Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

My husband and I got married here last July and for what we paid, I really expected better. TLDR; if we could redo our wedding, I would not choose here again. The level of professionalism, the amenities, and the overall value for what we paid was not there. During my planning I had 3 different coordinators. I signed the contract with one person, they left and another one came in. I was given first round of resources and options with them and then they left and another person came in. The last person we actually chosen items and planned all of the wedding. During this, pricing and contract stuff was jumbled with minial explanation. Fast forward 10 months and now they are trying to bill me for outstanding bar charges without so much as an email or phone call to notify me. I tried to email my last wedding coordinator and haven't heard back... I bet they dont work there anymore as well. The price of the hotel rooms was really high, and it astounded me breakfast wasn't included. Ended up paying another $20 a person just to eat a basic breakfast buffet. Additionally, the rooms themselves were just okay, I've paid less for nicer rooms at all-inclusive resorts. The rooms and food/drink amenities were just overall underwhelming. As for other amenities golf was stupidly expensive, you literally pay so much just because they are "famous" courses. Don't get me wrong they were beautiful, but I will not be going back because it was overpriced.

My husband and I had our wedding here earlier this month and it was AMAZING! Every little detail came together so seamlessly thanks to Kendra, she's the best! I would highly recommend this place for a wedding venue. Everything was exactly what we hoped for from the tastings to the morning after the wedding. We cannot thank Kendra and Taylor enough for all they did to make our day as special as it was!

According to reviews, this venue has really gone down hill. We got married here in August 2022, and the experience was a disaster. We had about 4 different wedding coordinators from the time we booked until our wedding, and none of them seemed to communicate with each other. They messed up the shuttles for our family, misplaced/took a lot of our wedding stuff that we will never be able to get back, and despite having an open bar, they started charging people at the end of the night. My mother was treated horribly, and despite being one of the first to book a room, they gave her the worst room possible. The hotel itself is in desperate need of repairs and renovations! Their schedule of when bars will be open and closed is also horribly unclear. They also failed to provide the appetizers to our guests despite making us pay for them, and gave some to us (bride and groom) without all the parts of it (pretzels and beer cheese but no cheese, shrimp with no sauce…) Despite sending idea pictures of my cake 5 months before the wedding, they asked for my idea pictures 3 times the wedding weekend, then I received a phone call at 1 pm DAY OF OUR WEDDING that they would be unable to make the cake we asked. What they provided was horrible. Then they gave it back to us at the end of the night melted and completely fallen apart, so we had to throw it away. They also kicked the groom and groomsmen out of the room they were getting ready in the DAY OF OUR WEDDING before our wedding and locked them out with the grooms stuff for the wedding still inside the room. We had already discussed with the many wedding coordinators that they would be getting ready in there and would be checking out after they were ready, so the resort should have been aware. So the groom had to spend an hour fighting with the resort to let him back into the room so he could get his stuff. The coordinator was supposed to set everything up for the reception, my maid of honor and a bridesmaid went to see the progress and saw NOTHING was put together, so them and my sweet florist (indiegrow flowers, she is great!) put everything together. So disappointed because we thought this was a nice resort and it would be a great spot, but they really let us down the weekend of our wedding. I advise people looking to have a wedding in Traverse City to look elsewhere.

The WORST experience with GT. I will NEVER recommend this venue. Sorry for the long read, but I don't want anyone else to have this type of experience for their wedding. From August 2021 to our wedding day of Oct 8, 2022, we had FIVE different wedding coordinators. When we first signed with the venue, they told us not to get a wedding planner as the coordinator would help us through all the planning.. that was the biggest mistake we made. The resort did not communicate any type of staff change throughout those 13 months of planning and we had to plan all details of the wedding ourselves ($45k+ spent, 180 guest wedding). A WEEK before our wedding, coordinator #4 emailed us at 7PM saying she was going to be gone for our wedding but another employee (that we had never met) was going to be there to help us. The amount of stress, confusion, phone calls, emails, and time wasted trying to work with this venue was absolutely insane. Not to mention the room block was a nightmare in itself. We spent hours and hours on the phone with GT as they were telling our guests the room block was "full" when there were 20+ room available in our block (note: we have to pay for every room NOT occupied for the wedding...) and we never had the same person on the phone to figure this out. We ended up having to cross check the room block and names of guests OURSELVES to make sure our rooms were taken. The day of the wedding, the buses for transport for the wedding party to the ceremony were 45 minutes late and in the wrong place to pick up. The bus left us during pictures (when we said to wait for 10 minutes) and the bridal party had to walk back to our suite before the reception. At the reception, the staff did not hand out the hot apps as they said they were going to and also tried to clear the apps before the wedding party had even arrived. They also tried to close the bar early - we did an hourly bar rather than open bar. And, thank GOD we did hourly because they were clearing drinks left and right the second a person set down their glass. ***you have to pay for EVERY SINGLE DRINK they give out if you do an open bar. We also had a couple guests get the wrong food and one of our guests never even got her dinner (even after asking 3 different staff members). We have given this feedback and our frustration to those in charge, and the only amends they provided was giving us the buses for transport for free ($100/hr - we had them for 4 hours) which is a complete joke with the issues we had with the buses AND with how much money that venue got out of our event for doing absolutely nothing. Stay away from this venue. It's not worth the stress, time, money and frustration. I don't want anyone else having such a negative experience planning their wedding.

