$4,850 starting price
151-200 guest capacity
This venue can host up to 200 guests
About this vendor
Modern Greenhouse Wedding and Reception Spaces
The Grand Rapids Downtown Market is a vibrant, award-winning venue with a suite of stunning spaces sure to have your guests talking about your big day for years to come. Surround yourself with friends, family, and foliage in our lush Greenhouse or Garden Room that are both expertly climate-controlled with year-round A/C. Or, say “I do” with a view of the downtown Grand Rapids cityscape as seen from our elegant Banquet Room. Hosting a smaller party? The Streetside Room offers an industrial setting for intimate groups with seasonal access to a private patio, looking out onto Ionia Avenue, with great natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows.
Whether you’re entertaining a group of 30, or throwing a large event for up to 180, the Downtown Market events team will pull out all the stops to make sure your wedding is memorable, easy to plan, and executed perfectly. We are committed to helping you create an extra special occasion by offering a range of services included in our rental pricing, from adjustable floor plans with included tables and chairs, to custom timeline and a dedicated Venue Coordinator! The Venue Coordinator will assist you with the details leading up to your event, and ensures one of our team members is present the day of your event helping to coordinate with you and your vendors. There is a whole list of other services you can choose to add-on as well!
Pricing details
Starting prices
Reception:
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Ceremony:
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Bar services:
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Catering:
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Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Liability Insurance
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Guest Capacity
- Up to 200
Settings
- Ballroom
- Garden
- Rooftop
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Cakes & Desserts
- Food & Catering
- Rentals & Equipment
Awards and Affiliations
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.4
out of 5.051 reviews
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
The Downtown Market is described as a dreamy wedding venue with stunning greenery and string lights creating a romantic atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the beautiful greenhouse, accommodating staff like Katie C. and Alex W., and the abundance of space for guests and activities. The venue is praised for providing a seamless experience despite rainy weather, offering convenient packages, and coordinating well with vendors. Despite some cost considerations and limited hours in the greenhouse, the venue receives high recommendations for its beauty and helpful staff.Review photos
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We got married on 9/21/24 at the Downtown Market.
The space itself is stunning. The greenhouse and garden room look like they're out of a fairytale and the banquet hall is great for a large reception, especially with the access to the outdoor terrace. I found the consumption-based bar package to be very reasonable and was a great option for a large reception when we had a lot of variation in how much our guests drank.
However, I think it's misleading to categorize it as an affordable venue. There was a lot of nickle-and-diming: a mic for the officiant, a room to put bags in, security for the event, etc, is all extra money. They also have it set up where they can host two weddings on the same evening (maybe a good practice to squeeze the most money of the space as possible, but horrible for the client). If you using the Greenhouse, you either get the space from 12-4pm or from 5pm-1am. Neither make for amazing timelines, because you're either pressed for time on a reasonable end time (we had a 3-3:45 ceremony and were rushed out at the end), or you have a ceremony that starts at 6 with only an hour for your vendors to set up. It just felt very obvious they want to make the most money possible, not what's best/makes the most sense for a couple. In order to have a timeline that made sense to us, we had to rent the greenhouse AND banquet hall, which was close to 8k. Not what I would call "affordable."
We were planning the wedding from out-of-state and when we visited GR to tour the space (after we already booked it), the venue coordinator we had been interacting with didn't show for our meeting with no explanation or apology. A secondary coordinator gave us a tour, but we had to have so many of the same conversations about details we had already settled on. Then a few months later, the woman who gave us a tour was assigned as our lead venue coordinator and set up a virtual meeting. She forgot she had already met us and asked all the same questions again. It was such a waste of time and felt like they had no personal connection or investment in our wedding.
Overall, my experience with Downtown Market was mediocre, mostly due to feeling like everything came down to a business transaction. Perhaps that's just the norm in the industry these days, but I had several other vendors who I felt were invested in making the wedding/planning a special experience, whereas the market felt like they just wanted my money. The customer service is not remotely close to the level you are paying for.
