Village Suites Bay Harbor

ence with BHVH can be described as having both "highs" and "lows". BHVH is a beautiful venue – by far the prettiest we saw in our search for a “Lake Michigan backdrop” in our targeted area of northern Michigan. Our guest count was around 160-170 but BHVH has the flexibility to serve crowds of all sizes. Food and beverage services were provided by Vernales Restaurant, BHVH's exclusive caterer. Planning with Joe, co-owner of Vernales, was a pleasure – topnotch services all the way from the menu tasting right through to when the last cocktail was served at the end of the reception. BHVH’s location allows easy access to surrounding cities and so we were able to find exceptional vendors to support our event – florist, baker, photographer, hair/make-up, etc. Our frustrations with BHVH stemmed from the lack of documentation upfront as to what the venue provides with its contract, and what it does NOT include. It was a “learn-as-you-go” process which made it difficult for us to be proactive in our planning. BHVH has an “event coordinator” but her role is quite limited. Detailed, day-of coordination services are NOT provided. We figured this out quite late in the game and ended up hiring an independent event planner just two months prior to the wedding date. BHVH provides NO event items at all (tent, tables, chairs, lighting, linens, etc.) – everything is rented through BH’s exclusive vendor, Taylor Rental. The problem is all communication with Taylor Rental has to go through BHVH’s event coordinator, a “middle man”, which makes it cumbersome and time-consuming. It’s extremely limiting as well -- you don’t have direct conversation with someone who knows Taylor’s entire inventory and can, therefore, offer suggestions and ideas that you wouldn’t have thought of on your own. A simple but practical example: our independent day-of coordinator knew that adding pads to tabletops make linens drape nicer and look richer. I was able to order these pads but wouldn’t have even known it was an option had it not been for someone with expertise making the suggestion. BHVH’s event coordinator does not have this level of knowledge; she orders from Taylor only what you, the client, tell her to order. Other drawbacks we experienced with BHVH included poor recording-keeping, and invoice systems that lacked detail. Also, guest relations were questionable. Several guests who stayed at the hotel for the wedding let us know that it was difficult to book a room, they did not receive the specific room for which they registered but one of a lesser grade, and front-desk staff were not always eager to help or welcome them. My advice to anyone considering this venue for a wedding celebration is to higher an independent planner or day-of coordinator, keep your own scrupulous notes and records of communications, triple check your invoices, and forewarn guests who choose to book accommodations at BHVH that it might be a bit of a challenge. All this said, our daughter’s wedding unfolded just as we envisioned. It was absolutely beautiful, and our guests were totally "wowed". Unbeknownst to them it took a lot of angst, micromanagement, persistence, and a private, independent coordinator to pull it off. We managed it but it just wasn’t an easy road at BHVH. 3 Stars for now.

appointment, we waited and waited for 30 min, before the receptionist said that the wedding planner wasn't going to show, but she had another showing at 3 that day and she would call us then. I received NO CALL...not even to this day (two weeks later). The poor receptionist had to show us around and she had no clue of pricing or availability. Terrible experience, how could you trust them for your wedding day when they cant show for a tour? I was so disappointed, I was really hoping to book this venue but I cant rely on them.

e to contact them and explain my wedding plans and expectations. It was absolutely the worst addition to the current stress already including in the wedding planning process. Finally we landed on the fifth coordinator, Melina, and my wedding was her first wedding to head up ever. I am not exaggerating, she almost ruined our wedding day. My entire bridal party did her job because she told me it wasn't her job to be involved the day of the wedding. The ceremony began at 3:00 and she didn't arrive to the venue until about 1:30. Because of her lack of care and awareness of her job obligations, I wasn't able to get ready with my best friends and have the "fun getting ready it's my wedding day" morning. Instead they were putting out several fires. Tables didn't fit inside the tent we were told to order, not enough chairs were delivered, no seat covers for the chairs, other vendors were late, people didn't have any direction, etc. It was an absolute mess! If it wasn't for my amazing friends sacrificing our "wedding morning" together, Bay Harbor would have ruined my wedding day. Now, I'm not an angry person who enjoys to write nasty reviews, I am NEVER that person. But people need to know, if they want the wedding of their dreams…bay harbor village hotel is not the place for that. I HIGHLY recommend you look elsewhere. The view is gorgeous, but it was literally constant stress. Also, almost ALL of our guests trying to book with this hotel received a terrible run around and I had to mediate the booking of the rooms (on top of all the other wedding stress happening). This venue WILL not reach your simple expectations of a normal wedding experience. The reason I am writing this is so brides don't experience the disappointment and expectations shattered for your one and only special day that I encountered.

