The Inside Scoop
FROM THE KNOT EDITORS
The First Look
Located in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, The English Inn is a historic, classic and elegant venue for wedding ceremonies and receptions. Its history traces back to 1927 when it was built by Irving J. Reuter, the first general manager for Oldsmobile. The property spans over 15 acres and the house was inspired by Tudor Revival architecture. The property has since been owned by the Roman Catholic Church, until it was bought by a private party and renovated into an inn. The property is listed on the State Register of Historic Sites. For those seeking a well-maintained and classic estate backdrop, The English Inn is an excellent choice.
Medovue Hall. Nestled in the midst of tall trees and beautifully landscaped gardens, the building is white and lined with Palladian windows. Inside, the carpet is lush and the walls a warm tone of light yellow. Large chandeliers hang from the ceiling and wall sconces complete the scene. The hall can accommodate up to 200 guests.
Pergola on the Grand. For those seeking a riverside ceremony, the pergola offers a breathtaking backdrop of the Grand River. With lush landscaping and tall trees the space is ideal for intimate ceremonies in a tranquil setting.
English Gardens. The garden area offers a beautifully maintained space abundant in green lawn, red and white flowers and tall trees. The stone pathway creates a natural aisle and the natural backdrop is sure to be memorable.
Devonshire Room. Originally used as the drawing room, the space has a regal and classic vibe with mahogany walls and black marble fireplace. There is a baby grand piano and can accommodate up to 50 guests.
Thames Room. The room is lined with windows overlooking the Grand River and gardens. There is a stone fireplace and can accommodate up to 24 guests.
Oxford Room. A small room for up to 16 guests, the room has a bookshelf, stone fireplace and views of the river. The space is ideal as a mingling space during the reception or as a space for rehearsal dinners and brunches.
What You Should Know
Catering is provided by the venue. Receptions of less than 50 guests will have one entree and those with greater than 50 guests may have two entrees. They will accommodate dietary needs. Beverages are also provided by the Inn and full service bars are available. Couples may contract an outside vendor for cake. There is no smoking permitted on-site. The grand piano located in the Devonshire can be rented for an additional fee. Outside vendors for musicians and photographers are allowed, but must be pre-approved.
Note that there are no bridal suites or groom's room on-site. One easy option is to rent a room in the Inn to serve as the preparation rooms. Each room is rented out separately.
Wedding packages can also include:
- Cake cutting
- Formal service staff
- Linens and skirting
- China and glassware
- Tables and chairs
- Microphone
- Dance floor
Extra Perks
The English Inn offers several extra perks. The chef who handles the reception catering is an award-winning chef. The bed and breakfast can accommodate up to 18 guests. The manicured grounds offer beautiful backdrops for photos.
From the Vendor
Creating Special Memories
15-acre historic Tudor Revival estate with formal English gardens along the Grand River. Our elegant ballroom features crystal chandeliers and large picturesque windows. We have the perfect venue for summer weddings with our vibrant gardens or a magical winter occasion with snow covered grounds.
Amenities + Details
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Handicap Accessible
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On-Site Accommodations
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Indoor
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Reception Area
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Wireless Internet
For more details about amenities, please message the Venue.
$$$ – Moderate
151-200
Ballroom, Waterfront, Museum, Historic Venue, Hotel, Restaurant
Bar + Drinks, Cakes + Desserts, Food + Catering, Planning, Service Staff
Perfect
Reviewed on 4/23/2015 Meagan RThe English Inn was an extremely elegant wedding venue. Food is excellent and a great value. Several guests mentioned our wedding night being the most fun they had had in a long time. Our ceremony was a moment we will always cherish. Beautiful grounds, wonderful service, with an... Read More extremely unique charm. From the moment we visited we both fell in love with the Inn. We highly recommend for the perfect fairy tale wedding.
Great!
Reviewed on 9/21/2012 Savannah MWe had a Fantastic Wedding! Couldn't have asked for a better day! The staff was friendly and polite! We had a slight mix up with the food... Not sure how it happend, my father-inlaw is alergic to mushrooms and he was suppose to get a differnt dish. We all got that dish. I was... Read More dissappointed but the staff quickly made it right and I enjoyed the rest of the evening! Amy the lady that cordinastes all the weddings there, she is Fantastic! She even helped me set up my center peices! Great Lady! I definitly will recomend this place to anyone I know getting married!
Highly recommend The English Inn! All of the staff worked to make our day amazing! Adriana was fantastic to work with and was able to make all of our requests happen.
We held our ceremony at the Pergola at The English Inn and the reception in Medovue Hall for our wedding. It was simply amazing!! Not only is it a beautiful venue to get married at, the staff are absolutely amazing. Adriana was our designated event coordinator and she was so... Read More responsive and answered my 1,000 emails promptly. The food was delicious and I couldn't have envisioned a more perfect day. I highly recommend The English Inn for any event!!
Beautifully Classic
Reviewed on 8/20/2015 Ashley OThe grounds of the English Inn are stunning. We had our wedding and reception at the English Inn. It was fantastic! Great food, great scene, perfect!
English Inn GREAT Venue
Reviewed on 9/30/2014 Heather KI was extremely pleased with The English Inn. It was a fairy tale wedding, beautiful grounds, elegant/english setting. It was on the pricy side, but it was absolutely worth it. They take care of the cake for you and the food. You don't have to worry about outside vendors.... Read More Adrianna was my consultant, she was amazing. She was there on the wedding day and helped my family organize and decorate as needed. They are pretty flexible with decorations as well! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.
