Michigan Vineyard Wedding Venue in Rives Junction
As a Southeast and Mid-Michigan wedding photographer who has worked 70+ weddings, I know the best venues across Michigan. I have a strong belief that your wedding photos should evoke the feelings of your day- that they look natural and genuinely feel like you. Choosing a wedding venue is the start to bringing the vision for your day to life, and this Michigan vineyard wedding venue is one of the best.
Westers Family Vineyard was the perfect venue for my couple, Abby and Rob. This Michigan vineyard wedding venue is located just outside of Jackson and sits on 10 acres of serene countryside land. Featuring private getting-ready rooms for the couple, a timelessly aesthetic black barn, a whimsical willow tree, and of course a private vineyard, this venue is the perfect place for your wedding day.
About Westers Family Vineyard
This Michigan vineyard wedding venue offers an exclusive experience for couples. Your wedding will be the only one hosted on property at a time, ensuring the best guest experience for your day. This property is quite expansive. As mentioned previously, this venue sits on ten acres of peaceful country land. The black barn is more of a natural aesthetic (as opposed to a rustic one most barns have). It’s naturally beautiful on the inside, yet still provides space for couples to add their personalities and style throughout the space.
Westers Family Vineyard is styled after a classic barn design that sits overlooking a stunning blue pond. It displays a sleek black exterior set against shades of natural green for a timeless and unique look. Its interior incorporates rustic elements of beams and well aged barn-wood while bright white walls, modern amenities, and an all glass backdrop balance it with timeless elegance. Not many barn wedding venues in Michigan are this modern!
Getting ready suites are available at this venue and are located right across from each other. Both are ample spaces that can house your party until ceremony time. One of my favorite details from this wedding day was the gallery style hall that’s right outside the getting ready suites. This is the hall with restrooms, so guests will be walking in this area. It was lined with large frames that couples are able to print and put their engagement portraits in. These were quite large (think 16×20 at least). I loved seeing Abby and Rob’s engagement images used as decor for their wedding. The way they looked at each other during their engagement session was frozen in time and displayed for all to see. This was such a unique touch that I haven’t seen at other wedding venues! I would love to talk more about your Westers Family Vineyard wedding- we can connect here!
Wedding Ceremony and Reception Spaces at Vineyard Venue
Westers Family Vineyard has multiple spots around property where a ceremony could be hosted. Abby and Rob chose to host theirs on the lower lawn- this space has a grand feel to it while overlooking the water and property beyond. With their larger guest count, this was the best spot to use. Other ceremony locations on property include the courtyard and willow tree. The courtyard features clean lines and flower beds, making this ideal for a summery garden wedding. The willow tree is set on a small peninsula over the water and is perfect for a more intimate gathering.
After the wedding ceremony, your guests will be ushered back to the barn for cocktail hour. In the summer, guests can socialize on the patio overlooking the property or grab some appetizers under the garden tent. During the winter your guests will stay inside the barn! I work Michigan vineyard weddings year round and you can check my availability here. The bar is located right off the patio inside the barn in a beautiful, secluded space. A pro-tip: have the bartending team make specialized and personalized drinks for you to add to your guest experience.
Abby and Rob made a grand entrance into the reception space at Westers Family Vineyard. This space is large enough to accommodate up to 190 guests and Westers also provides farmhouse style tables and chairs for your wedding day. A full weekend rental of this Michigan vineyard wedding venue also includes planning and coordination services, which is a boutique service. Planning and coordination services are often separate from venue coordination services (and also completely different), however the owner of Shoreline Events is tied through family to the owner of Westers. The experience of working with Shoreline and Westers was seamless and my couple was elated to work with them! If you’re having a Michigan vineyard wedding, I’d love to see if I’m available for your day! Contact me here to connect.
Abby and Rob truly had decorated the reception space to reflect them as a couple. As a wedding photographer that specializes in capturing sentimental moments, I always love seeing how couples express themselves through decor and small details. Table numbers for this day were photos of the couple at that age (table 4 was them at 4 years old, table 7 was them at 7 years old, etc.). Family members were truly elated at seeing their childhood photos. Another small detail is that Abby is a teacher and incorporated her students into her day in such a special way. Her students made decor that was displayed around the reception space. Leading up to the wedding day, Abby would gush to me about her job and students so I loved how she incorporated this into the day.
My 3 Favorite Things About Westers Family Vineyard
The Ample Property
I’ve only experienced the most amazing things working at this venue. To start, I love the space for portraits. Couples will be able to have such variety in their gallery with full use of the Westers property, and I recommend scheduling time all throughout the day rather than a big block of time for portraits. The benefit to scheduling time throughout the day ensures you get to spend time with your wedding party and guests, which is really what you want. A big block of portrait time is ideal in some situations, so if you’re unsure you can always connect with me to ask! Some favorite portrait spots of mine include the lush, green vineyard, the soft wispy vines of the willow tree, and the perfectly manicured lawn. Westers provides a golf cart for us to travel throughout the acreage!
In-House Planning Team
I love that Westers Family Vineyard includes planning and coordination services with their full weekend rentals. Working alongside Shoreline Events was truly a wonderful experience, and my couple’s day was a seamless experience. Abby and Rob were at ease throughout the day and really were able to soak in all the moments because of their coordination team. A planning team often is a huge part of vendor communication, vendor set-up, monitoring the timeline, and more. This is such a special touch since not many venues offer this service.
Tables and Chairs
Westers Family Vineyard provides tables and chairs in their venue rental costs, but these aren’t your standard round banquet tables. The tables that the venue provides are long, wooden farmhouse style tables. The chairs used for both ceremony and reception are of a similar style, ensuring they pair nicely together. The natural wood adds a rustic and cozy element to this wedding venue.
Westers Family Vineyard Wedding Venue Cost
- Westers Family Vineyard offers single day and full weekend rentals. Most couples can expect to budget for $13,000-$14,000 when renting for a whole weekend.
- Westers does offer couples the opportunity to host their weddings on Thursdays, at a significant discounted rate of $7,500.
- Off-peak wedding dates for Michigan are typically November-April (our colder season), and couples can expect to budget for a rental of $8,000.
For Full Weekend Packages, the following is included: tables, chairs, coordination services, access to property, and exclusive use of property.
Westers Family Vineyard Venue Details
- Location: directly between Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Address: 10473 Churchill Rd. Rives Junction, MI 49277
- Phone: (517) 569-2164
- Website: westersfamilywinery.com
- Capacity: Up to 190 guests
- Events: ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception
- Amenities available: Couples get access to getting ready suites, full use of property, planning and coordination team, and all tables and linens provided.
Vendor Team for this Michigan Vineyard Wedding
- Venue: Westers Family Vineyard
- Photography: Catie Eovaldi Photography (that’s me!)
- Planning and Coordination: Shoreline Events
- Floral Design: Spotted Fawn Designs
If you’ve decided to work with Westers as your venue, I’d love to work together! Please contact me here.