We had our wedding here last weekend and sadly there were several disappointments. Almost everyone we encountered was rude or unhelpful. We were promised several things that we never got, our wedding coordinator was nice but too busy as she had several weddings the same day as ours so things felt chaotic and we felt uncared for. Luckily we hired amazing outside vendors (dj, florist, hair and makeup, photography) who made us feel special on our wedding day. Everyone at the grand traverse resort definitely did not. Would NOT recommend.

Hotel staff were not friendly, very pricey. We had booked my daughter’s wedding 1 year in advance, the point of contact person changed 3 times, we were told something different every time we asked. It would have been nice to have been told some key items much sooner than we were. The planner was only at the ceremony for 30 minutes, then disappeared. The some of the food was inedible. The cake was a disaster, to be fair it was hot out, but I feel if the planner would have been around we could have done something about it to keep the reception going. Our condo had earwigs all over and the AC kept going off. Not a good experience, would not recommend.

I cannot say enough about this place! We had to reschedule our wedding 3 times (thanks COVID) but i am SO thankful we did because we had the most amazing wedding of our entire lives and Grand Traverse Resort. Gwen was AMAZING! Honestly, she was everything I could have ever wanted in a day of coordinator..even with all my Type-A craziness. She was amazing to work with and i cannot say enough good things about her. Our wedding was perfect. Right down to every single little detail and i cannot say enough about this place. We live in Grand Rapids so communication was so vital for making sure everything was settled, Gwen would go out of her way to call me to answer all of my questions and put my mind at ease. The convenience of all of the rental properties was also a giant life saver. All of our wedding guests were from out of town so having most of our guest being a shuttle away on the property was so convenient. You only get married once (hopefully) and for all of the stress, money and time you put into it, you hope you can enjoy it the day of without any stress and thanks to Gwen, my wedding day was all of that and more. We had a few mix-ups the day of the wedding that Gwen took care of without a blink of an eye! Thanks to this amazing team at Grand Traverse and more specifically Gwen, my wedding day was an absolute dream and I wish i could re-live it a billion times over. If you're contemplating booking here, JUST DO IT! IF I COULD POST PICTURES OF HOW BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT THE DAY WAS, I WOULD! THANK YOU GWEN!

If I could give them 10 Stars I would. Everything from the planning to the tasting to the ceremony to the reception went flawlessly. Thank you to Molly, Liz and Chelsea for a PERFECT wedding!

AMAZING!!! Molly and Chelsea and the whole GTR staff did such a great job! Everything was beautiful! I highly recommend using them for your wedding, you won't regret it! <3

AH-MAZ-ING!!! We loved everything about our wedding. From the ease of everything being on site, to the amazing staff and service we received not only during our special weekend, but the entire planning process. We had the pleasure of booking and working with Liz Kondik at the beginning, and after she took on a new role within the resort, had the pleasure of meeting Molly. As a bride, it can be nerve wrecking to hear your original planner was leaving, but not at the resort. Everything was so seamless and you could tell that Molly wanted to make sure that everything was absolutely perfect. Molly helped us with so much, even things that were outside of her job description! She made the weekend so stress-free and allowed us to spend time with the ones we love the most. Which, speaking of spending time with loved ones, the resort is such a perfect "destination" spot. It was close enough for us that not many people had to fly anywhere, however, most people made a long weekend out of it so we got to spend so much more time we everyone. As every bride says, the day goes by so fast so we were so happy we were able to spend extra time with our family and friends. We also took advantage of the Spa where we received massages to help decompress before the wedding. It was exactly what we needed and everyone at the spa was so helpful and nice. I could go on and on and on about how perfect the resort is. Molly, Liz and the GTRS team are a huge part of why our wedding weekend will forever be the best memory we have.

Our wedding day at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa was simply amazing! The venues were beautiful! Our ceremony was at the beach club and our reception was in the tower ballroom. Liz, Molly & Chelsea were a pleasure to work with and so helpful throughout the whole process. The food was delicious and loved by everyone.

Molly and Liz were wonderful to work with along with all of the GTR team for our wedding day. It could not have been any better, the team at the GTR did a fantastic job and made our wedding stress free. From the initial contact, to working with Molly, Liz, Chelsea, Tammy, Laurilynn, Kara and Mike. We were too distracted to remember the name of the excellent employee who was in charge of the venue that night, she was terrific - as was our main bartender, he was awesome as well and we want to acknowledge them too. We highly recommend the GTR as a fabulous venue for any type of wedding. It was absolutely beautiful at the sail tent and pavilion in the summer and it was so great having our family and friends together for the entire weekend. We wine tasted, golfed and celebrated together! It was fantastic.

