If you love history, planes, or the value of a truly unique space, you might want to look at the Yankee Air Museum for your wedding or rehearsal dinner! The Yankee Air Museum is located in Belleville, MI at Willow Run Airport. The space rents for $1500 for a 6 hour block, which includes tables and chairs. You can add in many other items at a cost, such as:

• Movie room – great to entertain the kids! They sit in airplane seats while enjoying a movie.
• Valet parking
• Education simulator
• DC-9 Simulator

One of the larger planes is used as a wonderful backdrop (and prop for photos), and dancing takes place under the wing of another plane! You can keep with the theme, or really dress it up with beautiful linens, chivari chairs, and lots of flowers.

We are looking forward to our first wedding there!

The Links at Whitmore Lake is not only a wonderful Golf Course, it also just got a facelift with a beautifully renovated banquet space! They are now open for wedding bookings, and have many 2012 dates still available for anyone trying to plan a wedding in a hurry!

The Links uses PrimOvations as their preferred caterer, and their food is delicious. They can also handle linens and flowers for you if you’d like, which would make for a very easy experience.

Below are some more pictures by Dziekonski Photography (he does beautiful work!) from a recent event at The Links – enjoy!

A while back we did a post about Planterra, an awesome conservatory venue open for wedding ceremonies and receptions. They just sent me a promotional video on the space, so of course I wanted to share!

I am so excited to share with you this new (well new to us) venue! This beautiful historic place is called Tollgate Education Center. It is actually an extension of Michigan State located in Novi.

I know the name of the venue doesn’t scream wedding but don’t let it fool you. There are so many reasons why this place is so great. It’s very affordable, they have 4 different sites that you can choose from, and just look at these pictures, do I need to say more?

One of the four sites includes a rustic barn that is so pretty and you can also book the conference room along with it if you needed more room, or for a rain back up plan.

Tollgate also has a few gardens you could use for a ceremony and then the barn for a reception, and since it is located on 160 acres of trails, gardens and farmland your background is going to be breath taking.

They work with several local caterers that you can choose from, and fit to your budget needs. You also get to provide our own alcohol, which can save you money as well.

This would even be a great place for showers, or a very cute engagement party. I can’t believe that we never heard of this place and TwoFoot Creative would love to help you plan your event here!

Written by Melanie King – TwoFoot Creative, Ann Arbor

I am so excited that Melange is making itself available to weddings and other events – it is an awesome space right downtown Ann Arbor and would make for such a unique wedding venue! Laura, one of the owners, answered my questions about the space – enjoy!

Where did Melange get its name? Mélange’s name came from the restaurant’s builder and architect John Janviriya. He wanted to highlight the fusion of foods & the building design. Mélange means fusion.

What is new these days? We have so much going on these days. We have released a new menu that includes unique appetizers like our Duck Nachos and our version of a BLT along with some delicious entrees. Mélange will also be having a late menu available for customers until 2am that will include most appetizers and desserts and entrees upon request. Since Mélange is known to be a wine bar we could not help but update and revamp our wine list. We have separated the wines to allow our customers to easily decipher between all of their options. We have a wine that will please anyone’s pallet. Soon we will be releasing our tapas style dessert menu. With miniature options of all our tasty desserts and some new ones this allows our customers to have a little taste of everything, now they can cure their chocolate craving and have a bite of our cheesecake too.

What are some of the things you are most excited about for the restaurant? I cannot wait for everyone to learn about what Mélange has to offer. With some new marketing and exciting events I cannot wait to share the excitement with all of our guests. This coming year we will be hosting a lot more events for our guests to enjoy as well as getting involved with some local charities. We are looking forward to launching our catering menu and working closely with personal and corporate events.

What is your favorite new menu item? Off our appetizer menu the Duck Nachos are by far the best. The Duck Nachos are our top selling appetizers and prepared skillfully with duck confit and other special ingredients to captivate anyone’s taste buds. Off our entrée menu our new Coconut Shrimp is the most unique. We take the ordinary coconut shrimp and add a Mélange twist of special ingredients to enhance all the flavors.

What is your minimum for a Saturday night event and what does that include? $12,500 and that includes; food, staffing, exclusive rental of the restaurant, non-alcoholic beverages. Tax and 20% gratuity added. Alcohol, entertainment and valet available for additional costs.

What is the capacity for a reception, and what are some space issues you face? 270 maximum and there are 144 seats in the restaurant plus our lounge area. The one space issue we face is we have our elaborate wine room that divides our restaurant in half. If a party gets larger than about 70 we would have to start separating guests into different areas.

