October Engagement Session at Holcomb Gardens

Tonight was the absolute PERFECT night for Lindsey and Brendan's engagement session at Holcomb Gardens and Butler University's campus. The temperature was perfect for a fall day, and the fall colors on the trees are just now peaking. Leaves were falling all around us as these two love birds posed romantically. It's so hard to know what October will look like in terms of weather and peak tree colors, but this October has certainly not disappointed.

Holcomb Gardens and Butler University was the perfect spot for an engagement session for these two since Lindsey and Brendan met at Butler and graduated from this University a couple years ago. I absolutely love when couples choose a location that is special and meaningful to them for their engagement session. And Holcomb Gardens just happens to be one of my favorite locations to shoot here in the Indianapolis area. There is a beautiful trail where you can walk all the way down to Newfields and Hundred Acre Woods. There are also so many fun bridges and I love the stairs by the bell tower. I've also recently discovered a parking garage rooftop with stunning views. It's the perfect spot for sunset photos in my opinion. I'm obsessed with the photos I got to take of Lindsey and Brendan up there tonight.

This couple was SO photogenic and romantic. I loved all of their interactions with each other. I barely even had to pose them, because they just knew what to do and looked so stunning while doing it.

Lindsey and Brendan, I loved getting to photograph your engagement session, and I'm already so looking forward to your wedding at Balmoral House next September! I can't wait to get you two back in from of my camera again! Enjoy these sneak peeks while I finish editing your full engagement session gallery!

Butler University Engagement Session

Kelsey and Tony's engagement session was one that I've been looking forward to for so long! I've known Kelsey for years. She's actually roommates with my sister. And it's been so great getting to know Tony as well and seeing this beautiful love story unfold. These two are so fun together, and I loved finally getting them in front of my camera.

We started off our session at Four Day Ray in Fishers, because it's where these two love birds had their first date. I love when couples choose locations that are meaningful to the two of them and their relationship. Next, we headed over to Holcomb gardens and we got to use some of my favorite locations. I love shooting along the White River on the pathway there. It's one of the most beautiful spots in Indy in my opinion. We also used the stairs by the bell tower before ending our session on a parking garage rooftop at sunset.

Kelsey and Tony are such a great couple, and I can't wait to photograph their wedding at Vision Loft in March. They decided to get married on their two year dating anniversary. How fun is that?! I love when couples choose a date that is significant to them for their wedding date. I already know that their wedding is going to be so amazing and such a fun day.

Kelsey and Tony, I LOVED getting to photograph your engagement session, and I absolutely cannot wait to get you two in front of my camera again on your wedding day. For now, enjoy these sneak peeks while I finish editing your full engagement session gallery.

Are you looking for a wedding or engagement session photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page to see if I have your wedding date available!

Eagle Creek Engagement Session

I had such a great time hanging out with Valerie and Caleb at their engagement session yesterday evening at Eagle Creek Reservoir. This is one of absolute favorite spots for engagement sessions in the Indianapolis area, and it was such a lovely evening for photos. Whenever I photograph couples at locations I've been to quite a few times before, I love to challenge myself to discover new hidden gem spots or to at least do something new, cool, and creative with the space. Yesterday, I was thankful that Valerie and Caleb trusted my vision and my ideas for locations. I discovered an adorable little dock that I haven't gotten to shoot at before that had the most beautiful view of the sunset. It went so well with Valerie's long, flowing, pink dress. We also used one of my favorite trails as well as a cute bridge and walkway for some variety.

Valerie and Caleb are such an awesome couple with a really cool story! They met during their time at Purdue University, and they actually met on the very first day of their freshman orientation. They started dating their junior year of college, and ended up getting engaged on their post-graduation trip to Yosemite National Park. Caleb proposed on top of a waterfall during a hike! When I heard this story, I knew immediately that I would get along well with these two since I also love to travel and hike. Yosemite is one of my top favorite National Parks, so I was totally blown away when I heard their sweet story for the first time. After how much fun we had last night, I already can't wait for photograph Valerie and Caleb's wedding!

Valerie and Caleb, it was such an honor to get to photograph your engagement photos last night! Enjoy these sneak peeks while I finish editing the rest of your photos!

