"God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars." ~ Unknown Author
My husband and I knew from the moment we started planning, that we wanted to have an outdoor, non-religious ceremony. Being a Kalamazoo native, I pushed for the Kalamazoo Nature Center and upon my husband's first visit there, he, too, was convinced that this was the spot for us. In coordination with the KNC's Event Coordinator, Rose Norwood, we booked the Hummingbird/Butterfly Garden for our ceremony as well as the Timber Wood Barn for our reception. Along the way, Rose was helpful, courteous, and responsive to all of our questions and needs. She even helped arrange for us to make use of the small fire pit located just beside the barn ("S'more love to you!" were our wedding favors). The only unfortunate part of our outdoor wedding was that we could reserve and book everything but the weather, and we got rain (and hail) just 20 minutes before the ceremony was set to take place. Our guests were resilient, however, and the ceremony continued with smiles and loving spirits inside the barn (just by moving a few tables and chairs around to make it all happen--and many said that the atmosphere was still stunning.
Perhaps the one consideration a future bride should have when booking with KNC is that you are on your own for bringing in the appropriate logistics to make our day happen--caterer, DJ, tables, chairs, lighting, etc. We worked with a wedding planner and experienced catering team to make this all happen, but for those who think that the KNC is a budget-friendly, easy option, there are and will be a lot of hidden costs depending on your needs/wants.