does create a wow setting for any celebration. That said, we had some serious issues leading up to our celebration, particularly with senior management of the property. The Bay Harbor Village Hotel has several different ceremony and reception locations and is closely located to other Bay Harbor properties. As anyone who is interested in booking a wedding at a Bay Harbor property will quickly find, all of the different properties think of themselves as separate entities, even though at the end of the day they are all affiliated. As such, planning a weekend of events at multiple properties, as we did, quickly added up to many points of contact. While this was generally not a huge issue at other properties we worked with for our wedding events (Inn at Bay Harbor and Bay Harbor Golf Club), the service we received from Bay Harbor Village Hotel (who we booked for our ceremony location), was incredibly lacking and at times, even alarming given how the property bills it's events services. We found out three weeks before our wedding that about six months prior, the entire events staff had turned over at the property, and in doing so, apparently our reservation for our ceremony had not been recorded appropriately. With this, it came to our attention three weeks before our wedding (after many follow up calls and emails from me trying to arrange a meeting with the event staff), that they had double booked our ceremony venue. Rather than apologizing and offering a solution (because the property has multiple venues, this should have been easy enough for them to solve), it became clear that they were just going to let us find out on the day of and had no intentions of fixing it on their own initiative. The exact words they used on the phone with me were, "well, this is just the hand we've been dealt, so we're all going to have to make it work." Of course, we didn't think that was an acceptable solution, particularly given that we had booked a year and half in advance and already paid the generous booking fee in full. After about a week of back and forth, the issue was all sorted out, and the day itself was an absolute dream, but I found it incredibly shocking that a venue that bills itself as offering exceptional wedding services would be so lacking in customer service and treat weddings with such disregard. If I were to do it again, I'd recommend hiring some sort of coordinator that is locally based that could help keep tabs on things (I was an out of town bride so unfortunately limited to what I could find out in phone and email conversations).

er to help and provide ideas and solutions. Melinda also did an amazing job of working with my vendors so they knew where to go and at what time on the big day. My husband and I held our rehearsal dinner at the Equestrian club, our ceremony by the water and our reception in the Lake Michigan room. We chose to get married on the grass by the water which provided a gorgeous blue and green setting. For the reception, I visualized setting up the room differently than how the space is traditionally used. Melinda worked with me create the perfect lay out. Of course we ran into a couple of issues (relating to my dress, the flowers, and the cake) but the issues were quickly fixed thanks to Melinda's quick thinking and fixing the problems before I had a time to have a major melt down. The weekend turned out even better than I could have imagined. Our guests were so impressed with the Village and we received a countless number of compliments. Bay Harbor Village is a beautiful and affordable venue and I am so thankful that we chose it for one of the most important events in our lives!

The staff was very friendly and helpful from start to finish!! Megan, Melinda and their staff made sure our day was perfect despite the crappy windy weather that blew in! Melinda especially was a HUGE help in making sure even though we had to move things indoors quite quickly they went off without a hitch!! We all had an amazing time and all the family that came in for the wedding from out of town was blown away not only by how beautiful Bay Harbor is but Petoskey in general and of course the wedding:) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES to all involved at Bay Harbor in making our big day so extra special:)

e environment was. We couldn't have dreamed of a better day. I have the best memories of Bay Harbor and have already been back to celebrate many times!

irst visit with Melinda at Bay Harbor so we could get all of our questions answered and begin to plan the wedding they wanted. The Bridal Fair that they hold at Bay Harbor was also excellent and the many vendors there were so informative. It was from this event that we choose to work with William at Monarch Florist in Petoskey. He is absolutely the very best and worked along with our ideas that he turned into the perfect flower arrangements along with other ideas to set the theme for this event. Megan and Melinda worked with me each time I called or had an appointment and always got me the answers I needed right then or soon afterwards. The wedding was on the beach absolutely beautiful with the lake as their background. The cocktail hour and the reception were on the lawn in their large tent which is the most gorgeous atmosphere during the day and as the evening turns to darkness. Their is nothing that could be more spectacular. The hotel accommodations were wonderful and all of our wedding guests that stayed at Bay Harbor are still raving about their experience. The rooms are gorgeous and all overlook the beautiful area there. The ones that stayed said it make a fabulous wedding turn into a fabulous three day vacation for themselves. Galley Gourmet catered the event and the food was spectacular and very reasonably priced. The entire staff at Bay Harbor took care of all of our needs the entire planning time, during the rehearsal and the wedding. There could not have been a more fabulous place to have held a wedding.

