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Luquillo, Puerto Rico Wedding Photographer | Krystal and Luc's Wedding
Soft, sandy beaches; the blue Caribbean ocean, and the lush, green rainforest mountains make Luquillo, Puerto Rico the ideal little beach town for the the perfect wedding day. Krystal and Luc were married today in paradise. And for me, being a wedding photographer in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, one of the most beautiful places I can imagine, was a dream come true. I can’t thank the bride and groom enough for trusting me to capture their amazing destination wedding.
This Puerto Rico wedding was unique in that it brought together a blend of cultures. Krystal is from Puerto Rico but lives in Indiana where she met Luc. The wedding party and guests included a lot of Krystal’s Puerto Rican family and friends as well as the couple’s family and friends from the continental U.S. One of the great things about Puerto Rico is that when you’re coming from the U.S., you don’t even need a passport, which makes traveling here so much easier for guests.
The bride and groom decided on a travel theme for their wedding, which is perfect for the couple who love to travel the world together (they got engaged in Rome)! Check out their luggage tag escort cards! We started the day with the girls getting ready at Krystal’s family’s house before the wedding at a local church. After the ceremony, the bridal party took a limo to the beach for photos before their reception at La Casona. This reception was one of the most fun I’ve ever been to! Andry and I actually knew Krystal from the dance scene back in our dancing days, so we knew there would be fun dancing. We even got to practice our salsa after we were off the clock.
Krystal and Luc, you are such an amazing couple and so perfect for each other. It was such an honor and a blessing to be able to photograph your wedding day. Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full wedding gallery.
Vendors:
Puerto Rico Destination Wedding Photographers: Rakoteet Photography
Florist: Zuazo Floristeria
Cake: Zulma Charneco
DJ: DJ Kidd City
Makeup: Lyneliz Ramos
Hair: Julietta Bejarano
Reception Venue: La Casona
Bridal Gown: Gretchen's Bridal Gallery
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Shoes: Macy's
Jewelry: Diamonds Direct
Men’s Attire: DC Tux Shop (Carmel, IN)
Limo: Raymond Toledo Limousine
Save the Dates: Shutterfly
Programs: Kyndra Ulrich
Planners: Lillian Velázquez and Gladys Rosario
Officiant: Pastor Miguel Mieles
Piano Player: Joel Hernandez
Are you looking for a destination wedding photographer? I would LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page to see if I have your wedding date available.
Wedding Reception in the Mountains of Puerto Vallarta | Alex and Amanda's Wedding Reception
The best way to extend your wedding day celebrations? Rent a luxury villa in the mountains of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for all of your friends and family to stay with you, share your first look the day before your wedding for some romantic time together and extra photos, hold a morning ceremony facing the ocean, take a boat cruise with all of your guests after brunch, then come back for a formal evening reception. Alex and Amanda’s wedding weekend was unique in all of the best ways. They thought of everything in order to keep the fun going all day and night.
In my last two blog posts, I shared their first look and bride and groom portraits on the beach as well as their morning ceremony, brunch, bridal party photos and wedding day husband and wife photos. We’ve now come to my last blog post about Alex and Amanda’s wedding weekend in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: their formal evening reception.
The table set up remained the same from the brunch earlier in the day, but the light and airy linens were swapped out for a little more dark and formal choice. I arrived to the reception early to photograph the reception set up before the sun set. I think I photographed the table from every angle possible, because how often do I get to photograph a gorgeous dinner with views of the mountains and the ocean?!
Amanda and Alex, your wedding could not have been more perfect, and I cannot thank you enough for trusting me to capture all of your wedding festivities. I can’t wait to finish your full gallery for you!
Vendors:
Destination Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Planner: Magical Moments Event Planning
Florist: Mac Events
Tabletop Decor: Mac Events
Venue and Catering: Villa Magnifico
Hair and Makeup: Radiate 60
Gown: Luxeredux Bridal
Men’s Attire: ASOS
Stationary: Naomi Leah Designs
Officiant: Jon Wilson
Destination Wedding in Mismaloya at Villa Magnifico | Alex and Amanda's Wedding Ceremony
Alex and Amanda could not have chosen a more beautiful location to make their union official. Their destination wedding took place in Mismaloya, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico at Villa Magnifico. It’s an incredible luxury mansion villa surrounded by the Mexican mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other side. It was the perfect ceremony and reception back drop for the wedding ceremony, reception, and wedding day portraits for Alex and Amanda’s laid back, whimsical, yet classy wedding day.
