For Allie and Todd Detwiler, moving to Michigan from New York City came down to finding a home where they could raise their 3- and 4-year-old children. Allie, a coordinating entertainment producer at NBC News, and Todd, a senior illustrator for product design at Peloton, both also wanted to find a home where they could build something together βΜύin this case, a wedding venue.
βWe were very much looking at raw land and vacant land to build something β to build a venue or to build an experience,β Todd Detwiler says. They found it in , an English Tudor-style manor with nearly 40 acres of land in Oakland Township. βWe were like, βWell, we can make it happen here. We just have to figure out how.ββ
After purchasing the home and property in 2021 for $1.6 million (not too far from where Allie grew up in Rochester), the Detwilers became the estateβs third owner. Hidden away from Adams Road by a quarter-mile driveway that takes you through the luscious trees surrounding the property, the house was first owned by Frederick and Agnes (Abele) Darden, who used the manor to host events from the 1930s to the 1950s, attracting people from nearby communities such as Birmingham and Lake Orion. Now, the Detwilers are working to βbring back how this property was intended when it was built.β
Like the first homeowners, the Detwilers also live in the manor, using the grounds to host ceremonies and other outdoor events, while designated spaces inside, like the bridal and groom suites, are available to those who book an event.
The bridal suite was created by tearing down the wall dividing the servantsβ quarters, transforming them into one large area with two sections: a space to lounge and an area to glamour up for the wedding. The game room on the lower level became the groom suite, which includes a pool table, leather couch, and fireplace.
An exciting feature that came with the home is the 75-foot stone veranda that overlooks the entire property. Thereβs also space cleared out in the woods where smaller wedding ceremonies can be held. βItβs beautiful, β¦ especially in the summertime when everythingβs golden,β Todd Detwiler says.
βWe want to make it a pretty exclusive experience β we want to maybe do one [event] a month,β he says, adding that clients have the option to bring items in and take photos a few weeks before the wedding. βI think giving people more time to enjoy it, and to get things right, itβs really appreciated.β
Visit for more information, and for more bridal trends and tips, visit hourdetroit.com. Μύ
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