A year after moving across the country from New York City to San Francisco, Brooke Dirksen joined dating app The League. It was there she met Roger Nelson. “Our first date was at a wine bar in downtown San Francisco, right across the street from the staple Transamerica Pyramid,” she remembers. They clicked instantly and dated for two-and-a-half years until he proposed in June 2021. “We were getting ready to fly back to Michigan to see my family for the first time since Covid,” Brooke shares. “I was in the bedroom packing when the door opened and in walked Mortadella—aka Morty—our Boston Terrier. He had a ring box tied around his back, and before I knew it, Roger was down on one knee.” She said yes, and then they flew to Michigan to celebrate with family and hometown friends.
The trip to Michigan sparked something, and the couple realized it would be the ideal place for their wedding. “My hometown of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, is an idyllic hidden gem, especially in the summer, and Detroit, about 20 minutes away, is a dynamic, evolving city with a rich history,” Brooke says. “We wanted to show our guests a bit of both.” The aesthetic was “Amalfi Coast meets the Country Club of Detroit,” Brooke adds. “I was very inspired by the vibrant colors of the Amalfi Coast—and the lemon trees, of course—but we wanted to make sure it complemented the venue, a beautiful 1927 Tudor Revival-style building.”
Her fashion needed to fall somewhere in between, too. “As much as I thought about having a Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy moment, I absolutely love tulle, and I knew this was the one chance I had to go all out with it,” Brooke says. She fell in love with Mira Zwillinger’s Terra dress and paired it with a simple pearl bracelet and a sleek chignon. For the reception, she changed into a minidress by For Love & Lemons that was equally textural—this time in lace—with Loeffler Randall rainbow rhinestone heels and Rebecca de Ravenel earrings.
On July 23, 2022, Brooke and Roger said “I do” in front of an intimate group of family and friends—the rest of the guests would join later—at the Grosse Pointe Academy Chapel. “We initially kept the ceremony group small for Covid reasons, but we ended up loving how intimate it felt, especially as two people who are not always comfortable being the center of attention,” Brooke says. (Plus, it allowed for another big reveal of her dress later on!)
Though the day began overcast, by the time guests arrived at the reception there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, which worked out perfectly for decor. “We had a clear-top tent, and the blue sky shining through complemented all of the greenery and flowers and made the blue elements on our table pop,” Brooke says. A wooden bar tied the country club into the Italianate scene, and Violet Rose Floral outfitted the head table with living lemon trees.
It was time for the newlyweds’ big reveal. “Because we had a small group at the ceremony and many of our guests were seeing us for the first time at the reception, we wanted our entrance to turn heads,” Brooke says. “Our musician, Bob Mervak, switched from playing instrumental-only jazz at cocktail hour to adding vocals for our entrance, and Roger and I walked into the reception to ‘All You Need Is Love’ by The Beatles.”
They sliced into a salted caramel cake by Sweet Heather Anne—featuring a portrait of their dog, Morty—and served lemon sorbet after dinner. After the lively reception, guests moved into the county club’s bowling alley for an after-party with late-night Coney dogs and a little competition. “My favorite part was seeing our families and friends together,” Brooke reminisces. “Especially after a challenging last few years for many people, to see everyone healthy, carefree and celebrating was the best. There really is nothing like it.”
