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BASH Summer Wedding Open House
Last night, I had the opportunity to photograph the summer open house and bridal show for Carmel, Indiana’s newest venue, BASH! I have a few weddings booked at this gorgeous venue both this year and next year, but I hadn’t actually gotten the opportunity to shoot at BASH before last night since they officinally opened so recently. It was amazing to finally be able to check out the venue. It has such a unique, modern look with beautiful white walls and sliding barn doors. I can envision some incredible weddings in this amazing space.
The wedding open house last night was a great opportunity for brides and grooms who have already booked BASH or who are considering booking BASH for their wedding to get a feel for the space, and to meet the vendors on BASH’s preferred vendor list as well as sample the vendors’ products. Carmel Classic Cakes was showing off some really cool cake designs as well as giving out free cake samples. Jonathan Byrd Catering was offering free samples of their appetizers. Hello Gorgeous was doing free lipstick. Brics had an ice cream sunday bar. And there was wine tasting! The inspirational tablescape set up by Uncommonly Styled and Molly & Myrtle was one of the hightlights of the event for me! It was the place to be last night!
Check out some of my favorite photos from the open house! And I would recomend checking out the vendors as well. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the full list of vendors.
Coordination: BASH Coordination
Caterer: Jonathan Byrds
Photographer: Rakoteet
Beverage: BASH Beverage
Floral: Molly & Myrtle
Dessert: Classic Cakes
Entertainment: AMS Entertainment
Lounges/Bar Front: Atmospheres
Makeup: Hello Gorgeous
Decor: Uncommonly Styled/Molly & Myrtle
China, Flatware, Glassware: Uncommonly Styled
Back Drop(s): Atmospheres
Ice Cream: Brics
Linens: Linen Hero
Intimate Carmel Gazebo Wedding | Carmel, Indiana Wedding Photographer
Allison and Davy had the sweetest, intimate wedding on July 5th. It was held right in the heart of Carmel, Indiana at the Gazebo in front of the city hall building. The day after Carmel Fest, the city looks so different from the week before with all of the rides, fair food, and festivities. On Davy and Allison’s wedding day, we seemed to have the entire place to ourselves! The Carmel City Center is such a beautiful location for a wedding! For portraits, we were able to use every background option available to us including the fountain, the front gate of the Carmel City Hall, the Japanese Garden and Pond, the flower garden behind the City Hall Building, and of course, the stunning flower arch at the Carmel Gazebo that was set up for their ceremony!
Allison and Davy’s wedding was extremely intimate with only 12 guests. Intimate weddings are some of my favorite types of weddings to capture, because when every guest is a very close friend or family member of the bride and groom, it changes the atmosphere of the event. Allison and Davy were able to fully be themselves. They had so much fun, and were able to fully express themselves and soak in every moment with each other and with their closes friends and family.
Davy is from France, so the couple is leaving tomorrow to have a second ceremony in France. I’m so jealous, because I’m totally missing France, and I’m dying to go back!
Allison and Davy, you two are amazing, and it was SUCH an honor to be your wedding photographer! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full wedding gallery. In the mean time, have a blast in France!
Vendors:
Carmel, Indiana Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Florist: Oberer's Flowers Carmel
Ceremony Arch: Blue Blossom Rentals
Hair: Rejuve Salon
Bridal Gown: Nancy's Bridal Boutique
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Jewelry: Macy’s
Rings: Zales
Men’s Attire: Nordstrom
Officiant: Victoria Meyer
Summer Wedding at Finley Creek Vineyards
Finley Creek Vineyards quickly became one of my all time favorite venues, the first time I photographed a wedding there last fall. This brand new venue is the perfect ceremony and reception venue, located in my hometown of Zionsville, Indiana. It’s a lovely location for any couple with classic and elegant taste. There is a beautiful ceremony spot right outside, a vineyard for bridal party, bride and groom, and family photos, and the all-white indoor space for a beautiful and classy reception. For a summer wedding, somehow Finley Creek Vineyards was even more beautiful than I remembered.
Katie and Justin’s wedding day was one of my all-time favorites for so many reasons. These two are one of the sweetest, most fun-loving couples I’ve had the pleasure of working with. They were all smiles on their wedding day, and were just having so much fun enjoying the sentimental moments and having a blast with their friends and family. It was clear just how many people love Katie and Justin with over 250 guests and 18 bridal party members, not even including the flower girl and ring bearers. I’ve never worked with a more amazing group of people. At least half of the guests came up to me at some point throughout the day to tell me how great of a job I was doing and how much they appreciated me. How sweet is that?!
One of my favorite parts of the day, was Katie’s first look with her dad. He couldn’t stop telling me how much he loves her while I was placing him for the first look, and his reaction to seeing her for the first time was priceless. Even after shooting over 100 weddings, moments like this still make me tear up. Even writing this right now, I’m filled with emotion thinking about that moment between the two of them. After seeing his daughter, the father of the bride decided to do a first look with his wife as well. His jaw dropped when he saw how beautiful she looked in her mother of the bride dress.
