More than you ever dreamed
Jennifer St. Onge
GROUP SALES ASSOCIATE
AWARD WINNER (8X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
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.
Pricing details
Starting prices
Reception:
$700
Ceremony:
$250
Bar services:
$63 per person
Catering:
Contact for price
Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices. Peak season for this venue is May-Oct.
Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Elopement
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Guest Capacity
Up to 200
Settings
Ballroom
Beach
Waterfront
Hotel
Mountain
Restaurant
Trees
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks
Destination Weddings
Destination Wedding Planning
Food & Catering
Planning
Destination Wedding Planning
Service Staff
Transportation
Shuttle Service
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Meet the team
Jennifer St. Onge
Group Sales Associate
Jennifer started at The Homestead in 2023. She has been planning events for almost 20 years and loves to help couples make their wedding dreams come true.
Reviews
4.5
out of 5.098 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
The Homestead Resort is highly praised by couples for its stunning views, versatile venues, and exceptional service provided by coordinators like Sandy and Lexi. The setting is described as breathtaking, with unique touches such as the ski lift for guests, creating a magical experience. While some encountered issues like delayed responses and limited options like a cash bar, the overall experience was positive, with guests enjoying the amenities, accommodations, and beautiful spaces like Bay Mountain and Mountain Flowers Lodge. The Homestead is recommended for a memorable and picturesque wedding in Northern Michigan.Review photos
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Catherine D
Highlighted review.
5.0
8/07/2022
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.
Nina R
4.0
7/28/2024
“This is like the best version of adult summer camp”; “Truly the most memorable wedding we’ve attended” ; “Can we all come back next year?” - a few of our guests, after our wedding at The Homestead.
After visiting The Homestead, we knew it was a special place. It was a great fit for our wedding of ~50 guests, for its close-knit and intimate location where everyone could spend time together in one place for the weekend.
Summertime on Lake Michigan, genuine hospitality and plenty of space to all relax on a down-to-earth resort were all reasons we ultimately chose this spot as a mini ‘destination’ retreat for our friends & family.
== Pros ==
- Bay Mountain View for a ceremony is spiritual! The ski lift up was a HIT.
- Great value - we had open bar two nights in a row and the venue fees were among the most competitive we saw in the Traverse City region. For 50, ~$15K (+ lodging minimums).
- Strong relationships with vendors - we barely had to plan much because our florist, photographer, DJ & photo booth had PLENTY of experience with The Homestead. (Field of Flowers; Lakeside DJs; Dan Stewart Photography; Happy Snappy Photo)
- All around relaxing, great vibe. It’s truly a special place to flop as a family, and we’re excited to be able to come back year after year for our anniversary.
- You’re able to book wedding blocks with a ton of flexibility on cancellations, and guests also have options for AirBnBs on the property. We appreciated how easygoing the options were for our guests. Shoutout to Paul - truly incredible reservation service!
- Heather at Lillyjade Salon was SO fun, kind and talented to spend my wedding morning with - a really lovely, relaxing soul!
== Watch-Outs ==
- If you’re looking for consistency and attention to detail, this is not your spot. We would not recommend the Homestead to a Type A wedding couple. We had to be very organized, relaxed and flexible with LOTS of changes and small errors that do add up.
- The Homestead provides a wedding coordinator free of charge which we perceived as a pro. However, this point of contact changed 3 times, including 3 days before our wedding. Whew. Jennifer & Miranda were both so great to work with, but errors naturally happen when staffing changes so frequently.
- Overall, we wished the Homestead had more consistent and just MORE staffing - it’s clear that they have a hard time maintaining summer staff, like nearly all of the Traverse City area, but this creates stress around planning logistics (check-in staff; bartending; catering; salon)
- We didn’t choose this place based on food. Good, not great.
Overall, we have no regrets on choosing The Homestead. It’s a truly special place to us, and so many, and we can only describe our wedding week as magical because of this location.
Any questions?
Leandra E
1.0
5/26/2024
Extremely unorganised, poorly managed, and horrible customer service. Throughout the entire process of planning my wedding I had a horrible experience with working with the homestead. Make sure you look at everything in the contract because every time we would receive it extra people would be added. I am not exaggerating when I say they had to send it 9 times because they could put the correct number of guests in. Also be aware they are extremely hard to get ahold of.I wish that was my only complaint but they managed to ruin every part of the wedding. The rehearsal dinner was not planned at all and no one knew what was happening. We had it arranged that every person would have a few drinks tickets and the coordinator never gave us any and the bartenders didn’t have any. We had this clearly communicated with the wedding coordinator that works at the homestead but we ended up having to go and talk this all over with the bartenders and kitchen staff. The wedding got delayed almost an hour because they didn’t try out the ski lift before everyone showed up so they had to try and fix it while the wedding should’ve been going. Because of this delay they decided to push everything back and dinner wasn’t served until almost 7. After all of this no one told the cooks that we had a late night snacks so they didn’t have what they needed to make it so they just told us that we won’t be getting the late night snacks we ordered. Everyone was expecting pizza so this was extremely disappointing and frustrating. I think that all of this could’ve been avoided if they had a wedding coordinator that was actually organised and they had better communication with everyone working the wedding. It’s a gorgeous venue it just sucks that the staff clearly don’t care about their jobs. Please do yourself a favor and book at a venue that has staff that actually care about making your special day run smoothly and not just waste your money.
Anna P
5.0
11/15/2023
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!
Jennifer D
5.0
9/14/2023
“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❤️❤️
Katlyn M
5.0
7/25/2023
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
Lauren M
5.0
1/04/2023
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!