We had the best experience with GTR. Everything was super easy and I had so many compliments from my guests that I was "the most relaxed bride they have ever seen". I owe it all to Molly and her team. The décor was beautiful and not one thing went wrong! Highly recommended if you are like me and like things done right and at a high level.

Our experience with Grand Traverse Resort & Spa was amazing. We worked with Molly & Chelsea for our wedding & they were so quick at responding to all my questions, eased my mind through the entire process & made all of our wedding dreams come to life. We didn't worry about a thing on our actual wedding day & it all came together like a dream. Thank you so much! - Jess & Wes Umlor

Our wedding day was as lovely and stress free as I could imagine. We had our reception at the plaza. Molly set everything up for us and it was beautiful. The resort offers basically everything you could need for your wedding day, including transportation, hair and makeup, food, and drinks. This does cost more than DIY places but the convenience was worth it to me. The food was delicious and very generous in portion size.

Almost all of my guests have told me that mine was the nicest wedding they'd ever been to. This was all in thanks to the wonderful GTR team! They were very fast in answering any questions I had, or any changes I wanted done. The venue itself is beautiful, and they connect you with a designer that has experience decorating the specific space you choose. Things that stood out to me: -FREE menu tasting. We got to try so many options before choosing. -High quality, impressive food -I didn't have to worry about logistics for guest transportation or the rehearsal (they handled it all) -Wide range of options for ceremony and reception spots -Very flexible to your wishes. I had a tiered cheesecake instead of a wedding cake, and a Moomer's ice cream sundae bar instead of dessert trays. Cons: -Flexibility is great... but at a steep upcharge. That Moomer's was NOT cheap. We are also into Traverse City wineries, but to have their wine served it would have been at least a $10-15/bottle upcharge. -Other than the florist and DJ, there are no outside vendors allowed. It made our lives easier, but I can see how this would be a downside for some.

I got married on Level 17 of the Grand Traverse Resort tower and it was everything I could have hoped for. This area is typically a meeting space but was completely transformed for my ceremony. I only had 11 guests, so Chelsea and Molly used drapes creatively to make the space feel more intimate. The space was unrecognizable! Everyone was very responsive and helpful - they communicated with vendors and took care of all set up and tear down. I would highly recommend getting married here!

We had the most perfect dream come true wedding at the Grand Traverse Resort, not only did we have the perfect day of the year for an outdoor wedding but we had the most amazing wedding coordinator and staff to top it all off!!! I had a picture of what my dream wedding would be and it came true because of Molly and Liz’s attention to detail and experience!!! The staff was so friendly and accommodating to all of our needs and gave us top notch service!!! I highly recommend The Grand Traverse Resort for your destination wedding!! You will not be disappointed! If o could relive our wedding day all over again I would!! The day went by way to fast but it was the best day of my life!!!

Molly and Liz were absolutely wonderful through the planning process and our big day! They went above and beyond to make our day perfect and we highly recommend having your wedding there. Our ceremony was at the beach club and our reception at the Plaza. The beach was BEAUTIFUL!!!! The guests at the pool did not disturb us at all. Highly recommend the ceremony at the beach! Book your wedding here! It was so stress free!

Absolutely perfect! Everything about Grand Traverse Resort and Spa - from the staff, location, catering, professionalism, ceremony and reception venues, lodging – you name it, it was all exceptional. My husband and I got married 7/13/19 and had our reception of about 70 people on the Beach Club Deck. It was the picture-perfect summer evening wedding and all our family and friends could not stop commenting on the beauty of the location and weather. While we were told that the pool adjacent to the Deck would be open for GTRS guests, we had no issues with people trying to encroach on our reception. Our guests had the option to walk along a reserved section of the beach during the reception, which is breathtaking at sunset. All the coordinators (wedding, decoration/event, lodging, catering) were top notch and responded quickly to all our phone calls and emails during the planning phase. We worked with both Liz and Molly for most of the ceremony/reception coordination, and both exuded professionalism and competence. Tammy helped us reserve a block of rooms in both the hotel and tower, including a hospitality suite for all the girls to get ready together, and was flexible when we needed to add more rooms to our block. Chelsea provided us with all the decoration options and organized a wine tour for 43 of our guests on the Mission Peninsula the day prior to the wedding. Cara organized an entire golf scramble for my husband and 19 of his buddies the morning of our wedding at 1 of the 3 beautiful golf courses on property. As mentioned previously, all the staff at GTRS work in tandem to create the exact wedding and ancillary activities (wine tours, golf, boating, restaurant reservations, etc) you can imagine. We couldn’t be happier with our selection of venue and look forward to returning to the Resort in the future.

