The High Five Grand Rapids Venue Guide

The High Five Wedding Venue in West Michigan

Set against a bustling city backdrop, The High Five Grand Rapids is a wedding venue located right downtown. With an industrial feel, this venue has touches of elegance throughout. As a Southeast Michigan wedding photographer who’s worked 70+ weddings, I’ve had the privilege of traveling across both Michigan and the Midwest to work at beautiful venues with amazing couples. You might be surprised to learn that I actually work in Grand Rapids quite a bit even though I’m from Southeast Michigan. I’m familiar with quite a few venues in the area, but the focus of this post is The High Five Grand Rapids.

Heading into another year of wedding photography, I’m a big believer in a wedding photography experience rooted in authenticity and connection. You want wedding images that are true to you and your day: ones showcasing the spontaneous hugs, the laughs as you & guests collectively sing “Love Story”, the choked up tears as you read your vows. All moments you’ll want to remember. I provide couples with a gallery that’ll tell the story of your day while you relax and feel fully present in each moment.

The first step in your wedding journey is selecting the perfect venue to host your celebration, and it all starts at The High Five Grand Rapids. Located in West Michigan, you’ll be a part of the bustling life of the city. If you’re looking for a venue that is historic, industrial, and a touch of color then The High Five Grand Rapids is the perfect venue for you.

About The High Five Grand Rapids

The High Five Grand Rapids offers you an exclusive wedding experience. With no other weddings hosted on site during your celebration, you don’t have to be nervous about running into another wedding party. When you book with The High Five GR, you’re booking the entire property for your day.

This building was converted into a wedding venue back in 2018. This loft features roller rink hardwood flooring, crystal chandeliers, colorful carpet accents, and a pillar free event space. Pillar free is incredibly important because this means guests (and you) will have an open concept for your floor plan. This venue offers a loft-inspired feel you just won’t find somewhere else. It’s truly unique in design and will leave you with stunning wedding photos (which you can connect with me here about), impressed guests, and an experience truly rooted in preserving your love.

It’s important to note that celebrations at The High Five Grand Rapids will take place across multiple levels. For handicapped guests an elevator is available to take them to the appropriate floor. Celebrations will span 2 floors (Floors 4 & 5) one right below the other and stairs are available as well!

For couples, there is a very small parking lot that can fit some cars of your wedding party. Your guests will most likely need to use another nearby lot or any available street parking.

This wedding venue has many different areas included in the rental. You will have access to 1 large getting ready suite adorned with mirrors, natural light, and furniture. Right outside of this suite is the cocktail hour area where guests will socialize. Your ceremony and reception will actually take place in the same space, above the cocktail hour lounge. Venue staff will flip the space while your guests eat appetizers downstairs, and will then bring everyone back up for dinner and dancing.

Prep in the Getting Ready Suite

The fourth floor is home to The High Five GR’s getting ready suite. With only one suite available, this is on the larger side. Gage and Mia had a wedding party of 14 and the space comfortably fit them all before the ceremony. Access to this suite begins at 10am. For this wedding day, the groom and his crew opted to use the space while the girls started prep early at a local Airbnb. Certainly something to think about for your own prep!

Along the walls there are spaces to hang suits and gowns and mirrors. This venue allows food to be brought in for a morning breakfast while you are prepped and pampered for your day.

Ceremony and Reception Spaces at The High Five Grand Rapids

Wedding celebrations at The High Five GR can accommodate up to 300 guests. If you’re interested in learning more about the photo side of working at this venue, you can check out my wedding services here or check my availability here.

Ceremony Space

With a tan brick wall looking out over downtown Grand Rapids, wedding ceremonies at The High Five Grand Rapids occur on the fifth floor. Oftentimes depending on the size of your event your reception tables will be stashed right behind the white curtain that separates the space.

Reception Area

In the exact same space as the ceremony area, The High Five Grand Rapids has the space to accommodate a reception of 300 guests. Starting with a cocktail hour, guests will actually move down to the fourth floor and be able to grab a drink and socialize with views of downtown all around. While cocktail hour is happening, the venue coordination team will prep for the formal reception by moving tables and chairs into their proper place. Moving into the dinner and more formal parts of the reception, you’ll go back to the fifth floor and spend the rest of the evening here.

My 3 Favorite Things About The High Five Grand Rapids

Dog Friendly

As you can probably tell from the photos of Mia & Gage’s wedding day, The High Five Grand Rapids is dog friendly. I love when couples incorporate their fur babies into their day, and the venue allowing Louie to be the ring bearer was the best touch to this wedding day. Louie was fully off-leash and very well trained. He was there pre-ceremony and left right after cocktail hour ended. I recommend if you want your pup to be a part of your ceremony to make sure they are well trained, unafraid of people, and to designate someone to be their handler for the day!

The Secret Staircase

For my couples that think they might want to sneak away during their reception for a quiet moment alone, The High Five has what I like to call a secret staircase. This staircase goes directly down to the bridal suite from the fifth floor, but don’t worry about guests utilizing it! It’s located off near the kitchen so guests tend to stay away from the area. It’s also how we’ll transport you upstairs to your ceremony without anyone seeing you! It’s perfect for when you need to step away for a moment alone.

Nearby Caterer

Right next door to The High Five Grand Rapids is a restaurant called MeXco. They were the catering team for this event, and with them being so close to the venue you don’t have to worry about travel fees. While there is a prep kitchen available, they are able to do the main prep work right in their own kitchens and walk right over. The food was amazing and guests definitely went back for seconds.

The High Five GR Venue Cost

The cost of weddings at The High Five Grand Rapids will fluctuate based on guest count and season, but generally this venue starts services at $3,500. Even with that being the starting rate, I would suggest couples budget at least $10,000 for a guest list of 150 for all day services.

Included Amenities with Venue Rental

• 12pm – Midnight Rental
• 4th & 5th Floor Rental
• Ceremony or Cocktail Option on 4th Floor
• Rehearsal
• Private Bridal Suite Access 10am-Midnight
• Champagne Cushion Chairs
• Pipe and Drape
• Tables: Rounds, Banquet & Cocktail
• Custom Floor Plan
• Audiovisual
• Day of Venue Coordination
• Day of Ceremony Coordination
• Assistance with Developing Your Day of Timeline

The High Five Grand Rapids Venue Details

• Location: 20 minutes from Grand Rapids Gerald Ford Airport
• Address: 19 La Grave Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
• Website: thehighfivegr.com
• Capacity: 300 guests
• Cost: starting around $3,500
• Available Amenities: access to property, getting ready suites, insurance, and more

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Meet Your West Michigan Wedding Photographer

Not convinced this is the right venue for you? That’s okay, check out this blog post on Michigan Wedding Venues for a list of my top 10!