a gu ide to s imcha hs i

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EMAGINE
ROYAL OAK
AND STAR
LANES
RESTAURANT

& SPORTS
BAR You don't

have to be a
film buff to

take advantage
of all that
Emagine Royal

Oak has to offer
— although
they have
had wedding
ceremonies
in the

auditoriums. A
fun, alternative

yet also gorgeously appointed option for b'nai mitzvah,
showers, bachelor/ette parties and more, clients can
host a sit-down dinner for up to 200 people, rent the
entire two floors for a strolling dinner of up to 800
people or enjoy an intimate gathering as small as 30 to
50 people. The beauty is in the options, as well as the
built-in entertainment including enormous TV screens
at every turn (so music videos or your photo montages
can run on constant repeat), shuffleboard, pool tables
and, of course, boutique bowling (they measure your
fingers for a perfect fit, provide brand-new socks and
more). Star Lanes' on-site catering will customize any
menu. (248) 414-1000; star-lanes.com .

LOVETT HALL, THE HENRY FORD Make your own
history surrounded by the treasures of 300 years of
American history and innovation at the Henry Ford's
Lovett Hall. Created by Henry Ford in 1937 as the
Education Building for 36 hand-picked college-level
students, the Hall centers around the Lovett Ballroom,
a glistening gem (which can seat up to 300 guests)
with teak floors and vintage chandeliers. The lobby's
14-foot-high ceiling is embellished with crown mold-
ing and surrounded by lush gardens (replete with a
limestone gazebo) and courtyards for picturesque
outdoor ceremonies, cocktails or photo ops. Horse-
drawn carriage rides exploring Greenfield Village's 80
acres, catered picnics in the Village Pavilion and fire-
works are just a few of the grand amenities that can
be included, for a fee, to create a celebration like no
other. (313) 982.6220; thehenryford.org .

C 8

celebrate! I

March 2013

DETROIT ZOO Guests' hearts will be all aflutter with the romance of your "I do's" — along with the flit-
ting of hundreds of vibrantly colored butterflies flying freely about during a wedding in the Detroit Zoo's
lush and tropical Butterfly Garden. Housed in the Wildlife Interpretive Gallery (which can hold up to 150
guests), the Garden was built in 1928 as a glass-domed bird house, the Zoo's oldest building; the Gallery
offers additional wedding or special event areas, including the rotunda, mezzanine, theater and exhibit
hall, which displays two art collections.
Or let the calls of the wild set the tone for a truly exotic outdoor wedding adventure: Purchase a
private zoo evening and wed in front of the Rackham Fountain, followed by hors d'oeuvres and a stroll
through the zoo before dinner and dancing. For smaller weddings (60 seated guests without a dance
floor; 50 with a dance floor; and 100 guests for a cocktail reception), guests can gaze at the breathtaking
underwater views of polar bears and seals inside the Arctic Ring of Life's Nunavut Gallery and Exploration
Station. Choose from a seated dinner, dinner buffet or barbecue picnic (think grilled hamburgers, hot dogs
and BBQ beef brisket), and parties can purchase access to the Wild Adventure Ride and Tauber Family
Railroad. (248) 541-5717; detroitzoo.org .

MOCAD Known for throwing some of the best parties around town — including special events, art
exhibits, poetry readings, live music, lectures and more — the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit can
help make your soiree a happening, too. Opened in 2006 and housed in a former auto dealership, the
cavernous 5,800-square-foot space (which can hold up to 250 guests; 173 seated) is deliberately sparse
and industrial, with concrete floors, cinderblock walls and a raw, urban mood — a textured blank slate to
act as backdrop to your wedding or b'nai mitzvah muse. Whether you choose to embrace the unpolished
space with minimal changes or decorate to your heart's content, be sure to make use of the hundreds
of enormous paper lanterns the museum has available for rent. Rental availability revolves around the
exhibition schedule. (313) 832-6622; mocadetroit.org .

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