South Bend Wedding

I loved getting to travel to South Bend over the past weekend for Jane and Patrick’s beautiful wedding day! This incredible couple along with their family, friends, and bridal party members were some of the sweetest and most kind people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Throughout the entire day, Jane and Patrick and everyone surrounding them were so full of love, joy, and kindness for others. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to get to photograph for the day.

Jane and Patrick were married at Christ the King Catholic Church in South Bend. It was a beautiful Catholic mass. For bride and groom and bridal party photos, we used the campus of St. Mary’s College. I had never gotten to photograph portraits here before. It was a perfect location! I always love getting to use new locations and get to be creative in a place I’ve never shot in before. Then, the reception was at Riverside Terrace. It was a stunning venue with a gorgeous view of the river! It was such an amazing wedding day full of so much love and joy!

Jane and Patrick, you two are such an incredible couple! It was such an honor to get to be your wedding photographer! Congratulations again on your marriage! I can’t wait to finish editing your full gallery of photos from your wedding day. Until then, enjoy these first few sneak peeks from your amazing wedding day!

A huge thank you to Jane and Patrick’s Wedding Day Vendor Team:

South Bend Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Wedding Florist: Local Roots Floral Design

Wedding Cake: Kristin Heintzelman

Hair and Makeup: Salon Nouveau

Reception Venue: Riverside Terrace

Catering: Riverside Terrace

Bridal Gown: Simply Yours Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie

Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes

Jewelry and Rings: Liberty in Love

Save the Dates, Invitations, and Programs: Zola

Ceremony Venue: Christ the King Catholic Church South Bend

Portrait Location: St. Mary’s College

Elegant Balmoral House Wedding

Erin and Natalia’s Wedding Day was one of my favorite weddings I’ve ever gotten to photograph. Everything about this day was perfect. It was such an elegant, intimate wedding full of love. These two have such a special connection, and the love that they have for each other was so evident throughout the whole day. During the speeches and dances, there was not a single dry eye in the room. This stunning couple has so many amazing friends and family to support them in their new marriage.

Erin and Natalia, I LOVED having you two in front of my camera again on your wedding day. You two are such an amazing couple and it was such an honor to get to be your wedding photographer! I can’t wait to finish editing your full wedding gallery! Until then, enjoy these first few sneak peeks from your beautiful wedding day!

Natalia and Erin’s vendor team was truly the dream team! All of these incurable wedding vendors made Natalia and Erin’s wedding day so smooth, flawless, stress-free, elegant, and beautiful. I can’t wait until the next time I get to work with this amazing vendor team:

Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Wedding Ceremony Venue: Balmoral House Pergola

Wedding Reception Venue: Balmoral House

Wedding Florist: Where the Pigs Fly and Such

Cake and Desserts: Carmel Classic Cakes

Wedding Reception DJ: DJ Jason Hammer

Hair: Dianna Curtis Salon

Makeup Artist: Renee Fisher (makeup)

Cartering: Jacquie's Catering

Bridal Outfits: David's Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses: Reverly

Wedding Day Transportation: Antique Limo

Save the Dates, Invitations, and Programs: Zola

Videographer: Jessica Mertz;

Wedding Planner: Kaitlin Carriger

Officiant: Cory Unthank

Guitarist for Ceremony: Nick Rose

Spring Wedding At Valle Vista

I have the best job in the entire world. I get to photograph madly in love couples on the happiest day of their lives. I get to witness so much joy and so much love on every wedding day. And it never ever gets old. But even after photographing so many amazing couples, I could tell there was something extra special about the connection between Brad and Olivia. The love and joy between these two was overflowing, and throughout the entire wedding day, I just kept thinking to myself “wow, these two were truly made for each other!”

Brad and Olivia have the sweetest story. They are high school sweethearts who met when they were just 15 years old. They were long distance for four years while Brad was in the military but nothing could stop these two from staying together. They were finally able to live in the same state again when Olivia moved to North Carolina to be with Brad. And they are so excited to never have to live apart from each other again.

