St. Clair Inn Wedding Venue in Southeast Michigan
As a Southeast and Mid Michigan wedding photographer who’s photographed 70+ weddings, I know the best Michigan wedding venues for your dream wedding day. Hi, friend! I’m Catie Eovaldi and I’ve been photographing weddings for the past 3 years.
Heading into my fourth year of wedding photography, I believe your wedding photos should truly reflect you. Your wedding day will some day be a sentimental memory, and you want images that make you remember even the smallest moments on your day. Selecting the perfect venue is the first step in bringing your wedding day vision to life.
On Michigan’s east side of the state is the St Clair Inn. This historic inn is located right off the river in the heart of downtown St. Clair, Michigan. Featuring private getting-ready spaces, an outdoor ceremony space, a riverside patio perfect for cocktail hour, and a stunning reception space, a St. Clair Inn wedding is the perfect place for your celebration.
About St. Clair Inn
The St. Clair Inn offers an exclusive private experience for your wedding. They offer spaces for every day-of desire you have on your wedding day. The beauty and timeless design of The St. Clair Inn can be attributed to their focus on the elegance of the past with a modern twist.
The modern, but timeless aesthetic at The St. Clair Inn carries over into each of their event spaces. They offer a blank canvas for couples to do as much or as little as they wish to curate the perfect design for their wedding. You will also notice the beautiful wall of windows overlooking the St. Clair River alongside the entire reception space, giving your guests the most beautiful view of the passing boats and freighters.
The Bridal Suite is located in the private cottages at The St. Clair Inn. These spacious cottages offer three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and can fit a wedding party of up to 10 day of. Large windows offer ample natural lighting which are a great amenity for your hair & make-up team. Your bridal party will enjoy this elegant space as it is the perfect backdrop for your time getting ready. My pro-tip is to use the basement for most of your getting ready- this space walks out directly onto the docks of the inn providing the best view! You can check my availability for your St Clair wedding here!
The Groom Suite is also located in the private cottages.
The St. Clair Inn Wedding Ceremony and Reception Spaces
The St. Clair Inn can host a wedding in multiple spots around the property. There are 2 outdoor wedding ceremony spots- the larger Riverside Lawn for up to 220 guests and the Overlook for up to 80. The lawn is perfectly green and manicured while overlooking the St. Clair River. Couples also have the option of hosting their ceremony off-property at nearby churches. The couple featured throughout these images held their ceremony at their family’s Catholic Church not far from the St. Clair Inn.
After the wedding ceremony, guests will be ushered to one of the St. Clair Inn’s terraces or outdoor patios for cocktail hour. This is usually set against the stunning sunset while overlooking the water! With an outdoor bar and butler-passed hors d’oeurves, this cocktail hour will be filled with amazing food and connection. A favorite appetizer of mine has to be the bruschetta- it’s truly mouth-watering! I always love working at this venue, you can check my availability here!
The indoor reception spaces at The St. Clair Inn are truly wonderful. The main ballroom features a wall entirely of windows overlooking the cocktail hour space and the St. Clair River. The St. Clair Inn Ballroom hosts sophisticated receptions for up to 250 guests for your celebration. The Ballroom has a modern feel that couples can customize to their desired design whether you are looking for soft & romantic, dark & moody, or bright & light – The Ballroom transforms and photographs beautifully! I would love to capture your wedding day here! Contact me so we can talk about all your wedding dreams for this venue!
Large windows add to this sophistication of this grand ballroom. Some notable elements that make this special: the nautical (but still elegant and neutral) carpet, high ceilings with dark wood details, and ample space.
My 3 Favorites Things About Weddings at St Clair Inn
Onsite Catering Services
There are so many great things about the St. Clair Inn, but I have a few favorites that make me love coming back to work there (which I’d love to again- let’s connect here about your St Clair wedding). The catering and bartending is all in-house at this venue. The catering and bartending staff were phenomenal to work alongside. The food was delicious, the Coca-Cola crisp, and the staff has amazing attention to detail. The catering team was also responsible for the cake and its display. They crafted a beautifully simple, 3 tier cake with hints of blue throughout to match the chosen decor.
Getting Ready Cottages
I also love the cottages for the getting ready suites. They are large enough to accommodate larger wedding parties, but also private enough to where it doesn’t feel crowded at all. The bridal and groom suites are typically next door to each other, which made it easy for me to walk back and forth between for photography. At the same time though, there was never fear of the bride and groom seeing each other prior to their first look! While the windows have shades, I was able to easily peek to keep an eye on the other party.
Freighters
Another special touch about having your wedding at The St. Clair Inn is the boats passing by. While out taking wedding and couple portraits, freighters would pass by us and blare their horn in congratulations to the couple and wave from the decks. It is such a cool thing to experience! The freighters frequently pass by the St. Clair Inn and can easily tell when a ceremony is happening versus when we’re just outside for portraits (so no worries about them saying ‘hi’ during your ceremony!).
The St. Clair Inn is the perfect wedding venue for you if you want a stunning view of the water with a timeless, elegant ballroom with room to add your own personal touches to. If you’re planning your wedding here, I’d love to connect and check availability for you.
The St. Clair Inn Wedding Cost
The St. Clair Inn offers custom pricing since no two weddings are the same. I do recommend that you budget a minimum of $20,000-40,000 for a wedding at The St. Clair Inn. The venue does include all tableware and chairs, linens, and your catering and bar needs. The inn can host 2 events per day, but each event is well separated across the inn.
If The St. Clair Inn is your dream venue and you’re looking for a more affordable option, consider a non-peak wedding date for a significant savings on the venue rental as well as keeping your guest list on the more intimate side (80 or less guests).
The St. Clair Inn Wedding Venue Details
- Location: 1 hour north of Detroit, Michigan
- Address: 500 N Riverside Ave, St Clair, MI 48079
- Phone: (810) 289-6209
- Website: stclairinn.com
- Capacity: Up to 250 guests for a seated ceremony and reception; can accommodate more intimate celebrations under 80 guests
- I had the pleasure of collaborating with Beautiful Crazy Day Event Planning for this wedding day. Connie and her team were amazing to work with and on top of everything!
- Events: Ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception
- Amenities available: Couples get access to the cottages for getting ready, in-house catering & bartending!
Let’s start planning your St Clair wedding today! Contact me here.
Photos in this post were provided by myself, Catie Eovaldi Photography and include film & digital photography. Looking for more venues? Check out this blog post: Michigan Wedding Venues!
