FAQs

Question

What attire do you suggest for this event?

Answer

Normal cocktail/wedding/evening summer attire is requested. We do not recommend formal wear, such as long formal gowns or tuxedos at all (the bride will be in a gown and the groom will be in a suit, not a tux). Some suggestions include... For the ladies: "the little black dress" (but doesn't need to be black; insert color of your choice - ladies know what we mean); summer "fancier" sun dress (e.g, full length floral); Nice pants outfit or skirt and top; feel free to wear a long dress if you'd like; or whatever you'd normally wear to a wedding. Of course, all white is reserved more for the bride (yes, ironic given the "blushing" bride has three daughters, so that jig is up. Ha!). For the gentlemen: dress pants or “khakis”and button-up shirt; sport jacket and pants; suit with tie. Tuxedos are most definitely over-the-top, so please leave your James Bond attire at home. :-) We honestly only care that we see you there, not seeing what you wear, so please don't let the attire stress you out!

Question

Is there ride share available?

Answer

Well...sort of. There are limited ubers and ride share services in the area. It can be difficult to find them late at night in the area of our venue. That said, we are currently trying to arrange to have some available exclusively to us. It's always a good idea to have a designated driver. But we will post more on what we have available to us in the near future. Stay tuned!

Question

What time should we arrive for the ceremony?

Answer

Given the property has a walkway past the parking area, we ask that you arrive by 3:45/3:50 p.m. You will need time to park and make the very short walk. But if you pull in later, you may have to navigate the bridal party making their way to the processional area. :-) What a great idea for a video game! We are attempting to start promptly at 4 p.m., so your early arrival is appreciated. We suggest you arrive no earlier than 3:30 p.m., though you are welcome to. The ceremony area is outside and if the weather is warm, you won't want to be too early (though there are trees to shade yourself under). So, to recap, between 3:30 p.m. and 3:50 p.m. is ideal.

Question

I have dietary restrictions...will there be food I can eat there?

Answer

When you RSVP for the wedding, whether by mailed card or the QR code that leads you to this site (if you are reading this, you made it to the site already), you have an area where you can note any special dietary needs our caterer needs to accommodate, e.g., gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, etc. In some cases, the food provided may already fit some of these needs. However, please specify in advance when you RSVP because our caterer brings special meals for certain dietary needs. Don't worry, no one leaves hungry!

Question

Where should I/we stay?

Answer

We've listed several hotels that are available in varying ranges of prices. To accommodate travel time, we picked Labor Day weekend for our wedding date, but given it's a holiday weekend, it's best to book early. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure room blocks since it is a holiday weekend, and given there are numerous towns nearby from which to choose, including Stevensville, Berrien Springs, St. Joseph, and Niles - we wanted our guests to have their pick. We know some of our guests are going the AirBNB/Vrbo route, so that provides additional options, as well. Booking.com/Hotels.com can be helpful sites to explore your options.

Question

Is the venue the same for the ceremony and reception?

Answer

Yes. Both the ceremony and the reception are at The Hidden Vineyard Wedding Barn in Berrien Springs, Michigan. This is a fantastic property we instantly fell in love with - it is a working vineyard, it has a wonderful old Catalpa tree we hope to get married under, a beautiful barn the reception will take place in, and a great deck that overlooks the vineyard and provides a lookout to gorgeous West Michigan sunsets. We think you'll see why we love it so much on August 30th!

Question

Is there parking onsite?

Answer

There is parking at the venue; the lot is just around the out-building (visible on your right when you pull into the venue).