A Modern Wedding At The Fox Theatre In Detroit, Michigan

As Deema was busy with her career in Chicago and enjoying the beautiful city life, her brother-in-law wanted to introduce her to his best friend's brother. So, once she was finally ready to meet Rami, he flew in from Orlando on a cold February day to meet her for the first time. By the end of their first date, they both knew there was a special spark amongst them.

From that moment on, they traveled back and forth between Chicago and Orlando. When Deema finally introduced him to her family, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on the 4th of July they were immediately smitten by his warmth and great personality. On that weekend, Rami asked her father for Deema's hand in marriage. He then surprised her with a romantic proposal at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool. 

Because Rami's family lived in Beirut, Lebanon, the couple wanted to celebrate their marriage in Beirut and Michigan. So during the Christmas holiday, the family flew in to Beirut where the marriage ceremony was celebrated followed by a beautiful reception at Habtoor Grand Hotel.

For the Michigan reception, Deema wanted to celebrate in Detroit. Since her mother is an event designer, she got right to work seeking a special location to host the event, on May 24th. She was able to secure the Fox Theatre to host her daughter’s reception and was excited as the theatre only grants one or two weddings per year.

The challenge was to create a cozy space that did not clash with the majestic setting. The inspiration came from the baccarat room designed by Philippe Stark in Moscow. The lobby of the beautiful Fox was complemented by a clean pure white setting with mirrored tables, ghost chairs and candelabras. It was more of a restaurant setting than a ballroom with leather sofas as well as the shaded lamps that were customized for the occasion. As a result, 140 guests were seated in the main lobby and 100 on the upper landing.

Since the ceremony had already taken place earlier in the year, Deema's mom took her inspiration from their cultural traditions to create an electrifying entrance for the bride and groom. The event planner surprised all the young friends attending the wedding by engaging them in the procession. The young men joined Rami as they walked him in the Arada, a special chanting based on the Syrian old traditions. As Rami waited for Deema in the middle of the stairs, she walked down with her father surrounded by all the young women in attendance and was showered with rose petals. Her dad surprised her by serenading her with a very special song.

Needless to say, it was a magical party. Five different bands created the beautiful musical repertoire of that special night. The guests walked into a jazz band playing music from the Great Gatsby that brought the Fox back to its majestic years. They were captivated by a band and a dazzling violinist during the reception on the third floor where they could oversee the lobby setting.

Then, they were serenaded by a lovely singer during dinner. The guests danced to the sounds of an Arabic band mixed with a DJ playing everyone's favorite American music. As powerful as the course of events were, the evening possessed a very easy warm feeling.

WEDDING TALENT