The Rust Belt Market Reviews
Reviews
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Featured
Emily Sent on 10/20/2023July 2023 Whimsical Disco Wedding!
Our July 2023 wedding at the Rust Belt Market was so dreamy! We were relatively dead-set on this venue, and after our first walk-through and chat with Julie, the Rust Belt Event Coordinator, we knew for sure that it was right for us!
PLANNING: Julie was outstanding when it came to being patient, flexible, and kind during our wedding planning process. She gave us great advice for how to use the space, and also referred us to our florist (Stems Floral), who put together our simple flower arrangements and set up our tables on the day-of. Julie allowed us to store some supplies at the venue the night before the wedding, which made things a breeze. The venue itself is gorgeous and fun, so if you're looking for somewhere with a bit of a rustic/industrial vibe that you don't need to totally transform, this is perfect- we did minimal decorations, and it still looked awesome! (This also made end-of-night clean up SO easy.) The Rust Belt also has a small selection of preferred catering companies you must choose from, which we LOVED, because it made decisions easy for us- we went with Brooks & Landry, whose catering was DELICIOUS. Julie and the Rust Belt team were very responsive and available for questions whenever we needed them, prior to the big day. This was so helpful!
DAY-OF: Our wedding day was super breezy and fun. Everything happened on schedule- no delays! Our guests were able to walk the market during cocktail hour, before the venue closed to the public, which was a cool touch! The venue provides two custom drinks for cocktail hour, and they allowed us to go off-menu to serve the "Lavender Haze", a really awesome craft cocktail that our guests loved! The bar staff was super kind and helpful throughout the evening. We particularly enjoyed the Green Room, and are really happy we rented it out. This was a great space for final "getting ready" touches, and was also amazing as a photo-op space. The downtown Ferndale area, just steps from outside the Rust Belt, was also a wonderful spot for wedding photos (MissLyss Photography captured our special day, and they are wonderful). We had also rented a Shutterbooth photo station, and the red velvet couch area inside the Rust Belt was perfect for setup- the vendor was able to get plugged in and ready with ease. The actual event space was large enough to hold our 80 guests, buffet tables, DJ booth, and gift/guest book table. The Rust Belt provided more than enough tables for anything we needed. From arrival to departure, things were easy and simple!
OVERALL: Our guests absolutely loved this unique, fun venue! We received so many compliments during and after the wedding. We loved the many great photo-op spaces in and around the Rust Belt, and felt as though this was the perfect venue for our whimsical, disco-inspired wedding day. As folks who didn't want to have to make a ton of decisions, the Rust Belt made it easy by providing vendor referrals, a list of caterers to choose from, a space that required minimal decor, and a pre-determined structure to the day. It should also be noted that the pricing was fair and competitive, too. We would recommend this venue to couples seeking a low-stress, easy, unique, intimate, and fun space. We are SO happy with our decision to get married at the Rust Belt Market!The Rust Belt Market's reply:
Thank you Emily for such an amazing review of your experience with The Rust Belt! You were SO much fun to work with, and we loved being a part of your amazing wedding day. We hope you will stop in to see us again soon - Cheers & Congrats!! -
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Olivia Sent on 04/22/2026Beautiful Venue!
My husband and I loved this venue. The Rust Belt has a unique and beautiful background for any style of wedding. We had a Lego Star Wars themed wedding and absolutely loved The Rustic barn wood in the background, the twinkly lights above, The Velvet couch, and the green room.
We appreciated the convenience of being able to pay online even though we paid in person. Being able to review our contract at any time to make sure that we were following the contract agreement was so easy. The price was fantastic as well as the price for the open bar. It was well within our budget and we spent overall about $20,000 on our wedding which is what we had originally budgeted for. It's a beautiful venue and we really loved everything about this place.The Rust Belt Market's reply:
Thank you Olivia, for such a wonderful, and informative review, it is much appreciated! We're so happy to hear that your wedding vision came to life in our space. Your theme was SO FUN! We're so glad you had a wonderful wedding day at The Rust Belt Market - THANK YOU! -
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Jessica Sent on 01/03/2026Our neighborhood gem
What a dream. We’ve lived in the neighborhood and come here so often, when it finally clicked we could actually have our wedding here too? Amazing. The venue is just gorgeous and definitely unique. We also loved having access to the Green Room to hang out and calm our nerves before the reception! Working with Julie was so perfect; she provided us with so many rockstar recommendations for additional vendors, who in turn were awesome to work with. She was there through the entire planning process to answer any questions that we had and coordinated easily with our vendors. She ensured things ran smoothly on the Day Of, and our guests had an amazing time. And we have to shout out the bar staff: our guests said it was the coolest and most delicious wedding bar they’ve been to!The Rust Belt Market's reply:
What an amazing review - thank you! We appreciate you sharing your experience working with us. We absolutely loved hosting your special day - you are part of The Rust Belt family! We hope you'll stop by and see us again soon :) -
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Karylin Sent on 09/13/2024
A Million Stars!!
From our initial tour to our wedding day, Julie was EXCEPTIONAL to work with. She was quick to reply, always helpful, and so incredibly kind. She certainly went above and beyond with some asks that we had. As for the venue space, it speaks for itself! Beyond beautiful. Our guests raved, many saying it’s the coolest wedding they’ve ever been to. Thank you Rust Belt!! And JULIE!!! XoThe Rust Belt Market's reply:
Thank you Karylin! We LOVE hearing from you and appreciate you taking time to share your experience with others. Your wedding day was absolutely gorgeous and we were SO happy to be your host - thank you! Cheers & Congrats :) -
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Marina Sent on 10/31/2023Easy to work with
Having our wedding at the Rust Belt was a great choice! Julie is great to work with, she is responsive to any questions you may have and is great at making sure the day runs smoothly!The Rust Belt Market's reply:
Thanks Marina! We're so happy to hear your wedding at The Rust Belt was everything you envisioned. We loved being your host - thank you for putting your trust in us. Stop by the Market for a visit soon - Cheers & Congrats! -
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Mara Sent on 01/30/2022Beautiful Rustic Venue!
Our wedding at the Rust Belt Market was amazing! With farm tables and chairs, the venue needs little additional decoration because it is so beautiful. The team had some personnel changes during the time I was planning with them, and although there was a minor communication error because of the personnel changes that we realized day of (!!), the Rust Belt events team quickly fixed the error and we were back on track. We were also so happy and appreciative that the staff were ok masking for our wedding, where we asked all guests to also be masked because it was just before the peak of omicron. Excellent bar service as well! We can't recommend this venue highly enough :) -
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Victoria Sent on 01/09/2020Our Dream Wedding!
From the beginning of our planning process, Christina and the Rust Belt team were fully on board to having a New Year's Eve wedding and everything that entailed. Their list of preferred vendors was super helpful in choosing vendors who were familiar with the space and could work to blend our vision with their services. We toured several different venues and looked at even more online, and The Rust Belt was always one of our top choices. The atmosphere is incredibly intimate and needed little in the way of decoration to make the space feel like "us". Our guests raved about how cool and different the space was! Their bar packages were also super affordable and easily amendable for any budget. Christina and her team truly went above and beyond to make our day perfect, and I would recommend anyone considering the Rust Belt to just book it! -
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Michelle Sent on 11/26/2019
Perfect Venue
The Rust Belt was the perfect venue for our wedding! The decor is gorgeous and we only needed to provide minimal table decorations to make the space look amazing. It's located in downtown Ferndale, so there are tons of great photo locations and bars to keep the party going once the reception is over. Parking isn't free, however you can pre-pay for guest parking through the city if that's a huge concern. We did that and it worked out perfectly. Christina was amazing and very responsive to any questions/issues we had, and the bartenders on staff at our wedding were great. We highly recommend using this gorgeous venue! -
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Katelyn Sent on 11/08/2018Venue Perfection
My experience with The Rust Belt Market was perfect. This venue is unique, beautiful & so easy to work with. The service was great, and I highly recommend using Holiday Market - who is one of their preferred catering vendors. If you are looking for a setting out of the ordinary, this is the place for you.The Rust Belt Market's reply:
Hey Katelyn, your wedding day was absolutely beautiful!!! Thanks again for choosing us for your special day! -
Carrie Sent on 07/03/2018We couldn't have picked a better venue and group to work with for our wedding day. The Rust Belt is a unique venue for any event. The decor they have there is so special and you really don't have a lot to do outside of what the venue already offers. Although you have to essentially bring everything in for your event they have a great list of preferred vendors you can work with to get your day put together. Christina was a pleasure to work with and made the process really easily. We highly recommend using this unique space for your wedding!
