Detroit Institute of Arts Wedding

Posted in: Detroit Wedding Venues

Why the DIA is One of Detroit’s Most Iconic Wedding Venues

The intersection of art, architecture, and celebration bring so much to this central Detroit wedding venue. Couples who love culture and the city choose the DIA over traditional ballrooms for a reason. The grandness and architecture of the building is art itself. You don’t have to do much to decorate. I couldn’t recommend anything less than a formal or even black-tie wedding in this museum. One thing to keep in mind when choosing the DIA is also choosing at photographer who has experience photographing weddings here. Between the logistics of the day here and the design and lighting of the museum, it can be difficult for someone who doesn’t have that experience. As a photographer, this is absolutely one of my favorite venues!

A bride in a long, lace white gown and holding a bouquet of white roses down at her side kisses the groom in a black tux. They stand on white marble stairs with a wall of white marble blocks behind them and a light, brown wooden door.

The Spaces Available for Detroit Institute of Arts Weddings

There are a number of beautiful spaces where you can hold your wedding events right amongst world-renowned artwork. One of the most common combinations for weddings here is having your ceremony in the Rivera Court and then your reception in the Great Hall. For your ceremony, being surrounded by the incredible murals of Diego Rivera with the skylight above is absolutely perfect. Your dinner reception in the Great Hall gives off those fancy ball vibes. A domed ceiling and marble walls can host up to 300 guests for a royal dinner. End your night with dancing back inside the Rivera Court. The perfect thing about this combination? These two rooms are connected to each other so there’s seemlessness to the whole thing. Just add on another room like the Kresge Court for your cocktail hour to pull everything together.

The Rivera Court

The Rivera Court feels airy and light. Despite this being a museum that can some times feel heavy, some of the spaces, like The Rivera Court, feel like you have the room to breathe. It’s the huge ceilings and lightness of the whole room that help you feel this. All of this definitely helps photograph your wedding ceremony as well. The murals that surround you on the walls create depth and context in photos.

A bride stands in a long, white, lace gown facing her groom in a black tux as they say their vows at their wedding ceremony. A long view down the aisle of the the bride and groom holding hands during their wedding ceremony. the aisle is lined with people standing watching them. They are framed by a black, iron, decorative gate with a black chandelier above them. A large, wall mural of working men on an assembly line A large marble hall with spaces on the walls filled with painted murals. The floor is set up with fancy chairs in two columns on either side of an aisle. The ceiling is covered in glass windows.

The Great Hall

Grandeur and scale are the two words that can describe the Great Hall. This room is primarily about the architecture. The high domed ceilings and stone walls create such a minimalistic, but still grand feel. This hall is just perfect for black-tie receptions. The architectural details and worth highlighting. The columns and straight lines create symmetry. The lighting in here during the evening is absolutely stunning for a candlelit dinner reception.

A wedding table display with a bouquet of colorful flowers of reds, pinks, and greenery, dark colored tall tapered candles, a table number one on a card fixed on a gold stand. There's also place settings for dinner with silverware and menu cards A dimly lit reception hall with white table clothed round tables and centerpieces. A bride and groom stand together cutting their wedding cake together A man holding a microphone and a cellphone raises his arms in the air while he looks at the bride. The bride raises her glass to him

The Kresge Court

A smaller space, this courtyard-like space is so perfect for your cocktail hour. Let your guests mingle below the glass ceiling among cozy spaces with seating throughout. It’s such a great space that feels like you are outdoors, but helps that you are still under the roof.

What to Expect When Planning a Wedding at the DIA

The DIA event’s team is great. A well-oiled machine who knows how to do weddings. One thing to note if you want to be the only wedding present on your wedding day here is that the DIA only allows 15 premium events a year. This means you will have the entire approved spaces to yourself and no other weddings will take place on that day. These premium pages also include a photo package as well which allows you to take portraits throughout the museum. Like I’ve mentioned, it is so important to consider hiring a photographer who has photographed weddings here. You will also be guided by a staff member in the different galleries for your portraits. The food is phenomenal! They only work with one caterer for museum weddings and no other food is allowed from outside the museum. However, they do allow for you to bring in your own wedding cake and packaged food favors for your guests. All of this information and more can be found on their website, DIA.org

For your timeline of the day, I highly recommend getting ready at one of the hotels in downtown Detroit, like the Shinola Hotel. This can help with easy access and transportation to and from the DIA.

