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300+ guest capacity
This venue can host 300+ guests
About this vendor
We don‘t know Michigan Wildlife Conservancy‘s story by heart. Message them to get to know more about their business.
Amenities + details
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Guest Capacity
- 300+
Settings
- Backyard
- Beach
- Waterfront
- Garden
- Park
- Trees
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Rentals & Equipment
- Service Staff
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
3.8
out of 5.016 reviews
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My husband and I got married here on March 16th. Everything up until our rehearsal was great. The venue was very accommodating and every meeting we had was nice. But my complaints start on the important days… we had our rehearsal 2 days before our wedding. My husband and I already had an idea and plan of how we wanted it to go, but Connie took it upon herself to position all of us and take control without asking if we needed help. It confused all of us as she started from the end to the start. We ended up having to practice it again wedding morning because everyone was confused. I think it would’ve been helpful for a bride who is not a planner, but she definitely should’ve asked before she took over. We did not pay her to be our planner.. then wedding day comes. Connie asked me prior if it was ok if she held a “COUPLE” tours on our wedding morning. She said it’d be around 11-noon. Turns out she had 4 couples touring and they didn’t leave until 45 min before I was about to walk down the aisle. I was ok with them popping their heads in in the morning but when it got to be 3 o’clock and random people were coming in the bridal suite, it was NOT ok anymore. I had to put my wedding dress on in the bathroom because I was scared a random person was going to walk in and see me undressed. We all felt very uncomfortable. The day before my wedding, Connie texted me and asked if I wanted the curtains down outside. I told her no because the weather was nice. The weather turned south wedding morning and all our centerpieces were flying off the tables. So we asked for the curtains to come down. Connie said it was too late and no staff was there to do it. We said our groomsmen could handle it and she said the president said no. We pushed for hours to get the curtain down and then once she was done with her tours she came up to me as I was getting my hair done and said it could come down now. Our groomsmen put it down flat footed without a ladder or anything. They could’ve been put down hours prior but she was too busy with her tours to accommodate the wedding that was happening that day. After the curtains came down and our ceremony started, it was perfect. I got to marry the love of my life. But all of the stress the morning of could’ve been handled a lot better. I hope for everyone getting married after us, that this doesn’t happen to you too. It was extremely unfortunate. Especially considering we spent so much money to have the whole venue to ourselves and then I had to get dressed in the bathroom rather than the suite. I hope this is read and things change from here on for all the future brides sake. I suggest you set boundaries with Connie before your day
Married here in 2019, I wouldn't change a thing even now years later. It is unique and beautiful, my guests still talk about it. Be sure to be actively involved in your contract and you will have no surprises.
We got married here in August and it was absolutely perfect! Its under new management, and I just wanted to give Meghan McCormick a special show out! You rocked it lady! If you are thinking of getting married here I would HIGHLY recommend, and when you book, hire Meghan right away for coordinating. I seriously couldn't have done it without her!! Not to mention the place is incredibly beautiful. We actually live in Utah and drove across country to get married here. So so worth it!!!
This was the first venue we toured and it was the one we chose. The scenery is beautiful and the outdoor deck reception area is so unique with a gorgeous view of the lake. Meghan was great to work with and she really sticks up for what the couple wants and will go to bat for you with other vendors. There were some environmental factors that they couldn't control, such as mosquitos. I brought our own mosquito coils for the deck area that weren't put out, but that's a separate issue with a coordinating company. All in all we are very happy we chose this place and our guests kept commenting on how lovely the scenery and building is.
We got married in early October 2021 and had found the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy for our venue about a year before. Reasons that we booked it: #1: It is an absolutely gorgeous venue! There was little need for decoration because the venue really spoke volumes on it’s own. There are 3 different locations for the ceremony and so many beautiful places for photos. #2: Overall it was pretty handicap accessible (which is difficult to find in outdoor venues.) #3: It was able to be converted indoors in the event that it rained (which it did) but everything was still beautiful. #4: The price was right and you could accommodate a rather large wedding there. Our wedding was only 80 people, but had so much room to roam around, dance and enjoy. Brittany was great to work with overall. The bartender that worked our wedding was nice, understanding, and even remembered people’s drinks when they went back up for another round. My only complaint is you are charged extra for not using their vendors (Big ones like DJ, Cater, Photographer) and had to use their Bar set up and Bartenders. For us personally this was not a big deal, but may be for some. The extra charge for non preferred vendors was very not large. Was such a beautiful venue and I would pick it over and over again for our wedding if I had to!
