There’s a Luke Combs song that I love that goes, “you roll in with your hair in the wind, baby, without warning. I was doin’ alright but just your sight had my heart stormin’. The moon went hiding, stars quit shining, rain was dropping, thunder ‘n lightning, you wrecked my whole world when you came and hit me like a hurricane.”
If there was ever a song to describe how these two fell in love, it’s this one. In the middle of a hurricane is exactly where their love story began. Daniel and Kiley met at the University of Connecticut almost 7 years ago when they were living in the same apartment complex. There was a hurricane the first week of school and they lost power for 8 days, forcing them to band together with their neighbors to ride out the storm. When they met, Daniel was attentive, caring, and genuinely interested in getting to know what made Kiley, Kiley. Kiley knew from the moment she met Daniel how special he was. They dated throughout college and after graduation, they moved back to Daniel’s home state of Michigan, got engaged and began planning their wedding. And of course, it was only fitting that they became husband and wife on a windy day in Detroit that brought their love story full circle.
Kiley and Daniel were married at Old St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Detroit. It’s one of the oldest Catholic Churches in Detroit and one of my favorite parts of it is the long aisle that the bride gets to walk down! Before the ceremony began, Kiley & Daniel had their first look on a rooftop with the Detroit skyline behind them. Kiley wore a stunning fitted lace dress by Allure Bridals from The White Dress and when Daniel turned around and saw her for the first time, he couldn’t help but cry. After sharing a few private moments between just the two of them, we took some portraits before it was time to head to the church to get married. One of the most touching moments of the ceremony was seeing Daniel’s mom tear up at the sight of her son at the front of the alter waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle. Kiley’s dad escorted her down the aisle and handed her off to Daniel. After Father gave his blessing and the rings were exchanged, these two were announced husband and wife and made their grand exit out of the church! We took some more portraits on the streets of Detroit and they are some of my favorite photos from the day! There’s such a timeless and sophisticated feel to black and white portraits captured in the heart of a bustling city! Afterwards, we made our way over to the Detroit Institute of Arts to finish up before the reception began and The Dan Rafferty Band played all night long!
Daniel’s sister had told me earlier in the day that her family was full of criers and there was not a dry eye in the room during toasts. Daniel’s dad had everyone tearing up as he talked about how special Kiley and Daniel were individually, and how wonderful they were together. Kiley’s dad and her Maid of Honor also gave heartfelt speeches and Daniel’s brother, Brandon, once again had everyone in tears, but also laughter, as he gave one of the most touching, yet hilarious best man speeches I have ever heard. It was so good that I was literally laughing so hard behind my camera that I couldn’t keep it still enough for my lens to focus!
Kiley and Daniel, thank you for welcoming me into your family for the day! It is so evident how special your relationship is and how deeply you two care for each other. I wish you a lifetime of that love and happiness! Hope you love and cherish these photographs for decades to come. Much love, Jen. xx
One Comment