Since the bride and groom shared a “first look” and couples session on the beach the night before their wedding, they opted not to see each other until the ceremony on their wedding day. It’s a good thing they had a 10:30am ceremony, because this couple couldn’t have waited any longer to be together. Their ceremony was extremely intimate with less than 30 guests, who shared in the most incredible views as the couple exchanged vows. Then after group photos with the happy couple, all of the guests shared in a brunch meal together at one long table on the terrace.
I love the way Amanda and her mom, Lora (who are both wedding planners with Magaical Moments Event Planning), chose to arrange the ceremony and reception. It was so unique compared to other wedding photos I’ve seen at Villa Magnifico.
After brunch, the group headed out to have a day of fun on a “booze cruise.” Then in the evening, everyone came back together for an evening reception out on the terrace with a different look and feel than the brunch reception. The break in the middle of the day gave me enough time to edit all of these sneak peaks for the couple and have them ready in order to create a “same day slideshow” for the bride and groom and their wedding guests.
The morning wedding festivities of Alex and Amanda’s wedding day were incredible. Stay tuned for a blog post from their evening reception! In the mean time, enjoy these sneak peaks!
Vendors:
Destination Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Planner: Magical Moments Event Planning
Florist: Mac Events
Venue and Catering: Villa Magnifico
Hair and Makeup: Radiate 60
Gown: Luxeredux Bridal
Men’s Attire: ASOS
Stationary: Naomi Leah Designs
Officiant: Jon Wilson
Puerto Vallarta Destination Wedding | Alex and Amanda's First Look on the Beach
Surrounded by the majestic mountains and serene ocean, Alex and Amanda shared an intimate first look and couples session on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Being a wedding planner herself and also placing a huge priority on photos of her destination wedding, Amanda knew that sharing her first look with her soon to be husband the night before their wedding day would help to make their wedding day timeline run more smoothly, provide plenty of time for bride and groom photos, as well as provide a special time that her and her new husband could share together on the beach surrounded by landscape that leaves you breathless.
When I arrived to Mexico a few days before the wedding, the first thing I did as a wedding photographer was scout for photo locations. The beach closest to us was Mismaloya beach, which is beautiful but a little bit crowded, and it doesn’t have as nice of a view of Puerto Vallarta’s mountains as I wanted for the backdrop of these wedding photos. I remembered that on the way to our airbnb from the airport, we had passed many, tiny, deserted beaches. So we drove back along the highway, keeping a lookout for the perfect spot. After driving for only about 5 minutes, I knew we had found our location. We parked by a turnout where local vendors sell crafts, walked for a few minutes along the side of the road, and then hiked down some large rocks. It was all worth it for what we found: a small private beach with the perfect view of the mountains. We hit the jackpot.
We brought Alex and Amanda to our little beach a few days later for these stunning wedding photos. I love that Alex and Amanda are so fun, laid back, and up for anything. We started out keeping them dry, but let them get completely soaked by the waves towards the end of the session. Enjoy a few of my favorite photos of this beautiful couple. I can’t wait to show your their amazing wedding day in the mountains next!
Are you looking for a destination wedding photographer? I would LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page to see if I have your wedding date available!
How to Have the Wedding of Your Dreams on a Small Budget
Let’s talk about something that can sometimes be a little bit awkward: your wedding budget.
I think a lot of brides look through popular wedding magazines, blogs, and Pinterest envisioning their wedding details. Then when they actually start looking at pricing for the things they want, they realize that most things are a lot more expensive than they thought. It’s okay if your budget isn’t the same as those magazine weddings and looks more like the average wedding budget. You can still have a magazine worthy wedding no matter what your budget is. Here’s how: reduce your guest count and bridal party size to the smallest number you and your fiancé feel comfortable with.
More guests means more money spent on a bigger venue, more food, more tables, linens, chairs, centerpieces, etc. And a larger bridal party means more money spent on bouquets and anything else you decide to pay for for the bridal party. With all that money you save from having fewer guests, you can afford those florals you really want, you can opt for the vineyard cross back chairs instead of the standard white chairs (or having to use chair covers over chairs you don’t like), and/or you could hire a wedding planner that may not have been in the budget otherwise.
