMS FROM RECEPTION: The Homestead lost our cake knife and has not returned our cake plate nor our cake server and they will not return our messages.
Reviewed on 18-09-2016
Wedding Date 23-07-2016
DO NOT HAVE YOUR WEDDING AT THE HOMESTEAD. I chose the Homestead for our wedding because of the beautiful setting and the illusion that it would be easier to plan if our venue coordinated most aspects of our wedding. While our wedding was beautiful, we are still dealing with the aftermath of the mistakes made by the Homestead staff. HOMESTEAD STAFF STOLE FROM US: Multiple Homestead staff stole wedding cards with cash and checks in them during our reception. The Homestead will not reimburse the money that was stolen and has stopped responding to our inquiries over several weeks regarding the incident. They have fired a few suspected employees.OVERCHARGED OVER $5000: Our bill arrived two weeks before our wedding and I was shocked to see the total. In the 28 page bill, they had not applied a deposit of $4386 and they added our bill incorrectly, overcharging us $1000. Our coordinator admitted the error and sent me a new bill that was still incorrect.OVERCHARGED $1000 AGAIN: The new bill was still $1000 too much. They fixed it. BILL SENT TO STRANGER: The Homestead sent our bill to a former customer.FOOD PRICES: Price increases on food from 2015 to 2016 resulted in over a $1000 increase in cost that we were not expecting. When you book the homestead you do not lock in prices for food and beverage. AIR CONDITIONING DID NOT WORK AT RECEPTION: It was 90 degrees. The AC wasn’t working and the Homestead did not have fans. A Homestead employee complained about our guests who were upset about not having AC and that she had to ask the maintenance guy come in on a Saturday. (He didn’t fix the AC.) Meanwhile I was standing there with drenched hair and a sweat-soaked dress. The Homestead did give us a credit after we pursued compensation.AC DID NOT WORK IN ROOMS: The night before the wedding, the AC stopped working at Stony Brook. It was not fixed until the next day. The Homestead did give a small credit.POOR HORS D'OEUVRES: The veggie plate only had zucchini strips, large broccoli, some celery, and cherry tomatoes. The Homestead did credit us.SAD SALADS: We paid a large sum for tossed salads with veggies for our guests at the welcome dinner and at our reception and received salads that were basically lettuce with some onions on them. The Homestead did give a credit.SPRINKLERS: My brother and sister-in-law were drenched with sprinklers on barely lit paths after the reception ended. TARDY DRINK BILL: A few days after our wedding we were told we were receiving a credit for our drink deposit, but they would not tell us how much. It took almost two weeks. POOR ACCOMMODATIONS: The accommodations at the Homestead are drastically overpriced. If you have read other reviews, you will see that others agree. The rooms are outdated and disappointing for the cost. There was trash and dirty laundry in the halls all day. The homestead will claim that you are paying for the location and the view. Many of our guests voiced concerns over the quality of the rooms, the cost, and the staff. WILL NOT RETURN ITEMS FROM RECEPTION: The Homestead lost our cake knife and has not returned our cake plate nor our cake server and they will not return our messages.
Reviewed on 18-09-2016
Madeline Davert (bride) 3 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 12-06-2016
Stunning views and atmosphere! We loved that the ceremony, reception, hotels, restaurants, and activities were all on the same grounds; makes for a wonderful wedding weekend/family reunion. My only disappointments came with the inexperienced, unprofessional, careless staff (wedding sales, day of coordinators). Stay on top of them, keep records of everything, and prepare yourself for stress that they inflict. Do not fall under the impression that because you're paying a lot of money that they \"take care of everything\". We dealt with people not showing up for our meetings, clerical errors, being called the wrong names, over-charging, and computer/email/phone problems they blamed on \"the storm\" that took place almost a year prior.
Reviewed on 11-07-2016
Wedding Date 12-06-2016
Stunning views and atmosphere! We loved that the ceremony, reception, hotels, restaurants, and activities were all on the same grounds; makes for a wonderful wedding weekend/family reunion. My only disappointments came with the inexperienced, unprofessional, careless staff (wedding sales, day of coordinators). Stay on top of them, keep records of everything, and prepare yourself for stress that they inflict. Do not fall under the impression that because you're paying a lot of money that they \"take care of everything\". We dealt with people not showing up for our meetings, clerical errors, being called the wrong names, over-charging, and computer/email/phone problems they blamed on \"the storm\" that took place almost a year prior.
Reviewed on 11-07-2016
Anonymous (wedding party) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 19-08-2017
As parents of the bride (Savannah Edmondson Klump) we could not be more pleased with our daughter's choice of the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor Michigan. Our sales associate Lynzie Gotschall was amazing from the day we booked. Every detail carefully planned and she was always available at any time. Truly a pleasure to work with her. She was there everyday for us through the planning, the ceremony and the reception. Simply amazing. Our day of coordinator Connar McLeod was a dream to work with. She took charge of our vendors and the day of the wedding was so seamless and perfect. There was no stress, I repeat NO STRESS. My wife and I just had to show up and enjoy ourselves. You cannot put a price on that. The Homestead facility had our guests raving. The majestic views atop Bay Mountain, the waterfall and babbling brook of the Mountain Flowers Lodge provided a setting of a fairytale wedding. It was truly a magical day. Our guests are still talking about how friendly the entire staff was and how accommodating they were to special requests.Some special unique features included: a chairlift ride for our guests and the wedding party to the ceremony site. The \"Closest to the Pin\" challenge added an element of fun for all of our guests.We cannot recommend the Homestead Resort enough. If you desire a fairytale wedding, the Homestead and its staff will make that dream come true.
Reviewed on 19-06-2016
Wedding Date 19-08-2017
As parents of the bride (Savannah Edmondson Klump) we could not be more pleased with our daughter's choice of the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor Michigan. Our sales associate Lynzie Gotschall was amazing from the day we booked. Every detail carefully planned and she was always available at any time. Truly a pleasure to work with her. She was there everyday for us through the planning, the ceremony and the reception. Simply amazing. Our day of coordinator Connar McLeod was a dream to work with. She took charge of our vendors and the day of the wedding was so seamless and perfect. There was no stress, I repeat NO STRESS. My wife and I just had to show up and enjoy ourselves. You cannot put a price on that. The Homestead facility had our guests raving. The majestic views atop Bay Mountain, the waterfall and babbling brook of the Mountain Flowers Lodge provided a setting of a fairytale wedding. It was truly a magical day. Our guests are still talking about how friendly the entire staff was and how accommodating they were to special requests.Some special unique features included: a chairlift ride for our guests and the wedding party to the ceremony site. The \"Closest to the Pin\" challenge added an element of fun for all of our guests.We cannot recommend the Homestead Resort enough. If you desire a fairytale wedding, the Homestead and its staff will make that dream come true.
Reviewed on 19-06-2016
Savannah Edmondson (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 17-06-2016
All I can say about The Homestead is WOW. My wedding day was absolutely perfect, thanks to Lynize, Connar and the rest of the crew. Their attention to all the details big and small was impeccable. From the time we met them in July to book our wedding, to the clean up, they went above and beyond to make this the event of my lifetime. I had no stress or worries, and was fully able to enjoy my time with my new husband and our guests. Lynzie was there for an entire year, helping us with everything and always answering questions. Connar took charge of our vendors, and helped us the entire week of our wedding. She even got on her knees to help us wrap up extra flowers the morning after. Even the wait staff took care of us and our guests so fantastically. Especially Hillary. She anticipated everything we could ever need or want, and had it delivered to our table before we even asked. Our guests have been raving about their time at the resort. Most wished they could have stayed longer. We can't thank everyone at The Homestead enough. If you are looking for a perfect wedding in Northern Michigan, look no further than The Homestead Resort.
Reviewed on 19-06-2016
Wedding Date 17-06-2016
All I can say about The Homestead is WOW. My wedding day was absolutely perfect, thanks to Lynize, Connar and the rest of the crew. Their attention to all the details big and small was impeccable. From the time we met them in July to book our wedding, to the clean up, they went above and beyond to make this the event of my lifetime. I had no stress or worries, and was fully able to enjoy my time with my new husband and our guests. Lynzie was there for an entire year, helping us with everything and always answering questions. Connar took charge of our vendors, and helped us the entire week of our wedding. She even got on her knees to help us wrap up extra flowers the morning after. Even the wait staff took care of us and our guests so fantastically. Especially Hillary. She anticipated everything we could ever need or want, and had it delivered to our table before we even asked. Our guests have been raving about their time at the resort. Most wished they could have stayed longer. We can't thank everyone at The Homestead enough. If you are looking for a perfect wedding in Northern Michigan, look no further than The Homestead Resort.
Reviewed on 19-06-2016
Whitney Rupp Kruger (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 17-10-2015
What a romantic get away. Absolute perfection. Their wedding coordinator, Barb, is the best at making things happen. We are so happy we chose Bay Mountain for the ceremony and Mountain Flowers Lodge for the reception. What a breathtaking event. Plus, who doesn't want to take a chairlift to their cermony site!!
Reviewed on 15-03-2016
Wedding Date 17-10-2015
What a romantic get away. Absolute perfection. Their wedding coordinator, Barb, is the best at making things happen. We are so happy we chose Bay Mountain for the ceremony and Mountain Flowers Lodge for the reception. What a breathtaking event. Plus, who doesn't want to take a chairlift to their cermony site!!
Reviewed on 15-03-2016
Amanda Jackson (bride) 1 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 23-07-2016
Horrific!!!! We currently live in Florida but are planning our wedding in Michigan where we are originally from. After researching venues we had thought the Homestead was \"the one.\" We took time off of work and flew up to see the venue. It is undeniably beautiful (but most anything waterfront in northern Michigan is). We quickly decided we were settled and requested a contract for our review. After repetitive requests for a contract (over the span of a month) I began to feel leery about the venue, \"if I was being ignored already how would they treat me once they had a deposit.\" I went above our consultant and emailed her boss that I was looking for a contract and felt as though the consultant wasn't adequately providing the information I requested. A week later I received an email that our consultant had left and that she would expedite getting a contract to me. \r\rThe expedited process like every other request for a contract was a joke. After 2 weeks I was told that I could not have the beach wedding I was promised was feasible (a deal breaker for me). I am truly disgusted, at the time and money we spent to look at this venue. I am appalled at both the consultant and her boss' inability to do their job in a timely manner.\r\rMy warning to anyone considering this venue is:\r\r1. I began researching online reviews and found cleanliness issues with the property and the rooms. I am very glad I am not putting my guests in mold filled rooms (take a look at yelp).\r\r2. I am not the only person who has received this lack luster (to put it kindly) customer service. I'm astonished that they are so neglectful to people that want to pay them money. There are other reviews on this site with similar experiences.\r\r3. We have found a wonderful new venue in Traverse City where people return my communications in 24-48 hours or sooner. Don't settle on dealing with people that don't care about their job much less your special day. \r\rThere are much better options in the Traverse City area. STAY AWAY!!!!\r\r(Note: I had over 25+ email reminders/phone calls in the 2 month span I was dealing with this venue. Our new venue was booked within 2 weeks with 8 emails (2 of which being contract related)).\r
Reviewed on 21-11-2015
Wedding Date 23-07-2016
Horrific!!!! We currently live in Florida but are planning our wedding in Michigan where we are originally from. After researching venues we had thought the Homestead was \"the one.\" We took time off of work and flew up to see the venue. It is undeniably beautiful (but most anything waterfront in northern Michigan is). We quickly decided we were settled and requested a contract for our review. After repetitive requests for a contract (over the span of a month) I began to feel leery about the venue, \"if I was being ignored already how would they treat me once they had a deposit.\" I went above our consultant and emailed her boss that I was looking for a contract and felt as though the consultant wasn't adequately providing the information I requested. A week later I received an email that our consultant had left and that she would expedite getting a contract to me. \r\rThe expedited process like every other request for a contract was a joke. After 2 weeks I was told that I could not have the beach wedding I was promised was feasible (a deal breaker for me). I am truly disgusted, at the time and money we spent to look at this venue. I am appalled at both the consultant and her boss' inability to do their job in a timely manner.\r\rMy warning to anyone considering this venue is:\r\r1. I began researching online reviews and found cleanliness issues with the property and the rooms. I am very glad I am not putting my guests in mold filled rooms (take a look at yelp).\r\r2. I am not the only person who has received this lack luster (to put it kindly) customer service. I'm astonished that they are so neglectful to people that want to pay them money. There are other reviews on this site with similar experiences.\r\r3. We have found a wonderful new venue in Traverse City where people return my communications in 24-48 hours or sooner. Don't settle on dealing with people that don't care about their job much less your special day. \r\rThere are much better options in the Traverse City area. STAY AWAY!!!!\r\r(Note: I had over 25+ email reminders/phone calls in the 2 month span I was dealing with this venue. Our new venue was booked within 2 weeks with 8 emails (2 of which being contract related)).\r
Reviewed on 21-11-2015
Heather Himelhoch (Limper) (bride) 2 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 06-08-2015
We passed on this place after really poor customer service throughout a few months of trying to plan a wedding here. I've heard it's beautiful but be prepared for difficulty in trying to reach the coordinator and a bit of attitude when you do.