Wedding coordinator was largely unresponsive. They were supposed to reach out 6 month prior to the event, but did not contact us until about 4 months out, and only after we followed up 3+ times. The event recap email (which is largely the only thing they do to actually coordinate) was missing pertinent information, and the schedule was wrong even though we had provided an incredibly detailed outline. On the rehearsal and wedding day, she did not even introduce herself to us, just opened the space and disappeared. On the day of the wedding it was raining - we had never been told that the roof has a chance of leaking when it rains. While we are understanding the venue is a greenhouse, it would have been nice to be approached about the issue, or notified that it was a possibility - our coordinator largely avoided us and did not address it until we sought her out. Additionally, the staff placed tables and chairs directly in the path of the leaks - my family and wedding party had to rearrange the entire ceremony room on their own. Finally, the room was not even set up on time - we were guaranteed access to the venue at 5pm, but the rehearsal space was not completed with set up. My family and friends had to help complete the set up of chairs and moving the tables.
Overall, the space was a beautiful setting for the wedding, but the venue coordination was poor and far below standard for the rate you pay. Our bartenders were the only staff that went above and beyond (they even escorted out paste crashers).
I mean one word...Dreamy.
We hired this venue without seeing it in person, as we live on mackinac island. They did video calls and had thorough communication.
They communicated with our vendors and ensured a smooth flow of day. The day before the wedding we did a rehearsal and did a tour of the place. First time seeing it in person and it was even more magical than we thought! We booked a conference room which helped us be able to drop off decor in the morning before we got ready. The conference room was also great as the wedding party had a place to sit while everyone was arriving. We had a spread of food and a ton of boxes. It was a perfect addition and we were all glad we did this.
The flow from the ceremony to the reception was nice and easy for guests. We got the succulent favors. They were healthy.
It was overall genuinely a perfect venue for us and the team at downtown market were extremely helpful in making our perfect day happen.
Any questions?
Gorgeous venue for our wedding! We got so many compliments! We did “the best of both” package for our wedding so had the ceremony in the greenhouse and the reception in the reception space across the hall! They don’t let you get access until noon to start setting up which was a bit hard for the stuff I was providing, but Sarah at the downtown market is a rockstar and worked so hard to make sure I could bring some of the decor the day before and leave in a locked area to make my wedding day run more smoothly!! You are required to use certain catering with this venue. I have heard in the past it had to be a vendor in the market itself but thank goodness they now allow you to use The Catering Company who were wonderful to work with. Some of the catering options in the market itself were absolutely horrible with communication so now that you can use the catering company that helps although slightly more expensive than the vendors in the market. Overall it was a beautiful venue and would highly recommend!
We had our wedding ceremony and reception in the greenhouse room of the Downtown Market in October, 2023 and it was seriously stunning! Minimal decor was needed because the place already looks amazing with all the greenery and string lights — one of our guests said they felt like they were “eating dinner in a jungle under the stars” and I thought that was truly an accurate description of the vibe. Just a super romantic space! Also, Sarah and Katie were great and so easy to work with, and the DT Market bartender did a great job! Truly can’t say enough good things about this venue for this time of year! It rained on our wedding day but none of it mattered because we had this as our venue!
We absolutely loved this venue for our wedding in October 2023! It was gorgeous and since it rained the whole day, it was amazing that we didn't have to worry about a thing because it's all inside / enclosed but you still get that outside feel with the greenhouse and all of the amazing windows! It's the perfect solution to wanting an outdoor wedding but not wanting to worry about the weather. You don't have to decorate the greenhouse at all—it comes perfect with its foliage and natural beauty. The photos turned out so beautifully and the staff was amazing to work with too! Highly recommend!
Response from the Vendor on 11/16/2023
Thank you for the kind words! We are so happy that your day turned out as beautifully as you had hoped. We wish you, and your husband, all the best!
