Black Sheep Shelter

Black sheep review
My husband and I got married here at Black Sheep shelter over Labor Day weekend 2023, and had an absolutely fantastic experience. Jeff, Melissa, and all of the black sheep staff were incredibly supportive and responded quickly to every question and request my husband from the day we booked them 18 months before our ceremony up until and after our wedding day. They were upfront about what their venue offered, which was especially helpful since we booked them before the construction of the beautiful glass house, and we’re collaborative when it came to requests we had for our special day. Their staff was extremely quick thinking and creative when helping my family set up on our wedding day and was prepared for any hiccups that inevitably happen when planning a wedding. Their venue is absolutely stunning, when planning decor we didn’t need to plan anything extravagant because Jeff and Melissa own the most gorgeous farm, garden, and wedding venue in Michigan. This venue is so much more than your standard michigan barn wedding venue. Not only that but the bathrooms were on par with every indoor venue I’ve been in, despite this being a primarily outdoor venue. And I wouldn’t let it being a primarily outdoor venue scare you away, because they do have burlap curtains on the shelter to keep the elements out.

When my husband and I were interviewing our wedding vendors, every single one we spoke to spoke so highly of Black Sheep and Jeff and Melissa, which really reassured us in our decision. And because our vendors loved working at and with Black Sheep, it created such a light happy effortless energy that made that day even more special for us. Every vendor we worked with understood Black Sheep’s zero-waste policy and took any waste their services, meaning bar and catering, generated. If you are working with Black Sheep Shelter for your wedding and are still looking for a photographer, we can’t recommend Christopher Deau enough. He let us know that he, jeff and Melissa were actually looking forward to our event, which really made us feel special, and that they had ideas for photos that frankly ended up being art.

There aren’t enough words to describe how integral and incredible black sheep when it came to our wedding. If you are on the fence about them, I encourage you to at least go and tour with them. We toured multiple venues and no one was as kind and as understanding as Jeff and Melissa were. They offer such a unique venue at such a great value, you won’t regret celebrating at Black Sheep.

Melissa and Jeff are wonderful to work with. They consistently responded in a timely fashion and went above and beyond to allow us to have the date we wanted. I have always wanted a garden wedding, and the setting could not have been better. Perfect for someone looking for a quaint gathering space surrounded by natural beauty!

The Black Sheep Shelter was an unbelievable venue. The space is beautiful and the couple that runs it is incredible! They are so responsive, accommodating, and you can feel their love and passion for the place. We are so thankful to have been able to have our big day there! I would highly recommend this venue to any couple looking!

Our daughter's wedding was scheduled for December 2020. In September we realized that due to co-vid we probably needed to move it up and outside. We heard about Black Sheep Shelter and Jeff and Melissa were great in allowing us to visit the next day. It was the "look" the bride and groom envisioned. Not a barn, but outdoors, the setting was idyllic. Earthy and elegant as they say. Leading up to the wedding Jeff and Melissa were prompt in responding to our emails with questions.
It was a cold, rainy fall day but the rain didn't take away from the beautiful setting. The trees, and landscaping were vibrant with color. The sound of the rain on the roof created a cozy environment. The burlap sides helped with the wind.
Black Sheep Shelter was our Plan B but after experiencing it it would be our Plan A for another wedding.
Thanks Jeff and Melissa for creating this beautiful space!

Jeff and Melissa were amazing to work with! With their help our wedding ran so smooth. They thought of every little detail and potential scenario so we didn’t have to stress! The black sheep shelter is a very unique place that guests will continue to talk about for years to come!

We got married at Black Sheep Shelter in Sept 2020 and it was everything we could have imagined (even with the rain we had)! The venue and property surrounding is so beautiful and requires very little extra decor thanks to the wonderful work of the owners, Jeff and Melissa. They were absolutely amazing throughout the whole process and very accommodating to changing plans due to COVID-19. One of my favorite things about the venue/owners is their commitment to sustainable practices. From having our flowers grown on site and picked that morning, to their policy of zero waste left on-site, it's really great to see a venue that prioritizes sustainability! They will even compost food waste for you!

We could not have dreamed of a more beautiful space to host our daughter’s wedding day .
Jeff and Melissa @The Black sheep shelter have a very sweet way of connecting through kindness, honesty, knowledge and meeting needs from the moment you inquire until your event is over.
The beautiful grounds and facilities are very telling of a family that truly cares and finds great joy in making others dreams come true !

Like so many couples, we had postponed and re-planned and gone back to the drawing board for our wedding plans during the pandemic. Black Sheep Shelter was exactly what we needed to make our day happen and Jeff and Melissa were so accommodating for us to have our mini-ceremony day (total of 3 beloved guests.) Our goal was to have something intimate, a place to exchange vows, have a first dance, and capture our day in photos with a natural backdrop. They have an introduction video on their website (definitely check it out!) and I was captivated by the beautiful scenery in the video but most of all by Melissa and Jeff’s words about who they are, who Black Sheep Shelter is, and what type of safe space of love and appreciation for life and the earth they’re creating there. They’ve created more than a wedding venue, it’s a space where you feel accepted and they exemplify their belief that “life is so much more than occasions and that it’s grand ordinariness must never go unsavored.”

The Location:
Black Sheep Shelter is beautiful in all the ways that make simplicity majestic. There are some epic drone-footage shots in their intro video and in person it is beyond captivating. Melissa gave us a tour of the grounds to include dressing rooms and on-site lavatories, a bar space, bountiful gardens, and of their incredible open-air barn with repurposed church pews and gorgeous lighting. The property is surrounded by other farms and across the road from a ravine and safe in nature’s quiet comforts. We both were completely enthralled by the craftsmanship, the history, the thoughtful repurposing of elements to create their spaces, and the relief that we wouldn’t need to imagine or plan for more than this. “Natural art” with a keen design eye overseeing its integrity if you will. There is so much more space than we needed for our micro-ceremony, but it didn’t feel “empty” as one may think it would be having just 5 people - everything looked and felt like we wanted. The rustic elegance was perfect. So whether you need the tiniest of ceremony or something vast - I’d encourage you to visit because it has all of the things you need to create a picturesque day.

Communication:
We felt respected and genuinely listened to and they communicated clearly and were available to answer any questions. During our tour Melissa covered the bases of any questions we could think of and then some things we hadn’t thought yet. The most important thing I want to convey is that their hospitable approach took away any concerns or anxiety of planning a day. Of all the little things I needed to organize, the venue was not on my concern list in the slightest.

Tiff’s 2 Cents:
We selected it as a place for our special day, but you’ll see that it is already a very special place of its own right before you plan something there. They’re a growing independent business and we cannot wait to see their progress over the years as what I predict will be one of Michigan’s most sought-after outdoor venues. Check out their website, TheKnot/Wedding Wire, contact them, and take a tour to see what I mean. Share your ideas with them and request more information, you’re sure to be glad that you did.

The Black Sheep Shelter provided us with an elegant, warm, natural setting to spend the best day of our lives. The owners treated us like family and made sure that every detail and request was taken care of. They've created a chic, comfortable venue that provided a fun day for everyone. You had to walk all of 4ft. in any direction for stunning photo locations too. I would get married here over and over again! You are getting a LOT of bang for your buck.

Breathtaking venue & awesome owners