Reviewed on 27-08-2015
Wedding Date 06-08-2015
We passed on this place after really poor customer service throughout a few months of trying to plan a wedding here. I've heard it's beautiful but be prepared for difficulty in trying to reach the coordinator and a bit of attitude when you do.
Reviewed on 27-08-2015
Michelle Navarre (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 19-06-2015
Our wedding was at the Homestead Resort on June 19, 2015 and I couldn't have asked for a more picturesque day and venue. I was a little nervous going into the week of our wedding as we found out that our catering manager that we worked with the past 10 months had left the resort for other opportunities. The director of Group Sales, Barb Ellis, stepped up to the plate and was able to calm all of my nerves and make sure all my expectations were met and exceeded. She went above and beyond to make sure that all the promises that were made were executed. I got married on top of Bay Mountain and the reception followed in The Mountain Flowers Lodge. Barb and Lennox were there every step of the way to assure we had the perfect day and constantly checked in on me and my husband and made sure everything was going well and to see what else they could do to create the best experience for us and our guests. Dinner, Bar, Late Night Snack and S'mores all went according to the timeline and schedule I set and without a hitch. It was the most perfect day!!! I just wish the DJ was allowed to play past 11pm, as none of my guests were ready to leave the party!
Reviewed on 01-07-2015
Wedding Date 19-06-2015
Our wedding was at the Homestead Resort on June 19, 2015 and I couldn't have asked for a more picturesque day and venue. I was a little nervous going into the week of our wedding as we found out that our catering manager that we worked with the past 10 months had left the resort for other opportunities. The director of Group Sales, Barb Ellis, stepped up to the plate and was able to calm all of my nerves and make sure all my expectations were met and exceeded. She went above and beyond to make sure that all the promises that were made were executed. I got married on top of Bay Mountain and the reception followed in The Mountain Flowers Lodge. Barb and Lennox were there every step of the way to assure we had the perfect day and constantly checked in on me and my husband and made sure everything was going well and to see what else they could do to create the best experience for us and our guests. Dinner, Bar, Late Night Snack and S'mores all went according to the timeline and schedule I set and without a hitch. It was the most perfect day!!! I just wish the DJ was allowed to play past 11pm, as none of my guests were ready to leave the party!
Reviewed on 01-07-2015
Katy Wright (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 21-06-2014
My husband and I were so pleased with how our wedding turned out. It was everything we imagined and more. We had the best food, venue and dance floor. We did the wedding and reception at Camp Firefly. Loved working with Barb and Sandy. We're looking forward to going back every year to make many more memories here!
Reviewed on 10-01-2015
Wedding Date 21-06-2014
My husband and I were so pleased with how our wedding turned out. It was everything we imagined and more. We had the best food, venue and dance floor. We did the wedding and reception at Camp Firefly. Loved working with Barb and Sandy. We're looking forward to going back every year to make many more memories here!
Reviewed on 10-01-2015
julielandschoot (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 05-10-2014
Beautiful venue, wonderful accommodations, incredible service. We picked the Homestead because we felt our guests would be well taken care of. The Homestead did not disappoint. Many of our guests enjoyed themselves so much they plan to go back, as do we. A word of advice, trust your wedding coordinator to handle all the details. They know the best florists, bakers, photographers... These ladies will not let you down! Elizabeth (our coordinator), navigated us through the whole process. Above and beyond.... wow.
Reviewed on 31-10-2014
Wedding Date 05-10-2014
Beautiful venue, wonderful accommodations, incredible service. We picked the Homestead because we felt our guests would be well taken care of. The Homestead did not disappoint. Many of our guests enjoyed themselves so much they plan to go back, as do we. A word of advice, trust your wedding coordinator to handle all the details. They know the best florists, bakers, photographers... These ladies will not let you down! Elizabeth (our coordinator), navigated us through the whole process. Above and beyond.... wow.
Reviewed on 31-10-2014
Kasey Finnigan (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 11-10-2014
My husband and I are so happy with how our wedding turned out. The Homestead Resort has everything you and your guest need right on site from restaurants, convenience store, workout studio/ gym, salon, spa. Everything is mostly walking distance and if not The Homestead offers a shuttle around the resort. Plus they have some of the most beautiful views. \r\rOur wedding day went extremely smooth and I could not have asked for a better day. It was brisk outside (october) the views were amazing, bonfire smelled great and kept our guest warm while waiting at the mountain top. Riding the chairlift with my dad to meet my fiancé was so special. I could see my fiancé standing at the altar before he could get a good look at me. Instant tears for me.\r\rMy husband noticed no one ever said no to us. From the front desk staff, wedding staff, maintenance, to the cleaning staff. If they didn’t know the answer they would ask. We had rented a mini van to haul all of our wedding stuff up and we ended up having a slow leak in one of the tires. The maintenance crew allowed us to use their air every morning to top off the tire. We would have had a flat tire to deal with if they did allow us to use the air. My mom and aunt were trying to find mums for the cocktail hour center pieces. They couldn’t find them anywhere. The banquet manager some how managed to find mums and allowed us to use them. That is just a few examples of their kindness and professionalism.\r\rThe banquet/ bar staff were very friendly, professional and efficient. One of the ladies held mine and my husbands plate while walking through the buffet. That made me feel very special and thankful because i'm not the most graceful person and may have ended up with a wedding dress full of food.\r\rMost of our guest made a weekend out of our wedding so it was nice walking around the resort running into guests of our wedding. \rAll of our friends and family had a great time. My all most 90 year grandma had the time of her life dancing with everyone. Everyone loved the food, resort, wineries near by and views and activities on site or nearby.\r\rWe defiantly plan to vist The Homestead Resort every year.
Reviewed on 30-10-2014
Wedding Date 11-10-2014
My husband and I are so happy with how our wedding turned out. The Homestead Resort has everything you and your guest need right on site from restaurants, convenience store, workout studio/ gym, salon, spa. Everything is mostly walking distance and if not The Homestead offers a shuttle around the resort. Plus they have some of the most beautiful views. \r\rOur wedding day went extremely smooth and I could not have asked for a better day. It was brisk outside (october) the views were amazing, bonfire smelled great and kept our guest warm while waiting at the mountain top. Riding the chairlift with my dad to meet my fiancé was so special. I could see my fiancé standing at the altar before he could get a good look at me. Instant tears for me.\r\rMy husband noticed no one ever said no to us. From the front desk staff, wedding staff, maintenance, to the cleaning staff. If they didn’t know the answer they would ask. We had rented a mini van to haul all of our wedding stuff up and we ended up having a slow leak in one of the tires. The maintenance crew allowed us to use their air every morning to top off the tire. We would have had a flat tire to deal with if they did allow us to use the air. My mom and aunt were trying to find mums for the cocktail hour center pieces. They couldn’t find them anywhere. The banquet manager some how managed to find mums and allowed us to use them. That is just a few examples of their kindness and professionalism.\r\rThe banquet/ bar staff were very friendly, professional and efficient. One of the ladies held mine and my husbands plate while walking through the buffet. That made me feel very special and thankful because i'm not the most graceful person and may have ended up with a wedding dress full of food.\r\rMost of our guest made a weekend out of our wedding so it was nice walking around the resort running into guests of our wedding. \rAll of our friends and family had a great time. My all most 90 year grandma had the time of her life dancing with everyone. Everyone loved the food, resort, wineries near by and views and activities on site or nearby.\r\rWe defiantly plan to vist The Homestead Resort every year.
Reviewed on 30-10-2014
Erin Schneider (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 27-09-2014
Our wedding was a fabulous stress free event and I can contribute all the of the wedding's success to Elizabeth Curlew and all the staff at The Homestead. We are from the metro Detroit area but even with the 5 hour distance it was a breeze planning a wedding at The Homestead. Any time I had a question or a concern I would email Elizabeth Curlew (our wedding coordinator) and she would respond asap (I'm sure I emailed her a bajillion times). \r\rFirst, you can not overlook how gorgeous the property is. Everything is so well maintained, you could not ask for a better venue. We had our ceremony and reception at the Camp Firefly venue, it was gorgeous! I love how secluded it felt, it was like we had the whole property to ourselves. \r\rAnything you can dream of The Homestead staff will make possible. We had a fall wedding and it had also been a dream of mine to have mini donuts and cider at our fall wedding, Elizabeth made it happen. I wanted to set up my ceremony completely different that they normally do, Elizabeth made that happen. And it wasn't just Elizabeth (who I can not stop singing her praises) it was everyone else. My guests loved how our bartender remembered their exact drink order and how friendly everyone was. You can tell they take pride in what they do. You are not just another wedding to them. If you are looking to get married in Northern Michigan, no need to look any further than The Homestead! My husband and I can not wait to go back up and visit!
Reviewed on 24-10-2014
Wedding Date 27-09-2014
Our wedding was a fabulous stress free event and I can contribute all the of the wedding's success to Elizabeth Curlew and all the staff at The Homestead. We are from the metro Detroit area but even with the 5 hour distance it was a breeze planning a wedding at The Homestead. Any time I had a question or a concern I would email Elizabeth Curlew (our wedding coordinator) and she would respond asap (I'm sure I emailed her a bajillion times). \r\rFirst, you can not overlook how gorgeous the property is. Everything is so well maintained, you could not ask for a better venue. We had our ceremony and reception at the Camp Firefly venue, it was gorgeous! I love how secluded it felt, it was like we had the whole property to ourselves. \r\rAnything you can dream of The Homestead staff will make possible. We had a fall wedding and it had also been a dream of mine to have mini donuts and cider at our fall wedding, Elizabeth made it happen. I wanted to set up my ceremony completely different that they normally do, Elizabeth made that happen. And it wasn't just Elizabeth (who I can not stop singing her praises) it was everyone else. My guests loved how our bartender remembered their exact drink order and how friendly everyone was. You can tell they take pride in what they do. You are not just another wedding to them. If you are looking to get married in Northern Michigan, no need to look any further than The Homestead! My husband and I can not wait to go back up and visit!
Reviewed on 24-10-2014
Sara Olsen (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 04-10-2014
My husband and I are beyond satisfied with our wedding at the Homestead in Glen Arbor. The staff, especially Elizabeth Curlew, were so helpful throughout the entire process. The Homestead is a beautiful resort. Our ceremony was to be held on Bay Mountain but, because of rain, was moved inside. The staff did a wonderful job setting up our ceremony indoors. Our reception was held at the Mountain Flowers Lodge which turned out absolutely beautiful as well. The room is so unique and required little decorating. They staff took care of every detail of the room and it turned out perfect. The food was amazing! We received so many compliments from our guests. Very happy we chose the Homestead and would love to return for vacation in the future!
Reviewed on 23-10-2014
Wedding Date 04-10-2014
My husband and I are beyond satisfied with our wedding at the Homestead in Glen Arbor. The staff, especially Elizabeth Curlew, were so helpful throughout the entire process. The Homestead is a beautiful resort. Our ceremony was to be held on Bay Mountain but, because of rain, was moved inside. The staff did a wonderful job setting up our ceremony indoors. Our reception was held at the Mountain Flowers Lodge which turned out absolutely beautiful as well. The room is so unique and required little decorating. They staff took care of every detail of the room and it turned out perfect. The food was amazing! We received so many compliments from our guests. Very happy we chose the Homestead and would love to return for vacation in the future!
Reviewed on 23-10-2014
Jennifer Garvas (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 06-09-2014
My husband Brian & I were married at The Homestead in September 2014. From Day 1 the service we experienced was superior. Our Event Coordinator, Elizabeth walked us through each step of the wedding planning process and kept in constant communication with us the entire time. The resort was gorgeous, well-maintained and everyone from housekeeping to the management staff were friendly and helpful. Each and every person that assisted us on our Wedding Day at The Homestead provided us with a lifetime of memories. We not only built memories, but friendships with the staff there. We cannot wait for many more trips and a limetime of memories!\r\rJennifer & Brian Garvas\rCleveland, OH
Reviewed on 13-10-2014
Wedding Date 06-09-2014
My husband Brian & I were married at The Homestead in September 2014. From Day 1 the service we experienced was superior. Our Event Coordinator, Elizabeth walked us through each step of the wedding planning process and kept in constant communication with us the entire time. The resort was gorgeous, well-maintained and everyone from housekeeping to the management staff were friendly and helpful. Each and every person that assisted us on our Wedding Day at The Homestead provided us with a lifetime of memories. We not only built memories, but friendships with the staff there. We cannot wait for many more trips and a limetime of memories!\r\rJennifer & Brian Garvas\rCleveland, OH
Reviewed on 13-10-2014
Ele Stollard (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 19-07-2014
The Homestead Resort was the sole reason why I wasn't a stressed out bride. My husband and I were both from out of state and we stumbled across them through The Knot. From our first visit we knew it was where we wanted to get married. Elizabeth Curlew was our coordinator and I can't stress enough how awesome she was. Everything was organized and planned from day 1. She made planning our wedding from a different state effortless and stress free. The packet they send you is a little daunting, but it makes the day of flawless. We had a small wedding (around 30 guests) on the beach followed by a reception dinner at Nonna's. The staff and Nonna's was professional and the food was amazing. Even my husband was impressed. We both highly recommend this venue for your wedding. Big or small they will make your day perfect. The only reason I gave a 4 star rating on the service was because a couple of our guests reported poor service at the pool area/bar over a couple of days. But as far as the wedding day it couldn't have been more perfect!
Reviewed on 08-10-2014
Wedding Date 19-07-2014
The Homestead Resort was the sole reason why I wasn't a stressed out bride. My husband and I were both from out of state and we stumbled across them through The Knot. From our first visit we knew it was where we wanted to get married. Elizabeth Curlew was our coordinator and I can't stress enough how awesome she was. Everything was organized and planned from day 1. She made planning our wedding from a different state effortless and stress free. The packet they send you is a little daunting, but it makes the day of flawless. We had a small wedding (around 30 guests) on the beach followed by a reception dinner at Nonna's. The staff and Nonna's was professional and the food was amazing. Even my husband was impressed. We both highly recommend this venue for your wedding. Big or small they will make your day perfect. The only reason I gave a 4 star rating on the service was because a couple of our guests reported poor service at the pool area/bar over a couple of days. But as far as the wedding day it couldn't have been more perfect!
Reviewed on 08-10-2014
Nadia Stohrer (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 01-08-2014
The Homestead Resort was awesome, we loved every aspect of that place from the cute little village to the amazing views atop Mountain Flowers mountain. \r\rOur guests were blown away just by the views at our ceremony location. Guests continue to tell us that our wedding was THE BEST wedding they've ever been to.\r\rThings we LOVED about The Homestead:\r1. The service - The Homestead staff dedicated to our wedding were awesome and super responsive to emails and calls and willing to accommodate. (even the shuttle driver was super cool!)\r2. The ceremony location (just pray for sunshine!)\r3. The chair lift experience\r4. 'Closest to the Pin' challenge during cocktail hour (hitting a golf ball off the mountain to hole 7)\r5. The food was delicious!\r\rThere really isn't one complaint I have about our wedding venue - I would absolutely choose that place again if I had to do it all over again.
Reviewed on 28-08-2014
Wedding Date 01-08-2014
The Homestead Resort was awesome, we loved every aspect of that place from the cute little village to the amazing views atop Mountain Flowers mountain. \r\rOur guests were blown away just by the views at our ceremony location. Guests continue to tell us that our wedding was THE BEST wedding they've ever been to.\r\rThings we LOVED about The Homestead:\r1. The service - The Homestead staff dedicated to our wedding were awesome and super responsive to emails and calls and willing to accommodate. (even the shuttle driver was super cool!)\r2. The ceremony location (just pray for sunshine!)\r3. The chair lift experience\r4. 'Closest to the Pin' challenge during cocktail hour (hitting a golf ball off the mountain to hole 7)\r5. The food was delicious!\r\rThere really isn't one complaint I have about our wedding venue - I would absolutely choose that place again if I had to do it all over again.
Reviewed on 28-08-2014
Lindsay Millar (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 18-05-2014
My husband and I chose The Homestead Resort for the venue of our May wedding. From the very beginning it was a pleasure to work with Barb and her team at the resort. They are very organized and extremely friendly, and they guided us through every step of the process. Everything went smoothly, from the tasting to the welcome BBQ to the main event! \rWe had our wedding at the top of Bay Mountain and our reception at Mountain Flowers Lodge, and our guests thoroughly enjoyed both of these beautiful locations. \rThe food and drinks were excellent (and we're serious foodies). The service was unbeatable- during the reception dinner our head table had a designated server who was wonderful and attentive. Little details throughout the day helped to make everything calm and joyful instead of stressful. We had complete confidence in the team and felt that all of the minor issues that inevitably arise during a big event were handled expertly and gracefully by the staff. We never had to worry about a thing. \rWe can't recommend The Homestead highly enough. Your guests will love the their getaway at the resort, and you will love the tranquil environment and professional planning and event execution. \rWe can't wait to return for future anniversaries at the resort!\rPS- Cavanaugh's has the best sandwiches we have ever tasted. Our groomsmen all got one the day of the wedding.
Reviewed on 30-06-2014
Wedding Date 18-05-2014
My husband and I chose The Homestead Resort for the venue of our May wedding. From the very beginning it was a pleasure to work with Barb and her team at the resort. They are very organized and extremely friendly, and they guided us through every step of the process. Everything went smoothly, from the tasting to the welcome BBQ to the main event! \rWe had our wedding at the top of Bay Mountain and our reception at Mountain Flowers Lodge, and our guests thoroughly enjoyed both of these beautiful locations. \rThe food and drinks were excellent (and we're serious foodies). The service was unbeatable- during the reception dinner our head table had a designated server who was wonderful and attentive. Little details throughout the day helped to make everything calm and joyful instead of stressful. We had complete confidence in the team and felt that all of the minor issues that inevitably arise during a big event were handled expertly and gracefully by the staff. We never had to worry about a thing. \rWe can't recommend The Homestead highly enough. Your guests will love the their getaway at the resort, and you will love the tranquil environment and professional planning and event execution. \rWe can't wait to return for future anniversaries at the resort!\rPS- Cavanaugh's has the best sandwiches we have ever tasted. Our groomsmen all got one the day of the wedding.
Reviewed on 30-06-2014
Karie Hillman (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 15-10-2009
\"Storybook Wedding\" was the consensus I kept hearing the day of our wedding and the Homestead, Elizabeth and the rest of the resort staff were a huge part of making that possible.\r\rThe groom and I share of love skiing so once we were engaged I was on the hunt for the perfect venue that would allow us to have the skiing vibe without having to be married in the dead of winter. We looked at a few large ski resorts in northern Michigan but once we arrived at the top of Bay Mountain on our initial meeting with the Homestead we knew that we had found the place we wanted to say I DO. The view overlooking Bay Mountain was just stunning and paired with the fact that our guests would ride the chairlift up the hill to our ceremony couldn't have been any more perfect for us. We chose Camp Firefly for our reception space to accommodate our smaller guest count and so that we would have a more intimate, family feeling for our day. Camp Firefly was equally as gorgeous with all of the flowers and the brooks intertwining throughout the grounds. Leading up to the day, I kept telling my husband that I wish I could have been with each one of our guests as they experienced the beauty of the Homestead for the first time. \r\rThe road to our storybook day couldn't have gone smoother. Elizabeth our coordinator was on top of everything and was so quick to respond to my many questions regarding making our day just perfect. I had many details and decor elements that I wanted incorporated throughout our day. I kept asking her if I could help with the setup so I could make sure that my vision was properly executed and she kept assuring me that she could handle it. I'll be honest I was very nervous that the decor would turn out how I imagined but when I walked into Camp Firefly for the first time it was absolutely GORGEOUS!! Besides, executing my vision flawlessly, Elizabeth's hard working demeanor was evident from our well organized rehearsal and rehearsal dinner at Beppi's to the exceptional service at the reception. She and the rest of the Homestead staff was very attentive to the needs of myself and my husband as well as the needs of our guests. Elizabeth was on top of every detail and took care of every single hiccup immediately and with the utmost professionalism. \r\rI would highly recommend The Homestead, Elizabeth Curlew and the rest of the Homestead staff to anyone looking for a venue for their \"storybook wedding\". The amazing customer service and the stunning views will surely not disappoint. I would also recommend taking advantage of all that the Glen Arbor and Leelanau Peninsula area offers. We did an organized wine tour (with a shuttle bus) the day before the wedding and a canoe/kayak trip on the Crystal River the day after the wedding. It was wonderful being able to spend the extra time with our many out-of-town guests while allowing them to experience the beauty of area. \r\rWe cannot wait to visit the Homestead again and hopefully we will be making it a family vacation destination down the road.
Reviewed on 22-10-2013
Wedding Date 15-10-2009
\"Storybook Wedding\" was the consensus I kept hearing the day of our wedding and the Homestead, Elizabeth and the rest of the resort staff were a huge part of making that possible.\r\rThe groom and I share of love skiing so once we were engaged I was on the hunt for the perfect venue that would allow us to have the skiing vibe without having to be married in the dead of winter. We looked at a few large ski resorts in northern Michigan but once we arrived at the top of Bay Mountain on our initial meeting with the Homestead we knew that we had found the place we wanted to say I DO. The view overlooking Bay Mountain was just stunning and paired with the fact that our guests would ride the chairlift up the hill to our ceremony couldn't have been any more perfect for us. We chose Camp Firefly for our reception space to accommodate our smaller guest count and so that we would have a more intimate, family feeling for our day. Camp Firefly was equally as gorgeous with all of the flowers and the brooks intertwining throughout the grounds. Leading up to the day, I kept telling my husband that I wish I could have been with each one of our guests as they experienced the beauty of the Homestead for the first time. \r\rThe road to our storybook day couldn't have gone smoother. Elizabeth our coordinator was on top of everything and was so quick to respond to my many questions regarding making our day just perfect. I had many details and decor elements that I wanted incorporated throughout our day. I kept asking her if I could help with the setup so I could make sure that my vision was properly executed and she kept assuring me that she could handle it. I'll be honest I was very nervous that the decor would turn out how I imagined but when I walked into Camp Firefly for the first time it was absolutely GORGEOUS!! Besides, executing my vision flawlessly, Elizabeth's hard working demeanor was evident from our well organized rehearsal and rehearsal dinner at Beppi's to the exceptional service at the reception. She and the rest of the Homestead staff was very attentive to the needs of myself and my husband as well as the needs of our guests. Elizabeth was on top of every detail and took care of every single hiccup immediately and with the utmost professionalism. \r\rI would highly recommend The Homestead, Elizabeth Curlew and the rest of the Homestead staff to anyone looking for a venue for their \"storybook wedding\". The amazing customer service and the stunning views will surely not disappoint. I would also recommend taking advantage of all that the Glen Arbor and Leelanau Peninsula area offers. We did an organized wine tour (with a shuttle bus) the day before the wedding and a canoe/kayak trip on the Crystal River the day after the wedding. It was wonderful being able to spend the extra time with our many out-of-town guests while allowing them to experience the beauty of area. \r\rWe cannot wait to visit the Homestead again and hopefully we will be making it a family vacation destination down the road.
Reviewed on 22-10-2013
Hilary Bosscher (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 17-05-2013
The Homestead Resort was excellent in providing everything needed to make sure our day went as smooth as possible. From the small details to the main event, the Homestead exceeded our expectations. The staff was professional, friendly, courteous and accommodated all of our needs. In addition, Guest services provided exceptional work in making the reservation process seamless for our guests. The guest accommodation offered for my family was an absolutely perfect fit for our needs. We wanted a place for the bridal party to get ready together that would be relaxing and spacious, and “Home 14” on Loggers Run provided just that. The ceremony was held a-top Bay Mountain which was absolutely gorgeous. The guests took advantage of the breath taking views for photo opportunities before and after the ceremony, and still talk about how unique and awesome getting to ride the chair lift up to the top of the Mountain was. The reception, held at Mountain Flowers Lodge, was everything we were looking for. From the great wooded beams and fireplace, to the beautiful waterfall backdrop and patio, we couldn’t have dreamt anything better. We will always treasure the memories made that weekend at the Homestead and will forever have a place to return to where we can remember the love we felt for each other on our Wedding Day.
Reviewed on 18-10-2013
Wedding Date 17-05-2013
The Homestead Resort was excellent in providing everything needed to make sure our day went as smooth as possible. From the small details to the main event, the Homestead exceeded our expectations. The staff was professional, friendly, courteous and accommodated all of our needs. In addition, Guest services provided exceptional work in making the reservation process seamless for our guests. The guest accommodation offered for my family was an absolutely perfect fit for our needs. We wanted a place for the bridal party to get ready together that would be relaxing and spacious, and “Home 14” on Loggers Run provided just that. The ceremony was held a-top Bay Mountain which was absolutely gorgeous. The guests took advantage of the breath taking views for photo opportunities before and after the ceremony, and still talk about how unique and awesome getting to ride the chair lift up to the top of the Mountain was. The reception, held at Mountain Flowers Lodge, was everything we were looking for. From the great wooded beams and fireplace, to the beautiful waterfall backdrop and patio, we couldn’t have dreamt anything better. We will always treasure the memories made that weekend at the Homestead and will forever have a place to return to where we can remember the love we felt for each other on our Wedding Day.
Reviewed on 18-10-2013
hayden3155 (parent) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 13-07-2013
Our son was married at The Homestead in Michigan in July 2013. The venue is beautiful - a great place for a destination wedding. We worked with Barb Ellis, Brooke Houle and Stephanie (food manager). \rRehearsal Dinner: Beppi's\rWelcome Party: Beppi's\rWedding: Top of Bay Mountain, Mountain Flowers Lodge.\rHere are a few observations from a parent's prespective:\r\rIn talking with family and relatives the following was said repeatedly:\r•\tIn making reservations – staff was very helpful and friendly. \r•\tVenue and Hotel grounds were beautiful – top of hill breath taking. \r•\tWelcome Party – Beppi’s venue was perfect! We loved the new décor, fireplaces, smore’s and the suggestion of pizza at the end was a great idea. Food was good, especially the chicken! All guests that attended the party really liked the idea of a casual get together the day before the wedding. Bride & Groom both felt it really allowed them to enjoy the wedding day without feeling rushed to greet everyone.I would highly recommend this to other wedding parties.\r•\tReception food – was perfect – steaks were cooked to perfection, mushroom tart was delicious. Everyone was really impressed with how the food was served - a great effort was made to serve all food at each table at the same time. We know this took a lot of coordination and I want to make sure that you know that the little details were noticed and commented on. Guests were really impressed.\r\rWe also used the Spa located on property- they did an amazing job as well.\r\rBrooke and Stephanie were very helpful with set-up and made sure that all of the “little problems” were quickly taken care of. They also offered great suggestions and really helped in making sure everything ran smoothly. Barb and Brooke did a wonderful job coordinating festivities. \r\rIt was a wonderful weekend!
Reviewed on 15-10-2013
Wedding Date 13-07-2013
Our son was married at The Homestead in Michigan in July 2013. The venue is beautiful - a great place for a destination wedding. We worked with Barb Ellis, Brooke Houle and Stephanie (food manager). \rRehearsal Dinner: Beppi's\rWelcome Party: Beppi's\rWedding: Top of Bay Mountain, Mountain Flowers Lodge.\rHere are a few observations from a parent's prespective:\r\rIn talking with family and relatives the following was said repeatedly:\r•\tIn making reservations – staff was very helpful and friendly. \r•\tVenue and Hotel grounds were beautiful – top of hill breath taking. \r•\tWelcome Party – Beppi’s venue was perfect! We loved the new décor, fireplaces, smore’s and the suggestion of pizza at the end was a great idea. Food was good, especially the chicken! All guests that attended the party really liked the idea of a casual get together the day before the wedding. Bride & Groom both felt it really allowed them to enjoy the wedding day without feeling rushed to greet everyone.I would highly recommend this to other wedding parties.\r•\tReception food – was perfect – steaks were cooked to perfection, mushroom tart was delicious. Everyone was really impressed with how the food was served - a great effort was made to serve all food at each table at the same time. We know this took a lot of coordination and I want to make sure that you know that the little details were noticed and commented on. Guests were really impressed.\r\rWe also used the Spa located on property- they did an amazing job as well.\r\rBrooke and Stephanie were very helpful with set-up and made sure that all of the “little problems” were quickly taken care of. They also offered great suggestions and really helped in making sure everything ran smoothly. Barb and Brooke did a wonderful job coordinating festivities. \r\rIt was a wonderful weekend!
Reviewed on 15-10-2013
Courtney Morris (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 14-09-2013
My husband and I are thrilled we chose The Homestead as our wedding venue. We knew we wanted an up north wedding and when we went for our initial visit to The Homestead we knew we had found what we were looking for. The grounds are beautifully kept and you can't beat the fact that it is in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, it was gorgeous. We had such an awesome weekend up north!\r\rEvery single person we talked to at resort was helpful and friendly. We didn't have a single bad experience with any of the staff. They were so helpful to us and also to our guests. We primarily worked with Barb and Mackenzie in group sales and I can't say enough good things about either of them. They made the planning and the wedding weekend run smoothly. Any question I had was answered quickly no matter how many questions I had :) I never had an issue getting in touch with them, which is really nice when working on planning a wedding. \r\rThe overall cost was more than we had anticipated but it was worth it. We got everything we wanted and more. They did pretty much everything for us. I loved being able to look around on our wedding day and see that my vision of what our wedding was going to look like had been realized. It was absolutely beautiful. We had our wedding at Camp Firefly and loved the location. Our block of rooms was located at Stoney Brook Lodge, which is the most convenient for that location and those specific rooms are very, very nice. The rooms were all clean and seemed new. Our guests were very happy with their accommodations. If you are having guests come from out of town and they would rather not spend that much money on a room I would have a back up plan for some less expensive accommodations, however, you do get what you pay for!\r\rWe feel very fortunate to have had our dream wedding and are so glad we have such a friendly and gorgeous place to return to every year. I would definitely recommend The Homestead to future brides.
Reviewed on 07-10-2013
Wedding Date 14-09-2013
My husband and I are thrilled we chose The Homestead as our wedding venue. We knew we wanted an up north wedding and when we went for our initial visit to The Homestead we knew we had found what we were looking for. The grounds are beautifully kept and you can't beat the fact that it is in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, it was gorgeous. We had such an awesome weekend up north!\r\rEvery single person we talked to at resort was helpful and friendly. We didn't have a single bad experience with any of the staff. They were so helpful to us and also to our guests. We primarily worked with Barb and Mackenzie in group sales and I can't say enough good things about either of them. They made the planning and the wedding weekend run smoothly. Any question I had was answered quickly no matter how many questions I had :) I never had an issue getting in touch with them, which is really nice when working on planning a wedding. \r\rThe overall cost was more than we had anticipated but it was worth it. We got everything we wanted and more. They did pretty much everything for us. I loved being able to look around on our wedding day and see that my vision of what our wedding was going to look like had been realized. It was absolutely beautiful. We had our wedding at Camp Firefly and loved the location. Our block of rooms was located at Stoney Brook Lodge, which is the most convenient for that location and those specific rooms are very, very nice. The rooms were all clean and seemed new. Our guests were very happy with their accommodations. If you are having guests come from out of town and they would rather not spend that much money on a room I would have a back up plan for some less expensive accommodations, however, you do get what you pay for!\r\rWe feel very fortunate to have had our dream wedding and are so glad we have such a friendly and gorgeous place to return to every year. I would definitely recommend The Homestead to future brides.
Reviewed on 07-10-2013
Janis Dorenbush (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 05-10-2013
I cannot express enough how professional and organized the sales staff is at this venue. Everything came together perfectly even the weather which no one had control of! They created my vision with all the flowers and reception décor which my mom and I put together for over a year. They made sure we were taken care of. All of our guests loved this place and I can tell you this....we will be back for every anniversary and I know our guests will visit again. Hats off to the Homestead! This is the most beautiful resort location in Northern Michigan with an amazing staff. The venue suited us as a couple and they made our wedding so special. Special thanks to Barb, Mackenzie, Sandy, Sallie, Wellington, and Erika! Great Team!
Reviewed on 07-10-2013
Wedding Date 05-10-2013
I cannot express enough how professional and organized the sales staff is at this venue. Everything came together perfectly even the weather which no one had control of! They created my vision with all the flowers and reception décor which my mom and I put together for over a year. They made sure we were taken care of. All of our guests loved this place and I can tell you this....we will be back for every anniversary and I know our guests will visit again. Hats off to the Homestead! This is the most beautiful resort location in Northern Michigan with an amazing staff. The venue suited us as a couple and they made our wedding so special. Special thanks to Barb, Mackenzie, Sandy, Sallie, Wellington, and Erika! Great Team!
Reviewed on 07-10-2013
Samantha Visuri (bride) 3 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 18-05-2013
I was recently married at the Homestead Resort in May 2013. We had a destination wedding and many of our family and friends stayed the entire weekend at the resort. Although there are many positive things I could say regarding the service the Homestead provided, there are equally as many frustrations we encountered throughout the wedding planning process and wedding day. The Homestead is a beautiful resort, the scenic views and venues are fantastic and breathtaking. The site fees seemed to be worth the high prices. The chair lift was another fantastic feature. Our guests loved riding the lift up to our ceremony site. The Homestead menu was wonderful and we were very pleased with the way the food tasted at the rehearsal dinner and wedding. Our guests that used the Homestead spa had wonderful things to say regarding the services they received. \rThe wedding planning process is not very intimate, at times we felt rushed and unimportant. The Homestead is an expensive place to have a destination wedding and one would assume when you spend that much money, service is of the utmost importance and perfection is expected for your special day. The bar service throughout cocktail hour on the top of bay mountain was unorganized and lacked adequate supplies. I would not recommend booking additional activities through the Homestead (like golf) for your guests. We booked a golf outing and our guests paid individually (which was organized ahead of time) and the Homestead is attempting to double charge us for the group. So, overall it was an amazing day for us but I question if it was worth all the money.
Reviewed on 07-10-2013
Wedding Date 18-05-2013
I was recently married at the Homestead Resort in May 2013. We had a destination wedding and many of our family and friends stayed the entire weekend at the resort. Although there are many positive things I could say regarding the service the Homestead provided, there are equally as many frustrations we encountered throughout the wedding planning process and wedding day. The Homestead is a beautiful resort, the scenic views and venues are fantastic and breathtaking. The site fees seemed to be worth the high prices. The chair lift was another fantastic feature. Our guests loved riding the lift up to our ceremony site. The Homestead menu was wonderful and we were very pleased with the way the food tasted at the rehearsal dinner and wedding. Our guests that used the Homestead spa had wonderful things to say regarding the services they received. \rThe wedding planning process is not very intimate, at times we felt rushed and unimportant. The Homestead is an expensive place to have a destination wedding and one would assume when you spend that much money, service is of the utmost importance and perfection is expected for your special day. The bar service throughout cocktail hour on the top of bay mountain was unorganized and lacked adequate supplies. I would not recommend booking additional activities through the Homestead (like golf) for your guests. We booked a golf outing and our guests paid individually (which was organized ahead of time) and the Homestead is attempting to double charge us for the group. So, overall it was an amazing day for us but I question if it was worth all the money.
Reviewed on 07-10-2013
LeslieCahill (parent) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 10-08-2013
Our son's wedding at The Homestead was not only stunningly beautiful but perfect in every way. The summer sky was azure blue, the winds were calm and the views of Lake Michigan and the islands provided an idyllic backdrop for the wedding ceremony at the top of Bay Mountain--priceless! The ride up to the top via either the ski chairlift or golf cart transportation added an element of uniqueness. The sound system was concert quality. A cocktail party at the mountain top gave guests added views of not only Lake Michigan but Glen Lake as well. The reception at the Mountain Flowers Lodge at the base of the mountain was elegant. The \"my pleasure\" service of the staff was appreciated by all. The food was tasty and nicely presented. A Welcome Barbecue for all of the guests which we hosted the evening before the wedding was held at Camp Firefly on The Homestead grounds. This location, also a venue for smaller weddings, was charming, casual and fun. The staff served quality beverages and the barbecue menu was delicious and it did not compete with the more formal menu of the wedding. Our guests continue to rave about the wedding at The Homestead! We wholeheartedly give The Homestead, its service staff and attentive administrative staff a 5-star rating. For anyone who is planning large events we especially remind wedding clients to keep a watchful eye on details (our very slight discrepancies in the bill and inaccurate number of seats/place settings at the wedding were all resolved quickly. Although seemingly minor we felt them important enough to mention to anyone who is planning events here or anywhere else for that matter.)
Reviewed on 06-10-2013
Wedding Date 10-08-2013
Our son's wedding at The Homestead was not only stunningly beautiful but perfect in every way. The summer sky was azure blue, the winds were calm and the views of Lake Michigan and the islands provided an idyllic backdrop for the wedding ceremony at the top of Bay Mountain--priceless! The ride up to the top via either the ski chairlift or golf cart transportation added an element of uniqueness. The sound system was concert quality. A cocktail party at the mountain top gave guests added views of not only Lake Michigan but Glen Lake as well. The reception at the Mountain Flowers Lodge at the base of the mountain was elegant. The \"my pleasure\" service of the staff was appreciated by all. The food was tasty and nicely presented. A Welcome Barbecue for all of the guests which we hosted the evening before the wedding was held at Camp Firefly on The Homestead grounds. This location, also a venue for smaller weddings, was charming, casual and fun. The staff served quality beverages and the barbecue menu was delicious and it did not compete with the more formal menu of the wedding. Our guests continue to rave about the wedding at The Homestead! We wholeheartedly give The Homestead, its service staff and attentive administrative staff a 5-star rating. For anyone who is planning large events we especially remind wedding clients to keep a watchful eye on details (our very slight discrepancies in the bill and inaccurate number of seats/place settings at the wedding were all resolved quickly. Although seemingly minor we felt them important enough to mention to anyone who is planning events here or anywhere else for that matter.)
