Colony Club Wedding DJ, Photography & Videography
Detroit, MI — Serving couples for 30 years
Mike Staff Productions has provided wedding DJ, photography, and videography services at the Colony Club in Detroit, Michigan for roughly 30 years. Built in 1927 on Park Avenue, this Wayne County landmark features a 5,040 square foot Grand Ballroom with a mezzanine, gold leaf ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and Louis XVI decor throughout.
Mike Staff Productions has been working weddings at the Colony Club since long before Park Avenue became the photo backdrop everybody wants. We know which corner of the Grand Ballroom mezzanine gives your videographer the shot looking down over the dance floor. We know the Drawing Room fills with soft afternoon light on the second floor, and that Bar Charles is where your guests will linger during cocktail hour. Thirty years of Saturdays inside this building taught us things you can’t learn from a floor plan.
Mike Staff Productions at the Colony Club
Our Team Approach ensures seamless coordination between your DJ, photographer, and videographer throughout your Colony Club wedding
Mike Staff Productions has been part of Colony Club weddings for about 30 years, going back to when the building was still finding its second life as an event space. We’ve watched the Grand Ballroom get restored, we’ve worked alongside every generation of the Forbes Hospitality events team, and we’ve learned the rhythm of this building the way you learn a song you’ve played a thousand times.
When you book Mike Staff Productions for your Colony Club wedding, you get:
- Venue Expertise – We know the Grand Ballroom’s acoustics under a gold leaf ceiling, where the mezzanine sightlines work for video, and how long it really takes to move 200 guests from Bar Charles upstairs.
- Coordinator Relationships – We’ve worked with the Forbes Hospitality team through countless Saturdays here. Your venue coordinator and your Mike Staff team already speak the same language.
- Consistent Quality – Every team member has a paid, pre-arranged backup. If something happens, a fully briefed professional steps in and your day keeps moving.
- One Coordinated Team – Your DJ, photographer, and videographer work under one contract with one point of contact. Learn more about our Team Approach and how it keeps your day running as one story instead of three.
Three decades in one building adds up. We’re not figuring out your timeline on the fly or asking where the load-in door is. We’ve already done that homework, which means our attention stays on you.
Best Photo Locations at the Colony Club
Mike Staff Productions wedding photographers have shot this building enough times to know exactly where to take you. The arched balcony above the Grand Ballroom is the frame couples ask for by name. The spiral staircase gives us an overhead shot nobody else in Detroit can offer. Add the ballroom floor itself and the checkered marble entry, and you’ve got four completely different looks under one roof. Here’s what each one gives you.
The Arched Balcony
This is the Colony Club shot. A soaring gilded arch frames the two of you standing at an ornate wrought iron rail, with the monogram worked right into the ironwork. It photographs beautifully lit warm and glowing, or darker and moodier with the arch in shadow. We shoot it as a portrait, as a wedding party frame, and as a grand entrance moment when you appear above your guests. If you only have time for one location, this is it.
The Spiral Staircase
Tucked away from the main rooms, this wooden spiral gives us an angle you won’t get anywhere else. We shoot straight down from above with the two of you nested in the curve of the steps, and the whole staircase spirals out around you. It takes a few minutes to set up and it’s always worth it. Couples tell us it ends up being their favorite image from the day.
The Grand Ballroom Floor
Wide open dark wood, gold detail everywhere, chandeliers overhead, and tall arched windows down the side. We shoot the room empty before guests arrive, then again during your first dance when it’s full of people. The uplighting choice matters here. Blush, amber, and deep purple all read differently against these walls, and we’ll talk through it before your date.
The Checkered Marble Entry
Black and white marble underfoot with an ornate ceiling above and a long corridor stretching behind you. It’s a graphic, high-contrast look that stands apart from the softer ballroom shots. Great for a first look and great for a quiet moment away from the crowd.
