After choosing our cake, we started researching venues in the metro Detroit area. We looked at the Gem Theater, the
Masonic Temple, the Henry Ford Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts (the DIA was not available for weddings when we looked into it, but I have heard that they are doing it now).  We knew we were not going to be married in a church, and wanted to find a place that could host both the ceremony and reception, and maybe be a little on the quirky side.

After a while, we decided that we wanted to get married in Ann Arbor, our city. Mr. Taffy is the reason that I came back to spend time (and eventually live) in Ann Arbor, and the city holds a lot of sentimental value for the time that we have spent together. A wedding in Detroit would be closer to some of our relatives, but Ann Arbor is not too far for them to travel.

Once we settled on the city, we zoned in on two locations. Wellers, a quaint, charming venue that my friends chose a few years ago, or the University of Michigan Union.  I liked Wellers, but it was a little out of the way for our taste. The Union is right on campus in downtown Ann Arbor, and is only a 15 minute walk from our house! The Union is a picturesque historic building covered in ivy, and the location felt more significant to our time spent together in Ann Arbor. Also, out of town guests would have a ton of options for dining and fun activities, and could stay in hotels that are walking distance to the wedding. 

We set up a meeting with the special events coordinator, and were sold after the tour. As an alumni, I was pretty familiar with the building, but had not been in the ballroom or the Pendleton room in years.
Here's an exterior shot of the building: