Laurel Manor weddings: venue guide and wedding DJ
39000 Schoolcraft Rd, Livonia, MI 48150
Dave has played here
Justin & Alyssa, Laurel Manor, September 2017 · Photograph: Dave Menzo, from the DJ booth
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Laurel Manor at a glance
Laurel Manor is a purpose-built banquet and conference center on Schoolcraft Road in Livonia, close to I-96 and I-275. Restaurateurs John and Lina Del Signore opened it in 1988, and the family still runs it. Its main wing, The Estate, covers about 23,000 square feet split into six ballrooms, each with a built-in dance floor, a granite-topped bar and chandeliers, and the rooms can be joined for very large weddings. Ceremonies take place indoors in dedicated rooms, and a garden on site is used for photographs.
- Setting. Family-run banquet center near I-96 and I-275
- Guests. 140 to 280 seated per ballroom; 1,400 combined
- Ceremony. Indoors: Atrium Parlor (200) or Estate G
- Season. Year-round; books up to two years ahead
- Catering. In-house, family-run kitchen
- Parking. About 800 free spaces; valet available
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How many guests can we have?
| Space | Used for | Guests |
|---|---|---|
| Estate A | Indoor reception | Up to 280 seated; 400 standing |
| Estate B | Indoor reception | Up to 150 seated; 200 standing |
| Estate C | Indoor reception | Up to 150 seated; 200 standing |
| Estate D | Indoor reception | Up to 280 seated; 400 standing |
| Estate E | Indoor reception | Up to 140 seated; 170 standing |
| Estate F | Indoor reception | Up to 220 seated; 350 standing |
| Combined Estate rooms | Indoor reception | Up to 1,400 seated; 2,200 standing |
| Atrium Parlor | Indoor ceremony | Up to 200 seated |
| Estate G | Indoor ceremony | Up to 150 seated |
Estate G is listed for 150 on one venue page and 130 theater-style on another; confirm with the venue.
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What are the music rules?
- PowerCeremony rental includes a mixer for the DJ to plug into house sound
- HoursRoom access 1.5 hours before daytime events, from 1 pm for evening events
- Good to knowOutside vendors need a liability certificate naming Laurel Manor as additional insured
From Laurel Manor’s own pages. We confirm every detail with the venue before your day.
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What are the spaces, and what’s included?
- Estate AIndoor reception
- Estate BIndoor reception
- Estate CIndoor reception
- Estate DIndoor reception
- Estate EIndoor reception
- Estate FIndoor reception
- Combined Estate roomsIndoor reception · Pairs hold 350 to 450; Estates A to D together hold 1,000
- Atrium ParlorIndoor ceremony
- Estate GIndoor ceremony
- In-house catering
- Built-in dance floor and granite-topped bar in each Estate room
- Two dressing suites with the ceremony rental
- One-hour rehearsal included
- About 800 free parking spaces; valet for a fee
- Ramps, accessible restrooms and an elevator to the second floor
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Has Menzo Weddings played here?
Yes. Dave was the DJ for Justin and Alyssa's wedding at Laurel Manor on September 30, 2017. The photograph above is their dance floor.
Photographs: Justin & Alyssa, Laurel Manor, September 2017 · Photograph: Dave Menzo, from the DJ booth
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Where do guests stay?
- Courtyard Detroit LivoniaLivonia · About 10 min
- Hilton Garden Inn PlymouthPlymouth · About 10 min
- Detroit Metro (DTW)about 30 min
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Questions couples ask us
Does Laurel Manor have a ceremony room?
Yes. The venue lists two ceremony spaces: the Atrium Parlor, which seats up to 200, and Estate G, which seats up to 150. Its rentals include the dressing suites and ceremony room for three hours.
How many guests can Laurel Manor hold for a wedding?
The venue lists six Estate ballrooms from 140 to 280 guests each, which can be combined. All six together hold up to 1,400. Ask which rooms are available on your date.
Can we have the ceremony and reception both at Laurel Manor?
Yes, with a ceremony space and ballrooms in the same building. Live ceremony music on guitar and vocals, or piano, can be added to your DJ and MC booking, so the ceremony and reception run from one plan.
Has Menzo Weddings played Laurel Manor?