The downtown market initially was a really great choice for us, but the additional fees quickly added up. When booking WAY ahead of your wedding date, it is easy to forget small costs that will add up, and this venue definitely uses that to their advantage. Before booking be aware that: you can only choose between 6 catering options (these options quickly fill up so don’t book venue without catering pretty close to being locked in), you have to go through the DTM for drink packages (also very pricey), if you want a guaranteed place for your guests to park you have to PAY for it (they tripled their parking voucher rates after we signed the contract), staffing fees that aren’t clearly listed in the contract, and they will NOT give you ample time to decorate the venue. This last one caused us the most issues and is 100% a money grab. They made it clear to us that the venue was NOT being used earlier in the day and would not let us decorate until 2 hours before the reception started (while we were getting married) UNLESS we wanted to pay an additional fee to have extended access to the venue (most venues let you in the day/night before or the morning of). This caused us a lot of stress trying to find a day planner or another group of people to decorate for us… again - they made it so clear the room was open and available to rent, they just wanted more money for it. I did not run into this issue at any other venue we were looking at, and almost everyone I spoke to was appalled to hear about this, so definitely beware of that. With all the money grab things out of the way, this venue is definitely lovely and picture perfect! The city is a gorgeous back drop and the catering company we worked with was perfect (tacos el Cuñado). The catering company definitely helped make our experience great and the food was fantastic! We worked with Sarah at the Downtown Market and she did a wonderful job responding to any and all of our questions and making our day flow seamlessly. This is a nice venue for a wedding, but beware that the venue cost will be about double (maybe even triple) of what is advertised.
Response from the Vendor on 10/28/2023
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on your experience at the Downtown Market. We appreciate your honest review and are sorry to hear that you encountered some challenges with additional fees and the decorating time frame. We did ...
have a wedding the night before, so our team was flipping and cleaning the spaces that morning before your access time so that your space was perfect when you gained access. We apologize this process wasn't explained more clearly.
We appreciate your kind words about Sarah and our catering partner, Tacos el Cuñado. We're delighted to hear that your experience with them was excellent.
Your feedback is valuable to us, and we will use it to improve our services and address any concerns to provide a better experience for future clients. We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced and thank you for choosing the Downtown Market for your wedding. We hope your special day was memorable and wish you all the best in your future together.
We LOVED this venue. It was absolutely gorgeous and had everything we needed. The staff are so helpful, accommodating, and organized. It is expensive but for us it was worth the cost.
Response from the Vendor on 08/05/2023
Hi Becca! Thank you so much for the kind words! It was lovely working with you! :)
Katie C. and Alex W. were a dream to work with! They are very organized and communicative. I started planning my October 2022 wedding in January 2021 and I felt supported every step of the way. I hired a wedding planner that was familiar with GRDM and everything went smoothly. I was planning my wedding three states away and I knew that Katie and her team would pull through with all the bells and whistles! I had a BUNCH of questions since I'm not from the area, but everyone responded quickly and thoroughly. The place is clean with lots of space to accommodate your guests. Parking onsite and nearby hotels were a plus. I also liked all of the catering and bar packages they offered. My ceremony was in the Greenhouse and my reception was in the Banquet hall. The food was simply amazing and everyone had a TON of fun. They were very honest about their policies and prices, which was a great benefit for my husband and me. Thank you Katie and Alex for all your hard work!
Had an incredible experience hosting our wedding ceremony and reception. Staff is super helpful, and you don't have to do much decorating given how beautiful the greenhouse is already. Photos turned out amazing here.
We had our wedding ceremony and reception at Downtown Market in September 2022. It was the most beautiful space and our guests still talk about it! We were in the greenhouse for the ceremony and reception. They had portable air ducts that kept it cool and I did not hear of any people complaining of being warm, there were actually a few people seated near the air ducts who were on the colder side. We had a cocktail hour on the terrace which was absolutely beautiful. When it got dark, the greenhouse was so dreamy with bistro lighting strung above. I will echo other reviews that the time constraints can be stressful-we did not have access to the greenhouse until 5pm and had a 5:30pm ceremony. This would absolutely NOT have been possible for setup without paying our florist extra money to setup and a day of coordinator to keep things moving. Same goes for "flipping" the space between the ceremony and reception, we absolutely needed the hired outside help of the florist and day of coordinators. Everything went extremely smoothly thanks to them and I didn't have to worry about a thing, but I would not recommend booking this venue without a day of coordinator, which requires additional money. I also agree with others on communication, we went through a total of 4 event coordinators at DM between booking and wedding date (1 year). The turnover was troublesome and stressful having to review our preferences, and the most recent event coordinator at DM started 2 weeks before our wedding. Our external day of coordinator swooped in and communicated with them, but I definitely would have been stressed without them reaching out on my behalf that close to our wedding. Going along with that, we had some issues with the bar service that I believe are the result of their staff turnover and things slipping through the cracks. We had special requests for drinks and it was included on every email from DM, but were not present at the bar on the day of. We did reach out to them afterwards to address the bar situation and they tried to make it right as best as they could. Overall, I still recommend DM for a wedding venue due to the unique and gorgeous space, but 1000% recommend hiring outside help to assist with setup and timeline as I do not think I would have had a positive experience without them.
