I’m fresh off editing this wedding and am super excited to share more about this day at Longacre House. As a Southeast Michigan wedding photographer who’s photographed close to 100 weddings, I travel all over Michigan for work. I’ve captured wedding days as close as Port Huron (my home area), as far as Marquette, and all the areas in between.
Hi, friend! I’m Catie Eovaldi and I’ve been photographing weddings for the past few years. Heading into another year of wedding photography, I believe your wedding photos should truly showcase the emotions, the details, and you in your wedding day. Some day you’ll only have your photos to go along with your memories so it’s important to have photos that really reflect you in a real & true way.
This wedding highlight covers what it’s like to get married at Longacre House- a small wedding venue in Southeast Michigan.
About This Longacre House Wedding
Longacre House is an old manor type venue that accommodates up to 130 guests throughout the summer. With winter events being limited to indoor only, the venue can only accommodate up to 106 guests for events entirely inside. Located in Farmington Hills, this space is definitely a hidden gem of a venue and is actually offered through the city’s parks department. Design elements for a wedding here include Georgian style architecture, a garden teeming with life, gazebo with ample yard space, and greenery around the venue.
We couldn’t have asked for a better day weather-wise for Aly and Joe’s wedding day at Longacre House. With the ceremony space being outdoors, we were extraordinarily lucky that the rain waited until everyone was inside for cocktail hour before pouring down! Cocktail hour was held inside the home and the temperature was pleasant enough for guests to still roam outside under the awning attached to the house.
Getting Ready for the Day
Aly and Joe were both able to get ready for their wedding onsite. Located upstairs are both the bridal suite and the groom’s room. The bridal suite is made up of 2 rooms plus a very cool bathroom (more on that later) for the bridal party to get ready in. Decorated with floral wallpapers and lace curtains, it definitely feels like stepping into another era. The groom’s room is one room with a bathroom that is home to a large poker table for the groomsmen.
While both rooms are upstairs, they are in different hallways which made getting around without Joe and Aly seeing one another easy! While you can keep all of your personal items in these upper rooms, they do not lock and guests could access them at any time.
Longacre House Outdoor Ceremony
On the lawn across from Longacre House sits a white gazebo that is their outdoor ceremony space. Holding up to 130 guests, this lawn space is tucked into the sides of the trees, making it feel private and tucked away from the city.
Aly and Joe used wisteria in their floral design to adorn the gazebo. Matching white and purple florals were used as accents as well.
Inspired by Lord of the Rings & Celtic heritage, parts of this ceremony and their attire details were intentionally chosen to reflect their love of the series. The musical selections were from the movie score and played on a single violin throughout the processional, ceremony, and recessional. The couple held a hand fasting ceremony, which is something I’ve been seeing more and more couples incorporating into their days.
When planning and rehearsing your ceremony here, it’s important to remember the aisleway here is long. The processional starts all the way at the front door of the home and you walk to the gazebo. This aisle is concrete, which is great for those wearing high heels! The gazebo is also sitting on a foundation so your wedding party won’t be in the grass the entire time either.
Reception Inside the Home
The main floor consists of three public spaces used for wedding receptions. When you immediately walk inside, you’ll see the tables for dinner and dancefloor off to the right in a wide open room. Drinks are served in the library which is down a short hallway, but very aesthetically pleasing! Then off to the left is a smaller room that holds your food for cocktail hour and dinner. Aly and Joe also had a photo booth in this space as well.
My Favorite Details from this Day
My favorite details from this wedding day actually happened in the bridal suite bathroom. Like any other wedding day, I started out by taking detail photos but this time I had a unique backdrop. A bathroom sounds like a weird place, but the colors and tiles were so different than any other space in the house. I was giddy. With pink tile absolutely everywhere, the tub, toilet, & sink were teal making for a fun, bright spot in a house so vintage feeling. I used direct flash for a fun, punchy vibe!
Longacre House Wedding Cost
Longacre House is a venue used for all sorts of events. Because of this, they charge a little differently than other venues. Their rental starts at 6 hours for $875. Included in this rental rate is the following:
- 6 Hour Rental
- Gazebo and Full House Access
- Bridal Suite & Groom Room
- Chairs & Tables
- Linens
Catering and bartending is purchased through the venue as well, and the average cost of this is $50 per guest for dinner service.
Longacre House Wedding Venue Details
- Location: 30 minutes northwest of Detroit
- Address: 24705 Farmington Rd, Farmington Hills MI 48336
- Phone: 248.477.8404
- Website: fhgov.com/facilities/longacre-house
- Capacity: Under 130 guests
- Cost: starting at $875 for 6 hour rental
Longacre House Wedding Photos
Photos in this post were provided by myself, Catie Eovaldi Photography and include digital photography. Looking for more venues? Check out this blog post: Michigan Wedding Venues!