And in the end, if you decide you’d rather have 300 people at your wedding than have the perfect flowers, that’s okay too! It’s your wedding, and you should have what you want. With every wedding planning decision, there are trade offs, and it’s up to each couple to decide what’s most important to them. I just want the average couple to realize that they CAN have the weddings of their dreams AND be on the cover of a magazine by simply only throwing the wedding for their closest friends and family.
2019 Two Bright Lights Editor's Choice Award Winner!
Today, I found out some exciting news! Rakoteet Photography won the 2019 Two Bright Light's Editor’s Choice Awards! This award is based on the amount of magazines and blogs who have published my work this past year, and winning the award places me in the top 1% of wedding professionals worldwide.
I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of the wedding magazines and blogs that published my work this year. I have been to honored to be featured in so many amazing publications, including one magazine cover page! I also want to say thank you to all of the other incredible wedding vendors that I had the opportunity to work with this year. Without the exceptional wedding planning, magazine worthy flowers, and stunning furniture rentals, the wedding photos would not be as beautiful. A wedding can’t be published without the hard work and dedication of the entire wedding vendor team. And of course, I couldn’t have done it without my amazing couples who trusted me to photograph the most important day of their lives, their wedding day.
I don’t need to win awards. As long as my brides and grooms are thrilled with their wedding photos, that’s all I need. Customer service is way more important to me than recognition within the wedding industry. I’m a very lucky photographer that my couples plan amazing wedding details that magazines and blogs want to share as inspirations for other brides and grooms planning their own weddings. Having my wedding photos published in magazines and winning awards within the wedding industry is definitely the “icing of the cake” when it comes to my job. And while I don’t feel the need to be recognized, it’s definitely nice.
So here’s to working with more amazing brides and grooms, more incredible wedding vendors, and more influential wedding magazines this next year!
Are you looking for a wedding photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
Intimate Summer Wedding at Laurel Hall
These wedding photos were taken at Laurel Hall all the way back last June! I’m glad that I’m finally getting a change to blog them, because I loved this romantic couple and the intimate ceremony and reception set up’s in the solarium at Laurel Hall. Laurel Hall is the perfect venue for beautiful natural light. The solarium is filled with huge windows on three sides of the room. It’s very elegant, and it’s my personal favorite place in the whole estate at Laurel Hall. The Solarium at Laurel Hall was the perfect room for this intimate summer wedding.
I was actually lucky enough to photograph two weddings at Laurel Hall last June. Lucky me, because Laurel Hall is one of my favorite venues in Indianapolis. The pink, purple, blue, and crystal theme for this wedding was so unique, and perfect for the venue. I loved the simple greenery arch by the amazing florist, B. Eloquence.
I love that both the ceremony and reception had very unique set ups compared to any other weddings I’ve photographed at Laurel Hall. Laurel Hall has so many options for how you can structure your ceremony and reception. You could set up your reception facing multiple ways in the solarium, you can have your ceremony out on the lawn, you could set up your ceremony on the terrace, or you could also use the little white chapel on the third floor. For your reception, the most common set up is using the formal dining room, but you can also use the solarium, you can use the terrace, or you could set up a tent out on the lawn.
Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from this intimate June wedding at Laurel Hall!
The Vendor Team:
Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Laurel Hall, Indianapolis
Coordinator: Magical Moments Event Planning
Florist: B. Eloquence
Calligraphy: Eb Paper Co
Hair & Make Up: Something Blue Stylists
Rentals: Violet Vintage Rentals
Linens: Linen Hero
Dress: Blue House Bridal
Mensware: DC Tux
Elegant September Wedding at Daniel's Vineyard and Winery
Things have finally slowed down a little bit for me. Usually the winter in general is a little bit slower, but this year, I had some stunning winter weddings in December and January. Now that all of those weddings have been edited and delivered, I have a little bit of extra time in my business to work on some fun projects that have been on the back burner for awhile. And one of those fun projects is blogging some of my favorite weddings and sessions that I photographed last year before I started this blog.
If you guys follow me on social media, then you know that I love wine. Like, I love the history of it. I love learning about how it’s made, and I love visiting and touring vineyards in different parts of the world (I’ll be sharing about my winery tour in Tuscany on the blog later this month). SO it should come as no surprise, that vineyard weddings are some of my absolute favorites weddings. Now, you might think that as an Indianapolis wedding photographer, that I wouldn’t have as much of an opportunity to photograph vineyard weddings as a California wedding photographer or an Italian wedding photographer, but we actually have a lot of amazing local wineries right here in Indianapolis, and all over Indiana. I’m on a mission to visit them all!
Some of my favorite wineries that are also wedding venues are The Sycamore at Mallow Run, and of course, Daniel’s Vineyard. Early September is the most beautiful time of year for vineyards here in Indiana, because the grapes get harvested in late September or early October. Check out some of my favorite photos from this black and burgundy wedding at Daniel’s Vineyard last September.
Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Daniel's Vineyard
Tablescapes & Rentals: Uncommonly Styled
Floral and Styling: Knox Flowers
Invitations, Paperie, & Signage: Interprintations
Linen: Linen Hero
Dress: LUXEredux Bridal
Hair: Allison Linnae Hair
Makeup: Gina Valentine
Tux: Jim’s Formal Wear
Cakes: Nétta Sweet
Ring Boxes: The Mrs. Box
Silk and Ribbon: The Lesser Bear
How to Choose The Wedding Photographer That's Right For You
Choosing a wedding photographer can be overwhelming. There are SO many options. I’m sure you have multiple friends with “fancy cameras,” but maybe you’re wondering if you should find someone on the Knot or search hashtags on Instagram. Sometimes for non-photographers, it’s difficult to tell what the difference is between different photographers in order to make a decision. I hope the list below helps you figure out how to decide which wedding photographer is right for you!
Do you LOVE the photographer's style?
This is first on this list, because it’s the most important thing you need to decide on when choosing your wedding photographer. And this means everything from editing, to lighting, to posing. When you look at a photographer’s images, can you see yourself and your fiance in those exact photos. OR do you look at the photos and think “These are great, but I would want different poses or slightly different editing.” OR maybe you only see natural light images in a photographer’s portfolio, but your wedding is going to be outside at night. If so, that person is not the photographer for you. You can’t hire a photographer and expect them to be able to give you a product you’ve never seen in their portfolio. Most photographers aren’t willing to change any aspect of their style, and even if you find one who is, they won’t be as good at it, because it’s not what they do. Find someone who specializes in EXACTLY what you are looking for!
Are you excited about the experience the photographer offers?
Does the photographer send a bridal guide to help you prepare for your wedding? Do they have blog posts that help you with wedding planning? Is your wedding going to be on their blog or possibly published in a magazine? How does the photographer deliver photos? Do they sell prints or albums? Do they offer a print release? Do they help you with your timeline and day-off photo plan, or do you have to do that on your own? How many time do they meet with you in person before the wedding? Do they try to do everything online for convenience and planning around your work schedules? Do they help you at all or just show up on the wedding day? These are all parts of the client experience that will differ from photographer to photographer.
Do you feel comfortable with them?
You spend more time with your wedding photographer on your wedding day than with your spouse. It’s important to find someone whose personality you like. Do you click well with them? Would you like to work with them for a year or so during your wedding planning and on the most important day of your life?
Is the Photographer in your budget?
Of course, this one is important, but I hope it’s one of the last factors considered. I see too many brides making decisions based on price alone, and they end up very disappointed by the outcome. Your wedding day goes by so quickly, and you’ll only have two things left when the day is over: your marriage and your wedding photos. You’ll have your wedding photos for the rest of your lives, and you’ll even pass them down to future generations. You deserve photos you’re in love with and you deserve the perfect photographer for YOU!
Have you found a photographer who meets all of these criteria? Make sure you ask them these questions before hiring them!
Are you looking for a wedding photographer? I would LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
Winter Wedding at The Mill Top Noblesville | Abby and John
It all started back in Elementary School in Ohio. That’s when Abby and John met. But they didn’t really connect until they both found themselves in Indianapolis after college. Four years after they got reconnected, this adorable couple was married in a beautiful winter wedding in the middle of a snow storm at The Mill Top in Noblesville.
All of Abby and John’s wedding details were so on point! It was a wedding photographer’s dream! Their theme was modern, edgy, and romantic for the wedding with lots of jewel toned colors, and geometric shapes. I love how they incorporated so many unique details to show off their personalities. Check out the amazing florals by Bokay Florist! I’m obsessed!
One of my favorite parts of Abby and John’s wedding was photographing their first look. Remember that post I made about first looks? Well Abby and John were a great example of tearing up and having such a sweet, emotional moment for both the first look AND that coming down the aisle moment.
Abby and John, you two are so sweet and so much fun, and your wedding was incredible! I loved photographing your wedding SO much, and I hope you had the best day ever! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing the rest of your photos! I can’t wait to send you the full gallery!
