New wedding and event space takes over former Spiral Dance Bar

For nearly a quarter of a century, husband and wife Lynn Lucas and Matt Schultheiss have been planning weddings and other gatherings across Michigan through their event company, W.E.D.

Lucas noticed they were frequently working with clients in the Lansing area, but they had trouble finding nearby spaces to hold the events.

“I had clients reaching out to me wanting me help to them find them a venue. I took them mostly to the Grand Rapids area or sometimes Detroit. Lansing has a handful of industrial-type spaces, but there was definitely a need for more offerings locally,” she said.

Around 10 years ago, the couple began discussing the possibility of opening a wedding and event venue in Lansing, but it wasn’t until January 2023 that they began focusing on finding a location. By December, they had purchased a property at 1247 Center St. in Old Town, the former Spiral Dance Bar, which closed in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. After four months of renovations, the couple’s new venue, Copper Moon, will open Saturday (April 27).

“Honestly, my dream was always Old Town because it’s always been a fun neighborhood and has all the cute shops and everything. I just didn’t think we’d actually find a space. It’s such a popular area,” Lucas said.

While she noted that 90% of W.E.D.’s business has been wedding planning, Lucas said the new venue has already received interest for non-wedding events, like the Lansing Symphony Orchestra’s fall gala.

“We’re also finding that non-Saturday bookings are far more popular than we thought they would be, which is wonderful,” she said.

Over the course of their 24 years in the industry, Lucas and her husband have seen wedding culture shift significantly.

“When I started my wedding planning career, weddings were still very focused on tradition. I would say nowadays, with the advent of Instagram and TikTok, they’re more focused on the unique story that the couple wants to tell. Which is a new tradition that I love because it keeps things from being stale,” Lucas said.

The couple’s goal with Copper Moon is to be as flexible as possible to meet clients’ individual needs.

“If they want their dog to walk down the aisle for the ceremony, we can work with them to make that happen,” Lucas said. “We try to say yes to anything reasonable, as opposed to putting people in a box. The space is really meant for them to use to make their day as amazing as it can possibly be.”

Copper Moon

1247 Center St., Lansing

(989) 906-4332

coppermooneventspace.com