Ciccone Vineyard & Winery

uests still talk about how great of a location and day it was. It was truly special.

ng off the hills and the bay out of the barn windows which made for a dramatic backdrop during the ceremony. And immediately after the ceremony, the rain stopped and we/our guests were able to enjoy the beautiful grounds (and an incredible sunset). Ciccone staff could not have been more lovely to work with. The only and I mean ONLY con of this venue is that weddings have to be over by 10pm per township regulations. But honestly the day would have flown by regardless of an extra hour. My husband and I cannot recommend this wonderful venue enough.

lowed us to put together our dream wedding with all additional outside vendors & worked with such a positive attitude the entire time. Nancy truly was a blessing. Ciccone’s stunning rolling hills, sparklingly bay water views & 100 year old barn need no additional compliments as they make your wedding what the best elements of a Northern Michigan wedding are all about. - Ciccone is truly the 5-star best.

ning flowed seamlessly. The beauty of the venue is evident from the photos. Equally impressive is the staff's ever positive professionalism that undergirded the whole event. We've had nothing but compliments from our guests about the beauty of the vineyard, the courtesy of the parking attendants and the friendliness of the tasting room staff. Finally, Nancy the wedding coordinator was tremendous! She promptly replied to emails, remembered the bride's favorite wine from a brief visit weeks before and always had a we-can-do-that attitude.

arents and I visited dozens of venues. When we visited Ciccone, we booked it immediately as it had everything we wanted--gorgeous views of the Grand Traverse Bay AND sweeping vineyard views. The barn is also one of the most stunning I've ever seen in the area, with windows that open out to the bay and slats that let the light stream in. This is also essential because if it rains, as it very well could, even in the summer, you then have a great backup option. All of our guests commented on how beautiful the venue was and enjoyed taking pictures in the gorgeous sunset; even one of my bridesmaids who got married in Napa said that Ciccone was far more beautiful. Some things you should know before booking... 1. Your bridal party can get ready on-site, which is super convenient; guys don't have much room to get ready on-site. We had a large group (13 in total) and had to start at 6:45 AM! Tracy, Ciccone's wedding coordinator, was wonderful and walked us through the entire process. 2. Read your contract carefully. As soon as you get over 120 guests, you will pay more money for the site. Guests can park on-site, but once you get over 120 people, you must arrange for shuttle transportation, which is a significant expense. At 120 you also must purchase an additional $500 in wine (not a problem, though--they have some excellent options!). 128 is the maximum guest capacity for the barn, so at that point, you must get a tent for dinner, which is another expense. We had 116 guests, and the space felt just right. 3. Ciccone is also strict about which vendors they allow on the property. We had originally wanted a different caterer, but he was not on the approved list. We had to go with a different caterer (Grandview Catering), which worked just fine, but this is something to keep in mind. 4. Leelanau County requires weddings to end at 10:00 PM, no exceptions. We worked around this by starting our ceremony earlier, at 3:30. It can be quite warm at this time, and many of us got a little sunburned, so be sure to apply sunscreen before heading out for pictures! This also meant that the bridal party had to be ready for pictures at 1:30. If you get married in June-July, it will just be starting to get dark when the reception ends. Super pretty! 5. You must bring in your own toilets. We used Houdeks, and Ciccone required that they be a slightly higher-end model...we had to do the princess ones. Again, no regrets in choosing Ciccone! The price is comparable to other venues in the area, and we didn't find any other spot that offered both vineyard and bay views. I would choose this spot again in a heartbeat!

did not have HALF of the personality of these two). Tracy was extremely helpful throughout our months of planning and very flexible when it came to meeting with us and answering all of our questions. On the big day, Tracy was on the ball and everything went smoothly. No drama, no mishaps, it was perfect! Our guests would NOT stop talking about the beauty of the winery; it was simply gorgeous. Thank you, thank you for being so wonderful!!

