WEEKEND BOOKINGS ARE AVAILABLE FOR 2023-2024!
Always dreamed of getting married by the lake? Aria at The Whitcomb offers the elegance and romance of a historic 1920's era patio paired with the subtle breezes and awe-inspiring sunsets of Lake Michigan. And because you should be focused on enjoying every minute of your special day, we have partnered with Classic Catering & Events to work alongside you in creating outdoor wedding magic.
Contact us: https://bit.ly/AriaWhitcombContact
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Aria at the Whitcomb is located in Saint Joseph, MI.
Amy Jacobson(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 10-09-2021 Beautiful space and all inclusive!! It's hard to imagine a senior living facility as an ideal place to get married, but it really is! Being from out of town and during COVID, Kris did a virtual tour with us in the height of winter. This was so appreciated as it allowed my parents in another state to see the space before booking. Once we booked, it was all uphill. They partner with 1928 Planning, so you really don't interact with White Space Events and Kris again until Wedding Day. We got married on the rooftop, it was so convenient to have everything in one place! If you want to make all your choices amongst all the options out there, maybe this isn't the place for you as you pretty much have to use their coordinators, their caterers, and their bartenders, but honestly that helped us so much not have to search for all those things! And you can bring your own alcohol in!! They do charge per person for the bartenders but SIGNIFICANTLY less than any other place where just beer and wine was double the cost of the bartender here. We also couldn't use the bridal suite or indoor bathrooms due to the Whitcomb's restrictions for COVID, but the only hinderance was the bridal suite and not having a place to \"hideaway\" before the ceremony. Hopefully this won't impact future brides! Bottom line, you make it what you want it to be and if they're available you should book it now! Reviewed on 22-10-2021
Alyssa Sherman(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 22-05-2021 We reached out to The Veranda after having to reschedule our wedding from an indoor venue in downtown GR due to COVID restrictions. The staff at The Veranda were so much more responsive, professional and helpful than our previous venue and we instantly fell in love. Kris and team guided us through every step of the process. We were especially pleased because it gave our guests -- many of whom were not from Michigan -- the opportunity to see our state in all its beauty! Reviewed on 03-06-2021
Rebecca Reuter(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 23-05-2021 Beautiful venue in the heart of charming St. Joe, Michigan! We got so many compliments on the venue and area! Kristin from White Space Events was super nice and helpful and 1928 Planning Co, with whom WSE partners, had it all - the experience and knowledge, coordination options, rentals, checklists, etc. Discounts available too, but worth every penny for a beautiful event! My only complaints are 1) with all the planning entities (WSE, 1928, catering) involved, it could get a little confusing, however our 1928 coordinator, Stephanie, was easy to communicate with and answered questions effectively! And day of, Gail from 1928 was onsite and was so kind and helpful! 2) We would have liked a second choice with caterers as opposed to having to exclusively use the one they partner with, just to compare. We may still have picked CK Catering and overall we were pleased with them and received many compliments on the food, however communication was lacking at times (see review for CK Catering). Ultimately, The Veranda and St. Joe are so charming, our guests loved it, and I highly recommend this versatile and beautiful space for your outdoor, SW Michigan affair!! đź’– Reviewed on 26-05-2021
Ashley Barclay(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 24-08-2019 Absolutely the best wedding reception I’ve ever seen (maybe I’m biased). It was so beautiful, the staff was amazing, and all of my guests have raced about the location. I couldn’t have picked more wonderful people to work with!! Reviewed on 07-11-2019
Cassidy Hurd(bride)3 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 06-07-2019 With no experience in planning or having a wedding, I didn’t know how expensive it really was. Beautiful venue, but too expensive for what wasn’t included. Reviewed on 15-09-2019
Maxine Paraventi(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 17-08-2019 The Veranda couldn’t have been more perfect for our wedding reception and ceremony. Our ceremony was supposed to be offsite and the weather had other plans so we ended up having the ceremony at the Veranda as well. The 1928 Planning Co. Made our dreams come true as they created our vision for our ceremony at the Veranda (minus the lake). The venue is beautiful with all vintage concrete pillars to the beautiful railing and garden area for gathering. It’s the perfect spot to be close to the water but also have that cozy and romantic feel. I highly recommend the Veranda as a Reception and ceremony venue! Our wedding was a dream come true! Definitely worth the money! Reviewed on 11-09-2019
