Ida & Dustin met at the Movement Music Festival in Detroit. (Their daughter was also born on Movement weekend!) When they needed help translating their wedding vision into reality, I knew we had to incorporate some fun music festival elements.
They are both very relaxed and easy-going people, so they did not want a stuffy, traditional wedding atmosphere. Non-traditional wedding?! Let’s go!! We decided to go with a colorful boho design and incorporate some elements of fun like neon signs and a bounce house! Ida wanted more fall-like colors for her color palette, but since their wedding was late April, we took inspiration from those colors and brightened them up a bit.
Both their ceremony & reception were at The Eastern in Detroit, near Eastern Market. Having all your wedding events is super convenient for your guests! It does take a bit of magic, but we were able to change over from the ceremony layout to the reception layout!
Before I get too far ahead of myself, I want to share more photos of their ceremony! They shared personal vows that were a perfect mix of sentimental and humorous. The crowd was tearing up and laughing at the same time at parts!
The best way to infuse a party atmosphere using decor is to use disco balls! They are HUGE this year! We used literal disco balls, disco ball-inspired linen on the cocktail tables, and votives that made the light dance as if it were hitting a disco ball. This was my favorite part of this design!
If you can glean one tid bit from most of my wedding designs, it is that I LOVE USING COLOR!
Dustin & Ida wanted to enjoy their cocktail hour, but they still took some time out for wedding party photos during this time. The great thing about the Eastern Market area is that there are so many walkable photo locations!
One way to have a more casual wedding is to use food trucks instead of traditional catering! Some wedding planners advise against this, but hey, I’m no ordinary wedding planner! I LOVE a food truck! Sure, it takes a little more coordination and planning, but I’ve seen one, two, and even three food trucks work well for weddings at The Eastern! Ida & Dustin chose Imperial & Little Lou’s Hot Chicken.
Once the party got started, we turned on the surprise neon lights on the ceremony arch to enhance the music festival vibe!
Event Team
Planner | Christa Graham Weddings & Events
Venue & Bartending | The Eastern
Hotel | Atheneum Suites Detroit
Officiant | Sean Foley, friend of family
Photographer | Kristen Doetzkies Photography
Hair Stylist | @chelseagurzick
Makeup Artist | @makeup_kellybuchanan
Bride & Bridesmaid Attire | David’s Bridal
Groom & Groomsmen Attire | The Tux Shop on Woodward
Shoes | Converse
Transportation | Rockstarz Limo
Catering | Mongers Provisions, Imperial Food Truck , & Little Lou’s Hot Chicken Food Truck
Dessert | Detroit Mini Donut & Detroit Metro Ice Cream
Florist | Floral & Flame
DJ & Photobooth| A+ Entertaiment
Rentals | Detroit Chiavari & Great Lakes Tent Company
Linen | Event Theory
Bounce House | Mr. Inflatable Bounce
I realized wedding planning was my passion when, after working a 12-hour wedding day, I came home and was so energized that I couldn’t go to sleep. I had just worked an entire day, on my feet, and was ready to plan the next event instead of heading to bed! In former careers, an 8-hour shift would leave me exhausted. This new-found energy around my work was very welcomed! Now I plan weddings all around the Metro Detroit & Ann Arbor areas.