Throughout the whole day, Katie and Justin were so carefree and joyful. When one of the bridesmaids mentioned to Katie that the bottom of her dress might get dirty while we were taking photos, she said “that’s okay, it’s going to get dirty, but I’d rather have great photos than worry about that.” And those are my favorite kinds of brides! Just wait until you see the magic we were able to create during Katie and Justin’s bride and groom photos in the stunning rows of vines during their Finley Creek Vineyards Wedding Reception. Then, after dinner and all of the formalities of the reception, I planned on taking the bride and groom back out for some sunset photos. By the time we were able to sneak away, the sun had disappeared behind the trees, but that’s okay, because the blue hour photos we were able to capture were even better!
Katie and Justin, you two are amazing and deserve all the happiness in the world! Enjoy these sneak peaks from your incredible wedding day while I finish editing your full wedding gallery!!
A HUGE thank you to Katie and Justin’s amazing vendor team:
Zionsville Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Zionsville Wedding Venue: Finley Creek Vineyards
Florist: Graceful Hands Floral Design
Cake and Desserts: Taylor’s Bakery
DJ: DJ Steve
Hair/Makeup: True Colors
Catering: Jacquie's Gourmet Catering
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Sam and Eric's Lamb Lake Wedding
Although yesterday’s weather tried to test us, nothing could stop Sam and Eric’s outdoor wedding from happening yesterday on the Lamb Lake dam in Trafalgar, Indiana. Not even torrential downpours or a tornado warning could ruin Sam and Eric’s perfect day. It may have been one of the most difficult situations I’ve worked in as a wedding photographer, but it was also one of my favorite days. Throughout everything, Sam and Eric’s love for each other shined through.
With the lake in front of them, and a stunning waterfall behind them, the lamb lake dam had the most beautiful backgrounds for Sam and Eric’s emotional wedding ceremony. Sam and Eric did a first look, so we took most of the portraits before the wedding at Sam’s parent's’ house where the reception was being held, but we were also able to take a few bride and groom portraits in the rain after the ceremony with the waterfall flowing in the background. I’m obsessed with these photos, because they remind me so much of the rain scene in The Notebook!
Then back at Sam’s parents’ house on the lake, the true party started. Sam and Eric met working in the downtown Indianapolis Methodist Emergency Room, and so many of their guests were their coworkers. At one point, while everyone was dancing and having fun at the reception, someone turned to me and said “the crazy thing is, every single one of these people could save your life.” So essentially, it was like I was photographing a Grey’s Anatomy wedding.
Sam and Eric, despite everything, your wedding day was absolutely perfect. It was such an honor to be your wedding photographer. I hope you enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full wedding gallery!
A HUGE thank you to Sam and Eric’s incredible vendor team:
Indiana Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Private Estate at Lamb Lake
Florist: Tammy Martin- Vintage Wedding Decor and Floral
Cake: The Flying Cupcake
DJ: Roger Moran
Hair: Taylor Ramey- Salon 6
Makeup: Christine Rorhman
Catering: Holy Smoke Hog Roast Company
Bridal Gown: Gretchen's Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: Gretchen's Bridal
Shoes: Kate Spade- Keds
Jewelry/Rings: Target
Men’s Attire: Jos A Bank
Stationary: The Media Factory- Kim Corbin
Videography: Suketu Patel
Officiant: Rev. Marie Wiese Garden Baptist Church
Guest Favors: Wheeler Mission Missionary and Heaven After Hell Animal Rescue
Indianapolis Zoo Butterfly Garden Wedding
Every time I photograph a wedding for high school sweethearts, I know it’s going to be the sweetest, most emotional, and joy-filed day. Chelsea and Zach were no exception. And the fact that their wedding was in the butterfly gardens in the Indianapolis Zoo, a place where they share so many special memories together, just made it all that much more sweet.
My favorite thing about Chelsea and Zach’s wedding day is that they made it entirely THEM without sacrificing the elegant and romantic feel of the day. Chelsea loves colorful flowers so much, so she and Zach made sure their wedding day was FILLED wth them! Homegrown Florist made the most perfect bouquets and centerpieces for a garden wedding at the zoo. And I loved how well they coordinated with the bridesmaids’ ice blue dresses.
Chelsea and Zach had a bowl of legos on each table to entertain guests during the reception. How fun is that?? Their guest favors were also SO unique. They had little geodes with each guest’s name on them for their seating assignments, as well as crystals that guests could break open themselves. They were a HIT!
Chelsea and Zach, your love is even more beautiful than your wedding day was! I hope you enjoy these sneak peaks. I can’t wait to send your full wedding gallery to you SO soon!
A HUGE thank you to Chelsea and Zach’s amazing vendor team. You all ROCK!
Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Indianapolis Zoo Butterfly Gardens
Florist: Homegrown Florist
Cake: The Gallery Pastry Shop
Hair: Salon 6
Makeup: Madeline Grossman, Posh Salon
Catering: Centerplate at the Indianapolis Zoo
Bridal Gown: Unique Boutique and Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Shoes: Keds X Kate Spade New York
Rings: Diamonds Direct
Men’s Attire: Men’s Warehouse
Officiant: Wonder Weddings Indianapolis
Reception Lighting: Atmospheres Indy
Classic, Elegant, Drake Hotel Wedding Reception | Ashley and Mike Part 3
Classic elegance and sweet romance. Ashley and Mike’s Drake Hotel wedding reception is what fairy tale happily ever after dreams are made of. If you haven’t seen by now, Ashley and Mike’s INCREDIBLE wedding day was SO perfect and amazing, and my team of myself plus two other photographers captured so many photos within the over twelve hours that we photographed this stunning, classic, pink and gold wedding, that I split the day into three separate blog posts. Part 1 covers the getting ready portion of the day as well as the bridal details, bridal party portraits, and the bride and groom photos in downtown Chicago at the Wrigly building and the Rookery. Part Two of this amazing Drake Hotel Wedding shows their stunningly sweet two wedding ceremonies in the Gold Coast Room and the French Room. They had both a military ceremony with a saber exit and a tradition Korean wedding ceremony to incorporate the bride’s heritage. We’ve now made it to part 3 of Ashley and Mike’s wedding day, and I’m SO excited to show you not only their classic, luxury wedding reception set up in the Gold Coast Room at the Drake Hotel, but also how fun and sweet all of the moments during their reception were.
Ashley and Mike, your wedding was one of my all time favorites as a wedding photographer. And that’s saying A LOT as a wedding photographer who is OBSESSED with my job and LOVES weddings! You two are so sweet and deserve all the happiness in the world. I hope you’ve enjoyed all of these sneak peaks! I’m working on getting your full gallery to you as soon as possible! It’s been so fun to relive your wedding day while editing all of your photos!
A HUGE thank you to Ashley and Mike’s vendor dream team:
Chicago Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: The Drake Hotel
Florist: Juliet Tan Floral Design
Cake and Other Desserts: Joanne Buege - Sweet Food Chicago
Hair: Tony - Exsalonce
Catering: Shaun Rajah & Katerina Opalko
Bridal Gown: Alice in Ivory
Bridesmaid Dresses: Kennedy in Blue
Shoes: David’s Bridal
Jewelry/Rings: Sam Kee Hong Jewelry
Men’s Attire: Formal/Military Uniform
Transportation: M&M Limo
Stationary: Basic Invite
Videography: Ivana and Steven Chen
Wedding Planner: Lisa Jaroscak with Storybook
Indiana Hindu Wedding Engagement Ceremony | Revathi and Naveen Day 2
A night full of romantic moments, sweet memories with family, amazing performances, and a fun dance floor. Is there anything more you can ask for in a reception? Day 2 of Revathi and Naveen’s Hindu Wedding Engagement Ceremony and Celebration was the perfect night that they got to spend with each other as well as family and friends. Revathi’s parents have the most beautiful estate home that they opened up to 400 friends and family members to celebrate the upcoming wedding of their only daughter.
During day one of the celebration, I was photographing Ashley and Michael’s wedding in Chicago, so my team member photographed Revathi and Naveen’s Hindu puja ceremony. I was so sad to miss it, but I loved getting to experience and capture the second day of their engagement party.
We started the evening with plenty of couples portraits of Revathi and Naveen. Revathi’s parent’s live on a stunning golf course, which made for the perfect location for photos of the two of them. These two were so fun and sweet. I love the adorable candid photos we captured of them. This cute couple loves to laugh and have fun together. I got to hear some of Naveen’s awesome jokes as he tried to make Revathi laugh. Doesn’t she have the most beautiful smile?
At the reception, it was so cool to experience an Indian reception for the first time! There were so many amazing performances from Revathi’s talented friends and family including prayer songs, upbeat songs, and some really awesome dancing! After the performances, the dance floor was opened up for open dancing, and this was one of the most fun dance floors I’ve ever seen!
Revathi and Naveen, it was such an honor to photograph your engagement ceremony and celebration! I can’t wait to send you your full gallery so soon!
Fort Wayne Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Private Estate
Hair and Makeup: Red Stiletto Artistry
Videography: Toast Wedding Films
Drake Hotel Gold Coast Room Wedding | Ashley and Mike Part 2
If you haven’t seen Part One of Ashley and Mike’s wedding day, which highlights their bridal details, getting ready, first look, and portraits, go check that out first. Then come back here for Part 2 of their amazing wedding day to see their elegant, classic, floral-filled wedding ceremony at the Gold Coast Room at the Drake Hotel and their second ceremony, a traditional Korean Pyebaek wedding ceremony in the French room.
I love every single wedding that I have the opportunity to photograph. Each one is SO special to me, and it is the biggest honor of my life to be such a huge part of so many different wedding days. I view it as one of the most important careers in the world. But I can honestly say that Ashley and Mike’s wedding day was one of my all-time favorites! One of the main reasons I loved it so much was their two different wedding ceremonies, which were so special and unique.
Check out both Mike and Ashley’s reaction to seeing each other as Ashley walked down the long aisle to Mike. This sweet couple did a first look, and spent the day together, but I love that they were still so emotional during their wedding ceremony, knowing they were about to become husband and wife.
The Drake Hotel is the perfect Chicago wedding venue for a classic, elegant wedding. It went so well with Ashley and Mike’s color palette of light pink, white, gold, and greenery and Ashely’s beautiful lace ballgown. Their first ceremony took place in the Gold Coast Room. It was such a touching, emotional Christian, Military ceremony. This was my first time photographing a Military ceremony. The saber exit for these two, conducted by the groomsmen who are also in the military, was so cool!
Then, while a majority of the guests were at the cocktail hour, there was a second ceremony, which was a traditional Korean wedding ceremony, called a Pyebaek ceremony, which took place in the French Room, another beautiful room for a wedding at the Drake Hotel. I love that Ashley and Mike incorporated their heritage and pieces of their story that were so special to them into their wedding day.
Ashley and Mike, enjoy your touching ceremony sneak peaks! Part 3 of the sneak peaks from your stunning wedding reception is coming soon!
A HUGE thank you to Ashley and Mike’s vendor dream team:
Chicago Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: The Drake Hotel
Florist: Juliet Tan Floral Design
Cake and Other Desserts: Joanne Buege - Sweet Food Chicago
Hair: Tony - Exsalonce
Catering: Shaun Rajah & Katerina Opalko
Bridal Gown: Alice in Ivory
Bridesmaid Dresses: Kennedy in Blue
Shoes: David’s Bridal
Jewelry/Rings: Sam Kee Hong Jewelry
Men’s Attire: Formal/Military Uniform
Transportation: M&M Limo
Stationary: Basic Invite
Videography: Ivana and Steven Chen
Wedding Planner: Lisa Jaroscak with Storybook
Fort Wayne Hindu Wedding Engagement Ceremony | Revathi and Naveen Part 1
As a wedding photographer, I LOVE new experiences and getting to learn about new wedding traditions and the traditions of different cultures. Revathi and Naveen’s Hindu Engagement Puja Ceremony in Fort Wayne was one of my favorite things I’ve ever gotten to photograph. This giant two day party had so many amazing elements that I have to split Revethi and Naveen’s sneak peak blog post up into two different parts. Part 1 will cover the first day of the ceremony, photographed by my associate shooter, Cassie while I was photographing Ashley and Mike’s wedding in Chicago. Part 2 will cover the second day of the event including portraits and the reception.
I wish I could have been at both days of this amazing event! It was so fun to experience all of the Hindu traditions and learn about the ceremony meanings. If only I could be in two places at once! But Cassie did an amazing job covering day one. Cassie has second shot for me multiple times and was always one of my favorite second shooters, so I knew she would be perfect for Revathi and Naveen. It’s so important to have a team you can trust. This weekend I had three different photographers working for me at two different events, and all of their photos are AMAZING! I love that my team always makes sure that my clients receive the highest quality possible.
Revathi and Naveen, it was the biggest honor to photograph your engagement ceremony and reception! You two are such a sweet and kind couple and it was so clear to me this weekend just how many people love you. Enjoy these first few sneak peaks from the first day of your celebration. Part 2 is coming soon. And I can’t wait to send you ALL of your photos!
Fort Wayne Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Private Estate
Hair and Makeup: Red Stiletto Artistry
Videography: Toast Wedding Films
Chicago Wedding Photographer | Ashley and Mike Part 1
Wow wow wow!!! This memorial day weekend may have been my favorite weekend of my entire career as a wedding photographer! I feel like the luckiest photographer in the entire world, because Ashley and Mike chose me as the photographer for their downtown Chicago wedding at the Drake Hotel. Ashley and Mike’s wedding day was so grand, and we ended up shooting their STUNNING downtown Chicago wedding for over 12 hours. So instead of overwhelming you with over 600 photos from this dream wedding, I decided to break their Drake Hotel wedding up into three separate blog posts. Part 1 covers their bridal details, getting ready, and portraits. Part 2 will cover their two sweet wedding ceremonies, and part 3 will cover their elegant ballroom wedding reception details and fun reception celebration. I can’t wait for you to see their full wedding day!
Ashley and Mike are THE most amazing couple. They were so joyful throughout their wedding day. I love the way these two interacted with each other. Their love for each other radiated through the entire wedding day through all of their interactions with each other and their families and friends. They also had the most fun and helpful bridal party to celebrate with throughout their entire wedding day. They each had 10 bridesmaids and groomsmen, so it’s clear that so many people are drawn to how fun and kind this couple is just like myself and Andry were.
I had so many favorite parts of Ashley and Mike’s Chicago, Illinois wedding that it would take more than one blog post just to write about them. But I have to tell you about how touching their first look at the Wriggly Building was! Mike had the sweetest reaction to seeing Ashley for the first time, and I LOVED documenting their tender first moments together on their wedding day. Everyone around these two can tell just how much Mike loves Ashley. I mean, he cried during their first look AND when she walked down the aisle during their wedding ceremony (but you’ll have to wait until part two to see that!)