July Engagement Photos at Newfields

It was SO good to back at Newfields this afternoon for Lanie and Bryan’s sweet summer engagement session! It had been way too long since I was able to take photos at my absolute favorite spot in the Indianapolis area. Like most of the world, Newfields has been closed for quite awhile due to Covid-19. They finally opened back up recently with tons of new safety measures and precautions in place. Luckily, Lanie and Bryan were willing to be patient and wait for Newfields to open back up so we could shoot their engagement session there, since it’s one of their favorite places in Indianapolis as well. It’s not hard to see why. The Newfields campus and gardens is stunning in absolutely every season of the year.

Lanie and Bryan are getting married next year in Maine, but they wanted to take their engagement photos here in Indiana where they currently live, since Indianapolis is a special place for them. It was SO fun to work with these two love birds who obviously have a blast with each other all the time. I had no trouble getting them to be cute and sweet and cuddly with each other. They were all about it, and I loved that about them. They were such troopers, too, for putting up with the 90 degree temperatures today. You never know what the heat will be like in July here in Indiana, but they were such good sports about it.

Lanie and Bryan, it was such an honor to be your engagement session photographer! I had so much fun meeting and working with the two of you today! I wish you so much happiness and love for your future together. Enjoy these sneak peeks while I finish editing your full engagement session gallery!

Are you looking for a wedding or engagement session photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Feel free to send me a message over on my contact page to see if I still have your wedding date available!

Geist Reservoir Engagement Session

Erin and Natalia’s sunrise engagement session on Geist Reservoir was totally worth waking up before the sun for! Sunrise engagement sessions are perfect for this time of year, because we can take all of our photos before it starts getting too hot. It’s also nice because there is hardly anyone else awake at that time, so we don’t have to worry about getting other people in the background of our photos. I loved getting to photograph these two love birds in their backyard right on the lake, because it’s such a special place for the two of them. They both love taking the boats and paddleboards out on the water together. We also used a park in their neighborhood that also included the lake in the background before heading over to Ritchie Woods Nature preserve for more photos at the end of our session. I loved all of the locations we used for these photos!

Natalia and Erin are getting married next year at Balmoral House, one of my favorite venues in the Indianapolis area. Since these two are both soccer players that love being active and outdoors, the indoor/outdoor flexibility of Balmoral House and all of their property was a perfect fit for them. I already can’t wait to photograph these two again on their wedding day after how amazing their engagement session was!

Erin and Natalia, you two are awesome, and I LOVED getting to photograph you at your engagement session. I already can’t wait for your wedding day next year. Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full engagement session gallery!

Are you looking for a wedding or couples session photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Feel free to reach out to me over on my contact page to see if I have your wedding date available!

Traders Point Creamery Engagement Session

Ally and Ben were THE cutest at their engagement session last night at Traders Point Creamery. We had so much fun taking adorable photos and exploring the entire property. This location is so special, because it’s where Ally and Ben will be getting married in just a few short months! I’ve been looking forward to their wedding for so long, because I LOVE Traders Point Creamery and have been dying to shoot a wedding their. Plus, of course, I love Ally and Ben’s love story, and I just couldn’t wait to get these two in front of my camera.

They had so much fun with the session and just hanging out with each other getting to be all cute and cuddly. I love when my couples think of their engagement session as a fun date night where they get to dress up and have fun together. Having the photos afterwards is just an awesome bonus.

It was so fun getting to explore all of Traders Point Creamery. This place is amazing with such diverse background options for photos, from the red barn to the fields of wildflowers, to the beach, dock, and ponds, this place has it all. They even have chickens and cows running around. See if you can spot the cow in the background of some of the photos.

Ally and Ben, I absolutely LOVED getting to photograph you two last night, and I can’t wait to have you in front of my camera again in October! Enjoy these sneak peeks while I finish editing your full engagement session gallery! I can’t wait to send you the rest of your photos.

Are you looking for a wedding or couples session photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Feel free to reach out to me over on my contact page to see if I have your wedding date available!