Can I bring in my own desserts? If you are renting out the restaurant yes you may bring your own desserts. If not there is a $2 per person cutting fee. We do have an experienced pastry chef on staff that would love to make any kind of wedding cake or dessert for the special occasion.

What are you most excited about with opening up for weddings? Weddings are a totally different ball game when it comes to what we are use to. Weddings require extreme detail but allow for extreme creativity. No two weddings are ever the same so I am excited to be able to use the Mélange theme and transform that into different things for each wedding party.

What is your favorite wedding movie? The Wedding Planner with Jennifer Lopez is my favorite wedding movie. Seeing all the extravagant events and details that go into it allows me to get some of my own creative juices flowing about Mélange. I can now come up with different ways to present our foods and different types of food that can fit all kinds of wedding themes.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? Mélange is a Eurasian Fusion restaurant. We bring elements from all around the world to entice and excite the tongue. With our elaborate wine room and detailed cocktail list we have the perfect drink to pair with your meals. Some people might be surprised by the passion and excitement Chris and I have for Mélange and we cannot wait to share the excitement with all our guests.

 

 

 

 

 

What is Planterra, exactly? The Planterra Conservatory is a glass-enclosed botanical garden style of building. It contains numerous exotic plants and flowers and has lovely features such as our koi ponds, 60-year old Queen Sago Palms and the largest indoor living wall in Michigan. The Conservatory is operated by Planterra Corporation one of the leading interior landscape service providers in the nation and is owned by the Pliska family.

How many people can you accommodate for a ceremony and/or reception? We can accommodate 200 people, for ceremony and reception (strolling or plated). The Conservatory is a spacious 11,000 square feet but due to plants and other features the fire marshal has limited occupancy to 200 for events.

Do you have preferred caterers or can I bring in anyone I want? Signature menus have been crafted and designed specifically for Planterra and food service contracted exclusively through Planterra’s preferred caterer. Food and beverage menus are customized according to the tastes and requests of the client.

What are the fees associated with renting Planterra, and what does that include? We charge a facility fee which includes rental of the entire conservatory for up to 6 hours, use of our PA system, access to our gardens for breathtaking photography for up to 2 hours prior to the event, access to the “green room” which contains 4 vanities and a private bathroom, free wi-fi internet access, event set-up and clean-up. The rates are based on the day, Monday through Wednesday $1,950, Thursday $2,850, Friday and Sunday $3,950. We also offer all-inclusive ceremony-only packages at lower rates.

How does the conservatory look year round? The Conservatory is a filled with beautiful exotic plants and flowers year-round. However, we only offer the conservatory for formal events September through May because it is difficult to cool the space in the summer months. We are an especially breathtaking venue in the winter.

Is there anything I am not allowed to bring in? Floral arrangements and alcohol can only be provided by Planterra. Food can only be provided by our preferred caterers.

What do you love about hosting weddings and receptions? It is an honor to be the venue for such an important occasion. I enjoy the personal details that couples choose to do to make their occasion unique and special. I also love the life that it brings into our botanical wonderland.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about the space? The Conservatory building was imported from Belgium.

As a follow-up to my post a while back about the Big House being open for weddings now, I wanted to show some more pictures and go into more detail on logistics and pricing!

As guests arrive, they will be parking their own cars (complimentary) or you can hire a valet service to park them for you. The parking is right outside the entrance to the Tunnel and Suites, which is where they will enter for a ceremony and reception respectively.

For a ceremony on the Block M, you are looking at $6000 and an hour window for the actual ceremony to take place. Guests will walk down the tunnel to their seats, which are right on the field!

Your bridal party will get ready in the locker rooms! The visiting locker room is available as well, so ladies can be separated from the men, and you’ll have all the room you could ever need.

This is the view as you walk from the locker rooms down the tunnel toward your wedding ceremony!

For an additional fee, you can have a banner (probably for the guys to run through), a fly-by, your picture(s) on the jumbo-tron, the Michigan Marching Band, and many other bonuses!

After the ceremony (wherever it may take place), guests will enter the Stadium Club and take a manned elevator up to the 4th floor (or the 3rd, if you prefer that space!). The reception fee is $9000 and includes security, parking, tables and chairs.

Cocktail hour might include live music and displays of food for your guests, and some fun things to do such as a photo booth or caricature artist! During this time guests can watch you take pictures on the field through the glass windows, or catch up with friends and family.

