The Knot The Knot The Knot The Knot The Knot The Bump XO Group The Knot Worldwide
Main Menu
  • Gifts & Favors
Find a CoupleCustomer Service
Planning Tools
Checklist
Budgeter
Wedding Vision
Guest List & RSVPs
Discover Deals And More
Join The Knot Savings Program
Join The Knot Savings Program
Take The Knot's Style Quiz
Take The Knot's Style Quiz
Vendors
Reception Venues
Wedding Photographers
Catering
Bridal Salons
Wedding Planners
Wedding Cakes
Rehearsal Dinners, Bridal Showers & Parties
DJs
Videographers
Wedding Rentals
Beauty Services
Florists
Wedding Bands
Officiants & Pre-marital Counseling
Photo Booths
Bar Services
Transportation
Jewelers
Soloists & Ensembles
Dance Lessons
Decor
Invitations
Favors & Gifts
Travel Specialists
Hotel Room Blocks
See All Categories
Are you a vendor? Start here
Build Your Vendor Team
  • Reception Venues
    Reception Venues
  • Wedding Photographers
    Wedding Photographers
  • Write a Review
    Write a Review
  • Learn More (and Enter to Win!)
    Learn More (and Enter to Win!)
Wedding Website
Explore Wedding Websites
  • Start a Wedding Website
  • Browse Website Designs
Find a Couple's Website
Check Out Top Designs
  • Modern Minimalist by Vera Wang
    Modern Minimalist by Vera Wang
  • Beloved Floral - Red
    Beloved Floral - Red
  • Romantic Calligraphy
    Romantic Calligraphy
  • Elegant Glow - Blue
    Elegant Glow - Blue
Invitations & Paper
Your Invitations & Paper
  • Your Cart
Save the Dates
Change the Dates
Invitations
  • All Invitations
  • Wedding Invitations
  • RSVP Cards
  • Enclosure Cards
  • Envelope Liners
  • Bridal Shower Invitations
  • Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
Ceremony & Reception
  • All Ceremony & Reception
  • Programs
  • Place Cards
  • Menus
  • Table Numbers
  • Stickers
  • Gift Tags
  • Guest Books
Thank Yous
Shop by Style
  • All Styles
  • Floral
  • Classic
  • Rustic
  • Destination
  • Simple
  • Modern
  • Vintage
  • Bohemian
  • Beach
Shop The Knot Invitations
  • Free Samples
    Free Samples
  • New Save the Dates
    New Save the Dates
  • Budget-Friendly Invites
    Budget-Friendly Invites
  • Vera Wang x The Knot
    Vera Wang x The Knot
Registry
Start a Registry
Add Store Registries
Cash Funds
Find a Couple's Registry
Collections
Brands
Kitchen
  • All Kitchen
  • Appliances
  • Cookware
  • Bakeware
  • Knives & Boards
  • Tools & Gadgets
  • Storage & Organization
  • Pantry
  • Coffee & Tea
  • Kitchen Linens
Tabletop
  • All Tabletop
  • Dinnerware
  • Flatware
  • Serveware & Entertaining
  • Drinkware & Bar
  • Table Linens
Home
  • All Home
  • Décor
  • Furniture
  • Cleaning & Organization
  • Outdoor
  • Smart Home
  • Rugs & Mats
  • Heating, Cooling & Air Quality
Bed & Bath
  • All Bed & Bath
  • Bed
  • Bath
Lifestyle
  • All Lifestyle
  • Luggage & Travel
  • Camping
  • Electronics & Gadgets
  • Pets
  • Health & Wellness
Experiences
  • All Experiences
  • Gift Cards
  • Experiences
Shop The Knot Registry Store
  • Wedding Registry Essentials
    Wedding Registry Essentials
  • Registry Awards 2023
    Registry Awards 2023
  • Most Wanted Gifts
    Most Wanted Gifts
  • Get 20% off after your wedding
Attire & Rings
Wedding Dresses
  • All Wedding Dresses
  • A-Line Dresses
  • Ball Gown Dresses
  • Mermaid Dresses
  • Sheath Dresses
  • Short Dresses
Suits & Tuxedos
Bridesmaid Dresses
Mother of the Bride Dresses
Flower Girl Dresses and Ring Bearer Outfits
Engagement Rings
  • All Engagement Rings
  • Princess Cut
  • Asscher Cut
  • Cushion Cut
  • Emerald Cut
  • Pear Cut
  • Radiant Cut
  • Round Cut
  • Oval Cut
Wedding Rings
Wedding Jewelry
Wedding Accessories
Get Fashion Inspiration
  • Wedding Dresses
    Wedding Dresses
  • Engagement Rings
    Engagement Rings
  • Suits & Tuxedos
    Suits & Tuxedos
  • Bridesmaid Dresses
    Bridesmaid Dresses
Ideas & Advice
Engagement
  • All Engagement
  • Engagement Rings
  • Wedding Proposals
Ceremony & Reception
  • All Ceremony & Reception
  • Real Wedding Photos
  • Budget Advice
  • Invitations & Paper
  • Themes & Decor
  • Wedding Traditions
  • Music & Songs
Parties & Events
  • All Parties & Events
  • Engagement Party
  • Bach Parties
  • Wedding Shower
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Travel
  • All Travel
  • Destination Weddings
  • Honeymoons
Fashion
  • All Fashion
  • Couples Attire
  • Rings & Accessories
  • Wedding Party Attire
  • Guest Attire
Beauty & Wellness
  • All Beauty & Wellness
  • Hair
  • Makeup & Grooming
  • Health & Wellness
Gifts
  • All Gifts
  • Registry Advice
  • Gifts for Couples
  • Favors & Gifts
  • Anniversary Gifts
  • Gift Ideas
Sponsored
Groom's Men's Wearhouse
The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Day Style.
