The STAFF being there to answer any questions and helping were for certain very great 5 STARS. The rehearsal Thursday was easy and every thing laid out how it should be and marked out easy to follow. Then Friday they had every things ready to go and things nice and clean set up. The Valet Parking crew were also very quick polite and helpful. The wait staff all very very friendly and polite great bunch of people. The food is what made it a 2.5 -3 star for me. The beef was like shoe leather and beyond cutting with the knife they had on the table. The pasta had more vinegar than pasta and the potatoes were like glue. The bread dry enough to be used for stuffing but not eaten with meal. Certain with better preparation on the meal that would match the extra great service and personalities of the staff operating it most would have a 5 STAR experience. read more

Stop looking for another venue. I cannot say enough praise for the Harris Building/the team there. Karri was so responsive and helpful on literally every request I had. She came in on a Sunday so my husband could see the venue after we booked. We walked into our rehearsal and Karri and her team were literally ON THE FLOOR attaching my welcome sign to a foam board so it looked better than what I had originally delivered to them. I had very specific requests for music and timing during our ceremony, they figured it out with ease and it was literally perfect. The staff was AWESOME. We had a medical emergency during our reception which they handled with ease and professionalism. They were so kind and accommodating to all of us. Finally, the space is to die for. We took pictures in the basement and they were the best pictures of all that my photographer got - gorgeous light in a beautiful setting. The set-up of the venue is perfect. I've been to so many weddings where you're either traveling to one setting to another, or there's a long wait between events, and it really drags the whole day down. Our guests went seamlessly from one spot to the next. I have no complaints, only excessive gratitude for the team at the Harris. read more

My cousins daughter had her wedding ceremony and reception at the building tonight, all went extremely well, almost to perfection hence the 5 stars. Whatever the previous critics noted, at least for tonight it was a perfect night. Well done! read more

We used THB for our wedding reception venue. It is an absolutely beautiful building with lots of character and is a more unique venue than some of the similar ones in the area (Cheney or Goei). My primary takeaway from our experience with THB is that this is not for the faint of heart or for someone looking for a full-service venue. If you are looking for guidance, assistance, or peace of mind in planning ahead, you are better off working with Cheney or Goei. We booked THB over 18 months ahead of our wedding date, given a specific contract and loved the look of the building. Over those 18 months, the venue changed quite a bit from what we signed up for and it was clear that the contract was not really all that binding. PROS: Unique venue with lots of character and lots of square footage where you could have an all-in-one ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception if you wanted to. We were also afforded a lot of flexibility for what we wanted to do, and they provided a pianist for us for our cocktail hour. There are lots of built in areas (bars, seating, etc.) so you don't have to rent a ton of tables. We didn't do a ton of decorating and we were able to hand select most of the artwork present for our day. Guests are able to spread out and find a quieter area or cool off downstairs, but the dance floor was always full and fun and the room never felt empty even though it is quite large. We did not have a lot of children in attendance, but the ones that did enjoyed the foosball table downstairs during cocktail hour. CONS: Very expensive (about 2x more than other venues we saw in the area) and additional costs incurred (valet, rentals, additional setup time, etc). Every time we went there, Bob was sure to mention he does not like hosting weddings there. Not much cooler space - the "kitchen" has a standard fridge and a sink, that's about it. We were very unclear on the furniture we would have available - received little to no assistance planning the setup, unclear dates and deadlines, etc. They also constructed a 40' white wall in the main event space and rigged a very obstructive light system between the time we signed and we had our event, which significantly altered the look and floor space of the main area. It also took us about 6 weeks to get our deposit back and we had to go there in person to retrieve it (even though we were told it was mailed several times). All in all, our reception was great and we made the most of the "cons" - but if I had to do it again I would either suggest getting a coordinator or looking elsewhere. read more