After the first look, we took bride and groom portraits as well as bridal party photos in front of the Wriggly Building and on the river with the Chicago Skyline in the background. This location is perfect for the Chicago - loving city couple! Next, we took the limo to the Rookery for the rest of our bridal party and bride and groom photos. The Rookery has the coolest staircases! We also took a few last bride and groom photos in front of the Drake Hotel when we got back to the Drake to prepare for Ashley and Mike’s first wedding ceremony. I can’t wait for you all to see the rest of the wedding day!
Ashley and Mike, it was the biggest honor to document your wedding day and celebrate your first day as husband and wife with you! Enjoy these first few sneak peaks! Parts 2 and 3 will be up soon, and I can’t wait to send you all of your wedding photos. I’m already in wedding photographer heaven just editing the highlights!
Update: Check out Part 2 here!
A HUGE thank you to Ashley and Mike’s vendor dream team:
Chicago Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: The Drake Hotel
Florist: Juliet Tan Floral Design
Cake and Other Desserts: Joanne Buege - Sweet Food Chicago
Hair: Tony - Exsalonce
Catering: Shaun Rajah & Katerina Opalko
Bridal Gown: Alice in Ivory
Bridesmaid Dresses: Kennedy in Blue
Shoes: David’s Bridal
Jewelry/Rings: Sam Kee Hong Jewelry
Men’s Attire: Formal/Military Uniform
Transportation: M&M Limo
Stationary: Basic Invite
Videography: Ivana and Steven Chen
Wedding Planner: Lisa Jaroscak with Storybook
Black Iris Estate Wedding
Shooting a Black Iris Estate wedding has been a dream of mine since I became a wedding photographer. This venue is so beautiful with stunning, clean white architecture inside the mansion and a beautiful grounds outside with flowing creeks through the middle of the woods. Plus, they always host the most incredible, high end, luxury weddings! You would never guess that a venue with so much beautiful land to host weddings on would be located right in between the busy cities of Carmel and Fishers. That’s why I was so thrilled with Denese from Bloom Custom Floral Design asked me to photograph the behind the scenes of a wedding that she was designing florals for at this amazing venue.
Denese did such an incredible job with the florals. The bride, Christina, almost cried when Denese handed her bridal bouquet to her. I’ve photographed a lot of weddings, and I’ve never seen a reaction like that from a bride before. Christina had been dreaming of her wedding day flowers for so long, and she told Denese that everything turned out EXACTLY like what she had been picturing in her head all this time. It was so special that Denese was able to take Christina’s vision and bring it to life on such a special day. In addition to the bouquets, Denese made a floral installation for the grand staircase, a flower installation for the gazebo, and the most stunning centerpieces for the reception in the grand ballroom. The guests were commenting on how cool the flowers were all night long.
Thank you so much, Denese, for asking me to photograph this fun and sweet day. Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish your full gallery!
The Vendor Team:
Venue: Black Iris Estate
Carmel Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Florist: Bloom Custom Floral Design
Mustard Seed Gardens Wedding Styled Shoot | Noblesville Indiana Wedding Photographer
Underneath one of the giant trees at Mustard Seed Gardens with some of Indiana’s best wedding vendors, today I experienced the true beauty of Mustard Seed Gardens. I was so honored when Chrissy from Special Occassion Design asked me to photograph this Mustard Seed Gardens Wedding Styled Shoot in Noblesville, Indiana. One of the things I love the most as a wedding photographer is getting to collaborate with other local Indiana wedding vendors to create some beautiful high end, luxury wedding inspiration for brides to be. We truly hope that many amazing brides and grooms to be are inspired by the wedding styled shoot that the vendor team put together at Mustard Seed Gardens today.
Mustard Seed Gardens is one of my favorite venues in the Indianapolis area. The amazing lighting that the venue offers is hard to beat, and the venue is stunningly beautiful. It offers a huge, gorgeous outdoor spaces with many different options for ceremony and reception spaces. It also offers a red, indoor barn and a beautiful modern farm house on the premises. I love that our florist, Chrissy, chose to set up the ceremony space around a large beautiful tree with low hanging branches. She created an incredible floral installation on this tree. I love how unique her concept was. I haven’t gotten to photograph anything like this before, but I hope to photograph many ceremonies with floral designs installed on large trees in the future. I think after this elegant wedding styled shoot as Mustard Seed Gardens, I might be hooked.
I hope you enjoy these Mustard Seed Gardens Wedding Photos in Noblesville, Indiana as much as I do! These are the types of days that make me so glad I’m an Indiana Wedding Photographer!
