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We also love Detroit, Brides magazine, and appreciate almost any article telling readers why they should visit. Almost any, because we don't quite see it as "an Underrated Urban Honeymoon Destination."

Pushing this comeback city as a newlyweds' destination, as Brides magazine does, seems a kiss to deep, a hug too tight, a bouquet overdone.


This city is "a surprisingly great choice" for newlyweds, says the 900-word article.

Don't misunderstand: We cherish Detroit to have and to hold, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in bankruptcy and in health.

But when San Francisco freelancer Katie Hammel calls it "a surprisingly great choice for an urban honeymoon," that's an engraved invitation for ridicule. Heck, even the professional promoters at the Metro Detroit Convention & Visitors Bureau don't say honeymoon anywhere at visitdetroit.com. 

The writer's activity suggestions for newlyweds are a familiar list of greatest hits for tourists, including you-know-what "gorgeous showroom of leather and glass, with beautifully crafted watches, belts, bags and other leather goods displayed like museum pieces." (To her credit, Hammel describes the location as Cass Corridor rather than the M-word.)

Dining recommendations include Wright & Co., Townhouse, Pegasus Tavern, Polish Village and the three-month-old Vertical Wine Bar, "a cozy basement lounge" on Centre Street in Harmonie Park.    

These are among comments on our Facebook page under a link to her feature:

► Look, I love Detroit. . . . It's better than Chicago! Also, a proud sports town. However, LMFAO to honeymooning in Detroit. If you're honeymooning there, hire a divorce lawyer quick. -- Kenny Flynn

► Yeah, tell your bride-to-be that you're taking her to Detroit for the honeymoon if you wanna be left standing at the altar! -- Rob Pajewski, Harrison Township

► Really? Listen I heart Detroit, but honeymoon? Divorce the bastard/bitch NOW! -- Matt Schultz

► What a shitty honeymoon --  almost as dumb as a staycation. -- Crystal Putz, Trenton

► Perhaps you mean some other Detroit, less encumbered by a legion of homeless foot fetishists. -- Chuck Beaubien, University of Detroit Mercy, '87

► Dear Muffy: For our upcoming honeymoon, would you prefer the Turks and Caicos or shall we go for ruin porn and snow that looks like it has been shat from a golem's backside? Come for the gentrification. Stay because you were mugged and left to die in a Dumpster off Evergreen-- Steven Taylor (two posts)

A published arbiter of what's genuine and what's jackassery in Detroit tweets:


Even folks paid to promote tourism don't pitch honeymoons here.

Hammel, a 2002 graduate of Saginaw Valley State University, did on-site research during a recent visit with husband Daniel, a LinkedIn manager, to celebrate Christmas with her family in Grosse Pointe Woods.

She shares lodging tips for honeymooning couples, a phrase we can't write without a grin:

  • "Greektown Casino Hotel offers commanding views. . . . Spring for a corner suite for the best views out of floor-to-ceiling windows — from the large bedroom, spacious sitting room or even from the sexy soaking tub in the master bath."
  • "For something smaller and more intimate, check into the romantic Inn on Ferry Street, a stately historic home that's now a 40-room Victorian bed and breakfast featuring antique furnishings."  

One local guy who surely likes the article is Jeremy Sasson, a 31-year-old bachelor. A promotional photo of his Townhouse Detroit atrium dining space is the main illustration. Clink-clink.