We had a horrible experience working with the Harris Building! If you are considering them as a venue for ArtPrize or any event I would strongly suggest that you save yourself the time and money. They are not honest in their business dealings and despite many attempts to resolve the situation we have received nothing but empty promises. My husband was in the top 25 for ArtPrize 2014 and was approached by the Harris Building to feature his artwork in a post ArtPrize auction. We were given dates and encouraged to be present for the auction so we purchased plane tickets and shipped additional artwork, and then after spending thousands of dollars found out that the auction was not even happening. For months Bob strung us along with claims of interested buyers that did not turn out to be valid. We arranged for our artwork to be picked up and there was$500 in equipment that was missing. We were promised that we would be reimbursed and given dates the money would be sent out but have not received anything. This business is unprofessional and does not conduct or do business as they say. read more

UNREAL. Please do not have your wedding here. Sooo soo sooo expensive. Bathroom stalls are so short you can look over them, ugly on the inside. Staff was amazing, but that was about it. read more

We are excited to share Studio D2D has acquired the Harris Building as of January 2018... Our team is going in and adding our touches to this amazing building to make it one of Grand Rapids most unique wedding and event locations. Events will begin with Studio D2D in the Harris Building in the early summer 2018. Very exciting! Check out www.StudioD2D.com for more Harris Building details. read more

When someone tells me they'll "have my check in the mail in a couple of days," I assume the thing will arrive within a week. When Bob Dykstra, owner of the Harris Building, writes that response (in reference to returning our security deposit after our wedding reception), two weeks passed with no check. When I emailed him to check on its status, he replied that billing is done every month on the 10th, so I would have my check at that time - about four weeks after I sent my initial email. Now, four months later, my husband and I have still yet to see a check. That's right, in Bob-speak, "a couple of days" actually means "never." The Harris Building stole our security deposit. These people are garbage. Do not hire them. That little opening anecdote perfectly represents the way things go when we signed a contract with Bob Dykstra at the Harris Building. Here's their scam: First Bob tells you what you want to hear. Then, nothing happens. Then, you check in with Bob and he tells you how things really are. And that's how I ended up having to pay to bring in my own chairs, tables, sound system, and valet parking, even though during our first meeting when Bob was describing what he and The Harris could offer, all of these things were included. Over the course of the ten weeks leading up to the reception, the message went from "we've got plenty of tables and chairs" to "we can scrape together some furniture, but they won't be matching" to "you'd better get your own." The same happened with the valet parking company; first I was told "we can get you a valet service for the night" and two weeks later when I checked on the status, Bob's message was, "here's the contact info, it would be better if you arranged this yourself" (that valet company, by the way, didn't show up the night of the event. They got their dates mixed up and left us completely in the lurch, so I recommend NOT using Bob's recommended company, At Your Service Valet, but instead finding a more reliable source). There is nothing more stressful in the midst of wedding planning than finding out that more and more pieces of your evening have to be handled a la carte, especially when this news comes at the last minute. To top off our disappointing and frustrating experience, at the end of the reception, Bob and his employees at the Harris went back into the kitchen and found the boxes of food the caterer had specially packed and set aside for my husband and I to enjoy the next day (since we'd been too busy visiting with people to eat much of San Chez's amazing dinner - highly recommend). The Harris staff proceeded to take all of our food for themselves. They ran away to another part of the building where they wouldn't be seen, and ate all of our leftovers. Incredibly rude, selfish, and unprofessional. Pretty much sums up the staff-element of The Harris. On the upside, the event space itself was perfect. The hardwood floors, exposed brick, interesting art and architectural accents all combined to make an ideal backdrop and set the tone (chic yet romantic and whimsical), and then the floral and décor design from Modern Day Events put the aesthetics over the top. I cannot say enough about the way Amanda Elmergreen and her team from Modern Day helped make up for all of the Harris' shortcomings in terms of planning and coordination. The same goes for Lindsey Schneider and the servers from San Chez. These elements brought the evening to a stunning conclusion, and at the end of the day, I was glad we chose the Harris Building for its unique atmosphere and visual appeal. Really, it's just the staff-component of the Harris that was extremely unpleasant. read more