An Elegant, Musical Celebration in Motown: The Real Wedding of Brittany and Jon Oakley

Photos BySavvy Shoots Photography

Written By

Allyson Hutchison

Date

March 11, 2026

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Despite studying under the same voice professor at Michigan Sate and sharing flirty moments on and off stage during a summer production, Jon didn't ask Brittany out until nearly eight years after they first met! Their first date took place at the Fisher Theater in Detroit, which is ironically where Jon chose to propose. First, he asked her to go to several of their favorite places one Saturday to throw her off the scent. Then suggested they attend an architecture tour at Fisher Theater. "I was suddenly stunned that Jon was getting down on his knee in the middle of an almost empty building instead," Brittany recalls.

We are obsessed with Brittany's dress! The beautiful cascading layers of the skirt give the dress so much movement and life! "I did individual research by looking through online catalogs of the wedding dress style I most desired. However, as soon as I began trying dresses on in person, anything different would excite me," Brittany admits. "Before finding this dress to call my own, there were at least three other bridal stores and 20+ dresses I sampled." One bridal shop emphasized that Brittany should FEEL beautiful not just look it on her wedding day. With that helpful piece of advice, Brittany was able to find the dress of her dreams for her wedding day!

After Jon proposed, they started talking details. Jon and Brittany explain, "We started the journey of wedding planning by discussing what time of year we wanted the wedding, followed by locking down a church venue first before finding a reception venue that would fit our guest list." They settled on late summer and picked their church venue before looking into reception spaces. They ended up deciding that they wanted a venue that not only reflected their interests and their love story but their life in the city they love. Their reception venue was the perfect place to host their musical reception in the heart of a huge music movement!

However, with the opulent venues that they chose, it was a unique challenge to pick a color palette that would complement the ornate and historic venues. Since they both had stunning painted ceilings and the church had stained glass, Brittany and Jon decided that a simpler color palette would help accent the space without overwhelming it. They settled on rose pink and white. To further boost the elegant feel of the reception space, Brittany and Jon decorated with lots of glassware and gold elements!

What We Love

Since they first met in a theater, went on their first date to a theater and held their reception in an opera house, it seemed only fitting to Brittany and Jon to have bits and pieces of their musical past, present and future throughout their day. "The invitations were shaped as ticket stubs and the programs were in the design of a Broadway Playbook. Each person in the wedding party was a 'cast member' with a full written bio, and the ceremony and reception were named 'Act I' and 'Act II', respectively," Brittany and Jon share. We love how all these unique touches not only point to them as individuals but tie into their love story so perfectly!

Advice from the Couple

Brittany and Jon advise, "One, listen to each other. Both of you have a voice to what this day means to you, and value what your beloved shares is important to them. Two, budget for the necessities first, the dreams second and the special add-ons last. Any money not used or gifted was spent for post-wedding expenses. Three, do NOT sweat the small stuff. The day is too precious to spend time worrying about what the weather is or is not on the day. Four, be present and near each other as much as you can the entire day. We did not have access to our phones, and we spent every minute next to each other from the ceremony to our reception send-off. It made the day all the more memorable."