We've done it! We have booked our venue! June 8, 2013 is the date and with this part done I feel soooo relieved. We are booking the lodge (I refuse to call it a "shelter" any longer) and picnic area at Johnson Park in Grand Rapids. This way, we will have backup if we end up with more than 150 guests (that is the capacity for inside the lodge). Plus we can plan the ceremony near the picnic area because it is more shaded and flat.
We had previously looked at other county park lodges, but I was disappointed in the space and area of the park they were in. For example, the lodge at the park in Byron Center was nice, but had almost no yard, and no porch. The lodge at Johnson Park has a big wrap around porch and sits back in a quiet wooded corner of the park. The interior is very rustic, and has 20 large wooden picnic tables. There is a small kitchen with a fridge/freezer, stove, and sink.
Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti
