Planning a destination wedding in Michigan? Consider Castle Farms

Destination weddings are a growing industry trend, but for many Michagan-ders, there are several great "destination" locations right here in Michigan One such venue is Castle Farms in Charlevoix, MI, which is roughly a 5-6 hour drive from the Metro-Detroit area, but you will feel transported to another place and time altogether. ​​

First off, Castle Farms is a real castle, which could be a dramatic way to realize your fairy-tale wedding...what princess doesn't want to be married in a castle? It was built in 1918 and has that historic feel on the outer grounds, but the innards of the castle are straight out of the 21st century. The current owners of the property began extensive restoration of the castle and the surrounding grounds in 2001, which were completed in 2005, with the very first wedding ceremony being held there in 2002.
Prior to this - primarily through the 70s and 80s, Castle Farms was known as "Rock n' Roll Central" and was a very popular concert destination, with artists such as Metallica, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and The Beach Boys having performed there.
The outside grounds feature several outdoor ceremony locations and photo/video opportunities. The inside of the castle has several rooms with different styles for massive-sized weddings all the way down to an intimate brunch setting.
Castle Farms does not have an on-site caterer, but they recommend several top-notch ones in the area. They also allow you to bring in your own alcohol. Both of these options provide flexibility for brides on any budget to consider. They also allow you to decorate as you would like, and they take care of the clean-up!
There are several preferred hotels within only a few minutes of Castle Farms, making it convenient for your guests to make the trip. Add to this, the castle is only minutes from the beautiful town of Charlevoix, which is another perfect location for photos/video, rehearsal dinner and lodging.
Of course, all of this is irrelevant if the price isn't right, but depending on your choice of room combination, as well as the day and time of year you are getting married, Castle Farms is a very reasonable location for rental: You can expect to spend between $2000- $4000 to rent Castle Farms for your wedding Ceremony/Reception (prices are obviously subject to change, and this range reflects an estimate based on Castle Farms 2012/2013 rates).
For a gallery of images from Castle Farms, click here.