Frequently Asked Questions

We can host 250 guests seated for a dinner and dancing reception following your outdoor ceremony or up to 100 guests for a full indoor ceremony 
and dinner reception.

Please fill out the Inquiry Form and our Wedding Coordinator will get you a brochure so you can determine whether Chippewa Retreat is a fit for your special day.

Yes, we offer a reduced rate for Off-Peak Weddings — those taking place between November and April for 100 or fewer guests. During these months, the entire celebration is hosted inside due to unpredictable weather. The resort grounds remain accessible for photography. Our off-peak weddings receive a 10% discount off the total charges from Chippewa Retreat.

We have various rates for rental equipment including tables, chairs, accent furniture and linens. Please call or email us for our wedding brochure and or a quote.

A $2000.00 deposit to hold your date for the venue and a signed Letter of Commitment (LOC) are required. The deposit should be in the form of a check, cashier’s check or money order. We also accept VISA, Master Card, Discover, and American Express with a 4% convenience fee. Cash is always another option. The Chippewa Retreat Wedding Coordinator will work out your payment plan from there.

Under the unforeseen circumstance that you must cancel the wedding, your deposit is non-refundable. If Chippewa Retreat is not able to fulfill their obligations due to force majeure events, all deposits will be reimbursed in full.

The Chippewa Retreat Wedding Coordinator will set up a custom plan for you so your wedding is all paid up at least 14 days prior to your wedding day.

No, we have a wedding coordinator who deals specifically with your plans for the venue

The Chippewa Retreat Wedding Coordinator.

Changes can be made up to three weeks before your wedding when your final invoice is generated and must be paid two weeks before your wedding. A full timeline of hosting your wedding at Chippewa Retreat can be found in our wedding brochure.

It is recommended that all weddings have a tent on reserve as the weather in the Northwoods of Wisconsin can be iffy. We can move outdoor ceremonies indoors with 48 hours’ notice, and if the wedding guest count is less than or equal to 100. There is a $4/chair fee and we will take the first hour of your reception to reset the dining rooms for the dinner/dance. The Chippewa Retreat Wedding Coordinator will work with you three days before your wedding to determine if an outdoor or indoor space will be set for the wedding ceremony.

Just your wedding!

All food must be contracted through one of our approved caterers. All alcohol must be contracted through Chippewa Retreat Resort. No food or beverage may be brought into the Chippewa Retreat Lodge from any other source.

We allow alcohol contracted through Chippewa Retreat Resort. Outside, personally provided alcohol is prohibited.

They are provided as rentals for your event. We do not allow outside rentals for these items. There is a rental charge for the dining setup (7 pieces including: dinner plate, salad plate, water glass, knife, fork, spoon, salad fork, dessert spoon/fork). Fifty coffee cups are included at no charge after the dining setup fee. Our rentals are plain white china dishware, hammered stainless steel flatware, etched glassware. Additional pieces may be added, such as a wine glass, for an additional rental charge.

The food minimum depends on the selected approved caterer. There is a $2,500.00 beverage/alcohol purchase minimum contracted through Chippewa Retreat Resort. This is the same whether the wedding has alcohol or no alcohol and must be included in the final invoice two weeks prior to the wedding.

If you want to bring in your own desserts, these must be purchased from a licensed bakery and can not be a product of some family member or friend. Only licensed bakers can provide desserts. This same rule applies for late night snacks.

We do not require you to select from a list of other vendors. We ask that you provide us with names and contact information of the vendors you are working with so we may assist with making day-of arrangements, especially for vendors who have never been to our venue.
We require a caterer from our list of approved caterers. If our caterers are not available, we will work with you to find a caterer we can approve.
For Micro-Weddings, we offer a catering package through our on-site restaurant, the White Oak Grill. Please contact us for a Micro-Wedding brochure and a catering menu.

Yes, we ask that DJs and bands provide their own sound equipment and there is ample dance floor space. We have specific areas for a DJ or band with multiple outlets to accommodate their sound and light equipment. We prohibit smoke machines.

No. We would prefer the photographer make an appointment with the CRR Wedding Coordinator for a tour of the facility if they have never been there before.

The Chippewa Retreat events staff sets tables, chairs, linens, and other items included in the dining setup package by noon at least one day prior to the wedding. Any other décor is set up by clients or vendors starting at 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. the day prior to the wedding and starting at 9 a.m. the day of the wedding. If you are using any candles, the flame must be fully contained in the candle holder. Please remember to assign someone from your wedding party to light the candles and extinguish them at the end of the evening.

They can access the property from 1 – 4 p.m. the day prior to the wedding and starting at 9 a.m. the day of the wedding.

We ask that you do not move furniture on your own. You will work with the Chippewa Retreat Wedding Coordinator to diagram the setup of the venues and we’ll ensure they’re set up as such upon your arrival.

All decorations and furniture arrangements must be approved and coordinated in advance with the Chippewa Retreat Wedding Coordinator.
Décor may not be affixed to the walls, ceilings, banisters, doors, or stairways. Nails, hooks, tacks, screws, and bolts may not be used on any surface at the Resort. Glitter, sprinkles, confetti, petals, rice, birdseed, wheat, sparklers or similar materials are not allowed. Fog machines are not allowed.
The use of candles is restricted to enclosed flames at least one inch from the top of the container. No floating candles in water towers are allowed.
We do not allow live flame or water-bearing decorations (i.e. flowers or candles in water) on top of the fireplace mantles due to electrical components built into the mantles. You will coordinate with the Chippewa Retreat Wedding Coordinator as to when all décor must be removed and cleaned up from the venue.

Guests must exit as soon as the band stops playing and the lights are turned up.
Immediate family and close friends assisting with tear down and vendors must exit within 30 minutes of the band stopping and lights turned up.

No, we do not provide assistance due to the liability of breakage.

Chippewa Retreat does not provide any transportation services, but your Wedding Coordinator will work with you to find reliable service in the area for your guests to various accommodations. Many of the on-site accommodations are publicly available to rent through vacasa.com. Some accommodations do provide shuttle services for an extra charge.

A couple of luxury villas are available on-site, each with majestic lakeside views. They are privately owned and operated through a rental agency and can be viewed on vacasa.com. For off-site lodging, the Chippewa Retreat Wedding Coordinator has great recommendations for the surrounding area.

There are large men’s and women’s restrooms located in the White Oak Lodge.

There is no staffed coat check, but we have a coat room and two coat racks with ample space that is available for your use.

No, we do not have a valet but parking is readily accessible.

There is plenty of complimentary guest parking.

Yes, the White Oak Lodge entrances have no steps. There is one handicapped parking spot on the north side of the building just 15 feet from the front door.

From Highway 51, there is a large billboard at the entrance of Deer Park Road and several smaller signs on our street directing traffic to the resort and parking areas. There are plenty of places to erect your own signage or markers, both at the entrance to Deer Park Road and along Highway 51. On-site you are welcome to erect signage directing guests to the ceremony and reception areas, approved by the Chippewa Retreat Wedding Coordinator. Any signage placed by you for the wedding must be removed the day after the wedding.

Yes. Chippewa Retreat Resort is a Northern Wisconsin wedding venue located in the heart of the Northwoods on the shores of Lake Manitowish. It is a convenient option for couples searching for a lakeside wedding venue “near me” in Northern Wisconsin, as well as for those coming from nearby regions such as Northern Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.

While many couples treat Chippewa Retreat as a destination-style wedding weekend, it remains easily accessible by car and offers on-site lodging, indoor and outdoor ceremony options, and full-weekend amenities, making it both a nearby and all-inclusive wedding venue for couples planning a Northwoods celebration.