Ultimate Guide to Wedding Venues in Traverse City, Michigan

For a city of only 15,000 people, Traverse City has a LOT of wedding venues. It can be daunting, even if you know the style you are hoping for. I'm Brooke, and along with my partner Michael, we've spent nearly 15 years as wedding photographers, capturing the magic of love stories in the Grand Traverse Region. 

We’ve had the chance to photograph weddings at some truly beautiful venues across Traverse City and Leelanau County. This guide is meticulously curated from our extensive experience and will introduce you to the top wedding and event venues in and around Traverse City. Whether you're planning something small and laid-back or a big celebration with all your people, we hope this helps you get a feel for what Northern Michigan has to offer.

While this guide focuses mostly on Traverse City and Leelanau County, we’ve also included a few nearby venues that are local favorites and just a short drive away.

With so much here, we had to break it down into a few categories. So, feel free to jump around at your own speed. But, always feel comfortable reaching out to us if you have any questions.

We think this venue is amazing with its central location, ceremony options, and absolute natural beauty.  It’s a slice of paradise just outside of Traverse City surrounded by beautiful gardens, forest, and historic buildings.  Pick your favorite ceremony spot, in the middle of a Labyrinth, a fantastic flower garden in a beautiful old barn foundation, or with a view up on a lovely hill.  Either have your small wedding party in the Gazebo outside, or in the outdoor tent on the side of the forest.  We have made so many amazing memories in this venue and feel excited when our couples decide on the Botanic Gardens.

Right next to the Botanic Gardens is the Cathedral Barn and wow it is a stunner.  It’s perfect for a larger wedding as the interior of the barn is long and large.  The interior is memorable, beautiful, and really great for a big dance party any time of year.  We also love taking our couples up the hill across the way to see the view of the TC area.  An awesome solid choice for a venue and so close to downtown TC. 

A working gorgeous new farm and venue close to town yet secluded and breathtaking.  We love so many parts of this venue.  The forest ceremony spot is stunning and also provides beautiful shade for your guests.  The new barn venue is absolutely perfect for the indoor/outdoor vibe reception.  We love the views in the evenings of the sunset among the fields and orchards.  A wonderful venue.  Bonus is we live 4 minutes away from here!

Cherry Basket Farm has so many positives. The location itself, deep in the heart of Leelanau County, a quaint farmhouse and outbuildings, modern-rustic barn, and beautiful surrounding fields. The event space is also a catering company with a delicious farm-to-table menu and a great staff. With Grand Traverse Bay a few minute drive down the road, we think this venue is an Northern Michigan Wedding destination for spring, summer, or fall.

Starry Night Barn is a big time Northern Michigan venue favorite for us at Allen-Kent Photography from the very beginning. The venue itself is breathtaking and well cared for, including the lovely cabins that you and your wedding party can get ready in. Bonfires and lawn games, fields of cherry trees, quaint buildings and just an excellent wedding compound with the best staff and owners is a major plus of this lovely Leelanau venue. Also, it's dog friendly!

One of the newest barn venues is Foxglove Farm, it really is a perfect venue for the rustic indoor/outdoor wedding of your dreams.  Get married in the middle of a field or in a beautiful forest, or a beautiful barn.  The outdoor bar is a really nice touch too!  We adore this new venue.

If you want space for a large wedding, or just want to impress your friends and family with all NoMI has to offer, Bayview is perfect.  It has beautiful rustic barns, it has an incredible tent, a glorious outdoor gazebo bar and just the views ya’ll.  The views of the Grand Traverse Bay are so lovely.  Your guests will be taking selfies all night. 

Garvey Barn is a fantastic updated event barn affiliated with the Grand Traverse Resort, with one of the nicest decks ever. We love how the expansive deck overlooks fields of horses and the natural beauty of Northern Michigan.

Brengman Brothers Winery is a classic for a real Northern Michigan wedding. Getting married among the vines is just as beautiful as you'd imagine. Top that beauty off with a really perfect rustic-modern winery with beautiful windows, and up to date facilities and even a bonfire for your guests to enjoy, it's a winner. It's also quite close to Traverse City, which makes it easy for your guests to find lodging.

