Venue 3 Two Wedding Venue in West Michigan
As a Southeast and Mid Michigan wedding photographer who’s photographed 70+ weddings, I know the dreamiest wedding venues across Michigan. Hi, friend! I’m Catie Eovaldi and I’ve been photographing weddings for the past 3 years.
Heading into my fourth year of wedding photography, I firmly believe your wedding photos should truly reflect you. You want images that make you remember even the smallest moments on your day and how you felt all throughout. From hugging your grandma to dancing with your partner at the end of the night, these images will preserve your most sentimental memories for you to look back on for the rest of your life. Selecting the perfect venue is the first step in bringing your wedding day vision to life.
On Michigan’s west side of the state is Venue 3 Two. This historic estate is located next to a neighboring horse ranch and supports its community throughout the year. Wonderfully secluded and wooded, this estate built in the 1920s is perfect for your wedding day.
About Venue 3 Two
This remodeled mansion provides an exclusive experience for their couples and guests. You can enjoy the entire estate and its many rooms for yourself all throughout your day. The mansion is decorated in soft neutrals and elevated with rich dark wood throughout. The feel of the mansion is timeless and romantic with a touch of vintage. The outdoor patios are also soft neutrals to perfectly fit with any decor and colors you choose. Adorned with strands of Edison bulbs and stylish copper piping, the outside of the manor makes for the perfect wedding ceremony or cocktail hour space. Intimate wedding receptions are also ideal for this space as pictured below!
At this stage of wedding planning, you’re probably just starting to think about finding an expert wedding photographer- I’d love to check my availability for you- connect here!
Getting Ready Suites for Your Wedding Day
Couples will spend their wedding morning getting ready in their respective suites. The bridal suite is adorned in soft neutrals with plenty of mirror spaces for a group of bridesmaids to get ready. I’m particularly in love with the staircase leading up to the suite. It’s perfectly moody and totally dramatic for a grand bridal entrance. It’s the perfect spot for a few portraits and a dramatic first look. The groom suite is perfect for the guys to sip some bourbon and relax in morning of.
Venue Capacity & Ideal Wedding Size
Venue 3 Two can accommodate weddings of any size. Its formal dining room is perfect for micro-weddings and more intimate gatherings (especially a rehearsal dinner). Venue 3 Two’s conservatory is the newest addition to the property and hosts receptions of up to 200 guests. This space features large windows so guests can view the property throughout the evening while celebrating.
If you’re looking for a photographer, especially for one with experience at this wedding venue, you can check my availability here.
Wedding Ceremony at Venue 3 Two
Diving right into logistics, Venue 3 Two often hosts wedding ceremonies on the backside of their property. Your ceremony could either face the brick facade of the mansion or it could be flipped the other way around to face the trees. The brick gives a more vintage, architectural vibe to your ceremony while the trees give a natural, lush green feel to the day.
Venue 3 Two, while already gorgeous, offers some decor rentals that can be added to your package with them to further elevate your day. I find this unique- four years in to wedding photography and this is the first time I’ve worked with a venue that offers this! I’ve seen glassware rentals, but not furniture. Venue 3 Two weddings have an arch available to rent for your ceremony. A full rental list is available below, but this specific item is for your ceremony! If you aren’t a fan of their arch, you can also touch base with a florist to put one together for you, like the one pictured below!
Venue 3 Two Wedding Reception Space
After your wedding ceremony, your guests will be ushered into cocktail hour. This could work a couple different ways depending on what you want. Cocktail hour could be held inside the reception space, or it could be held outdoors on the patio. I personally love the patio for a cocktail hour. Cocktail hour is typically unstructured in terms of events. There’s no dancing, no seated meal- it’s purely socialization hour with you or while you have portraits taken. The patio ambience is more relaxed for cocktail hour and your guests will enjoy a warm summer evening spent outdoors.
If you’re looking for a more candid style photographer, you can check my availability here!
At the end of cocktail hour, guests will naturally move into the reception space. If you have a larger wedding this will be inside the conservatory. For small micro-weddings this could actually stay outside on the patio. This space can easily be elevated using textured table cloths and florals.
The photos featured throughout this post showcase a patio reception. With cascading florals, textured linens, and the dreamiest candle layouts, this space was transformed from relaxed to elegant. I loved the champagne tower and cake tables for this shoot! It’s amazing how much a table can be elevated with floral decor.
My 3 Favorite Things About Venue 3 Two Weddings
Timeless Aesthetic
The entire aesthetic of the Venue 3 Two mansion is clean, elegant, and vintage. With traditional 1920s architecture and design elements all throughout the space, this historical estate just emotes a vintage vibe. The black and white tile, the dark wood staircase, and the black French doors are all design elements that really elevate the space.
The aesthetic is also perfect for your wedding photos. With such cohesion throughout the rooms of the mansion, your gallery will feel cohesive but also versatile. You can easily get portraits all throughout the mansion- the staircase, the kitchen, the entry way, out front, etc.
As a wedding photographer, I’ve learned to really take advantage of every available space to make the most of your day and provide galleries that are rich and rooted in versatility. Plus, it’s so fun to get creative at such a stunning wedding venue- if you are looking for a photographer, I’d love to connect and check my availability for you.
