Waldenwoods Resort & Conference Center

Pro: Picturesque. Breathtaking views of the lake and gorgeous cabins made my friend’s wedding look even more expensive than it was… and boy, was it.
Con: Smells like a lake, oddly enough.
Pro: You get to have a traditional wedding while also kind of having a non-​traditional wedding. The bride in this scenario had a bonfire and lawn games set up. I thought that was pretty cool.
Con: The staff of the venue were disgusting. They drove the food down in vans and set it up inside a little side part of the tent where the reception was located. I had no problem with that, but every single staff member that came out of the staging area was chewing because they were stuffing their faces with the bride’s hors d’oeuvres. I thought it was totally unprofessional and tacky. Not to mention I peeped many of the staff members touching their eyes, nose, mouth, etc in that back area with no running water to wash their hands and then come out to serve the hors d’oeuvres table side!!! GROSS!
Pro: The location of this venue is right down a service drive from a few hotels limiting the driving necessary for guests who are drinking. I stayed at the Best Western hotel less than a mile away and it was a relief to only have to drive that short distance.
Con: You have to first navigate the twisting, unlit backroads inside this campground to get to the straight shot service drive to the hotel. Yikes.
Pro: Awesome food.
So, all things considered, the wedding was beautiful and the bride didn’t seem as peeved as I was about watching the waitstaff act unprofessionally. They were also goofing around behind their little hut which was also where wedding guests were allowed to smoke. I don’t know… it just seems like if I were paying $ 15,000 for a wedding at this place I would want somebody to tell me about the way the waitstaff is likely to act at my event. Seriously, though. The place is breathtaking.

My wedding ceremony and reception were held here on November 9, 2012. (Obviously I have been meaning to write this review for some time!)
First of all, Waldenwoods is a gorgeous venue. We chose not to be married outside near the lake given the time of year, but it was just as beautiful inside. The twinkle lights look so wonderful in all of our photos. Also, the fireplaces are awesome. If you are having your wedding here during a cooler time of year, I highly recommend doing the s’mores package. Our friends and family loved it.
I appreciated their off-​season pricing discounts and my husband and I were able to upgrade our bar package because of this. They supplied me with the bar list ahead of time (I did have to do some prodding to get all of the details regarding mixers), and the bartenders happily served a signature cocktail that we had crafted at our reception.
As an out-​of-​state bride, working with Waldenwoods was pretty easy, but I was glad that I had family in the area that I could send there to check in on things when needed. I was able to bring in my own cake, photographer, photobooth, and DJ services. I think the only in-​house vendor I had to use were for the chairs and linens.
Nearly two years later, I am still receiving compliments on our venue. Thanks, Waldenwoods!

We attended a wedding reception at Waldenwoods recently. I was pleasantly surprised. The venue was beautiful as the wedding ceremony was held adjacent to a beautiful lake and the seating was comfortable and well arranged. The venue inside was also in nice shape and the food, the service and the attentiveness of the staff was very professional. We had a nice brunch meal that included carved rtoast beef and two stations where staff members were making omelets to order. The food was quite tasty and we had more than enough to eat. Everything from the quality of the bar drinks to the meal and the deserts was perfect. I guess one always takes a risk when they have an outdoor wedding, but in this case all went well and we enjoyed the ceremony and the reception at Waldenwoods.