The Arched Windows
Tall windows with heavy gold drapes line the ballroom, and the daylight coming through them is the softest light in the building. We use this spot for ceremonies, for portraits, and for the black and white images that tend to become the ones you frame.
Golden Hour Timing for Your Colony Club Wedding
Mike Staff Productions builds your photo timeline around Detroit's actual sunset, not a guess. Because the Colony Club sits downtown with buildings on every side, usable outdoor light on Park Avenue fades a little earlier than open sky would suggest. We plan around that. Times below are approximate and shift year to year, so your photographer will confirm exact numbers for your date.
| Season | Approximate Sunset | Best Portrait Window |
|---|---|---|
| Summer (June to August) | 9:00 to 9:15 PM | 8:00 to 9:00 PM |
| Fall (September to November) | 6:45 to 7:30 PM | 5:45 to 7:00 PM |
| Winter (December to February) | 5:00 to 5:30 PM | 4:15 to 5:15 PM |
| Spring (March to May) | 7:45 to 8:30 PM | 6:45 to 8:00 PM |
Winter weddings here have an advantage. Sunset lands right around cocktail hour, so we can pull you outside for ten minutes on Park Avenue without pulling you away from your own reception.
Colony Club Reception Spaces
Mike Staff Productions has set up in every room in this building. The Colony Club holds up to 500 guests across four distinct spaces, and each one changes how we position sound, lighting, and cameras. Here’s what you’re choosing between.
Grand Ballroom
The centerpiece of the building. Soaring ornate ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and a mezzanine overlooking the whole room with two suites off it. This is where most Colony Club weddings happen.
5,040 sq ft main floor plus 1,300 sq ft mezzanine
Petite Ballroom
Same ornate detail as the Grand Ballroom in a lighter, smaller footprint. Three adjacent sections give you flexibility on layout, which makes it a strong choice for smaller guest lists.
3,135 sq ft
The Drawing Room
A second-floor gallery and sitting room inspired by European salons. Couples use it for cocktail hour, for a quiet ceremony, or as a getting-ready space with better light than most suites.
3,057 sq ft
Bar Charles
The refinished bar just inside the front doors, with custom furnishings and a more contemporary feel. It’s the natural cocktail hour room, and it gives your photos a second visual mood.
3,165 sq ft
Colony Club Wedding DJ and Reception Tips
Mike Staff Productions plans Colony Club receptions around one thing: this is a vertical building. Guests arrive at Bar Charles on the ground floor, often move up to the Drawing Room or straight into a ballroom, and the whole night involves stairs and elevators. Getting the flow right is most of the job. Here’s how our professional wedding DJs handle each room.
How the Grand Ballroom Handles Sound
Hard surfaces and high ceilings mean sound carries and bounces. We set up with the dance floor in mind and keep volume controlled at the dinner tables so your guests can actually talk. Uplighting works beautifully against these walls, and we'll place fixtures so they wash the architecture instead of flattening it.
Keeping the Mezzanine in the Mix
Guests drift up here during dancing, which is great for photos and tricky for sound. We check coverage on both levels so people upstairs aren't straining to hear toasts. If you want a grand entrance down the staircase, tell us early and we'll build the music cue around it.
Right-Sizing the Petite Ballroom
Smaller room, so we scale the system down. A full concert rig in here would be too much. The three-section layout also means we'll talk through where you want the dance floor before we load in, since that decision drives everything else.
Cocktail Hour Sound at Bar Charles
We run separate cocktail hour sound down here so the room has energy while your ballroom gets flipped upstairs. It also buys your photographer time for portraits without your guests standing around in silence.
Ceremony Options at the Colony Club
Mike Staff Productions has covered ceremonies in every configuration this building allows. The Colony Club is fully indoors, which removes the weather question entirely. No tent backup, no watching the forecast all week, no plan B conversation. Here’s where couples say their vows.
