Castino Lakeview Mansion

kend with immediate family and friends on both bride and grooms side staying at the mansion to prepare for the big event and unwind after. The mansion had so many wonderful sleeping spaces with most bedrooms having private bathrooms. The large family suite was perfect for our son and wife and 2 young children. We held the rehearsal onsite and the owners recommended private Chef James to prepare the dinner. It was stupendous! The owners encouraged us to use their vast collection of crystal, china and serving dishes. We dined outdoors on the patio with the lake as a backdrop. Perfection! The local contact for the mansion was super easy to text with ANY questions and was super helpful! The owners were beyond accommodating pre event with any and all communications. The mansion has a vintage vibe and full of interesting antiques and collections of things. At first we thought it would feel cluttered but then quickly warmed to the setting and fully appreciated how "movie set" ish it felt and only enhanced the special feel of it for the weekend. Our guests were absolutely intrigued and felt it was a incredible, romantic place for a "Downton Abby-esque" wedding venue. There are several smaller VRBO type properties very close by that other family and friends were able to rent to be a couple blocks walking distance from this venue. There are so many special spaces here where we found we enjoyed morning coffee, intimate chats, quiet reading spots, etc for all of our weekend guests to enjoy. We picked up incredible authentic French pastries for the morning at Excuse My French and nibbled and set up for the wedding. So special! On wedding day, our daughter and friends got ready in the master bedroom with windows to the lake and a beautiful vanity area with natural light spilling in. We could see the guests arrive below through the window which added to the excitement! She came down the grand staircase with Dad waiting below to walk her through the French doors to the ceremony outside - again with the gorgeous Lake Michigan as a backdrop to the ceremony. The stone patio was a perfect space to set up the 4 piece band with plenty of room for a dance floor. There's a beautiful covered patio as well with a gas firepit and heaters for those to watch the dancing and enjoy a drink. We rented a lovely white tent and had food and bar outdoors. There were so many beautiful spots for photos as well: The fountain, the patio, the beautiful yard and of course down at the beachfront below. A big bonus was the super fun lower lever game room / rec room area where the older kids whisked away the little kids to be fully entertained with all the games while the adults whooped it up outside! And of course the Sunday AM closing ceremonies involved a group dip into Lake Michigan right down the hill! I cant say enough how this venue literally created a perfect setting in so many ways for a most memorable wedding for our daughter!!