Black Sheep Shelter

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Our Story

Jeff and I enjoy creative projects and hospitality. We founded and directed Eighth Day Farm, an organic urban farm and 501c3 in Holland, Michigan in 2010. While we grew vegetables for a Community Supported Agriculture program in an abandoned outlet mall parking lot and led classes on gardening and healthy eating in an abandoned pre-school building we also practiced hospitality in our home in downtown Holland. We had 17 housemates over the course of 10 years and a 6pm open invitation for family, friends and neighbors to come and join us at our dining room table. When we left Eighth Day Farm in 2017 we were looking for another venture when we stumbled upon this property outside of South Haven. Starting a wedding and event venue was not on our radar, but the beautiful property gave us the idea. In 2020 we opened Black Sheep Shelter, a new space to practice hospitality alongside our love of the outdoors and plants.

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Our Services

We want couples to enjoy a beautiful celebration with family and friends with the least amount of stress possible! With this goal in mind, we include everything needed on site for the day to go smoothly and couples are welcome to bring in whatever decor they'd like to make it more personal. Here's what's included in a day's rental (no hidden fees or additional charges):

• Two acres of land that are home to The Shelter, its garden, a wildflower field, and a large field for parking
• The Shelter’s 4,000 square ft understory is set up to host both the ceremony and the reception
• 12 pews, seating up to 130 guests
• 24 Eight foot white banquet tables
• 2 Eight foot wooden farm tables
• 1 six foot wooden farm table
• 1 three foot wooden farm table
• 150 metal chairs
• Bar
• Sound equipment (for ceremony, reception & glasshouse)
• Chandelier and Edison string lights
• Dressing room for bride and bridesmaids with AC/heat- includes mirrors, cabinet, settee
• Dressing room with AC/heat for groom and groomsmen
• Special staging area near the Shelter for caterers
• Two ADA restrooms with AC/heat
• Stationary Cedar Pergola
• Various lawn/field games: corn hole, ladder golf and badminton court
• 16' x 23' glasshouse with AC/heat for dancing under the stars

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Testimonials

"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." - Geni

"My husband and I were so happy with the entire process of working with Black Sheep Shelter! You can see how Jeff and Melissa run this business from their hearts, and their values being front and center (from the encouragement to be eco-friendly, to the general kindness and courtesy in which they interacted with us!). Not to mention, the venue was stunning with beautiful florals and trees. Our guests loved venturing around the gardens and grounds. You can tell how much effort and love they have put into this venue. Can't recommend this venue enough!" - Katie

"We are so fortunate to have had our wedding at the Black Sheep Shelter. The venue is so beautiful, peaceful, and set away from the hustle and bustle. We toured the venue last November when everything was dormant. When we visited again in May, we were so thrilled to see everything come to life, lush and green. On the day of our wedding, many flowers were blooming and there was a beautiful climbing rose that was in full bloom. The owners, Melissa and Jeff, were lovely to work with. They have created such a beautiful space together. They were always available to answer any questions. We are so thankful for the decor items, sound system, tables, chairs, and various other things that they included with the rental costs which made it so much easier on our end. I've always wanted and outdoor wedding but it turned out even better than imagined!" - Justine

"Everything about our experience at Black Sheep Shelter was fantastic. We adore the owners, Jeff and Melissa. They are communicative and welcoming. It's evident they have worked hard to create an intentional, warm, and fun environment for every wedding they host. We really loved dancing in the glasshouse, too! As people run in to dance it quickly fills up with energy and life and it looks beautiful lit up at night. We loved how unique the dancing space was among other venues we've attended weddings at." - Joy

"The venue itself is absolutely gorgeous and has so much potential for different types of events or visions for decor. The gardens are yours to use for photos and there is a nice large field that we set up yard games in that our guests really enjoyed. I loved the modern rustic feel of the venue and that the skeleton of a barn, with added burlap curtains, created a built in rain plan in case of bad weather. Black Sheep Shelter has tables and chairs that you are able to use, and more recently acquired a small amount of barnwood tables - which were perfect for our sweetheart table, dessert table, and gift tables. If you are looking for a beautiful venue with gracious hosts, I highly recommend Black Sheep Shelter for your wedding (or other life events!)" - Avery

"This venue invites you to truly soak in the nature around you, bringing a sense of calm to the hectic tendencies of weddings. My husband and I were married in late May, meaning we were surrounded by new growth, pink buds, and the sweetest of weather. Our guests danced in the glasshouse, played games in the field next to the shelter, and caught up while exploring the venue. If you are someone who wants to hone into the natural whimsy of your special day, this is absolutely the place for you." - Shelby

"Black Sheep is the perfect place for couples who want the beauty of nature to shine through, in a peaceful, almost magical, atmosphere and who value having a low-waste event, in the midst of a beautiful homegrown vegetable garden and florals. It was the perfect fit for us!" - Lauren

"We held our beautiful wedding here at the end of August and I wouldn’t have changed a thing! The venue was so unique and gorgeous, the pictures on the website don’t do it justice. It is secluded and peaceful, formal yet rustic, open yet sheltered, full of great photo opportunities and romantic backgrounds. The hosts are so welcoming and went out of their way to help us, even connecting us with the caterers. If you are hesitating, book now, you won’t regret it!" - Genevieve

"As an event planner, responsiveness goes a LONG way with vendor communication and boy does Black Sheep Shelter hit that out of the park! I barely get my email sent before they are answering me back. Not only are they responsive, but with each email or face to face interaction, they are so happy and willing to help with open arms! They have a strong team that makes for an efficient and streamline process for all of their couples. Beautiful venue and wonderful owners to host your big day! Highly recommend as an event planner who has worked there personally in the past & always look forward to working events there in the future!" - Brooke

"The venture is truly a beautiful place. It had all of the accommodations we wanted, like the men's and women's getting ready rooms, nice bathrooms, low/zero waste environment, sustainable practices, and exquisite outdoor areas for photos. The glass dance house was a hit with our guests and was great at creating some separation of the spaces so that guests can enjoy a conversation without the music making that difficult." - Sam

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