Deceitful and callous business, Not allowing refunds for COVID shutdowns. Calling out clients on facebook posts, deleting comments. No compassion. FYI the last review by Brittany is fake. She works there. :)
This venue is a best kept secret right in the heart of the Midwest of our mitten. This is a Beautiful venue with first class amenities. You get the best of both worlds with the outdoor covered patio that is lakeside. The grounds are wonderful. Guests have so many options of things to do. Wedding photos turn out amazing because every natural backdrop is just Gorgeous. We didn’t have to worry about rain because everything is covered. I can’t say enough how this venue checks all the boxes for your big day. Also onsite experienced event planners! This venue is just amazing. Defiantly schedule a tour and see for yourself why it’s such a hidden gem 😍
BRIDES BEWARE!
We were supposed to get married at Michigan Wildlife Conservation in Bath Mi May 30th, the owner said he only had Friday’s and sundays left this year & wouldn’t originally allow us to move to 2021. I was okay with a Friday, although fridays are $500 cheaper than Saturdays, I asked if we could get the difference applied to our rentals we would be using for him, he said no & wrote me a 3 page letter explaining that he didn’t have to even move our date and how he’s losing money. He was not compassionate it whatsoever to what is going on right now. We have since decided not to go through with a wedding this year and he is refusing to refund even a partial amount, saying our contract states act of god (although this is not that, it’s a pandemic) Please beware if you decide to use them, their contract even states if a fire/rain/ or WAR happens you get no refund and are “out of luck”. He has been horrible to work with & I would never recommend this place for a wedding venue to my worst enemy! 😭 HEARTBROKEN about my wedding & losing $3,400!!!
If you haven’t visited this Venue yet, you need too. It is absolutely breathtaking. It is reasonably priced. Christine is an amazing Coordinator. She goes out of her way to make your experience the best. I highly recommend them as your Wedding Venue.
I can not for the life of me, Why you would have steps (entire length of deck) for people to trip and fall on. No railings nothing. Not user friendly at all. Can’t believe this is up to code! We had a family member seriously hurt , taken out by ambulance 🚑! ☹️☹️
I can't say enough about our wedding venue! we have both of ceremony and our reception out here at the Michigan wildlife conservancy and it turned out breathtaking. from the multiple ceremony spots to choose from, from the back deck reception area. every view was breathtaking and so stunning. The staff is absolutely amazing to work with, and Christine the wedding planner, the one who I booked everything through and talked with these past few months to make sure everything was okay is absolutely amazing! Best person I have ever worked with and most thoughtful! All she wants is for the bride and groom to be happy and she is such a sweetheart! I will recommend having your ceremony and reception at this spot 1000× over!
Super cool venue! They have a really nice big deck that's attached to the inside building which is nice for kids and grandparents if it's too hot or cold and the ceremony location is included. Overall pricing was decent, but the drinks were good and cheap! Our coordinator was very helpful and understanding too. We had a very good experience and are happy we chose them for our venue!
