I am deciding between two venues, Greystones in Northern Michigan (south of Traverse City) and Waldenwoods (hour north of Ann Arbor). I originally wanted Frog Pond Village (near Interlochen) because I love the woodsy feeling, but they are a little out of my budget and seem to have a lot of add ons and not much opportunity for DIY.
I love that Greystone has an outdoor ceremony area and packages the ceremony, reception, food and even DJ! Of course there are extras and add ons, but planning a wedding from out of state, less to have to manage is great! They are also near Interlochen State Park, so I could still get pictures by the woods and lake. And you can bring your own alcohol which is nice because I want to do a MI beer/wine selection.
Waldenwoods is gorgeous, but because my wedding is smaller (only around 75) I can only do a tent reception, which makes me a little nervous since August can be very iffy in Michigan. The food selection is not as great and I can't bring my own alcohol. The area is beautiful and woodsy, and the price is significantly cheaper than Greystone.
Has anyone been to either place or seen a wedding there? Any advise?