Dunes Pavilion Event Venue — Attraction in Chesterton

We had an absolutely wonderful wedding reception at the Dunes Pavilion! Colleen and her team were with us at every step from planning to executing the perfect night. Colleen was very accommodating to all of our (non-traditional wedding reception) requests. We wanted more of a cocktail party vibe - no seated dinner, tons of appetizers, lounge seating, a mix of cocktail and dining tables, etc. Plus we needed space for the DJ, photo booth and Valpo Velvet ice cream scoopers. She spaced everything out perfectly. There was plenty of room to move around and get to all the things. Everyone was obsessed with the venue! That 7 year renovation was worth it. We got tons of compliments on the beautiful, unique the event space: the brick, the arched windows, the balconies looking out over the beach and Lake Michigan, and even the tile on bar. lol All the appetizers were delicious, but some of our favorites included the vegetarian pot stickers, beef wellington and southwest chicken eggrolls! The Dunes caterer did a great job working with our guests' many dietary restrictions and allergies and even provided some gluten-free buns for the pulled pork sliders. We were also incredibly lucky to have the absolute best weather ever. On a Saturday in early August, it was 75 degrees, clear sky (you could see the Chicago skyline so clearly), the most gorgeous sunset and even a late night meteor shower. Even with the beautiful weather, no one had any issues getting through the park gate in a timely manner (we tried our best to stop our parents from worrying about the wait to get through the gate but they still told everyone to come early... ridiculously early). One tip for future weddings- check the time sunset will be and don't plan anything around 20-30 minutes of that time. A few of our guests were sad they missed the cake cutting because they were still on the balcony watching the sunset. Overall, it was truly the most incredible night, and we cannot say enough good things about the...

My husband and I had our wedding here (ceremony AND reception) in September 2024, and it was truly the most wonderful day. I cannot stress how much Colleen did to make our day seamless. She helped with major details AND minor details (that mattered), and we can’t thank her enough for how much she did for us. She handled things that came up like an absolute pro and took away all of our wedding day stress. Any couple would be beyond lucky to work with Colleen.

Even with lots of people on the beach during the ceremony (we had an unseasonably warm/sunny day), our ceremony was beautiful, quiet, and uninterrupted. Our cocktail hour and every detail of our reception was beautiful, and Colleen made sure all of us and our vendors stuck to our timeline. We’ve gotten so many compliments on the venue and how everything went. One of our guests called it a “perfect wedding”. Every time I look back, I can’t help but agree. Thank you for giving us...

We couldn't have dreamed of a better place to host our wedding reception! Quick shout out to Ginelle for working with us to make our day unique and special. Although we had an overcast/rainy day, we ended up having the entire beach and building to ourselves! The clouds lightened up just in time for the sunset, giving us and our guests the best possible sunset view. The historic red brick pavilion made for a beautiful venue that our guests loved. We had mixed feedback on food, so we highly recommend attending the food tasting so that you make the right decision for you and your guests. (At the end of the day wedding food wasn't our first priority). We highly recommend this venue if you are looking for a beach wedding in the...