Sponsored by Men's Wearhouse
Acme Wedding Venues
  • Photos
  • About
  • Amenities
  • Pricing
  • Reviews
  • Contact

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

4.6 out of 5 stars and 99 reviews
4.6
(99)
best-of-weddings

100 Grand Traverse Resort Village Blvd, Acme, MI

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Website
Call

About This Vendor

Grand Weddings

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is a wedding venue located in Acme, MI. This expansive venue offers a wide range of event spaces for celebrations of all kinds, from intimate rustic-themed gatherings to lavish extravaganzas. Whatever your vision for your special day, this venue can make it a reality. Grand Traverse Resort and Spa offers a total of 10 event spaces for you to choose from, both indoor and outdoor. If you're planning a huge party, you can opt for Governors' Hall, which has a capacity of over 2,000 people. This 20,000-square-foot space boasts high ceilings, a grand staircase, and ornate chandeliers for an opulent celebration that will wow your guests. If your number is slightly smaller, you may choose the Michigan Ballroom, which accommodates up to 600 guests. This classic banquet hall is perfect for dining and dancing the night away. More intimate events can be held in the Garvey Family Barn, a welcoming, rustic-themed space that can host 130 guests for a seated meal. Outdoor options include the covered pavilion and the private beach club, which overlooks Grand Traverse Bay. The team at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa will do everything possible to ensure your special day lives up to your vision. Their in-house planner will work with you throughout the planning process to ensure every detail is perfect. Event essentials such as tables, chairs, linens, glassware, and sound and lighting equipment will be provided for you, and the team will handle setup and cleanup. The in-house caterer will create a delicious reception meal, served as a buffet, food stations, or a plated dinner. Bar services are also available, in the form of a cash or open bar.

Amenities + Details

Covered Outdoors Space
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Dressing Room
Guest Capacity
300+
Settings
Ballroom, Barn, Farm & Ranch, Beach, Waterfront, Hotel, Tented, Trees
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks, Cakes & Desserts, Cupcakes, Other Desserts, Destination Weddings, Food & Catering, Planning, Rentals & Equipment, Tents, Service Staff, Transportation, Shuttle Service
Awards and Affiliations
Hall of Fame2020 Best of Weddings Winner2019 Best of Weddings Winner2018 Best of Weddings Winner2017 Best of Weddings Winner2016 Best of Weddings Winner2013 Best of Weddings Winner2011 Best of Weddings Winner

Pricing for Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

Browse Grand Traverse Resort and Spa's pricing PDF for sample services and estimates.
View Prices
Curious to learn more?

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa Reviews

4.6 out of 5.0
99 reviews
5 Star
80%
4 Star
9%
3 Star
1%
2 Star
6%
1 Star
4%
Reviewed On 2/21/2022 by Dezarae B
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!
Reviewed On 9/13/2023 by Ryan B
Overall GTRS was a great wedding venue for us. Everyone we worked with was super helpful. One negative was that we did experience quite a bit of employee turn over through the planning process. We ended planning the wedding with Kendra and she ...
was beyond helpful. The wedding day was perfect and all of our guests loved the resort. This was certainly a destination wedding for all of our guests but between the resort and all that TC has to offer there was plenty to do. A few hiccups along the way but all in all we would certainly recommend GTRS as a wedding venue.
Reviewed On 7/19/2023 by Emily P
We got married here June 2023 and had an overall great experience. Sure at the beginning they were going through some staffing changes with event coordinators, but everyone got on the same page and we had the wedding of our dreams. Taylor made ...
sure they accommodated all of our requests - even things as small as a new cake stand, having the pastry chef make us a specific frosting, etc. Bar package was absolutely amazing. The only thing I WOULD change is they have a terrible room block policy, but this didn't affect the wedding really. Had an absolutely perfect wedding. Thank you GTR!
Any questions?
Reviewed On 7/14/2023 by Eva J
We got married here in 2022. Throughout the course of our planning, the coordinator changed 3 times in a year and it seemed disorganized. We were quoted at a much lower rate than we ended up paying, and they told us 4 weddings were booked on ou...
r same day and that they were extremely understaffed. Maybe don’t book 4 weddings if you don’t have the staff? Also, we paid $2,000 for appetizers and ran out after the first 50 people went through, highly suspicious that we didn’t receive everything we paid for, but when we asked, they ignored us. Open bar was very limited. Every thing was nickled and dimed. The rooms were extremely expensive for what they were for our guests. It was a nice place to get married, the staff was friendly overall, but we feel like we got scammed a bit. Nothing will overshadow the magic and love of our special day, and I think we would have been happy getting married anywhere.
Reviewed On 7/12/2023 by Olivia B
Wow! I could write a book about our experience at the Resort for our wedding! I’m so many ways was our day and days leading up to our big day truly magical! The start to our journey was rough due to turn over with employment. However, once we s...
tarted working with Taylor our experience was everything we could imagine. My husband and I honestly don’t have enough words to share how thankful we were for Taylor. Our day would not have happened as perfect as it did without her and her professionalism. Taylor had the details down to the T, she made sure all decor was set up EXACTLY how we wanted morning of, she put people in their place (respectfully, lol), and she stayed until reception to ensure nothing went wrong! She’s a superwoman and we adore her. Our only down side to the resort is the space for getting ready! We originally thought a room was including in our package, which we likely would have known given that proper guidance from the start but Taylor made sure to help us through that debacle. Our advice would be to just check off all your boxes before you dive in! Although, if you work with Taylor your boxes will most definitely be checked! (: We truly loved our time at the Resort and we were so fortunate to tie our knot at the most beautiful place in our home town! If you’re getting married I 10/10 recommend the Resort!
