Grand Rapids Downtown Market

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!

d hot. All in all, I highly recommend for an amazing experience that will awe your guests!

hey book up incredibly fast. Their event coordinators were very friendly and easy to get in touch with. The tables, chairs and linens were exactly where we had discussed in meetings. The only negative I can say about the market is you are limited on food vendors (they have 4 exclusive vendors that you have to choose from within the market, however, Vault Catering was delicious!) All of our guests were blown away by the vibe and views of Downtown Market. There isn`t a venue that is even comparable to this one on the West side of the state!!

g. We fell in love with the natural light and outdoor space, but we still are getting compliments about how cool, unique, and modern the venue was for a wedding reception. The DTM team was incredibly easy to work with too, such a pleasure!

se to have our wedding at the market!

d wedding. The only reason I gave 4 stars was because I was not super happy with the communication between the events team. It seemed like they didn't communicate with each other, which at times was frustrating.

ing day was perfect!

we were planning. The one thing that I wished for is that we could choose from a larger caterer list--we had trouble picking one from the list provided, but everything worked out well.

uestions (I had a lot), however, our account changed hands at some point and that wasn't communicated so as the day got closer, I was passed around a bit. The beverage manager was fantastic. She was very patient and accommodating and even had drinks waiting for us at the head table when we arrived! Overall, this venue is one of the best options downtown, you can't go wrong!

und to 3 different event coordinators. Each time it seemed like the old coordinators hadn't given any of our information to our new coordinator and in two cases we were emailed information meant for another wedding. For the bar tab, we set a maximum price with an open bar and the bar coordinator assured us that for our size wedding it would be more than enough and the bartenders would stop serving if we were close to the maximum we had set. Yet, we still received a bill for over the price we had agreed upon. In the end, our day ended up running flawlessly and everyone on the day of was great but I do wish they would have been more communicative throughout the planning process.

indows fit our modern rustic theme perfectly. All the staff was incredibly attentive and timely in their communication throughout the night and the process of planning the wedding itself. They were receptive to our ideas and willing to help with whatever we needed. We had the most incredible wedding ever, and a huge part of that is thanks to the Market and its staff.

m with tons of windows and hardwood floors, balcony for cocktail hour use. There were 3 different coordinators since we booked and the main one we worked with left a few weeks before our wedding. Not ideal but we made it work. All were very nice. this is a very no frills place you have to do everything from run your own dress rehearsal to make the hooks to hang things on the walls. They do not even provide table number stands. The coordinator left right after the ceremony so our caterer was basically managing the venue Overall would do it again because it was so beautiful just wish they would provide a little more support.

part about using Downtown Market for our event (or any event!) is how seamlessly integrated the vendors are within the Market. We had Slow's cater our dinner and Love's brought an ice cream cart up for dessert, both of which were excellent. The bar is managed through DM with plenty of options, and bar manager Katie made coordination of that very easy. Since all of the vendors are located in the same building, Chantell was easily able to ensure we were all on the same page - this was a huge time and stress saver! The Market also supplied a sound cart with a speaker, microphone, and iPad for music which was perfect for our needs. All of this was a bonus on top of what sold us on the Downtown Market in the first place - the beautiful and unique greenhouse venue. With the floor-to-ceiling windows, downtown GR views, private outdoor terrace for socializing, awesome ambiance created by strung lights at dusk, and the beautiful plants and flowers throughout the room, the Downtown Market greenhouse definitely surpassed our expectations and made an impression on our guests!

rist, etc. to ensure everyone knew what to do and where to go. We really appreciated that the DM used local Grand Rapids products whenever possible. We decided to have our cocktail hour in the greenhouse space after they added air conditioning to that room this past summer. However, our guests reported that it was still quite warm in the greenhouse, so many people chose to enjoy their drinks and appetizers in the atrium. The banquet room at DM is absolutely stunning--great view of the city and the terrace offered a great place for guests to get fresh air and play some lawn games for those not interested in dancing. One concern we had when deciding to book the space was parking; however, we did not find this to be a problem. Street parking is free on weekends and our guests did not mention any difficulties. We did get a few parking vouchers for relatives to park in the DM lot so they did not have to pay. Our room rental did not begin until 3 PM, which meant that we had to send a few relatives over to the DM before our ceremony to set up decorations. This didn't prove to be terribly difficult as we had very little decor (the space itself is so pretty, we felt like any decor would have looks chinsy).

terrace (which was so much fun!), had our First Look in the Greenhouse earlier in the day, and used the projector screens near the bar for a photo slideshow that played through the night, with the exception of during our first dance. While our song played ("Harvest Moon" by Neil Young), we had a time lapse of the moon rising behind us while we danced. It was magical. Our event coordinators--Emily and Sarah--were wonderful and helped everything run super smoothly. Working with them was lovely and it was clear that they were pros. All my pre-wedding emails (and I admit, I sent quite a few of them) were responded to quickly and professionally. Our bar services were also through Downtown Market and as all our crazy pictures show, our guests sure did love the open bar. :P This venue is the perfect mix of nature and city. You're right in Downtown, but the location is filled with sunlight, greenery, gorgeous hardwoods, and modern finishes. We would absolutely recommend Downtown Market as a wedding venue.

was more than accommodating and was in contact with me and helpful every step of the way. She responded to all of my emails within minutes and I couldn't believe her attention to detail, she made the wedding planning process for us. The Grand Rapids Downtown Market was spectacular and I would recommended it for anyone getting married or hosting an event.