Brad and Olivia, it was such an honor to be your wedding photographer! Enjoy these first few sneak peeks from your wedding day. I can’t wait to finish editing your full gallery!

A HUGE thank you to Olivia and Brad’s amazing vendor team. These incredible wedding vendors made this wedding day one of the smoothest and stress free days I’ve ever had the pleasure of photographing!

Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Wedding Ceremony, Reception, and Portrait Venue: Valle Vista Wedding Venue and Golf Club

Wedding Florist: Gillespie Florists

Wedding Ceremony and Reception DJ: Brad Sivells

Hair and Makeup Artists: Kayla Lofton (hair) Renee Masingo (makeup)

Reception Catering: Valle Vista Country Club

Bridal Gown: Sophias Bridal and Tux Greenwood

Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal

Bride’s Shoes: Designer Shoe Warehouse

Bride’s Jewelry and Rings: David's Bridal (earrings, bracelet) Jared (rings)

Groom and Groomsmen Attire: Men's Warehouse

Save the Dates, Invitations, and Programs: Kaitlyn Thiede (design of invitations)

Videography: Chris Nichols Photo/Cinema

Wedding Planner: Valle Vista Country Club

Officiant: Dane Beanblossom

Vision Loft Wedding in Downtown Indianapolis

I’ve been looking forward to Kelsey and Tony’s VisionLoft wedding in downtown Indianapolis for so long! It’s so fun when I get to photograph weddings for couples I know and I love! Kelsey has been close friends with my sister since high school. And the two of them have been roommates for four years now. Although now Kelsey has a new forever roomie in her new husband, Tony!

Like so many of my couples’ weddings this past year, Kelsey and Tony’s big wedding was another casualty of Covid. They moved their big wedding to July, but I love that they still decided to get married on their original wedding date! They got married in a small ceremony with only their immediate family members and their bridal party present. Although they live steamed their ceremony, and many more family and friends were able to attend via zoom! The zoom call was even projected on the back wall of the venue, and Kelsey and Tony could see all of their family and friends and were able to talk to them after the ceremony, which was so fun!

My favorite part of Kelsey and Tony’s wedding day was their unity ceremony. They did something so unique that I’ve never seen before. They purchased a bible that they want to be their family bible throughout their lives where they will mark down important milestones in their family’s lives. During the ceremony, they each picked out a special verse to share with each other and marked it in the Bible. I love that they will be able to keep this special memory for the rest of their lives and pass it down to their children.

Kelsey and Tony, you two are such an amazing couple, and it was such an honor to get to photograph your wedding ceremony. I can’t wait to photograph you again at your reception in July. I hope you enjoy these first few sneak peek photos from your wedding day while I edit your full gallery!

A huge thank you to Kelsey and Tony’s amazing vendor team! All of these vendors were amazing to work with and made Kelsey and Tony’s wedding day go so smoothly and beautifully!

Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Florist: The Flower Boys

Hair and Makeup: Beauty Bar Carmel

Wedding Ceremony Venue: Vision Loft

Getting Ready Location: The Alexander Hotel

Reception Venue: St. Joseph's Brewery

Catering: St. Joseph's Brewery

Bridal Gown: The Wedding Studio

Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal

Bridal Shoes: Designer Shoe Warehouse

Rings: Diamonds Direct

Bridal Jewelry: Kendra Scott

Invitations, Programs, and Stationry: 3rd Floor Paper Co.

Halloween Wedding at Bridgeton 1878 House and Barn

Laken and James’s wedding is one that I’ve been looking forward to for so long! I first met Laken at her matron of honor, Amanda’s destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last year. That was such a fun bridal party to work with, and I was thrilled when Laken asked me to photograph her wedding after her and James got engaged! It’s been so fun to work with this same group of friends multiple times now!

These two had such a fun Halloween wedding. The weather was perfect for a late October day and everything was so beautiful! Laken and her bridesmaids got ready at a cute little cabin with a beautiful lake view before we headed over to Bridgeton 1878 house and barn for the first look, portraits, and wedding. I had never been to Bridgeton before, but it’s so adorable! There are so many cute shops, a mill, and even a beautiful waterfall to take photos in front of! I also loved that these two made room in their timeline for sunset photos! We got such a beautiful sunset last night!

Laken and James, it was SUCH an honor to be your wedding photographer! You two are the sweetest and I LOVED getting to work with you and photograph you two again! I can’t wait to finish editing your full wedding gallery! Until then, enjoy these first few sneak peeks!

A HUGE Thank you to Laken and James’s amazing vendor team. These vendors did such an amazing job:

Indianapolis, Indiana Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Wedding Planner: Magical Moments Event Planning

Florist: Maggie and Moe's Poplar Flowers and Decor

Venue: Bridgeton 1878 House and Barn

DJ: Complete Weddings and Events

Hair and Makeup: Ciao Bella and Danna Andreas

Cake and other desserts: Mother of the Bride

Catering: Rick's Smokehouse BBQ and Grill

Bridal Gown: Nancy's Bridal Boutique

Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie

Bride's Shoes: Toms

Jewelry and Rings: Etsy -- Allure Wedding Jewelry

Men's Attire: Men's Wearhouse

Save the Date's, Invitations, and Programs: Naomi Leah Designs

Videography: Beezus

Officiant: Scott Vest

Favors/Gifts: Etsy -- My Wedding Store

DIY Rentals: tables, chairs, linens, and a few extra decor items

Traders Point Creamery Wedding

Wow wow wow! Ally and Ben's Traders Point Creamery Wedding on Saturday was such a dream! I loved everything about this day! Ally and Ben are so sweet together! They both teared up so many times throughout the day, like during their first look and while Ally was walking down the aisle toward Ben during their ceremony. It was so evident throughout the entire day just how much love these two have for each other and how perfect they are for one another.

One of my favorite parts of any wedding day is usually the toasts. I get so much insight into the couple's love story from hearing their friends and family talk about their relationship. One thing that really stood out to me based on the toasts was how well Ally and Ben fit into each other's families. It really was such a beautiful blending of two families.

Ally and Ben, it was SUCH an honor to get to be your wedding photographer! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full wedding gallery! I can't wait to send you all of your photos so soon!

A HUGE Thank you to Ally and Ben’s amazing vendor team. These vendors did such an amazing job:

Zionsville Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Florist: Linda Batker - Accent Floral Design

Reception Venue: Traders Point Creamery

Ceremony Venue: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

Catering: Traders Point Creamery

Desserts: Ice Cream by Traders Point Creamery

Band: My Yellow Rickshaw

Hair and Makeup: Brian Layton at BE Salon

Bridal Gown: Pronovias

Bridal Shop: Marie Gabriel Couture

Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff

Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes

Jewelry/Rings: Fishman Fine Jewelers in Carmel

Men’s Attire: Louie's Tux Shop

Transportation: Indy Trolley

Save the Dates, Invitations, Table Numbers, & Place Cards: Minted

Programs and Signage: Zazzle

Day of Coordinator - Marin Strong at Traders Point Creamery

Priest: Father Gregory

Favors/Gifts: Custom Masks

Second Shooter: Andrea Crawford with Lilian Rose Photography

Intimate Backyard Wedding

Yesterday, 10/10/2020, was the most popular wedding day of the year by far...perhaps the most popular day to get married ever. Brides and grooms love their double digits and this year has plenty of them. Plus, with October having perfect weather, it's always a popular month for weddings. What a perfectly magical day it was. It was sunny and in the 70's, the fall colors were peaking, and leaves were falling. Valerie and Caleb could not have asked for a better day to get married.