Reviewed On 6/19/2023 by Michaela O
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.
Reviewed On 5/25/2023 by Jennifer S
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!
Reviewed On 10/16/2022 by Rachel H
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.
Response from the Vendor on 01/11/2023
Dear Rachel, Thank you for taking the time to share the details of your wedding day. It is difficult to read that your experience was not what you planned and dreamed for, nor does it meet our own expectations. We know your special d...
ay has already happened, but we are excited to now have a new and experienced full wedding team working on these events moving forward. We are always looking to improve and are open to a phone call or continued communication, if you feel comfortable reaching out. We would love to be able to give you a memorable experience in the future. Perhaps a first anniversary celebration with us. Sincerely, The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa Wedding Team
Reviewed On 10/15/2022 by Alyssa R
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.
Response from the Vendor on 01/11/2023
Dear Alyssa, Thank you for taking the time to share the details of your wedding day. It is difficult to read that your experience was not what you planned or hoped for, nor does it meet our own expectations. We have a new ...
wedding team here at the resort and we are very disheartened reading all of this. Expectations were not set properly and it seems details were not communicated within the entire resort. Again, we truly apologize for the stress this has caused you. Congratulations on your wedding and we wish you nothing but happiness. We are always looking to improve and are open to a phone call or continued communication, if you feel comfortable reaching out. Sincerely, The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa Wedding Team
Reviewed On 7/26/2022 by Abigail G
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.
Reviewed On 7/26/2022 by Jaime G
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 so...
me 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.
Reviewed On 12/05/2019 by Melissa D
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!
Reviewed On 10/31/2019 by Karaline P
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
Reviewed On 10/31/2019 by Alex M
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.
Reviewed On 10/30/2019 by Amanda W
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 t...
hroughout the whole process. The food was delicious and loved by everyone.
Reviewed On 10/30/2019 by Cheryl R
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 wi...
th 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.
Reviewed On 10/29/2019 by Brianne T
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 w...
ent wrong! Highly recommended if you are like me and like things done right and at a high level.
Reviewed On 10/21/2019 by Jess U
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 t...
o 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
Reviewed On 10/10/2019 by Elizabeth L
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 tran...
sportation, 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.
Reviewed On 10/07/2019 by Meredith W
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.
Reviewed On 10/01/2019 by Lindsay D
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 dr...
apes 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!
Reviewed On 9/27/2019 by Shanell B
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 pictur...
e 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!!!
Reviewed On 9/24/2019 by Annemarie S
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 a...
t 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!
Reviewed On 9/24/2019 by Alison W
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.
Reviewed On 10/17/2018 by Michelle L
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 ask...
ing each other if we can do it again!!!!
Reviewed On 10/16/2018 by Karley W
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.
Reviewed On 10/15/2018 by Alycen D
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 pl...
ace 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.
Reviewed On 10/02/2018 by Kerry R
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!
Reviewed On 9/21/2018 by Kassidi N
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!
Reviewed On 9/21/2018 by Erin C
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!!
Reviewed On 9/04/2018 by Jessica P
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 o...
f 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!
Reviewed On 8/15/2018 by Dawn S
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 b...
een 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.
Reviewed On 8/14/2018 by Allison L
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!
Reviewed On 8/07/2018 by Amy L
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!
Reviewed On 7/02/2018 by Michelle M
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 :)
Reviewed On 6/13/2018 by Kelly K
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 ca...
re of and I didn't have anything to worry about. I highly suggest having Liz and Jenelle help plan and design your wedding. PERFECT!
Reviewed On 6/05/2018 by Sara F
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!!
Reviewed On 5/24/2018 by Susan W
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!
Reviewed On 10/31/2017 by Drew B
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 a...
ll 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!!
Reviewed On 10/13/2017 by Deni R
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.
Reviewed On 10/12/2017 by Becky W
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.
Reviewed On 9/21/2017 by Lauren E
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 v...
ision 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!
Reviewed On 9/10/2017 by Ashley E
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.
Reviewed On 9/04/2017 by megan s
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!
Reviewed On 9/02/2017 by Meri T
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 ha...
d 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.
Reviewed On 8/19/2017 by Natalie T
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 af...
ter brunch! I wouldn't change a thing about my wedding day and that is thanks to the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa! Thank you!
Reviewed On 8/18/2017 by Lindsey P
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!
Reviewed On 8/08/2017 by Sara K
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 welcomin...
g! My husband and I couldn't have imagined a better place to get married :)
Reviewed On 8/01/2017 by Kevin S
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.
Reviewed On 10/13/2016 by Danielle S
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 countl...
ess emails very promptly and made the whole booking a breeze!! Great place to stay for single or large groups!
Reviewed On 10/09/2016 by Christa T
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.
Reviewed On 9/16/2016 by Rachel A
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 de...
stination 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!!
Reviewed On 9/15/2016 by Erica L
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!
Reviewed On 9/13/2016 by Mary Catherine W
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 s...
taff & 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.
Reviewed On 9/13/2016 by Linda K
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 m...
ade 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...
Reviewed On 8/15/2016 by Sarah H
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 e...
ase. 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.
Reviewed On 8/05/2016 by
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.
Reviewed On 7/31/2016 by Rebecca O
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.
