Kristen + John | Wedding at Valentine's Distillery | Detroit, Michigan

Kristen and John are two of my favorite people. We seriously did not want to leave their wedding (I mean partially because open bar at Valentine's haha, but seriously also them). These two are so kind, funny, know how to have a good time, and put their complete trust in me when it came to photos and even planning out the entire day.

We met up with Kristen and her friends at a loft overlooking the belt in Detroit - where Kristen had a surprise planned for John. About a month before the wedding, Kristen called to tell me that she wanted to do one of those "fake first looks" where the groom turns around (expecting to see his bride for the first time), and to his surprise, it is the best man. Kristen explained that the groom and the best man were so close that they might as well be marrying each other and so this would be perfect. It took a bit of finagling to get the logistics just right without letting John know what was really going on, but we pulled it off to great success.

When it came time for the real first look, we went up to the top of the ZDeck for a gorgeous view of the Detroit Skyline.

After the first look, we moved on to "wedding party" photos. Instead of having a traditional wedding party, Kristen and John simply invited their closest friends to tag along and spend the day with them before the ceremony - rather than having coordinated outfits and a bunch of people standing up at the ceremony, they simply were there for photos and to have a great time.

Of course, we had to swing by Kristen and John's home to grab a couple of photos with their pups.

Then it was time for the ceremony at Valentine's Distillery where drinks were served upon arrival - but not before a teary eyed first look between the bride and her dad.

Is Valentine's not a gorgeous place for a wedding? Just absolutely love the mood here.

Let's get married at Valentine's because I want to live there now!

Venue: Valentine Distillery

Photos: Little Blue BIrd Photography

Hair/Makeup: the bride! from Opal Salon

Pastries: Paula's Patisseries

Flowers: Whimsical Wit

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