. Everyone thought finding that "all in one" venue would not be possible until we came across Bay Harbor. From the minute we took a tour with Megan Nickerson, the wedding coordinator, we fell in love with the venue and knew instantly that Megan was the person that we had to work with. She was beyond supportive of all our ideas, and was always available through the entire process. Megan really made us feel comfortable and important and I know that our wedding would not have been the same without having her involved. We were married on Memorial Day Weekend and could not have found a better place to get our "all in one" day feel. We were married out on the Observation Platform and I cannot even explain how many compliments that I received about the uniqueness of the ceremony site. I definitely got my water views that I had always wanted as we were surrounded by water on the platform and it was absolutely gorgeous. After the ceremony, guests took a shuttle right from the ceremony to the reception which was extremely convenient for us and our guests as we had food, drinks and music waiting for them as we took pictures. The reception was coordinated perfectly and had everything that we could have possibly needed available. The last part of our "all in one" wedding was that almost all of our guests stayed right at Bay Harbor so it was a simple walk to their rooms and they were set for the night. My husband and I still talk about how fantastic and perfect our wedding was all the time. I could not imagine my wedding being anywhere else. I had a long and difficult list of needs that I wanted for my wedding and Bay Harbor went above and beyond to meet those needs.

l and everyone is very helpful and friendly. We had our food catered from galley gourmet and people are still talking about it. We were so lucky to get married in a dream location and work with the best planner Megan. Thank you Bay Harbor for making our day everything we could have imagined and more!

remind us today of how they had such a great time. From the minute we booked, the coordinators were always there to answer our questions-even being from the suburbs of Detroit, they always called back right away. We had a great experience and we would recommend this venue to everyone. To know you can get married at such a beautiful place and it feel like a vacation at the same time is more than we could have asked for.

it so much that we purchased a cottage in Michigan about 5 years ago and find it our #1 vacation destination. My daughter decided that a destination wedding in Petosky or Bay Harbor was her choice, due to our frequent trips to this beautiful lakefront area and her love for the location. We traveled up for the weekend to find our venue and stayed at an adjacent property and began to visit venues in the area. By Saturday night, we just hadn't found anything that appealed to us, and most importantly my daughter and future son in law. Pretty disappointed at that point. Sunday morning, I woke up before everyone (I'm an early riser)and went out for coffee in the quaint town of Bay Harbor. As I walked the street I came across a smiling, friendly face in front of the Bay Harbor Village Hotel. Her name was Megan and she told me she was the event planner for the property and would love to take us through what she could do for us. WHAT A RELIEF!! She immediately began speaking my language! She made EVERYTHING seem so easy. All I can remember thinking was, I hope she can deliver. Well, it turns out she could. From the beachfront wedding to the beautiful outdoor reception at the marina. Meagan lined up vendors from caterers to musicians to entertainment. She suggested several photographers and florists all varying in service levels and price. Megan Nickerson made it all so easy! She even set up the rehearsal dinner, complete with a late night outdoor bonfire and smores for those that just didn't want to go to bed. Megan also handled all accomodations for the wedding party and guests (we stayed in one of the many properties (rental homes) for the entire week). Our guests enjoyed their stay at the Bay Harbor Village Hotel. It was an event that we will never forget! I like to take the credit, as if I hadn't gone out for that coffee on that Sunday morning, it never wouldv'e happened. But seriously, I really know it was all Bay Harbor and Megan. Experienced! Various selections! Great listeners! They really understood our wants and needs prior to making any suggestions. And most importantly for the father of the bride, stayed within our budget! Thank you Bay Harbor Village Hotel!! And Meagan for the GREAT experience!

wn region. Bay Harbor Village & Hotel fit that bill perfectly. To boot they have an amazing on site event planner, Megan Nickerson, who makes the experience as stress free as wedding planning can be. My bridesmaids and I were able to get ready at the hotel while overlooking the set-up of the wedding and arrival of guests, yet remain out of sight (which was fantastic for a hoovering control freak like myself.) I would highly recommend this venue, and wouldn't change a thing if I had to do it all over again myself.

