Kirsten & Alex have known each other since they were 17 years old. They met in a high school journalism class. Their paths took them separate ways for a few years, but diverged again and they have enjoyed lot of adventures since!
Alex proposed to Kirsten atop the Canadian Rockies in August 2019. We planned their wedding for January 2021, but COVID had other plans. They eloped in a private ceremony on that date with only close friends & family. (See that celebration here!) In January 2022, they were so excited to finally be able to celebrate with all their family & friends at The Ford Piquette Plant!
Kirsten & Alex have such a cool sense of style. They had a strong idea of what they wanted their wedding to look and feel like. Shinola Hotel was the perfect way to cultivate that atmosphere from the start! The girls enjoyed a leisurely morning of hair, makeup, coffee, & champagne.
The guys started their day at The Schvitz, then made their way over to The Westin to get dressed. They were drinking something a little stronger than champagne 😉
After the first look in Parker’s Alley and taking photos around the city, the wedding party headed to The Ford Piquette Plant. They had fun taking pictures on the 2nd-floor space while their guests arrived on the 3rd floor. Because they eloped the year prior, Kirsten & Alex opted not to have a ceremony during this celebration. As their guests arrived, they were treated to a full bar from Miss Mixology and appetizers from Chowhound Gourmet.
Unfortunately, even after waiting a year for the big celebration, COVID still caused us trouble! One of Kirsten’s sisters/bridesmaids ended up sick and couldn’t attend.
Our Canadian band had issues crossing the border, which meant a last-minute scramble for a replacement. We divided & conquered with Alex reaching out to some of his musician contacts and me reaching out to DJ companies. In the end, we secured a replacement of 5 or 6 band members, which ended up being awesome!
That wasn’t all, though. Our photographer got sick, as well! She was successful in securing her own replacement for the night, so all ended up being good there, too! (Unless you want to talk about valet giving her a flat tire LOL but she made it work! That’s what we do as wedding professionals!)
Kirsten & Alex wanted to feature as many Detroit-based businesses and products as possible. They went above & beyond to make sure and give their vendors love by including business information on their wedding website and throughout their wedding day.
I love how their decor came together! I think it’s the prefect compliment to this industrial space, while still allowing the building integrity to shine through.
From the beginning of planning, they knew they wanted a family-style dinner to foster a feeling of being around the dining table with friends & family instead of a stuffy, formal event. In order to accomplish this, we had to be strategic in how much table decor we included We had to have room for those glorious food platters (including the best gnocchi I have ever had!). Their menu included a lot of warm, winter flavors such as roasted butternut squash, cranberries, sage, & fig. It was all really delicious! Dinner was followed up with a pretty extensive dessert table. Kirsten & Alex saved some of the kransekake from their elopement to enjoy this night, as well!
After dinner & dessert was, of course, a lot of fun & dancing!
Kirsten & Alex kept apologizing for me “having” to work with them so long (2 years!) and plan several events for them due to the state of our world, but I truly didn’t mind! They welcomed me with open arms and were so fun to work with! I am also excited to plan two more weddings in their orbit: One for a friend in 2022 & one for Alex’s sister in 2023!
Event Team
Planner | Christa Graham Weddings & Events
Venue | The Ford Piquette Plant
Transportation | Detroit Bus Company
Floral | The Flower Kitten
Linen | Event Theory
Catering | Chowhound Gourmet
Bartending | Miss Mixology
Photographer | Stintography
Photobooth | Shutterbooth
Late Night Snack | National Coney Island
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.