Reviewed on 06-10-2013
snavem (parent) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 07-09-2013
We planned to have an outdoor wedding in northern Michiagn in September. We planned to have family and friends attend from all points. We planned to have opportunities to enjoy each other, the beautiful surroundings, and a beautiful ceremony.\rNiether Mother Nature, nor family dynamics, always cooperate in those goals, and yet the staff of The Homestead were diligent in preparing, persistent in follow-up, and most notably, successful in their efforts to make this a wonderful wedding experience.\rThe \"marriage-on-the-mountain\" was beautiful. Family and friends reunited and made new freinds, And many discovered The Dunes and the beauties of Michigan for the first time.
Reviewed on 06-10-2013
Wedding Date 07-09-2013
We planned to have an outdoor wedding in northern Michiagn in September. We planned to have family and friends attend from all points. We planned to have opportunities to enjoy each other, the beautiful surroundings, and a beautiful ceremony.\rNiether Mother Nature, nor family dynamics, always cooperate in those goals, and yet the staff of The Homestead were diligent in preparing, persistent in follow-up, and most notably, successful in their efforts to make this a wonderful wedding experience.\rThe \"marriage-on-the-mountain\" was beautiful. Family and friends reunited and made new freinds, And many discovered The Dunes and the beauties of Michigan for the first time.
Reviewed on 06-10-2013
Carolyn Hurst (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 04-05-2013
I can't say enough good things about the Homestead. We got married early May, a week after my husband and I finished grad. school. We were both living in separate places and planning this wedding and the staff at The Homestead took care of everything. We didn't have a single worry from the time we arrived to after the wedding. And even though we were the first wedding of the season, the staff was very well trained and took great care of us. Barb was phenomenal, professional and always there to answer any questions you may have. Overall, we could not have planned a better weekend! It is beautiful place and outstanding staff, you will not regret having your wedding there!
Reviewed on 05-10-2013
Wedding Date 04-05-2013
I can't say enough good things about the Homestead. We got married early May, a week after my husband and I finished grad. school. We were both living in separate places and planning this wedding and the staff at The Homestead took care of everything. We didn't have a single worry from the time we arrived to after the wedding. And even though we were the first wedding of the season, the staff was very well trained and took great care of us. Barb was phenomenal, professional and always there to answer any questions you may have. Overall, we could not have planned a better weekend! It is beautiful place and outstanding staff, you will not regret having your wedding there!
Reviewed on 05-10-2013
a member (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
The Homestead provided the perfect backdrop for our special day and their service exceeded our every expectation. Every request we made was fulfilled efficiently with a smile. \r\rThank you for making our wedding such a special event!
Reviewed on 05-10-2013
The Homestead provided the perfect backdrop for our special day and their service exceeded our every expectation. Every request we made was fulfilled efficiently with a smile. \r\rThank you for making our wedding such a special event!
Reviewed on 05-10-2013
Emily VanEssendelft (bride) 2 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 29-06-2013
I am an event planner, so I’ve seen bad service. But the customer service at The Homestead was probably the worst I have ever worked with in the industry. Planning my own wedding, I thought, would be easy. Let's start at the beginning!\r\rI first scheduled time to come visit the resort with my fiance and parents. After emailing back and forth with Barb and setting up a time for a tour, we settled on a Sunday morning. After the 3.5 hr drive, upon arrival on the date we agreed on (per the email) Barb was not there and there was no one to show us around. She had written the appointment down for the wrong weekend. Instead, some poor receptionist had to give us a tour and wasn't really able to answer many of our questions. This should have been a warning sign, but the beautiful ceremony site on top of the mountain overlooking Lake Michigan and the chair lift ride had sold us.\r\rBarb is the worst communicator. Her emails are never clear, if she even bothers to respond to you at all. She ALWAYS responded to my father, though…\r\rWe finally were \"allowed\" to come up to The Homestead for our tasting. So after we get there and had to wait for Barb, who is late for EVERYTHING we get to eat the food we selected. The apps they served us were still cold, meatball was frozen in the middle, pork was dry and the fish was grey and slimy. We politely expressed our concern and talked to the chef, who did not instill any more confidence. He told us the menu was new and he just hadn't had a chance to get a handle on the new items, and also that he didn't get there early enough to properly prep the food. \r\rI had to send my Banquet Event Order back 7 times. The first time I gave them a very organized, bulleted list of everything I needed changed, and they would fix 40% of the items listed every time I sent it back, with no explanation as to why they didn't do some of them. When we got up to drop off all of our décor the weekend of the wedding, a young girl came to meet us eventually and she was quite obviously hung over. Luckily, I had every tiny detail written down of how we wanted things set up, or who knows what would have happened. She also made the mistake of telling me the day before my wedding that the chair lift wasn't working. Then quickly goes, \"oops, I wasn't supposed to tell you that.\" \r\rThey also forgot to put out one of our kegs. We didn't realize until the end of the night, when my husband went to get me a beer and the bartender looked at him like I was crazy. The catering manager came up to us and asked us if we wanted to tap it now, but it was 20 minutes until the reception had to end. So no! Take it off the bill! \r\rMy wedding was beautiful. And for the most part, the actual day went great. Like I said, a few minor things, but if you didn't plan it, you may not have known any better. But overall, they nickel and dime you for EVERYTHING because of the destination and because they can. I would not recommend getting married here, and I certainly will not take any of my clients here. You couldn't pay me to work with these people again.\r
Reviewed on 04-10-2013
Wedding Date 29-06-2013
I am an event planner, so I’ve seen bad service. But the customer service at The Homestead was probably the worst I have ever worked with in the industry. Planning my own wedding, I thought, would be easy. Let's start at the beginning!\r\rI first scheduled time to come visit the resort with my fiance and parents. After emailing back and forth with Barb and setting up a time for a tour, we settled on a Sunday morning. After the 3.5 hr drive, upon arrival on the date we agreed on (per the email) Barb was not there and there was no one to show us around. She had written the appointment down for the wrong weekend. Instead, some poor receptionist had to give us a tour and wasn't really able to answer many of our questions. This should have been a warning sign, but the beautiful ceremony site on top of the mountain overlooking Lake Michigan and the chair lift ride had sold us.\r\rBarb is the worst communicator. Her emails are never clear, if she even bothers to respond to you at all. She ALWAYS responded to my father, though…\r\rWe finally were \"allowed\" to come up to The Homestead for our tasting. So after we get there and had to wait for Barb, who is late for EVERYTHING we get to eat the food we selected. The apps they served us were still cold, meatball was frozen in the middle, pork was dry and the fish was grey and slimy. We politely expressed our concern and talked to the chef, who did not instill any more confidence. He told us the menu was new and he just hadn't had a chance to get a handle on the new items, and also that he didn't get there early enough to properly prep the food. \r\rI had to send my Banquet Event Order back 7 times. The first time I gave them a very organized, bulleted list of everything I needed changed, and they would fix 40% of the items listed every time I sent it back, with no explanation as to why they didn't do some of them. When we got up to drop off all of our décor the weekend of the wedding, a young girl came to meet us eventually and she was quite obviously hung over. Luckily, I had every tiny detail written down of how we wanted things set up, or who knows what would have happened. She also made the mistake of telling me the day before my wedding that the chair lift wasn't working. Then quickly goes, \"oops, I wasn't supposed to tell you that.\" \r\rThey also forgot to put out one of our kegs. We didn't realize until the end of the night, when my husband went to get me a beer and the bartender looked at him like I was crazy. The catering manager came up to us and asked us if we wanted to tap it now, but it was 20 minutes until the reception had to end. So no! Take it off the bill! \r\rMy wedding was beautiful. And for the most part, the actual day went great. Like I said, a few minor things, but if you didn't plan it, you may not have known any better. But overall, they nickel and dime you for EVERYTHING because of the destination and because they can. I would not recommend getting married here, and I certainly will not take any of my clients here. You couldn't pay me to work with these people again.\r
Reviewed on 04-10-2013
Elizabeth Garvin (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 21-06-2013
Our guests from our wedding are still talking about how beautiful the Homestead is! We got married on the top of Bay Mountain over looking Lake Michigan, and had our reception and the Mountain Flowers Lodge. They said it was the most beautiful wedding they have ever been too! When meeting with the Homestead in the beginning stages of our wedding planning, we shared with them that the most important thing for us was that we got married outside, that the food was amazing, and that our guest who were all coming from great distances, were well taken care of. The Homestead staff did not just meet our expectations, but exceeded them. Our coordinator Brooke was available to us during our entire stay not just to my husband and I, but our parents and the wedding party as well. She along with the other staff managed the flow of the events so well, that it only provided us with a lot of freedom to really enjoy every bit of our day. Changes in our count kept coming up at the last second, and the Homestead staff were so great about it, when it was stressing us out to have to say...Oh we have another change. Can you accommodate it? We were completely WOWed with the extraordinary customer service we received. It's rather nerve racking when you are planning a destination wedding, and spending a lot of money, and not sure if it would all be worth it. My husband and I agreed that every penny we invested in our wedding and with the Homestead we felt was worth cent and would do it again! They really take a lot of pride, and are very intentional to make sure our day was a memorable. \r\rMy recommendations for future couples: YES go with the Homestead! You will not be disappointed! Ladies...Go for the Lily Jade Salon for your hair and make-up! It was so worth it! They did an amazing job, and it was so conveniently located on the property, and helpful with my bridesmaids and I getting dressed there. I Totally recommend doing a bonfire for your guest the day before the wedding when they come in after they check in. OUR GUEST LOVED IT! It was a great way to socialize and mingle with everyone one Our wedding was on a Friday, we got up there Wednesday night, left on Sunday. I would recommend you do the same! Give your self time to enjoy the experience, be with your guest and soak it all in. We left for our honeymoon on Tuesday, and it was perfect, we really felt like we gave ourselves enough time for it all, versus racing out!\r\rWe can't wait to go back and visit the Homestead again and relive all the wonderful memories that were created!\r\r
Reviewed on 04-10-2013
Wedding Date 21-06-2013
Our guests from our wedding are still talking about how beautiful the Homestead is! We got married on the top of Bay Mountain over looking Lake Michigan, and had our reception and the Mountain Flowers Lodge. They said it was the most beautiful wedding they have ever been too! When meeting with the Homestead in the beginning stages of our wedding planning, we shared with them that the most important thing for us was that we got married outside, that the food was amazing, and that our guest who were all coming from great distances, were well taken care of. The Homestead staff did not just meet our expectations, but exceeded them. Our coordinator Brooke was available to us during our entire stay not just to my husband and I, but our parents and the wedding party as well. She along with the other staff managed the flow of the events so well, that it only provided us with a lot of freedom to really enjoy every bit of our day. Changes in our count kept coming up at the last second, and the Homestead staff were so great about it, when it was stressing us out to have to say...Oh we have another change. Can you accommodate it? We were completely WOWed with the extraordinary customer service we received. It's rather nerve racking when you are planning a destination wedding, and spending a lot of money, and not sure if it would all be worth it. My husband and I agreed that every penny we invested in our wedding and with the Homestead we felt was worth cent and would do it again! They really take a lot of pride, and are very intentional to make sure our day was a memorable. \r\rMy recommendations for future couples: YES go with the Homestead! You will not be disappointed! Ladies...Go for the Lily Jade Salon for your hair and make-up! It was so worth it! They did an amazing job, and it was so conveniently located on the property, and helpful with my bridesmaids and I getting dressed there. I Totally recommend doing a bonfire for your guest the day before the wedding when they come in after they check in. OUR GUEST LOVED IT! It was a great way to socialize and mingle with everyone one Our wedding was on a Friday, we got up there Wednesday night, left on Sunday. I would recommend you do the same! Give your self time to enjoy the experience, be with your guest and soak it all in. We left for our honeymoon on Tuesday, and it was perfect, we really felt like we gave ourselves enough time for it all, versus racing out!\r\rWe can't wait to go back and visit the Homestead again and relive all the wonderful memories that were created!\r\r
Reviewed on 04-10-2013
Stacy Lowder (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 31-05-2013
My husband and I got married at The Homestead on May 31, 2013. After searching for an all inclusive location where our guests could stay for the weekend, we decided on The Homestead. What a wonderful choice we made. Right from the start, Barb was very helpful in getting us organized and helping to make our experience at The Homestead very enjoyable. Our guests raved about the resort and how well the employees treated everyone. Our wedding went off very smoothly - the wedding team does a wonderful job at keeping a scheduled timeline and helping everyone understand where they should be. While we had a tight timeframe and schedule of events, I never felt rushed from one thing to another. They did a wonderful job at making us feel special on our wedding day. I cannot express how amazing it was to have our wedding on the top of the mountain overlooking the beautiful lake, reception at the Mountain Flowers Lodge, and have a place for our guests to spend the weekend. Most of our guests made a family vacation out of our wedding - we even made a whole weekend of events for our guests to extend the festivities. We included a welcome dinner the night before our wedding and an organized wine tasting tour (with shuttle bus included) for the day after. It was our mini up north destination wedding. The Homestead crew did a fantastic job of helping us organize all of our events and I never felt a bit of stress the whole weekend. \rMy husband and I would both highly recommend the Homestead as an up north destination wedding.
