Venue Review: Genesys Banquet Center, Grand Blanc, MI

Sometimes I get tempted to post a review right away because of the way an event turned out.  I realize that's not always a good idea and sometimes you just have to let a few weeks pass before you talk about it again.

That is certainly the case with a wedding I did at Genesys Banquet Center back in June.

Upon arrival, I noticed that the dance floor was completely surrounded by tables, none of them planned for my use.  The second thing I noticed was the abundance of extra space in the room.  The manager then instructed me to setup in front of one of the exits which is a fire code violation.  This also meant that I would be nearly 25 feet from the dance floor and  have to project sound directly through two of the tables placed in front of me.  I asked nicely, if they would relocate the two tables so that they wouldn't be placed in front of me (PLENTY of room to do this by the way) and she stated "No". 

(During Setup - You can see how much extra space is available)

I asked several more times to no avail.  When guests began to arrive, I made sure to approach everyone trying to sit at those two tables and let them know about the hall's refusal to cooperate.  I certainly didn't want to be the one to blame for blasting music right at them.  This wasn't the couple's choice either, it's simply how they do things at this hall.

 

As you can see from the picture above, lighting doesn't look as good from a distance either.  It was a challenge to get people to dance the whole night.  The speakers were too far from the dance floor, the lighting wasn't up to my standards and I was placed too far away to have any interaction with the guests.

To make matters worse, one of the staff members came up to me and said that the DJ in the next room over had walked out on their party!  She asked me if I knew anyone that could come up and finish the night off for them, but being 8 PM and nearly an hour from home, I couldn't help them.

So just as we're doing their first dance, the overhead speakers come on and start blasting rap with foul language.  They apparently decided to plug in an ipod to the speakers, but didn't bother turning off the speakers in our room.  This completely ruined their first dance and we had to stop and I had to hunt down someone from the staff to fix the issue.  This took nearly 10 minutes!

In addition to all these issues, the food was sub-par and the service was just as bad.

I wouldn't recommend Genesys Banquet Center to anyone.  You could do better without trying in your own home.  Their refusal to accommodate a simple request when there was no reason not to, the fact that they willing violate fire code, destroying a couple's first dance, poor service and lack luster food is enough to steer clear of this place.

I felt bad for the couple and even with all the chaos, they still thanked me and tipped me at the end of the night.  I'm glad they realized that I did the best I could with the circumstances.

On the bright side, they had a beautiful ceremony on a picture perfect day.

Not every wedding day goes according to plan, but I promise that I will ALWAYS do everything in my power and more to make it the best day possible.  I believe the customer comes first and I'll help you with your planning and offer suggestions to eliminate issues like this.

Venue Review: YOUR OWN BACKYARD (everything you need to know about outdoor events)

This week's review is more of a guide to outdoor weddings and a list of what works and what doesn't.  With that being said, I do about 20 outdoor events each year.  Some are big elaborate weddings and some are just small school functions.  The pictures are from various events.

Things to keep in mind...

A wedding reception is really a party for your guests.  While you certainly the focus of the event, you want your guests to enjoy themselves and leave saying that was one of the best events they've ever attended.

You'll want to keep weather in mind since you'll be outdoors.  If you've selected a summer date, chances are you're safe without the need for heaters.  You'll definitely want to provide cover for everyone so a tent is pretty much a requirement.  Even if it doesn't rain, it will provide a shaded area for your guests.  If you know the temperature is going to be in the 90's or hotter, you may want to consider renting some industrial sized fans to keep your guests cool. 

Remember, if you're guests don't feel comfortable, that may give them reason to leave.

A good bathroom is a necessity.  If you don't want 100+ people trampling through your home, you may want to rent a porta-potty or a bathroom on wheels.  If you choose the porta-potty, be sure to get one with a sink and soap dispenser (and also a led light for night time use).

Lighting...

The sun will go down eventually and while there will be plenty of lights on the dance floor, those that aren't dancing won't want to sit in the dark.  There are many options for lighting.  Many guests line the edge of the tent with white Christmas lights (which provides a nice soft ambience, but not much brightness).  Most tents are white because it doesn't attract heat and looks clean.  That giant white canvas inside the tent is just begging for a splash of color.  That's where I can help out with up lighting.  I've even done logos and monograms, which adds a nice touch.  If you're interested in having this for your event, just ask me.  Here's some of the recent events I've done...

Power...

One of the most important things to remember is to keep your DJ on a separate circuit from heaters, air conditioner, coffee pots or anything that has a heavy power draw.  I tell this to all my outdoor clients and I cannot stress this enough.  Don't assume that it will be OK to have the DJ and the coffee pot on the same circuit.  I had an issue recently.  We knew it was an issue before the night even started because the circuit breaker kept switching off and it wasn't corrected the way I advised.  The power went out during the first dance and there was nothing I could do.

Other things to consider...

There are several types of dance floors you can rent.  Steer clear of the plastic or rubber 1x1 squares.  They aren't made for grass and don't stay together very well.  You're better off getting the 3x3 wood squares that are heavier and less likely to move.  Be sure to leave enough room for your DJ to setup inside the tent (about 4-5 feet from the edge of the tent).  The dance floor also works best in the center of the tent as opposed to being at one end and having to project sound long distance.  The image on the left is the 1x1 plastic floor, the right is the 3x3 wood floor.

  

Be prepared to hold the ceremony in the tent if weather related circumstances require it.  If you should need ceremony music and/or microphones, I can help with that, just ask.

Make sure you've got somewhere for all your guests to park.  Many of my outdoor weddings have been in the country so parking hasn't been a big issue.
If you have questions about anything, it's best to ask someone.  Whether it's your caterer about food related things or myself when it comes to lighting, sound and placement.  I've been doing this for 14 years and I've done a LOT of outdoor weddings in that time.  I hope this post helps you out a bit! 

I'll leave you with some pictures from the grad party I did just last night.  There was a zero chance of rain so we opted to setup in the most most ideal spot for sound projection and usability of the photo booth.  This was a beautiful home in Brighton and most of the guests stayed close to the house even though they had a tent further out in the yard.

Until Next Sunday - Happy Wedding Planning!