Vermilion-on-the-Lake Clubhouse — Attraction in Vermilion

The moment we saw this venue, we knew it was perfect for us! It has the cozy rustic charm of being a 100+ year old historic building, while showcasing breathtaking views of Lake Erie. It is so close to the lake that you feel like you are on a boat :)

There were some harsh comments about the venue coordinator in previous reviews, but I think there needs to be a little more context. This is a historic building, so there are a lot of rules about what you can and cannot do to preserve the integrity of the space, and the venue is up front about those rules from the get go in their contract, so there shouldn't be any surprises. So for the previous review that complained about being yelled at for sparklers- it says in the contract that you can't have them, so that shouldn't have really been a surprise to have something that produces sparks near a 100+ year old wooden building :/

If you follow and respect the rules, the coordinator is great to work with. If you have your heart set on open flames, candles and hanging up a bunch of decorations with nails, that isn't an option here. It is so beautiful the way it is, so you really don't need to add much.

The capacity is 300 max, and there is a stage for the DJ as well as a bar and side room with fireplace for name card/ guest table, pictures, etc. There is a bridal suite upstairs for girls to get ready and a side yard that you can rent along with the ballroom for ceremonies. There is also a beverage store across the street that can provide bar services if you need them. I thought the coordinator was excellent. She always promptly responded to my emails- which is so rare in the planning process- and I sent a lot of them! She was also very clear on what they could provide and what we were allowed to do.

This is a DIY venue- they provide tables, chairs and setup for an extra fee, but that is about it. You must provide the caterer, purchase your own alcohol (which saves you money!), and rent your own linens, etc. I loved the flexibility that it offered us. Many venues in the area have exclusive deals with caterers where you are forced to use their bar package or caterer (cough Taste of Excellence cough) and the venue gets a cut per head of the profits because they are giving the caterer exclusivity to their space. That would normally be fine for most people, but if you have dietary restrictions (vegan) and you want a hardy meal from a caterer that actually specializes in that cuisine, larger caterers don't do a great job of catering to that niche, so DIY venues and picking your own caterer can have major advantages!

We can't recommend this place enough!! I would consider doing an event there again...

My fiancé didn't want me to write a review, but here we are. Just a warning. We decided to go with a different venue based on his interactions with and impression of the staff (plus the bad reviews). We don't know what the manager/director is going through, but the way she treated my fiancé was not great- and we both work in healthcare so we know how stressful certain jobs can be.

For starters, my fiancé is a sweet and very respectful person... he said the woman he spoke with initially was very rude to him, and all he did was call the number provided on the website, instead of filling out a form, because he thought it would be more efficient. For example, she was noticeably irritated that he called the number instead of filling out the form, and refused to speak to him over the phone. Not a huge deal, but odd that he was treated like an inconvenience rather than treated with general kindness. Also, why is there a number on the site if it's frowned upon to call it?. Flawed system in my opinion.

Then he told me that when he visited the facility (I didn't attend because I have been to weddings there) a different person was showing him around... he said the guy was nice at first, but then he asked were my fiancé was from. He told him Sandusky. My fiancé said the guy gave him a noticeably dirty look after hearing this and started treating him differently. Afterwards, both of them were talking to the original lady (from the first paragraph- director or manager??) and the tour guy mentioned where my fiancé was from in a very odd way- he said something along the lines of "he is from our troubled neighbor". I can't remember verbatim, but definitely a comment that was implying that the city he was born in is a bad area... So that explains why he started treating him differently.

So I'm not sure what the lady is going through or what that guy's problem is with Sandusky, but to stereotype someone based on where they were born is very unacceptable and...

Place was nice but I would never ever ever recommend using this place for an event due to the lady in charge of the event center, Sally. I would highly encourage everyone to use a different venue if possible. The coordinator Sally was the most rude disgusting mentally unstable person we have ever dealt with. From the time we arrived to set up till the second we left she did nothing but yell at patrons, micromanage, and treat everyone with zero respect. We had the venue till 11 for my sisters wedding and they did a send off at 9 pm.for their honeymoon. We all stood by the road in the gravel driveway and lit sparkles as they drove off. She came running out of the building like a psychotic person telling everyone to get the f#$k out now, there are absolutely no sparklers and you are not getting the deposit back for lighting them. So at 915 when the whole wedding was still there with almost 2 hours till check out we had to take down all the wedding venue drinks food everything load up and leave as she ran around yelling at everyone to get the hell out of the building, she even called the cops when we did nothing but light sparklers. She is an absolute crazy nutjob and hope she seeks medical attention for her mental condition and that this event center finds an actual decent human being who is professional to oversee the place. Im embarrassed we even gave money to the witch Sally. Never ever use that place due to Sally ruining the...