A huge thank you to the amazing vendor team:
Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: The Mill Top
Florist: Bokay Florist
Cake: Classic Cakes
DJ: Brian Whitis
Hair and Makeup: Maggie McCalley and Maggie McCalley
Catering: MBP Distinctive Catering
Bride’s Gown: MB Bridal
Bride’s Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes
Engagement Ring: Dahlkemper's Jewelry,
Wedding Bands: Shane Co.
Groom’s Attire: The Black Tux
Invitations: Tiger Lily Invitations
Videography: Unsilenced Films
Officiant: Veronia Maximo
Second Shooter: Cassie Dunmyer
Favors/Gifts: Handmade by the Bride and Groom
Photo Booth: JNP PhotoBooth
Winter Wedding at INDUSTRY | Leah and Devin
Leah and Devin both crushed on each other in high school, but never told each other. Then one day in college, Devin asked Leah to play Tennis with him. They had so much fun that they ended up staying out until 4am just talking. And the rest is history. Two years later, they won a beautiful winter wedding at INDUSTRY.
A few of my favorite things about Leah and Devin’s wedding were when Devin teared up during the first look AND when Leah walked down the aisle, and he could barely say his vows through the tears. The whole day was so emotional and sweet. I also loved Leah’s gift to Devin. She made him a scrapbook of all the the memories they shared since they started dating.
This wedding was entirely put on by the venue, INDUSTRY, and the vendors, which are linked and listed below, for an event called the REAL wedding. Leah and Devin really got married, and they got to invite their closest friends and family as well as choose their bridal party. But in addition, “wedding crashers” were also invited. Anyone could purchase a ticket to the wedding, just like a bridal show, so they could see the vendors in action and see how the venue set up the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception in their open concept floor plan.
Leah and Devin, you are such a sweet couple, and I’m so glad you were the winners of this beautiful wedding. Enjoy these sneak peaks, and your full gallery will be on its way soon!
The Vendor Team:
Wedding Photography: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: INDUSTRY
Coordinators: 828 Coordination
Catering: Jacqie’s Gourmet Catering
Live Ceremony Music: DEOC Ensemble
Florist: Molly & Myrtle
Hair and Makeup: Something Blue Stylists and Esthetics with Ashlee and Kayla Davenport
Cake: Classic Cakes
Donuts: General American Donut Co.
Calligraphy: Laura Reilly Calligraphy
Videography: Kae Marie Videography
Rentals: Violet Vintage Rentals
On the cover of Indianapolis Premier Weddings Magazine!
One of the best surprises of 2018 was when I found out that, not only were my photos from Cam and Chelseigh’s fairytale themed Laurel Hall wedding going to be published in print, but my photo was also going to be on the COVER of Indianapolis Premier Weddings Magazine!
One of my major goals with my photography for 2018 was to get published in print. I accomplished that when a shoot that I did at the Crystal Gardens in Chicago was published in a local Chicago magazine. I did have a goal of someday being on the cover of a magazine, but it wasn’t a 2018 goal, because I didn’t think I would be able to achieve this until a little later. I guess I learned that I need to set my sights higher and not doubt that I can achieve my goals sooner than I imagined. It’s so fun when you check off a goal as accomplished, because then you can make new ones and keep striving to be better and better.
I couldn’t have done it without Cam and Chelseigh’s amazing wedding, and their entire vendor team. You can check out some of my favorite photos from their wedding here on the blog. They got married at one of my all time favorite venues, which is one of the most beautiful venues in Indianapolis in my opinion. And they had amazing florals including a floral arch, and huge centerpieces for the head table. Cam and Chelseigh were one of my favorite couples to work with! They took all of my suggestions on their timeline, and gave me so much time for details photos and portraits, which is why their wedding photos are some of my favorites that I’ve ever taken.
Thank you so much to Cam and Chelseigh, their vendor team, and Indianapolis Premier Weddings Magazine!
Are you looking for a wedding photographer? I would LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
Behind the Scenes of the Allison Mansion Styled Wedding
Yesterday, I posted a few of my favorite photos from our styled shoot at Allison Mansion at Marian University here on my blog. These are some of my favorite photos that I’ve ever taken, so definitely go check it out if you haven’t seen that post yet. I also got to the shoot way before I actually started shooting the model and set up, so I could take behind the scenes photos for the vendors. Most wedding vendors, even us photographers, don’t have very many photos of us in action, and these can be such fun photos to have. Plus, I think clients and potential clients love seeing these types of photos.
