Bootleggers Lodge / Intimate Wedding Venue / Tomahawk WI

Northern Wisconsin is full of scenic beauty—lakes, forests, and peaceful charm. But finding a great wedding venue can be tricky. The area is quiet and spread out, with fewer options.

Northern Wisconsin is a place that still feels wild in the best way—dense forests, quiet lakes, and the kind of natural beauty that makes you take a deep breath and slow down. It’s the perfect backdrop for a wedding or celebration, especially if you’re drawn to peaceful settings and scenic views. But with fewer large towns and a more rural landscape, it can be hard to find venues that strike the right balance of charm, character, and comfort.

That’s exactly why we love Bootleggers Lodge in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. If you’re planning a wedding in Central Northern Wisconsin and keeping your guest list to around 80 people or fewer, this venue is a hidden gem. It’s full of rustic character and has the warm, welcoming feel of a Colorado mountain lodge—without leaving the Midwest.

The lodge is built with historic timber and filled with cozy textures and natural light. Large windows throughout the space offer beautiful views of the lake, which is especially magical during golden hour. It’s peaceful, it’s private, and it has that “away-from-it-all” feel without sacrificing convenience or style.

Bootleggers is ideal for intimate weddings, rehearsal dinners, elopements, or small weekend events. And the food? Outstanding. Their kitchen and bar are among the best in the region, making it a top choice not just for the setting, but for the full guest experience.

Whether you’re local or planning a destination wedding in Wisconsin’s Northwoods, Bootleggers Lodge offers a one-of-a-kind atmosphere that’s hard to find elsewhere. We love photographing weddings here—and after looking through some of our favorite images, we think you’ll see why.

Ready to fall in love with it too? Scroll down and see why Bootleggers might be the perfect fit for your Northern Wisconsin wedding.


 

If you’re planning a wedding at Bootleggers Lodge—or anywhere in Northern Wisconsin—and love the idea of relaxed, candid photography that tells the real story of your day, find out more about us here. We photograph weddings with intention, heart, and a deep appreciation for the places that make them unique.

Bootleggers Lodge is one of the northern picks in our guide to the best intimate wedding venues in Wisconsin. For bigger weddings and the rest of the state, see our list of the best Wisconsin wedding venues.

We're on a treasure hunt for beauty. We want our images to take you right back to the grand moments of your day, and to the milliseconds that flew past, the ones you couldn't stop to breathe and look around and appreciate while they were happening. We don't invent those moments. We recognize them.

Our couples trust us to document the people and moments that matter most to them, which frees them up to spend the day with each other instead of with us.

We're rooted near Viroqua, in Wisconsin's Driftless Region, a small foodie-and-outdoors town that shaped how we see beauty in everyday moments. From there we travel across the state, with Madison and Door County among our most-photographed areas, alongside Milwaukee, Spring Green and La Crosse. Fifteen+ years in, we still don't take the trust of a wedding day lightly.

more about us!

we are ray + kelly!