Wedding | Sophie & Chris

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met online while living in Ann Arbor. Sophie is an interior designer and Chris is a computer programmer, and from that first meeting, we were instantly inseparable. In 2019, we decided to make the move to Detroit, where we bought a house and turned it into our perfect home. That same year, Chris proposed during a trip to New Orleans. Like so many others, our plans were delayed by the pandemic, but we didn't want to wait to get married. In March 2021, we had an intimate ceremony on our porch with just two close friends as witnesses and another friend as our officiant. This larger celebration was a chance for us to honour our love and bring all our friends and family together for a fun weekend.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We spent about a year searching for the perfect venue. Our initial idea was a destination wedding on the beaches of Lake Michigan, creating a weekend getaway for our friends and family. However, we found it challenging to find vendors that aligned with our vision. So we took a step back and thought about what truly mattered to us, and we realized the most important thing was simply to host our loved ones and share a fantastic meal with them - specifically, good, authentic Chinese food. That realization led us to choose Detroit. We love our city and wanted to bring our out-of-town friends here. The Scarab Club stood out to us for its history and intimate atmosphere. We didn't want a "big tent" feel; we wanted a space that felt comfortable and cosy for everyone. The outdoor courtyard and upstairs lounge were particularly enchanting. We both have many friends who are artists and creatives so The Scarab Club, which has been a club house for Detroit artists for over 90 years, seemed like the perfect spot.

How many guests did you have?

We had 78 guests total.

What was your budget? 

25-30K.

Tell us about your outfits.

Sophie - I wore a dress by Kamperett. It consisted of a silk slip underneath a translucent silk organza dress. I knew I wanted a red dress for the celebration to honour my Chinese heritage (and also because red is more of my colour than white). I love the earthy, terracotta shade of red in the dress. It was comfortable and breathable for a hot summer day.

Chris - I went to Nelson at Dandy Detroit for a made-to-measure suit and couldn't have been happier. I wanted something breathable but with some heft and drape, and the Fox Air tropical wool he helped me pick out worked perfectly. The full body cut and brown glen check pattern make it a versatile suit I will wear for years to come.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

The most important aspect of our wedding planning was ensuring the celebration felt personal and intimate, with our guests feeling comfortable and having fun. We focused heavily on the food and drink, as we wanted to give our guests a memorable culinary experience. To add a personal touch, Sophie hand-drafted the wedding invitations, the table numbers, and the seating chart. The tablescapes featured Sophie Yan’s handmade ceramics, which made each table unique. We also wanted to make sure our friends felt included and could celebrate with us in a fun, spontaneous way, which is why we created a "toast-train" during the cocktail hour for impromptu toasts. Chris invited his old guitar teacher, Justin Hatt, to play acoustic guitar versions of some of our favourite jazz songs during dinner, which felt so personal to us, since Sophie and Sophie’s father also played acoustic guitar.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Sophie had been planning on making ceramics for the tablescapes for a few months leading up to the celebration. We had a couple of coordination meetings with Bree of Mother of Pearl to finalize counts and layouts for all of the tables. The vendor does not allow open flames indoors so we bought cordless table lamps for mood lighting which really enhanced the dining space.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Don’t sweat the small stuff. The most important thing is to cherish and enjoy the day. If you don’t have a wedding planner, consider hiring at least a day-of coordinator. We didn’t want any of our family or friends to worry about a thing on that day and we are so thankful that we had an amazing planner and day-of team. Shout out to Reilly Reynolds at  Haley Makay Events!

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Justine Montigny did such a wonderful job with the photos. We are not super comfortable in front of a camera, and she had a way of making us feel comfortable and relaxed. During the celebration, she was lurking around getting all the best candid shots of us and our guests. We couldn’t recommend her more!

Mother of Pearl did such an amazing job on the florals - the tablescapes were each so unique and “perfectly imperfect” which was exactly what we asked for.

The owner of Sunday Picnic, Heather Konrad, is one of Sophie’s closest friends and she did an amazing job on the cake, which is pistachio cake with fresh cherries and cream on the inside with a vanilla buttercream on top. It was so delicious!

Angela Chi of Chi Fan Le did a fantastic job with the catering. Sophie’s parents picked the menu and they executed everything perfectly, down to the matching gold serving utensils and chafing dishes. Our guests loved the food.

Photographer: Justine Montigny @justinemontigny | Planning: Haley Makay Events @haleymakayevents | Flora: Mother of Pearl @motherofpearl.design | Reception Location: The Scarab Club @scarabclubdetroit | Catering & Beverages: Chi Fan Le @chifanle.chifanle | Cake: Sunday Picnic @sundaypicnicrva | Guitarist: Justin Hatt @justinhatt | Dress: Kamperett @kamperett | Suit: Dandy Detroit @dandy.detroit | Ceramics: Sophie Yan @sophieyan.works