Solving the Case of Burning Love: A Sherlock Holmes - Themed Wedding in a Former Fire Station.

Mystery lovers, Bret DuBois & Catrina Waite, intentionally planned their January 6th wedding to coincide with the birthday of their favorite fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. They contacted me through my website to inquire about my availability to officiate their wedding. Bret emailed me: “My Fiancé and I are very excited to work with you. We are both big cat people, so reading about your magical cat made us think you would be a great fit!” 
A few weeks earlier I had published a short story about my bewitching tomcat online. Lucky for me, the only thing Bret and Catrina loved more than Sherlock Holmes was cats! The deal was sealed.
For the Big Event, they chose “The Shop DSM,” a popular downtown wedding venue that I was not familiar with. According to their website, the building formerly housed the Fire Department headquarters. It is now owned and operated as a non-profit by firefighters of IAFF4 and their families. The website boasted three usable spaces: a large, open rooftop, the cavernous main room, and a basement lounge, reminiscent of a Chicago Speakeasy. 
On Bret & Catrina’s wedding day, I drove to the venue and was surprised to learn I’d been by it many times. The entrance to “The Shop DSM” was somewhat tucked under an overpass and easy to miss. I found free parking in a public parking lot across the street, an unexpected bonus for guests.
Stepping into the foyer, I noticed a high top bar area on one side, and two portable glass door refrigerators with beverages, on the opposite side. Handy restrooms and a portable coat rack made up the rest of the foyer area. I immediately liked the openness, the high ceilings, and the industrial feel of the space. I could imagine firefighters rushing in the door to climb on a fire truck.
The highlight of the foyer was a Hollywood Style Marquee above the entrance to the main room called “The Shop,” where the ceremony was held. Black letters on a white marquee spelled out an iconic Sherlock Holmes catchphrase to introduce the couple: “The Game is Afoot for Brett and Catrina,” followed by #thewaiteisover - a clever play on Catrina’s maiden surname.  
Upon entering The Shop, I was welcomed by a decorated guest table with a framed sign that read, “Help us remember tonight by signing our Suspect List.” Guests were directed to sign the “Suspect List” and leave an inked fingerprint next to their name, in keeping with the Sherlock Holmes mystery theme. 
A wooden box held personalized wedding favors of magnifying glasses for guests to take home. Propped against the box was a tweed, Sherlock Holmes-like hunting cap. On the wall above the table hung three decorative western-style “Wanted” posters with photos of the couple and each of their cats. The venue was sprinkled beautifully with blue and white satin ribbons. Flower arrangements were thoughtfully placed alongside Sherlock Holmes themed decor. 
The ceremony space was arranged traditionally with folding chairs facing the front, along with a short aisle down the center. The backdrop was set with two old-style London lamp posts decorated with blue satin ribbons. Those were placed on either side of an elegant sheer curtain with vertical white lights. 
In the center of the backdrop was a tall black door with “221 B” in gold numbers placed above a gold door knocker. Fans of Sherlock Holmes might recognize the famous address of his fictional London flat. 
Prior to the ceremony, I mingled amongst the wedding party and family members who had gathered much earlier that day to get ready. There was lots of laughter and camaraderie. The excitement was evident as Bret and Catrina posed for photographs with the wedding party and other loved ones. 
Catrina was stunning in her elegant, white wedding gown. She obviously had Bret under her spell! He sparkled like the dazzling blue rhinestone on his fancy dress shoes. The couple appeared to be floating on cloud nine, taking us all along for the ride. 
The wedding party gathered in the lower lounge to wait for the ceremony to begin. Guests filtered into the venue and found their seats. Meanwhile, a woman waited at the door for her son to arrive. As it turned out, he was a local firefighter. His arrival marked the start of the ceremony, which felt fitting for an old fire station. 
The ceremony was simple and heartfelt. I’d met with the couple in advance and together we’d created the perfect script. Bret and Catrina wrote playful personal vows, which added both intimacy and humor to their ceremony. As I pronounced them married, the newly married couple took their first walk down the aisle. They were beaming!
My work was done, but their fun was just beginning. On the main level there would be the traditional activities: dining, drinking, dancing, toasting, cake cutting and kissing, of course! The couple had thoughtfully equipped the lower lounge with board games and bowls of snacks to entertain guests.
Professional photographs of the wedding were posted on Bret’s Facebook page a couple of weeks later. I enjoyed scrolling through them. I loved seeing Bret and Catrina dancing and Bret playing pool in the lounge with his buddies. I must admit, my favorite photos were taken on the rooftop - the perfect setting for a young couple on top of the world! The love they shared was no mystery, still their wedding had to be Sherlock Holmes greatest role, yet!