Reviewed on 30-09-2013
Wedding Date 31-05-2013
My husband and I got married at The Homestead on May 31, 2013. After searching for an all inclusive location where our guests could stay for the weekend, we decided on The Homestead. What a wonderful choice we made. Right from the start, Barb was very helpful in getting us organized and helping to make our experience at The Homestead very enjoyable. Our guests raved about the resort and how well the employees treated everyone. Our wedding went off very smoothly - the wedding team does a wonderful job at keeping a scheduled timeline and helping everyone understand where they should be. While we had a tight timeframe and schedule of events, I never felt rushed from one thing to another. They did a wonderful job at making us feel special on our wedding day. I cannot express how amazing it was to have our wedding on the top of the mountain overlooking the beautiful lake, reception at the Mountain Flowers Lodge, and have a place for our guests to spend the weekend. Most of our guests made a family vacation out of our wedding - we even made a whole weekend of events for our guests to extend the festivities. We included a welcome dinner the night before our wedding and an organized wine tasting tour (with shuttle bus included) for the day after. It was our mini up north destination wedding. The Homestead crew did a fantastic job of helping us organize all of our events and I never felt a bit of stress the whole weekend. \rMy husband and I would both highly recommend the Homestead as an up north destination wedding.
Reviewed on 30-09-2013
Anthony Philipp (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 20-07-2013
A huge thanks to MacKenzie, Barb, Stephanie and the rest of The Homestead team - our weekend was incredibly special and they really executed my vision (including all the little details!) perfectly. It was a pleasure to collaborate with them throughout the planning process. I also want to thank the entire staff at Lilly Jade salon - they did a phenomenal job with hair and makeup and really made the day-of prep fun and memorable for me and my wedding party.\r\rGuests continue to rave about what a wonderful, special weekend it was and we're thrilled by that. The Bay Mountain ceremony site is unmatched,everyone loved riding up in the ski lifts, and also exploring the property and the Peninsula. It was very fun to have all our guests staying together in the same place. \r\rThanks again to the Homestead staff for a weekend we'll never forget!\r\rCheers,\rMaddy and Anthony Philipp
Reviewed on 15-08-2013
Wedding Date 20-07-2013
A huge thanks to MacKenzie, Barb, Stephanie and the rest of The Homestead team - our weekend was incredibly special and they really executed my vision (including all the little details!) perfectly. It was a pleasure to collaborate with them throughout the planning process. I also want to thank the entire staff at Lilly Jade salon - they did a phenomenal job with hair and makeup and really made the day-of prep fun and memorable for me and my wedding party.\r\rGuests continue to rave about what a wonderful, special weekend it was and we're thrilled by that. The Bay Mountain ceremony site is unmatched,everyone loved riding up in the ski lifts, and also exploring the property and the Peninsula. It was very fun to have all our guests staying together in the same place. \r\rThanks again to the Homestead staff for a weekend we'll never forget!\r\rCheers,\rMaddy and Anthony Philipp
Reviewed on 15-08-2013
Amanda Grant (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 11-05-2013
Mitch and I got married at the Homestead in May 2013 and it was everything we had envisioned and so much more. Leading up to the event, we were skeptic about the high cost of everything, but in the end, it was worth it.\r\rIf you're looking to stay here, as bride and groom, we loved the Stoneybrook Lodge and then for our wedding night we stayed at Little Belle and it was so beautiful. \r\rPROS\rHelpful staff\rLillyjade Salon (LOVED the girls there!!!)\rBeautiful venues\rGorgeous location\rFlexibility\rLots of activities\rFood at the Cafe Manitou brunch\rButtercream wedding cake\r\rCONS\rQuality and portion of the reception food\rNot enough bread with the salad
Reviewed on 15-08-2013
Wedding Date 11-05-2013
Mitch and I got married at the Homestead in May 2013 and it was everything we had envisioned and so much more. Leading up to the event, we were skeptic about the high cost of everything, but in the end, it was worth it.\r\rIf you're looking to stay here, as bride and groom, we loved the Stoneybrook Lodge and then for our wedding night we stayed at Little Belle and it was so beautiful. \r\rPROS\rHelpful staff\rLillyjade Salon (LOVED the girls there!!!)\rBeautiful venues\rGorgeous location\rFlexibility\rLots of activities\rFood at the Cafe Manitou brunch\rButtercream wedding cake\r\rCONS\rQuality and portion of the reception food\rNot enough bread with the salad
Reviewed on 15-08-2013
Samantha White (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 01-06-2013
You cannot beat the setting and scenery at The Homestead. I looked all over Michigan trying to find the perfect venue for our wedding and there is no comparison to The Homestead.\r \rThe food was excellent. My guests all commented on how much they enjoyed our wedding because the resort is so relaxing and beautiful. There were a couple hiccups with vendors outside of The Homestead but the staff (especially Barb) made sure that I was ok, my guests were happy and things continued to run smoothly.\r \rThe set up and tear down of all our decor could not have been easier. I met with Stephanie for about 10 minutes to tell her how I wanted everything set up. She took notes and it looked beautiful on our wedding day!
Reviewed on 17-07-2013
Wedding Date 01-06-2013
You cannot beat the setting and scenery at The Homestead. I looked all over Michigan trying to find the perfect venue for our wedding and there is no comparison to The Homestead.\r \rThe food was excellent. My guests all commented on how much they enjoyed our wedding because the resort is so relaxing and beautiful. There were a couple hiccups with vendors outside of The Homestead but the staff (especially Barb) made sure that I was ok, my guests were happy and things continued to run smoothly.\r \rThe set up and tear down of all our decor could not have been easier. I met with Stephanie for about 10 minutes to tell her how I wanted everything set up. She took notes and it looked beautiful on our wedding day!
Reviewed on 17-07-2013
adrienne bossard (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 08-06-2012
Our wedding was on June 8th at The Homestead in Glen Arbor, Michigan. It was more than we could have ever asked for- and not just because we had an amazing time, but because every single person that attended had an even MORE amazing time! 4 months later I still have people telling me how beautiful it was and how much they enjoyed themselves. \rEmily Anderson (wedding/event planner) was with me every step of the way through the planning process and whatever I asked (and my mom asked) Emily was not only there to look into it, but to make it happen. Everything we wanted we had and Emily and the staff were the ones that made our wedding so easy and enjoyable! \rThe food was fantastic ( all 130 guests agreed on that!) and the staff were amazing, kind and ready to help with whatever we needed. \rWe planned a wedding weekend and had all our guests stay from Friday to Sunday with golf on saturday and a bon fire on saturday night. All of this was put together by Emily and the staff- it was so flawless and done with so much ease! All we had to do was say how many people were coming and what we needed to drink... and then enjoy :) The Homestead exceeded our expectations! Our family will be going back for years to come to enjoy the beauty and remember our phenomenal experience.\rWe definitely had a budget and were able to come in right below that number. We were able to provide our guests with more than I expected and we had everything we wanted/needed for our wedding weekend! They provide you with many options so a plethora of budgets can be met without a problem :)\rIn conclusion- The Homestead, its staff, location and natural beauty are what make it (in my opinion) an ideal place to have a wedding. What more could you ask for... Lake Michigan at its finest, wonderful people who want to make your dream come true and guests who can enjoy your special day AND the beauty of The Homestead!
Reviewed on 29-10-2012
Wedding Date 08-06-2012
Our wedding was on June 8th at The Homestead in Glen Arbor, Michigan. It was more than we could have ever asked for- and not just because we had an amazing time, but because every single person that attended had an even MORE amazing time! 4 months later I still have people telling me how beautiful it was and how much they enjoyed themselves. \rEmily Anderson (wedding/event planner) was with me every step of the way through the planning process and whatever I asked (and my mom asked) Emily was not only there to look into it, but to make it happen. Everything we wanted we had and Emily and the staff were the ones that made our wedding so easy and enjoyable! \rThe food was fantastic ( all 130 guests agreed on that!) and the staff were amazing, kind and ready to help with whatever we needed. \rWe planned a wedding weekend and had all our guests stay from Friday to Sunday with golf on saturday and a bon fire on saturday night. All of this was put together by Emily and the staff- it was so flawless and done with so much ease! All we had to do was say how many people were coming and what we needed to drink... and then enjoy :) The Homestead exceeded our expectations! Our family will be going back for years to come to enjoy the beauty and remember our phenomenal experience.\rWe definitely had a budget and were able to come in right below that number. We were able to provide our guests with more than I expected and we had everything we wanted/needed for our wedding weekend! They provide you with many options so a plethora of budgets can be met without a problem :)\rIn conclusion- The Homestead, its staff, location and natural beauty are what make it (in my opinion) an ideal place to have a wedding. What more could you ask for... Lake Michigan at its finest, wonderful people who want to make your dream come true and guests who can enjoy your special day AND the beauty of The Homestead!
Reviewed on 29-10-2012
Jennifer King (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 03-06-2012
Our Wedding was at the Homestead with our ceremony at the Top of the Mountain and our reception at the newly renovated Camp Firefly. The venue and staff were amazing, working tirelessly to make sure the renovations were complete in time. Barb is an amazing coordinator who never lost her calm and always made us feel special. All of the staff made us feel like ours was the only wedding they were doing, which isn't possible, but is a testament to how important they make you feel. And the location is breath taking in any season. The Homestead will always and forever remain special to me. I look forward to celebrating anniversaries there!
Reviewed on 28-10-2012
Wedding Date 03-06-2012
Our Wedding was at the Homestead with our ceremony at the Top of the Mountain and our reception at the newly renovated Camp Firefly. The venue and staff were amazing, working tirelessly to make sure the renovations were complete in time. Barb is an amazing coordinator who never lost her calm and always made us feel special. All of the staff made us feel like ours was the only wedding they were doing, which isn't possible, but is a testament to how important they make you feel. And the location is breath taking in any season. The Homestead will always and forever remain special to me. I look forward to celebrating anniversaries there!
Reviewed on 28-10-2012
Melissa Gehl (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 17-08-2012
My husband and I got married at The Homestead in August 2012. After growing up vacationing at this resort, I felt so lucky to be able to share this beautiful place with our family and friends. We got married at the Top of the Mountain - our guests were delighted to ride a chairlift to the top- and our reception was at Mountain Flowers Lodge. Both sites exceeded our expectations! The resort staff were helpful, from Sally and the rest of the Lilyjade Salon staff who coordinated a bridesmaid spa day to Robin who was our wedding coordinator (who deserves an award for being kind and helpful to both me and my dad!). While no wedding is without glitches, ours were not visible thanks to the dedicated staff. Thank you for helping turn my wedding dreams into the most amazing day and week!
Reviewed on 15-10-2012
Wedding Date 17-08-2012
My husband and I got married at The Homestead in August 2012. After growing up vacationing at this resort, I felt so lucky to be able to share this beautiful place with our family and friends. We got married at the Top of the Mountain - our guests were delighted to ride a chairlift to the top- and our reception was at Mountain Flowers Lodge. Both sites exceeded our expectations! The resort staff were helpful, from Sally and the rest of the Lilyjade Salon staff who coordinated a bridesmaid spa day to Robin who was our wedding coordinator (who deserves an award for being kind and helpful to both me and my dad!). While no wedding is without glitches, ours were not visible thanks to the dedicated staff. Thank you for helping turn my wedding dreams into the most amazing day and week!
