Milwaukee Wedding Venue Spotlight: Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

A nature-oriented Milwaukee wedding venue with forest clearings, lakeside views,

and a resident turtle who keeps an eye on the dance floor.

“[I have] a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career…”

—Liam Neeson, Taken

So maybe my skill set as a Milwaukee wedding photographer differs slightly from Liam Neeson’s. Still, by photographing many Milwaukee weddings over the last decade, I have developed a very particular knowledge about Milwaukee’s best venues and vendors. When you're newly engaged and don’t even know what’s available to you, having that kind of insight can really help. This is the first post in a new series of Venue spotlights to share what I know and love about weddings in Milwaukee!

Disclaimer: I have not hosted a wedding at any of these venues myself—I based my thoughts on my experience photographing weddings at each venue.

These posts are not a full review or an ad - they will highlight the features I love about a venue, especially as a photographer! Now - let’s jump in!

The Overview:

See more Schlitz Audubon Nature Center shoots in the *Roost Blog*

Schlitz Wedding Website: Schlitz Audubon Nature Center Weddings

Surrounded by 185 acres of Nature, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center is a beautiful and peaceful wedding venue. There are gorgeous nature trails, teeming with life and flowers, a lagoon with a boardwalk, a cute beach along Lake Michigan, and a wooded clearing for weddings!

As a wedding photographer, I know that venues that are too remote can create logistical challenges for wedding days, but Schlitz is the perfect balance of being in nature and accessible. Boardwalks and bridges make taking in the trails in wedding attire an attainable feat, and you just can’t beat the way the sunlight trickles through the trees during the day or how it makes the tall grasses glow around sunset.

The spacious Nature Center building offers all the modern amenities large celebrations require while maintaining the nature vibes with large windows and warm wooden tones. The love of nature goes beyond the aesthetics as well - Schlitz's strategic goals include creating connections with nature, welcoming all to enjoy the beauty and benefit of accessible nature, conserving and caring for the land, and educating to deepen our relationship with nature. These goals are included in how they operate as a venue, and they love to help couples explore what a more Green Wedding might look like.

The rest of this post will cover Venue Features and Where to take the Best Wedding Photos at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center Weddings. I LOVE to include when shooting at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center!

Venue Features:

First, let’s talk about some of the highlight features included when you choose this as your wedding venue or as a spot for engagement photos!

Nature & Trails

The main feature of Schlitz Audubon is Nature. With six miles of wooded trails through various terrains, lots of wildlife, and easy access to the Lake Michigan shoreline, nature surrounds you. One aspect I love about how they have developed the property is that the amenities and structures blend in perfectly with the surroundings, so they are there when you need them but easy to forget about when you want to focus on wildlife, trees, and trails!

FOREST Clearing for CEREMONY

One of the showstoppers of Schlitz as a Wedding venue is the beautiful forest clearing ceremony space, it is outdoors in nature *AND* accessible - a true gem. If you ever imagined having an outdoor forest glade wedding with golden sunlight flickering through tree branches gently swaying in the wind… but, like with modern bathrooms, the paved forest clearing at Schlitz is the place of your dreams. Newly paved, you can enjoy your forest wedding in fancy heels, and your guests who need more accessibility will thank you!

Veranda & Covered Walkways

Even though outdoor weddings are beautiful, many Wisconsin people hesitate to plan their own because they are nervous about managing the elements and dealing with unexpected weather. Schlitz is special in its many options, even when things don’t go as planned. Schlitz Veranda and covered walkways by the nature center manage both these concerns. The Veranda offers shelter as people sip champagne and toast the newlyweds during cocktail hour. It is also a great place to hang out and talk during the reception. However, in the case of rain, the Veranda is also a beautiful place to get married! The views were full of green nature and life, while your guests remained dry and comfortable.

Great Hall

Inside the Nature Center, the roomy great hall keeps you in nature, even when you are inside. Its clean wood and stone construction are gorgeous, offering modern amenities and room for 220 guests. Large windows bring nature in for guests to enjoy during the daytime, providing romantic lighting for candlelit dining as the evening progresses. The setup works great with a sweetheart table or a central main table for the wedding party. The Great Hall remains the perfect spot as the night moves toward speeches and dancing! Bonus - the connected Hearth Room is ideal for Bar service and photobooths!

Wedding Party Suites

In addition to looking pretty, a venue needs to provide for the behind-the-scenes parts of weddings as well. From “Where do I put all my stuff?” to Where do I do my makeup or tie my tie?” to “Where can I escape my family for a few minutes?” - The Wedding party suites and rooms are what you need. They are both pretty and functional and will give you the necessary utility space!

Raptors

One of my favorite aspects of Schlitz weddings is that the resident Raptors are invited as special guests. Owls and eagles as cocktail hour guests? It's unexpected, perhaps - but if it’s your thing, Schlitz is the only place to make it happen. Couples can include them in their cocktail hour (supervised, of course), which is fantastic. The birds are always a huge hit, and there is no denying how regal they are! Plus, guests get up-close photo ops, the handlers are full of cool info, and the vibe is definitely “wild kingdom, but make it classy.”

