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. One part of Michigan I’ve been work in more lately though is Traverse City. Known for their cherries, vintage cars, and wineries on the peninsula, this area is a popular destination for both vacations and weddings.
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. One popular thing I’ve seen this year is couples planning a mini-destination wedding for a smaller group of guests. Focused more on the experience of being together, couples are intentionally choosing venues further from home to soak up time with each other and their people.
This venue and wedding highlight covers what it’s like to get married at The Peninsula Room in Traverse City, Michigan.
About This Traverse City Wedding
The Peninsula Room Venue
The Peninsula Room is a venue set against the shore of West Grand Traverse Bay, at Bowers Harbor Inn estate. A perfect blend of lakeside and wooded views with a cozy feel to it, this venue is a sweet destination spot for couples looking to marry up north. The Peninsula Room can accommodate up to 150 guests, and catering and bartending services are included in venue cost.
Comprised of 3 different buildings, this venue offers getting ready spaces, an outdoor ceremony space, covered porch and yard space for cocktail hour, and then their reception hall. The Peninsula Room is in a peaceful and quiet area, but still very close to downtown Traverse City for couples wishing to have an after party somewhere! With this also being a venue with outdoor spaces, it’s important that couples make plans for rain, heat, and cold weather for their wedding day. Living in Michigan, we all know how fickle the weather can be. While there is coverage for rain, for heat I recommend purchasing fans to assist guests in staying cool. There is plenty of shade around for guests to hang out in, but there are some spots inside (like the getting ready areas) that can feel a little stuffy.
There are several overnight accommodations in the area, and a lot of couples having weddings in Traverse City make it into a full weekend experience. They’ll take a winery tour the day before, maybe book a spa day, and then the day after is reserved for brunch at one of the city’s many restaurants. Traverse City does have its own airport. While its smaller in size, it does allow for your guests to fly in directly if they are out of state!
The Couple
Kiah and Eric are the sweetest couple. When searching for a venue, they wanted something that was unique to them and a mid-point for family travel. With his family being local to Michigan, and hers being in a neighboring state it was important to them that they chose a venue that gave their guests an experience. With a wedding average in scale (under 150 guests), their day was more intimate and relaxed.
Throughout the planning process, they really valued time with their families and friends and wanted to prioritize portrait time without being in front of a camera for an hour. As I structured their photography, I kept these priorities in mind and drafted timelines that kept in line with these values. This is something I do for all of my couples and no two timelines are the same. If you’re on the search for a wedding photographer, I’d love to connect and see if I have your date available. You can check my availability here!
Something I’ve been loving lately is a couple’s priority around family portraits. Family portraits may not seem like a big deal, but these are the photos printed and displayed the most (alongside your couple portraits). Kiah and Eric agreed to have all their family portraits taken prior to the ceremony. This opened up time for them to interact with extended family and friends during cocktail hour and giving them more special moments together throughout the evening!
Getting Ready at The Peninsula Room
The building closest to the ceremony space, also known as Mission Table, is home to the getting ready suites. Mission Table is one of the restaurants and bars on property and is open to non-wedding guests throughout the day. I didn’t find this to be an issue on Kiah and Eric’s mid-August wedding day. The guests were quiet and traffic to the restaurant is re-routed for your ceremony anyway!
The getting ready suite is actually named Genevieve’s Suite and the window inside looks out over the front lawn. This was a great space for Kiah and her crew to get ready, and it was easy to keep her separated from Eric once dressed and ready for their first look. The suite has 2 mirrors available for makeup application and was large enough to accommodate Kiah’s party of six bridesmaids and bridesmen.
Eric and his group got ready in a more open space, but also in the upper part of Mission Table. His crew of five had quite a spacious area to put the finishing touches on their suits. Kiah and Eric’s day was quite relaxed and their wedding party often flowed between the two getting ready spaces. For example, Kiah had her brothers stand on her side during the ceremony but they got ready with Eric.
Outdoor Wedding Ceremony
The ceremony space at The Peninsula Room sits on the front lawn space. Overlooking the lake with Mission Table in the background and also under a bunch of trees, this outdoor space is beautiful.