A classic Leelanau Barn venue with really beautiful surrounding vineyards and a laid back vibe.  We have seen the most incredible clouds of the season here and if you get people dancing in that barn it is pure magic.  

Verterra’s view is one of the best in the area.  The ceremony spot overlooks a pond and Lake Michigan.  The venue is slightly less rustic than the other venues and is more on the classy side,  while still outdoors in a tent at the top of a hill overlooking the water and vineyards.  So. Darn. Beautiful. And nice bathrooms haha.

Black Star Farms has many options for many different sizes of weddings which is so lovely.  Also, I think it has one of the sweetest ceremony locations with a fantastic view of vineyards and Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay.  From the getting ready location, to the wonderful photo backdrops and delicious food and wine.  There are so many options to choose from.  Great space.  Immaculate vibes.

Ciccone Vineyard and Winery has not only a beautiful landscape with rolling vineyards and fields, but we think it has one of the best water views in Leelanau County. You won't want to leave to do portraits, as the views and beauty are right there before you.

Aurora Cellars has two beautiful venues, first is the Terrace. The Terrace has a lovely spanish countryside vibe with a pretty, west-facing ceremony spot and a beautiful setting for an outdoor tented reception. Not only is it close to the vineyard, but the sweeping views of the fields from the tent lead to some nice golden hour portraits.

Aurora Cellars' second location, the farmhouse, is Northern Michigan perfection. The farmhouse itself is so pretty, and a wonderful spot to get ready with your crew. The ceremony spot, under the incredible willow tree is just unbelievable. It is also west facing, so you get the beautiful light through the willow, which also serves the purpose of shading your guests. Your tented reception is also close to the vineyard, which makes for a perfect setting to take a break from your party and take it all in as the sun sets.

This venue’s adorable rating is off the charts perfect.  The ceremony location is stunning with a view of the GT Bay, but the Bay view from the tasting room upstairs is truly incredible!  So many beautiful views and pockets of loveliness here.  We could recommend it for a small wedding or elopement. 

Located just off the beaten path of Glen Arbor, and right on a creek and Lake Michigan. Get married on the beach or in the forest and then plan your gorgeous, magical, forest dinner and dance party under a beautiful tent or in the mid century dining hall.  There’s something magical in the air here that is for sure.

The Homestead is a legendary Glen Arbor spot to get married.  You can have your ceremony on the beach or up at a lodge.  There are so many beautiful options for ceremonies.  Here in Glen Arbor you are so close to the most beautiful beaches in the world. (in our opinion).

I am not sure there is another venue quite like this one.  Literally sitting on the side of a dune bluff overlooking Lake Michigan is Lake Bluff Preserve.  It is absolutely gorgeous and perfect for an elopement or small wedding.  The proximity to lake Michigan brings about a special kind of magic in the air and we just adore it.

This place has it down.  We love shooting at Blue Bridge because not only is it a stunning location (seriously so beautiful), but the staff makes everyone’s job really easy.  The ceremony spots are gorgeous, the reception space is large, warm, and inviting, and the outdoor hanging out areas are equally as warm and inviting.  We are always happy to shoot at Blue Bridge. 

The Peninsula Room located next to The Jolly Pumpkin and Mission table on Old Mission peninsula combines Victorian Architecture with the Natural Beauty of Northern Michigan. To channel SNL's Stefon, It has it all, vines, beer, lovely interior, a dynamite ceremony spot overlooking the water, and some of the most beautiful sunsets we have ever seen. Bonus points because there is a ghost living in the main house, so you may have one extra wedding guest. 😜

Mission table is like the little sister of The Peninsula Room at the Jolly Pumpkin on Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City.  It’s absolutely perfect for a small wedding venue as it is the coziest location with amazing food and a breathtaking view of the GT bay.  We stan Mission table and adore all the beautiful places to make portraits in and around the building.

