According to photographers Robyn and Jacob Fink of Robyn + Finch in Detroit, Michigan, a Meadow Brook Hall wedding is unlike any other. “It’s the equivalent of stepping into a page of not just Detroit or even Michigan’s history but maybe even the world,” they say. “Meadow Brook isn’t just a mansion. Built by The Dodge Family from 1926 to 1929, it contains 110 rooms, so there is a lot to take in. The grandeur of everything is unsettling at first because it just seems to go on forever. We didn’t stand a chance of making it all the way around the grounds, let alone the wing were in. Knowing this, we worked with what we had. Which wasn’t a bad thing.”

All photos © Robyn + Finch

As the photographers arrived, they were swiftly escorted down a winding hallway to an area of the house no guest would be.”It didn’t take long to get into gear and begin taking photos,” they say. “Before we knew it, we were met with cocktail hour followed by a beautiful reception just outside. We were enthralled with this place. The small glimpses we took in were not enough, and we cannot wait to go back.”

For couple Kiyanna and Glenn, it was important to celebrate their respective cultures in a way that was honest and genuine to them and their families. Glenn was born in Detroit and his parents are both from Cameroon; Kiyanna was raised in Massachusetts and her father is of Jamaican descent. “During the ceremony at St. John Fisher Chapel in Auburn Hills,” the bride recalls, “the priest prayed a traditional Catholic prayer anointing our marriage and asking for God to watch over and protect our union. Music and celebration are a large part of both of our traditions, so we thought it was best to incorporate that as well.”

In Glenn’s culture, traditional Cameroonian outfits are worn to most occasions. “The clothing generally includes bright, vibrant prints and headpieces for both the men and women,” Kiyanna describes.

“In Cameroonian culture,” the bride continues, “it is also tradition to perform a ‘money dance,’ which is supposed to ensure prosperity and wealth for the newlyweds, which was the dance we all participated in towards the end of the night with guests showering us with money and dancing to Cameroonian music. My father and most of his siblings are musicians who grew up in the ’50s and ’60s, so it was important to me that the father-daughter dance was to a song that had musical meaning, which is why we chose ‘What a Wonderful World’ by Louis Armstrong. Glenn and his mother danced to a very popular and traditional Cameroonian song called ‘Sweet Mother’ by Prince Nico Mbarga, which started off the money dance.”

GEAR OF THE DAY

Cameras: Canon 5D Mark III and IV

Lenses: 24mm f/1.4, 35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.2, 85mm f/1.8, 135mm f/2

VENDORS

• Meadow Brook Hall
• Nick Kuhl and the Gang
• The Cupcake Station
• Salon Bliss

Submit your wedding to Rf editor-in-chief Jacqueline Tobin for a chance to get featured here.