beach wedding at lake michigan? need help (Portage: homes, budget)

[annsacks]

Have you considered Beachwalk Resort in Michigan City? It is a beautiful place with a fabulous beach and has terrific cottages, great places for you to stay and your family. <mod cut advertising>

[slow_nerve_action]

Go a little farther up north to Michigan. The beach in New Buffalo and Bridgman are much more accessible. Depending on your budget, you can rent a place north of New Buffalo, and get a private beach. This time of year is ideal- still nice, but post the summer rush.

The other upside is that your wedding will not be in the shadow of the belching smokestacks in Indiana.

[annsacks]

The "belching smokes stacks of Indiana" nowhere near Beachwalk. If they were there wouldn't be such amazing weddings there.

[slow_nerve_action]

Beachwalk is nice.

BUT....Criterion Technolgies is right across the little inland lake there, and any view on the beach in Michigan City will have the cooling tower and the gen plant.

Unless you have the couple posing, looking south...as you point your camera north...towards the Michigan birder.

\grew up near Long Beach.

[annsacks]

Beach views rarely see the cooling tower. And, Criterion is well buffeted by the berm. The charm of Beachwalk is that it is a Neo Traditional community with adorable cottages and grand beach homes to accommodate guests, a pool, and most importantly a wedding planner who manages the entire process effortlessly. The gazebo that can be placed on the beach is beautiful and can be adapted for Christian weddings as well as transform into a huppah for Jewish ceremonies. The dedicated event area sits next to Lake Kai with plenty of parking. Parking is what I have found to be a problem in many of the areas where I have researched wedding sites.

[cresje07]

we are looking for a nice inexpensive place to get married along lake michigan can anyone help us with ideas

[expatChicagoan]

I second the suggestions to rent a beach house so that you have beach rights.

I got married overlooking Lake Michigan, but not on the beach - I didn't want all the sand etc. - we got married in the garden of my in-laws house on Lakeshore drive in Long Beach (Michigan City). It was gorgeous having the lake as a backdrop.

A couple of years ago, the neighbors got married on the beach behind their house.

From a logistical point of view, the most difficult part in that part of Long Beach (and it might applies to Beachwalk, too), is parking for the guests. In the case of the neighbors, they had the guests park in the parking lot at Al's (on US12), and had a bus shuttle guests to the ceremony.

In my own case, we had about 30 guests, and my in-laws got permission from their next door neighbors, and between the two houses, there was enough parking space.

Good luck with planning your own beach wedding.

[annsacks]

Beachwalk has its own parking lot adjacent to the wedding site.

[Chuckity]

I've heard the wedding coordinators (if they can be called that) at Beach Walk leave a lot to be desired.

Pushy, obnoxious & rude were the three words I heard over and over again from a friend who regretted her whole experience.

[annsacks]

Not our experience at all. I found the staff amazing, remarkably helpful...they went out of their way to make sure my elderly grandmother could get to the beach and back to the reception area. Three hours before the ceremony we were in a panic because one of the bridesmaids's dresses got torn. Someone from the office rushed it to her grandmother, who did alterations, and it was back by the time we were putting on our makeup. And my favorite memory is: ...while we were saying our vows, someone from the office took a picture of my husband and I. After the reception when we came back to our cottage, it was framed and sitting on a table along with a bottle of champagne that was chilling next to two beautiful glasses. We were so touched!