Reviewed on 15-10-2012
Stephanie Holm (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 02-09-2012
The Homestead was everything we could have ever asked for in a Northern Michigan Resort for our wedding! We wanted to keep a rustic feel to our entire wedding weekend and Glen Arbor/The Homestead fit that role perfectly. From the long distance planning process to the day we arrived for our wedding, Barb Ellis and The Homestead team were always ready and willing to help. The service was impeccable all weekend long and both the ceremony and reception went off without a hitch. We got married on top of the mountain and our reception was in Mountain Flowers Lodge and we're still getting compliments on the sheer beauty of it all. The food was excellent and our guests have commented that it was the best wedding food they've ever had. The lodging is extremely convenient and every room we saw exceeded our expectations! It felt as if we were on vacation, but we knew everyone there! It was a really awesome experience. Plus, there's plenty to do on the resort and in Glen Arbor and Traverse City is only a short drive away. Our guests were never bored and really took advantage of \"The Most Beautiful Place in America\"! Me and my bridal party also used Lilyjade Salon the morning of our wedding and the girls there were SO nice and did SUCH a good job on our hair and makeup! The Homestead really is a one stop shop and if you're still trying to make up your mind, take it from the bride and just do it!!! You will not be disappointed!! It is WELL worth every penny!! :)
Reviewed on 03-10-2012
Wedding Date 02-09-2012
The Homestead was everything we could have ever asked for in a Northern Michigan Resort for our wedding! We wanted to keep a rustic feel to our entire wedding weekend and Glen Arbor/The Homestead fit that role perfectly. From the long distance planning process to the day we arrived for our wedding, Barb Ellis and The Homestead team were always ready and willing to help. The service was impeccable all weekend long and both the ceremony and reception went off without a hitch. We got married on top of the mountain and our reception was in Mountain Flowers Lodge and we're still getting compliments on the sheer beauty of it all. The food was excellent and our guests have commented that it was the best wedding food they've ever had. The lodging is extremely convenient and every room we saw exceeded our expectations! It felt as if we were on vacation, but we knew everyone there! It was a really awesome experience. Plus, there's plenty to do on the resort and in Glen Arbor and Traverse City is only a short drive away. Our guests were never bored and really took advantage of \"The Most Beautiful Place in America\"! Me and my bridal party also used Lilyjade Salon the morning of our wedding and the girls there were SO nice and did SUCH a good job on our hair and makeup! The Homestead really is a one stop shop and if you're still trying to make up your mind, take it from the bride and just do it!!! You will not be disappointed!! It is WELL worth every penny!! :)
Reviewed on 03-10-2012
Megan Hofer (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 12-05-2012
I couldn't have been happier with my wedding venue. The staff was awesome to work with and we had an amazing weekend!!! It completely exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend the homestead!
Reviewed on 29-05-2012
Wedding Date 12-05-2012
I couldn't have been happier with my wedding venue. The staff was awesome to work with and we had an amazing weekend!!! It completely exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend the homestead!
Reviewed on 29-05-2012
Michelle Trafton (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 05-05-2012
Could not be happier with the venue. The facilities and staff are top notch. The food is memorable. My guests felt as if there were living a fairy tale during the ceremony on top of the mountain. Many described the wedding as perfect. We made a weekend out of the wedding and hosted and bonfire there the night before the wedding. No hassle weekend free of worry!
Reviewed on 23-05-2012
Wedding Date 05-05-2012
Could not be happier with the venue. The facilities and staff are top notch. The food is memorable. My guests felt as if there were living a fairy tale during the ceremony on top of the mountain. Many described the wedding as perfect. We made a weekend out of the wedding and hosted and bonfire there the night before the wedding. No hassle weekend free of worry!
Reviewed on 23-05-2012
Brittany Darga (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 13-08-2011
The day of the wedding was perfect and flawless. The Homestead staff was great, very professional and helpful. They were great with setting up decorations at the reception site and on top of the mountain... I don't know how we would have done it otherwise! The food was also excellent... a lot better than I expected! I have to say though, that prior to the wedding, the staff was helpful, but didn't exactly offer additional information. I had to remind myself that they were in it to make money and not be my friend. There seemed to be a lot of hidden charges and things weren't exactly cheap to start with. They seemed to not like it that we didn't have a lot of guests staying there (we're from Leelanau County, so naturally, our guests wanted to stay at their homes!) It was not a \"destination wedding\" for us, but they kept pushing that. However, the location is perfect and we chose this venue because of the top of the mountain ceremony (we always wanted an outside ceremony) and because the reception was on site as well.\r\rIf I were to do it over again, I would go with The Homestead. There are things there such as the chair lift and the cocktail hour on top of the mountain after the ceremony that certainly make it a very memorable wedding for everyone. I have had many guests say that it was the best wedding they have ever attended!\r\r
Reviewed on 25-10-2011
Wedding Date 13-08-2011
The day of the wedding was perfect and flawless. The Homestead staff was great, very professional and helpful. They were great with setting up decorations at the reception site and on top of the mountain... I don't know how we would have done it otherwise! The food was also excellent... a lot better than I expected! I have to say though, that prior to the wedding, the staff was helpful, but didn't exactly offer additional information. I had to remind myself that they were in it to make money and not be my friend. There seemed to be a lot of hidden charges and things weren't exactly cheap to start with. They seemed to not like it that we didn't have a lot of guests staying there (we're from Leelanau County, so naturally, our guests wanted to stay at their homes!) It was not a \"destination wedding\" for us, but they kept pushing that. However, the location is perfect and we chose this venue because of the top of the mountain ceremony (we always wanted an outside ceremony) and because the reception was on site as well.\r\rIf I were to do it over again, I would go with The Homestead. There are things there such as the chair lift and the cocktail hour on top of the mountain after the ceremony that certainly make it a very memorable wedding for everyone. I have had many guests say that it was the best wedding they have ever attended!\r\r
Reviewed on 25-10-2011
Christina Johnson (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 23-07-2011
The venue is beautiful from the ceremony site at the top of the mountain, to the reception area. Barb, the on-site coordinater was wonderful to work with and was extremley helpful along the way. Neil, the service manager was wonderful and when we didn't see a champagne we wanted he found us one us one we loved that wasn't on the list with no issue. Even after the wedding our guests are asking for the name of the wine/champagne. The waitstaff were friendly and a joy to have working with us. I truely cannot say enough wonderful things about this place and the people who work there who helped me have the perfect wedding!
Reviewed on 15-08-2011
Wedding Date 23-07-2011
The venue is beautiful from the ceremony site at the top of the mountain, to the reception area. Barb, the on-site coordinater was wonderful to work with and was extremley helpful along the way. Neil, the service manager was wonderful and when we didn't see a champagne we wanted he found us one us one we loved that wasn't on the list with no issue. Even after the wedding our guests are asking for the name of the wine/champagne. The waitstaff were friendly and a joy to have working with us. I truely cannot say enough wonderful things about this place and the people who work there who helped me have the perfect wedding!
Reviewed on 15-08-2011
Paige Anderson Knott (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 11-06-2011
The Homestead was amazing. They worked with us to help us achieve the wedding of our dream. It was still off season so they had some construction going on, but our guest said they didn't even notice it. The only downside was the expense, but the service and quality was worth it. the food was wonderful. Our guest said they never had such good wedding food. and the staff was always there to help us. We have had so many people tell us it was the best wedding they had ever been to.
Reviewed on 07-07-2011
Wedding Date 11-06-2011
The Homestead was amazing. They worked with us to help us achieve the wedding of our dream. It was still off season so they had some construction going on, but our guest said they didn't even notice it. The only downside was the expense, but the service and quality was worth it. the food was wonderful. Our guest said they never had such good wedding food. and the staff was always there to help us. We have had so many people tell us it was the best wedding they had ever been to.
Reviewed on 07-07-2011
Chelsea Tirrell (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 14-05-2011
We were there in the off season, which overall was extremely nice. The resort wasn't exactly \"open\" yet and had a lot of construction taking place; none of the stores or restaurants were open which kind of stunk. BUT, we were able to contact the manager of the spa there and get an appointment - nicest spa experience EVER! They opened the place up and totally catered it to our afternoon there. Lots of lovely places to visit and see near Glen Arbor, like the dunes. And, it's only 20 - 30 minutes from Traverse City which always has great shopping and sites to see that are open.
Reviewed on 11-06-2011
Wedding Date 14-05-2011
We were there in the off season, which overall was extremely nice. The resort wasn't exactly \"open\" yet and had a lot of construction taking place; none of the stores or restaurants were open which kind of stunk. BUT, we were able to contact the manager of the spa there and get an appointment - nicest spa experience EVER! They opened the place up and totally catered it to our afternoon there. Lots of lovely places to visit and see near Glen Arbor, like the dunes. And, it's only 20 - 30 minutes from Traverse City which always has great shopping and sites to see that are open.
Reviewed on 11-06-2011
Courtney Dunn (bride) 4 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 09-10-2010
I can sum up my October 10 wedding day experience at The Homestead in one word: breathtaking. My (now) husband and I chose The Homestead for a number of reasons. First, I have a long family history in this area and knew I wanted to celebrate our wedding in a place that is not only special but reflects my favorite part of the area -- the beauty of Lake Michigan and Northern Michigan. The Homestead is perfectly positioned overlooking the lake, amidst the beautiful trees and nature. We knew a fall wedding would be gorgeous here and it was! Second, with all of our guests flying in from out of town, we wanted a place where all of the guests could not only stay on the same property but enjoy our wedding weekend as a vacation. Again The Homestead was superb. All of the accommodations, no matter the more economical or expensive were luxurious and top of the line. The property presented great options for our guests to enjoy their stay whether eating at the many restaurants, golfing, enjoying the spa, shopping, etc. MANY of our family and friends have said after getting there, they wished they had taken more time off to explore the resort and the area. When it came to our wedding again all I heard from our guests were rave reviews. My husband and I met on a ski trip, so the ski lift to the Top of the Mountain was a magical, fun experience and favorite for all. The Top of the Mountain view (where we did our wedding toast) was breathtaking, and Mountain Flowers Lodge was sensational in terms of the inside beauty of wood and stone and the fireplace and waterfall outside. It was classy yet comfortable and most importantly memorable for all. The only slight negative (disclaimer: our guests loved everything - this was just what I and those helping me experienced as the bride/planner) is that at times the staff was a little hard to work with. I understand they are very busy, but at times it was very hard to reach the wedding coordinator, we often felt incredibly rushed at our meetings and she sometimes seemed too busy with someone else's wedding. Each bride wants to feel their wedding is special and that the staff appreciates their business. In the end though, our wedding was beautiful and all of the actual wedding-day staff were wonderful from the ski-lift staff to the person who drove us to the beach for our pictures to the Banquet Manager, to the fill-in wedding coordinator (she was sensational!!!) and servers. One other minor disappointment: our tasting was much better than the actual night. We were hesitant to choose beef tenderloin because we were worried if it would be overcooked. However at the tasting every detail of the meal was over the top and we were assured it would be the exact same high-quality. We were even told our request for special vegetables (such as carrots with the stems on them; purple potatoes, etc.) would be honored. Instead the meat was overcooked and the veggies looked like a chopped medley from the frozen bag. Our disappointment wasn't with the actual meal but rather that we were promised a higher quality, made our choices accordingly and then were let down. HOWEVER the complimentary wedding cake was absolutely hands down the BEST wedding cake we ever tasted. And in the end although many of our guests commented on the \"typical wedding food\" (exactly what we wanted to avoid) the location, staff and venue made our wedding anything but typical. It made it a unique, memorable event we and our guests will remember forever.
Reviewed on 16-01-2011
Wedding Date 09-10-2010
I can sum up my October 10 wedding day experience at The Homestead in one word: breathtaking. My (now) husband and I chose The Homestead for a number of reasons. First, I have a long family history in this area and knew I wanted to celebrate our wedding in a place that is not only special but reflects my favorite part of the area -- the beauty of Lake Michigan and Northern Michigan. The Homestead is perfectly positioned overlooking the lake, amidst the beautiful trees and nature. We knew a fall wedding would be gorgeous here and it was! Second, with all of our guests flying in from out of town, we wanted a place where all of the guests could not only stay on the same property but enjoy our wedding weekend as a vacation. Again The Homestead was superb. All of the accommodations, no matter the more economical or expensive were luxurious and top of the line. The property presented great options for our guests to enjoy their stay whether eating at the many restaurants, golfing, enjoying the spa, shopping, etc. MANY of our family and friends have said after getting there, they wished they had taken more time off to explore the resort and the area. When it came to our wedding again all I heard from our guests were rave reviews. My husband and I met on a ski trip, so the ski lift to the Top of the Mountain was a magical, fun experience and favorite for all. The Top of the Mountain view (where we did our wedding toast) was breathtaking, and Mountain Flowers Lodge was sensational in terms of the inside beauty of wood and stone and the fireplace and waterfall outside. It was classy yet comfortable and most importantly memorable for all. The only slight negative (disclaimer: our guests loved everything - this was just what I and those helping me experienced as the bride/planner) is that at times the staff was a little hard to work with. I understand they are very busy, but at times it was very hard to reach the wedding coordinator, we often felt incredibly rushed at our meetings and she sometimes seemed too busy with someone else's wedding. Each bride wants to feel their wedding is special and that the staff appreciates their business. In the end though, our wedding was beautiful and all of the actual wedding-day staff were wonderful from the ski-lift staff to the person who drove us to the beach for our pictures to the Banquet Manager, to the fill-in wedding coordinator (she was sensational!!!) and servers. One other minor disappointment: our tasting was much better than the actual night. We were hesitant to choose beef tenderloin because we were worried if it would be overcooked. However at the tasting every detail of the meal was over the top and we were assured it would be the exact same high-quality. We were even told our request for special vegetables (such as carrots with the stems on them; purple potatoes, etc.) would be honored. Instead the meat was overcooked and the veggies looked like a chopped medley from the frozen bag. Our disappointment wasn't with the actual meal but rather that we were promised a higher quality, made our choices accordingly and then were let down. HOWEVER the complimentary wedding cake was absolutely hands down the BEST wedding cake we ever tasted. And in the end although many of our guests commented on the \"typical wedding food\" (exactly what we wanted to avoid) the location, staff and venue made our wedding anything but typical. It made it a unique, memorable event we and our guests will remember forever.