As guests entered the lawn for Kiah and Eric’s ceremony, they were able to write a love note in a small book and grab a handheld fan on their way to their seats.
The couple’s ceremony lasted just under 30 minutes and included a hand binding ceremony. This is something I’m seeing more and more couples incorporating into their days!
Immediately following the conclusion of the ceremony, Kiah and Eric signed their marriage license and went to enjoy time with their friends and family. Hugging and talking to guests at the ceremony site, they eventually walked over to The Peninsula Room for games and drinks with their guests.
At this point in the day, we had already gotten the formal portraits out of the way so they could enjoy the entirety of their cocktail hour together. If you’re on the hunt for a Michigan wedding photographer, I’d love to connect. Reach out here to check my availability for your day.
Reception at The Peninsula Room
Starting with cocktail hour on the porch of The Peninsula Room, guests mingled throughout the evening and played yard games together. Guests were smiling and laughing as they played Uno, chess, and Euchre. As cocktail hour ended, guests were ushered to find their seats inside while I snagged Kiah and Eric for just a few more photos as guests were settling in.
After a grand entrance that included cutting their cake, Kiah and Eric sat attentively through speeches. The speeches had guests (and us) laughing all throughout. Stories and toasts were shared by each set of parents, each set of siblings, and the man of honor, bringing the total speech count to 6. Soon after dinner began and guests were again chatting and laughing throughout. As previously mentioned, catering and bartending are services offered by the venue.
After dinner, the venue staff started clearing tables out of the way for Kiah and Eric’s first dance. As open dancing started afterwards, I wrapped up my day with the couple by sneaking out for some blue hour portraits by the bay.
My 3 Favorite Things About This Day
Intentional Portrait Time
As a photographer it’s no secret that I love portrait time. I don’t believe you’ll ever regret having too many portraits and something new I’ve been doing for 2026 weddings have been structuring that time differently. Sometimes I’m just not able to break up portraits into little chunks of time throughout the day, but because Kiah and Eric opted for a first look they truly were able to spend most of the day together. We did portraits right after their first look, wedding party portraits, cocktail hour, and open dancing began. That’s 4 different lighting scenarios and backdrops to add variety into their gallery.
Kiah and Eric also intentionally told their families where to be and when for portraits. This is huge. Oftentimes on wedding days I am chasing family down and we waste time waiting for someone who wandered away for “one quick drink”. This wedding day had the quickest portrait time of any wedding I’ve been to and it was because Kiah and Eric prepped their families ahead of time. I always make the plans and communicate it to couples, but it’s on you to tell your families the plan!
Games During Cocktail Hour
This wedding had a good mix of guests who enjoyed dancing and those who didn’t. While you definitely don’t have to cater to the wants of your guests, the provided games ensured fun was had across the board. It gave the kids an activity to look forward to and there was plenty of space for them to run.
Speeches & Toasts
I won’t lie. I’ve heard hundreds of wedding day speeches and toasts. Out of hundreds of speeches, I can count on one hand the amount of them that didn’t start with “for those of you who don’t know me..”. The speeches at Kiah and Eric’s wedding were different and truly from the heart. They weren’t written by ChatGPT or Claude. Each person relied on their history with the couple and their friendship to speak from experiences.
The Peninsula Room Wedding Cost
The Peninsula Room charges differently based on your chosen day and season. Traverse City weddings, like Kiah and Eric’s, are popular in August which is considered as peak wedding season. You can expect a Saturday wedding to start at $20,000. This includes your rental of The Peninsula Room and the food and beverage minimum.
The Peninsula Room Wedding Venue Details
- Location: 2.5 hours north of Grand Rapids
- Address: 13512 Peninsula Dr, Traverse City, MI 49686
- Phone: 231.223.4333
- Website: peninsularoom.com
- Capacity: Under 150 guests
- Cost: starting at $20,000 including food and alcohol services
The Peninsula Room Wedding Photos
Photos in this post were provided by myself, Catie Eovaldi Photography and include digital & 35mm film photography. Looking for more venues? Check out more blog posts for even more wedding and venue information!