Our wedding day was absolutely worry free thanks to Liz and her team at GTR! Literally the only thing we did have to worry about was if the sun would come out for us...but it did. The ENTIRE experience was so amazing my husband and I keep asking each other if we can do it again!!!!

I loved everything about having my wedding at GTR!! It made me feel as though I had a big brother throughout the process who helped guide me into getting this wedding planned. Liz was absolutely incredible and I am so happy we were able to work together! She has the experience and is so incredibly kind.

My wedding at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa was fantastic! Our wedding coordinator, Liz Kondik, was wonderful. She provided great suggestions and always responded in a timely manner. She was helpful and very attentive. Our ceremony took place on the 17th floor and it was gorgeous! Our reception was held in the Tower Ballroom, which was a perfect size for 125 people. The Tower guest rooms were very luxurious and comfortable. Overall my experience at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa was very memorable.

I wish I could give more stars! As a bride from FL planning a wedding in MI, I instantly was drawn to the beauty and all-inclusive offerings of the Resort. GTR has everything - wonderful location, beautiful venues, accommodation options on site, catering, salon/spa, recreation, and readily available consultants. We held our rehearsal dinner at Aerie (a renowned restaurant on the 16th floor), our wedding at the Plaza, post-wedding brunch on the 17th floor of the Resort’s tower and organized golf and winery tours. Our guests continue to rave about the weekend! I could go on and on about how amazing Liz and her team were from beginning to end. They take your vision and deliver the wedding you’ve always dreamed of. Reliable, knowledgable, supportive, professional…you are in great hands!

If you are looking for a romantic and fun beach setting for a reasonable price this is the place for you! They do have a number of venues on their campus, but we used the beach for both our ceremony and reception. We fell in love with Liz after meeting with her in person. None of the other venues were able to live up to her and the Grand Traverse. Liz is everything you need in an event coordinator. She is very organized and was willing to work with us to create the wedding of our dreams. The culinary team was also very helpful and willing to make some modifications we requested. It was especially appreciated that they were more than happy to accomodate a few specialty diets of our guests. We were a little nervous about other guests at the resort being bothersome by the pool, but we didn’t even notice them during our event. The day of staff blew our minds. They were so attentive and flexible, especially when our photos ran longer than expected. We utilized the hotel rooms and condos for our room block, and a tower room the night of our wedding. We were so pleased with all. We also utilized a hospitality suite for the bridal party to get ready in the day of the wedding. It was soooo helpful to have the extra space and to have a large enough room that all of us could get ready together (fitting a full hair, makeup, and photography team). I could go on forever about how much love and appreciation we have for this amazing team, but bottom line you would be crazy to it at least book a meeting to see what they can do for you!

Where do I even begin? We are still getting texts almost daily from guests telling us that our wedding was the most fun, beautiful and well-organized event they've been to. This is all thanks to the AMAZING Liz Kondik and her wonderful team. I don't have enough good things to say about our experience with GTR. Working with and getting to know Liz during our wedding planning process made our celebration that much more special. Staff at every corner of the resort's hospitality teams were helpful, generous, cheerful and welcoming. We would happily recommend GTR and Liz to anyone and everyone looking for a truly unforgettable and FUN wedding. Those who have the opportunity to work with this property and team are truly so lucky. Wish we could do it every year! Liz & team - we can't thank you enough!!

Grand Traverse has an amazing team for planning your wedding! They have beautiful settings that I know most people don’t realize; ballrooms, outdoor tent, and even wedding barn (where we had our reception). So much elegance and beauty! And we of course have to give a shout out to Liz who was so fun and easy to work with. She made me feel at ease through the whole process!

The GTR was the absolute best place to have my daughters wedding. Liz Kondik (wedding coordinator) and staff were the absolute best. I had no worries everything was perfect. My daughter was married at the beach venue 8-11-18 and I couldn't of been more grateful of Liz and the staff there. The resort offers everything needed from rooms to activities to restaurants for you and your guests. No need to leave unless you want to explore near by Traverse City. There is shuttles to Turtle Creek Casino to also entertain your guests. My daughter said it was the most perfect day and that's all a Mother could ever want to hear from her daughter about her wedding day. Thank you to the GTR staff and Liz for everything.

We recently had our wedding at the GTR and we could not be more thrilled with the outcome! We can't stop saying good things about our experience. One of the reasons why we choose the GTR was because of it's location and convenience. My dream was always to have my wedding on a beach. I looked at several other locations in northern Michigan and even downstate. I was looking for a place that was picturesque, affordable, and professional. While other facilities had a few of those qualities, the GTR had them all! We utilized the Beachclub for both our ceremony and reception. The entire staff were AMAZING! They were supportive, attentive, friendly, and accommodating. Janelle Whipple made sure the decorations were beautiful and Liz Kondik made the entire process seem easy and not stressful! The GTR was also a perfect place for out of town guests. We had many out of state and even out of country friends and family and being all in one spot made it more convenient for all of us to spend quality time together. Plus the GTR is close to downtown, wineries, and golf courses, and other uniquely northern Michigan things. Our guests were able to enjoy all of these things before and after the wedding. We also used many of the restaurants and bars located right at the GTR for a meet and greet, coffees, family dinners, rehearsal dinner, and farewell brunch. Our guests keep saying it was the best wedding they had ever been to (we agree!). My only wish is that I could do it all over again! If you are looking for views, professionalism, ease, and a place that has it all, look no further than the GTR!