We are so glad that we went with this location for our wedding. The greenhouse was a stunning location for the ceremony and photos, and the banquet room was perfect for our reception. Our guests loved the yard games we brought for the patio.
We had our wedding here on October 1, 2022. We booked this venue back during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and I'm so glad we were able to book early. This venue is absolutely breathtaking but will take some time to get all of the coordination and planning into place. We worked with Alex and she was quick to respond, super knowledgeable and happy to meet/do walk-through's of the space whenever we requested. We had a smaller wedding of ~80 guests and had our ceremony in the garden room followed by a reception in the greenhouse space. Our guests are STILL talking about how stunning the venue was and were in complete awe of the ambiance. We had one of the in-house caterer's JuJu Bird and the spread was remarkable. They kept the food coming and no one was left hungry. The ceremony space was a little warm during set up but we got it quickly cooled down before starting anything. This venue will ring up cost quickly so be sure to budget for your day before consideration, but it was honestly worth every penny to us. The only downside was the parking, we had requested 50 parking tickets to offer guests but they weren't available for the day which ended in a long process for guests to leave but it ended up getting sorted out by Alex. They are happy to accommodate and have awesome vendor recommendations. We got our DJ, Videographer, Coordinator recommendation from them and they did not disappoint! Our pictures turned out better than we could have expected, definitely consider them for your big day!
I would not recommend anyone to have their wedding at the Down Town Market.
My husband and I started planning our wedding in July 2020, and we had to postpone our wedding once due to Covid (The DTM was great at helping us postpone- no problems there).
The problems began when we actually started reaching out to them with questions, to work on a timeline, and coordinate virtual meetings with staff (my husband and I live out of the country). Emails would go unanswered for weeks, we had over 4 points of contact, two of whom quit within a 6 month time period (huge red flag), and one staff member who was rude and hard to work with.
We began to get very nervous about our relationship with the staff at DTM and ended up hiring a day of coordinator who had worked there before and who began to work with us and communicate to them on our behalf. I think this is key if you want to have a wedding at the DTM.
As a recent bride, here are a few red flags you should know about before booking with them:
1. set up time, most venues let you get ready and set up starting from the morning of your wedding, at the DTM you don't have access to the venue until 4 pm for a 5pm ceremony (we ended up paying for extra time so vendors could arrive at 3pm) . If you are doing a DIY wedding, that means you need someone to set up for you because you will likely be taking photos/ getting ready.
2. Added prices- Alcohol prices are way more expensive than average alcohol prices for the state of Michigan. The DTM does not give you parking (which means your guests have to pay for parking unless you do so for them). The chairs are plastic white conference chairs, it is likely that you will need to rent new chairs for your dinner. Bottom line- a wedding at the DTM becomes very expensive quickly.
3. They are not easy to work with, and it is likely you will have to hire a day of coordinator to help support you.
4. Communication- Two days before the wedding the DTM sent a wildly incorrect timeline (our first draft from 2021) to all of our vendors without double checking with our coordinator or myself before doing so. Our coordinator had to scramble to correct their mistake. As mentioned before, emails would go weeks without a response until we hired a coordinator.
5. This is a business transaction for them. They lack the acknowledgement and empathy of knowing that this is a wedding for their clients. During our final dance (which was well before midnight and we had the venue until 1 am), they sent in the cleaning crew to start tearing things down. So while we were trying to have one last romantic moment to ourselves we hear chairs being collapsed and dropped to the ground.
Positives:
- The greenhouse is beautiful. It is whimsical picturesque and our photos look gorgeous.
- The DTM did a good job or making sure the greenhouse was a reasonable temperature throughout the day.
- Alex was our final point of contact (a week before our wedding). She was super helpful.
Our wedding at the DTM was an absolute dream. We had the “best of both worlds” package, which allowed us to utilize both the greenhouse space & banquet room. The hours in the greenhouse were quite limited. But we were able to make it work & the entire day was just lovely. Big shout out to Alex & the entire DTM team! They were all such a big help throughout the planning process. Highly, highly recommend! (You’ll thank me later once you see your photos!)
