The Circ Bar and Rabbit Hole

Being from NY and having to find a place for a welcome party for my son's Ann Arbor wedding, we relied on Google to find a place. I wish we thought to look at The Knot for suggestions, it may have been easier. We met with Aubrey in the summer to look at The Circ and discuss our ideas for a welcome party for my son's Ann Arbor wedding on October 1st. Aubrey was very professional, and gave us all the info we needed to decide on The Circ for our 'destination' wedding weekend. We had 145 guests at our son's wedding, and over 100 planned to attend the welcome party the night before. The food was delicious, and we opted for a full open bar. The drinks were served quickly and the place was just perfect as a 'mixer' before the big day. I felt the price for what we got was more than fair, and the place was nice and big for such a gathering. Most of our guests complimented us on the food and the evening in general. We brought in some flowers for the high-top tables to make it more special, and Aubrey was sure to let us in a little early for that. If you want to make your guests feel at home, and host a fun night, this is the place to be!

Aubrey was amazing to work with! Being a university entity, it's a challenge to work with us, but Aubrey accommodated our needs and made the planning process very easy. The food was delicious and the bartenders were great. Overall, our experience was wonderful and I would highly recommend this venue for other events.

I got married at the Circ and Root this Saturday and I cannot recommend this venue highly enough - the food was AMAZING, the guests were complementing the venue all night and Gloria was so helpful to work with!! 100% worth every penny and I would book them again in a heartbeat.

Amazing staff amazing venue and all around the most perfect wedding venue. All of the unique areas were so fun and guests could not stop raving about how different and cool it was! Perfect all in one (photos, ceremony, dinner and dancing) wedding venue!

Our wedding at Circ & Root was absolutely incredible. The space is so unique and our guests will never stop raving about the cave rager :) Kate Anderson was super easy to work with - communicative, professional, and responsive throughout the entire process. The bridal suite is HUGE and so fun to get ready in. We had about 130 guests and held our ceremony on the patio, reception in Circ, and dance party in Root. I was concerned about the transitions between the spaces and the coordination of so many vendors (including an outside caterer), but thanks to Kate & her team and my amazing wedding planner, Megan Kennedy, the event went off without a hitch and the night was absolutely perfect. The drinks were INCREDIBLE, especially at Root… people gave me endless compliments about the bartenders and the quality of drinks. It was a night we will never forget.

What an amazing venue! All of the guests were raving about how each section of the night was. All of the event staff were so sweet and great to work with. They even left a couple date night ideas for us before the guests arrived! The set up and takedown of tables/chairs and decorations was so fast and organized and there was always someone to help out when we needed it. The in-house catering is absolutely amazing and everyone loved the food from the buffet. It is definitely not the stereotypical wedding food. The bar staff were also amazing and created beautiful and delicious craft cocktails for all of the guests. The Circ and Root is an amazing business in downtown Ann Arbor, but they are an even better event venue!

Circ and Root is an incredible venue. The character, uniqueness and higher quality bar service are what really drew us here. We utilized the roof deck, Circ and Root for our wedding- therefore there was a lot of transitioning required. Additionally, since the venue is a functioning bar and club - set up has to be done the day of. With that being said, I highly recommend an experienced coordinator to ensure that vendors are coordinated appropriately. Kate was very helpful and responsive via email. She was very organized getting the “big” stuff organized early in the planning process but I found that closer to the date was more stand offish (where that experienced coordinator should come in). I’m more of an in person communicator and our scheduled never really matched up, which I believe is part of our miscommunications. I wish that communication closer to the day was better - our rehearsal was a mess, signature drink was wrong and staff was not very accommodating. Overall, we had an amazing day and you cannot beat the beauty of the venue. Just be sure you’re (or coordinator) ready to be very hands on with the nitty gritty details of the venue coordination

We loved our wedding at Circ and so did our guests. The space is stunning and unique, unlike any other wedding we've been to. It is the perfect venue to create different moments during your wedding. Our ceremony was in the courtyard, cocktail hour at the back bar, dinner at the main bar, and reception in Root (the basement). Root offered great opportunities for photos as well. Wedding coordinator Kate was flexible and responsive. She was willing to field our random questions, solve problems, and work through issues that weren't explicitly covered by the contract. Quick highlights: Circ staff was extremely helpful all day (during setup, the event, and clean up) and willing to go the extra mile. Our DJ was able to use the house stereo upstairs during cocktail hour/dinner which saved us some money. Food was better than we anticipated and was representative of what we had at our tasting. We had 125 guests and used 9' farm tables. The dinner area felt close to capacity.