If I could describe my experience working with Liz in one word, it would be EXCEPTIONAL. I am extremely detail oriented and I knew exactly what I wanted for our wedding - from timing, to alcohol in the open bar, to the way food was presented. She didn't miss a single detail, and also managed to be responsive to the countless emails I sent her (at all hours of the day). I could not have been more pleased with her planning, her hospitality, and her excitement for our wedding. Liz thank you for treating our wedding like your own, and helping to make it the best day of our lives!

When we started planning our wedding we knew we wanted to have it in Northern MI. My goal was to create a 'vacation' feel for our guests and families where we could all kick back and enjoy quality time together. The resort offered everything we were looking for - I called it a one-stop-shop (accommodations, food/drink, decor, etc.). The team (Liz and Jenelle) did an amazing job!! I didn't hire a planner because I immediately felt like I was in great hands with the GTR "I Do" team! They were always so responsive and supportive up to the minute of our big day and made the entire planning process effortless and fun! Tammy in rooming was also a huge help and was more than accommodating! The entire GTR resort made our guests' stay so enjoyable. We held our wedding at the Plaza (semi-permanent tent) and it took our breath away. I highly recommend :)

The Grand Traverse Resort was a great choice! More specifically because of Liz and Jenelle. They both knocked it out of the park! Liz was always willing to take my emails and answer any question I had. She made me feel like I was being taken care of and I didn't have anything to worry about. I highly suggest having Liz and Jenelle help plan and design your wedding. PERFECT!

My daughter's wedding was through the resort and was held at Garvey family barn. We couldn't have been happier with everything , starting with our first meeting with Liz. She was very professional as well as personable and put our minds at ease every step of the way. The ceremony and reception was beautiful and the food was excellent. I would recommend Liz and Janelle and the GT resort to anyone. The barn was a perfect venue!!

We could not have selected a better venue for our wedding in April 2018. Liz and Jenelle were fantastic to work with and they took the time to understand who we are as a couple, what our vision was and helped us with everything. There was not a detail that was missed and that made for such an incredible experience for our closest family and friends. Our wedding was a true celebration of our love and we didn't spend a single second worrying about anything because they had it taken care of. GTR is now a special place for our family and we cannot wait to go back to visit!

We and our guests enjoyed our wedding day immensely!!! All of the staff was very helpful and responsive throughout the entire process. On the big day, everything was very organized, the resort and ballroom were beautiful, the food amazing and all of the staff was overly catering to our guests. Everyone had a grand time!!! Most of our guests were not from the area and could not stop talking about the resort, the food, the golf and the Traverse City area in general. A very big thanks to the wedding coordinator Liz Kondik. She is extremely organized, knowledgeable and always willing to go above and beyond to make sure our wedding was perfect! She made this entire process so much easier than i thought it would be. I cannot stress enough, if GTRS and Mrs. Kondik are on your list, choose them and you will have the perfect wedding day you deserve!!

The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa was the PERFECT place for my daughter's wedding Sept 9, 2017. I read so many reviews on The Knot before we decided on GTR so we wanted to share with you why we loved it. When considering a location and venue for the wedding, the couple selected GTR for all of the following: - several places inside and out where everyone could gather and socialize - close to an airport with easy transportation to and from the airport - no one had to drive after celebrating - lots of activities for guests - on a gorgeous piece of property - location: close to Traverse City, easy drive to several lakes, Sleeping Bear Dunes, several vineyards and stunning views - had to easily accommodate minimum 180 guests. Other things we loved about GTR: Having everyone at the same hotel - advantages of the room block and so many places to meet and hang out. Our guests used pools, hot tubs, indoor tennis courts, golf courses and driving range, shops, fitness center, spa and of course we used the bars and restaurants. Easy shuttle to the Casino - we had a group take advantage of this. Welcome Party on 17th floor - the views and the sunset were spectacular. Bridal/Hospitality Suite - it's huge, beautiful, fully equipped with microwave, 2 beverage refrigerators, tons of counter space, large flat-screen TV, the furnishings, the enormous bathroom, THE VIEWS, it's beyond perfect. It's the perfect place for your bridal party to get ready. We booked 1 for bride and 1 for groom. You need to book the Hospitality Suite the day before the wedding - why not use it for family/friend gatherings the day before for a Welcome-party or an After-party - breakfast the day after the wedding etc? We also booked our own guest rooms on either side of the suite - and you could connect to even more guest rooms. I can't imagine any resort has a better set up than GTR. It is worth EVERY penny to have these suites! Decisions we are glad we made: Ceremony in the Pavilion was beautiful. The Plaza tent - the draping and lighting were stunning - draping behind sweetheart table. Lighted Trees for the tent poles made the atmosphere magical. Heaters - we would have been very cold without the heaters. They heated the entire tent. Dance Floor made the tent floor look much better. Cafe lighting on patio. Lighting the path to the restrooms. Lounge furniture - inside and out - both were used all night High Cocktail tables inside and out - including around the dance floor. Having condos and a house for the entire bridal party AND their plus 1's! This made the experience affordable and very special for all of them. The groomsmen had a 5 bedroom home that had a pool table. The bridesmaids had a very short walk to the resort. And finally, working with Liz Brooks and Jenelle Whipple was wonderful. Liz is excellent at everything she does. She's professional, patient, reassuring, and makes certain your event goes without a hitch. Liz will also accommodate any budget. Jenelle is very creative and talented. She came up with beautiful decor for the reception tables, sweetheart table, and other ideas. Jenelle also secured an amazing DJ who made certain the dance floor was never empty. So many of our guests said it was the best wedding weekend they have ever been to. It was for us too.