Expert Vendor Team
Venue 3 Two has a stellar vendor team. Vendors who are recommended by this venue and have experience at this venue work seamlessly together to make your wedding vision a reality. With experienced catering teams like Gilmore Catering and Gandia Catering, you can sit back and know your guests will love dinner. I’ve worked alongside both, and every time guests have just raved about the food.
Venue 3 Two even offers day of coordination services. A little different than a full scale planning team, the coordinators on-site will assist with timeline planning, floor plans, walkthroughs, and manage incoming decor for your day. A full scale planning team would manage all of this plus more from the beginning of your wedding planning journey, where as coordinators typically pick up mid-planning to help organize details and finalize some things.
Planning and coordination is something I highly recommend investing in to ensure your day runs smoothly. Often times, planners and coordinators solve problems day of without you even knowing about it, making sure you stay perfectly in the moment and enjoying your day.
I’d love to be a part of your vendor team for your Venue 3 Two day! You can reach out to check my availability here.
On-Site Rentals
I love how unique this is. A lot of venues, especially ones that provide catering, will automatically include china and glassware, tables, and chairs in their venue rentals. Not many (in my four years of wedding photography) have offered furniture though. Venue 3 Two has additional furniture that can be added to elevate your day. Available for an additional cost, these pieces will add a unique touch to your day. The following is currently available and is also listed on the official Venue 3 Two website:
- Wedding Ceremony Arch- wooden and can come with or without silk florals
- Copper and Plexiglass signage- can come with or without silk florals
- Copper Ceremony Arch- could also function as a backdrop for a sweetheart or head table
- Cream Velvet Chairs- perfect for elevating a sweetheart table
- Green Velvet Couch- would be perfect for a cozy spot for guests that aren’t into dancing
- Vintage Wooden Side Table- pairs perfectly with the velvet couch
- Vintage Wooden High Top Table- perfect to set some programs for your ceremony
- Grey Wing Back Velvet Chair- ideal for an editorial style portrait
- Easels- to hold a seating chart, large scale photo, or other signage
- Iron Glass Table- long enough to be utilized as a gift, guest book, or card table
- Dark Wood Corn Hole Boards- this is so aesthetically pleasing for your outdoor cocktail hour
- Neon Signage
- Greenery Walls
- Large Outdoor Umbrella Set- for those warm summer afternoons
Venue 3 Two Wedding Cost
Venue 3 Two has different options for couples based around their needs. Couples have the ability to rent the mansion for a single day or a weekend.
- Single Day: Around $5,000 – $9,000.
- Two Days: Around $8,000 – $15,000.
What’s Included:
- Exclusive use of the property
- Building access from 9 AM to midnight on the wedding day
- Tables and chairs
- On-site security and liability insurance
- A venue coordinator
- Tear-down of event furnishings
What’s Not Included:
- Rehearsal Dinner space
- Catering
- Alcohol (allowed on property but must hire outside bartender to serve)
Available for Adding On:
- Furniture Rentals
- Day of Coordination
Wedding Venue Details
- Location: 20 minutes north of downtown Grand Rapids
- Address: 3232 Shaffer Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512
- Phone: (616) 719-0006
- Website: venue3two.com
- Capacity: Up to 200 guests; can accommodate micro-weddings of 50 guests or less
- Style/Vibe: Clean, elegant, with touches of vintage throughout
Venue 3 Two Wedding Styled Shoot Vendor Team
- Venue: Venue 3 Two
- Photography: Catie Eovaldi Photography
- Content Creation: Sprout Studio
- Planning: JW Designs
- Florals: Rhiannon Bosse Celebrations
- Decor Rentals: Blue Sky Events
- Catering: Gandia Catering
- Cake: Sweet Details
- Wedding Gowns: Becker’s Bridal and Timeless Bridal Boutique
- Groom Tux: Dunhhill Tuxedo
Meet Your Venue 3 Two Wedding Photographer
About Catie Eovaldi
Hi Friend! I’m Catie, and I have been photographing couples and fellow sentimental souls professionally since early 2023. Unprofessionally, I’ve been a hobbyist for almost 14 years.
Photography was, initially, a creative outlet for me as I navigated life changes- the loss of my dad, loss of my grandma, an out of state move, etc. In that time I discovered my passion for preserving authentic, meaningful moments, big and small. I dove into my photography full-time and have never looked back.
Being rooted in connection and sentiment, I provide couples with professional photos, they treasure for the rest of their life. My couples also count on me to serve them as a friend. So, let’s connect! You deserve to have your story preserved in photos forever.
Services I Offer For Venue 3 Two
My most popular packages for couples getting married at this venue and similar ones are my Full Day and Full Weekend packages.
Full Day Package
This package provides a comprehensive look at all the moments of your wedding day. From getting ready with your closest friends to reading your vows to everyone dancing to ‘Pink Pony Club’ on the open dance floor.
Full Weekend Package
This package provides the deepest look into all the moments of your wedding celebration. This collection will highlight your whole wedding weekend. Starting with a celebratory rehearsal dinner with your family and friends, to your wedding ceremony, and ending with a grand exit from the reception all captured on digital and film.
For a full detailed list of what’s included in each of these packages and to check my availability, connect with me here!
Photos throughout this post are film and digital images. If you’re on the hunt for a wedding venue, check out this blog post on Michigan wedding venues.
