Aria at The Whitcomb Reviews

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!

Absolutely LOVED everything about The Veranda @ The Whitcomb. We had our wedding on the rooftop overlooking the lake and the lighthouse. Our reception was in the Veranda itself. My hubby and I were skeptical when we first walked in because it was a senior living community. But once you see the venue itself, and experience the bliss of St. Joseph (the shops, the lakefront, the community, the bars, the rooftob wedding site and the area rooftop restaurants, the sunsets, the vibe and the beauty) it is 100% exceptional! It truly allows everyone to feel the romance of a wedding day. I recommend this venue to anyone and ALL of my guests adored it and have claimed it is the "most beautiful wedding they have ever been to"

AMAZING!! Danielle was phenomenal and everything was just as I had pictured. Everyone loved the venue as much as we did!!

The Veranda is a beautiful venue and our guests loved it. We were fortunate to have beautiful weather, because I think having access to the outdoor courtyard area is something that really takes the Veranda above and beyond a traditional venue. The views overlooking the bluff are stunning and we had an amazing sunset on our wedding day.
Another great thing about the Veranda is the absolute flexibility that you have in decor and setup. The Veranda's coordinator Danielle is amazing to work with and was incredibily responsive and thorough in answering all of our questions and providing recommendations and suggestions. We hired her and the Veranda's coordination services (1928 Planning Co.) for "day of" coordination, and we couldn't have been happier. We also used the trolley available through the venue for a pre-wedding local winery tour, and were also pleased with how customer friendly and easy the whole experience was.
This is a truly unique venue with lots of possibilities. Our guests had a great time making a weekend of it in adorable downtown St. Joe's and loved the Veranda. Highly recommended.

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.

We 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.

Pro’s
* The Whitcomb includes a caterer, bar service, tables & chairs, and linens while also offering decoration and coordination.
* The location is stunning and guests enjoyed being downtown with lots of things to do.
* The food was excellent.
* Danielle did a great job communicating.

Con’s
* If you have a 250+ wedding it get’s a little tight and you have to fill the dance floor with tables.
* 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.
* 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.

The outdoor space is absolutely stunning! My husband and I as well as our guests absolutely loved the open air, the space and the beautiful sunset. I would HIGHLY recommend the event planner services provided by Daniel. She made our day (as well as the months leading up to the event) stress free and fun!

The Veranda at Whitcomb was the PERFECT venue for our wedding reception. The arcitecture is beautiful and really captured the elegance we were looking for in a less traditional setting (we were not ballroom folks.) Kristin, Danielle and the rest of the team were amazing to work with and answered all of our questions promptly (sometimes, even before we asked). Our guests were thrilled with our choice and loved the view of the sunset while we danced to our first song as Husband and Wife. Their newly added patio furniture added another spot for people to sit back, relax and celebrate. We cannot say enough how perfect this location is!

After searching and searching for the perfect reception venue for our wedding, we finally stumbled across The Veranda @ The Whitcomb. From the moment that we saw the venue, we knew that this was the place for us. It offered that outdoor wedding feel while still having cover from the sun and rain and the view of the lake was amazing. From the moment that we booked The Veranda we were provided with first class service. They remained in constant contact with us, always offering to provide whatever we needed to make our day less stressful. Kristin was SO great to work with and definitely helped to put us at ease whenever a question or concern came up. Our wedding reception turned out even better than we could have imagined. The service and attention to detail that The Veranda and CK Catering staff provided played a large part into our day's success. The breathtaking views from the Veranda at sunset also helped :) All of our family and friends cannot stop talking about the great location and how it offered something out of the ordinary that they truly enjoyed.

Our wedding ceremony and reception were here and it was amazing! Our guests were raving about the view and the venue and kept asking how we found it. Simply magnificent and the architecture there lends to gorgeous photos with a very timeless quality.

We were able to book the Veranda only 6 weeks before our wedding (our previous venue broke our contract, forcing us to find an alternative) and I cannot say how THRILLED I was to have the Veranda as our wedding and reception site!

The view is breathtaking and all of our guests were amazed at how gorgeous the veranda and surroundings were. David (the manager there) was responsive, flexible, and very helpful considering my stress and time crunch. I HIGHLY recommend this as a #1 option for couples looking for a romantic, memorable and unique setting to celebrate. Guaranteed to keep your guests talking for years! :) Happy Planning!

Amazing experience. The staff at the Veranda is absolutely wonderful! The setup of our reception went just as planned. The whole night went flawlessly!

Kristin and Danielle @ the Veranda did a fantastic job! I planned my wedding from another state so it became much more difficult to do the day to day tasks. Not only did they take the time to plan out the specific details of the reception itself, they also helped advice me on other local vendors that they recommended. On the day of, Danielle helped to make everything run smoothly, ensuring everything was set up exactly how i had envisioned it to be. The location itself is just gorgeous when the weather cooperates :)
Thank you to the staff at the Veranda for everything they did to make my day so special.

The Veranda venue was beautiful for our wedding ceremony and reception. The tower at top of the building was fantastic for our "first look" before our ceremony! The garden area was the perfect setting for our ceremony - it allowed guests to stay in one location, yet feel like they had a different experience and environment for both after moving to the covered area for our cocktail hour and reception. The fresh air off the lake was perfect and the view was incredible!