Easy and Elegant
Reviewed on 2/09/2014 Heidi SAllie was wonderful from the first moment. Responsive to emails and very clear on the options and how things worked. Very professional and wonderful on the day of the event.
Perfect location, not so perfect customer service.
Reviewed on 11/09/2012 Melissa MWe chose the English Inn based on its location, looks and the food. We had dinner there a few times and loved it. The style fit with my wedding perfectly, despite it was significantly smaller than we had hoped. Our wedding went off without a hitch, but the service we got from... Read More the woman who manages the events at the Inn was less than I had hoped. She was slightly "moody", for lack of a better term, on many occasions. She refused to work with us on equal cost substitutions and was quick to get irritated with us when we had questions. She was quick to get frustrated with my husband whenever he contacted her. Sometimes she acted like she wanted to give us the world and sometimes she acted like she wished we would've booked somewhere else. My mom and I are not demanding people, so this baffled me. She just was a little too inflexible, which is something for which good customer service has no tolerance. Plus, she was slightly unprofessional at the wedding. She was nice to mine and my husband's faces, but behind our backs some guests heard her talking frustratedly about us. I loved my wedding and wouldn't change it for the world. The Inn and the grounds were beautiful and the food was delicious.
could not have chose a better venue
Reviewed on 10/16/2012 josie vI’m very happy with the English Inn. We could not have had a more beautiful wedding. It was outdoor ceremony and reception in the hall. The river was by the pergola, wonderful gardens, and the Inn itself is very impressive looking. The food was amazing and the staff was very... Read More attentive. It exceeded our expectations. Our family and friend even commented that the inn was one of the best venues they have been to. Karen and Amy were very helpful and made planning the wedding easy. They gave me a list of recommended vendors that were all remarkable. We had such a wonderful experience.
Exceptional!
Reviewed on 8/16/2012 Angela HThe experience we had with English Inn was exceptional! They were extremely friendly, warm and welcoming when we visited; accommodating, helpful and hard-working the day of the wedding! I dreamed of an outdoor wedding, however mother nature had other ideas and it rained. :(.... Read More So, having to do last minute changes to have it indoors, they went above and beyond to make sure this happened in style. So my indoor wedding became much more than expected - it was intimate and beautiful. :) Kudos to the entire staff! I highly recommend this venue! Excellent food as well. You won't be disappointed!
Perfect
Reviewed on 7/26/2012 Holly MThe English Inn is the perfect spot for a sophisticated garden wedding. The staff is wonderful to work with and the grounds are amazing for pictures.
Lovely!
Reviewed on 6/12/2012 Becky MI'll start this out by stating that I've never really been a big fan of cake, but I did enjoy the cake from the English Inn. They had a variety of flavors to choose from (including my favorite, chocolate with a mousse filling). I would have liked for there to have bit a bit more... Read More mousse and a bit less cake, but that may be due to logistics and practicality. We didn't have any specific design in mind, so we largely left that up to the baker, and it turned out lovely. We were told ahead of time (by our florist, oddly enough) that the cake frosting is very soft, so a light wedding topper would be necessary, lest it sink to the side, so there is always that to keep in mind.
Excellent service!
Reviewed on 1/17/2012 Melissa KWow! Amy and Karen were amazing! The food was fabulous (my groom even cleaned his plate)! Waiters were waiting with trays of wine glasses when my guests arrived. Additional touches were added, such as a flower in the mashed potatoes and NYE party favors just before... Read More midnight. I highly recommend this venue. The setting was fabulous, pleanty of photo opportunities, and the service was out of thsi world!
The Perfect Day!
Reviewed on 11/15/2011 Erin EPlanning a wedding at The English Inn was so easy! They do almost everything! Everything looked perfect, they staff was very helpful and extremely professional. Our wedding and reception were so fun our guests were there till the end of the night dancing! Food was amazing,... Read More even though as the bride you hardly get to eat, and Carolyn made us the most delicious cake! There are options for most budgets.
English Inn Eaton Rapids
Reviewed on 12/07/2010 Selma DThe English Inn is a little pricey but it's absolutely beautiful. The only thing I didn't like was that they were so strict about bringing in any outside food and charged us extra for the appetizers we wanted to bring ourselves. I didn't think it was appropriate considering the... Read More fact that we bought and prepared them but whatever. In the end, aside from that, we LOVED everything. The whole property is just gorgeous and the pictures look like postcards. :)
Wonderful English Garden Wedding
Reviewed on 9/22/2010 Sandra SLast year I just knew when my fiance introduced me to the English Inn that it was going to be a perfect place for our wedding and I was right. The weather held out, the atmosphere was perfect and the reception (food and all) was everything we could have wished. Over the last... Read More year we've worked with everyone there to make certain things went smoothly and questions were always answered as swiftly and thoroughly as possible. It was a fantastic day!
Magnificent Venue
Reviewed on 8/10/2010 Kristin PIt's perfect for an outdoor wedding by the river, with beautiful flowers (which saves $ on a florist!). The grounds are magnificent and elegant with a Victorian feel, and my photos were amazing due to the landscaping. The reception hall is on-site, and individually served a... Read More delicious, moist filet & chicken meal. Staff were very professional and friendly and took care of many details. We had a great experience with this venue, they knew what they were doing!