If you want to take your wedding to the next level, a giant Bald Eagle is not a bad way to go!

AccessibilIty: Boardwalks, Trails, GOlf Carts, and LGBTQ Inclusion!

Let’s talk for a minute about what a wedding at Schlitz will mean for guests with unique mobility needs. Outdoor weddings can be a particular challenge for this reason. Schlitz Audubon goes a long way to mitigate this and keep its facility accessible. Boardwalks and bridges make managing many of the trails in wedding attire a surprisingly attainable feat. The Nature Center building also offers accessible bathrooms and an elevator for guests to get to the second floor. Finally, the couple will have access to the venue’s golf cart, enabling them to quickly make their way along the trails, boardwalks, and all the way to Lake Michigan! Just so you know explicitly, this is a great Milwaukee LGBTQ+ wedding venue, too. I have shot LGBTQ weddings here, and nobody was weird about it - as should be the case everywhere, but too often, it isn’t clear. As I mentioned previously, inclusion and accessibility are stated goals of Schlitz Audubon Nature Center.

Where to Take the Best Wedding Photos at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center:

There are so many great photo opportunities at Schlitz Audubon. The ones I list here are the spots that have delivered excellent results for me many times and that I count on when planning a photo session there!

Lakefront

When weather allows, visiting the beach at Schlitz is a must. When you step out on the Beach of Lake Michigan, it feels a little like stepping through a portal - it’s a magical experience each time and an excellent place for both wedding party shenanigans and intimate, quiet moments for a couple. The lake is a fantastic feature, but the lighting with the lake at your back is epic, making all the colors pop. It is also a fun place to pop a champagne bottle (we always bring the bottles out with us)! As a Milwaukee wedding photographer, I’ll take Lake Michigan wedding photography with beach photos any day.

Mystery Lake Boardwalk

Mystery Lake is one of my favorite spots at Schlitz. I love the lily pads, the water, and the reflections. You can also find frogs and turtles if you are lucky. The boardwalk makes it wheelchair accessible and photo-safe, even in a wedding dress. There are two ways to get to the pond—if you are wearing heels, choose the road over the forest path. Depending on the time of year, that easter edge of Mystery Lake is one of my Golden Hour spots.

Observation Tower

Suppose you want to get above the trees and see the lake and landscape from above - well, you are in luck. The 60-foot observation tower gives you all that and a great leg workout!

Getting lost in the woods in Wedding attire: Trails & TRees

With 6 miles of wooded trails, there are countless opportunities for photos. I have a few favorite clearings that I choose from based on a couple's footwear!

Golden Hour Shoots: BoardWalks & Tall Grass

I sneak out for golden hour sessions (the hour leading up to sunset) with couples whenever possible! Living in the Midwest, you must take full advantage of the warm, glowing light when you can! Depending on the specifics of a wedding schedule and the time of year (the sun's angle changes with the calendar), I love different spots. The boardwalks through the tall grass are the easiest, as they are right by the nature center.

*Protip: If you book here in November or later, sunset is around 4:30, so be sure to arrange your schedule to include at least a little daylight!

Night Photos By the Nature Center

After-dark photos are another favorite of mine! The Nature Center looks fantastic, and the mood feels very different. I like to play with moody lighting and silhouettes when we have time! I often wait until the dancing has been going on for a while and the couple is ready for a cool down and quiet moment before heading back to the party!

Party Time!

I always get excited when I am at weddings late enough to capture lots of dancing photos! People sometimes think that dancing photos are not a priority, but I love the joy and laughter that show up in photos once the first dances are over and everyone shifts into full party mode!

Final THoughts:

Emerson, Snapping Turtle by day - Overseer of the dance floor by night!

I didn’t know where to share this, but I also love Emerson the Snapping Turtle, who is a permanent wedding guest, hanging out in the Great Hall and overseeing all the dancing. I hope this post gives you an insider view of what your wedding might look like at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center. There aren't many accessible outdoor wedding venues, and I had a great time with many wonderful couples there. Schlitz Audubon weddings offer a unique set of features and opportunities for couples in the Milwaukee area.

Schlitz's “day job” as a Nature Center means you can see the trees and trails yourself, even if you’re not planning a wedding. I would be thrilled to accompany you if you want to shoot a wedding, engagement, family session, or senior portraits there! It’s a magical place!

more to Explore:

• See more Schlitz Audubon Nature Center shoots in the *Roost Blog*

• Schlitz Wedding Website: Schlitz Audubon Nature Center Weddings // Green Weddings at Schlitz

• General Website: Schlitz Audubon Nature Center Weddings

• Protip: Bridget is the Event Coordinator at Schlitz, and Marybeth is the Wedding Coordinator.