Unfortunately, the current pandemic forced these love birds to change their original wedding plans from a large wedding at the dunes in Michigan to an intimate backyard celebration at Valerie's parents' home. These two took everything in stride and were such a joy to work with at all times despite all of their set backs. Their intimate wedding was stunningly beautiful. From the ceremony arch, to the whimsical farmhouse style table in the backyard, to all of the flowers in the garden in the background, all of the details from this wedding were amazing! And Valerie and Caleb got to celebrate their marriage with those closest to them that the love the most, which is what really made the day perfect.

Valerie and Caleb, it was SUCH an honor to get to be your wedding photographer! Enjoy these sneak peeks while I finish editing your full wedding day gallery!

A huge shoutout to Valerie and Caleb's amazing vendor team:

Photography: Michelle Poteet Photography

Flowers: Flowers from Fifty Flowers & Watering Can, arranged by the Bride and Mother of the Bride

Cake: The Cake Lady Small Desserts: From My Side of the Kitchen

Hair and Makeup: Taylor Strange Catering: From My Side of the Kitchen

Bridal Gown: Madi Lane

Bridesmaid Dress: Azazie

Bridal Shoes: BHLDN

Bride's Ring: Bride's Ring- Gabriel & Co

Groom's Ring: Manly Bands

Men's Attire: Men's Warehouse

Rentals: Rentals- Mutton

Rentals Alterations: Bridal Design and Alterations by Asu

Fort Harrison State Park Wedding

Yesterday was such a special day. Even though Covid forced Manuel and Jessica to cancel the big wedding they had planned, we still had an amazing day taking bride and groom portrait for them. These two have been through have been through the same stress that so many other 2020 brides and grooms have unfortunately been through this year. It's such a tough year to try to plan a wedding. But through it all, I loved how these two kept a positive attitude, knowing that the most important thing was that they were married and they had each other. That is way more important than having a big wedding.

Jessica and Manuel actually had a small ceremony almost exactly a year ago where they got legally married, so we decided to take their bride and groom portraits close to their one year anniversary of being married. And we got to take them in the exact same location that they got married in, at Fort Harrison State Park, right by the river. It was such a beautiful location! Since these two had been saving reading their vows to each other for their big wedding, they decided to read their vows to each other yesterday under their beautiful arch. It was such a special moment that I loved getting to photograph.

Also, check out the amazing details that I'm including photos of as well! Jessica is such a talented artist that made almost everything herself! I was so impressed with all of her work!

Jessica and Manuel, it was SUCH an honor to get to be your wedding photographer! Enjoy these sneak peeks while I finish editing your full gallery of bride and groom portraits!

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!

The Montage Indianapolis Wedding

Hailey and Nathan’s original wedding day was yet another casualty of Covid. It has certainly been such a difficult year for Covid brides and grooms, but I absolutely love how Hailey and Nathan made the best of their situation and remained joyful throughout their wedding planning process, despite having to reschedule. Their original wedding day was supposed to be in June at the Montage Indianapolis, but they moved their wedding to this past weekend. Luckily, they were still able to have the big wedding that they imagined with only a few changes, like having guests wear masks.

It is so obvious to everyone around Hailey and Nathan and to everyone who witnessed their wedding day, what a great match these two are for each other. They love being around each other, and their happiness is contagious. During Hailey’s maid of honor’s speech, the guests learned about all of the endless ways that Nathan loves to show Hailey how much he loves her. And it’s so clear how much Hailey adores Nathan. I loved getting to photograph their love all day long.

Hailey and Nathan, it was SUCH an honor to be your wedding photographer! I am loving editing your full gallery, and I can’t wait to send you the rest of your wedding photos. Until then, enjoy these sneak peeks! Congratulations again and best wishes for a beautiful marriage!