We booked this venue mainly because of it's beauty, and it really lived up to our expectations in that regard. However, be prepared to sacrifice a lot along the way. This venue will nickel and dime you for everything once you've booked with them, down to a room to store bags and purses. They charged us $250 to access the space 30 minutes earlier even though there were no other events in the space that day. Their reservation windows are very limited, adding an extreme level of stress to whoever is helping you set up your space. We had to beg to adjust our reservation window to allow us to start accessing the space starting at 4pm, when guests start arriving at 5pm, giving our set up team only 1 hour to decorate for an entire wedding. That's where we had to pay the additional fee to give them just a small amount of extra time. I'm just not sure how all these couples are having their weddings here and not being forced to eat dinner at 9pm given how late this venue has you accessing the space. They also require you to choose one of their limited caterers (none of which we were excited about) and require all your vendors to be licensed. It all adds up. I will say that the staff are very nice and responsive, but this venue is so strict and restrictive and unforgiving in what it will allow you to do that I'm not sure I would recommend anyone to book with them (unless you have a large budget and a wedding planner taking on all this stress for you). I bet our pictures will look great though!
This venue was amazing!! The greenhouse is such an incredible vibe to have the ceremony in. For our pictures, we hardly knew where to go because there were so many great spots inside and outside. The reception area is also great because it has a balcony, so any people who need a break from the noise can easily step outside for a moment without going far. Overall awesome venue.
We had our wedding at the DTM and worked with Madison! She is so incredibly kind and accommodating and made sure we were all set and prepared for the wedding day. The wedding was so beautiful and I can’t say enough good things about the market! Everyone talked all night about how beautiful the wedding and greenhouse was! 12/10 recommend!
Incredible location, great folks to work with, and a space that will make you cry happy tears on your wedding day!
Seriously, the view from the head table is so stunning, on a clear night you can see the sunset over all your guests. The greenery is incredible, and lights/setup are just awesome.
The fact that they coordinate well with so many vendors makes it a breeze too. Planning was so easy with their support! I can’t recommend downtown market enough.
I can’t say enough good things about this venue. It was the perfect venue for our wedding. We had a small intimate wedding at night time. But you could easily go big if you please. There is more than enough room for dancing and tables. The venue itself is gorgeous and we couldn’t ask for more helpful and accommodating staff. If we could do it all over we wouldn’t change a thing!
I helped a friend plan her wedding at The Downtown Marketplace. Alex, Katie and all the staff were so easy to work with. They were professional, took changes in stride and were quickly responsive whenever we needed them, and most importantly, always upbeat and excited for the event. It was a warm early September day and we were able to keep the room cool and comfortable. The ceremony didn’t start until 5:30, which helped. The space is so beautiful, didn’t require much decorating. We had Love’s Ice Cream cart for the dessert instead of cake. So delicious and everyone loved it. Bar tending staff did a really nice job Juju did a buffet for the food. Flavors were good, presentation was just ok. Highly recommend
So happy I chose this venue. I couldn’t have asked for more. Even when it started to rain, they quickly loved my guests inside without charge. Would recommend over and over again!!! Thanks to Alex for being awesome for my big day
I highly recommend Katie and Madison and the Downtown Market for your wedding! We had plans to have our ceremony in the greenhouse and reception in the hall but with changing of plans due to Covid, were we’re unable to make this happen. Everyone came together to get Om our guests accommodated to the Terrace - and then it was calling for rain! The Shed outside ended up being so beyond perfect and changing plans multiple times was surprisingly easy, because of the wonderful staff. They are awesome, the venue is beautiful and you will not be disappointed!
Grand Rapids Downtown Market did a phenomenal job with our wedding! They are fair in pricing, super friendly, responsive, flexible, and helpful. The venue was BEAUTIFUL. Between the twinkle lights, the plants, and the elegant set up, the wedding was everything we could wish for. Amazing customer service, great price, and delicious food - they have everything you need and want in a wedding! Highly recommend! Our family and friends still talk about this being the most beautiful wedding they've been to.
I had my wedding ceremony & reception in the greenhouse and banquet room in November. The communication was very transparent and timely throughout the entire 12 month planning process. Madison was a dream to work with - she was always very responsive to my various questions. The pictures were absolutely beautiful. It was great to have the downstairs market available for my out-of-town guests to have an activity between the ceremony and reception. Great experience.
