Guardian Building — Attraction in Detroit

Zipping over from Corktown, we got downtown and parked across the street from The Guardian Building in a parking garage that was like a crazy maze. I mean, no matter what THEY try to tell you, most parking garages don't just have you go up to park and then down to exit. There are like sub-levels and trolls to pay before you can actually park. Then, you have to REMEMBER where you parked, but who can remember Green 4B, Spot 890, The Toledo Mud Hens Level? Even when you take a picture of nearby signs, you are still tempted to leave bread crumbs.

Before the twisting garage, I read about The Guardian Building while researching coffee places in Detroit. You know when that internet rabbit hole happens? Coffee places leads to NEW SAVORY OPTIONS leads to healthy snacking this summer leads to KEEP YOUR ENERGY UP BY WALKING leads to beautiful walking tours leads to ART DECO BUILDINGS IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT. I know that has happened to you. I know.

Feeling like we needed to have a coffee run mid-point in our Detroit adventure, we intended to go to The Rowland Cafe in the lobby of The Guardian Building for coffee, but got distracted by the prettiness.

To say this building had amazing architecture and design would be a giant understatement. The beauty of the mosaic tile, the delicate stairs, the Michigan mural on the south wall, the orange in the clock... incredible. Oh, AND there were souvenirs! A great Pure Detroit store is just to the right of the cafe in the lobby, where we bought onesies and t-shirts (because that is what you do when things around you are beautiful- it is Art Museum Gift Shop Logic).

After the purchasing of many things with D-E-T-R-O-I-T plastered on them, we finally went to the Rowland Cafe, just feet away. It is here that I got into a conversation about the merits of beet salad because people don't understand.

My beet salad argument (adapted for your attention span): You can roast them, coat them in a balsamic vinaigrette, add goat cheese and miracles happen. They should never be JUST pickled. OK?

After everyone (the barista and another half-interested patron) was swayed by my excellent oratory skills, I ordered. The Cafe makes a good caffeinated beverage, but also has lots of bottled water, imported beverages, desserts and snack food options.

With a Quicken building across the street, there were many lanyard-sporting people about mid-day looking for places to eat. If I was one of them, I would eat here almost every day. The service was good, the eats looked tasty and the environment was unusually ideal. Also, the building is a block away from the Hart Plaza Fountain; it is really a statue that is a fountain, a circle, and could probably beam you to space if you asked nicely. Just all around goodness. But, if chili and hot dogs are more your thing, you could walk down the street to the middle of...

Shannon and her team helped us through the venue coordination of the Guardian building for a wedding including the promenade, the 32nd floor for a cocktail hour, and brief rooftop access for photos. The Guardian building speaks for itself as a premier venue for Michigan typifying architectural brilliance, Art Deco opulence, and the pinnacle of 1920s Detroit style.

Through significant tribulation outside of her control Shannon helped us through the planning and execution of the event. Wayne County was hit by a ransomware attack the week of our event causing significant concerns for us by limiting usage of the elevators. Shannon and her team went out of her way to hire an extra security team member at their cost to help alleviate the concerns to the best of their ability. While the attack certainly caused some additional work for all vendors involved, my partner and I were pleased by the amount that Shannon’s team went out of their way to accommodate the unexpected challenges faced by all. Though all parties would have certainly preferred that the county was not hacked and elevator access had not been limited it is my understanding that unexpected hiccups occur during every event and we believe Shannon and her team handled it quite tactfully and did her very best to alleviate disruption...

Our wedding at the Guardian Building was better than we could have ever imagined it to be. Although our wedding day was perfect, I do think research and preparation is the only thing that got it there.

1. The Guardian is beautiful, but that obviously comes with a cost. The rental fee for the venue is a bit high, but absolutely worth it if you budget correctly.
2. Bringing the venue to life takes a lot of planning! You do have to use drapery to cover some of the storefronts and bank desks, and you have to ensure that you provide your guests with parking passes for the garage or valet. There's no "on site" parking, but this was something we were willing to sacrifice. The venue is also is not all-inclusive, so be prepared to book outside vendors such as catering, etc. However, they do provide vendors that they have worked with in the past to make things easier! 100% would recommend using vendors who have worked at the Guardian before. It's no easy task throwing a wedding at a historical site, but I would definitely recommend it for someone willing to take on the challenge! The staff at the Guardian was incredibly accommodating and always communicated my concerns with me. If I could go back in time, I'd book the Guardian again in...