2024 was such a great year for me and I just know 2025 is going to be even better. I worked with some of the best wedding vendors last year and photographed the most stunning venues. Some of these had been on my dream list and some were ones I had never heard of before. Each one is lovely and you really can’t go wrong choosing any one of these! Here are my top 5 venues you need to check out for your wedding day!
Adams Manor in Oakland County
I visited Adams Manor early in 2024 for a vendor open house, and it was actually still under some construction. The construction should be complete now since that visit happened all the way back in May 2024. Adams Manor is a newer wedding venue located in Oakland County, Michigan. This estate will be perfect for your day if you love European vibes, manor vibes, lush green lawns, and architecture. Nestled on 40 acres, there is plenty of room for all of your guests to enjoy your day just as much as you! This venue is perfect for larger events and even small elopements, as you can have a table on the upper outdoor patio overlooking the property.
Westers Family Vineyard in Rives Junction
I worked at Westers Family Vineyard back in June 2024 and it was stunning. Westers has everything- a willow tree, a black barn, a vineyard, and water. My couple chose to have their ceremony right on the lawn, with a tented cocktail hour, and then the reception was held inside the barn. The space is the perfect blend of rustic and industrial- especially depending on how you choose to decorate the space. Abby and Rob chose to decorate the space in terracottas and greens, which really accented the space well. My favorite element of the space is how customizable they made it. Abby had printed out large-scale prints of their engagement photos to be used throughout the space as well as included them on a large crossword puzzle their guests could solve. Abby also incorporated her love of her students by having them make some decor for the venue as well! It was a sweet, sentimental touch that is something I haven’t seen before.
Meadowbrook Hall in Rochester
Meadowbrook Hall has been on my list of dream locations to photograph since I started my business! I finally had the opportunity when I saw that a fellow photographer friend was organizing a vendor event there in November 2024. While it wasn’t a wedding, it was an event and I had the opportunity to experience some of what Meadowbrook has to offer (it’s such a huge space I didn’t even have the chance to explore all of it). It was such a wonderful evening and the building is rich with history. This venue will be perfect for you if you appreciate history, love architecture, and want to marry your best friend in a stunning manor. As a disclaimer, Meadowbrook does have rules when it comes to hosting your event there. Every venue has rules and restrictions, but I do find that Meadowbrook has a few extra just because it is a historical site. As a photographer, I know how to work with these rules (such as no flash around the artwork) and didn’t find any issues working here! It’s just something to be aware of!
The Revel Center in Grand Rapids
This wedding venue was a last minute find for me in 2024! I had been hired last minute as an associate photographer because the original was sick. I stepped in quite a bit last year for sick photographers, and loved being able to help at the last minute. The Revel Center is located in Grand Rapids and features 2 levels for you to host your wedding. The wedding I worked, held their ceremony and reception in the basement (with the yummiest ambient lighting) and held their cocktail hour upstairs. My favorite feature of this venue was definitely the mini arcade they had upstairs. It created the most unique detail photos I’ve done this year and the cutest little couple portraits. The venue coordinators I worked alongside were absolutely fantastic. Just a reminder- a venue coordinator is different from a wedding planner/coordinator. A venue coordinator is there to take care of specific venue needs such as flipping the space from ceremony to reception. A wedding planner/coordinator does the planning of the event and does help execute your vision.
Fortitude Farms in Owosso
This was one of my favorite weddings of the year! I love flower farms and always had a flower farm wedding on my dream location list. Chelsea and Kevin chose to use Fortitude Farms for its natural beauty. They chose to have their ceremony next to one of the flower fields and utilized the tent for their reception. Fortitude Farms offers assistance with florals- Chelsea picked her flowers at the venue a couple days before the wedding and arranged them for her table decor. This venue also has in-house bartenders. With a naturally beautiful venue like this, you don’t need many decorations as the florals are just perfect.
Bonus: Greencrest Manor in Battle Creek
Greencrest Manor is the dream I’m manifesting into 2025. I’ve been to a few exclusive vendor events at Greencrest called Gather and Grow but never a full wedding day. Every time I attend I meet so many wonderful vendors. I recently took my husband as my plus one to the latest one and even he was impressed with it. Greencrest Manor is the perfect venue for you if you want a European estate vibe. With so many different locations within the property, you can’t go wrong using any part of it. I love attending Gather and Grow and am already looking forward to the next one!
Venues I’m Looking Forward to Working at in 2025
Looking forward to 2025, I’m excited to work at some new venues! I’ll obviously be writing about these more once I work there later in the year, but here’s a couple venues I’m looking forward to working at this year: Timberlee Hills Event Center in Traverse City and Goldner Walsh Nursery in Pontiac. I’m still in the midst of booking season, so I’m sure I’ll be adding more to that list! I have quite a few backyard weddings next year at private residences as well. I would love to work with you for your 2025 or 2026 wedding or elopement! Please contact me to reserve your date!