My husband and I walked into the greenhouse when viewing venues for our wedding and we knew it was the one right away. The space is gorgeous, but the Events Team at the Market is the real star here. Kimberly, Katie, and Madison made the planning process so incredibly easy, I don't think our wedding would have been such a success without them. The team and process the Market has in place is great for any bride that isn't trying to do every little thing herself. I couldn't recommend this venue more for a wedding.
We had our wedding ceremony only at the Downtown Market Greenhouse on June 21, 2019. This venue is stunning! The greenery in the spring and summer is in full bloom, which meant that I did literally no decorating of my own in this space! No flowers, no sashes, no runners, no nothing, this space shined all on its own which was great. I also loved the circle set up that was offered, it felt very unique and we got tons of compliments on it.
The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly, they answered all of our questions and responded quickly. There were two downsides, we couldn't schedule our rehearsal until very close to the wedding which made it difficult to plan the rehearsal dinner, and the space was very warm. While the do have A/C they cannot turn it up because it will harm the plants. My husband and I don't recall the heat at all on the day of, however our guests said it was a bit toasty, but that comes with the territory of a greenhouse in the summer in the afternoon so it was expected.
Overall I would recommend the greenhouse and a beautiful venue that you don't have to accessorize.
WARNING - The Greenhouse is HOT and quite UNSAFE
After two written assurances that our guests and wedding party would be comfortable in the greenhouse in July, the temperature was anything but comfortable. In fact it was unsafe for human occupancy by the time you factored in humidity. The thermometer in the greenhouse showed 92 degrees, evidence that the AC was very inadequate to keep the room comfortable. It was embarrassing to have to ask our guests to enter such an atmosphere. There is no doubt that the setting is lovely, BUT we were miserable in there. They brought in a couple of large fans which helped move the hot air a bit, but then fan noise made it difficult for some to hear the pastor and the vows.
We questioned them before booking and were told "We do have air conditioning in the greenhouse that works to keep the space comfortable... We have 4 air conditioning units that we pump as much cool air in as possible... We do all we can to maintain a comfortable temp for your guests in the space." It was anything but a comfortable temp.
After booking, and having heard another wedding was too hot, we emailed the market again, their response: "I understand your concerns based on your friend's experience this past weekend. We will do everything we can to keep the room as comfortable for your guests as possible." We are left to wonder what they consider comfortable?
The weather report for Grand Rapids (July 19 and 20, 2019) is "Severe Excessive Heat Warning" and 92 degrees with high humidity and heat indices 100+. Which was exactly what we had for our wedding - inside the Downtown Market! The national weather service calls these temperatures unsafe and dangerous. The Downtown Market calls it "comfortable".
Hands down the most amazing wedding experience we could have hoped for. Everyone at the Downtown Market was INCREDIBLE. They were so professional, kind and accommodating. All of our questions were answered in a timely manner throughout the whole process and they made us feel like family in a way. The venue itself was so beautiful and we got several compliments from people afterward telling us how unique and awesome the Market is. We would highly, highly recommend anyone have their event here. The only other thing worth noting is that we had our ceremony in the greenhouse and our reception in the banquet room. We had a short ceremony and it got a little warm at one point, but we provided hand fans to our guests, which was a huge hit. The banquet hall was incredible though and food catered by Slow's BBQ was top notch. Thank you all!
Extremely humid and warm in the summer months, even with A/C going. Maybe enough space for 100 people but no more than that.
We had a wedding in June 2019 and booked the Greenhouse for the ceremony and Banquet Room for the reception in Sept of 2018. The Market staff was incredibly helpful and responsive to emails or if I wanted to meet in person. The space is incredibly beautiful, it needs almost no decoration. What we loved was giving the guests $5 gift cards to use at the market between the ceremony and the reception!
The Downtown Market couldn’t get any more perfect for a wedding. My husband and I got married in the Greenhouse and it was honestly breathtaking from the moment I walked in. The lighting was perfect, the perks of having the greenery/plants already in there made it very easy for decoration since we didn’t need to do anything. It was a little warm in there but that’s to be expected in a greenhouse. We also had our first look in the gardenroom which I’m very excited to see our pictures and how they turned out!