It was so fun to watch Chrissy from Special Occassion Designs create the amazing bridal bouquet and floral arch. She is so good at what she does! I don’t think I even realized how obsessed I was with the bridal bouquet until I got home yesterday and started editing. I love the shape that Chrissy decided on, and she always chooses the most fun colors. I also loved taking behind the scenes photos of Lora and Amanda from Magical Moments Event Planning and Erica from Pickle Prints setting up the tables and stationary.
Enjoy a few fun behind the scenes photos from yesterday. If you scroll all the way to the end, you’ll even see a photo of me with the flowers.
The Vendor Dream Team:
Photography: Rakoteet Photography
Planning: Magical Moments Event Planner
Florist: Special Occassion Design by Chrissy
Dress: Blue House Bridal
Hair and Makeup: Something Blue Stylists
Linens: Linen Hero
Venue: Allison Mansion at Marian University
Stationary: Pickle Prints Custom Paper Creations
Model: Kay Insley
Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes
Are you looking for a wedding photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
Allison Mansion Wedding Styled Shoot at Marian University
Yesterday was an absolute dream! I don’t think there are any words to describe how incredible it was. Chrissy from Special Occassion Design and Lora and Amanda from Magical Moments Event Planning brought together an amazing group of vendors to create a beautiful upscale styled wedding shoot at the Allison Mansion on Marian University’s campus.
I had never heard of the Allison Mansion before, but my goodness, this place is one of the most gorgeous venues I’ve had the pleasure of shooting in. The stunning architecture, the white marble walls and floors, and the unbeatable natural light from all of the windows and the stained glass ceiling make for a wedding photographer’s dream location! I’m hoping some of my 2019 and 2020 couples decide to get married here!
Special Occassion Design by Chrissy created the most beautiful florals! Can we just talk about how good she is at what she does?! My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw the elegant, high-end florals she created. They complimented the vintage feel of the venue so well. And I love how much color Chrissy likes to use in her designs. Check out the amazing floral “arch” that we used as a backdrop for the ceremony set up as well as the sweetheart table.
This shoot was honestly one of my favorite styled shoots of all time. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I do. Scroll to the end to see the entire list of amazing vendors! And stop by the blog again tomorrow to see the behind the scenes of all of the vendors in action during the shoot (including one of me)!
The Vendor Dream Team:
Photography: Rakoteet Photography
Planning: Magical Moments Event Planner
Florist: Special Occassion Design by Chrissy
Dress: Blue House Bridal
Hair and Makeup: Something Blue Stylists
Linens: Linen Hero
Venue: Allison Mansion at Marian University
Stationary: Pickle Prints Custom Paper Creations
Model: Kay Insley
Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes
Are you looking for a wedding photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
Magical Moments Event Planning at the January Indianapolis Monthly Bridal Show at the Ritz Charles
While I was photographing A Classic Party Rental’s booth at the January Indianapolis Monthly Bridal Show at the Ritz Charles this afternoon, I ran into my wedding planner friends, Lora and Amanda from Magical Moments Event Planning. I ended up having just enough time to take a few photos of their booth at the bridal show while I was there at the Ritz Charles before the show began and the venue became flooded with all of the excited brides to be.
Magical Moments Event Planning always collaborates on their booth with one of my favorite florists, Chrissy from Special Occasion Design by Chrissy. They also collaborated on the booth with Atmospheres Indy. I loved their entire booth set up for this show! I’m sure all of the brides and grooms who came to the show loved it as well.
Lora and Amanda are honestly some of my favorite wedding planners to work with. They are so much fun, so detail oriented, and they come up with amazing designs and ideas for their clients. Every time I’ve had the opportunity to work with them, they absolutely blow me away with their work! I hope I get to work with them on lots of weddings in 2019!
I’ve said it before, and I will keep saying it, one of the best decisions you can make for your wedding is to hire a wedding planner (or in this case, a wedding planning team). If not a wedding planner, at least hire a day-of coordinator for your wedding day. Magical Moments event planning does coordinating as well!
Enjoy the few photos I took of the Magical Moments Event Planning booth at the January Indianapolis Monthly Bridal show this afternoon!
Are you looking for a wedding photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! You can send me a message over on my contact page!