Reviewed On 7/16/2016 by Kierstin J
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 d...
ay! 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-
Reviewed On 7/14/2016 by Alexandra K
My husband and I were married here this June and it was amazing. Our ceremony was held outside under the Yellow Pavilion and our reception was also outside under the plaza tent. The setting was perfect and there were multiple loctaions availa...
ble for some beautiful pictures since it is on a very pristine golf course. There Pavilion tent really didn't need any decoration - the yellow glow does it all . We chose this venue because it was affordable, it came with a guaranteed backup space if weather was bad, and we got Liz as a wedding coordinator. It was a one stop shop kind of wedding and it was perfect. Liz worked with us every step of the way and was a joy to work with - she helped me feel at ease during the wedding weekend and is very trustworthy. I can't tell you how impressed i was with the staff who worked our wedding - everyone was friendly and amazing. The night was seamless. The rooms were also amazing. This resort is well oiled machine for weddings and it showed. If you choose this as your venue - you won't be disappointed!
Reviewed On 6/29/2016 by Knottie1467216516
Absolutely wonderful experience! Liz (and staff) did an exceptional job from the moment I first spoke with her. We had the ceremony outside under the yellow awning, beautiful (flowers and grounds are gorgeous)! Our reception was held in the...
Michigan Ballroom and was COMPLETELY transformed into the most beautiful, enchanting room we have ever seen! It was gorgeous! The food was EXCELLENT! The service at the reception couldn't have been any better. We also utilized the "Parlor Room" for girls to get ready, WOW is all I can say!! We had numerous people tell us it was the most beautiful and best food they have ever seen/had at a wedding. Worth every penny! Great job Liz!!! Keep up the good work!!
Reviewed On 11/09/2015 by Chris P
My wife and I got married at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa on Oct 10, 2015. All the staff involved from Liz (our coordinator) to Brett who helped coordinate housing for all the out of towners, to Dawn at the Spa, Stephanie for the cake, and Ro...
ger at the golf course were a pleasure to work with. Our wedding was small (60) but we planned it in two months, and trying to pull something like that together for even 60 people over that time period took a lot of coordination. Everything went flawlessly, we had our ceremony outside in the pavillion which was nice, and our reception on the 17th floor of the tower at sunset which was beautiful. I did this all "site unseen" but never stressed about it as Liz was able to paint a good picture of what we were going to get. The price was right for sure, and all our guests enjoyed themselves. They delivered exactly what we envisioned. I have no complaints and would recommend this as a wedding location to anyone I know.
Reviewed On 10/30/2015 by Knottie1442491077
Amazing wedding weekend--married on the beach, and beautiful barn for reception: Liz and her team made our dream HAPPEN. Absolutely amazing weekend, and everything was done to perfection--I cant thank Liz enough. People are still talking abou...
t how fantastic our food and cake were, and what an amazing beautiful place GTR is. We will be back every year to see our beloved Liz and reminisce on a magical weekend.
Reviewed On 10/29/2015 by Cheryl C
The Grand Traverse Resort's 17th Level exceeded our expectations for our son's rehearsal dinner in late September. The food, the service, the gorgeous room with floor to ceiling windows AND the exquisite view made the evening spectacular! I com...
pliment Liz -- she helped so much. She was great with communications, suggestions, and answering questions,.. I had not seen the room until the day of the dinner (not living nearby), yet everything was perfect. They were even very accommodating about food allergies. Our guests all loved the food from appetizers to dessert, VERY delicious! Wonderful memories were made that evening looking over the red sky as the sun set over Grand Traverse Bay. Thank you Liz and Thank you Grand Traverse Resort!
Reviewed On 10/27/2015 by Rachel L
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa was so much more beautiful than I could have ever imagined! From the beginning planning stages to the very last detail, Liz Brooks (Special Events Manager) helped me with everything. She is super friendly and very ...
knowledgeable. I had a destination wedding (I live in California), so I was a little nervous at first not being physically there to plan everything. With all the help from the staff and their recommended vendors, my wedding was absolutely perfect. I can honestly say everything went off without a hitch! I would recommend GTRS to anyone and have not one bad thing to say about them.
Reviewed On 10/27/2015 by Kara B
Grand Traverse Resort did an AMAZING job with our wedding! From the day we booked our wedding at the resort to the last moment we were at the reception, everything went according to plan. We were married Labor Day weekend with our ceremony in t...
he Pavilion on the grounds, which was perfectly shaded, as it was the hottest day on record.Our reception was outdoors in the Plaza Tent, which was also walking distance from the ceremony. There were 3 other weddings there that weekend but Liz Brooks, the wedding/special events coordinator always made me feel like I was the only bride. She was always available by phone and returned all my emails very promptly. The weekend of the wedding she and Alex (event design coordinator) made themselves available in person to meet. The Friday before our wedding we had a large welcome party/dinner for all our guests and Liz and Alex made sure to stop by at the end to check in and make sure I was happy with everything. The night of the wedding Liz stopped by my husband and I during dinner to check in with us and make sure we were pleased with everything. Alex also did a great job coordinating all the décor. We were able to decorate the plaza tent form scratch and get the feel we wanted. All our guests had an amazing time and for a lot of them it was their first time up to Grand Traverse Resort/Traverse City and they couldn't stop talking about the beauty of it up there. The staff was awesome, even the bell hop guys and driving the shuttles around to where we all needed to be. Everyone was happy to help and truly made our wedding a memorable experience. Many guest said it was the best wedding they had ever been too. We were blessed to find such an amazing place at Grand Traverse!