Liz was very professional, prompt, and accommodating. She worked with my needs as well as budget. Our 10 year vow renewal will always be memorable. Definitely recommend.

Liz and Jenelle did such a fantastic job with our wedding on Aug 26th! We worked with Liz from the very beginning and she helped us get everything sorted out and organized! Jenelle worked with us on the decorations and she had such an amazing vision for our wedding and gave us such great ideas! She even suggested an ice sculptor to help with the secret groom's surprise - a surfboard and wave ice sculpture! Everything was so wonderful!

The locations were absolutely amazing. For our ceremony, we had it at the Beach Club venue and reception at the Tower Ballroom. Liz, was extremely professional and went above and beyond her duties. She made our wedding happen without a hitch. She made us feel like family. I would highly recommend working with the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.

We were married at the Garvey Family Barn and it was an amazing venue! We are out of state, and thanks to Liz, the wedding planning process was so easy! She was amazing to work with and was always easily reached. I would highly recommend the Grand Traverse Resort for any event, everyone goes above and beyond! They made our wedding weekend absolutely amazing and memorable for our us and for our guests!

My wedding was a dream come true! I have a super busy work schedule working at odd times and Liz & her team made my dream into a reality. From Day 1 they were organized and timely, making sure even the smallest details were made available. I had my wedding at the beach club and the reception at the resort, and everything was amazing. I would highly recommend Liz and Grand Traverse Resort if you are planning your wedding.

Liz and the whole team at the Grand Traverse Resort worked so hard to make our wedding day perfection! The resort offers everything in house from the salon to have hair to the stunning ballrooms, to finally the sweet water grill for morning after brunch! I wouldn't change a thing about my wedding day and that is thanks to the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa! Thank you!

We had the best wedding ever and we have our coordinator Liz Kondik to thank! Not only was Liz very responsive via email, but she also made sure everything went smoothly the day of the wedding. We had our ceremony on the 17th floor w/ beautiful views and the reception in the tower ballroom where Liz ensured everything was set up perfectly! I am more than happy with the venue, hotel rooms, staff, activities, and just overall experience. If we could do it again, we would!

Getting married is a pretty great thing, but getting married at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa is even better! Everything, I mean everything, was absolutely perfect! The venue looked fabulous! The food tasted amazing! The staff was so welcoming! My husband and I couldn't have imagined a better place to get married :)

What an absolutely awesome experience. Liz and Jenelle at Grand Traverse resort made the entire experience seamless for us. They helped us plan and coordinate everything and made sure it was truly a special, and worry-free day. They were always very responsive. The bell staff at the resort bent over backward to make sure we (bride and groom), and our guests were happy. They truly know the concept of customer service. All of the accommodations were great. It really felt like you were out of town and on a resort. I highly recommend checking them out for your wedding. The food turned our AWESOME. Although you spend a little more than usual for it, it is TOTALLY worth it. I suggest the wings, and prime rib when choosing your food! We also had an afterparty in one of the ballrooms. We got the Nacho Bar and the guests were RAVING about it. Do that over the pizza and be creative. We golfed at the Spruce course and it was very well managed. We never had to wait at a hole once and it was beautiful.

We had a destination wedding at a local vineyard in Traverse City and booked all of our guests to stay at the Grand Traverse Resort. I worked with Brett to arrange the rooms and rates and he was very pleasant to work with! He answered my countless emails very promptly and made the whole booking a breeze!! Great place to stay for single or large groups!

The Team at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa made our special day magical! Liz Brooks provided service beyond our expectations and we couldn't have been happier with our entire evening.

