The Highlands Detroit Wedding with Conor and Hope!
This is the perfect wedding venue for couples looking for something elegant, chic, unique and a little bit boutique. Yeah, I know, I rhyme like the children’s author I am! This Detroit wedding venue has the biggest “WOW” factor I’ve ever seen. Hope and Conor fell in love with it and used all the space had to offer in really clever ways. The Highlands offers breathtaking views along Detroit’s riverfront. All of which we used for their wedding.
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Where is the Highlands Detroit Wedding Venue?
The Highlands Detroit is a gloriously redone, reimagined and reboot of the restaurant know formerly as “Coach Insignia”. It occupies the top two floors of the Renaissance Center (RenCen to local Detroiters) with floor to ceiling windows. With views literally for miles, it’s amazing to see how Detroit’s laid out. See how small Belle Isle looks from the 72nd floor and the fireworks at Comerica Park after a Tiger’s game? Barely a blip on the horizon. The Highlands Detroit is part of the Marriott Hotel inside the Renaissance Center.
Getting Ready Photos
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- The bride’s sister reassures her her makeup didn’t get ruined by tears.
What’s does the Highlands Detroit have to offer wedding couples?
The bar space on the 71st floor and the Highlands Detroit wedding event space on the 72nd floor (a two story space) are in the round which gives every person a view no matter where they are. The center is for the kitchen, so the event spaces are on the outer edge. That means everything is in the round. Their main dining space has a bar on either side and a small dance floor in the middle between the two bars. I could hear and understand all the speeches clearly. Hope and Conor opted to have cocktail hour on one side of the room and the dinner on the other with dancing in the middle.
Where Hope and Conor had dinner gets the most sun and it a perfect spot for a winter wedding since it captures all the heat. It also has all the sunset colors (or it did at the beginning of May). If I was having a summer wedding, I would probably flip those spaces to try to stay cooler. On the other hand, having the sun set behind the couple as they danced their first dances was MAGICAL!
With views in every direction, the team at the Highlands chose to use their largest space for wedding ceremonies. It’s also where the elevators are (hidden behind drapes during the ceremony), which they close down 5 minutes before the ceremony starts.
The food is fantastic! Their hors d’oeuvres were delicious and plentiful. Their staff is cheerful, helpful and invisible (at least to photographers, which is wonderful).
First Look, Private Vows, Formal Photo Time
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- First Look with his hand on his heart as he sees his bride for the first time at the Highlands bar.
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- Reading their vows to each other at the Highlands Detroit.
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- A kiss after saying their private vows to each other.
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- Reflection off the table at the library of the Highland’s bar.
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- The only drama provided all day was the one who missed his nap!
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- The bride and groom smooching and dancing at the bar at the Highlands Detroit.
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- The couple snuggle on the 72nd floor overlooking the Detroit River.
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- Heading outside for some waterfront photos.
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- Iconic Ren Cen wedding party photo waving to the drone and Canadians!
The Wedding Ceremony
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- The mother of the bride tears up during the wedding ceremony at Highlands Detroit.
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- The father of the groom trips on the bride’s veil after walking her down the aisle. This happens ALL the time!
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- The bride and groom get snacks in the bridal suite before joining their cocktail hour.
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- The Highlands Detroit Wedding Photo Reflection
The Speeches, The Dancing, The Fun!
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- Dad’s speech gets a big reaction!
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- First dance in the sunset at the Highlands Detroit.
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- A little impromptu twirl after the first dance in the sunset at the Highlands Detroit.
Logistics I would ask about for your Highlands wedding…
So there are a couple of things to know about this exclusive, private elevator system when planning a wedding or event at The Highlands Detroit. For wedding couples planning their wedding, they’ll notice right away that it’s a dramatic entrance to their event.
About the elevators; first, it will keep out unwanted, uninvited guests. When you come for a tour, you’ll have someone with you to navigate the elevators. It’s tucked abound a corner and I was told how to find it from three different staffers, all which were incorrect. It is hard to find. Hopefully updated signage will clear things up. During an event or wedding, the elevator is manned at the bottom to ensure privacy. That’s great for the event.
It only serves the 71st and 72 floors, so the ride up is quick, IF you can make it work. It was disabled, unmanned and needed a special card key for most of the day, making loading in and moving around with the wedding party tricky and time consuming. Be sure to ask the management about tricks, tips and access keys to avoid this time sucker upper. It took our wedding party of 14 plus the videographer and myself about 20 minutes to get from the 72 floor out to the Detroit Waterfront. Afterward, it took about 25 minutes to get back up waiting for someone to come activate the elevator.
Hopefully this will get ironed out as they get into their flow. Giving card keys to vendors and a couple of key wedding party people activated for only 12 to 24 hours would undeniably be helpful. Nothing more stressful on a wedding day when planned things come to a halt without a quick fix.
The Highland Detroit Wedding Vendor Team:
Wedding and Reception Venue: The Highlands Detroit
Hotel that houses wedding venue: The Marriott Detroit
Coordinator: Claire from Tomas Muzik
DJ: Tomas of Tomas Mukik
Videographer: Derek Reid
Hair: Figo with Emily
Make Up: Shagg Salon with Emily and Faith
