Camp Newaygo Offers Rustic-Chic Weddings That Give Back

Photo by Hetler Photography

About 45 minutes from Grand Rapids lies the 104-acre Camp Newaygo. “Just far enough away to feel like you are away from the city but close enough for friends and family traveling,” says events and catering director Whitney Sparks.

A year-round program, conference, and retreat facility which has been hosting a girl’s overnight camp since its founding in 1926, the camp also offers rentals, community events, family programs and, of course, weddings.

Photo courtesy of Camp Newaygo

“Camp Newaygo is the perfect mix of rustic and modern. The beautiful outdoor spaces are so well integrated with the year-round modern lodges. You can go from a beautiful wooden amphitheater ceremony to a cool air-conditioned building with WIFI,” Sparks says. “It’s the best of both worlds.”

For receptions, Camp Newaygo offers a slew of options ensuring each couple has the perfect venue for their vision. For intimate gatherings of 50 or less, the Peggie Stone Center is just the place. With an antique fireplace, views of Pickerel Lake, vaulted ceilings, and an outdoor deck, this vintage arts and crafts lodge is cozy and chic. There’s also the two-story Health & Leadership Lodge for smaller groups, which has a flexible floor plan and hotel-style lodging. At the Lang Lodge, up to 140 seated guests are allowed. The 16,500-square-foot facility boasts a fieldstone fireplace, vaulted ceilings, wooden floors and access to the Ridge Patio. Picturesque ceremony sites are available too — from the Walden Chapel set into the hillside on the shores of Pickerel Lake to the Ridge Patio with its sweeping lake vistas.

Photo courtesy of Camp Newaygo

What’s great about Camp Newaygo is that couples can easily plan a wedding weekend here. “Many of our couples choose to spend a full weekend, or sometimes more with us. These packages can include lodging for some or all of the guests, fun camp style activities, catering for every meal and a full team of individuals ready to make sure your event is something to remember,” Sparks says.

“We find the destination weekend weddings are a great option that allows for couples to come in ahead of their guests to get settled in, have a rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on site, and get things arranged,” she says. “Then the wedding day is a day to relax and absorb the day, and truly enjoy getting ready, the ceremony, and then reception. No need to worry about shutting the reception down early to clean up.” She adds that many couples choose to have a brunch on Sunday or extend the weekend and utilize that last day to add in activities to enjoy with friends and family.

Photo by Hetler Photography

“Camp Newaygo has beautiful facilities, but the staff really are the reason to host your wedding there,” Sparks says. “Having an event host that is with you each step of the way and the entire time you are on site to answer any questions or needs for you as a couple and your guests is something not many venues have. Camp Newaygo has thought through all of the details and we are ready for any challenge that may pop up all with a smile on our faces.”

Beyond the memories couples make on their wedding day, they are also part of Camp Newaygo’s legacy of giving back. Sparks says, “Being that Camp Newaygo is a service of True North Community Services, it is nice to know that proceeds from the wedding are going back into a community — supporting youth in the community to have access to the outdoors that might not have had the chance otherwise.”

For more information, visit campnewaygo.com