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River Birch Lodge in Hartland

klreese0213klreese0213 member
First Comment
in Michigan-Detroit
Anyone have info on this venue? i couldnt really find a website ... any help would be apperciated :)
Thanks!
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Re: River Birch Lodge in Hartland

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    MeghanAshley00MeghanAshley00
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I dont have any information, but I've been there a few times & it's gorgeous!
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    terbear_86terbear_86 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I found some links with pics of weddings there :

    http://jessicacornmanphotography.blogspot.com/2008/07/leslie-mike-7508-river-birch-lodge.html

    http://blog.westparkphoto.com/2009/01/29/erin-ians-wedding-at-riverbirch-lodge/

    http://studiosinead.com/blog/?tag=river-birch-lodge

    http://cityvoter.com/river-birch-lodge-11000-hibner-rd-hartland-mi-48353/loc/111557
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    klreese0213klreese0213 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thanks for the websites! the pictures are beautiful and were very helpful!!
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    jodyk23jodyk23 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    If you email or call, they will get right back to you. I had looked at them as a back-up when my venue went out of business, but they were already booked on my date.
    Website is http://www.riverbirchlodge.net/main.swf.
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    klreese0213klreese0213 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Jody,
    when you contacted them did they give you prices? we emailed them, but i want info NOW not tomorrow lol :)

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    alceriaalceria member
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    edited December 2011
    I don't know if I'm allowed to post here  - full disclosure, I'm from West Park Photo, one of the links above - saw this in my site's referrers.  However I know it's hard to find info on this venue and I frequently get emailed questions about it, so I thought it might be ok to chime in. 

    We did a wedding at River Birch in December '08 and have another in April.  Their website was taken down for a re-design and I don't believe it ever went back up.  But just call them, they are friendly.

    Here's the scoop:

    -It's a private residence, turned wedding venue on weekends.

    -The house is fascinating - very rustic, with wide-plank floors, deer antlers *everywhere*, and lots of unique and interesting architectural elements brought from all over.  Great fireplaces, and at Chrismas they do a great job of decorating.  It feels like you are up north.   They have a doorway imported from europe, and there's lots of interesting stories/features about the house.  Tons of great details!

    - Outside is beautifully landscaped (though we didn't see much of it in the winter), with a big water feature. 

    -It has several guestrooms, including a semi-open loft area accessed by spiral staircase.  Guests can sleep over.  Our couple opted to have immediate relatives & the bridal party spend the night and in the morning they had a breakfast and opened gifts.  It was very cozy and fun.  :)

    -There is a bridal suite that's bigger than the other guestrooms and has a large attached bathroom with jacuzzi tub.  Plenty of room for the girls to get ready.  (Nice amount of windows and good background for "getting ready" shots as well.)

    -The kitchen is open to the rest of the house, so you will see the catering company preparing food, but it's kind of neat. (Holiday Market did our last event and it was fabulous - some of the best food we've had.)

    -The house itself is big, but there's no huge great room for a seated dinner - if you did a seated dinner, people would probably be split into 2 rooms.  Not a big deal, but the aesthetics may not be to some people's tastes.  Our clients choose to have a strolling supper instead, with a tapas-style menu, and a few high-top tables.  Guests mingled and gathered near the fireplaces - the ambiance was great.

    -Technically speaking, this can be a challenging venue for photography.  Every surface is wood, and ceilings are at different heights.  We had to adapt from our normal techniques because bouncing light off wood (i.e. orange) walls is not the best for skin tones.  However, the unique nature of the venue, great details, and the grounds make for *wonderful* photographic opportunities.  Definitely mark off at least an hour in your schedule for just couple shots with your photographer.  It will absolutely be worth it.  :)
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    YOUNGGRANDMAYOUNGGRANDMA member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Yes, this is a very beautiful lodge - with a HEFTY price. You are paying (for a winter wedding for example) $4500 for 24 hours and $6500 for 48 hours. For that money you get the use of the lodge and that's it. No food: you have to get a caterer.. no tables, chairs, dishes, glasses, etc.

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