Claire Kushner(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 15-09-2018 We loved having our September wedding at the Veranda! We planned our ceremony on the rooftop overlooking the lake with the reception to follow downstairs. All of our guests commented on how easy and smooth the day went! They loved having everything in one place. This venue is in the heart of downtown St. Joe and is so unique. While we were blessed with gorgeous weather (80 degrees and sunny), they have back up plans to account for rain and colder weather. There is also an outdoor garden area which our guests loved. The Veranda makes the planning process easy since when you book you also get basic coordination services through 1928 Planning Co. and automatically work with CK Catering for food (which is awesome by the way). While you still have to pay for bartending services (which they help coordinate for you), you get to bring in your own alcohol which saved us a decent amount of money. All glassware, tables/table linens, chairs, dinnerware, and extra tables were included in the cost which made everything easy as well. Staff was very helpful and professional! Reviewed on 10-10-2018
Ana Tenemaza(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 07-07-2018 The venue itself was so beautifully set up and I still can't believe how amazing it all looked after the decorations. This location will forever hold a special place in my heart. I will always get reminded of this special day as I live like 5 min away from here. I would definitely recommend this place to future brides, as this place was perfect for both my husband and I. Reviewed on 11-07-2018
Bethany Webb(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 02-06-2018 I could not be more pleased with having my ceremony and reception at the Veranda. It was simply STUNNING. People would not stop talking about how amazing the venue was. Stephanie, Sarah, and the ladies who helped the day of were amazing to work with and really helped me feel at ease during the planning process. Seriously, best night of my life! Reviewed on 14-06-2018
Caroline Braaksma(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 02-07-2017 We chose the Veranda for our early July wedding without seeing the venue in person, and it ended up exceeding my expectations in every way! The building itself is an assisted living facility, which made me very wary at first. But it did not affect our day at all! There are multiple unique areas at the Veranda. We chose the rooftop for our ceremony and had cocktail hour in the garden! We received so many compliments on the location! It rained during dinner (and was perfect weather the rest of the day), and people hardly noticed that it was raining, even though we were still sort of outside. The staff at the Veranda and the planning company associated with them are so wonderful, and I'm pretty sure they read my mind in making sure things looked like what I had envisioned! It was a perfect day, and a perfect venue. I'm so happy with our decision! Reviewed on 20-07-2017
Shannon Janush(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 13-05-2017 The veranda at the whitcomb was the perfect backdrop for what was the perfect day. 1928 planning did an amazing job. Day of, Danielle made sure we were as hands off as possible. She got all the troops in lock step and we just got to sit back and enjoy the day. As for the space itself, the view of the sun setting over Lake Michigan was worth every penny. Our guests were very complimentary of the Veranda at the Whitcomb and we couldn't agree more. Couldn't have picked a better location. Reviewed on 25-06-2017
Heather Scofield(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 05-08-2016 Most beautiful venue! Loved working with 1928 planning co and Ck catering catering! Reviewed on 23-01-2017
Deena Lund(guest)2 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 05-09-2015 Not sure how not 1 review has mentioned this....Whitcomb is a retirement home. Google it first. \rThe Veranda seemed nice though, just beware of the location. Bride gets ready in one of the empty patients rooms. There are seniors roaming about trying to talk to you. Reviewed on 14-09-2014
Katie Jonatzke(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 31-05-2014 I got so many compliments on the reception venue from guests. It was truly unique! Danielle & her staff did a great job working with me and making sure everything was perfect on my big day! I didn't have to worry about a thing the morning of, they did all the set up for me & it looked beautiful!!! Reviewed on 18-06-2014
Jenn Bowers(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 29-09-2013 We chose the Veranda for our late September wedding. It was absolutely perfect! The Veranda is simple and elegant and makes it extremely easy to do whatever you want with decorations. They will literally coordinate EVERYTHING for you. Help you with the catering, the decorations, the bartending, etc. They were such an incredible help with all the little details. They send you monthly emails with checklists on where you should be in your planning. We used this as our reception, but they even helped us make sure everything was perfect with our wedding ceremony that was located at the bandshell across the street. Morgan was there helping with my dress and letting me know when it was time to start heading to walk down the aisle. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change anything! All our guests loved it and talked about how beautiful it was. If you are having a fall/spring wedding and are concerned about it being cold, don't worry! When they close their curtains (which compliment the venue and are not ugly) and turn on the heating lamps, it get very warm in there!! I was HOT dancing even though it was about 45 degrees that night. Everything was absolute perfection and I was so pleased with everything they did for us! I have already recommended it to my other engaged friends in the area! Reviewed on 17-10-2013