A HUGE thank you to the amazing vendor team that put this inspiration wedding styled shoot together:
Venue: Mustard Seed Gardens
Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Floral/Decor/Planning: Special Occasion Designs
Styling/Coordination/Planning: Magical Moments Event Planning
Stationary: Pickle Prints
Linens: Linen Hero
CBD Edible Flower Pops: Chef Susan
Cake: Sweet Paige’s
Cookies: Lindy’s Cookies
Cotton Candy: The Frigid Frog
Models: Audrey Spaulding and Ryan Myrehn
Dress: Nancy’s Bridal Boutique
Hair & Makeup: Something Blue Stylists, Hannah and Brittany
Flatware: Setting the Mood
Jenna and Cameron | Downtown Indianapolis Skyline Club Wedding
Jenna and Cameron contacted me only about two months before their wedding to ask if I was available to photograph it, and I’m SO glad that I was available on such short notice. I just have to give MAJOR props to these two and their families for planning an amazing, beautiful, and special wedding in just 11 weeks. Can you even believe it? Jenna and Cameron were married at the Skyline Club in downtown, Indianapolis, and the incredible staff there helped them pull everything off in such a short period of time.
Jenna and Cameron are two beautiful souls who have been together for longer than Andry and I even though we’ve been married for over 3 years. They’re high school sweethearts with the sweetest love story. They were in the process of planning their wedding when they found out that they have a sweet little one on the way, and decided to move up their wedding date because of the wonderful news. They had the most adorable intimate wedding with their closest friends and family there to celebrate with them.
They decided not to have a bridal party and just include their dearest friends in special moments in the wedding instead like readings during the ceremony and speeches during the reception. Cam and Jenna really wanted everyone to feel like if they were invited to such an intimate wedding, they really meant a lot to the couple and had a special place in their lives. That’s one of my favorite things about intimate weddings.
Cam and Jenna, enjoy a few sneak peaks from your wedding day! I can’t wait to edit the rest of your gallery!
A huge thank you to the incredible vendor team who made this wedding possible:
Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Skyline Club Indianapolis
Florist: Laurilyn Farms
DJ: DJ Rakobeat
Cake: Heavenly Sweets
Bridal Gown: PinkBlush
Rings: Diamonds Direct and Qalo
Men’s Attire: Indochino
Kelsey's Flower Filled Wedding Day Bridal Portraits
Kelsey’s wedding day bridal portraits were filled with amazing florals, which is my favorite type of bridal portraits! Intrigue Designs did an amazing job with this floral installation on these beautiful stairs at the venue, 2400 on the River. Also, check out the vintage car filled with flowers designed by Cece Designs, LLC. Can you imagine a better backdrop for your wedding photos than tons and tons of flowers?! I certainly can’t! I also loved the bride’s adorable, romantic bouquet.
Kelsey was amazing to work with! She was so sweet and just a joy to be around during her bridal portraits. We has so much fun taking these photos! I loved Kelsey’s unique look. Her “high fashion” stye of hair and makeup went perfectly with her dress and her overall vibe. She was SUCH a stunning bride! I’m such a lucky wedding photographer that I always end up getting to photograph the sweetest and most beautiful brides and grooms! Kelsey was just the perfect bride, and I loved getting to photograph these stunning bridal portraits for her!
I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite photo’s from Kelsey’s wedding day bridal portraits filled with beautiful florals!
CREATIVE PARTNERS:
PHOTOGRAPHER: Rakoteet Photography
HOST: Styled Shoots Across America
PLANNING & DESIGN: Heather Benge Events
VENUE: 2400 On the River
GOWNS: Enaura Bridal
FLORALS: Intrigue Designs, Cece Designs, and Thorne and Thistle
STATIONERY: Brown Fox Creative
CAKES: A Joy Cakes
HAIR: Bilgahmoka
MAKEUP: Makeup by Sarah Lord
LINENS: Nuage Designs
MEN’S ATTIRE: Generation Tux
FURNITURE & DECOR: Milieu Decor
RENTALS: Peach Tree Tents
VIDEOGRAPHER: Aeropexmedia
PROPS & SIGNS: Ten23 Designs
Are you engaged to the love of your life and looking for a wedding or engagement photographer in Indianapolis or anywhere else in the world? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
Lauren's Wedding Day Bridal Portraits on the River
Lauren’s wedding day bridal portraits were the perfect blend between a little bit a rustic vibe and a lot of a classic, romantic vibe. The choice of venue, right on the river was perfect for feeling like you were right in the middle of nature. The venue has acres and acres of beautiful land with amazing waterfalls and scenery. I loved the intricate floral installation over the stone fireplace. It was perfectly with Lauren’s stunning bouquet and romantic dress design. Lauren was so fun to work with! She was such a beautiful bride. She is so classy and down to earth. And isn’t she stunning?! I loved the look of her soft romantic curls since she chose to wear her hair down.
For these bridal portraits, we started with some photos in front of the floral installation. Then we went out on the terrace to get some of the beautiful blooming trees and the river in the background of our photos. I love when venues offer a ton of variety in backdrops for photos!
Enjoy a few of my favorite photo’s from Lauren’s wedding day bridal portraits on the river!
