Camp Newaygo

Even before the wedding, Camp Newaygo was always easy to get in touch with and so helpful throughout the planning process. We had quite a few guests nervous about going to camp for a weekend-long wedding, but people are still talking about how amazing everything was and asking when we can go back. Our Friday - Monday celebration was absolutely perfect and my husband and I attribute a big part of that to Canp Newaygo!

n gem! Their outdoor ceremony area is breathtaking, right down by the lake but covered under the beautiful trees. Their lodge is wooden and gorgeous with all of the windows letting in just the right Light. They even have a stone fireplace. They have nice dorm rooms with plenty of beds for guests to stay and large bathroom/showers for guests to get ready in. In addition, plenty of rustic cabins within very close walking distance to bathrooms and a brand new furnished building with rooms that are nicer than the hotels in the area! Not to mention- for guests wanting a real camping experience, you’re welcome to bring your tent and just camp on the grounds! For food- You have to use their caterer but don’t let that deter you! It’s not camp meals. The food through Ridge Specialties Catering was incredible, so so soo good. Chef Whitney was the best, kind & easy to work with, open to any ideas we had for our menu, offered up plenty of dishes to choose from and was very willing to work with our budget and give us the best options for what we could spend. Christa the events coordinator was also the greatest! It’s not easy putting a wedding together at a venue that is 3+ hours away, relying heavily on communication and trust in your venue/vendors. Christa made it simple. She was prompt and responsive throughout the entire process. She took charge the day of and made sure everything was running smoothly. And she was the kindest/sweetest person. We loved working with her!! Our guests as well as the groom and I have nothing but great things to say about this place. When you constantly hear: best wedding ever, delicious food, gorgeous venue, great staff, amazing time- you know you did something right. You will not be disappointed making this your venue choice!!

d the camp out for Memorial Day weekend. For Saturday, we created activity schedules for each of our guests then brought everybody together for a field day competition that concluded with a color powder war. The Italian buffet dinner Saturday was DELICIOUS and after dinner we had a beer pong tournament with karaoke in the main lodge. The young adults enjoyed drinks by the bonfire that evening. We kicked off Sunday with more camp activities before everybody had to start getting ready for the ceremony! Many of our guests stayed in the cabins and the lodge's dorm rooms right at camp. This made our weekend truly special as we got to spend so much time catching up with friends and family we don't see very often. Call us crazy, but we didn't have a wedding planner..but we did have Christa, the events coordinator at Newaygo. I cannot commend her hard work, communication, and willingness to help enough. Nick and I probably sent Christa 10 questions a day during the months leading up to the wedding. She would respond often within 24 hours and always with enthusiasm. I have never worked with a more accommodating individual before, she was truly amazing. We planned our wedding from Utah where we both moved to from Michigan. During any trip I took back to Michigan, Christa would make sure she was available to meet me at the camp. When we arrived to camp the Friday of our wedding weekend there was some concern around being able to staff zip-lining all day for our guests...instead of closing the zip-line down for part of the day, Christa decided that she would work the activity - just another example of how amazing she was. And another example - our bartending service refused to pour champagne to our guests during dinner and expected everybody to get up and walk to the bar with their glasses. Christa immediately resolved by requesting her staff to pour the champagne. All of the staff members were very polite and enthusiastic. They helped facilitate our field day event, the activities, pontoon boat rides, check-in of guests, etc. We couldn't have asked for anything better. PROS: - OUTSTANDING staff - Delicious meals , and knowing the $ spent on food goes to a local non profit made it even more amazing - Flexibility to really make the event what you want - Can bring your own alcohol- big money saver - Guests can stay onsite - Beautiful setting right on the lake with so many trees, a beach area I honestly cannot think of any cons. We were concerned about there being no bathrooms in the cabins, but it is a super short walk to the lodge and the bathrooms in the lodge are VERY nice and spacious. Our friends keep asking if we can rent Newaygo every year because they had such a fun weekend.

you bring in your cake from an outside vendor, they will not cut it for you. We found this out after cutting the cake, waiting for it to be served, then having to ask if they planned on serving it. On the other hand, everyone was extremely nice and genuine. They actually used their golf cart to drive an overly intoxicated guest to his nearby lodging. Overall, the wedding was wonderful though. I would highly recommend Camp Newaygo.

the venue in either fun rustic cabins or cosy air-conditioned dorms. Plus, the venue is extremely affordable for a couple on a slim budget! All of the profits from the wedding go toward scholarships for children to attend the camp, which makes spending thousands of dollars much less horrifying!!

vities and she was very kind. The food was all delicious, minus the ribs being tough..I highly recommend the cheesy potatoes. It is just a really great location with great staff and we were beyond happy with them!