10 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Metro Detroit

Central Clay Studio in Plymouth offers weekly one-night pottery classes on Friday nights. These classes are a great introduction to using a potter’s wheel. You’ll spend the entire class at the wheel, getting a feel for the clay and living your Demi Moore in Ghost fantasy. Plus, you leave with a little souvenir of your date. The studio also offers more structured one-class workshops with projects like chips and dip platters, decorative winter trees, or coffee mugs.

Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine in downtown Detroit offers free salsa dancing lessons each Friday and Saturday evening between 8-9:30 pm. Book a table for dinner and share a variety of tapas before the dancing starts. House favorites include their fried mashed potato papas rellenas, chicken empanadas, and seafood paella. You can also skip dinner altogether and grab a seat at the bar to enjoy a mint mojito or glass of sangria between dances.

Valentine’s Day is an occasion to treat yourself. That might mean flowers or chocolates or teddy bears. Or it might mean splurging at your favorite salon and spa with a full list of pampering services. Rivage Day Spa in Birmingham offers facials, massage, and nail services, as well as lash lifts, waxing, and laser hair removal. Or check out Rochester Beauty Bar for custom personalized facials, makeup applications, and botox and fillers. Go solo for some self-love, or share the experience with your gal pals.

A girly girl’s dream spot, Bakri’s Rose Cafe is located inside of Flower Boutique Detroit in Dearborn Heights. This place has the perfect Galentine’s Day formula: coffee + shopping + photo ops + flowers. Each coffee cup is adorned with a teensy bouquet of blooms to make your rose or lavender latte that much sweeter. Whether you’re taking yourself on a solo date or looking for someplace special to bring the girls, Bakri’s Rose Cafe is one precious gem.

Busted Bra Shop is one of Metro Detroit’s most trusted names in intimates. With locations in Rochester Hills, downtown Detroit, and Ann Arbor, Busted Bra Shop has the best selection of styles, brands, and extended sizes, from basic everyday bras and underwear to high-end designer lingerie. They also offer complimentary bra fittings to help you find your perfect fit and correct size. If you want your outfit to slay this Valentine’s Day, it all starts with the proper undergarments, and Busted Bra Shop will have you feeling comfortable, confident, and spicy.

With a name like Valentine, it’s got to be a VDay destination, right?! Valentine Distilling’s Belle’s Lounge in Ferndale is a sexy spot for stiff drinks and close conversation. Couples will want to cozy up at a red velvet booth with the house Rosemary Valentini. Galentine groups can grab a table and choose from sweet libations like the Strawberry Fields Forever and Dark Chocolate Cherry Coke. And friends can pull up a seat at the bar to study the wall of Valentine Distilling spirits, seasonal syrups, and inspired concoctions.

Boudoir photos make for a great Valentine’s Day gift, and the photoshoot is often a gift in itself. Having photos taken in lingerie might feel intimidating or awkward for some, but for those of you who are curious, it can be an empowering and exhilarating experience. Boudoir studios vary in style, with options ranging from dreamy and romantic to sexy and raw. Fearlessly You offers a confidence-building, body-positive environment, great for those new to boudoir, Mia Boudoir's home studio in Plymouth offers luxury packages including professional hair and makeup, outfit changes, image retouching, and a 15-image album.

A cooking class is a fun Valentine’s Day idea for couples, families, friends, or to do solo to meet people who share your culinary passions. Sur La Table at Somerset Collection in Troy offers on-site cooking classes covering a range of cuisines and themes, including Date Night classes like Sushi for Two, Dinner in Tuscany, and An Evening in Paris. Mirepoix Cooking School in Royal Oak offers classes in global cuisine, knife skills, and pasta making. And The Kitchen by Cooking with Que offers a range of seasonal classes, meal prep workshops, and fine dining events. Food is the language of love, after all!

Painting with a Twist has seven locations throughout Metro Detroit. Reserve tickets for one of their classes where you’ll recreate a specific painting, with tips and instructions to guide you along the way. No painting experience necessary. Locations offer soft drinks, beer, and wine for purchase, and you can even bring in your own unopened bottle to enjoy. Any class would make for a great Valentine’s Day date, but Painting with a Twist also offers Date Night classes with 2-panel paintings where you paint one half, your date paints the other, and they’re meant to be displayed side by side. Awww cute!