The Fillmore Detroit Wedding
Shannon and Chris had a picturesque day with their ceremony taking place at St. Hugo of the Hills followed by a Fillmore Detroit wedding reception.
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Before hopping on Zoom was considered normal, I “met” Chris and Shannon on a video call two years ago. The call was a little grainy with a slight delay, but in front of me was an energetic couple, cozied up on their couch, who finished each other’s sentences and laughed at each other’s jokes. In short, they clicked. We clicked. I knew their wedding was going to be gorgeous and fun. I was right.
Chris began his day getting ready at the Marriott located in the Renaissance Center. I love photographing this hotel because they views are great and there is plenty of room and light for the groom to get ready in. All of his groomsmen were present and jovial, making Chris laugh as he got ready for his big day.
After Chris was ready, we headed over to Shannon’s room at the A Loft Detroit, located in the David Whitney Building. The girls were excited to get their day started. Shannon got ready with the help of her best friend from college and her sister. Very quickly, she transformed into a beautiful bride.
After Shannon was ready, it was time to get married. Shannon and Chris held their wedding ceremony at the iconic St. Hugo of the Hills church in Bloomfield Hills. As Shannon eagerly waited in the crypt, she shared a first look with her mom and dad, leading to some touching and emotional moments.
Next, it was Chris’s turn to see his bride.
The moments after the first kiss and the walk down the aisle have long been one of my favorite moments of a wedding. It is in that moment that the bride and groom are husband and wife for the first time and, they get a moment to break from the formality of the church service. Many times, the personalities of the couple come through in that break. Needless to say, Chris and Shannon were quite excited to become husband and wife.
After a few family formals and portraits of the bride and groom, it was off to Detroit from some photo opportunities.
Prior to heading to their Fillmore Detroit wedding reception, we stopped at Little Caesars Arena for some photos. Chris is a huge hockey fan and was in his glory walking around LCA.
While in LCA, we captured some of the personality of the venue and Detroit, utilizing some iconic figures and logos of the city.
One of the things I am heavily influenced by is symmetry and architecture. Sometimes, a simple background like the upper level walls of LCA provide a gorgeous backdrop for the bride and groom to stand out from.
As we were wrapping up our time at LCA, we heard “psst” from a security guard. “We’ve got a little surprise for you. Wanna get on the ice?” Umm, hell yeah! All of us were geeked as we walked through the basement hallways into and onto the practice ice of the Detroit Red Wings. We could have stayed and played for an hour, but alas, their Fillmore Detroit wedding reception was waiting.
Once we arrived at their Fillmore Detroit wedding reception, I quickly took some photos of the venue. It is difficult to capture how the impact of walking into such a beautiful venue. The space and lighting of the Fillmore felt magical.
With guests enjoying cocktail hour, we took a few more photos at the Fillmore Detroit prior to party starting.
Talk about a grand entrance!
With dinner and toasts done, there was only one thing left to do…
There are so many ingredients that go into making a perfect wedding, one of which is your entertainment. Shannon and Chris added an elegant and memorable touch to their wedding by having Rodney Page from the Full Engagement Experience be their DJ and entertainment. Rodney adds a touch of class by playing the violin over accompanying music during cocktail hour, dinner, and even the reception.
As the night came to a close, we snagged the newlyweds for one more photo to end the night.
