Planning a wedding and seeking out the perfect place to say, “I do”? In charge of finding a stunning spot to host a corporate event or retirement party? Want to surprise a loved one with a beautiful milestone birthday bash?
RedWater Events is the premier choice for event planning in West Michigan. Our entire RedWater team is committed to making event planning more simple for guests. To get the planning started, our talented team has compiled venue-specific tips to help you determine which venue(s) may be ideal for your big day.
RedWater offers a variety of venues to accommodate groups of all sizes, large and small. Each one of our elegant event spaces comes with its own unique charms and amenities. We can ensure you’ll find a space that fits all your criteria and more, impressing your guests and making your shindig the most memorable celebration yet.
Watermark is located in Cascade and offers many different rooms of varying sizes (with a maximum capacity of 450 attendees), as well as a stunning outdoor ceremony and reception location. At Watermark, you’ll find green, rolling hill views and elegance all around—our North Lakeshore Ballroom has an outdoor patio, bar, and lofted ceilings to create an open, luxurious feel.
Always review the menu ahead of time to see what your estimated cost will be, instead of looking at the contracted food and beverage minimum requirement. This way, you’ll have a much better idea of where you’re at in your budget, where you can splurge, and what is less important to the overall day.
No matter what space you’re interested in renting, make sure to check what comes included with your room rental. You may be able to save some money with inclusive venues that offer tables, chairs, linen, decor, and an onsite coordination team in their rental packages.
If you are looking for simple decor, votive candles and square mirrors are available for rent, free of charge, to increase the ambiance of your event and save you money.
Enjoy the ambiance and elegance of our built-in bar in the ballroom or our outdoor patio with unbeatable golf course and waterfall views.
Always ask your venue for their recommended vendor list—a well-established venue will have a list of vendors that they work with often and trust. We’ve spent an extensive amount of time creating ours to save you time and help you experience top notch service as extensions of our RedWater team.
Ask your coordinator how much time is available on the day of for room setup and tear down to keep your day running smoothly. It may need to be contracted depending on your timeline.
Always think ahead to understand and anticipate your guests' needs. Ask your venue if they have accessible parking, indoor and outdoor spaces, menus that accommodate dietary restrictions, and the relative location to lodging, airports, and highways for out-of-town guests.
Thousand Oaks is located in northern Grand Rapids and can accommodate 450 guests. Find a range of rooms and an outdoor ceremony and reception location. For larger parties, our Grand Oaks Ballroom is a hit, with three full bars, a separate coat room, and a private deck with a view of the rolling golf course.
There is plenty to consider when it comes picking the perfect menu for your event:
Make your event personal to you by adding a pop of color. Incorporating a colored napkin is a simple but thoughtful touch. We have a variety of colors available to rent.
The Oak Leaf Lounge at Thousand Oaks Golf Club is an elegant second-floor event space that comes with a full bar, private deck, and cozy fireplace—talk about relaxing!
Having a coordinator helps with the smaller details of the day. We encourage you to think about any extra tables you might need for registration/sign in, gifts, memorabilia, favors, etc. We will work with you to design your floor plan so you have everything you need when you walk in your event space.
StoneWater is located in Caledonia and offers a few cozy yet spacious venues (and an outdoor ceremony site) for all kinds of events, offering a maximum capacity of 320. However, for smaller gatherings, the FireRock Room is an incredibly stylish space with a stone-adorned fireplace that creates a relaxing atmosphere for any occasion.
The small details make all the difference. Want to add a pop of color to your room? Ask your sales manager about our colored napkins. We have a multitude of colors to rent for only $0.35 each.
Whether you’re creating a specialized birthday bash or want minimal but classy decorations for a corporate event, we’re here to help. Make sure to communicate with your sales manager about what decorations we offer. Did you know we can provide mirrors, votives, and table numbers for free with your RedWater reservation?
For our corporate event clients, we offer audio visual rentals to allow you to make presentations a breeze. Ask our sales manager what equipment we can provide. Save time and money by using our brand-new built-in AV technology instead of hiring an outside company.
Are you sticking to a strict budget? Ask for a quote with all your requests before signing your contract. We want to make sure the venue can accommodate your needs and stay within your budget, whatever it may be.
A key tip in event planning: Don’t wait until the last minute! Make sure you’re sending invites and getting your RSVPs in time to give final counts to your sales manager. This will greatly alleviate stress right before your event and save you money by not paying for guests who aren’t attending your event.