Reviewed On 10/27/2015 by Jennifer L
Grand Traverse Resort did an amazing job with our wedding! We were married Labor Day weekend with our ceremony down at the beach club deck and the reception in the Tower Ballroom. There were 3 other weddings there that weekend but Liz Brooks,...
the wedding/special events coordinator always made me feel like I was the only bride. She was always available by phone and returned all my emails very promptly. The weekend of the wedding she and Alex (event design coordinator) made themselves available in person to meet. The day before our wedding we had a large cocktail party/dinner for all our guests and Liz and Alex made sure to stop by at the end to check in and make sure I was happy with everything. The night of the wedding Liz stopped by my husband and I during dinner to check in with us and make sure we were pleased with everything. Alex also did a great job coordinating all the décor. I had the ceiling and all the walls draped for the reception, which really gave the room a softer, romantic feel to it. I also wanted to rent some nice furniture and arrange it next to the dance floor and Alex was able to do that. All our guests had an amazing time and for a lot of them it was their first time up to Grand Traverse Resort/Traverse City and they couldn't stop talking about the beauty of it up there. The staff was awesome, even the bell hop guys and driving the shuttles around to where we all needed to be. Everyone was happy to help and truly made our wedding a memorable experience. Thank you to everyone at Grand Traverse!!
Reviewed On 10/27/2015 by CRYSTAL D
We had our wedding outside at the Shores Private Beach and the reception at the Plaza Tent. We couldn't have been more happy with the way everything turned out! We had a vision of what we wanted and with the help of Liz and Alex they made it po...
ssible and so easy to work with! I live 4 hours from Traverse City so I didn't see any of the decor or details until we walked in for our reception and I was totally blown away with how beautiful everything was! They definitely exceeded our expectations and we couldn't have been happier! Liz was absolutely amazing! She was so helpful and knew exactly what she was doing. She helped make decisions to keep us in our budget and made sure that our wedding day went as smooth as possible. I am so happy we chose Grand Traverse Resort for our wedding!
Reviewed On 10/27/2015 by Knottie1445961633
GTRS was amazing. We had our ceremony on Level 17 and our entire guest list stayed at the resort. First, I will say that Liz Brooks was absolutely a life saver... She was reliable in communicating and totally responsive; she had great ideas t...
o stick to my budget; and on the day of the ceremony, she stepped up to make sure everything went smoothly. Most importantly, she never made me feel like my anxieties were unwarranted. Level 17 was amazing, beautiful, and perfect. We were worried about having an outdoor wedding in the fall (given the unpredictable weather conditions) but really wanted the "outdoor" feel -- Level 17 was perfect for that with the ceiling high windows, glass roofing, and open air architecture. It was clean, modern, and just right for us. The GTRS tower suite was stunning with recently upgraded modern décor and great views. I was also really impressed with the great prices of the condominiums and ALL of our family and friends stayed in the condominiums and shared accommodations without a problem... All condos had multiple beds and bathrooms. We all loved it and we will be going back for our wedding anniversaries for sure!
Reviewed On 10/26/2015 by Jen M
We had our wedding reception at the Plaza Tent and were SO happy with how everything turned out. We had a vision of having a certain design with the draping and lighting and they did exactly what we asked for and made the tent look absolutely b...
eautiful. They also were able to add lights above the cocktail area which looked awesome at night, too. We loved working with Liz and Alex throughout the whole process. Liz, especially, was my go-to girl and was there to help me at every step of the way. She's a great person to have as the resort's coordinator. The only complaint we had about our whole experience was working with the lady in charge of room blocks. She was impossible to get ahold of and took over a week to respond back to e-mails and never answered her phone. I ended up going through Liz each time instead of dealing with that lady. But other than that, we were very very pleased with everything and had an amazing wedding weekend at the Grand Traverse Resort.
Reviewed On 10/02/2015 by Kristin D
Our experience with this resort was wonderful but his is definitely one of, if not the, most expensive venues in the Traverse City area. They handled everything for our reception from the food & alcohol to the cake to the draping and up lightin...
g and the reception could not have been more perfect. The event planner, Liz Brooks, and event design planner, Alex Schauer, were both amazing and pulled everything together seamlessly, even coordinating transportation for our guests to our off-site ceremony. My entire bridal party had their hair done at the resort's spa the morning of the wedding and we were more than happy with the results (and for a very reasonable price.) We also had a complimentary Tower room for our honeymoon suite, which was absolutely stunning. As an added courtesy Liz had arranged for all of our gifts & cards to be taken up to the room just before we arrived at the reception. As long as you have room in your budget I highly recommend this venue!
Reviewed On 9/21/2015 by Dani A
I cannot express enough how much we LOVED our wedding at the Grand Traverse Resort. Everything was flawless and beyond our expectations. Liz Brooks and Alex Schauer did a fantastic job all the way from the planning process to the grand finale. ...
I cannot thank them enough for all of their talent and hard work. We were even allowed to have our dog walk down the aisle, which meant so much to us! The food was amazing and the decor, set-up, and transportation from the beach to the reception were beyond anything we could have imagined. Everything was so well organized. We had so many guests tell us that this was the best wedding they have ever been to and that it was very "Paul and Dani". We did have a few issues with blocking rooms for our guests early on and some of our guests never received the "welcome bags" that we paid to have delivered, but other than that everything was pretty stress-free. Along with recommending the Resort, we also recommend Mac Daddy for a band, Premier Floral Designs for flowers, Melissa Wilson and Epiphany East for hair, Kristyn Taylor for makeup, and Lindsay Wolff Photography for flawless pictures. Everyone who contributed to our wedding helped make 7.11.15 the best day of our lives!
Reviewed On 9/17/2015 by Knottie1442507459
From the very first call with Liz Brooks, special events manager to the bellman who packed our car after check-out, we were treated like royalty. The entire staff paid attention to every detail and we felt like we were their only bride and gro...
om. The ballroom was breathtaking and everyone raved about the food including our gorgeous wedding cake. At the end of the reception when the bar was about to close, the bartender brought my husband and I two fresh drinks and bid us good night-a small gesture but a perfect example of the attention we received. Our accommodations were luxurious and the view spectacular. We especially loved the personalized Mr. & Mrs. pillowcases, champagne and toasting glasses they left as a gift. All we can say is WOW!! We can't say enough nice things and would highly recommend GTR to all!!!!
Reviewed On 7/25/2015 by Christine P
We chose GTR for hotel rooms for guests and the wedding party because it was close to our reception site. However, right from the beginning they were very difficult and a headache for MOG and FOG to deal with as family and friends arrived. They...
also wouldn't accommodate handing out welcome bags and wanted to charge $5/bag to distribute. For how much the guests were paying, and the business we were providing, we expected a lot more out of the Resort. Many of the guests said they will not come back.
Reviewed On 5/27/2015 by Michelle H
We got married outside in the Pavillion and had our reception was in the Michigan Ballroom. Liz Brooks is absolutely amazing! She is the wedding coordinator. Alex who does decor is also really helpful and friendly. The resort will go above and ...
beyond to make you happy. We are so glad we got married at this amazing resort. We will be returning every year!
Reviewed On 5/21/2015 by Knottie16935704
My daughter wanted a destination wedding. We are so happy she choose the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. We got the best of both worlds. A beautiful ceremony on the 17th floor overlooking the grounds and water!! Then the tower ball room turned ...
out better than we imagined! Between the ceremony and reception the resort shuttled the wedding party and photographers and videographers to the beach for more photos!! Like I said. The best of both worlds. Beach photos without the humidity! The staff was so helpful and worked with us! Even last minute changes were no problem. The Spa was great for hair, makeup and nails!! My daughter had a trial updo and makeup on Friday! They took the hair down and she was ready for rehearsal! The food stations we choose were fantastic! Did I mention the bacon bar!! Ask Liz! It was the Best Day Ever!! Thank You!!
Reviewed On 12/14/2014 by Jessica C
My husband and I got married in August at Grand Traverse Resort. We got married underneath the yellow pavilion and had our reception in the Michigan ballroom. I cannot say enough great things about Liz and Alex. They made the planning process s...
o easy and Liz was there the day of to coordinate EVERYTHING. We went to the resort in February for our tasting and were not satisfied with the food, so Liz helped us come up with a new plan. We ended up doing 3 tasting stations instead of a plated dinner and it was fantastic. Stephanie, the pastry chef at the resort, made our cake and it was incredible. She made a gluten free cake for me and was so easy to work with. Alex coordinated the decorations and helped make my vision a reality. The resort is really a one stop shop and the only things that I did on my own were flowers, the DJ, and hair/makeup. My husband and I had the perfect wedding and the Grand Traverse Resort staff had a huge part in making that happen.
Reviewed On 10/23/2014 by Jack C
We had a great experience working with the GT Resort for our wedding. Liz and Alex went above and beyond ever step of the way, from walking us through all the details of our ceremony on the beach, to making sure our place cards were set properl...
y at our reception in the Plaza Tent. The food was outstanding, the staff was professional and courteous, and the venues were perfectly detailed. My wife and I did not have to worry about a thing. All of our guests enjoyed their rooms and the services the resort had to offer. I would highly recommend the resort for your wedding celebration
Reviewed On 10/22/2014 by Shannon R
Our wedding was amazing! Liz, the wedding coordinator, was more than a pleasure to work with. She does everything she can to make sure you're as stress free as possible, she genuinely listens to you, and is very dedicated to making your day sp...
ecial. She is in constant contact through email/phone call, and any concern is addressed in a more than timely fashion. She is a HUGE asset to the resort, and they are very lucky to have her. The next positive was Stephanie, the pastry chef. I don't have words to describe what this girl can do with cake flavor. You just have to try it for yourself, and you will not be disappointed! Something as plan as vanilla still excites your taste buds, she is just that good. She even made the accommodation, less than a week before our wedding, to make the cake bigger than originally ordered so it fit our stand better. She also took care with allergies. My mom has severe nut allergies, and she was able to make our cupcakes/cake allergen free so all could enjoy! Duke made room blocking easy and guest affordable. The venues were breath taking- our Beach ceremony site was beautiful and the Plaza tent was the reception venue I had always dreamed of! Downfall areas come in regards to treatment of our guests by hotel employees and several hiccups in planning. A manager personally came out to berate a family member of mine publically, which was not ok. Then the day after our wedding at 4pm, I was called and asked why we had not vacated the "suite," to which I had email confirmations that we were in this room for two nights. In the planning process, I had been in contact with Meg, since January (we booked in Sept. '13 for Sept. '14, and I had to wait until Jan. '14 to start design planning). After several emails/phone conversations, I found out in June nothing had been taken care of and done. The poor girl that was put as an interim replacement conveyed how overwhelmed she was, and when we were put in touch, details from what had been discussed prior with Meg did not match. It was very frustrating, and I did everything from my own centerpieces to linens; which meant I also had to decorate and clean up after the reception. When we booked, we were told transportation shuttles would be provided to the bridal party for pictures, and were told it was, quote "one less vendor to deal with." We still had to pay for a resort shuttle for pictures, and ended up not going off property. Our tasting was supposed to be for 6 people; and was planned for 4, so we ended up splitting and sharing. The food the day of the wedding was underwhelming for the price. Our bar, however, was BEYOND phenomenal. I had a hair and makeup trial while visiting for our tasting; and am so thankful I did. I ended up doing my own makeup and had a friend do my hair. Three of my six bridesmaids had their hair done at the resort spa, then the girl who did my hair ended up fixing their hair as well. Ending on a positive note, everything turned out stunning in the end. The venues were gorgeous, and everyone had a blast. The entire atmosphere itself is where the cost becomes worth it. The resort truly is a gorgeous location. I was underwhelmed with some services, while others exceeded expectations. We left with amazing memories, and a lot of our guests labeled our wedding "epic!" My husband and I are overall very happy with how our big day turned out and are grateful to those who helped make it special!