Eagle Creek Anniversary Session

I can’t believe it has already been a whole year since I photographed Katie and Justin’s wedding! Time sure does fly, but I was so excited to see these two again for their one year anniversary session at Eagle Creek Reservoir last weekend. And I was even more excited to meet their tiny adorable golden retriever puppy named Goose! There’s nothing that makes my heart happier as a photographer than getting to photograph a cute puppy at a couples session! Goose was a little sleepy but totally adorable and so well behaved for how young she is! And of course, Katie and Justin were just as fun and photogenic as ever. I absolutely loved their wedding day at Finely Creek Vineyards last June. And I love their love.

It’s always such an honor to get to photograph my sweet couples at so many different stages throughout their relationship from engagement to their wedding day and anniversary sessions and family photo shoots afterwards. What better way to celebrate such a special life event than with a photo shoot. We lucked out with the perfect day at Eagle Creek with such a beautiful golden hour. This park is quickly becoming one of favorite places for engagement sessions and anniversary photos. It offers so many different location options with diverse backdrops throughout the park. It has beautiful fields, stunning trails, and of course, the gorgeous views of the reservoir.

Katie and Justin, I LOVED getting to photograph you two again, and I was so glad that goose got to join this time as well. Enjoy these sneak peaks! Your full gallery will be on its way super soon!

Are you looking for a wedding or couples photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! You can reach out to me over on my contact page: https://michellepoteet.com/contact. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Carmel, Indiana Winter Engagement Session

It was such a treat to get to photograph Cassandra and Daniel this afternoon! They were such champs for putting up with the snowy January weather and the freezing winter temperatures. I was so proud of how well they handled getting photos taken while it was snowing outside. This poor couple was shivering and holding on to each other for warmth in between shots.

Daniel might be the most enthusiastic groom I’ve ever had when it comes to getting photos taken. I definitely loved his energy! And I just love how sweet these two are together. Daniel keeps Cassandra laughing 100% of the time, and I love getting to witness their love for each other. In fact, they love each other so much that after planning their wedding for awhile, they decided to move their wedding date up about four months because they just couldn’t wait to be married!

We decided on Carmel, Indiana for engagement photos. This time of year, I tend to opt for more urban backdrops as opposed to nature backdrops. We used the Camel City Hall building, the Carmel Performing Arts Center, and Coxhall Gardens. One cool surprise that we got when we visited the Performing Arts Center. I didn’t realize that the Carmel Christkindlmarkt was still going on. There were some cute little igloos beside the ice skating rink that were super cute for a few photos! Plus it was a nice break from the freezing temperature to have a little bit of heat even for just a few minutes.

I’m already so looking forward to getting to photograph Cassandra and Daniel again at their wedding in May!

Cassandra and Daniel, you two are so amazing together, and I love your love for each other! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full engagement session gallery!

Riviera Maya Engagement Photos at El Dorado Royale

Last night, I got home from the most amazing trip to Riviera Maya in Cancun, Mexico for Naomi and Ryan’s beautiful wedding weekend. We started out the weekend with a couples/engagement and family session throughout the El Dorado Royale and Generations Riviera Maya Resorts. I arrived to the resort a day early in order to scout of the entire resort as well as the two connected resorts, Generations, and Las Casitas, to find the best spots around the resorts to take portraits of this gorgeous couple and their family.

I absolutely LOVED getting to photograph Ryan and Naomi and getting to know them the day before their wedding. We started over on the El Dorado side of the resort to get some epic photos on a beautiful bridge over by the lobby. Then we headed over to Casitas and met up with Naomi’s two daughters. I found a beautiful little backroad path and an archway that I really liked for some family photos. Last.ly we headed over to the Generations Riviera Maya beach to get some additional family photos and engagement photos. We really got to explore the entire resort. I love all of the different backdrops we were able to use. One of my favorite things to do is provide as much variety as possible for my couples.

I thought it was so sweet that Naomi and Ryan wanted to include their two girls in their couples shoot as well. They wanted their daughters to be such a huge part of the entire wedding since the day was really about the entire family, not just about Naomi and Ryan. The special bond that both Ryan and Naomi had with the girls was so sweet to see. And of course, the love they share with each other made for some stunning, love-filled photos with the most amazing backdrops.

Enjoy these sneak peaks and stay tuned for the wedding day blog post coming soon!

