We were married at Packard on 7/22/22. My husband and I didn’t want a traditional venue, and we wanted our wending funds to go toward organizations and people we liked and trusted. We knew Packard was the right place for us on our first tour in 2021. Mary Ann was wonderful to work with and we loved knowing that our venue fees were going toward supporting the preservation and maintenance of the historic grounds. We also liked that they had a Facebook group for couples, hosted wedding garage sales, and were at a convenient location for us. The space also fit well in our vision of a vintage-themed wedding, melding my work as a librarian with my husband’s work as an automotive engineer.

The space was beautiful. Our out-of-town guests stayed at the Cambria Hotel, which offered a shuttle to Packard, and we got ready on the Packard grounds, which helped the day feel more relaxed. It also helped that the ceremony and reception space were close together but there was still space to spread out. One thing that surprised us was that few guests stayed to dance despite our fantastic band; most of our guests wanted to wander the grounds or tour the museum (or leave altogether) instead. That might have more to do with our friends/family than the venue, but it’s worth thinking about!

We had some confusion on a couple points the day of the wedding. We had attended a handful of other Packard events before our wedding day, so I was accustomed to seeing the reception hall’s large garage doors open in the warmer season—especially during these pandemic years. We envisioned our floor plan with the doors wide open, but our wedding planner had to quickly adjust when the venue staff informed us that we would not be allowed to open the reception hall’s large garage doors during cocktail hour because of the heat that day. It turned out to be a very hot day, so it made sense to spare their A/C systems, but this change ran counter to the floor plan we’d constructed around traffic flows and effectively trapped the band’s music in the reception space, so I wish I’d known about it sooner! We had also been told that we could walk through the Packard house for the ceremony, so we left some things (phones, water bottles) there. My wedding planner moved the belongings shortly after the ceremony when a staff member noted that our belongings could not be left in the house, which took us by surprise in the whirlwind of activity following the ceremony. However, aside from these minor snafus the day of our event, everything went beautifully! Our guests loved the venue and still talk about the space, and everything looked like how we dreamed it would.

The PPG was the best place for our wedding reception! The Repair Garage is beautiful and honestly doesn't need much decor as it's beautiful on its own. Mary Anne and Rene' are so helpful and even honored our odd request of letting us have skeletons in the static car inside of the garage as part of our 'Til Death theme. Our guests loved our venue, especially the tours that the PPG volunteers led during the reception, at one point the dance floor was empty as everyone was on the tour! My only word of advice is that it's a build-your-own wedding venue which is totally worth it in the end and is completely customizable. There's a lot of decisions to make and if you want an all-in-one venue the PPG isn't for you.

We have received SO many compliments on our venue! People loved the unique and historic feel that Packard has to offer. If you're considering this venue, don't hesitate! Their calendar fills up quickly each year. We had such a positive experience, from our first inquires about the venue all the way until the last moments of our reception. The wedding coordinator at Packard, Mary Anne, is extremely helpful and patient! She is always available to answer questions or concerns, and offer suggestions. The two Packard volunteers who worked our wedding were so professional and kind. The grounds at Packard are also perfect for wedding photos.