From the minute I was engaged and started looking at venues I dreamt of one close to the waterway but wasn’t sure it was going to exist. And then I came across Boatwerks and I fell in love immediately! It was the perfect scene, delicious food and we couldn’t wait for our special day. However, the communication and logistics that I experienced throughout the entire planning was disheartening. Examples include, but are not limited too: 1. Upon looking at the venue and catering menu the prices and quality of food/drink options were perfect for our budget. However, eight months later at the tasting, we were surprised to see that the entire bar menu had changed, completely bumping each types of beverages up a package- i.e. the gold bar package that we originally were shown included name brand liquiors such as Captain Morgan, Tito’s, etc., and now only included house brand liquiors for the same exact price. Not only had the liquor menu changed but all of the brands of wine had becom... Read moree house brands instead of the brands we knew and were previously presented with. 2. Being told that a dish was going to be available for our wedding after tasting at the tasting session only to find out months later, after we had sent our the formal invitations and RSVPs with the plated dinner options, that the dish was no longer on the menu. Mind you, that the venue had not notified us of the change but rather just picked a different meal and placed in on our menu/notes package. While after many emails and conversations were had the issue was resolved, it should not have been an issue to begin with as if it was an option at the tasting only months before our wedding. 3. While no one could’ve seen COVID coming, the venues lack of communication and responses to the entire issue was very frustrating. There were many questions, and I was entirely anticipating that changes were going to happen and continue to happen, however, as a paying customer I would’ve expected those changes to be communicated from the venue’s stand point and not me having to continually questions what was going on. And what was even more frustrating was the fact that I had email conformation of many questions related to the changes being made in regards to COVID, only to find out the day of my wedding (at one point during my reception as well) that it was not going to be allowed to happen the way we discussed. And not because of a change in policy per the governor, but rather simply being told the wrong information from the beginning. Issues such as dancing, how food was going to be served, where/how long the bars were going to be open, valet parking, time of music needing to end, etc. 4. One of the more frustrating situations as it created a snowball effect was the seating chart arrangement for the reception. I was provided by the venue multiple options of seating arrangements via an online design portal. After selecting the one that best fit my vision and guest count for the special day, I crossed it off my list and started moving on to creating the seating assignments, purchasing correct amount of centerpiece supplies, creating the seating chart display board, etc. Again, only to find out 2 weeks before my wedding that the seating chart was not going to work as there wasn’t enough space with the size tables I had selected. Mind you, I did not design or request anything in regards to the seating chart, rather just selected one provided by the venue. Again, an issue that should’ve been avoidable. Overall my experience with the venue was poor. The food was delicious and the view still spectacular, but the communication and interactions with the coordinators truly ruined my experience.

I loved having our small reception at Boatwerks! Due to Covid-19, we were able to have our own tent on the water! The staff was so kind and helpful. We felt very cared for! I highly recommend.

We had our wedding ceremony and reception outdoors on the patio at Boatwerks. It was not our original plan, but now we wouldn't change a thing! Boatwerks made everything so easy, worked with us for every single change we made (COVID related and not), and it was an absolutely beautiful day! We would recommend having a wedding and reception at Boatwerks to every person we know!

WOW, we had the best wedding reception at Boatwerks last month! The perfect weather made the venue shine with the awesome flow of inside/outside dancing and patio area, the doors opening up to a second outside bar, patio lighting, yard games, and outside fire. We received so many compliments from our guests on the delicious food and gorgeous venue. Jean was great to work with from start to finish, we appreciate all of her help making our wedding day truly special!

Boatwerks was such an easy choice for us when choosing a venue for our wedding reception. From the very first meeting Jean and her staff were so responsive to all of our needs and desires for our big day. They were truly flexible in adapting to making things just the way we wanted them to be. Being able to have our dancing outside provided a unique experience for our guests and we often still get so many compliments about how fun the atmosphere was and how great the food was. I would recommend Boatwerks to anyone looking for a wedding venue, you will not be disappointed!

The venue was great and staff was amazing! I would highly recommend Boatwerks!

Had a beautiful wedding reception for our youngest daughter and her husband. A perfect night and event. Jean is a dream to work with!

Jean and her team were easy to work with and provided top notch service prior to and the day of the reception. The venue is amazing, especially during the sunset on the outdoor patio.

Boatwerks was great! They accommodated our every need, and were very flexible and on time. The venue is beautiful and they really try their best to make your big day the best it can be.

Boatwerks was such an amazing venue and fit in perfectly with the vision we had for our wedding. Everyone there really helped make our day the best possible day, especially as we had inclement weather, they waited until the last possible minute to set up so we could make a decision on the ceremony being outside. We ended up being outside and it was absolutely perfect, just a few sprinkles! Jean added on the Macatawa room since it wasn't booked to make sure our guests had space for the cocktail hour and it ended up being such a great area for everyone to mingle. The food was absolutely amazing, and we received so many compliments on it! This was really important to me as a bit of a foodie, and I didn't want to have bland wedding food, they surpassed my expectations! During dancing, the weather outside was perfect, so the patio doors were opened and the dance floor moved outside, which really made the night perfect! Jean was wonderful to work with, helped answer every question I had, and... Read more made sure the day was exactly what we envisioned.

The wedding coordinator, Jean Ellis, was very accommodating and her ease of making arrangements was apparent in her experience. She was very flexible and willing to accommodate all of our requests. The venue was absolutely beautiful with an outdoor wedding Ceremony and transitioning to the indoor banquet room with sliding glass doors that opened up onto the outdoor patio was awesome. The food was excellent and the portions were very generous. Everything was done in a timely manner. There was not one mishap! We were extremely happy we chose Boatwerks.

The staff were amazing! We ran into a few road bumps with construction but the staff was great about making sure that everything ended up perfect!

We could not have had a more perfect venue for our wedding and reception! Jean was great to work with and the staff was friendly and helpful! The view was beautiful as was the ballroom! We would not have changed a thing! Highly recommend!

The venue was gorgeous and perfect for a summer wedding. It's a very versatile space, and there are multiple indoor and outdoor areas for guests to hang out. Wouldn't have changed a thing!