Michigan-Detroit

Wedding ceremony& reception metro Detroit!! Help me

Hello fellow knotties! I'm in the process of planning a wedding in the Detroit area for June 2014. I've seen some venues with my groom and he didn't like any of them. Here are the deets that may help with suggestions. I appreciate any suggestions. It's a bit difficult since we both live in Chicago and can only visit on the weekends. His mom will be checking out the venue spaces for us. -wedding date: June 2014 (Sunday) -indoor or outdoor space -looking at about 150-200 guests (working on guest list) -able to host both ceremony and reception in same location -budget is $5000 for food/drinks/venue/linens/china (non alcoholic bar) -location: metro Detroit or Ann Arbor (no further than an hour from Boston Edelson)

Re: Wedding ceremony& reception metro Detroit!! Help me

  • I forgot to mention we would prefer unique venues that look beautiful on the inside and out. Thanks again :-).
  • Because you are planning from a distance, finding a place for that many people under $5000 is going to be a really difficult thing. Having it be "unique" will make it even harder. If you have 150 people, that's $33 per person including alcohol if you are having it. Most venues have per person prices for that amount without alcohol.

    The only way you will find something for under $5000 for 150 people will be to 1) cut your guest list, 2) get married in November-February time frame on a Sunday. If you can cut your list to 100 guests, at about $45 per person all inclusive (because of the taxes & gratuities added to get it to $50 per person) you might have a better chance.

    We had our wedding in August 2011 for 73 people at a venue where we brought in our own caterer, alcohol, and other things. It was over $5000. Granted, it was high end food from Holiday Market, but the venue was under $1000.

    Go to www.weddingchannel.com and search for venues and caterers. You may have to find a venue that is reasonably priced where you can bring in your own food and alcohol, and use a restaurant to do the catering.

    I'm not trying to be a kill-joy about this. I want you to be realistic. If you don't mind a standard banquet hall with standard wedding food, you can probably find something on the above link provided. Something "unique" or "different" is going to be tough. I've belonged to the Knot for over 4 years, and the metro Detroit area doesn't have that much outside the standard banquet halls.

    If you reduce your guest list to 100 or less, you could look into Greenmead Village, a city park in Livonia where we had our wedding. It has historic buildings, a darling chapel and a banquet venue set up in one of the historic homes. It's at 8 Mile Rd & Newburgh Rd in Livonia.

    Good luck.

     

  • Thanks Sue for response!! I am working on the guest list this weekend so hopefully I will be able to cut it down or so. Found a venue that may work but it is over $5k. Family will be helping but we were trying to keep that to a minimum. Thanks for the suggestions and I will look into finding a venue and maybe getting an outside caterer. For Holiday Market to guests leave raving about the food? Did you have a cake as well?
  • OMG, for over a year after the wedding the guests were STILL raving about the food! I'm a real foodie, make & eat gourmet meals and their food was fabulous! Got the cake there too, and it was less than $2 a person. I think the cake probably fed over 100 (we had a lot left) and it was about $130. We had yellow cake and passion fruit mousse filling, with fabulous buttercream frosting. Two layers.

    Joe's PRoduce in LIvonia was another gourmet store that does catering where we had a tasting as well. It was also fabulous, very comparable to Holiday Market. We went with Holiday Market simply because of a comfort level with them, it was no slap at Joe's Produce.

    Also, we got our wines at Champane's Wine Cellar in Warren (on 13 Mile west of Van Dyke). We got 2 cases of wine, 24 bottles, including 4-5 bottles of champange, for $225. Less than $10 per bottle on average. We had a bunch of wine fanatics as well and they also raved about that.

    Good luck!

     

  • Thanks Sue for the recommendations! If we do a cake I'll check them out. Thinking about doing cupcakes and maybe just a one tier cake for the top.
  • Oh I definitely appreciate the honesty! I have to keep reminding myself to be realistic lol. Found some venues that may work. Also thinking the budget may need to be upped just a little. Like to no more than $7500.
  • Hi, check out this gorgeous venue in Dexter, MI (west side of Ann Arbor): http://www.cottonwoodbarn.com/

    It is a beautifully refurbished barn in a picturesque country setting that is easily accessible from I94, close to Ann Arbor.

    Also, if you're looking for a florist, check out Garnet Eve Designs: www.garnetevedesigns.com, she does great work at a very affordable price!

    Good luck!

  • Check out the activity center at Lake St Clair Metro park. And don't knock it untill you have looked up the pictures of other people's wedding there It's a beautiful space!
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  • Thank you ladies for te additional suggestions! @vivandiere8 I actually did look into Lake St Clair but unfortunately they have concerts on Sundays so the wedding would have to end by 4p. I am looking at the other metro parks though. @mollyr1979 have you been to a wedding there? Didn't really find pricing info on their website.
  • @dmefom Another place kind of like Lake St. Clair is Indian Springs Metro park Environmental Discovery Center in White Lake. That's where we are having our wedding!
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  • @vivandiere8 that's actually one of my top picks at the moment! How has the planning process been going with you? Would it be ok for me to PM you?
  • Vivandiere8Vivandiere8 member
    250 Love Its Third Anniversary 100 Comments Name Dropper
    edited November 2013
    @dmefom Sure, go right ahead! Contrary to what my ticker says I do not only have two months to go, so I I think I still have many months in which to see how smoothly the planning process with Indian Springs will go. The up side so far is the place is unique and beautiful, and has a good sized floor for dancing! We feel really happy about the choice, especially after walking about the grounds. The only down side so far is that you have to use a particular catering company. I don't have a problem with that, but if you want to be able to bring your own wine, or check out other caterers you won't get that option. The only food you can bring on your own is the cake. It's really great though for an indoor/outdoor feel. There is a balcony attached to the main room that people can walk out on, and then walk down stairs to the pound and fields below, and if it rains, the room has two walls of floor to ceiling windows so you still get to enjoy the view of nature! (I should be writing adds for them)
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