CREATIVE PARTNERS:
PHOTOGRAPHER: Rakoteet Photography
HOST: Styled Shoots Across America
PLANNING & DESIGN: Heather Benge Events
VENUE: 2400 On the River
GOWNS: Enaura Bridal
FLORALS: Intrigue Designs, Cece Designs, and Thorne and Thistle
STATIONERY: Brown Fox Creative
CAKES: A Joy Cakes
HAIR: Bilgahmoka
MAKEUP: Makeup by Sarah Lord
LINENS: Nuage Designs
MEN’S ATTIRE: Generation Tux
FURNITURE & DECOR: Milieu Decor
RENTALS: Peach Tree Tents
VIDEOGRAPHER: Aeropexmedia
PROPS & SIGNS: Ten23 Designs
Are you engaged to the love of your life and looking for a wedding or engagement photographer in Indianapolis or anywhere else in the world? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
Garden Wedding with Gazebo Ceremony
Jefferson and Mikol were so sweet and fun to work with. Garden weddings, especially ones with gazebo ceremonies are particularly close to my heart. My husband and I actually had our wedding at a gazebo in a rose garden. I love the way Gazebos can be decorated lavishly with flowers.
I loved the soft pinks, oranges, and reds that were chosen as the color scheme for this beautiful, outdoor garden wedding. It was such a romantic addition to the already beautiful scenery. I also loved the uniqueness of Jefferson’s blue suit and Mikol’s strapless dress with a high slit.
Intrique Designs always does such a fantastic job with the flowers. Sarah’s specialty is flower installations, so I knew she would design some incredible flower arrangements for the gazebo. I’m also obsessed with the centerpiece designs for the tables. The vintage piece with overflowing flowers was the perfect choice for a romantic flower-filled look.
Aren’t these two stunning? Everyone was debating over whether they are Prince Harry and Megan Markle lookalikes or whether they are Chris Hemsworth and Hallie Berry lookalikes. What do you think?
Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from this beautiful garden wedding set up with a gazebo ceremony back drop.
CREATIVE PARTNERS:
PHOTOGRAPHER: Rakoteet Photography
HOST: Styled Shoots Across America
PLANNING & DESIGN: Heather Benge Events
VENUE: 2400 On the River
GOWNS: Enaura Bridal
FLORALS: Intrigue Designs, Cece Designs, and Thorne and Thistle
STATIONERY: Brown Fox Creative
CAKES: A Joy Cakes
HAIR: Bilgahmoka
MAKEUP: Makeup by Sarah Lord
LINENS: Nuage Designs
MEN’S ATTIRE: Generation Tux
FURNITURE & DECOR: Milieu Decor
RENTALS: Peach Tree Tents
VIDEOGRAPHER: Aeropexmedia
PROPS & SIGNS: Ten23 Designs
Are you engaged to the love of your life and looking for a wedding or engagement photographer in Indianapolis or anywhere else in the world? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
Atlanta Wedding Photographer | Duluth, Georgia Country Club Wedding
Previously on the blog, I shared Sabrina and Sahir’s Atlanta engagement session. Today, I’m so excited to share their styled wedding couples portraits at a country club in Duluth, Georgia. Atlanta as well as the surrounding areas and suburbs has so many beautiful locations for couples and engagement sessions and weddings. The more wedding venues I have the pleasure of photographing in in the Atlanta area, the more I fall in love with the state of Georgia.
Sahir and Sabrina are just the sweetest, most charming, and impressive couple. Sabrina is an Atlanta fashion and lifestyle blogger over on Simply Sabrina Blog. She has some amazing travel hacks and beauty tips that I love. I highly recomend checking out her blog! Sahir is the founder of Greentek Energy Systems. Talk about a power couple!
I loved the all-white venue both on the outside and the inside of the house. The stunning architecture really helped to make for some amazing, classic couples photos. We started in the piano room which has beautiful natural light, a piano, amazing columns, and a fire place. We took some photos on the terrace in the back of the venue. Even though it was middle of the day with harsh sun, I loved the lighting on the covered terrace. We ended out couples portrait session in the front of the venue with the impressive archway and white doors.
Duluth, Georgia and the entire Atlanta area has quickly become one of my new favorite cities to photograph weddings and engagement sessions. I can’t wait until my next Atlanta wedding or session!
Vendors:
Atlanta Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Dress: Wedding Studio Carmel
Flowers: Knox Flower
Are you looking for a wedding or engagement photographer in Atlanta (or any other location in the world)? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
European Inspired, Luxury Garden Wedding | Destination Wedding Photographer
Joseph and Luana were so sweet and a joy to work with for these European Inspired, Luxury Garden Wedding Photos. I’m so excited to share these photos with you! Wedding like these are why being a destination wedding photographer is the best job in the world. The stunning venue, 2400 on the River is so versatile with so many different looks. The garden is one of my favorite locations on their campus. Doesn’t it look like it came straight from the pages of a European wedding magazine? Were we in the middle of acres of land by the river in Atlanta or in the gardens of a Castle somewhere in Europe like Paris or Italy? Because sometimes, I really couldn’t tell.
The soft and romantic vibes of the stationary; Luana’s delicate yet fierce hair, makeup, and dress; and the beautiful luxury tablescape with an overflowing floral arrangement and chiavari chairs all came together to complete the upscale European vibes for these wedding photos. When love traveling and are obsessed with everything Paris, Italy, or event Scotland, a European Inspired wedding is the next best thing to actually having a destination wedding in Europe.
