Looking for a unique place to get married in the Grand Rapids / West Michigan area that ISN’T a cliché venue? I’ve listed my TOP 3 Unique Grand Rapids Venues below (with reasons to back it up too!). From boho furniture, to insane natural light, these places are some of my favorite venues of all time.
Let me start this off by saying, I’m only speaking from personal experience! There are so many extraordinary places to get married in Grand Rapids, but these are a few that truly stand out to me from my experience as a wedding photographer.
1. The Cheney Place
This one HAD to be my first recommendation! I’m seriously obsessed with this place. As a wedding photographer, I start to notice the places that TRULY take care of their bride & groom…and this place was phenomenal. As I’m shooting, I always take note of how accommodating the venue is to the photographer (ie. good lighting, no trash, neutral walls / floors, layout, etc). The Cheney Place is a photographer’s dream! There’s so many places in the Cheney Place for awesome photos, such as their legendary seating arrangement and top floor spaces.
One of the main reasons The Cheney Place is one of my top venues is the simple fact that this venue is STUNNING. The venue comes with antique furniture, 3 floors of wood floors and HUGE windows, and it is decorated so beautifully down to every inch of this place! The Cheney Place describes themselves as an Urban Boutique Event Space, and they’re not wrong. You hardly need to bring decorations, because the event space decorates itself! Seriously, it’s crazy how beautiful it is inside there.
Another reason I love the Cheney Place is because of it’s location! It’s located in Downtown Grand Rapids, so the options for places to take photos are ENDLESS. The location gives guests things to do if you have a longer cocktail hour, or for even an after party (if you’re into that).
I’ve shot here before! Check out Jade & Adam’s wedding at The Cheney Place.
Budget: $3,000-$5,000
Website: www.thecheneyplace.com
2. The Downtown Market Grand Rapids
I may be slightly biased, but the Downtown Market GR is a gorgeous (and affordable) wedding venue! When I got married, we had our wedding here and I definitely can say it was the best decision we could’ve made. From the beginning of the planning process to the day of, the Downtown Market made life so easy and the wedding turned out better than I could’ve ever imagined.
Pro tip number one: Everything you need is at this venue! The Downtown Market lets you have both the ceremony & reception here, and there’s even separate rooms to do this seamlessly! We rented the greenhouse for the ceremony and had our reception in the beautifully simple banquet room across the hall. Also, the Downtown Market has a ton of shops downstairs, so guests can slip down there and check out all the fun vendors!
Reason two: Everything is INDOORS (with amazing lighting). I opted for a March wedding, so the weather wasn’t very pretty when we got married. We took all of our family photos, bridal party photos, and did our first look in the greenhouse & the lighting was perfect! We didn’t have to go outside and get cold, but we still had all of the pretty green plants that you would find outside.
I could go on & on & on about this venue, so I’ll just show you some photos and you can decide for yourselves!
Here’s photos from my wedding at the Downtown Market GR.
Budget: $1500-3000
Website: http://downtownmarketgr.com/private-rentals
3. Lions and Rabbits
This venue is so UNIQUE! The entire place is decorate with art work, murals, and all things creative. The entire venue is gorgeous inside & out! The venue is a one room wonder, so all of the magic happens in the same open space! When I say I’ve never seen a venue like this…I absolutely mean it. This venue is simply inspiring.
A major perk of Lions & Rabbits is the murals – they’re everywhere! There’s murals inside on the walls, and all over the entire outside of the building! There’s even one across the street (just make sure you watch for cars).
Couples can have a ceremony in the space, and within an hour, the entire place can be transformed into a beautiful reception hall! There’s twinkle lights, amazing natural light (which means awesome photos), and tons of interesting art work to look at. It’s like a wedding venue & art exhibit turned into one unique space.
I’ve shot here before! Check out Lindsey & Andrews wedding at Lions and Rabbits.
Budget: $2100-$3000
Website: http://www.lionsandrabbits.com/weddings
I’m curious! What are some of your favorite venues in Grand Rapids? Did you get married at an awesome venue? Let me know in the comments!
