Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays I secretly want to indulge in. I rarely do, because it seems like the type of holiday you are suppose to be surprised with, showered upon and all together taken by surprise. However, depending on others can leave you hanging and create too many expectations. So over the past few years I decided to celebrate exactly how I wanted to – with diy projects, lush floral blooms and the prettiest cakes and cookies. It is better to give than receive so why not make Valentine’s Day special for those you care about and have fun in the process?

I teamed up with some fabulous and talented friends to create what I’m sharing here today : inspiration for a modern black + white Valentine’s Day. Sassafras Flowers did an amazing job with floral design, The Incrediably Edible Cookie Co baked up the most delicious treats (the coconut macaroons are out of this world), Dado provided us with the perfect black dress… and my amazing hairdresser Karolann Kuter not only did her own hair + makeup but modeled for us (look closely to see the lavender highlights in her hair, they’re gorgeous).

Enjoy these gorgeous images shot primarily on film (developed by the FIND lab) on kodak portra and let me know what you think!