A bride in a white robe, along with her 5 bridesmaids and 1 bridesman, all in black robes, kneel on a hotel bed while they cheers champagne glasses. They all smile at the camera or are laughing A bride with her hair and make-up already done and wearing a white robe, stands holding her long, white, lace gown that is hanging from the tall, black-framed windows A groom in a black tux and his best man stand facing each other as they both look down to the best man pinning the boutonniere onto the grooms jacket. They stand in front of a black and white piece of art that's hanging on a white wall with a linear black light hanging above it. A groom in a black tux is sitting on a dark colored, low chair with his hands on his knees and looks outside the black-framed window

How to Style a DIA Wedding

Some aesthetic directions that complement the space are old Hollywood, modern black tie, art deco, and European gallery types of weddings. Simplicity works very well in all of the spaces here. White or red roses with touches of greenery help to make weddings really stand out here. Candles (the fake ones that look real) help to make the space glow without being overwhelming. Blacks, whites, golds, silvers, and other neutrals seem to work the best here. Maybe add a pop of one color in there. Don’t try and go overboard with your decorations, it doesn’t need it here.

Photographing a Wedding at the Detroit Institute of Arts

There are many different reasons why you should just hire any photographer to photograph your wedding at the DIA. Between the low light, the mixed sources, and the absolute scale of this place even an intermediate photographer could struggle here and maybe not produce exactly what you’re looking for. I’ve photographed at the DIA and know where light is going to fall, what kind of equipment I need to bring with me, and the basic flow of the spaces for weddings here. Flash photography is not allowed in the art galleries here and that can complicate things for some photographers. You can check out this gallery from a DIA wedding I’ve photographed Gabby and Scott at the DIA.

A bride in a long, white, lace gown and a groom in a black tux kiss and hold hands in front of a piece of art on the wall. The art piece is a very large and tall painting of red with a white line down the middle. They stand in an art gallery with a wooden parquet floor. A bride in a white, lace gown and a groom in a black tux walk down a white marble staircase. The bride holds the metal railing as she walks down while the groom holds the brides dress train. They looking at each other and smile. A bride in a long, cascading, white, lace dress holding a bouquet of white roses stands close to her groom who is wearing a black tux and black bowtie. They stand together on a white marble staircase that curves downward

The Portraits Only a DIA Wedding Can Give You

Photography inside the DIA is really only allowed when you have your wedding here. This means, you are getting unique, beautiful photographs that not everyone has. Featuring the architecture and artwork in your portraits can really bring everything together and help to tell a story.

What Should You Look for in a Photographer for a DIA wedding?

Experience with low light is probably the number one thing and not just experience with using flash since flash is not allowed in the galleries. A photographer that also has experience with historic interiors and ability to use the architecture to their advantage when composing a shot. Familiarity with the actual spaces is definitely a plus and can help your day move smoothly. These are definitely all things I can bring to every DIA wedding I photograph. Feel free to reach out and ask me anything.

A Real Couple Who Chose the DIA

Gabby and Scott chose the DIA intentionally. The DIA represents a lot of what Detroit is. The DIA represents culture and the arts. They chose to start their day at the Shinola Hotel where they both got ready in separate rooms with their respective parties. The Shinola provides such a clean and defining space that pairs very well with a wedding at the DIA. Rain pushed their first look indoors, but the DIA’s grand halls made for a more intimate moment than the city streets ever could have.

Luckily the skies cleared enough for us to get some portraits outside of the DIA before their wedding ceremony. The marble stairs outside of the museum are grand, stunning, and iconic. This is one advantage of having a first look of the happy couple. The flexibility you have for timing and portrait scheduling helps to make even when a wrench gets thrown into the plans. The staff at the DIA keep things rolling and the whole day turned out fantastic because of this.

Their ceremony was beautiful. A full guest list to share in this most special moment of their life together. You could truly feel the love throughout the whole day between them and their family and friends. The flow between the ceremony, to the cocktail hour in the Kresge Court downstairs, and back up to the Great Hall again for dinner with ending the night back in the Rivera Court for dancing. It was such a beautiful and well rounded wedding and it is one that, as a photographer, I will always remember.

Is the Detroit Institute of Arts Right for Your Wedding?

If you love art and culture, want a city wedding, and prefer something non-traditional, but still formal, the DIA is perfect for you. After 9+ years photographing weddings, the ones I remember most are always at venues like this one. Places with history, character, and walls that tell a story are my favorites.

This may not be the best fit if you are looking for a church ceremony, you want an outdoor setting, or if you aren’t the city type. Also, keep in mind your budget. It is so important to set a full budget for your wedding and to see where a wedding venue and other vendors fit into that budget. The venue fees at the DIA definitely reflect its prestige.

Looking for a more intimate venue that has historic charm? Check out this blog post about The Whitney in Detroit blog post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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