Black Sheep Shelter

Flowers in our garden typically bloom in early August but with our warm spring this year, everything burst into color early! 🌸🪻🌼 🌺

We like to hear stories. It's so interesting to find out who people are, what makes them tick, what things they love, and where they've been.

We also are intrigued by stories behind a piece of property. What happened here in the past? Before this 7 acres became Black Sheep Shelter, it was a 50 acre dairy farm. There also was once big greenhouses where our venue parking lot now is. And a massive root cellar between the venue driveway and the driveway to our house.

Last year, we had an out of state family stop by and tell us stories about when their uncle and aunt farmed here and as teenagers, they would come from Oregon every summer to help on the farm.

This place has history. And the rustic barns and building speak to that. While we love antiques, vintage and the rustic vibe, we wanted to give the venue a modern twist.

When we recently received the gallery from Olivia and Travis' June 1 wedding, we were struck by how Kimberly Hibbard Photography captured that modern rustic vibe perfectly. It also didn't hurt that Olivia Raab and Travis happen to be very photogenic 😊

What art looks like at the Roessing household these days 🤣 It’s bean-picking season!

⭐️ Night Light ⭐️

Photo by Christopher Deau

Newest addition! We installed 3 solar light lamp posts behind the caterer’s wall last week. These will offer some additional light during clean up at the end of the night. These lamp posts remind me a bit of the one in Narnia-minus the snow (CS Lewis anyone?)😆

In keeping with our eco-friendly values, we like to employ solar lights wherever possible! Swipe to see another pathway lit up by solar power ☀️

Where should I hang the dress?

Photos by
Kimberly Hibbard Photography
Emma Varley Photography
Sydney Lynn Photography
Danielle Wilson Photo
Gabby Right

In preparation for Father's Day tomorrow, we wanted to share a few father/daughter moments that made us smile. 😃

Photos by:
justine bursoni photography
Alysha Jayne Knerr
Kylie Haack Zoerhof
Madison Kristine Photography LLC
Kimberly Hibbard Photography

I’m not a fan of routine. I like to do different tasks, eat a variety of food, meet new people…just like to mix things up every day.

Jeff has a crazy adventurous spirit but is much more disciplined when making a routine and sticking to it. I want to grow in my ability to do that, still trying to learn!

When we bought this property at the end of 2017, we knew we would grow vegetables and flowers like we had in the past but I knew I wanted to try growing all kinds of fruit. So here you have it-a few photos I took last week. 📸 Some are ripe now (I’ve been picking strawberries for the last couple weeks and just started raspberries this week 😃) but most are in the early stages, ready for harvest later in the season:
Strawberries 🍓
Cherries 🍒
Apples 🍎
Raspberries
Pears 🍐
Mulberries
Peaches 🍑
Grapes 🍇
Hardy Kiwi Berries

We would have planted blueberry bushes too but we live in blueberry country and have several good friends that grow them so we’re set in that department. Don’t need to do it all! 🫐

Plenty of fruit to eat fresh, make jam, add to salads, dehydrate for the winter, blend up into smoothies…what a gift that we have this all here!

It’s easy to showcase the beautiful photos but just to keep it real, the strawberry patch this year has a fungal infection that we’ve been dealing with. It’s been disappointing and a lot of extra work with a ton of berries we have to throw away because of it. On the flip side, because we have such a variety of fruit, if one crop has a bad season, we have other ones to lean on!

It's those little touches 😂

Sydney Lynn Photography

3 lovely couples exchanged vows this weekend and what a celebration it was! It's a delight to see the venue come back to life, not just with the burst of greenery on the property again, but with people talking, laughing, playing games, dancing, and fully enjoying being outside together.

Ellie TeSlaa and Jake were married on Friday, Jenna and Hunter said I do on Saturday, and Sarah Elstrom and Josiah Elstrom celebrated on Sunday.
shared some sneak peaks from Sarah and Josiah's wedding already. Beautiful 😍

We also had exceptional vendors this weekend:



theland

Thank you all for a wonderful weekend!

However you look at it, it's a good time 😊

Amazing photography by Christopher Deau

Happy Mother's Day to all the women who have poured into us. ❤️

When everyone gets involved in that walk down the aisle. 😍❤️

Photos by Sydney Lynn Photography and
L.V Photography

In lieu of a unity candle, Kira and Trygve lit a unity bonfire with torches. 🔥

Gave the women’s dressing room a facelift this week! Instead of a before and after, here’s an after and before 😆

September weddings are abundant with greenery and at the same time, flowers are at the peak of their glory! Kaitlynn and Jacob's wedding was a prime example of this and Alasandra Photography took these magical pictures to help us all remember the day.

Kira and Trygve wanted their September 29 wedding day to be full of active participation. They invited their guests to bring something to share at the reception-a song, a skit, a magic trick....anything to add to the joy of the evening. And, as you can see in this tug of war, their guests joined in wholeheartedly!

