Top Picks for 2013-14

These are my top picks for 2013-14. I tried to pick venues from various price ranges to help everyone out.  If there is anything you'd like to see added to this list next year, let me know!

Best Venues

Atrium at the Inn at St. Johns, Plymouth, MI (High budget)
While it may be very pricey, the Inn at St. Johns is my choice for best food, service and overall venue.  There is nothing quite as elegant as this location, but the price is quite staggering.  Food is 5 star all the way.  While I don't have a proper review written, here are some photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150237783587081.312158.305732127080&type=3



Webers of Ann Arbor may not be as unique, but the food is excellent and the remodel they did last year makes a world of difference.  Great service food and a classy, but relaxed setting.  Still a bit pricey, but far less than the Inn at St. Johns.

 










The Howell Opera House, Howell, MI (Medium budget)
For many, this may not even be on your radar as a venue, but the unique setting (brick walls, wood floor, and glass front entrance area) and historical upstairs area, create some excellent photos!  There are a few choices for caterers at this location.  I recommend Gerard's Catering (see below).  Up lighting can do wonders here, as the venue is a blank canvas.  I've done a few reviews, here is the most recent: http://edthedjguy.blogspot.com/2013/06/2013-weddings-some-familiar-places.html

And for the budget minded, I have a tie between...
St Agnes of Fowlerville, MI and the American Spirit Center in Brighton, MI
Both are nice venues that can be improved greatly with the addition of up lighting and a few decorations.
Review for St. Agnes: http://edthedjguy.blogspot.com/2013/09/venue-review-st-agnes-gerards-catering.html
Review for American Spirit Center: http://edthedjguy.blogspot.com/2011/08/venue-reviews-are-back-american-spirit.html

Best Caterers

Gerard's Catering (Chef Joe) 517-548-1303
I've been told his prices are reasonable and the food is top notch!

 

 

Most Unique Venue

Fox Hills (Classic) in Plymouth, MI
The log cabin look, beautiful outdoor scenery (gazebo for ceremonies), top notch service and five star food make this not only a great venue, but my choice for most unique this year.  It's layout is a bit different, but still works quite well for sound and dancing.  Read my review here: http://edthedjguy.blogspot.com/2013/10/venue-review-fox-hills-classic-fox.html

Best Photographer

Starting from the high end...
Bak Photography 734-429-1111
No one brings more to the table than Mark Bak.  His attention to detail and 30+ years experience are unmatched.  He's done Hollywood stars, politicians and professional athletes.

Lindsay Jane Photography (LindsayJBphoto@gmail.com)
Lindsay is a pleasure to work with and is reasonably priced.  She did our wedding 8 years ago and gave us exactly what we wanted.


Thanks for checking out my top picks and be sure to call me for all your entertainment needs...
DJ, photo booth and up lighting (517-404-0418) The DJ Guy


Have a great 2014!

Venue Reviews are BACK! - American Spirit Center, Brighton, MI

So you're probably all wondering "what happened to the venue reviews?"  Summer is prime wedding season and just this past weekend I hit a milestone by having three weddings all at the same time.  Myself, DJ Travis and DJ Dizzy (on loan from my friend's DJ company) all had extremely successful wedding receptions.

Today I volunteered my services at a benefit for a 13 year old girl with brain cancer.  More on that in the next blog post.

Needless to say, it's been very busy and I'm finally catching up.  So here it is... The American Spirit Center.

You might think a VFW hall wouldn't be so nice and usually "trashy, not classy" is what comes to mind.  Well, let me tell you... you've never been to The American Spirit Center in Brighton, MI.

From The main entrance, you can tell, this isn't your typical VFW hall.

My wife and I had OUR reception here 5 years ago.  It's gotten even nicer since then!  I was surprised to see some minor updates to aging light fixtures and the obnoxious wall mount TVs (used for bingo) are now covered in boxes that look like wedding presents (a nice way to hide something that isn't going away).

Table and chair decor are up the client.  In this instance, the couple opted for no chair covers and simple table decor. The white box (middle of picture) is a covered TV.

I'm not sure who's doing the catering there now. It used to be C&C Catering, but I'm not convinced this wedding was done by them.  The food was good, but not 5 star.  The staff seemed very attentive and did a good job.  I don't know how the pricing is now, but at the time we booked this hall, it was a STEAL!

Overall, I'd recommend this venue to anyone looking to keep it classy without blowing the budget.