Alex Chapman(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 03-08-2013 I couldn’t have picked a more beautiful place in St. Joe to get married! I was an out-of-town bride and Danielle was so helpful with all the wedding planning. We shared dozens of emails back and forth and she was with me every step of the way. She definitely went above and beyond even when it meant finding a place to store our dogs last minute or standing on tip toes to cover a light so our photographer could get the perfect shot.\r\rWe ended up with 200 guests at the wedding and it was a tight fit, but everyone was comfortable. We came up with a seating chart that included round tables and banquet tables throughout the room and it looked amazing. To my surprise, the rented patio furniture ended up being a huge hit and I recommend it to future brides. We went with a plated dinner, which I am told takes a bit longer. We had our own dinner rushed to us so that we could greet guests. I noticed while on the floor some guests were half way through dinner before others had been served. This bothered me a little bit, but I think the servers did the best they could with so many tables.\r\rPro’s\r* The Whitcomb includes a caterer, bar service, tables & chairs, and linens while also offering decoration and coordination.\r* The location is stunning and guests enjoyed being downtown with lots of things to do.\r* The food was excellent.\r* Danielle did a great job communicating.\r\rCon’s\r* If you have a 250+ wedding it get’s a little tight and you have to fill the dance floor with tables.\r* Parking is a problem if there are other activities going on downtown. We had 3-4 other events happening the same weekend and the bridal party had a difficult time moving to different locations for photos because of the traffic and parking.\r* You don’t have a choice in the matter of bar service and caterer. Though we were very happy with CK Catering, we were not so happy with the bar service. \r Reviewed on 04-09-2013
Maggie Cooper Cooper(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 27-07-2013 The staff at the Veranda at the Whitcomb were amazing professionals. Throughout the entire planning process I felt I was in good hands- questions were answered truthfully and I always received a quick reply to emails. The location can't be beat and the quality of service was just as great. Reviewed on 26-08-2013
Rebecca Hessen(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 06-10-2012 From start to finish, from A - Z, absolute joy to work with. The provided everything I could have wanted (and if they didn't, they directed me to it!) They were extremely helpful, professional, courteous (even after the 6th or 7th 'one more question' email). The space itself is so gorgeous that any theme/decor would work well in it (not surprising, but I LOVED my vintage/eclectic theme - it went beautifully with the grays in the venue). It's the perfect location for pictures (sits on the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan), and has the most magnificent Bridal Suite. Reviewed on 01-11-2012
Allyssa Wagner(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 11-08-2012 It was a beautiful and versatile venue and all the staff was incredible helpful Reviewed on 04-09-2012
Anna Thurston(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 02-06-2012 The Veranda was a beautiful venue site. The lighting for pictures are beautiful. They have a fantastic caterer that they work with (CK Catering). All of our tables were set up by noon the day of our 4 p.m. wedding and looked beautiful. Danielle was our \"day of captain\" and was wonderful to work with! Reviewed on 03-07-2012
Kelley Renn(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 01-06-2012 It was a pretty good venue. There were only a few minornthings that could of been a little better but overall a great place to have a reception. Reviewed on 16-06-2012
Tracy Allen(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 08-10-2011 Everyone at the Veranda was so amazing and accommodating. We were extremely fortunate to have exceptional weather. You could see the sunset as we danced our first song. The view is one of a kind. We feel that it was worth more than the cost. Reviewed on 25-10-2011
Andrea Conklin(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 04-06-2011 I cannot say enough good things about the Veranda. Not only is it a beautiful and unique location for a wedding or reception, but the staff is beyond accommodating and knowledgable. The value is great and we could not have picked a better location for our reception! We received countless compliments and our guests loved the experience! Reviewed on 20-06-2011
Stacey Weirich(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 10-09-2010 A great reception venue that overlooks Lake Michigan. Open area. Easy to work with. Rental fee included linens, tables and white wooden chairs. Reviewed on 27-09-2010