All of the event staff was very helpful and accommodating through the entire planning which made it very easy for us to plan our wedding without a wedding planner. We had our reception in the banquet room which also turned out perfect.
Having to use all vendors for the food and beverage that were within the market worked out very well and made us not stress about anything since they know the space.
If you are looking for a space for your wedding I would highly recommend checking out the Downtown Market Grand Rapids! This was the first and only venue we looked at for our wedding and it all turned out perfect!
We had our reception and ceremony in the green house in February. Everything was PERFECT. I was nervous about the temperature in the greenhouse being to hot or cold but it was perfect. The whole event team was so hopeful and made the day perfect. Our family kept commenting how beautiful and unique the venue was.
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!
Amazing venue for a modern, classy wedding! Endless backdrops for pictures from the green wall, pallet wall, terrace, and the greenhouse. The staff was very friendly and accomodating. They also have caterers downstairs for food that is fresh and hot. All in all, I highly recommend for an amazing experience that will awe your guests!
My husband and I had our cocktail hour/reception here on September 15, 2018. We looked at this venue in June 2017 and absolutely fell in love. If you want an airy, modern, beautifully lush venue in a prime location - do not wait to book this! They 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!!
Great!
I recently held my wedding reception at the Downtown Market, and it was such a perfect venue for us, would highly recommend! We had cocktail hour in the greenhouse and moved our guests to the banquet space across the hall for dinner and dancing. 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!
We received so many compliments on how unique and beautiful our venue was. We had some minor miscommunications, like our cake not getting cut and served and the ceremony space not getting flipped into seating, but overall we’re very glad we chose to have our wedding at the market!
The venue is beautiful and its great for someone, like me, who isn't a big fan of having to put too much work into making a venue look beautiful. I was very happy with Kandel and she was always on top of everything on the day of my rehearsal and 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.
It rained on my wedding day and the ceremony in the greenhouse was SO romantic! The reception was across the hall and the rain made all of the city lights bounce everywhere! It was gorgeous! Shanna and the DT Market crew were wonderful. My wedding day was perfect!
We loved having our wedding reception at the downtown market. We had our cocktail hour in the green house and dinner in the banquet room. It was a beautiful setting and everyone at the market was very helpful and accommodating along the way as 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.
We looked at a lot of downtown GR venues and the Downtown Market was clearly the best choice for value -- their rental fee was lower and the venue itself is gorgeous. Our original event coordinator was super responsive and answered all of my questions (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!
Don't get me wrong, the venue is picture perfect. I was disappointed in the customer service I received while planning. We booked a wedding and reception in the greenhouse 8 months before our wedding day and in those 8 months we were passed around 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.
My husband and I used the Downtown Market's banquet room for our wedding reception back in June, and it was honestly the best choice we could've made. The room was perfect, just like we knew it would be...the wood accents and floor-to-ceiling windows 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.
The greenhouse for our ceremony was gorgeous. They had told us a year ago that AC would be installed but it wasn't (5/13/17) so a little warm-- definitely check before booking a summer wedding. Reception was across the hall in clean, modern room 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.
We rented the greenhouse for pictures before the ceremony, the space is beautiful.
The Downtown Market greenhouse was the perfect space for our 45 guest rehearsal dinner on October 28th! The event coordinator, Chantell, was great to work with and always had a quick answer for any questions we had. Without a doubt, the best 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!
We used the Downtown Market for our wedding reception only. The staff (especially Chantell LaForest) at Downtown Market were extremely accommodating. She worked closely with all of our other vendors, including DJ, caterer, dessert provider, florist, 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).
Downtown Market was the perfect location for our springtime wedding ceremony and reception. We got married in the Greenhouse and then popped right across the hall to the Banquet Room for our cocktail hour and reception. We had cornhole on the 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.
Exceptional! Greenhouse ceremony in Novemeber in Michigan..need I say more! We had the banquet room with floor to ceiling windows for our reception which is located right across the atrium from the greenhouse. Sarah from the downtown market 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.
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435 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI
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Downtown Market Events Team
Events Director
Our fun, collaborative, and hard-working events team coordinates 70+ wedding celebrations annually, so they know exactly how important your big day is. They will treat you with individuality, respect, and compassion to create unforgettable moments that you will cherish for years to come. Katie, Alex, and Sarah are looking forward to working with you!
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Downtown Market Events Team
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