The westside of Michigan is home to so many beautiful wedding venues. If you’re looking for Grand Rapids wedding venues, I highly recommend Venue3Two. During the summer of 2024, I had the honor of photographing Makayla and Will’s wedding day at this venue, and they day was so fun I didn’t want to leave! Even though my team and I are based in the Metro Detroit area, we are glad to provide Grand Rapids wedding photography services as well. Here is an overview of a wedding day at Venue3Two so you can know what to expect if you choose this venue.

Venue3Two Wedding Venue

Venue3Two is an estate-style  wedding venue in the Grand Rapids area. It’s one of my all-time favorite venues in the state! While they have both ceremony and reception spaces for your wedding, they are not fully “all-inclusive.” You have your choice for bar service as well as catering, although they do have a list of preferred vendors you can view.

The venue is even the site of a local equine program, so you’ll find some horses on the property! If you love horses, this is a huge plus! Matter of fact, all of the net profits from Venue3Two are given to Equine Assisted Development and other local organizations that support families at risk, and victims of human trafficking.

Here are some other highlights of the venue:

• Venue holds up to 200 guests
• Some decor and furniture available for rent with additional fee
• Tables, chairs, bar available at the venue (one less vendor to book!)

Getting Ready Wedding Day Photos

We planned good chunk of time into our getting ready photo coverage for the day. Venue3Two has so many great locations for a variety of photos. We spent about two hours to capturing photos of details, the bridal party and some bridal portraits for just Makayla! Some of my favorite images of the entire day came from this time!

When it comes to planning the getting ready part of the wedding day, I like to schedule about 1.5 hours for photos. If you are not doing a first look, I like to plan for two hours of coverage in order to get as many photos of the bridal party as possible. This way, we can worry less about capturing the bridal party and more about photos of just the two of you during your cocktail hour!

Wedding Ceremony Photos

Venue3Two offers indoor and outdoor ceremony locations. During the warmer months, the yard makes for a gorgeous location for an outdoor wedding ceremony. Makayla and Will had a short and sweet ceremony. The location itself does not require much decor, either, which can make your life a little easier when wedding planning!

After the wedding ceremony, we signed the marriage license in a private room in the venue. From the signing, we went straight into formal family pictures outside. I personally love the windows the conservatory has to offer and utilized those for family photos.

Bridal Portraits

Makayla and Will opted to have a first touch instead of a first look. During this time, they read personal vows to each other. As a wedding photographer, I like to document just parts of this moment while also stepping back to give you some privacy!

For their wedding, we had about 20 minutes for bridal portraits after the ceremony and family formals. The beauty of having all of your events in one location means we can work efficiently without having to travel to a different location for photos.

Wedding Reception

Makayla and Will had a gorgeous ceremony in the conservatory room of Venue3Two. This area let in so much natural light, which is great for photography! The acoustics were great, too. Tyler Petrekovich was the DJ for this night, and he was one of the best we have worked with! I highly recommend him if you want a DJ who knows how to get the party started!

When open dancing started, we created a pair of sunglasses with Makayla and Will’s initials and photographed guests wearing them. This was such a fun trend of 2024!

Booking Grand Rapids Wedding Photography

Wedding venues book up 1-2 years in advance. If there is a venue that you love, make sure you schedule a tour as soon as possible to reserve your ideal date! When your venue is booked, it’s time to solidify all of your other major vendors, including:

• Photography
• Catering/Bar service
• DJ
• Videography

At Savvy Shoots Photography, we typically book 12-15 months before the wedding day. We would love to talk with you about your wedding and discuss package options that best fit your needs! Contact us today to see if your date is available for a photographer on our team.