War Memorial Weddings Guide

The War Memorial Wedding Venue in Southeast Michigan

Located on the quiet shores of Grosse Pointe, The War Memorial is both a historical landmark and a wedding venue. The War Memorial consists of two buildings, both connecting to one another. The Alger House is the original home structure, and the Ballroom was added in 2022. Together, both structures make up The War Memorial and hosts beautiful events and weddings. Your wedding day here will be a perfect blend of historical architecture and coastal elegance.

As a Southeast Michigan wedding photographer who’s worked 70+ weddings, I’ve worked at a lot of venues and know which ones are the best. Choosing your wedding venue is the first step in the planning process, and it’s a decision that is so important. You want a venue that reflects you as a couple and one that provides an exceptional guest experience- one that’ll have both you and your family/friends reminiscing on for years to come.

Your dream wedding all starts with where. I highly encourage couples to tour venues first to both determine availability and experience it in person. Finding a venue sets the tone for your wedding day, and it’s important to find one you feel aligned both in style and experience.

About The War Memorial

There are a few different areas that can be used for your wedding day, all dependent on your guest count. In total, the War Memorial can host a wedding with up to 450 guests. This venue only hosts one wedding at a time, so you won’t have to worry about guests accidentally stumbling into another wedding.

I think it’s important to note that all areas of this venue are easily handicap accessible. There are ramps and elevators available throughout the property. Here’s a breakdown of the different spaces available!

Alger House

The Alger House is the historic part of this wedding venue. To kick off the War Memorial experience, you & your guests will drive up the long lavender filled driveway. Parking is located off to the side of the home, and walk past the water fountain into the front door of the home. Once inside, you’ll find 3 rooms connected seamlessly that will be used for wedding celebrations. The Reception Room, Dining Room, and Library and all available for weddings inside the Alger House. Decorated with artwork in gold frames, rich wood tones, and gold lighting fixtures, these rooms have an opulent and intimate feel to them. The rooms also have hand-carved details, French doors, and the most beautiful ceiling artwork. Windows and French doors in these rooms overlook the water and lawn areas of the property.

This home will host more intimate weddings of 70 guests or under.

The Ballroom

This addition to Alger House was made in 2022 and provides more space for couples to have larger celebrations. Hosting up to 250 guests, this space has floor to ceiling windows overlooking Lake St. Clair and the lawn. An adjacent room can be added on to fully accommodate 450 guests. The Ballroom is connected to the Alger House, so guests will still have access to the house and can do a walkthrough.

Features of this space include private balconies, outdoor furnishings, climate control for year round celebrations, ability to host live entertainment (think live bands), and ambient lighting in addition to its water front views.

Lawn & Garden

This outdoor space can host up to 400 guests and gives your guests those views of all 3 areas of the War Memorial. From outside, you’ll have views of the lake, ballroom addition, and backside of Alger House. This memorial garden is curated with gorgeous blooms and a vine covered arbor. The lawn looks out over Lake St Clair, and features a stunning sculpture near the edge.

Wedding Ceremony Outdoors

An outdoor ceremony will take place in the lawn and garden area of the property. Your wedding ceremony will have the option to face out towards the sculpture and Lake St Clair, or it can face in the opposite direction towards Alger House. Both options are in full sun, so I highly recommend advising guests to wear their sunblock or provide parasols and fans for a summer evening ceremony! Ceremonies at this venue are typically 30-45 minutes, which is similar for other wedding ceremonies off-property that are not held in a formal church. The lawn can host up to 400 seats for ceremony guests.

For smaller, more intimate gatherings a small ceremony could be held inside Alger House. This would most likely be in the dining room area, and the capacity would be small!

Receptions inside The War Memorial

Your reception will kick off with a cocktail hour. Depending on the size of your event, this is typically held outside on the lawn so guests can roam about the gardens. Sometimes Alger House is open for guests to peruse as well during this time. Once cocktail hour is over, guests will be ushered inside into the ballroom for dinner. The ballroom is main space that hosts celebrations and has room for 450 seated guests plus live entertainment.

Some fun live entertainment I’ve seen at weddings lately include live bands, live painters, and martini bars (usually this is separate from the main bar).

War Memorial Wedding Venue Cost

The War Memorial is an all inclusive wedding venue- this means food and beverage service is included at the venue rather than handled through a separate vendor. This also means that the War Memorial has a minimum amount couples must spend on food and beverage services, and this minimum is usually determined by which space is used (Alger House vs Ballroom).

Inclusions:

• 5 hour event time
• 4.5 hours of Premium Bar
• House Sparkling Wine Toast
• Specialty Cocktail
• Selection of 4 Butler Passed Hors D’oeuvres
• Michigan Board Grazing Station
• 2-Course Plated Dinner Service with Upgraded Options
• Afterglow Station
• VIP Server for Head Table

Average Cost

With the above information about inclusions and the food and beverage information, I would encourage couples with 250+ guest weddings to budget at least $40,000 during peak season. This is just an estimate- there are not a lot of resources online explicitly stating cost. I highly encourage you to reach out directly to The War Memorial to schedule a tour and learn more about their services.

Peak Season/Days

A common thing to see with wedding venues in general is the difference in costs for peak seasons and days. Every venue can have a different season, but in general peak season means a wedding is set to occur between May and October. Non peak season is generally November through April. Some wedding venues, like The War Memorial, have the ability to host celebrations year round. Some venues offer discounted pricing for the colder season.

Throughout 2024 and 2025, couples generally held their weddings on Saturdays. In 2026 I noticed a shift in couples booking their dates for Fridays and Sundays to help offset some venue costs. And now for 2027, interestingly enough, I’ve received (and have been actively booking) weddings for Thursdays now. Saturdays are still considered a peak day, but I highly encourage you during this phase of wedding planning to consider other days of the week if you are operating on a budget.

War Memorial Venue Details

• Address: 32 Lake Shore Drive, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236
• Location: 30 minutes north of Metro Detroit
• Website: warmemorial.org/weddings
• Capacity: 450 seated guests
• Cost: Not listed online, estimated at minimum budget of $40,000
• Amenities Available: Getting ready suites, catering, bartending, tables, chairs

Vendors For Your War Memorial Wedding

Vendors with experience at The War Memorial and had a hand in the shoot pictured throughout this post include:

• Planner: OK Wedding Co
• Photographer: Catie Eovaldi Photography
• Florist: Studio Botanical Floral
• Decor: Detroit Verde
• Rentals: Detroit Chiavari
• Bridal Gowns & Suits: The Love Club Bridal, Midwest Gowns, and Bridal by Viper
• Hair Services: Lisa J Beauty
• Make up Services: Hair by Amy Lee
• Stationary: Ivory and Olive Social
• Cake: T Berry Baking
• Live Painter: Art by Lauren Wu
• Vintage Car Rental: Vintage Luxury Rentals
• Content Creators: B Roll Bride and Content by SRJ

War Memorial Wedding Photography