A huge thank you to Hailey and Nathan’s amazing wedding day vendor team:

Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Venue: The Montage Indianapolis

Caterer: Kahn’s Catering

DJ: Tom Schoeller

Hair and Makeup: Halcyon House of Hair And Red Carpet Reflection

Bridal Gown: Gretchen’s Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses: Morilee

Jewelry and Rings: Jewelry Gallery and Jude Ridge

Men’s Attire: The Men’s Warehouse

Save the Date’s, Invitations, and Programs: Ann’s Bridal Bargains

Videography: Kaliegh Smith with Kale Creations

Officiant: AJ Cox

Bridal Portraits at Iron and Ember

I absolutely loved getting to take MeKayla’s bridal portraits at the Indianapolis Styled Shoots Across America shoot last week. I’ve gotten to photograph MeKayla before, and she is always such an amazing model. Iron and Ember in Carmel was the absolute perfect background for these portraits. We took all of her bridal portraits outside of the venue on the beautiful lawn. This was such a unique set up with a lounge set, a bike with amazing basket florals by Knox Florals, and lots of fun accessories for MeKayla like a big floppy hat.

The vendors for this shoot were absolutely incredible to work with. Heather from Heather Benge Events put together such an amazing styled shoot, just like she always does. The florals by Knox Florals were absolutely amazing. I loved MeKayla’s bridal bouquet. And the rentals added such a unique touch as well! I also loved how Black Swan Beauty did such an amazing job with MeKayla’s hair and makeup. I can’t wait until the next time I get to work with a lot of these amazing vendors. And I can’t wait to be back at Iron and Ember soon!

Enjoy a few of my favorite photos of MeKayla taken at Iron and Ember!

A huge thank you to the amazing vendor team:

Creative Partners

Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Host:  Styled Shoots Across America

Planning & Creative Direction:  Heather Benge Events

Venue:  Iron and Ember Events

Vintage Rentals & Decor: Lost and Found Rentals

Event Rentals: A Classic Party Rentals

Flowers:  Knox Florals

Stationery: Interprintations

Hair & Makeup: Black Swan Beauty Indy

Linens: Nuage Designs Inc.

Cake: Moist Cake Co

Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes

Gown Designer:  Galialahav

Model: MeKayla

Are you looking for a wedding 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!

Classic Wedding at Iron and Ember

I was so excited to get to be back at Iron and Ember for another amazing shoot. This is one of my absolute favorite new venues in the Indianapolis area. It’s located in Carmel and has such amazing natural light. It’s a beautiful, white, blank slate that makes the perfect backdrop for a wedding ceremony and reception.

All of the vendors from this styled shoot did such an amazing job. I was so happy to work with so many of my favorite local and national vendor friends that I haven’t gotten to work with in way too long. Heather from Heather Benge Events is THE most amazing wedding planner who always plans the most elegant, elaborate, over the top, and amazing events. She absolutely knocked it out of the park again here in Indy.

Those of you who have been following me for a while know how obsessed I am with florals, Knox florals did SUCH an amazing job with the flowers for this shoot, just like she always does. The table florals, especially were so unique, and I absolutely LOVED getting to photograph them!

Enjoy these sneak peaks from one of my absolute favorite recent shoots!

A huge thank you to the amazing vendor team:

Creative Partners

Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Host:  Styled Shoots Across America

Planning & Creative Direction:  Heather Benge Events

Venue:  Iron and Ember Events

Vintage Rentals & Decor: Lost and Found Rentals

Event Rentals: A Classic Party Rentals

Flowers:  Knox Florals

Stationery: Interprintations

Hair & Makeup: Black Swan Beauty Indy

Linens: Nuage Designs Inc.

Cake: Moist Cake Co

Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes

Gown Designer:  Galialahav

Models: April & Jake

Are you looking for a wedding 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!