In the heart of Leland is this beautiful space.  Not only is the interior beautiful and quaint with aesthetic paint splatters on the walls (it truly looks like perfection), but this venue has a lovely spot on the Leland River while being minutes away from the iconic Van’s beach and Fishtown.   We adore weddings here as they always feel so sweet and fun due to the vibe and location.  Perfect for artsy and laid back couples.  Plus you can pop over to the lake for sunset.

Wow this venue has been redesigned in the last few years and is so very beautiful, comfortable, and well staffed with the perfect amount of space needed.   We especially love the lodge vibe with the gorgeous forest surrounding the area.  And the dance floor is particularly stunning.  We love this place.

Super close to Fishtown in Leland, the Leland Lodge offers the beauty of Leelanau, the adorable NoMI interior, and rooms right on site for your guests.  The staff and the location are wonderful and it’s so easy to pop away to fishtown for some portraits.  Michael's sister chose this spot for her own wedding so it has a special place in our hearts.

Fountain Point Resort is what we would describe as Accidental Wes Anderson come to life. It has an upscale camp feel with a 1950s throwback vibe and we totally adore it. Get married under a beautiful tree, on the steps of the lodge, or with a Lake Leelanau water backdrop.

A ski area in the winter, Crystal Mountain transforms into a wedding venue in the warmer months. Ceremonies take place at the top of the hill (yes, you and your guests ride the chairlift up!), where you’ll be surrounded by panoramic countryside and forest views. The on-site lodging is a plus.

Willowbrook Mill is Northport's wedding venue gem. It is a literal mill, with a wheel of water down below, and upstairs a modern-vintage dream. So close to Lake Michigan and downtown Northport, we can only describe this place as sweet and magical. Perfect for a small to medium sized amount of wedding guests.

If you are interested in a camp vibe for your wedding, Twin Lakes has it all.  From a beautiful ceremony spot, to a lovely lake, and just the perfect cabin “mess hall” for your Northern Michigan Camp inspired wedding.  We so adore it for our laid back/outdoorsy couples.

A small ski hill and modern ski lodge location right on the edge of downtown Traverse City. One of the newer venues in the area. We have yet to shoot a wedding at Hickory Hills, but the location and lodge are stunning and we would love to!

A newer venue to the area but wow they do lovely work.  With a ceremony spot right on the Grand Traverse Bay, beautiful interior, and amazing food.  It’s a wonderful space.  Very walkable to downtown Traverse City, and wonderful amenities included you wouldn’t think of, like easy parking and really nice facilities.

Getting married at the City Opera House is perfect for our couples who love beautiful historical buildings, architecture, and being right in the middle of downtown Traverse City. It’s so much fun leaning into the turn of the century vibe and even popping out to a local bar or to the waterfront with your boo for a quick fun breather. Also great for just a reception after getting married on a beach or elsewhere.

We have photographed many a wedding at private residences, airbnbs, or vacation rentals over the years, and it’s always such a great experience. We love when couples choose a location that’s personal and meaningful — whether it’s your family cottage, a cozy cabin in the woods, or a place that just feels like you. We've seen so many special spots in Traverse City and Leelanau County capturing elopements and micro-weddings in the area.

Weddings on a boat are so special and unique and capturing them is literally so much fun.  We love that adventurous couple who wants to be surrounded by water.  It is Northern Michigan after all. 

The Tall Ship Manitou lets you get married on a schooner while sailing along Grand Traverse Bay — which is exactly as magical as it sounds. View our full blog post from a wedding we photographed on the Tall Ship Manitou.

Along the lakeshore is one of the dreamiest places in Northern Michigan to say “I do”. Especially for couples planning an elopement or micro wedding. Whether you’re on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, or walking barefoot along the beach, the scenery here always feels magical. It’s peaceful, wildly beautiful, and perfect for couples who want their day to feel simple and deeply connected to nature.

When it comes to picking your wedding venue, go with the one that truly speaks to you. See if the vibe fits your people, and definitely try to visit a few in person — any excuse to spend more time in Northern Michigan, right? We’ve been to and photographed weddings at all of these spots, so if you have questions or want to pick our brain, we’re an open book.