s all the work, and the view of the bay from the barn is also lovely. It's awe-inspiring and unrivaled in the Traverse City area. Ciccone was very helpful throughout the planning process - Tracy, their newest event person, was fabulous and the perfect "day-of coordinator" (a great aspect is that when you book the venue you automatically get a Ciccone staff member who helps with everything the day of - something that could cost upwards of 1k if you were bringing in an outside wedding coordinator). She made sure everything went smoothly with set up the day before and on the day of, and answered our many questions with ease. It made everything MUCH less stressful. We got married on a Monday, which is a reduced rate, to save money - and they never treated us any different, the service was always 5 stars. A few things to be aware of: You have to use/buy their wine (which is good but on the expensive side), but you can bring in beer/alcohol too. They also have a list of pre-approved caterers - anyone not on the list has to go through an application process. We tried this with a family friend who caters and they denied him - it was a headache and we ultimately had to go with someone pre-approved (who was great- and I've heard good things about the other caterers as well). Just make sure to read the contract carefully before booking the venue - we never had any real problems, but there are a few specific rules like this to make sure you're OK with before booking here. Every detail - from the bridal get-ready suite, to the personalized Ciccone wine glasses we ordered through them for favors, to breaking down the decorations the next day - was handled professionally and with care. It's such an amazing venue - truly a dream and we thank them for making our day one-of-a-kind.

exible, and very hardworking. Everything went smoothly the day of in large part to Monica's organization and vendor connections. If you choose Ciccone, I recommend using their suggested vendor list as it made organizing so much easier when the vendors already knew the property and staff. Overall so happy with Ciccone and will be back for anniversary wine tasting trips!

and learning about all Ciccone had to offer this was the only place for us. Being an "out of state" couple we were worried about planning the wedding without a planner but it was not an issue because Sarah helped us through it all, the planning, the vendors, layouts, everything... Ciccone was so accommodating for our every need, when it looked like rain the day before they were there to help secure a tent just in case :) We were allowed to come in the day before to set up and were able to come back the day after to tear down which was amazing because it allowed my family to truly be able to enjoy the day! Its been 6 months now and we still have people telling us that it was the best wedding they have ever been to...The Views were breathtaking and i have the most incredible wedding photos to remember the day forever. We would reccommend Ciccone to Everyone, the venue and staff were amazing!!! -The Flynns

If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. It was perfect.

ch helped tremendously considering we were planning the wedding from Texas. Sarah at Ciccone was there every step of the way all the way through the big day. If you are looking at the TC/Suttons Bay area of Michigan you can't go wrong with this venue. GORGEOUS! Erin & Thomas July 26, 2014

ect location and the best day of my life. The views here are absolutely breathtaking!

rovides a beautiful, rustic setting. Working with Marcale, the wedding coordinator, was very easy and she was very flexible and prepared. I actually forgot to order enough tables for our catering and we were able to add a table the day of the wedding, about one hour before the ceremony started, with no problems. Marcale also ensured that any other problems that crop up are solved as quickly as possible without the bride or groom even being aware of them. The staff that sets up the barn and ceremony site are also very flexible and a pleasure to work with. Our guests loved the vineyard, with both the views of the bay and a view of a hilly vineyard in the back. We were also treated to a beautiful sunset, which many of our guests stepped outside to enjoy. I definitely recommend the venue, and I know my husband and I will be stopping to visit, get in some wine tasting and take in the view when we are in town again.

n. The barn sits on top of a hill and over looks Lake Michigan. It’s surrounded by rolling hills that go for miles! The natural beauty of the vineyard doesn’t require you to have much decorating. The staff at Ciccone's was so wonderful! Marcale, their coordinator was so friendly and genuine! She gave us tips on how to save with flowers etc. She's on top of everything! How we wanted our tables set up and ceremony, where the DJ would set up and food tables. They had everything set up for our rehearsal and were extremely accommodating! They even let us jump on the trampoline for some pictures! Oh my, the pictures! The landscape is marvelous for pictures! You can't go wrong with this venue! The wine was good, the barn is gorgeous inside and out! Refinished wood floor, white lights all over, the windows open around the entire barn, and overlook Sutton’s bay! It is pure beauty in the purest form! All natural! They have a room inside the tasting room for the bride and bridesmaids to get ready, with fridge available and counter space for food. The setting just makes everything feel so romantic, calming, and so magical!

ld eat, mingle, and walk around the vineyard. The reception was in the barn, which sounds bad, but the floors are nice hardwood, the poles are wrapped in white lights, and the sun shines in through the slits of the wood walls. The wedding coordinator was very helpful and sweet, as was the owner (Madonna's dad). He made a great addition to the wedding. Personally, I like the wine at Ciccone (and I am a bit of a wine snob). It's not highly rated on Google, which I don't understand. The reds are nice and dry, and I'm not one for sweet whites but those are good too. Last, but certainly not least, the photos were GORGEOUS!