I was overwhelmed with the quality, thoroughness and KINDNESS with which Liz Brooks at The Grand Traverse coordinated and catered our daughter's wedding at the Garvey Farms Wedding Barn. Once our couple chose this incredible venue for their destination wedding and reception (we live in Texas!), this mother of the bride began to panic. So many things to decide and contractors to hire! Yikes. When I met Liz, all the panic melted away, and I began to believe that I could actually attend this important event as a Celebrant and not as a Guardian of the Plan and Enforcers of all things that should be happening! Liz was so professional in all of our coordination, even when the Bride request some last minute changes! The Resort was the perfect location for the Welcome Dinner hosted by the Groom's parents, which allowed all of our guests to enjoy an evening on the beach with a beautiful Michigan Sunset as a bonus. The food was delicious and the entire weekend was delightful. Free transport provided by the Resort made the wedding events easy. The Boys enjoyed golf, the Girls enjoyed the luxurious accommodations and Young Folks enjoyed easy access to the Casino for later night entertainment:) Overall a weekend that exceeded our expectations, starting with the warm and capable care provided by Liz and her staff. I highly recommend this Northern Michigan location AND The Grand Traverse Resort!!

My husband and I were married at the Grand Traverse Resort on August 20, 2016. We had our reception at the larger white Plaza tent and were supposed to be married at their beach location at The Shores, however the weather had other ideas. Thank goodness for the rain plan that was in place for us at the GTR. We found out with just hours to spare that there was no way we were going to be married outside, so Liz and her team arranged the 17th floor atrium for our ceremony and while it wasn't the bright, sunny glistening Lake Michigan wedding we had imagined for a year, the room overlooked the bay and it was so intimate.. we were able to see all 130 of our guests' faces without squinting, and they could see us and most importantly, we were able to hear each others' vows and our guests heard them as well.. it was as if everyone of our guests had a front row seat and the feedback we received from our guests corroborated that sentiment. It was perfect and dare I say more perfect than the beach may have been, as the beach isn't quite as private. We had to take our photos indoors, but the resort has some fun elements in the building that made it ok (including the cool staircase in the restaurant upstairs) and with the right photographer, anything will be ok! During all of the last minute changes to the perfect wedding we had dreamed about for a year, Liz was there every step of the way making sure we were OK and making sure she could do whatever it took to make us happy within whatever she was able to control. The rain lifted just in time for our reception.. and as we walked in, it was everything we ever hoped for. The draping/lighting provided by the Resort was gorgeous. We used a lot of outside vendors and our own manpower for a lot of the decor, but as far as the Resort's part- everyone raved about the food and Stephanie made our cake exactly as we had pictured it.. which was a little off the wall, so we weren't able to tast test it.. as we chose a funfetti naked cake.. and it ended up being absolutely delicious. The Resort staff during our reception were fantastic and extremely polite and made sure everyone was happy at all times. During the planning process, (which already had an added level of difficulty since we live in Dallas, Texas) Liz answered all of our questions promptly, gracefully handled my changing my mind on large elements more than once, and made us feel like our wedding was the only one she was working on... even though it definitely was not. I considered making this a 4 star review only due to some of the Resort's practices but that wouldn't be fair to Liz because she is definitely worthy of 5 stars. I will say that as others mentioned, the Resort itself is kind of in the business of nickel and diming you and can be pretty pricey in regards to rooms, hospitality suites, guest bag delivery, etc. However as long as you make sure to read your contracts before signing them (as far as room blocks go, etc) and make the effort to negotiate certain terms and fees, you will have more control of those things and know what you're getting yourself into at the end of the day with no surprises. Overall, I would definitely suggest Liz and the GTR for your wedding. We wish we could do it again and again because our day was so fantastic!

My husband & I got married at the Grand Traverse Resort And Spa, September 3rd,2016. Because my family lives out of state, having our ceremony & reception at the resort was perfect for us. Between the beautiful hotel rooms, friendly & helpful staff & beauitful location (on the East Bay) it was the right choice for our wedding. I could go on & on about how amazing the resort was , but I need to give credit where it's deserved. Our wedding planner Liz Brooks went above & beyond to make sure our special day went absolutely perfect. We worked with Liz for 2 years on this wedding & I can honestly say not once did she ever drop the ball on anything. When we felt something wasn't right, or was perhaps out of budget, she worked with us to make sure we were in a good place & that we were happy with everything. Her communications skills were to a tee, & her eye for detail & the small things you'd over look were amazing. She was organized & up to date with where we were with things as the big day grew closer. We hit a few bumps in the road with different vendors of ours & when we didn't know what to do, Liz was there to save us. The day of the wedding she stayed with us till dinner time at the ceremony to make sure things were up to our liking. That in itself speaks volumes. To make things short, our wedding wouldn't of happened without Liz. If you're looking for someone who truly has your best interest & desires to make sure your wedding day is everything & more, I would highly, highly recommend Liz Brooks & The Grand Traverse Resort for your wedding day.