Grand Ballroom Ceremony
The most common choice. You say your vows under the gold leaf ceiling, guests move down to Bar Charles for cocktails, and the venue team flips the room for dinner. We plan our ceremony audio and camera positions knowing the room has to reset quickly.
Petite Ballroom Ceremony
If you’re using the Grand Ballroom for dinner, the Petite Ballroom lets you hold the ceremony in a separate room and skip the flip completely. Guests walk from one space to the other and your timeline gets easier.
Wedding Videography at Colony Club
Mike Staff Productions wedding videographers love this building for one reason above all others: the mezzanine. Having a second elevation inside your reception room means we can cut between eye-level moments and wide overhead shots of the whole celebration without ever leaving the space. Add the staircase for movement, the chandeliers for depth, and Bar Charles for a completely different look, and one venue gives us four distinct visual environments. Your film ends up feeling layered instead of flat.
Real Weddings by Mike Staff Productions
Mike Staff Productions publishes galleries and highlight videos from real Michigan weddings so you can see how a day actually comes together. Several Colony Club celebrations are featured on our site. Go behind the scenes with these couples and see what a wedding in this building actually looks like.
What Couples Say About Their Colony Club Wedding
20/10. The team at Mike Staff Productions was amazing and not only helped the day run smoothly, but took the stress off of me to worry about small details.
Sarah and Cody
Colony Club, April 2022
They took care of everything and helped me plan my Michigan wedding from Florida. They were familiar with downtown, our vendors and our reception venue. It makes such a difference when you know you are working with a reputable group.
Summer and Jay
Colony Club, December 2017
Mike Staff Productions was incredible! They were so professional and very helpful! I loved the security of not having to worry about potential cancellations for our vendors. Everyone at Mike Staff Productions is so friendly and knowledgeable.
Courtney and Trevor
Colony Club, May 2021
Colony Club
2310 Park Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48201
Phone: (313) 463-4215
Website: forbesdetroit.com
Colony Club Wedding FAQs
Where is the Colony Club located?
The Colony Club is at 2310 Park Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, at the corner of Montcalm and Park Avenue in Wayne County. It's part of the Forbes Hospitality group along with the Gem Theatre and Elwood Bar and Grill.
How many guests can the Colony Club hold?
The venue accommodates up to 500 guests. The Grand Ballroom is the largest space at 5,040 square feet plus a 1,300 square foot mezzanine. Your Forbes Hospitality coordinator can confirm seated counts for the specific room and layout you're considering.
Can you have a ceremony at the Colony Club?
Yes. Couples hold ceremonies in the Grand Ballroom, the Petite Ballroom, or the second-floor Drawing Room. All ceremony spaces are indoors, so weather never affects your plan.
How long has Mike Staff Productions worked at the Colony Club?
About 30 years. We've provided DJ, photography, and videography for Colony Club weddings across three decades, which means we know the rooms, the acoustics, and the venue team.
What are the best photo spots at the Colony Club?
The arched balcony above the Grand Ballroom, the wooden spiral staircase, the ballroom floor, the checkered marble entry, and the tall arched windows. Together they give you several different looks without leaving the building.
Is there parking at the Colony Club?
The venue lists convenient parking among its amenities. Contact Forbes Hospitality directly for current parking arrangements and guest instructions for your date.
Can I book DJ, photography, and videography together for my Colony Club wedding?
Yes. Our Team Approach puts your DJ, photographer, and videographer under one contract with one point of contact. They coordinate with each other and with your venue team, so your day gets told as one story rather than three separate ones.
What is the history of the Colony Club building?
The Georgian-style building was constructed in 1927 and opened in 1929 as a women's club. Over the years it housed the UAW headquarters and the Detroit Police Academy. Charles Forbes purchased it in 1984, and it now operates as one of Detroit's most recognizable event venues.
Planning Your Colony Club Wedding
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Looking at other Michigan wedding venues? Browse our full venue guide to see where else we work.