Reviewed on 16-01-2011
Brandi Werner (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 07-08-2010
We were married at The Homestead August 7th, 2010. We visited in February and thought if it is this beautiful in the winter imagine what it will look like in the middle of the summer! We were right. We had our ceremony on The Top of the Mountain. It was incredible. Our rehearsal was the first time seeing the view (due to winter activities) and it took our breath away. Our Our guests along with my husband and I loved riding the ski lift to and from the top of the mountain. It was thrilling for some and so romantic for us. The staff at The Homestead far exceeded our epectations. We told them what we would like and they made it happen. The day could not have been more perfect. The sun was shining but the clouds arrived just in time to make pictures really beautiful. The reception was held at Camp Firefly. It looked amazing and the staff did everything there. We did not have to do anything but show up! The food was incredible. Most everyone went back for more. The staff that assisted us at Camp Firefly even plated food for my Grandparents and served them before we could ask them to. Throughout the weekend every staff member seemed to know we were getting married and gave us well wishes. The Wedding Planning staff were so easy to work with and so very nice. It was like they took all our worries from us, handeled it and let us enjoy our day. It was an amazing experience. It was more than we had budgeted but it was so worth it. My husband and I are planning to return to the resort for our anniversary to enjoy and relive it all over again!
Reviewed on 02-01-2011
Wedding Date 07-08-2010
We were married at The Homestead August 7th, 2010. We visited in February and thought if it is this beautiful in the winter imagine what it will look like in the middle of the summer! We were right. We had our ceremony on The Top of the Mountain. It was incredible. Our rehearsal was the first time seeing the view (due to winter activities) and it took our breath away. Our Our guests along with my husband and I loved riding the ski lift to and from the top of the mountain. It was thrilling for some and so romantic for us. The staff at The Homestead far exceeded our epectations. We told them what we would like and they made it happen. The day could not have been more perfect. The sun was shining but the clouds arrived just in time to make pictures really beautiful. The reception was held at Camp Firefly. It looked amazing and the staff did everything there. We did not have to do anything but show up! The food was incredible. Most everyone went back for more. The staff that assisted us at Camp Firefly even plated food for my Grandparents and served them before we could ask them to. Throughout the weekend every staff member seemed to know we were getting married and gave us well wishes. The Wedding Planning staff were so easy to work with and so very nice. It was like they took all our worries from us, handeled it and let us enjoy our day. It was an amazing experience. It was more than we had budgeted but it was so worth it. My husband and I are planning to return to the resort for our anniversary to enjoy and relive it all over again!
Reviewed on 02-01-2011
Sarah Hall (bride) 3 out of 5 Rating
When my husband and I first drove on to the Homestead property, we were amazed by the sight. It was exactly what we had envisioned our wedding looking like. The Homestead Resort was beautiful and had a variety of venues for us to choose from, we were smitten. We booked an appointment with The Wedding Coordinator a few months later, and made the long drive (6 hours) to meet with her only to find her distracted and hard to work with. She was trying to rush our appointment and wouldn’t answer any of our questions, just gave us a packet and told us all of our answers would be in there. We should have just cut our losses then and searched for a new venue, but we loved the property too much and tried to make excuses for her behavior on that day. We decided to book our wedding there and only found the staff to be more difficult to work with. We met with the Wedding Coordinator a few additional times before the wedding, and every time we had to reiterate everything that we told her in the last meeting. She would forget our plans and our timelines and we would have to spend more time going over it with her. They were also not accommodating to our needs, making everything difficult for us to plan (not allowing us to bring in edible favors unless we bought them through them at an outrageous price), etc. When the wedding day came and they were un prepared, we were told many times before hand that they handled the timing of the event and made sure that everything went smoothly, however my father-in-law was running around trying to figure out when they began, and trying to locate any employee to get the thing started. Their staff was rude to our guests during our wedding, wouldn’t turn the heat down even though it felt miserable in there and my grandmother had to leave because she was feeling ill from the heat. We looked forward to having our wedding on the beautiful property, but we were left with a bad taste in our mouth, and honestly wouldn’t even go back there to vacation.
Reviewed on 29-12-2010
When my husband and I first drove on to the Homestead property, we were amazed by the sight. It was exactly what we had envisioned our wedding looking like. The Homestead Resort was beautiful and had a variety of venues for us to choose from, we were smitten. We booked an appointment with The Wedding Coordinator a few months later, and made the long drive (6 hours) to meet with her only to find her distracted and hard to work with. She was trying to rush our appointment and wouldn’t answer any of our questions, just gave us a packet and told us all of our answers would be in there. We should have just cut our losses then and searched for a new venue, but we loved the property too much and tried to make excuses for her behavior on that day. We decided to book our wedding there and only found the staff to be more difficult to work with. We met with the Wedding Coordinator a few additional times before the wedding, and every time we had to reiterate everything that we told her in the last meeting. She would forget our plans and our timelines and we would have to spend more time going over it with her. They were also not accommodating to our needs, making everything difficult for us to plan (not allowing us to bring in edible favors unless we bought them through them at an outrageous price), etc. When the wedding day came and they were un prepared, we were told many times before hand that they handled the timing of the event and made sure that everything went smoothly, however my father-in-law was running around trying to figure out when they began, and trying to locate any employee to get the thing started. Their staff was rude to our guests during our wedding, wouldn’t turn the heat down even though it felt miserable in there and my grandmother had to leave because she was feeling ill from the heat. We looked forward to having our wedding on the beautiful property, but we were left with a bad taste in our mouth, and honestly wouldn’t even go back there to vacation.
Reviewed on 29-12-2010
Laura Karl (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 17-09-2010
Our experience with the Homestead was great. Everything went exactly as planned, and if for some reason something had to be changed, they always had a backup and knew what to do. \rWe had a very small wedding, but it was still very expensive. It was all worth it in the end, but the cost surprised us initially. \rWe loved our experience and would definitely recommend The Homestead!
Reviewed on 29-12-2010
Wedding Date 17-09-2010
Our experience with the Homestead was great. Everything went exactly as planned, and if for some reason something had to be changed, they always had a backup and knew what to do. \rWe had a very small wedding, but it was still very expensive. It was all worth it in the end, but the cost surprised us initially. \rWe loved our experience and would definitely recommend The Homestead!
Reviewed on 29-12-2010
Leigh Denton (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 17-07-2010
my husband and i got married this past summer at the homestead resort and it was the most wonderful, perfect day ever! barb and the rest of the staff were so helpful, kind, and professional, and the did the most amazing job making our day the best of our lives!
Reviewed on 29-12-2010
Wedding Date 17-07-2010
my husband and i got married this past summer at the homestead resort and it was the most wonderful, perfect day ever! barb and the rest of the staff were so helpful, kind, and professional, and the did the most amazing job making our day the best of our lives!
Reviewed on 29-12-2010
Elizabeth VanWagner (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 05-09-2010
As a relatively realistic bride, I expected my wedding day to have a few minor 'bumps in the road\" but if there were any, I never knew about them! If you've ever been to The Homestead, then you know how beautiful it is. What you may not know is that there is an amazing team behind the scenes that know how to work out all the details so the only thing you have to think about is enjoying your day! Barb Ellis acted as our events coordinator and she did an amazing job keeping the timeline on track and all of the guests happy. Neil helped us with our food selections, and it was all fabulous! In fact, the beef tenderloin was so good, that we actually began to run out, but Neil and Barb had anticipated this, and had more tenderloin preped an ready to go before we ever ran out of the first round! The servers and bar staff were also incredibly kind and helpul. Many of our guests commented on this. They even saved an appetizer sampling for my husband and I when we missed cocktail hour due to a little extra picture time (our photographer couldn't get enough georgeous shots of us on the beach, with the hills and dunes in the background...too many beautiful backdrops to choose from!) Thanks to a beautiful location and an amazing staff headed up by Barb and Neil, our wedding day truly was the best day of our lives.
Reviewed on 12-12-2010
Wedding Date 05-09-2010
As a relatively realistic bride, I expected my wedding day to have a few minor 'bumps in the road\" but if there were any, I never knew about them! If you've ever been to The Homestead, then you know how beautiful it is. What you may not know is that there is an amazing team behind the scenes that know how to work out all the details so the only thing you have to think about is enjoying your day! Barb Ellis acted as our events coordinator and she did an amazing job keeping the timeline on track and all of the guests happy. Neil helped us with our food selections, and it was all fabulous! In fact, the beef tenderloin was so good, that we actually began to run out, but Neil and Barb had anticipated this, and had more tenderloin preped an ready to go before we ever ran out of the first round! The servers and bar staff were also incredibly kind and helpul. Many of our guests commented on this. They even saved an appetizer sampling for my husband and I when we missed cocktail hour due to a little extra picture time (our photographer couldn't get enough georgeous shots of us on the beach, with the hills and dunes in the background...too many beautiful backdrops to choose from!) Thanks to a beautiful location and an amazing staff headed up by Barb and Neil, our wedding day truly was the best day of our lives.
Reviewed on 12-12-2010
erin connors (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 12-06-2010
I was recently married, June 12th at the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor MI and my guests are still talking about the wonderful time we ALL had! It was the perfect resort to go to and get away from the hectic city I live in and enjoy my family and friends. The ability to get married over looking the lake and freedom of the outdoors was wonderful... Also being able to take a ski lift to the top was just an added bonus, gave me time to chat w/ my Dad which meant alot to me at that point in my life. \rThe room looked beautiful and the food was great, even though I was more concerned w/ walking around and enjoying the day :) \rI also loved that myself and the guests could go from indoors to out on the patio w/ ease...\rDon't hesitate to have your wedding at The Homestead, you will be taken care of and you will want to go back again, just to relax!
Reviewed on 01-12-2010
Wedding Date 12-06-2010
I was recently married, June 12th at the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor MI and my guests are still talking about the wonderful time we ALL had! It was the perfect resort to go to and get away from the hectic city I live in and enjoy my family and friends. The ability to get married over looking the lake and freedom of the outdoors was wonderful... Also being able to take a ski lift to the top was just an added bonus, gave me time to chat w/ my Dad which meant alot to me at that point in my life. \rThe room looked beautiful and the food was great, even though I was more concerned w/ walking around and enjoying the day :) \rI also loved that myself and the guests could go from indoors to out on the patio w/ ease...\rDon't hesitate to have your wedding at The Homestead, you will be taken care of and you will want to go back again, just to relax!
Reviewed on 01-12-2010
Lindsay Bresnahan (bride) 5 out of 5 Rating
Wedding Date 18-09-2010
At first I thought it was hard to work with the Homestead (picking out food selections, add ons, clear answers) but come the wedding day, everything worked out perfectly! The staff was attentive and professional and our day was wonderful. All of the details were taken care of and our guests were impressed with the service. The food was much better for the wedding than during our tasting and things just seemed to really come together. The price is not cheap, especially the site rental fees which only reserve the venues and are not applied towards any food or beverage.
Reviewed on 06-10-2010
96 Reviews, with a Rating of 4.56 out of 5.0Wedding Date 18-09-2010
At first I thought it was hard to work with the Homestead (picking out food selections, add ons, clear answers) but come the wedding day, everything worked out perfectly! The staff was attentive and professional and our day was wonderful. All of the details were taken care of and our guests were impressed with the service. The food was much better for the wedding than during our tasting and things just seemed to really come together. The price is not cheap, especially the site rental fees which only reserve the venues and are not applied towards any food or beverage.
Reviewed on 06-10-2010
Contact Info for The Homestead
| Contact | Value |
|---|---|
| https://www.facebook.com/thehomesteadmi | |
| X (Twitter) | thehomesteadmi |
| thehomesteadweddings | |
| thehomesteadmi | |
| Website | www.thehomesteadresort.com |
| Phone | (231) 334-5300 |
| Address | 1 Wood Ridge Rd, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636 |
| weddings@thehomesteadresort.com |
The Homestead on the map
Meet the The Homestead Team
No The Homestead team members found©2024 Wedding Service Guide