Bright, beautiful rooms are found at Sunnybrook, located in Grandville. Here, the maximum capacity is 350. We recommend our Ballroom AB for larger parties—the stunning floor to ceiling windows overlook the golf course, and with access to a private patio and a built in bar, your guests will be incredibly impressed.
We know how important great food is in making a memorable event. Review our menus prior to booking to ensure we have food and beverage options you know you’ll love.
For a large, newly remodeled venue space, check out Banquet Room B which has beautiful rolling hill views and a private patio.
Planning an event comes with a lot of choices. For anyone who is new to hosting an event or wedding, our sales team is happy to assist you with meal selection and portions, your timeline, and the room layout.
Here are a few more tips and tricks from the Sunnybrook staff:
The charming Boatwerks, located in downtown Holland on Lake Macatawa, is home to bright and airy rooms for all sorts of occasions. The maximum capacity is 400 guests. The Black River Ballroom is great for those seeking a room with a reveal—a large retractable wall opens to a sprawling court yard with spectacular lake views.
For those interested in a beautiful lake view, we highly recommend the West Room. Lake Macatawa is one of the best backdrops for a big bash, and there is also an attached courtyard that can be added to this rental to maximize space.
Our sales managers will provide you with a list of recommended vendors that we’ve worked with, who know our spaces well, and we know are fabulous at their job. Once your vendors have been booked, we will need a full contact list to ensure that those vendors arrive at their scheduled time, keeping your day running smoothly.
For those planning a wedding, your own contracted wedding planner will assist you with the finer details for all aspects on the day of. Please see our recommended vendor list if you are still requiring someone to assist you.
Our sales managers are the venue planners for Boatwerks. They are responsible for everything that specifically deals with the venue, including table and chair setups, linens, food, beverages, and floor plans.
The sales team will make sure all of the details of your event including the timeline, food, beverages, bar service, and rental items are relayed to the event managers, serving staff, and chefs.
Here are a few more tips and tricks from the staff at Boatwerks:
Macatawa is located in Holland and has a maximum capacity of 400 guests. The spacious, bright Macatawa Ballroom is great for larger parties, supplying an elegant, welcoming charm that you and your guests will love.
Offer passed champagne at your event or ceremony entrance for a classy touch your guests will remember.
Spend less on decor when you book a venue with a view. As long as you have beautiful views, which Macatawa supplies, there is no need to spend too much on extra decorations.
For wedding events, use RedWater cutting cakes for your table centerpieces. You can pretty them up with flowers or cake toppers and your guests can enjoy their dessert right at the table.
Take advantage of our beautiful Michigan summers by booking an event on our ballroom deck. For a corporate holiday party or birthday bash, you can also book an interactive event. Our Live Golf Lounge is a fun alternative to a sit down dinner.
Thornapple Pointe is located in southern Grand Rapids and offers a maximum capacity of 250 guests at our Pavilion, Clubhouse, and outdoor ceremony site.
Keep things simple and let us do the decorating. Our Pavilion, which provides an upscale, outdoorsy aesthetic, is already ready for your next event, with bistro lighting, paper lanterns, complimentary centerpieces and your choice of colored napkins included.
Before or after your event starts, encourage your guests to stay and play a round of golf. Our course is open to the public.
Check out these tips from the staff at Thornapple Pointe:
Our Muskegon & Ravines locations are located in Muskegon and Saugatuck and each fit 175 guests. The Muskegon Country Club offers a stunning view of Lake Muskegon—the Lakeshore Ballroom offers an attached deck for maximum viewing. Ravines is surrounded by a lush green golf course—The Cottage at Ravines is incredibly cozy, ideal for small to midsize groups.
To minimize decor costs, consider venues with lots of natural beauty, which is plentiful at Muskegon & Ravines.
For wedding planners, repurpose your flowers and decor. Ceremony arbor florals can be repurposed to serve as a runner on the head table. Your bridesmaids bouquets can be set in water and used as accent florals on your buffet, cake, or gift tables.
The right vendors make all the difference in your event quality. This goes for everything from photographers, florists, decorators, etc. Having experienced vendors in place decreases stress levels leading up to the day.
Here are a few final tips from the staff at Muskegon & Ravines:
Life’s most memorable moments can be celebrated at a RedWater event venue. Send us a message today with some information on your event to get planning started or set up a tour of our event spaces today.
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