In-Home Couples Session

I absolutely LOVED getting together with some of our good friends last night to hang out and photograph an in-home couples session with them. It was so sweet and special to get to take Christmas-time photos in their first home together. Their beautiful tree was all decorated in the old-fashion way with popcorn and cranberry garland strands and oranges and pears hung up as ornaments. My friend, Hannah, is known for her classy, old-time style. She always make it look so good! My husband was my lovely assistant for this shoot. I asked him to hold up Christmas lights in front of my camera as I photographed Jack and Hannah. It gave such a magical, Christmas light bokeh effect that I am absolutely obsessed with!

I was lucky enough to get to photograph both Jack and Hannah’s engagement session and their wedding as well. At this point, they are so comfortable in front of my camera that this cozy session was perfect. They were relaxed and in their element in their beautiful house, all decorated for the holidays. We took photos all around their home, in their living room with their Christmas tree (and all of the presents underneath), in their beautiful white (and super photogenic) kitchen, and in their master bedroom and guest bedroom. Their rent out their guest bedroom as an airbnb, so it was perfect for photos.

It was also the perfect time to introduce the newest member of their family. They surprised me when I got to their house by telling me they had just gotten a new puppy that very morning! They already had a dog and two cats (and a horse), so this animal-loving family was so excited about their new addition.

In-home sessions might just be my new favorite thing to shoot! They are so perfect for those winter days when it’s cold but not snowing so it’s not super pretty or fun to be outside. Who is up for an in-home winter engagement session? Check out some of my favorite photos from my session with Jack and Hannah yesterday, and let me know if you need some cuddly winter photos!

Winter Engagement Session at Coxhall Gardens

My second engagement session of the day yesterday was with Annah and Troy at Coxhall Gardens during the golden hour and sunset time slot. Winter engagement sessions can be so magical. I know it’s still technically fall, but with how cold it is and the fact that the colorful leaves have fallen off the trees by now, I pretty much consider it winter. Plus, Coxhall Gardens was already all set up for Christmas and the holidays. The gorgeous mansion on the property was set up with green Christmas garland and green and red wreaths in all of the windows. And the black gate that leads to the mansion’s driveway had fun ornaments on it. It was so fun to essentially do a Christmas session in the middle of this winter engagement session.

I loved getting to finally meet Annah and Troy and get them in front of my camera! Poor Annah was super sick, and I felt so bad for her, but she didn’t want to postpone their session, so she powered through. She did such an amazing job looking like she was having a blast while feeling miserable, and I’m so proud of her! Regardless of the unfortunate sickness, these two were so much fun to get to photograph!

I’m already SO looking forward to Annah and Troy’s wedding next September! Their getting married during harvest season at Finley Creek Vineyards in Zionsville, which is one of my absolute FAVORITE wedding venues in the local Indianapolis area. It’s a wedding photographer’s dream with its stunning vineyard, which is perfect for portraits and its beautiful white walls in the reception space. Their wedding day is going to be so beautiful and amazing!

Annah and Troy, I LOVED getting to have you in front of my camera at your engagement session tonight! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full wedding gallery!

Winter Engagement Session at Newfields

When Anna and Ivan told me that Newfields is their favorite place in Indianapolis, so they wanted to use the beautiful art museum’s gardens for their engagement session, I was ecstatic! Newfields is also my favorite place in Indianapolis, and it’s absolutely my favorite place to photograph both engagement sessions and weddings. It was so much fun to be out in the gardens during the winter as I’ve never gotten to shoot at the Indiana Museum of Art in the winter since their annual winter lights festival takes up so many of their open hours. Although the lights for the Winter Lights exhibits weren’t on while we were taking photos around noon, we still got to see all of the pretty displays. I can’t wait to come back in December to experience the Winter Lights. It’s one of my favorite things to do here locally in Indianapolis during the Holiday Season.

When I first started shooting with Anna and Ivan, Anna told me that they weren’t photogenic. It’s so funny to me that I hear that from almost all of my couples, and they are always wrong! I LOVED getting to photograph these two, because they were so much fun and so full of laughs. I love how they just decided to have fun with their session. They are so photogenic in my opinion!

Anna and Ivan have one of the shortest engagement sessions of any of my couples ever, which I love! They are having a red and green Christmas themed wedding in just a little under a month - right before Christmas, and I absolutely can’t wait! December weddings are so magical, especially when it happens to snow!