Yes. Dave was the DJ for Justin and Alyssa's wedding at Laurel Manor on September 30, 2017. The photograph at the top of this page is their dance floor, taken from the DJ booth.
Does Laurel Manor provide audio-visual equipment?
The venue advertises audio-visual equipment for its events. If you'd like to use any of it, for a slideshow for example, ask the venue what's included, and we'll plan around it.
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Our full guide to Laurel Manor
Laurel Manor Banquet & Conference Center is on Schoolcraft Road in Livonia, a short drive from most of western Wayne County and Detroit's western suburbs. It's a large, purpose-built banquet venue: chandeliers, built-in dance floors and a set of ballrooms that can hold an intimate reception or a very large one.
Menzo Weddings provides wedding DJ and MC services at Laurel Manor and across Metro Detroit, with live ceremony and cocktail-hour music to add. Dave Menzo, who founded Menzo Weddings, was the DJ for Justin and Alyssa's wedding here in September 2017. The photograph at the top of this page is from that night: their dance floor, full, seen from the DJ booth.
What is Laurel Manor like for a wedding?
Laurel Manor was founded in 1988 by John and Lina Del Signore. It has about 23,000 square feet of ballroom space, and its site mentions presentation balconies, large built-in dance floors, grand chandeliers, dressing suites and audio-visual equipment.
The venue's ballrooms page lists six Estate rooms for receptions:
| Room | Guests |
|---|---|
| Estate A | 280 |
| Estate B | 150 |
| Estate C | 150 |
| Estate D | 280 |
| Estate E | 140 |
| Estate F | 220 |
| All six combined | 1,400 |
For ceremonies, the venue lists the Atrium Parlor (up to 200) and Estate G (up to 150), and its rentals include the dressing suites and ceremony room for three hours. See Laurel Manor's ballrooms page for the latest details.
Justin and Alyssa's wedding at Laurel Manor
Dave was the DJ for Justin and Alyssa's reception on the last day of September 2017. The one photograph we have from the night says most of it: a crowded dance floor under the chandeliers, taken from behind the DJ booth.
Ceremony music at Laurel Manor
With a ceremony room in the same building as the reception, guests move straight from one to the other and the day keeps its pace. Live ceremony music, on acoustic guitar and vocals or piano, can be added to your DJ and MC booking, so the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception all run from one plan. In an indoor room, the processional can be planned to the exact length of the aisle, with no wind or weather to work around. See live ceremony music.
Cocktail hour at Laurel Manor
While guests settle into the reception space, a short live acoustic set fills the gap. If your guest list is large, a DJ playlist that builds through the hour is often the better fit, so the energy is already there when you make your entrance. See cocktail hour music.
Wedding DJ and MC in a banquet ballroom
A purpose-built ballroom with a built-in dance floor is made for dancing, and the job is to fill it. Our approach in a big room is to watch who's dancing and who's about to, keep your do-not-play list close, and pace the night so the floor never empties between sets. As your MC, we announce your grand entrance, toasts, cake and last dance clearly and on time. For more on what's included, see wedding DJ and MC.
In a venue with several ballrooms, it's worth asking whether another event will be running next door on your night. We keep the volume aimed at your dance floor, and a quick word with the venue tells everyone what to expect.
Music ideas for a big Detroit-area ballroom
Large Detroit-area receptions often mix generations, and the songs that bring everyone onto the floor at once tend to be the ones every age group knows: Motown, a few disco and 1980s classics, and the current songs your friends have been waiting for. These are ideas to start the conversation, not a set list. We plan every song with you before the day.
If you'd like live music in the reception too, add DJ plus live music, with live drums, guitar, sax or violin on top of the DJ set. If you'd rather have most of the night played live, a live wedding band package can have a DJ playing between sets and closing out the night, and the DJ, live band or both guide covers the combinations.
What to ask Laurel Manor before you plan the music
- Which Estate room and ceremony space you're booked in, and whether other events share the building that night.
- When vendors can arrive, and what time the music needs to end.
- What the venue's own AV includes, if you're planning a slideshow.
More Detroit wedding venues
Dave has also played weddings at The Masonic Temple in Detroit and The War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms. For more of the area, see Detroit weddings, or browse all the venues we've played.