Mandy A
4.0
10/09/2022
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.
Chloe B
5.0
9/27/2022
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!
Alyxandra H
5.0
9/13/2022
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!!!
Chelsea N
5.0
9/01/2022
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!
Laura F
5.0
8/07/2022
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!
Annah H
5.0
7/27/2022
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!!
Kat H
3.0
1/22/2022
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.
Dina L
5.0
12/16/2021
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!
Ameel T
5.0
12/08/2021
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
Kelsey K
5.0
11/20/2021
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
Lindsey E
5.0
11/17/2021
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.
Allie S
5.0
11/06/2021
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.
Ashley G
5.0
9/25/2021
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.
Wendy P
5.0
7/23/2021
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!
Rachel P
5.0
10/13/2020
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.
Jake E
5.0
9/11/2020
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!
Ashley R
5.0
11/17/2019
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!
Lizzie H
5.0
8/30/2019
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
Kathleen M
5.0
7/26/2019
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!
Lindsay C
5.0
4/29/2019
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!
Luan N
1.0
12/03/2018
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.
Vendor response 12/11/2018
Hi Luan,
We are very sorry that you had an unpleasant wedding planning experience with T...
he Homestead. Customer service is extremely important to us and would never intentionally avoid communications with a client. As you are aware, the representative you were working with left The Homestead during your agreement process. We are sorry that this transition negatively impacted your experience with us. Changes to the agreement were requested and after review, we were unable to make the desired changes and the agreement was not signed by all parties. We apologize if promises were made through communications with that representative that could not be executed. We are actively assessing how our representatives can best communicate and provided service and support to our clients.
We are pleased to know that you have found a new venue for your special day. We wish you and the future Mrs. all the best in your new life together.
Lisa E
1.0
12/03/2018
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.
Vendor response 12/11/2018
Hi Lisa,
We are very sorry that you had an unpleasant wedding planning experience with T...
he Homestead. We understand how special the wedding planning process is and we do not take that lightly. The representative that you were working with is no longer with The Homestead. We are sorry that this was not communicated to you in a timely manner.
Our agreements can be lengthy because The Homestead offers ceremony and reception venues, guest lodging, catering and more for the bride and groom. After your initial 9-page agreement was drafted, there were requested changes to the contract that could not be made and the agreement was never signed by all parties.
Again, we apologize if any promises were made by the contact you were working with. We are continually seeking to improve our services and have adjusted our personnel to avoid this from happening again.
Amanda H
5.0
9/24/2018
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
Vendor response 09/27/2018
Amanda thank you for allowing us to serve you and your guests for your wedding. We loved h...
aving you, and heard from a lot of our associates on how great your group was. Thanks again for choosing The Homestead for your wedding destination.
Hannah B
3.0
9/09/2018
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.
Vendor response 09/13/2018
Hannah thank you for the comments and for allowing us to serve you at your wedding. We str...
ive to provide a best in class experience and that includes communication and food. Sounds like we missed the mark, please call 231-835-1004 if you would like to discuss this further.
Bethany B
4.0
8/24/2018
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.
Vendor response 09/06/2018
Bethany thank you for writing a review. We loved having you here this weekend and your who...
le party was so nice. Our stylists in Lilly Jade Salon said they enjoyed providing your hair and makeup for your big day.
Lisa A
1.0
7/08/2018
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.
Vendor response 09/06/2018
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Customer service is one of our top prioritie...
s, and we are disappointed to hear that you had anything less than a stellar experience with us.
Please give us a call at 231-334-5000
Ashley C
5.0
4/02/2018
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!!
Vendor response 09/06/2018
Thank you for trusting The Homestead for your wedding site! We loved working with you and ...
your party. Thanks again for choosing us.
a member
5.0
1/15/2018
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.
Vendor response 09/06/2018
We love holding winter weddings. Thanks for choosing The Homestead. We loved helping make ...
your day special!
Michelle B
2.0
10/25/2017
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.
Erin H
5.0
10/24/2017
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.
Rachel D
5.0
9/24/2017
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!
CALLISTA G
5.0
8/24/2017
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!
Alise T
5.0
7/10/2017
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%!
Chris W
5.0
6/21/2017
A stress free sunset wedding
As 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.
Adrienne S
5.0
6/16/2017
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!!!!
Nicole S
5.0
6/15/2017
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!!!
Heather M
5.0
2/06/2017
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!
Emily S
5.0
11/05/2016
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! :)
Alishia F
5.0
10/26/2016
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!!
Amber B
5.0
10/24/2016
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. =)
Mary K
1.0
9/18/2016
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.
Madeline D
3.0
7/11/2016
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.
Knottie1466348809
5.0
6/19/2016
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.
Savannah E
5.0
6/19/2016
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.
Whitney R
5.0
3/15/2016
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!!
Amanda J
1.0
11/21/2015
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.
The 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.
My warning to anyone considering this venue is:
1. 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).
2. 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.
3. 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.
There are much better options in the Traverse City area. STAY AWAY!!!!
(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)).
Vendor response 11/23/2015
I am sorry that you were disappointed when we turned down your request for proposal. The ...
event that you requested did not match our standards of practice. Each of our venues has a maximum number of guests, and your party was 71% over that cap. Melissa communicated all options to you, and I continued to in her absence. As a business we select groups and events that best fit our venues, and cannot cater to all parties. Due to the storms that hit Northern Michigan in August we had no voicemail system. This caused a delay in communication during our peak season. The new switch became operational last week, and calls are now being returned within one business day of receipt.
Heather H
2.0
8/27/2015
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.
Michelle N
5.0
7/01/2015
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!
Katy W