I'm pretty sure we had the most perfect wedding and it was in large part because we chose The Gem Theatre for our December wedding. The Gem has everything you need at a very affordable price. I was shocked when I received the quote, as original...ly, we were going to try and do everything ourselves because we thought that move was less expensive. Let me tell you. It's not. I can't say enough great things about the Gem. See below for my long-winded explanation, but I really wanted to get this out there.
First, when you book The Gem, you book the ENTIRE venue, not just one room. For a winter wedding, this was perfect. We did not have to share our space with any other weddings. We were also able to have some separation between events. We had our ceremony on stage, moved downstairs for dinner (a larger space that accommodates more people), and then use the upstairs for private family photos. This was perfect for us. Also, the guests liked that they didn't have to drive anywhere. This made it very easy for them. Speaking of easy and driving... for a downtown Detroit venue, they have a parking garage that guests can use with complimentary parking. Another plus!
Not only was the space and layout perfect for us, but it was SO BEAUTIFUL (and unique)! You can get away with minimal decor. You don't need it! The place is just stunning. I can't say enough about it and our guests are still talking about that. The staff was also amazing and so professional. We even met one of the head waiters at our tasting. He has been there for many years (I want to say almost 20!) and to us, that spoke volumes as that must mean that he does a great job, and The Gem must do a great job at keeping their staff happy (it shows!). They also provide a day of coordinator that you work with from before you book until after your wedding. I didn't think I would need somebody like that, but man am I happy they were there. They literally ran the show so I could just enjoy my wedding. Things go wrong on your wedding day, and I didn't even notice. It wasn't my problem, they just took care of it. From uninvited guests showing up, to our polaroid guest book not working, they handled it no problem. And after our wedding ended, everything from dinner was already packed up and ready to go, and we had very minimal clean up to do. Wow. Just wow. Did I mention that this IS ALL INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?! I still can't get over it.
So the venue is perfect. The staff is outstanding. What about the food? Wow. That's great too! We had tons of appetizers, an outstanding meal, a champagne toast, midnight snacks, and an open bar for a very affordable price.
You probably will get sticker shock at first and come to find out, weddings get expensive. But besides your photographer and florist, this will be the only other thing you need to book. And I promise you won't regret it. People are STILL talking about how perfect our wedding was. Thanks, Gem Theatre for making it that way!!