Anna and Ivan, I LOVED getting to have you both in front of my camera today. I can’t wait for your wedding day in just a few weeks. Enjoy these sneak peaks from your engagement session today. Your full gallery will be on its way to your inbox super soon!

Engagement Photos at Secrets Playa Mujeres

I was so glad that while I’m in Cancun, Mexico to photograph Marianna and Scoot’s beautiful destination wedding, I could also take engagement photos for Anne Marie and Brad. These two were so sweet and fun to photograph. I loved that they love having their photos taken, and they even told me how much fun they had during our session afterwards.

The interesting thing about taking photos in Cancun is that it’s on the east coast of Mexico. That means the sun rises over the beach and sets behind the resorts. Since we took these engagement photos during golden hour, the sun was pretty harsh on the beach, so we started with the resort as our backdrop to get that pretty backlighting, which I loved! The beach at the Secrets Playa Mujeres is very deep and has lots of greenery growing in it, so there are so many pretty spots to take photos besides the typical ocean backdrop. When the sun got a little lower in the sky, we moved to have the ocean as our backdrop.

The other interesting thing about taking photos at resorts is you never know who or what might end up in your background. I did a lot of maneuvering to avoid banana boats and families taking selfies in their swimsuits from being in the background of our photos. I did like a couple photos with a fishing boat in the ocean in the background, but for the most part I wanted to give the illusion that we were on a deserted beach.

This session tonight was SO much fun! This Indiana based wedding photographer always loves getting to photograph couples on the beach! That is just one of the reasons why I love being a destination wedding photographer so much. Cancun is quickly becoming one of my most booked destinations.

Ann Marie and Brad, you two were such a blast to photograph! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full engagement session gallery!

Engagement Photos with Horses in Muncie, Indiana

Ivan and Natalie’s engagement session was a unique one! You’ve all probably heard me say it a million times before, but I LOVE when couples aren’t afraid to do something a little different from the norm and break away from tradition. That’s exactly what Natalie and Ivan are doing with both their engagement photos and their wedding, with the help of their amazing wedding planners, Magical Moments Event Planning (one of my all-time favorite wedding planners to work with). We took Natalie and Ivan’s engagement photos on their 9 acre farm in Muncie, Indiana with their two horses and their dog.

It’s been awhile since I’ve gotten to photograph horses, and I was so glad I had the opportunity to photograph these two love birds with their two horses! The animals were all SO well behaved for the camera! Natalie and Ivan were adorable too, of course! I also loved that we got some really cool clouds during the session! When the horses were ready to be done with photos, Natalie and Ivan took some with their dog, Holly as well, before we transitioned to photos of just the two of them. It was so cool that they had this beautiful farm with all of this land for us to take photos on!

I usually use these blog posts as a way to provide a “sneak peak” to my couples of their photos, but since Natalie and Ivan needed their photos back right away for Save The Date’s, I went ahead and edited the full gallery to send to them the next day. I still wanted to show off how cute these two were though! I absolutely cannot wait for their wedding at the Indiana State Museum in June!! Get ready to see these two cuties on the blog again in June, but until then, enjoy a few of my favorites from their engagement session.

Holcomb Gardens Engagement Session

Cassie and Patrick are the latest 2020 couple to book with me, and I’m already SO excited about their downtown Indianapolis Wedding at the Sanctuary on Penn next October! I’m so glad that we were able to squeeze in an engagement session for these two this year RIGHT as the weather was PERFECT for fall engagement photos. I loved that they wanted to do their session at Holcomb Gardens since they met and fell in love at Butler University. It’s always so special when couples choose a super significant place to them for their engagement photos. Their wedding date is significant as well. BOTH of their parents have October anniversaries. How sweet is that?! It’s just another sign that these two were meant to be. And of course, it also means that they were destined to get married in October as well.

We are actually super close to being exactly one year away from Cassie and Patrick’s wedding day. So it was fun to explore some fun spots in Indianapolis and think that in just a little under one year, these two will be husband and wife! The weather could not have been more perfect for our engagement session. The leaves on the trees were at peak color. We can only hope and pray that this time next year, we have exactly the same weather!