A Classic Party Rental at the Indianapolis Monthly Bridal Show
I always love getting to work with my friends over at A Classic Party Rental, so, of course, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to photograph their booth at the January Indianapolis Monthly Bridal Show this afternoon. A Classic Party Rental provides amazing upgrades to the standard wedding rentals such as linens, tables, chairs, flatware, etc. They also have bigger items like tents as well.
For A Classic’s booth at the bridal show, they showed off an amazing tablescpe set up with some of their new linens. I loved their new blush velvet linen! And they used my favorite chairs, the wooden vineyard cross back chairs. If you want to instantly have a huge upgrade to the overall look of your ceremony and reception, upgrading your chairs from the standard white chairs or chair covers to something like these vineyard cross back chairs is the way to go!
The stunning florals were provided by McNarma Florist, who I always love getting to work with. The stationary was provided by Pickle Prints Custom Paper Creations. I hadn’t gotten to photograph their work before, but I’m already obsessed. I always love getting to experience the work of new vendors that I haven’t had the opportunity to work with before.
If the January bridal show this afternoon is any indication, 2019 will be an amazing year filled with working with the most fun brides and the best vendor friends. I can’t wait for all of the weddings that this year has in store.
Below are a few of my favorite photos from A Classic Party Rental’s booth at the Indianapolis Monthly Bridal Show this afternoon. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Are you looking for a wedding photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
Industrial Glam Wedding at INDUSTRY in downtown Indianapolis
I get so excited every time I get to shoot at one of my favorite venues in downtown Indianapolis, INDUSTRY. Industrial glam has been such a popular trend this year, and I suspect it will only continue in the coming years. I’m a preferred vendor at INDUSTRY, so I would love to get to shoot here more often in 2019! I have another wedding there in January, and I already can’t wait!
One of the many reasons I love this venue is the beautiful natural light. Huge windows fill the walls of the venue. The bridal suite, especially, might be my favorite room at INDUSTRY. The lighting, the cute furniture, and the gorgeous white walls make for amazing getting ready photos. I even took the bride and groom back to the bridal suite after the first look for some bride and groom portraits. I loved that I had enough time to take photos in every single section of INDUSTRY.
One of my favorite aspects of this wedding was the amazing florals by A Bride’s Choice Florist. Check out the amazing ceremony arch that doubled as a sweetheart table backdrop after the room flip between the ceremony and reception.
AND just wait till you see the groom’s first look reaction! THIS is why I recommend that all of my couples have first looks! The groom’s reaction is so much better when it’s just the two of you, without two hundred people’s eyes on you. It’s such a personal, intimate, and joyful moment.
I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do!
A HUGE thank you to the amazing vendor team:
Florist - A Bride's Choice Florist
Styling & Planning/Coordination - A Planned Affair and Events by D. Nicole
Linens - LGi Linens
Rentals - A Classic Party Rental
Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photograpy
Table Setting - Uncommonly Styled
Venue - INDUSTRY
Are you looking for a wedding photographer? I would LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
Best of Weddings 2018
2018 was an AMAZING year for Rakoteet Photography! This year, I photographed over 50 beautiful wedding days. Words can’t express how grateful I am to all of the wonderful couples who trusted me to be their wedding photographer. I’m SO excited to share just a few of my best wedding photos from this past year’s weddings.
You have no idea how difficult it was to only pick one or two of my favorite photos from each wedding. All of the weddings I was lucky enough to photograph this year were SO stunning. Narrowing it down to the photos below was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do all year.
This year I got to shoot at new venues like The Ritz Charles as well as old favorites like Laurel Hall. I photographed weddings all around Indianapolis and the suburbs, and I also got to explore northern Indiana and Southern Indiana. More importantly than anything else, I was able to witness, experience, and document the beginning of so many beautiful marriages. Marriage is seriously the best!
In 2018, I was also published over 20 times, and I was even on the front cover of a magazine! My goals for my business are being accomplished faster than I can come up with new ones. But all of the success in my business is honestly owed to my amazing clients. I could not have done it without you all!
As I look forward to 2019 weddings, I’m sure it will only keep getting better and better from here. I’m already about halfway booked for 2019, and I can’t wait for all of the new venues I’ll get to work at, new states and countries I’ll get to work in, and new couples that I get to serve. I’m SO excited to be getting more into destination weddings! I have two international weddings booked for next year so far.
With all this being said, enjoy my best wedding photos from 2018, and I can’t wait for you to see everything in store for 2019!