This venue is the perfect setting for your wedding. The staff was so accommodating to us and they exceeded my expectations. I couldn't have pictured our wedding day any more perfect. I only wish we could get married all over again! It was amazing.

AMAZING, beautiful venue. The Veranda is simply the best! The staff is so friendly, polite, creative and accomodating to each bride's wishes. Great food, great service, great place. Beyond all, the venue is so unique and our guests loved it- said it was unlike any wedding they'd ever been to. The Veranda truly made our day OURS, and we couldn't have asked for anything better!

I had my wedding (both ceremony and reception) at the Veranda at the Whitcomb on July 3rd, 2015. I worked with Hannah at the Veranda to get everything ready to go for my big day.

Pros:
1) They will set up everything for you ahead of time if needed (including personal decorations). I had a Beauty & the Beast theme wedding & I did my own decorations. The team that day did an AMAZING job setting up. It looked beautiful and exactly how I wanted it. (note - if you do this, put together a note sheet with pictures of exactly what you want).
2) It was absolutely beautiful and my guests are still raving over it. The ceremony spot is very beautiful overlooking the lake and the lighthouse.
3) It was very economical in the end to choose this venue. I kept everything within budget between working with the caterers and the venue and my husband and I are very happy with it. (note - you don't need to buy the overhead lighting package if it doesn't fit in your budget. We didn't and it all still looked amazing)

Cons:
1) We kept getting different directions about what was needed on our liability insurance. We kept going back and forth between the Veranda and the insurance company about what was actually stated. I would recommend for the EXACT statement of what needs to be put on the insurance.
2) There seemed to be a disconnect of what I discussed with both Hannah & the caterer ahead of time & what actually happened at the wedding. I was supposed to have plated meals for children and vegetarians/vegans so there wasn't confusion. But that didn't happen & non- vegetarians being upset because they weren't allowed to try that meal that was put at the end of the normal buffet.
3) We had no idea that they forced people to take cake home at the end of the reception. My husband & I were so sad we didn't get any cake since it was all gone.

Overall, the pros WAY outweigh the cons and I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for an amazing venue!

The venue is BEAUTIFUL. Overlooking the bluff of Lake Michigan. And reasonably priced!! Definitely the most beautiful venue I was able to find for the price! The caterer hooked to the venue had great food! And you can bring your own alcohol! This was perfection!

We used the Veranda for our reception. It is absolutely beautiful, all of our guests thought it was simple, yet elegant. We had 115 guests which left for plenty of space for a dance floor. The staff were very nice to work with and the planning services they provide with the company they team up with made our day go very smoothly. I would definitely recommend this location to people because it is beautiful and the city it is in is quite adorable. My only real complaint is that we had a Friday wedding which was cheaper, but it was still a bit more than I would had liked to pay and I wouldn't say that the price was worth every penny I paid.

The Veranda @ the Whitcomb is a great semi-outdoor location for a wedding. As far as Quality of Service, it is essentially billed that way and one would need to be okay with contracting multiple vendors to build the dream event. The rental fee covers the basic basics.

Beware of the old folks and the slow and dingy elevators. Everyone will tell you it's no big deal, but sharing the space with an operating retirement home is not exactly the most elegant way to arrive at your wedding ceremony. Seriously.

The team is available by phone and email throughout the planning process. I found the step by step emails to be a bit overwhelming but anytime I had a question or wanted to clarify a detail, the team was ready to work with me. There was a day-of representative around but I didn't see them much and I'm not sure what their role is at the event.

For an aesthetically pleasing, covered, outdoor venue near the water, the Veranda is an excellent value. With regard to flexibility, there isn't much. Every bride has choices to make throughout the process, but the Veranda will chose for you the caterer, bartender, and lighting and decor companies and you'll be stuck with their services and price lists.

Please keep in mind that when you sign with this venue, you are signing with CK Catering as well. You can not bring your own caterer. Their food wasn't mediocre. They promised the "apple table" which would have been a nice touch, but did not deliver. The food tasted to me like I was eating at a retirement home. Which this place is associated with, however, it is somewhat separate from the building and you barely have to deal with the residents, unless you have to use the bathroom. The venue is a nice place. It takes creativity to make it look elegant but it has a rustic touch. It's open space and has great daytime lighting. For nighttime, you may have to rent lighting. No A/C unless you go into the retirement building. They do have a strict rule for the volume of your music. Make sure you check with them about that before you book. There's a bridal suite at the top floor which is very nice and convenient. It's not a large space. It may fit about 10 people maximum and not be crowded. Ask about their Trolley service, it would be a great touch for your wedding day. The personnel could have been more informative about the little details before booking.

HORRIBLEEEEE SERVICE I had an appointment and she cancelled within 10 mins of my appointment after my family and I drove 4 hours to view the hall, Only to look at such an awfullllllllll place! ALL of the pictures are deceiving theres a train station within 100 yards of the outdoor reception hall. It is NOT on lake Michigan! and it over looks the river! AND did I mention it is a retirement center!!! the website never once mentioned it was a senior living center or did she give me that piece of information any of the times I spoke with her (months before we made the trip out there) oh and did I mention after I realized she never showed for my appointment she would not answer the phone or any emails!