Check out a few of my favorite photos from this magical day! Leave a comment and let me know what you think about this wedding theme!
CREATIVE PARTNERS:
HOST: Styled Shoots Across America
PLANNING & DESIGN: Heather Benge Events
VENUE: 2400 On the River
GOWNS: Enaura Bridal
FLORALS: Intrigue Designs, Cece Designs, and Thorne and Thistle
STATIONERY: Brown Fox Creative
CAKES: A Joy Cakes
HAIR: Bilgahmoka
MAKEUP: Makeup by Sarah Lord
LINENS: Nuage Designs
MEN’S ATTIRE: Generation Tux
FURNITURE & DECOR: Milieu Decor
RENTALS: Peach Tree Tents
VIDEOGRAPHER: Aeropexmedia
PROPS & SIGNS: Ten23 Designs
Are you looking for a luxury destination wedding or engagement photographer in Indianapolis or anywhere else in the world? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
Luxury Greenhouse Wedding | Atlanta Wedding Photographer | Kennedy and Michael
This might have been one of the greatest days of my photography career (yes, I know I say that about almost every shoot and wedding). Atlanta has quickly become one of my favorite cities for weddings with it’s beautiful gardens and luxury wedding venues. I’m such a lucky photographer to have so many amazing opportunities to photograph stunning and super sweet couples, details, florals, and weddings in the Atlanta area. Kennedy and Michael were such a joy to work with. And just wait until you see their luxury setup inside a greenhouse.
This luxury Atlanta wedding venue, 2400 on the river is so cool! It's huge and offers such a wide variety of aesthetics and backdrops. Some parts of the venue look European with winding paths and perfectly manicured gardens while other parts of the venue offer incredible views of the river and waterfalls. My personal favorite is the greenhouse. The venue owner actually bought this greenhouse from Euro Disney. How cool is that?! Other parts of the venue came from historic sections of Paris and Italy.
I also just have to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible tablescape and florals. Cece Designs, Intrigue Designs, and Thorne and Thistle always do the most amazing floral designs. I love how unique this design is. Have you ever seen anything like it? The Arabella chairs fit the luxury aesthetic of the greenhouse, tablescape and florals so well.
Scroll to the end to see all of the amazing vendor team!
CREATIVE PARTNERS:
HOST: Styled Shoots Across America
PLANNING & DESIGN: Heather Benge Events
VENUE: 2400 On the River
GOWNS: Enaura Bridal
FLORALS: Intrigue Designs, Cece Designs, and Thorne and Thistle
STATIONERY: Brown Fox Creative
CAKES: A Joy Cakes
HAIR: Bilgahmoka
MAKEUP: Makeup by Sarah Lord
LINENS: Nuage Designs
MEN’S ATTIRE: Generation Tux
FURNITURE & DECOR: Milieu Decor
RENTALS: Peach Tree Tents
VIDEOGRAPHER: Aeropexmedia
PROPS & SIGNS: Ten23 Designs
Bride: Kennedy Kapanzhi
Groom: Michael Kapanzhi
Are you looking for a wedding or engagement photographer in Atlanta (or any other location in the world)? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
San Juan Destination Wedding Photographer | Beach Wedding Photos in Luquillo, Puerto Rico
These past two weeks have been nothing short of incredible. It means the world to me when couples trust me to photograph their destination weddings. I’ve spent the past two weeks with my husband/second shooter traveling to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and then San Juan and Luquillo, Puerto Rico for beautiful destination weddings and couples sessions. It has been amazing to be a destination wedding photographer in San Juan and have the opportunity to take wedding photos on the beautiful beaches in Luquillo, Puerto Rico. I cannot thank these couples enough for trusting me to capture their destination weddings. I’ve learned something about myself these past two weeks: destination weddings set my soul on fire.
Have you ever felt that feeling when you just know that you’ve found your calling and you’re doing what you’re meant to do with your life? Back when I was a financial analyst, I never thought that feeling was possible for me. But when I discovered wedding photography, I felt that feeling of finding my calling for the first time. I never thought I could love anything as much as I love wedding photography. But these past two weeks of shooting destination weddings, my soul was truly set on fire for destination wedding photography. Of course, I will continue to shoot weddings in Indiana, but my business is definitely taking a turn in a new and exciting direction with a huge emphasis on destination weddings. Up next, I’ll be heading to San Diego, Jamaica, Riviera Maya, and Charleston.
One of the highlights of my trip to Puerto Rico was meeting Kassandra and Luis. Before our session, we went out to lunch to get to know each other. It was so incredible, and I think I need to implement this into my business for every session from now on. This couple was so fun and taught us all about the local Puerto Rico culture and Puerto Rican food. After an incredible anniversary session which doubled as additional bride and groom wedding photos for this newlywed couple, we went out for drinks while they taught us about the local drinks (Puerto Rico is famous for its rum).
Kassandra and Luis were so fun to work with, and this was one of my favorite sessions of all time. Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from our session on the beach in Luquillo, Puerto Rico.
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!