As a photographer, I’m alway searching for the “good light” to put my couples in. And tonight, I didn’t have to look far. Literally all of the light during our session was “good light.” And they probably thought I was crazy when I kept yelling at them about how perfect and beautiful they and the scenery looked! Cassie and Patrick’s engagement session at Holcomb Gardens and Holiday Park tonight seriously made my heart SO happy, and I’m already counting down the days until their wedding!!

Cassie and Patrick, you two are such an incredible couple, and tonight was just a confirmation that we were just MEANT to work together! I hope you enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full engagement session gallery!

DePauw University Engagement Session

I’ve been looking forward to Julia and Joe’s engagement session for so long! I knew as soon as Julia emailed me that we would be a PERFECT fit to work together, and meeting these two in person at their engagement session yesterday morning and finally getting to photograph them just confirmed that even more. Julia and Joe met during their undergrad years at DePauw University. I thought it was so sweet that they wanted to take their engagement photos at the place that they met and where they spent years of sweet moments while they were dating.

I think it’s so cool that SO many of my brides have been doctors this year! It’s always so cool to get to photograph such intelligent and accomplished people. Julia is currently in med school, which I am just super impressed by! Because of that, we needed to work around her med school schedule in order to be able to take their engagement photos with the pretty October colors like she wanted. That’s why we decided on a sunrise session. Sunrise sessions are an awesome way to get great lighting, less crowded locations, and work around busy schedules.

I cannot even begin to explain how excited I am for Julia and Joe’s wedding next May! They are getting married at the Indiana State Museum, which is a venue I have been DYING to work at for so long! It’s one of most beautiful venues in downtown Indianapolis, with the most stunning view of the Indy canal walk. Their wedding day is going to be so amazing!

Julia and Joe, you two are so adorable, and I loved photographing your engagement session! I cannot wait to get you both in front of my camera again in the spring. Enjoy these sneak peaks of your engagement photos while I work on getting your full gallery to you as soon as possible!

Eagle Creek Engagement Photos

Hannah and Zach’s Eagle Creek Park engagement photos were SO much fun and so special for me, because I’ve been friends with these two for years. Hannah and I didn’t know each other when we randomly moved in together with mutual friends in college. We became good friends super fast, and even when she moved out (and moved to the house right across the street) the next year, we still essentially lived together. Hannah and I have been through so much together. She even took me on my first ever hiking trip to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, that officially kicked off my obsession with national parks. And it was on that very trip, that I first learned how serious Hannah was about the guy she was talking to, Zach. Now that they are engaged, 4 years later, it meant so much to me when they asked me to be their wedding photographer! What an incredible honor to be such an important part of telling your friends’ love story!

Zach and Hannah are so sweet and adorable together during their session. I mean, you can see in all of the photos below just how cute they are. This engagement session was ideal in so many ways. First of all, we could not have possibly had better weather. It was the PERFECT fall day. The leaves has just begun to change and the temperature was cool without being too cold. And the lighting was amazing. It was a super sunny day, which made for the most beautiful golden hour and sunset. We even took photos of their last outfit AFTER sunset, and I’m pretty impressed with how those photos turned out considering how dark it was at that point. This may have been my favorite engagement session of all time.

Hannah and Zach, I LOVED taking your engagement photos, and I’m sure I will love taking your wedding photos even more! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full gallery! I already can’t wait until your wedding day!

Downtown Carmel, Indiana Engagement Photos

Jessica and Manuel’s downtown Carmel, Indiana engagement photos were extra special to me, because I’ve been friends with these two for years now! I met them each separately, through swing dancing. Then, years later we had all moved to Indianapolis, and we would all hang out together at dances and dance events, we would go hiking together, and we would go rock climbing together. We all hung out together as a group way before Jessica and Manuel ever started dating.

Then, my husband and I were hanging out one night when he got a FaceTime call from Jessica. She was hanging out with Manuel and kissed him while on FaceTime. My husband, Andry started freaking out! We had known these two as friends for years and had no idea they were interested in each other, let alone that they had started dating! But they made so much sense together. Andry and I had multiple conversations while they were just friends about how Jessica and Manuel would be perfect together.