Once guests are all seated, the grand entrance might lead into toasts and a welcome, followed by dinner service.

The four approved caterers at the Stadium are Katherine’s, Opus One, University Catering and Sodexo.

They would also provide the service staff and bartenders – but you can purchase your own alcohol.

Once dinner ends, dessert might be served or available at a decadent sweets table! Dancing will get started, and you and your guests can party the rest of the night! For an additional fee you can have the lights turned on in the Stadium for an excellent view of the field as well.

Katy Jackson-Hepner will be your on-site contact in the Athletic Department at UM. TwoFoot Creative is currently planning a 2012 Stadium wedding reception and she is wonderful to have on our team as we go through the logistics involved in a Big House wedding!

We would love to help you plan your Big House wedding!

 

 

 

The Woodlands of Van Buren is conveniently located in Van Buren Township, which is 10 minutes from the Metropolitan Airport, 20 minutes from Ann Arbor. It has an outdoor ceremony site that seats up to 250 people, as well as a premiere banquet facility that holds up to 300 guests and includes a good size dance floor.

When I met with the Director of Catering, Kathleen, I asked her the price of a wedding package. “We don’t really have a fixed menu and price!” she said. And then she shared with me a few examples of how the chef and catering team customize the menu to make it affordable to clients.

She further showed me photos of twin sisters who were both married at The Woodlands because they were so impressed with how wonderful Kathleen’s team was to work with. “As we keep reminding ourselves that this is a big day in someone’s life and it won’t repeat again, we know we need to do our best.” Kathleen told me.

The Woodlands currently has arrangements with the Holiday Inn Express for guests who book a 10-room block to have a shuttle service transport guests between the hotel and the club. The arrangement also offers hot breakfast to wake you up in the morning!

I am looking forward to helping couples plan their wedding at The Woodlands of Van Buren and experience their gracious service!

Written by Brenda Lin – TwoFoot Creative, Ann Arbor

 

Tucked away in Saginaw Michigan, you will find this charming Georgian-style mansion called The Montague Inn. It looks like somewhere straight out of a fairy tale storybook. Mr. Robert Montague built the inn in 1929, and it lays on eight acres of land located on Lake Linton. This place is a hidden gem and it would make for a beautiful wedding venue.

The Montague Inn can have up to have 100 guests inside and around 400 outside with a tent. It has seventeen rooms that are available for you to stay in after the wedding and they do offer a group discount rate.

During your wedding weekend, you can also host a rehearsal dinner or brunch here in one of their gorgeous event rooms – the place is all yours!

Montague inn is known for their fine dining, and their wine has won five awards from the Wine Spectator magazine. Prices range from 22.95 for one entree and 28.95 for three entrees. They have a very extensive menu for you to choose from and a large selection of appetizers for guests to enjoy during cocktail hour.

This mansion is amazing and will truly make you feel as is you took a step back in time. We would love to help you plan your wedding at the Montague Inn – give TwoFoot Creative a call so we can help create a wedding distinctly you!

Written by Melanie King – TwoFoot Creative, Ann Arbor

The Power Center for the Performing Arts is a performance theater located in downtown Ann Arbor on the U of M campus. The theater is innovatively designed in modern classical architecture with majestic concrete columns and mirrored glass with a somewhat ancient flair. Couples love the architectural beauty of the soaring lobby and choose to get married there where the beautiful, bright sunshine comes through the mirrored glass.

Couples can host both the ceremony and reception at the Center, or just the reception in the soaring lobby, which holds up to 150 guests for a formal reception with a dance floor. Couples are not limited to University Catering; they can hire the caterer that best meets their needs, as long as the temporary alcohol license is permitted in advance of the event.

The price of the Power Center is budget friendly; $750 for 8 hours, and you can enjoy the great time you are having at your reception party until 1:00 a.m. If you would like to plan your party to go beyond 1:00 a.m. , the fee is only $125 per additional hour. Worried about parking in downtown Ann Arbor? We have it covered! Your guests can choose to park at a meter, or you can talk to the University about parking in the Center’s parking lot for only $5 per car!

Couples getting married in the city of Ann Arbor are fortunate to have the University of Michigan, which offers a unique variety of venue options to plan a memorable wedding. Couples can have their wedding in one of the many museums at the University, the Power Center, or in the elegant Michigan League or Union. Call TwoFoot Creative for help planning your University of Michigan wedding!

Written by Brenda Lin – TwoFoot Creative, Ann Arbor