This out-of-town couple created an incredible Detroit wedding experience, despite planning their day from the East Coast.
Alexandra and Timothy Kistner live and work in Boston. He's a former Obama Administration official now in his second year of law school at Boston University, and she's a researcher in the education division of the American Institutes for Research in nearby Waltham.
Their March 16 nuptials was even recorded in the pages of The New York Times -- all the more noteworthy, considering they were held in the Motor City, at the Colony Club downtown.(Scroll down for photographs and memories of the Kistners' stunningly elegant wedding at the Colony Club.)
Alexandra, who grew up in Detroit suburb Huntington Woods, said having family in the area made the Michigan locale enticing, but it was the Colony Club's timeless elegance and urban vibe that sealed the deal.
"We picked the Colony Club simply because it was stunning," she told The Huffington Post. "Walking into the first floor, it has a very Art Deco feel with amazing peacocks on the ceilings, and then you head up to the Grand Ballroom and there are these amazing balconies overlooking an ornate, but not over the top, ballroom."
The Kistners asked 125 guests to witness their vows, ministered by Kimi Riegel of the Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church in Southfield, "the church I grew up attending and where my parents are still active members," Alexandra said. "We chose all the readings ourselves and it was not traditionally religious."
The ceremony was followed by a cocktail hour and reception.
Kistner said she'd advise all Detroiters at heart to think about returning to the Motor City for their dream wedding -- and the affordability is another great perk.
"To be able to get married in a venue as stunning as the Colony Club would have certainly broken the bank if we had decided to get married in DC or Boston, but in Detroit we were able to get high quality vendors without paying the premium you are often subjected to in other big cities," she said.
"It's always great to show the important people in your life your roots, and having them visit the place you are from is a great way to do that."
We've collected stunning images from wedding photographer Adam Sparkes, plus Adam and Alexandra's memories of her wedding. Enjoy!
