Megan & Jalal
Ceremony
St. Anthony Catholic Church, Detroit
Reception
The Atheneum, Detroit
Background
While planning a reception for 400 family and friends, the bride and groom
knew that they wanted their wedding to be like nothing their guests had seen
before. The Atheneum's two-story ballroom was the perfect starting point in
creating this grand reception. Instead of the traditional sit-down dinner, the
bride and groom opted for a strolling reception, featuring heavy hors
d'oeuvres, an opulent dessert table and a specialty cappuccino cart.
The bride wished to incorporate light pinks, apple greens and branchy centerpieces for an airy, springtime feel. Since the existing carpet of gold and purple would have significantly clashed with this vision, we began by covering the main floor of the ballroom with a soft, white carpet. The florist constructed two large chandeliers - each spanning 12 feet across - to hang from the ceiling, made of branches, greens and floral accents. Three blooming trees, standing 8-10 feet tall, served as the centerpiece of the room and were anchored by a mound of moss with delicate orchid accents.
Draped in crushed passion fruit linens, we mixed square and round tables of various sizes, and custom benches were mixed in with Chivari chairs. On the second level, we decorated the balcony with tall cocktail tables and contemporary bar stools, giving the guests an amazing view from above.
Music played a key role in setting the festive atmosphere of the reception. To spice up the traditional entrance, a percussionist led the bride, groom and their bridal party through the winding hallway into the ballroom. Guests could hear the beat as the group approached and as the percussionist led them onto the dance floor, an Arabic band took over. The bride and groom hired both a DJ and band, who switched back and forth keeping the dance floor full all night long.