before. We were always greeted with a big smile and always eager to get started on what we needed to plan. The rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony, reception dinner, photography, flowers, music, etc. EVERYTHING was planned right there with her at Bay Harbor. We stayed there for 4 days prior to the big event and then all of our guests did too, for the most part. It was an amazing 4 days, one we will never forget. Bay Harbor is the perfect venue for your destination wedding in beautiful northern Michigan!

e we wanted to start our new beginning together. We wanted a destination wedding without the far travels (we are four hours south of Bay Harbor). All our guests commented on the natural beauty of Bay Harbor...from the sandy beach, to the stunning blue water, this place has it all! Our wedding pictures are breath taking! The staff at Bay Harbor was exceptional and extremely prepared. From booking the venue with Megan, to planning the wedding with Melinda, these ladies are clearly professionals at their jobs. Being four hours south of Bay Harbor, never did I feel as if I was being overlooked or not taken care of because I was not local. Melinda, the wedding planning coordinator, had wonderful suggestions and helped make the planning process enjoyable. She was so approachable and easy to get a hold of to talk about plans. Melinda also has a great staff of coordinating helpers who were outstanding. Looking back at wedding, the ONLY thing I would change is that the day would have lasted longer...but hey, you can't add more hours to the day! I was so calm the day of the wedding and was truly able to wake up and enjoy my day stress free. A big thank you to everyone at Bay Harbor involved in making our dream wedding come true! We will forever be grateful and hold you all in our hearts.

property for our wedding weekend; from a welcome dinner and bonfire at Sunset Beach to our ceremony on the platform and cocktail hour and reception on the two marina lawn panels. Megan and Melinda were excellent in helping facilitate all of our needs. I would highly recommend Bay Harbor to any bride and groom's wishing to have a beautiful and unique venue. Our guests gave us so much positive feedback in regards to the Village and the accommodations. THANK You for helping make our wedding the best day EVER!

to answer any questions or concerns at any time. The Village also gives you the freedom to really customize your wedding for your style and budget. We had a 100 person wedding with the ceremony on the Marina lawn panel with a tented reception on the adjacent lawn. It was perfect and beautiful. Most of our guests stayed at the Village hotels, but many also stayed in B&Bs in the beautiful surrounding cities like Harbor Springs and Petoskey. However, a few of our guests did have troubles with their room reservations at the Village. Overall it was more than we could have ever imagined and turned out beautiful.

ny bride & groom contemplating having their wedding ceremony and/or reception at Bay Harbor Village Hotel & Conference Center look no further as you would not be able to find anything better! As for Megan and Melinda - THANK YOU! The staff went above and beyond to make our wedding the best night of our lives!!

place. Our guests were able to stay on location, there is the small city area, we had our ceremony on the beach then reception at the marina. We even had a beach bonfire the night before which was a nice extension to see our guests. I worked with Melinda planning in advance and she was wonderful and so helpful the whole way. I love this place, we couldn't have had a more perfect wedding location!

ng it a busy weekend for all. We arrived and were able to check in early, regardless of the fact that there were tons of visitors. The suite was gorgeous, and made us feel welcome. My husband noticed the wood floor seemed dirty, so he called the front desk. While we were out of the room for about 30 minutes, the staff came and cleaned the floor. The hotel even offered us a huge upgrade to a 3 bedroom penthouse for our troubles. We decided to stay put because the room was already gorgeous and had great water views. We were impressed with how quickly the staff handled our problem, and how professional they were. The rest of the weekend was wonderful; our room was cleaned each day and it was so nice to not have to worry about any of the hotel details on the weekend of our wedding. They were extremely helpful with our wedding guests and taking care of minor details forus. Thanks so much BHVH for all of your hard work in making our weekend stay so easy.

w of the bay. The front desk also brought a steamer so all my girls could do a quick wrinkle release, and then an extra iron when we needed more. I would recommend this hotel to anyone.

fect. Megan was wonderful to work with and very quick to respond to any questions I had. I also worked with Taylor who was my on site coordinator. She was amazing. I gave her and Megan a large list of everything I needed done in my tent and they completed it perfectly. This venue by far the best in Northern Michigan and I cannot thank them enough for how perfect my special day was.

me and my new husband. The entire experience was wonderful and hassle-free. Megan and Melinda at Bay Harbor were especially helpful and made the whole day run smoothly. They were both very easy to work with and very attentive through all of the planning stages. The Observation Platform made a stunning ceremony site and the honeymoon suite was beautiful with a breathtaking view! We could not have been happier and highly recommend this package for anyone planning a small wedding (30 guests or less).

l! Love this place for weddings!