For Chris and Stephanie McCrumb, the transition from Bay Pointe Church to owning an event facility isn’t as big a leap as it might seem. The former church executive pastor and communications director, respectively, see their purchase of Frog Pond Village – which they have renamed BlueBridge Events Centre – as continuing on in many of the same directions, with their emphasis on marriage and married life.

Both were on staff at Bay Pointe Community Church when it was absorbed by Kensington Church based in Troy. Chris McCrumb said that caused a number of staff changes, and he and his wife were subsequently looking for new opportunities.

McCrumb says they see countless uses for the property, located at 1950 Ellis Lake Road in Grawn, just off US-31 east of Interlochen. Weddings and receptions head the list, but he also lists graduation, birthday and retirement parties, class reunions, and corporate retreats. Moreover, he sees the weddings and receptions as an entry for other family-focused events, such as vow renewals. He also says bringing back all those who are married in a particular year to share their stories – “the class of 2017” for example – would be another possibility. “They go hand-in-glove,” he says. ‘We want to get to know them on their wedding day and at other events.”

Frog Pond Village was listed for sale at $1,495,000, according to Kevin Endres of ThreeWest, who represented the property. Previous owners Bill and Karen Snyder built the business and ran it successfully for 18 years. “The Snyders did very well building it,” says Endres. “It was only open six months (of the year) and the business allowed them to do that.”

McCrumb says they have a great relationship with the previous owners, and while the sale was moving toward closing they worked directly with the Snyders to learn about the business and develop a connection with the clients. “We want to take what they were doing and expand it,” says McCrumb. They intend to open BlueBridge year-round, and have ambitious plans to upgrade and renovate technology and other facets of BlueBridge. They are installing new lighting, speakers, and microphones, as well as replacing chairs, flooring and other improvements. “We’re putting a lot into the property,” he says. He says they hope to have all the improvements done by March 1.

The parcel includes 10 acres and easement to Ellis Lake. McCrumb says they hope to create trails around the property. It features three different venues. The one currently usable year-round can seat 150 to 175 and features a stone fireplace at one end. The largest venue can seat 300 and is heated, though as it is open on one side leading to a patio, it cannot be used in winter.

McCrumb says the name came to them from a couple different directions. “We wanted to rename and rebrand it,” he says. “There are a couple bridges on the property. We thought of how bridges connect us, and we want this to be a place of connections, whether it’s a party or class reunion, a wedding or corporate training. Blue came from the fact I own a couple other businesses with blue in the name (Blue Dot Real Estate and Consulting and Blue Dot Properties) and blue is a color of peace, tranquility, trust, loyalty – these are things that are really important to us.”

He says he and Stephanie wanted to offer clients one-stop shopping, providing everything from the wedding to the reception, from linens to a complete rehearsal dinner. “We want to simplify the process for people,” he says. Stephanie is a floral designer as well as graphic designer, and as an ordained minister Chris is qualified to perform weddings. They also have a list of preferred vendors, from catering by Grand View Catering to DJ services. They hope to host events open to the public as well, anything from concerts to dinners for those traveling to Interlochen for shows.