Reviewed On 10/14/2014 by Meghan S
My husband and I had our wedding at the Grand Traverse Resort July 2014. Growing up in Northern Michigan (I have since moved out of state) it was always a dream of mine to have my wedding at The Resort. Well that dream turned into a nightmare r...
eal quick. We ran into countless issues that no amount of words would be able to explain the headache we had. The wedding coordinator, decor lady, and cake decorator each quit after we had signed with the resort. So, we had to re-explain everything and basically start from scratch 6 months before our wedding date. We live out of state, so you can imagine the headache of having to go over plans again and again and again; and still have the new coordinator (Liz) and decor lady (Alex) not have a clue what was going on. For instance: we had a seated dinner and supplied beer and wine (no liquor offered) for our wedding. The day before our wedding Liz was speaking about how each pour of liquor would cost this much, each glass of beer this much, when we had told her probably 5 times and already signed contracts that we didn't want liquor served and that we are supplying the beer and wine. Liz apologized for forgetting that we were having a seated dinner and supplying the beer and wine by saying that her and her husband just moved into a new house and are super stressed so her minds been frazzled! Well how do you think we felt, it being 3 days before the wedding?! We also had our rehearsal dinner at The Sands condos, a lake front property owned by the beach. We had a great, relaxed dinner on the beach and a few of our guests even stayed at the condos. We supplied one keg of beer and were told that since some of the guests were staying at the beach condos that we could also bring our own liquor. This turned out not to be the case. We brought some of our own alcohol only to be told by the bartender that we weren't allowed to and that we had to purchase the alcohol from the resort. We went back and forth, he wasn't budging, and ended up having to spend another $500 to have more alcohol brought from the resort. The hotel reservations were also a nightmare. I finally had to have my husband deal with that or else I was going to lose my mind. They constantly kept getting the reservations wrong, were missing reservations of our family/wedding party, and the worst part was that they didn't let anyone check in early. Our wedding was at 4pm (the same time as check-in) and we thought that with all the money we had spent, plus the fact that we had over 20 rooms booked for the wedding, that we all could get early check-in. WRONG. My husband had to book 2 rooms for the night before the wedding just so our wedding party would have a room to get dressed in the day of. We asked Liz if she had a bill ready for us 4 days prior to the wedding, it was in the contract that we had to pay most everything 3 days in advance, and she said she didn't know how much the bill would be (food, alcohol, remainder of venue cost, etc.). Well the bill was over $18k, so we essentially had to show up with a blank check and hope the calculations we did at home were close to what we would be paying. For the amount of money we spent, well over $25k, we were expecting so much more than what the resort offered. Rude staff, constant confusion and chaos, and just a general lack of interest/care about our wedding is the last thing a bride wants. Spend your money elsewhere, ANY WHERE ELSE, because you will be disappointed if you have your wedding here
Reviewed On 8/02/2014 by Kirra S
My husband and I were married at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa on July 26, 2014 and could not have been more delighted with our wedding experience! We had our ceremony at the Pavilion and our reception at the Michigan Ballroom. The event pl...
anner Liz and the decor manager Alex were amazing, incredibly helpful and easy to get a hold of! The staff at the resort on the day of our wedding went above and beyond for us. This is a fantastic venue to have your wedding at, especially if you have many out of town guests. Many commented how seamless and worry-free it was to stay at the resort and attend our wedding. Can't say enough about this venue!
Reviewed On 7/31/2014 by Crystal T
Honestly, I cannot say enough great things about the staff at the resort who helped with my destination wedding. Hilary in group reservations made the ENTIRE booking process seamless. I called her many times for updates/information and she was ...
always prompt, kind, and service focused. Liz, the special events manager, met and exceeded my expectations from our first phone call, review of the facility, to the food tasting, and especially on my wedding day! Nothing went wrong on my wedding day and it was gorgeous. A month later, everyone is still talking about how delicious the food was! The level of customer service was superb! Liz treated my wedding like it were her own and provided us with white glove service from the beginning to the end. The site is beautiful and has amenities for everyone (great restaurants, sushi, golf, indoor and outdoor pools, spa, tennis courts, gym) ! If you are looking for a nice place for your destination wedding, look no further! The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is your location!
Reviewed On 6/29/2014 by Alisha Z
The Grand Traverse Resort provided me with the best wedding ever! The ceremony under the pavilion tent was beautiful!! The reception in the Michigan ballroom was amazing! Liz, the wedding coordinator was wonderful and so easy to work with! She ...
always answered all my emails in a timely manner. Liz never told me no and made sure everything I wanted came true! She was there until dinner was served, making sure everyone was in the right place and knew what to do. Took all the stress off me and allowed me to sit back and enjoy my big day. Meg helped me with all my decor and gave me ideas to help my vision come true! All I had to do was tell her what I wanted and it was done! This made my wedding planning easy and fun! My guest are still talking about how amazing my wedding was! I would encourage anyone to have their wedding at the Grand Traverse Resort!
Reviewed On 6/28/2014 by Samantha D
The Grand Traverse Resort is an absolutely beautiful venue and we had a perfect day! We got married at the 55th hole and it was stunning. However, we did feel that our wedding coordinator was very rushed. We had our rehearsal the day before the...
wedding and she had another rehearsal to be at exactly 30 minutes after ours. We felt very rushed to get through the rehearsal and this ultimately led to not realizing our aisle would be very narrow and as I walked down the aisle with my dad and stepdad on the day of our wedding we did not fit 3 across. She also had another wedding that day at the exact same time which also made us feel rushed. We felt as though she did a great job considering the circumstances but that maybe the resort is over booking her. Our reception was absolutely amazing! Fran, the head caterer was so great and made sure we had everything we needed at all times. The decor was done beautifully. The decor coordinator left the resort days before our wedding. However, Alex, the assistant took over and did an amazing job. The only problem we had was our last name was spelled wrong throughout the signs guiding our guests where to go as well as on the grooms cake. Generally we wouldn't care much about this but to us it was a bit disappointing considering it was our wedding day and we felt as though with the amount of many we were paying them that was one thing that should not have been wrong. We also had our hair and makeup done at the resort. Becki did my hair and makeup. She was fabulous. She really listened to what I wanted and I was extremely happy with my wedding day look. The salon was about a half hour late getting us in. They had a wedding party ahead of us and ran late with that party which ultimately made us a half hour late in our day (a bit stressful!). Reserving rooms for ourselves and our guests was VERY easy. Duke helped us get our room block all set and he was so friendly and helpful. We were amazed with his costumer service! We were very happy with our wedding day at the Grand Traverse Resort overall. The staff was extremely friendly from the bell boys, to the front desk staff, to the group reservation staff, to the wedding staff. We had an amazing day!
Reviewed On 10/26/2013 by Alysa M
It was a beautiful place and had the air of good quality but it wasn't I received their highest priced manicure that was supposed to be the type that is your nails but hard to remove and this stuff chipped off so easy I had to redo my nails bef...
ore my wedding at a cheap nail saloon.
Reviewed On 8/06/2013 by Christine A
I need to start by saying I was very nervous about getting my hair and make-up done in Northern Michigan because I live in NYC and had no idea who to trust on my big day. I ended up going to the spa at the grand traverse because my wedding par...
ty was staying in the hotel. I had a hair and make-up trial in March ( which I HIGHLY recommend) which gave me a good idea of how things would go on the BIG day. While my hair did not turn out as well as I hoped and I was kinda in a panic Becki took a TON of pictures and when I came back for a second trial a few days before my wedding not only did she remember me but purchased a hair piece to make my bun more full and told me she had been practicing my hairstyle to make sure it would be perfect. I cannot tell you how amazing she made me look that day. She took her time on my hair to make sure every piece was where I wanted it and really paid attention to detail like how to place the hair so my higlights showed through. She was absolutely AMAZING and this is coming from a picky New Yorker who is super critical when people do my hair. I LOVE Becki and could not imagine having anyone else do my hair and make-up including the salon I go to in the city. She mde me look like I walked about of a magazine shoot and the make-up was flawless. I have never felt so beautiful in my whole life which is how every bride hopes to feel on her wedding day. I CANNOT say enough good things about her. She made my make-up look natural and not too much like many make-up artists which was very important to me. My mother and my bridal party all got their hair done at the salon that morning and everyone looked amazing which is also think can be rare when big groups arrive for bridal updos. Everyone looked amazing which added to the fun party mood and made the day even more special. If you are looking for a place to get hair and make-up done this is your place and you HAVE to ask for Becki! It will be the best decision you make. Becki MADE my wedding day! =)
Reviewed On 7/02/2013 by Jen b
Sandra was my hair and makeup artist for our wedding and I had a great time working with her. We met first for a trial. Although I liked the general idea of the trial, we decided to go in a slightly different direction the day of the wedding. I...
wound up loving my hair and makeup the day of the wedding. I don't typically wear a ton of makeup, and Sandra was able to provide me with a natural look that stayed fresh all day. I'm happy to say that I looked beautiful in my photos throughout the whole evening. Also, I have very fine hair, but she was able to provide me with a great updo that was just what I was seeking. My hair stayed up all night and looked perfect even after the after-party had ended :) In addition, my bridal party had their hair done at the spa the day of the wedding. All of them loved their hair, and again, everyone's hair stayed up all night. In addition, as I don't live in the area, Sandra was able to provide me with some great local suggestions for a post-wedding treat. I had a great experience and would recommend her for any bride. My only complaint is that it was a little difficult to get in contact with someone at the spa. I had to call a few times before I was able to book my appointment. However, after that, my experience was great. I had to reschedule my trial due to a personal conflict and had no problems doing so.
Reviewed On 6/03/2013 by Lauren
all aspects from the cake to the event planner were fantastic. great accommodations and guests made a weekend out of our destination wedding. good food and service.
Reviewed On 1/11/2013 by Nichole D
So many of our details were things we could get through the Resort, including having both our ceremony and reception in-house, made for a wonderful day in the winter. Incredible food. The things that lacked unfortunately were the accommodation ...
specifics and the day-of coordination help.
Reviewed On 10/28/2012 by jaci m
My husband and I had dreams of incorporating golf, beach, sun and sand into our wedding ceremony and dinner of 14 people. WE SUCCEEDED! After a short engagement and planning a wedding in 6 short weeks, Amanda O'Neil at GTR & S helped us fulfil...
l our dream. The staff at GTR & S surpassed all of our quality and service expectations! Everything was truly amazing and we have Amanda and GTR & S to thank. Do yourself a favor and let them take care of the details - nothing will be overlooked or forgotten! This is your day to remember for the rest of your life and GTR & S will make it the most unforgettable and amazing day!
Reviewed On 10/10/2012 by Jenna S
When my husband and I decided to have our wedding at the Grand Traverse Resort, we knew we would be blown away by the features of the resort, but we had no idea we would be blown away by how well the staff and Rachelle would take care of us! Th...
ey were there for every last detail, but they were not overbearing- which is what a bride needs! I had a huge wedding party, and Rachelle was still organized and on time for the entire day! The food was amazing- all my guests are STILL raving about it. I would do my wedding here again in a heart beat because they make sure everything runs smoothly and my day was perfect thanks to them!