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Shelly Sent on 04/23/2018We are coming up on a month since our wedding at the Rust Belt and are still randomly hearing great reviews from our friends and family who had an amazing time there! The occasion brought in many newcomers to the area and they were so impressed with how singularly beautiful the space is. We partnered well with Christina, the events manager, who was extremely patient and responsive as we worked clumsily through all the details. She really made things easy, and everything we discussed went smoothly on the day. Michael was a wonderful bartender and helped us concoct our signature bride and groom cocktails before the big day. We heard many compliments about his easy going but attentive service as well. I would not hesitate to recommend the Rust Belt and its solid team to anyone wanting to throw a party that everyone will remember!
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Dawn Sent on 04/15/2018We had such a wonderful experience. Christina was easy to communicate with and using their preferred vendors made wedding planning easy. The space has a cool vibe that’s memorable for guests.
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Meredith Sent on 01/03/2018We hosted our company holiday party at the Rust Belt in December. It was an awesome experience! Our guests loved the venue and enjoyed being able to use the Rusty Bucks to shop. Christina did a fantastic job helping us plan our event. She was extremely patient with us and all of our questions and requests. All of the staff were excellent. Many of our employees have asked me if we can have more events there in the future. We will definitely consider it! Highly recommend this venue to anyone looking for an affordable, fun space for their party. My only regret is forgetting my camera at home and not being able to get more photos. Cost below includes our premium bar package and Rusty Bucks for our guests.
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Katrina Sent on 06/17/2019Fun Alternative Wedding Reception Space
My fiance and I live in Ferndale, so we loved the idea of having our reception there and showing our guests our city. The Rust Belt was great! All of our guests loved the unique space and the shops being open for the first hour. We chose the bar package that included two custom cocktails and they were delicious! -
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![Aubrey]()
Aubrey Sent on 01/03/2018Although our reception space was beautiful, I would NOT recommend them. Their wedding coordinator shows little to no compassion for a stressed out bride. They don’t bend on any rules (wouldn’t let us get into the space even 15 minutes early without charging us, wouldn’t let us use the empty closet or the empty fridge to store a few things for the people helping us setup without charging us, etc). The owner promised us something, admitted he promised us something, and still did not deliver on his promise because he didn’t want to upset his wife. In addition, they make you provide your own water. Your guest cannot go to the bar and ask for a water, you have to provide your own water stations or bottles, it’s a hassle and cost you even more money. Lastly, you have to do a deep clean in the space before you leave or you’ll get charged. Oh yeah, and the bartenders traded our Cupcakes that we were saving in the back for pizza from our food truck #NotCool I could keep going on them but this post is already long enough, lol.The Rust Belt Market's reply:
Hey Aubrey,
All feedback is useful for future clients when considering our venue. I’d be happy to explain a few of the concerns you’ve brought up.
Regarding early set up, as explained to you before your wedding day we do allow 10am access for an additional fee. Our standard time allows 3pm set up. Our coat closet is also included in our rental so I’m not sure where that confusion came in, you gain access to the closet at 3pm as well. We have a small cooler in the kitchen which you did use for the missing cupcakes you spoke of, they were left behind by whoever you had drop them off.
Our bar packages are able to include couples cocktails when you purchase a liquor package. Since you purchased beer and wine only they are not included. I know this was explained many times, including in the conversation you requested for the owner to contact your mother. We always welcome clients to stop into the venue and look at the space during our marketplace hours however I am the sole contact for all venue details. Our staff does not know every detail regarding the events and our policies.
Many couples consider food trucks when planning their wedding but may not realize that they don’t include water, table service, bussing, trash service and most importantly clean up. The space is expected to be left how it is found, the prep kitchen wiped down and mopped and all decor from the event space removed. When I emailed you about forgetting your marriage license I also let you know that your security deposit was refunded in full. Please let me know if you did not receive this and I can have our accounts checked.
