Sean & James are friends of mine, so when they approached me to plan their wedding…all in five weeks’ time…I had to make it happen for them! With a combination of knowing the right people, creativity, and a fast-tracked planning timeline, we planned a beautiful ceremony at The Detroit Yacht Club & a backyard reception at their home in Dearborn. (They are now the proud owner of a 20×30 tent because every single tent company was sold out!)
Belle Isle is a special spot for them, so they knew that is where their ceremony had to be. With the pandemic-that-shall-not-be-named in full force, Belle Isle was not allowing any events to be booked. Luckily, Sean & James knew someone who introduced us to the wonderful people at The Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle. We originally planned an outdoor ceremony, with the river and boats in the background, but the weather had some different plans for us! Their ceremony ended up being in the Detroit Yacht Club’s ballroom, which is gorgeous!
And they were still able to get some photos outdoors!
This weekend happened to have historic flooding in the Detroit & Dearborn areas. This made moving about the city especially challenging due to all the stalled vehicles, tow trucks, and down traffic signals. Despite everything against us, their backyard reception was just as beautiful as their ceremony.
The color palette was influenced by Sean & James’ favorite color (blue) and James’ late mother’s favorite flower, Sunflower. It was really important to James for his mom to be represented in this way.
I always infuse some of the couple’s personality or something meaningful into their wedding. Sean & James were especially proud of being able to bring their family together to celebrate love during what was one of the most difficult times in their lives. Not only were they living through a pandemic, which made it hard to see their family, but Sean’s mom had been diagnosed with brain cancer. It was so important for her to be a part of their wedding, which is why we were planning under such a compressed timeline. We were also able to live stream the ceremony and part of the reception so friends & family that couldn’t be there in person could feel like they were part of the celebration.
Sean & James, I am honored to have been a part of such a special and meaningful event for you and your families. From the very beginning, you spoke about making your guests comfortable & honoring the people important to you. I think we nailed it! I am so proud to be your friend and I can’t wait to see how your love and family grow through the years!
Event Team
Planner | Christa Graham Weddings & Events
Ceremony Venue | The Detroit Yacht Club
Photographer | Derek Cookson Photography
Live Streaming | Lightcraft Entertainment
Musicians | Bonnie Schippling & Brooks Hoste
Catering | Slows BBQ
Hair Stylist | Reckless Hair
Baker | Petite Sweets Detroit
Floral | The Flower Kitten
Rentals | Modernly Events
Linen | Event Theory
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.