It all started with Disneyland proposal and ended with a fairytale wedding. Ava and Michaels modern day romance is one of my favorite stories to tell. We met at their wedding venue while I was shooting another wedding. I met Ava and Michael, they’re the owners of the Roostertail in Detroit, Mi, and found out they had just gotten engaged! We hit it off and made it to their perfect wedding day.
Ava and Michael are old souls with a love for Disney and each other. They are such a perfect couple and I don’t think a better match exists for either of them in this world. Located on the Detroit river, the historic and iconic Roostertail venue has been in Michaels family for generations. It is a popular venue in Detroit Michigan where many artists made performances throughout the years. Artists like The Jonas Brothers and Frank Sinatra. To say it was the most special honor shooting the wedding of the owner of the Roostertail is an understatement.
The Wedding Morning
I walked into Ava’s airbnb on the river on the morning of their wedding and immediately got to work on her details. Putting together an array of her gorgeous jewlery from LaLonde Jewelers along with a copy of the vintage vows from Michaels parents was the cherry on top of their details flatlay. I set up their personalized ring box next to her Channel perfume. Topped it off with a personalized invitation suite, complete with an engraved outline of the Roostertail Detroit itself, from The Paper Creation. In the meantime Ava was getting the last touches of hair and makeup done by the one and only, Juliette Lux.
Moving onto the Bride’s dress. An exquisite wedding ballgown by Rita Vinieris from the Wedding Shoppe Mi. We set out the dress on the full length mirror in their mid century themed air bnb and photographed it before Ava was able to slip into it and her ivory, pearl studded Dolce Vita bridal shoes.
First Look
My second shooter set Michael up at the first look location. It was the family friends mansion down the road where we also shot part of their engagement photos! Once their first look had passed, they had a few moments together. After, we made our way to the church for their ceremony.
We arrived to a simple and delicate ceremony set up in the church. As the guests filtered in, we were serenaded by the J Bethel Spoken For choir. As the music filled the air and the pews became more full, suspense filled the room as everyone waited to see the bride. One by on the family and bridal party made their way in. Michael took his place at the end of the aisle and the church guests went quiet as the choir sang and Ava’s father walked her down the aisle. With one last tearful glance at his baby girl, he gave her away to be married. As we watched the beautiful ceremony unfold, laughs were shared, tears were wiped and in the end Ava and Michael, smiling made their way down the aisle as husband and wife.
We quickly made our way to a separate room to allow the guests to make their way to the reception hall. Once the church was cleared, we had some time to sneak in some portraits of the beautiful couple.
Reception at the Roostertail Detroit
As the guests arrived at the Roostertail for cocktail hour, they were met with a magical Disney themed setup complete with vintage posters, glitter champagne, and extremely large iridescent inflatable balls hanging from the ceilings and arranged around the room. The guests enjoyed freshly made hors d’oeuvres on top of custom monogrammed napkins. Their drinks were accompanied by napkins with their beloved puppy Sweet Pea designed on them. As they entered the cocktail hour hall with their glittered champagne glass, they were all met by a large wall with paintbrushes hanging on it. These paintbrushes would serve as “keys” to enter into the reception hall later in the night. The guests were serenaded with live violin music by Jersey Gina.
During cocktail hour, family photos were taken out on the terrace overlooking the Detroit river. This was followed by a series of bride and groom portraits right outside of the venue.
We walked upstairs to the reception that was beyond breathtaking. It was as if we were transported into a fairy land of greenery and candles courtesy of Design Quintessentials. A full wall of desserts greeted the guests by the entrance. They were all carefully crafted and placed on display by Sweet Creations by Layla. Their wedding cake by Josefs Pastry Shop was the center of attention by the dessert wall. Walking in we were greeted by dancing ballerinas, guiding the guests to their seats. While waiting, the guests enjoyed live music by the band, Your Generation. Once everyone was seated, Ava and Michael made their grand entrance and dinner was served.
The After Party
During dinner, we snuck off to cut the cake and enjoy some freshly made cotton candy. Shortly after, Ava and Michael got the surprise of their lives with the appearance of a life sized Mickey and Minnie Mouse! Mickey and Minnie joined them on the dancefloor for the next few hours. After a few more hours of dancing, we left the Roostertail and moved the party over to the Turnaround Sports Bar and Grille. We arrived to a beach themed after party complete with a shark and full roasted pig.
This was definitely a day to remember. I’m so thankful to Ava and Michael for trusting me with their special day. Also had the best time working with The documentary videographers @cvideosolutions and @that_onehooper.
Thanks for reading all about Ava and Michaels wedding! Head over to my portfolio page for more of my work on display!
Until next time,
XOXO,
Andreia