Lastly, hiring event coordinators and professional catering companies make your special day such a breeze! We always recommend to our clients to keep this in mind when choosing their vendors. -
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Katie Sent on 05/01/2021Unresponsive Amidst a Pandemic
Due to the pandemic our wedding had to be cancelled. The first time was to no fault of Rustbelt. As we approached the second wedding date, however, the trouble started. We were never contacted by Rustbelt so when we reached out in mid July we received a response that we could either have 10 guests, cancel, reschedule, or wait it out. According to our contract though we would still be charged for our full bar package and we asked for clarification. We were once again given the same information as before and were only able to communicate with the event coordinator and not the owner. After another attempt to contact the owners and a mention of taking them to court, we received a threatening letter from their lawyers. This once again laid out our options and mentioned bringing it out of small claims court. The cancelation option said there would be a refund of $1,350 if canceled before 120 days from the wedding date. We were now down to about 30 days away. We asked again for clarification of the refund and bar package and got no answers. After the wedding should have occurred we took them to court. Rustbelt only offered the $1,350 refund at mediation so we took it to the magistrate. There it was ruled that we would receive a full refund since no services were provided the day of our event. Rustbelt then appealed and we had yet another court date that they ultimately ended up canceling and refunding us days before the case. While I understand that the pandemic is in no way the fault of the Rustbelt Market, the way the situation was handled, was. We don’t know when this will be all over so rescheduling for a third time was not an option. Contracts are to be fair and equal for both parties and Rustbelt was planning to keep our money for an event that we couldn’t attend and that they couldn’t have rebooked.The Rust Belt Market's reply:
Hey Katie,
This situation has been very unfortunate for both clients and small businesses. We’ve done everything we possibly can to work with each client the best we can within our governor’s Executive Orders and now with the MDHHS social gathering restrictions.
As you already know, but others reading this should too, our document stated: “For as long as we are required by law to operate within the parameter of any Executive Order limiting indoor social gatherings to less than 100 people, we are waiving our minimum guest requirement.” Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have not collected a bar package for more than any guest count and will not do so until we can resume events without gathering restrictions.
I am also the Events Manager that you are making communication claims against and that’s quite disheartening as I spent hours on the phone with your dad, even though he was yelling at me and aggressive. It was explained to him many times that you would not be required to pay the bar package. We never attempted to collect a bar package payment for your event. I even followed each of my calls with him with an additional call to you since you are the contracted client.
It was unfortunate you decided to file suit, but we ultimately dropped the second court case in order to move on and look to the future instead of dwelling in a complicated, exhausting matter.
We hope you can now look forward and wish you and your husband the best! -
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Alex Sent on 07/05/2019Poor all around
I went with my fiancé to check out the place in its natural state. We immediately loved it. So I figured I would set up a meeting with them. I called the sales manager, and as soon as she picked up the phone she quickly said I’ll call you back. She never did. A couple days later I got a text message from her. I promptly texted her to see when her availability was to set up a meeting. She told me that following Thursday. A couple days later she canceled on me. I asked when we could reschedule. She said she needed her planner so she could give me an exact time, and said she would text me later that day. I didn’t hear from her until the next week. She apologized saying she couldn’t remember my number. So I gave her my availability, once again, and again I haven’t heard from her, and still haven’t heard anything from her. All in all I would not recommend the Rust belt.The Rust Belt Market's reply:
Hey Alex, Client correspondence is extremely important to us as a venue and we always try to get clients in as soon as possible for tours. I had to cancel our original meeting due to a last minute event booking and you were only seeking evening tours which book a few weeks out. The call you mentioned was on the weekend when we had two weddings back to back and I was on site and didn't have a calendar in hand when you called. All new clients contacting me through text aren't programmed contacts in my phone so it can easily become confusing. We would never want a client to feel they weren't able to come in when they are interested in our venue and I am more than happy to set up a time to meet with you. It looks like I text you on Sunday and never heard back but please feel free to contact me if you have a change of heart!
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