The Circ and Root is the dreamiest venue! If you are looking for something other than a basic barn or hall, the Circ and Root is the way to go! The long brick halls, updated features and Moody vibe is magical. The staff is helpful, however they do have strict rules they adhere to, understand that going into the planning process. These rules just allow for them to maintain their beautiful venue for others to come. We used all floors that the venue had to provide, and it created amazing transitions throughout the night. Highly recommend if you are looking for a venue your guests will not stop talking about and that you will forever cherish.

My husband and I held both, our ceremony and reception, at Circ and Root and could not be happier with how everything turned out! We were looking for a venue that was untraditional, fun and beautiful which we found here. Our ceremony was out on the balcony with about 75 people, yet still felt intimate. The balcony was then transitioned for cocktail hour which was done flawlessly by the staff. For the reception, the space comfortably fit about 140 people. Our layout consisted of long, family style tables. We did have the food catered and served by a local catering company which Circ and Root accommodated without issue. We were very happy with the Circ and root bar staff. Root was the perfect space to end the night for dancing. We got so many compliments on the unique space which we owe to the Venue and our florist who elevated the space with her design. Kate was amazing to work with throughout the entire planning process and was patient with all of our needs, questions and helped our vision come to fruition. We wish we could relive the night and looking for an excuse to host another event at this amazing space!

Short read: Things go wrong during a wedding, but the venue staff was unable and unwilling to work with us. Due to the pandemic, staffing was by far the biggest issue, so until they address these problems, I recommend avoiding them or bringing in your own. Long read: After touring what seemed like an endless stream of venues, Circ & Root stood out because of the beauty, atmosphere, and layout of the place. During the planning process, we had fairly decent communication with the staff. However, this was largely in part to me keeping thorough notes about every phone call and meeting. When it came to the actual day of the wedding, things went a bit awry, but such is to be expected. The issues we faced were mostly in dealing with staff, and with the state of the world right now, we understand. However, certain things can’t slide, and the venue was extremely unwilling to work with us afterwards. Here’s a breakdown: The good: the venue is gorgeous and fun, total hit of the night. Our photos are so memorable thanks to the beautiful interior and exterior of the venue. The bad: Cocktail hour was understaffed, people waited in line for a drink for most of the time (approx 45 minutes). The bartenders at dinner were rude to guests, even ignoring groups of people waiting for drinks. The servers during dinner were unprofessional. One server was wearing short shorts and tennis shoes to serve a formal wedding. The venue ran out of our signature drink halfway through dinner. The food was served cold. The quality of food from the tasting to the actual dinner was noticeably lower. One table wasn’t served until almost an hour after dinner had started. They forgot to serve our cake after dinner, but we were able to get it served downstairs. Security let random people into our private event on a few different occasions. Lastly, after all of this, the venue failed to take responsibility for these issues. When we asked for fair compensation for all the missteps, they pushed back and said it wasn’t their issues to deal with, and in the future they will be addressed. All in all, this venue will make for a beautiful wedding. 120 guests seemed to be too much to handle for their staffing at the time. Had they mentioned that prior, we could have done something about it, but were instead left to struggle. As things return to normal, I feel these issues will be clarified, but keep in mind, if you do have any issues, do not expect to be compensated.

Our day was perfect and that was largely because of Circ & Root and Kate's efforts. We held our ceremony on the terrace, had cocktail hour in the lounge bar, and then had our reception in Root. They were understaffed due to the pandemic, but Kate went out of her way to ensure things were perfect. The food and drinks were phenomenal and the venue itself was just what my husband and I wanted. Root's stone vaults and low lighting created an antique, kind of speakeasy vibe. The vaults separated a lot of the guests from one another and made it difficult for everyone to see the head table, but for us it wasn't an issue. It took some of the pressure off of my husband and I because we didn't feel like we were being watched the entire time and it encouraged guests to get up from their tables to mingle. The character that the building provided was a great talking point for guests. I even included the history of the building with our wedding invites. I wouldn't change anything about our day and I highly recommend this venue for couples looking for a unique place to have their wedding.

Venue is gorgeous and staff was easy going! Kate is so helpful and made everything come together smoothly. Only trouble we faced was navigating our way through the building due to the venue's unique setup, but staff made sure everyone knew where to be.

This is a very unique venue. The space has a lot of character and ultimately, it was a very beautiful, magical place. You can decorate however you want, and the bride and her mother had a vision that made the space look extraordinary. Kate Anderson, the wedding coordinator, is very responsive, patient, and will go to great lengths to make sure that your vision will happen. The bridal suite is amazing, and allows a beautiful and private space for the bride and her party to get ready for the big day. The venue even provided champagne and glasses for the first toast. The food was delicious and they were able to accomodate any food allergies or preferences. A couple things to be aware of...table and chair rental is extra. The venue itself is only able to provide minimal tables and chairs in their lounge area. All others must be rented by the couple. Make sure that you place your order well in advance so you can have them delivered. Otherwise, you will have to pick up tables and chairs and deliver and return them yourself. Also, the venue is not one big space, but divided into "vaults." The vaults are what makes the space so unique, but not everyone can see everything. Some people were not able to see the groom run over and kiss his bride, and missed the toasts and first dances. Ultimately, we had many people say it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever attended.

Circ was a beautiful space with a responsive and collaborative team. Kate and Roger were willing to accommodate our preferences and needs for the space/bar/food. They took time to understand our vision and make sure it was executed. The actual day of was beautiful and we could not have done it without Circ! This is the perfect space for a wedding of ~125-150 guests. :)

I wish I could give Kate and Roger more stars! We had the most perfect night for our recent wedding vow renewal at Circ/Root. Kate was absolutely delightful to work with. She is incredibly responsive to emails and very communicative about details. Whenever any issues came up, she was ready with problem solving solutions. Her calm and self assured personality made us feel so at ease and confident that the night would go as planned. She did wonders for my stress levels. We didn’t meet Roger until the day of, but he was also super helpful and full of ideas and eager to help us create the perfect night. Now for the venue - so perfect. It was really fun to change up locations between the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing. Each space is so fun and unique and beautiful in is own way, and I think it kept anyone from feeling stir crazy sitting in one spot all night. The courtyard was super cute for the ceremony and the rooftop deck was a fun outdoor space to have a few drinks with guests. Circ is gorgeous and the photos don’t do justice to the lighting in the space. The filtered light through the windows and pretty hanging light fixtures against the brick walls are gorgeous. Root was an absolute blast and the dance area was perfectly situated. The place has so much character and I got so many compliments on the awesome venue. Also - since the entire space is so gorgeous as is, I did only minimal decor ($600 on Sams club flowers and some candles) and it still felt special and luxe. Finally, the food and drinks. It was delicious! I had so many people comment on how good the food tasted and how much they loved the drinks. The bartenders made some mixed drinks that made the rounds around the party and everyone had fun trying new drinks at friends suggestions. I had so many guests tell us that we threw a great party, but honestly most of that is due to Kate and Roger in creating this awesome space. I would recommend this place to anyone.

As a wedding officiant who recently worked with The Circ I can say with full confidence this is a wonderful place for a wedding and working with the staff was a pure professional delight.

We just has our wedding at the Circ and it was AMAZZZINNGGGG! The whole process working with the Circ, from the 1st walkthrough to the day of, was so easy. Their team was so helpful and kind! The venue itself is incredible, and we got so many compliments from our guests. We ending up using all the spaces at the venue and the flow of the night worked out perfectly. I don’t have enough good things to say, we had the perfect day!

We got married in this super awesome venue on May 8th, 2021. The place is beautiful and awesome!!! The staff so friendly, amazing and helpful!! They will make sure that you only get the best for your big day!! And the food also super delicious!! 10 out of 10!!

I reserved the back lounge and roof deck for a surprise engagement event and could not have been happier. The Circ staff members and management were tremendously accommodating in every regard from the initial booking to the last drink poured. Service was top-notch and the food was great. The event coordinator was very prompt and personable while answering all of my questions. The venue certainly has the capacity and capability to accommodate most engagement and wedding events. More importantly, though, was how willing the staff was to please our guests and make our night absolutely magical.