The Top 5 Benefits of Friday and Sunday Weddings
As I was going through all of my weddings from this year, preparing a blog post on my best wedding photos of 2018, I realized something. So many of my favorite weddings of the year were on Fridays and Sundays. I’m so thankful that these brides and grooms decided to have non-Saturday weddings, because if they hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been available to shoot their wedding date. During the busy season, my Saturdays book up around a year in advance, but I can keep taking on Friday and Sunday weddings. I even photographed a handful of week day weddings this year! I would love for more couples to start having non-Saturday weddings, so I’m laying out the top five benefits of Friday and Sunday Weddings.
Venue Discounts
Most venues offer discounts for Friday and Sunday weddings. With all that money you’re saving, you can afford to spend a little extra on other things that may be really important to you and your fiance, like beautiful statement floral pieces or those amazing designer shoes you’ve had your eyes on.
2. Vendors are more likely to be available
Wedding planners, photographers, and other vendors tend to get booked for Saturdays about 10-12 months or even farther in advance during the busiest months of the year. For Friday’s and Sunday’s, however, we are much more likely to be available on your wedding date.
3. You can plan a shorter engagement
If you have your heart set on a certain venue or certain vendor, you can have a shorter engagement without compromising anything that’s important to you since your preferred vendors are much more likely to be available on shorter notice. It would be so difficult to plan a wedding only a few months in advance if you were getting married on a Saturday in October for example (the busiest month for weddings here in Indiana), but if you move that to a Friday or Sunday in October, you can keep your preferred time of the year AND get your first choice of vendors! That means you get to marry the love of your life sooner!
4. Cheaper Flights
I know that the number one concern of most people when it comes to non-Saturday weddings is inconveniencing their guests. Both a Monday and a Wednesday wedding that I photographed this year had over 150 guests in attendance. If you’re having guests travel in from out of town, you can actually save them a lot of money by having a non-Saturday wedding, since they can book flights for cheaper days of the week. As an avid traveler myself, I try to always fly on Tuesdays or Thursdays whenever I can!
5. Portrait Locations won’t be as crowded
If you’re planning on using any public locations for portraits, they can be very crowded on Saturdays, especially if it’s a nice day outside. Friday and Sunday weddings can really help with being able to use locations you want, without the crowds. Earlier this year I shot a Friday wedding where we took most of our portraits on the Canal. We had almost the entire canal to ourselves! I shot a wedding downtown the next day on Saturday, and we had a difficult time keeping people out of the backgrounds of our shots.
Friday and Sunday weddings are becoming so much more popular, and there are so many benefits of having your wedding on a day other than Saturday. I hope these 5 benefits have caused you to consider a Friday or Sunday wedding if you weren’t before or at least helped with your decision!
Lafayette Indiana Wedding | Tawnah and Josh
Tawnah and Josh got married one day before my own wedding anniversary. I thought about taking the weekend off, and not booking any weddings, but as soon as I received Tawnah’s initial inquiry, which detailed hers and Josh’s love story, I knew I had to work with them. These two have the most beautiful relationship. I knew right away that Tawnah and Josh’s wedding would be one of my favorites, and I was so right!
Josh was diagnosed with cancer a year before their wedding. They had to change their wedding date and plans around so many times to accommodate his treatment. Luckily we was on a break from chemo in time for their wedding. Tawnah had two children from a previous relationship, but Josh has been a dad to them for the past 4 years that he and Tawnah had been together. He even referred to them as his son and daughter, and they are just the sweetest little family. Even though these two had been through so much, they are two of the sweetest and kindest people I’ve ever met. Their wedding day was so emotional and joyful, and I was so happy to celebrate with them.
Although their wedding day was a beautiful sunny day, it was 98 degrees! In May! I was so thankful that these two braved the heat with me for as long as they did in order to get beautiful outdoor photos. They also made time for sunset photos later in the evening when it was a little but cooler. I’m so glad that they did, because these sunset photos are some of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken.
Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from Tawnah and Josh’s beautiful Lafayette Wedding.
The Vendor Team:
Lafayette Wedding Photographers: Rakoteet Photography
Florist: Homegrown Florist
Desserts: Revolution Bakery
DJ: Colin Glick
Makeup: Shelby Clevenger
Hair: Serenity Hair Design
Catering: RedSeven
Gown: Chic Nostalgia
Jewelry: Jewelry Exchange
Men’s Attire: Studio Suits