Wedding Flowers at 5Bay Point

5Bay Point presents a dual design opportunity: the expansive, airy horizon of Gun Lake and the structured, modern warmth of the Woods venue. Success here requires a strategy that respects the wind off the water while leaning into the massive architectural anchors found indoors.

The Spaces

Lakeside Setting

This is the quintessential West Michigan waterfront experience, centered around a permanent white pergola. The backdrop of Gun Lake provides the color palette—blues, greys, and greens—so floral designs should focus on adding texture and framing the view rather than competing with it.

• What works: Asymmetrical floral clusters on the pergola corners. Ground-level “meadow” installations that line the aisle and look as though they are growing out of the lawn.
• Skip: Tall, top-heavy pedestals that act like sails in the lake breeze.
• Watch out: The wind here is consistent; everything must be zip-tied or weighted with sandbags.
• Budget hero move: Focus 70% of the ceremony budget on the pergola. It is the only structure in an otherwise open landscape and needs significant scale to feel intentional.

Bay Pointe Woods Event Venue

A sophisticated take on the modern barn, this space is defined by its stone fireplace and dark wood accents. The interior is neutral, allowing for almost any color palette, though we find that whites, creams, and deep greenery feel the most cohesive with the wooded surroundings.

• What works: A “growing” installation at the base of the fireplace that climbs up the stone. This creates a secondary photo backdrop for the reception.
• Skip: Tiny bud vases on the fireplace mantel; they will disappear against the scale of the stone.
• Watch out: The high ceilings can make standard low centerpieces feel diminutive.
• Budget hero move: Mantel greenery. It draws the eye upward and emphasizes the height of the room for a relatively low cost.

Main Ballroom

The Ballroom offers a more traditional reception feel but keeps the rustic-modern edge with exposed beams. This is the best space for couples wanting a high-impact, “full” floral look.

• What works: Tall, airy centerpieces on thin gold or black stands. These fill the vertical space between the tables and the high ceiling without blocking sightlines across the room.
• Skip: Solid, dense greenery runners on the round tables; they take up too much “plate real estate” for the venue’s standard 10-top rounds.
• Watch out: Rigging to the beams requires a ladder and extra labor time; ensure your floral team has accounted for this in the setup window.

What Works at 5Bay Point

• Asymmetrical Pergola Designs: Breaking up the rigid lines of the white ceremony arbor with organic, flowing floral placements makes the structure feel integrated into the lakeside landscape.
• Fireplace Anchors: The stone fireplaces are the heart of the indoor spaces. Treating them as a floral canvas—either with lush mantels or floor-to-ceiling “climbing” vines—is the most effective way to transform the room.
• Coastal-Neutral Palettes: Utilizing whites, sands, and dusty blues complements the natural lakefront light and the interior’s wood tones perfectly.
• Vertical Greenery: Smilax or ivy wound around the ballroom’s exposed beams brings the “woods” theme indoors and softens the architectural lines.
• Repurposed Aisle Meadows: Move ground-level ceremony flowers to the base of the sweetheart table or the front of the band stage to maximize your investment.

Budget Guide

The natural beauty of Gun Lake does much of the heavy lifting, allowing you to focus your budget on a few high-impact architectural moments.

Tips

• Prioritize the fireplace: If you are choosing between a large arbor or a large fireplace installation, choose the fireplace—it will be behind you for five hours, whereas the arbor is only for thirty minutes.
• Weight for wind: Remind your floral team that the lakeside breeze is no joke; any freestanding structures need hidden weights.
• Repurpose with purpose: The ceremony pergola flowers can often be moved to the fireplace mantel if designed on removable cages.
• Mind the sun: The lakeside ceremony spot is high-exposure; choose hardy blooms like roses, lisianthus, or tropicals that won’t wilt before the processional begins.
• Column wraps: On the covered terrace, use the structural columns as rigging points for greenery to create an “indoor garden” feel for cocktail hour.