The Downtown Market was an absolutely stunning venue. Granted we only had our ceremony there. We really didn’t have to decorate at all. Which was a big weight off of us. Doing photos there was absolutely beautiful, even in the frigid winter.... We had about 170 people, with about 20 of those in the wedding party and were able to set up the room in a traditional aisle format comfortably, but not much extra room. They do offer a different layout for larger groups, however. The sound system worked well and we had the officiant mic’d up without any issues and played the music we wanted from a phone for an interlude, our entrance, and exit. We also had a handheld mic for reading our vows, it all worked perfectly!
The Downtown Market is a public building, which is a pro/con depending on how you look at things. It was nice being able to grab a drink at Slow’s and food in the market, but that also means there’s plenty of random people around. Didn’t bother us, but something to keep in mind. The actual ceremony itself was private and closed to the public, so you don’t have to worry abut them dropping in on the ceremony. We had to direct guests up stairs as it wasn’t immediately clear where to go, but that wasn’t a big issue. Parking is free for the first half hour, but otherwise a small fee. We advised guests to carpool to mitigate this, especially if your big day happens to be a big one at the market and parking is particularly limited. This also makes it easy to visit whenever you want before/after and a place to go back and visit in the years to come.
Unfortunately, our original coordinator left for another job in between booking everything and the big day. So, there was a definite disconnect with the new coordinator. There was no one to meet the bridal party in the morning when they arrived to finish getting ready, nor any contact until about a half an hour before they arrived in the weeks leading up to the event. Because of this, she was trying to “coordinate” the ceremony without any idea of how it was supposed to go. Whereas the wedding party knew what they were supposed to do, we went to rehearsal. This wasn’t a big issue, we pushed through it. But it made my entrance with my mother come with a stern face as I prevented her from forcing us to enter before the officiant called the room to order and made opening remarks. She was also dressed very casually, not an issue she’s not in photos, but if you’re going to represent the downtown market for a formal wedding, business casual is at least appropriate.
I don’t want to give the impression that any of this ruined our day in the slightest. Just little frustrations. Since this coordinator was new, and we may have been her first wedding since starting it’s understandable and I’m sure she’ll improve. The venue is otherwise regardless very beautiful and a superb place for a ceremony (probably a reception, too, if you can afford it). We’d recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful place to get married!