L.V Photography captured the day and there are so many great photos to share that you'll be seeing many more in the months to come!

1st time we saw a bride/groom pillow fight at a reception 😂 What a playful, fun-loving group 🧡

Returning to landscaping today but yesterday, we were in Indiana experiencing this. Amazing!!

Variety is the spice of life! A few ideas for a guest "book" from this past year 🧡

It’s snowing today 😬 and this is where I wish I was! Jeff and I are so ready to get back in the garden.

However, even though it doesn’t feel like Spring, Spring projects are happening! 616 Masonry came this week and built the two brick pillars at the entrance of the venue driveway. And dropped off a load of top soil to help us get prepped for our new plans for the entrance. We’re going to stick to our new perennialism design and add tall, ornamental grasses and wild flowers.

We’ve had fun planning and dreaming about all the design elements. Can’t wait to get our hands in the dirt again 😀

Hey Photographers! Are you looking for a beautiful space for your outdoor sessions this year?

This is the first year that we'll be trying this out and if there's enough interest, we'll keep it going in the future.

1 hour sessions are $100 or $50 for a 30 minute session; you may have as many mini sessions as you'd like during the time you book. No deposit, just pay on arrival! Here are the dates:

Mon, Jun 10th 7:15-9:15pm
Tues, July 16th 7-9pm
Mon, Aug 5th 6:45-8:45pm
Tues, Sept 3rd 6-8pm

Message us if you'd like to sign up! And feel free to spread the word to others who may be interested. Thanks!

We were invited yesterday to do an interview on FOX 17 Morning Mix and share a bit about the Marriaging Curriculum we recently launched.
Knowing this would be taped live, we knew we had one chance. I’m amazed as I stumbled over my words (even though I had it succinct and ready right before we went on) how Todd and Michelle make it look so easy. 😳🥰 Better keep our day jobs!

Check it out here:
https://www.fox17online.com/morning-mix/black-sheep-shelter-wedding-venue-launches-a-free-course-for-married-couples

So many ways to set a table!

Are you married? We have a gift for you! We’ve finally made it to the day of the big reveal. Introducing….The Marriaging Curriculum!

On our website, you will find 50 lessons designed to help you and your spouse deepen your relationship:
https://www.theblacksheepshelter.com/marriaging-curriculum.

Most lessons are about 1 page long & include exercises to increase self-reflection and support communication. Set a weekly date and this curriculum can function as a 1 year master’s course. While we love creating a beautiful space for people to celebrate their wedding, we want to take that one step further and find ways to encourage and support couples in their marriage. Will you help us? Share this post to spread the word.

We don’t rely on instinct alone to become good at sports or proficient in the workplace, nor should we assume our most important relationship will run smoothly without educating ourselves and learning to practice healthy relational habits. Marriage can be challenging, beautiful, rewarding, exhausting and confusing. Let’s support each other. Thank you for sharing this resource with those you love!

With the mild weather this winter, we wonder if we'll be seeing flowers early this year! 🌷🌻🌺

Listen to this thoughtful touch that we witnessed this past summer! At their wedding, Camilla Bjelland and Luke Brandsen gave each guest a raffle ticket & during the reception, various guests won special gifts. The gifts were a few of Cami & Luke's "favorite things": Meijer Gardens tickets, Sacred Springs Kombucha, hand warmers for outdoor activities, a Donkey Taqueria gift card and more.

Isn't that a lovely idea? Good things are meant to be shared.

Next week, we have a big announcement. And we're hoping that when you see it & hear about it, you'll help us share this gift with those you know. Just a week away from the moment of revelation!

Photography: HanDesigned Film & Photography
Flowers: Mitten Floral LLC.
Catering: Donkey - Taqueria
Bartending: Beverage Specialists of Southwest Michigan

Date suggestion #6-travel with your spouse

Traveling to your in-laws during the Holidays is not what we are talking about. Nor is traveling with your children-as important and precious as those family vacations are. Traveling with your spouse means carving out extended time to enjoy each other in a context or via experiences that are life giving. Some people simply desire R & R when traveling, a beautiful place to put up their feet and eat food that someone else has prepared. Others want to fulfill their need to explore, to see and try new things, learn about another culture, have an adventure.
Jeff and I haven’t traveled extensively but we have figured out that for us, the ideal trip involves renting a car to explore a region and try new things while building just enough down time to feel well rested for our adventures.
Talk to your spouse about what constitutes your dream vacation. Make plans together. The planning and dreaming and anticipation is half the fun!

Flashback Friday!

Remember how we devloted this past July to a month-long journey delving into marriage? There was a chance to win a cash prize and a dinner in our glasshouse at the end of the month.
Did you see that?
Did you participate in the contest?
That was the 1st time we'd done something like that and we were so grateful for the huge response from everyone!

Since then, our wheels have been turning and we've been busy at work. Stay tuned! We have something to share with you in just a couple weeks 🥰

Does a splash of color make you smile? Don't be afraid to add some bold hues your day!