As the Mother of the Bride, and a business professional, I highly, highly recommend Liz Brooks at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa for a wedding venue. Professional, knowledgeable, accessible at all times, punctual, and now a close friend. Liz made my daughter's wedding a day/weekend to remember for our guest, and everyone involved. It was so perfect and I am willing to refer Liz Brooks in person. Just ask the "I do" office at the resort. She out performed her responsibilities and truly went above and beyond for us. I would be glad to discuss the perfect wedding to anyone interested. I can only hope the Resort knows the value of Liz Brooks...

We had our wedding at the resort in August 2016. We cannot say enough about our wedding coordinator, Liz Brooks. She was amazing to work with and very responsive. She did everything she could to help our day run smoothly and make me feel at ease. The entire resort staff was wonderful. As far as the resort itself, it could accommodate all of our guests and has beautiful views. We got married in the white tent, and it was stunning after we decorated it. But it is very expensive. Before booking, make sure to read the fine print on the food menu and contract. That being said, all of our guests had a wonderful time. During the day, people went to the beach, downtown TC, or the resort gym. And after our wedding, we went to Jacks Sports Bar. It really was a perfect day. If you are looking for a northern Michigan wedding, you should check this place out.

Note: This review is not about Liz, their wedding coordinator, just about everything else outside of her control- about the Resort's major policies that really need to be reviewed and revised by their executives. Here were the biggest problems: - The "discounted" room rate was still outrageous and I really felt bad that my guests had to pay SO much. - The Resort only cares about $$ and will nickel and dime you for every little thing. NOTHING is included (except working with Liz who is a true gem and probably the best thing they have going for them in regards to their wedding services.) - Blocking rooms = TOTAL nightmare. What they don't tell you upfront is that basically any rooms from your block that doesn't get booked- YOU have to pay for them!!! INSANE! (They will cover like 10% of the unbooked rooms, but YOU pay for the rest.) I have never heard of this!! So my groom & I were forced to call our wedding guests (which basically everyone was from out of town) to see if they would be wanting to stay there- SO inconvenient & rude! And even when we did block rooms, it kept getting messed up, we lost some rooms, then had some added again, it was a fiasco. The policy of having to pay for rooms not booked- give me a break! -Reserving the venue: even though we paid the Resort tens of thousands of dollars to have our wedding there, that only got us our venue for JUST the day OF the wedding. So our space was not automatically reserved the day before, for our rehearsal. They actually booked another wedding Friday night, in our ceremony space, the day before our wedding! So we had to have our rehearsal at 2pm!! Which really sucked! Who has ever heard of a 2pm rehearsal time?! It was super inconvenient because almost the whole wedding party was getting in on Friday so most of them had to get up and leave at like 5am to make it to the rehearsal. Plus there were all these tables & chairs set up in the space for the reception that was taking place that night, so it made our rehearsal confusing & hard for my bridal party to envision where to walk & what to do. When you pay big bucks like that, you should get the space the day before. Every other venue in TC allows you to have the space for the entire weekend! - Impossible for early-check in times- even for the bridal party?!! Another reason the early rehearsal time sucked was because, even though we gave the resort SO much $$, not to mention the 30 rooms that were booked there solely because of our wedding- no early check in times! SO inconvenient & stressful for our guests. I had to deal with all my family members complaining about not getting into their rooms until 4pm when my wedding started at 3pm! Another horrible policy! The wedding should get priority. I'm sure there's a way they can make it happen since other hotels do it! - Other little details to review with their staff working the reception: we spent over a GRAND on beautiful plate chargers! Well, that was pretty stupid of us because the staff removed them immediately- they cleared them from the tables along with the salad plates!! WHY would they take them away SO early on?! We got them for a reason- to use them & have people see them! They should have left them at the tables for the main dinner course & only removed them after DESSERT! I tried to tell a busser to stop but by that time, it was too late & they had already been removed from too many tables. I'm really mad I wasted my money on them now thanks to the staff who did that.

From my very first interaction with Liz, I knew I was in good hands!! She always went above and beyond and had very good attention to detail! I knew I could always trust her and she made working with the staff at the Resort and all the planning so much more easier. I truly felt lucky to have her help and am grateful for all of her hard work! I couldn't have done it without her!! Liz is simply the best and the GT Resort is very lucky to have her on their team! The Resort was beautiful but I would say the main reason I would recommend it to future bride and grooms would be because of *LIZ* specifically.

My husband and I had our wedding weekend at the Grand Traverse Resort in June. We couldn't have asked for anything better or more beautiful! Liz and the staff did an amazing job to listen to what we wanted and help truly make it our special day! We had a welcome party under the Pavillion and in the Manitou room on Friday, had our wedding at their beach property, reception at the Garvey Barn and breakfast on the 17th floor on Sunday. All events and locations were perfect! The hospitality room connected to our suite also made a great spot for me and my girls to get ready as well as a spot for us to visit with guests! Liz made sure everything was just how we wanted it and Kelly, our bartender, was awesome! Beautiful scenery, wonderful staff, great resort and an amazing wedding weekend at Grand Traverse Resort! -The Janik's-