Never knew this place existed until I accidently stumbled across it during my initial attempts googling rustic, twinkly light outdoor venue in MI. Fell in love with the pics online so I decided to schedule a tour, ended up booking there on the spot. As a non-profit, they apparently got into the wedding business so they could use the revenue to fund more projects helping animals which I thought was wonderful. Their pricing was on the lower end compared to other venues we checked out, but it was definitely a plus to be able to justify the expense because it all goes towards a good cause. The main reception part is a newer addition that's connected to the main building. It's a large area outdoors with open sides and a clear ceiling looking out into nature. You are literally surrounded by trees, water, fresh air and sunlight and it's still quite beautiful even during gloomy rainy days. You pretty much have the run of the place the day of and can hang out inside, near the bar, upstairs in this very cozy, cabin-esq room, on the wraparound balcony on the second floor and you can go just about anywhere on the premises for pictures ---- You cannot beat the pictures, especially when the trees are changing colors in the fall. AMAZING. Starting the process, I was slightly weary as I had read some questionable reviews regarding crappy communication and lots of confusion with the staff. For our tour we met with the newest hire, Christine, who was one of few full time employees who I'm guessing was the last attempt to successfully fill the position after a prolonged transitional period and too many failed attempts.... Regardless, she assured us she was in it for the long run after we had already talked to two rather worthless subs/interns... luckily for us she was. From our initial tour followed by contract, a personalized payment plan while my hubby was laid off, countless emails and questions, mini visits to visualize decorations, a final meeting, rehearsal, etc., she was the only person we dealt with. She always got back with us asap, was overly helpful and accomodating and was even their the day of to make sure everything ran smoothly (Side note: she's legit hilarious and somehow always managed to get me in a better mood even during my occasional bridezilla moments haha) She guaranteed that from start to finish our wedding would be smooth sailing at least on her end and it was. Highly recommend her assuming she's still around. A+ customer service. Definitely made the right decision and happy I took the leap of faith. The venue is awesome and our pictures are to die for. Do it. Seriously.
Here is full disclosure from someone who has attended events at this place on a few different occasions throughout the years. The first wedding I attended was in 2015. I was not impressed and to be quite honest, would not have recommended it at that time. Unenthusiastically, I attended another wedding just this June (2017) and WOW - it's like a completely different place. The view is breathtaking, I don't know of any other venues that provide such a picturesque atmosphere with the "nature vibe". The deck is new and improved, large, has multi lighted tiers, ceiling fans, a glass roof (no leaks) and a one of a kind panorama that captures the essence of Michigan. The bartenders were nice. The facility was clean and thankfully it was handicap accessible and had a large room attached to the deck that is fully ACed. Highly recommend for the nature enthusiast or if you're just looking for something people will remember.
Beautiful venue. getting a hold of people at the venue was not easy and the person that was supposed to be coordinating/working on our wedding day got switched 4 times. But the venue was perfect. The large patio was covered with a clear roof and can fit just under 309 people on it I believe.
I was recently part of a wedding for my best friend. Bengel wildlife center was the venue that she chose to be married at. The pictures that were presented to us and that are posted on the venues website are deceiving. The facility is inadequately sized, we had a wedding count of almost 200 and were extremely cramped. The management was completely unhelpful, the owner of the building handed a mop to the videographer after being informed that one of the bridesmaids had fallen on the dance floor during the group dance. It had rained over an hour before the dance and was not cleaned up, also the plexi glass above the guests was leaking and not taken care of. The facility had no concern for the quality of the day for the wedding. They require ALL alcohol to be purchased through them, selling kegs for $250.00 when you can purchase them yourself for under $100.00. You also do not have a say in the alcohol that will be served, theirs was limited and inadequate. Also, guests must pay a minimum of $4.50 for a very small mixed drink. I was even asked to pay for the BRIDES drink!! Without notifying the family, the bar was open prior to the wedding and people were drinking during the ceremony. Supplies ran out as a result. We were promised a group of interns to help with the moving of tables/chairs and directing the night. The morning of the wedding we were informed that they would not be there. Family and guests, including the MOB were asked to move tables and chairs and setup. The owner was nowhere to be found. Vendors could not believe what was happening and were not able to focus on their goal because of the need to help run the wedding. The caterer, Diana's kitchen was AWESOME food, the DJ hot beats was also PERFECT. He went above and beyond to make up for the facility. The videographer also did a great job, despite being asked to be housekeeper.
For the money, you may as well rent a hall and do it all yourself because that is all you will do here.
If you want a similar venue with excellent service, I would suggest contacting Peacock Road Family Farm, that is where I recently held my wedding last year.
There is no comparison between the two...
Thankfully, the bride and groom were able to still enjoy their night, they are beautiful couple and had supportive family and friends.
They deserved SO much more.
Contact
6380 Drumheller Road, Bath, MI
Michigan Wildlife Conservancy
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