Around a year later, my husband got another FaceTime call while we were touring a house during our house hunting process. It was Jessica and Manuel calling to tell him they were engaged! This time, we were not nearly as surprised. I love that they have now started a tradition of FaceTiming Andry with important life updates. I can’t wait to hear what the next big FaceTime call is about.

After being friends for so long, I was SO honored with Jessica and Manuel asked me to be their wedding photographer!! I think what I love most about these two as they’ve been wedding planning is that they aren’t afraid to do things their own way. They want their wedding day to be entirely THEM and not bound by traditions that don’t speak to them and who they are as a couple. They wanted to display that in their engagement session too, so they decided do rollerblading photos! I love that they wanted to do something different and incorporate something they love doing together into their engagement photos. We started at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel and then headed to the City Hall building. By that time, it had started raining, but I always love cute rain photos with my clear umbrellas. They also wanted to make sure we got some nature and greenery backdrops, so we ended our session at Coxhall Gardens after an outfit change. I wish we had gotten a pretty sunset last night, but even though the weather was working against us, we still ended up with some beautiful photos.

I usually end my blog posts by letting the couple know that I’m working on editing their full gallery, but in this case, I went ahead and fully edited and delivered all of Jessica and Manuel’s photos already! So to everyone reading, I hope you enjoy these few highlights from a super fun session I got to do with friends! I can’t wait for their Indiana State House wedding in the spring!

Fall Engagement Photos at Newfields

Brittany and Joe’s engagement photos at Newfields this evening were a dream come true for this wedding photographer! Newfields was setting up all of their fall decor for the inaugural Harvest at Newfields that starts next week. They had set out so many pumpkins all throughout the gardens. Plus they have a little apple orchard in the gardens too. All of that, paired with the PERFECT weather made me so excited about fall finally being in full swing.

Brittany and Joe brought their one year old son, Joey to their engagement session as well. Joey was so calm and sweet. He was probably the best behaved one year old that I’ve ever photographed. I also loved the adorable sign that Brittany and Joe brought with their wedding photo on it, so they could get photos for their “save the date’s.”

I also loved Brittany and Joe’s style! She wore the most gorgeous dress for her formal outfit, and I actually have the same on in white that I’ve used for multiple photo shoots. They really had the most idea outfits from a photography perspective. And aren’t they just stunning? And Joey was so stinkin’ cute in his little outfit too!

Fall is the perfect time for photos at Newfields. In the summer, Newfields closes was before the sun sets, but in the fall, since the sun sets earlier, we can get some amazing golden hour and sunset photos.

I LOVED having the opportunity to photograph Brittany, Joe, and Joey tonight. They were the sweetest little family. I absolutely cannot wait for their wedding day at BASH in the spring!

Brittany and Joe, you two are amazing!! I hope you enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full engagement session gallery! I can’t wait to send you all of your photos super soon!

Carmel, Indiana Engagement Photos at Coxhall Gardens

I had the opportunity to engagement photos at Coxhall Gardens twice this week. I love this location, so I’m always happy when my couples love Coxhall Gardens as well. Carmel, Indiana always offers so many amazing location options for engagement photos.

These two were so spot on with all of their outfit choices. They opted for three outfits, which was awesome! My engagement sessions include unlimited locations and outfit changes, but I rarely have couples wear more than two outfits. I love that this sweet couple chose to do three outfits, because it will add so much variety to their engagement session gallery. Another thing that really helps to add variety is just how many background options Coxhall Gardens has throughout the huge park. Since we shot this engagement session on a week day, the park was pretty empty, and we were really able to utilize every single pretty area on the property.

Nate and Hailey are such a fun couple, and I love that their personalities shone through while we were taking their engagement photos. Lately, I’ve had quite a few grooms wear military uniforms, which I absolutely love both for engagement sessions and for weddings. It shows off something so important in the couples’ lives, and I think couples will really cherish having memories captured from this time in their lives to look back on.

Nate and Hailey were so fun to work with. I already love these two so much, and I can’t wait for their wedding! Their beautiful wedding will be at Montage next summer, and I’m so excited to finally shoot at this venue! I remember falling in love with it back when I toured it when I was planning my own wedding, and the venue manager is one of my favorite people in the local wedding industry.

Nate and Hailey, you two are amazing, and I already can’t wait until your wedding day! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full wedding gallery!