A sunny winter Detroit Institute of Arts wedding in Detroit, Michigan provided by Kari Dawson, a candid Detroit based wedding photographer.

GETTING READY AT THE SHINOLA HOTEL

This lovely couple got ready for their Detroit Institute of Arts wedding at the nearby Shinola Hotel in downtown Detroit. If you have never been to the Shinola it set the stage for the rest of this chic, sexy, black tie wedding. The Shinola hotel, like the DIA, has stunning architecture features, black arched full scale windows, with a historical vibe. Scroll further for more details about the DIA and the features offered for a wedding day.

** wedding day vendors provided at the end of this post **

A sunny winter Detroit Institute of Arts wedding in Detroit, Michigan provided by Kari Dawson, a candid Detroit based wedding photographer.

A DIA WEDDING

The DIA is a popular choice for many couples during their engagement session and as a drop in on their wedding day for photos as a couple and even with their wedding party. But did you know that it was also available for a Detroit Institute of Arts wedding? The DIA is a phenomenal choice for hosting your wedding. It provides exclusive access to the indoor spaces and galleries for your couple portraits where photography is otherwise off limits indoors.

For this particular wedding day the couple, their wedding party and family were permitted to enter before the museum closed to the public for the day. They were provided a private space for any preparations that continued before being allowed access to the ceremony and reception spaces. The coordinators on staff are so incredibly kind and guide you in and out of the building providing access to the areas you are permitted to work in. Only the couple is permitted within the galleries and indoor spaces of the museum so we got started near the back steps of the John R entrance with the wedding party. While the personal photos of this particular wedding day are private you can get an idea of how I use the outdoor spaces HERE, HERE and HERE.

YOUR WEDDING PHOTOS IN THE DIA GALLERIES

While the wedding party and family members enjoyed DIA provided champagne and charcuterie, our gracious DIA coordinator guided us through the galleries our couple had previously chosen to work in. I am a history buff and a lunatic for art so I can’t truly articulate how honored I felt to create my own work and my own art with an incredible couple on their wedding day among their priceless pieces. Hint: there is a small glimpse of the galleries below. What we did create was editorial, romantic, artful and intimate. Don’t sleep on the stairway lined with floor to ceiling windows flooded with natural light either.

THE CEREMONY SET UP

I loved the unique set up of their ceremony with the couple and officiant on a round platform surrounded by unique, sexy, and edgy florals and their guests seated encircling the couple as they said “I do.” Kevin and Twigs & Branches created the masterpieces that anchored the ceremony space, keeping them low, so as not to disrupt the backdrop of the iconic Detroit Industry Murals created by Diego Rivera.

THE COCKTAILS + THE PARTY

Their cocktail hour was hosted in my very favorite (non gallery) portion of the museum which is the Kresge Court. During normal business hours it is a lovely place to sit in the natural light in one of the many cozy seating areas and sip on a latte. Next, we migrated into the Great Hall for the party. From the John R side of the building you will climb a few stairs flanked by intricate black floral iron gates leading to a massive space and huge circular chandeliers that anchor the space. Going back to the florals created by Twig & Branches believe me when I tell you that the tall arrangements if placed on the floor were as tall as me. Yeah, yeah I realize that isn’t saying much but hopefully the scale helps you realize that if you can dream it, you can do it at the DIA.