Chicago Elopement

Covid has changed so many wedding plans for brides and groom this year. Unfortunately, Randall and Ivy's big wedding day was on the list of the casualties caused by the pandemic. But I love that they didn't let any of this get them down, and they really made the best of the whole situation. Likeso many 2020 brides and grooms, they chose to still get married this year on their original wedding date in a small ceremony with their closest friends and family. And they moved their big wedding day to next year when they'll have a reception and get to celebrate their marriage the way they envisioned with all of their friends and family at their wedding.

Randall and Ivy's intimate wedding ceremony was so so special. It was so evident how much love these two have for one another. It was also clear just how loved they are by their friends and family who witnessed their sweet vows to each other. I loved getting to photograph this beautiful day. And how much more special is it that they get to do it all again next year. You can never have too many excuses to celebrate your relationship, in my opinion. So I love that these two get to celebrate their love with friends and family twice.

Ivy and Randall, it was SUCH an honor to get to photograph your wedding day! I can't wait to get the two of you in front of my camera again next year for your big wedding reception! Until then, enjoy these photos from your sweet elopement.

Are you looking for a wedding 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!

Summer Wedding at BASH

Brittany and Joe’s wedding day was a dream! It was such an honor to be able to capture such a beautiful, emotional, and special day. One of my favorite parts of the day was when Brittany read Joe’s letter to her after she finished getting ready. She couldn’t help but tear up thinking about getting ready to marry the love of her life. I also loved Brittany and Joe’s sweet first look at Coxhall Gardens. Brittany and Joe included their adorable son, Joey as the ring bearer in their wedding. He was so cute in his tiny tux, and I loved getting to photograph him as well.

The ceremony and reception were both so beautiful, and it was so obvious to everyone just how much love Brittany and Joe have for each other. And I loved getting to photograph them having a blast with all of their closest friends and family throughout the entire day. Brittany and Joe, it was such an honor to get to be your wedding photographer! Enjoy these sneak peeks while I finish editing your full wedding gallery!

Brittany and Joe’s amazing wedding day vendor team:

Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Wedding Planner: BASH

Florist: Laurilyn Farms

Cake and Other Desserts: Love at First Bite

DJ: Complete Events and Weddings

Hair and Makeup: Something Blue Stylists

Catering: Jonathan Byrd's

Wedding Gown: Marie Gabriel Couture Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses: Lulu's

Save the Dates, Invitations, and Programs: Minted

Ceremony Venue: Sacred Heart Catholic Church

Reception Venue: BASH, 828 Venues

Getting Ready Hotels: Ironworks Hotel Indy, Marriott Indianapolis North

First Look and Portrait Location: Coxhall Gardens

Second Shooter: Andrea Crawford

Rentals: Blue Blossom Florals and The Pink Elephant

Are you looking for a wedding 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!

Intimate Wedding at Balmoral House

Despite two canceled destination weddings and rain forcing them to change their wedding day plans again this weekend, Hilary and Chris may have been the most joyful bride and groom I have ever had the pleasure of working with. This sweet couple had such a laid back, go with the flow, down to earth type of attitude about their wedding day that made photographing them so fun!

Their wedding day was intimate with only 17 guests and a zoom link for everyone else. I loved that they still had an entire wedding day with a sweet ceremony and a fun reception with their closest friends and family. Balmoral House was the perfect location for such a small elopement. With all of its indoor and outdoor ceremony and reception locations, there are so many options to choose from as well as rain backups, like Hilary and Chris were able to utilize.

I love the lighting of the main room in Balmoral House where Hilary and Chris held both their ceremony and reception. The huge windows and beautiful fireplace are such a gorgeous backdrop for sweet wedding day vows. Luckily, it stopped raining long enough for us to get some beautiful bride and groom portraits around the stunning grounds at Balmoral House, which has multiple acres of photo backdrops. And the reception was so fun with a mimosa bar for the guests. How fun is that?!

Hilary and Chris, you two are such an amazing couple, and I know you have a lifetime of happiness ahead of you! Enjoy these sneak peeks while I finish editing your full wedding day gallery!

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

Charleston Wedding Photographer

I LOVED getting to take photos with my friends, Hannah and Jack while we were all in Charleston, South Carolina. It is so much fun getting to be a Charleston Wedding Photographer with all of the beautiful nature that blooms all year round, even in February while it’s still technically winter in many other parts of the country. The stunning Hampton Park, located right in the heart of the city of Charleston was such a beautiful spot for our sunrise bride and groom wedding portrait session. The main thing we wanted for these photos was the classic, southern, Spanish moss hanging from the trees in the background of our photos of these two love birds. We certainly accomplished that with this beautiful Charleston photo location.

We decided on a sunrise session for these bride and groom photos. We actually started a few minutes before sunrise, while it was technically still blue hour. You can see in the photos below that the light transitioned into that morning golden hour sun rise glow about halfway through our portrait session. Although I really do enjoy shooting in blue hour too, I loved getting that pretty glowy light for at least some of our photos. Hannah and Jack are so fun in front of the camera, and I just love getting to capture their love over and over again.

Hannah and Jack, you two ROCKED this session, as per usual. I can’t wait to finish editing this full gallery of photos. In the mean time, enjoy a few of my favorite photos as sneak peeks here on the blog!

Are you looking for a Charleston wedding photographer, Indianapolis wedding photographer or destination wedding 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! I can’t wait to hear from you!

Runnymede Plantation Wedding in Charleston, South Carolina | Colleen and Joe Part 2

After sharing part one of Joe and Colleen’s Runnymede Plantation wedding yesterday, I’m so excited to share the rest of the wedding day today! As I mentioned in the last blog post, I just loved Joe and Colleen’s Charleston destination wedding so much that my second shooter and I took way more photos than we’ve ever taken at any other wedding. Therefore, I decided to split their blog post up into part one and part two in order to not overwhelm everyone with too many photos in one post! Yesterday, I shared the bridal details, getting ready, and portraits. Today, I’m sharing their sweet ceremony, the gorgeous reception details and fun reception, and of course my favorite part of any wedding day: sunset photos.

One of my favorite things about the last half of this stunning wedding day was just how FUN their reception was! We heard the best maid of honor speech of all time. Check out all of Joe and Colleen’s reactions to it below! And I loved how much fun Colleen and her girls had on the dance floor. I definitely have a ridiculous number of amazing dance floor photos that I can’t wait to share with the bride and groom.

Joe and Colleen, it was SUCH and honor to be your wedding photographer! You two are such an amazing couple, and I am so thankful to have had you as one of my couples! Your wedding day was such a perfect and amazing day. I absolutely cannot wait to finish editing your full wedding gallery! Until then, enjoy all of your sneak peeks in these blog posts!

A HUGE thank you to Colleen and Joe’s vendor team:

Charleston Wedding Photographers: Rakoteet Photography

Venue: Runnymede Plantation

Wedding Planner: Katie Jean Events

Florist: Forever Flowers Charleston

Desserts: Duck Donuts

DJ: Bunn DJ

Hair and Makeup: Erin Ennis & Kaci Kennedy

Catering: Hamby Catering

Gown: Essence of Australia from Blue House Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie

Shoes: Free People

Jewelry/Rings: Macy's/ Shane Co.

Men’s Attire: Black Tux

Transportation: School Wheels Direct

Officiant: Dan Towle

Charleston Wedding at Runnymede Plantation | Colleen and Joe Part 1

I’ve been looking forward to Colleen and Joe’s leap day wedding in Charleston, South Carolina since Colleen first asked me to be her wedding photographer a year ago! I first met Colleen through working together when she was the wedding coordinator for a wedding I photographed years ago. Since then, we’ve gotten to work together a few times but not nearly as much as I would like considering how amazing she is at what she does. When she told me about her own wedding, I knew from that first email that it would be one of my favorite weddings of all time. I consider it one of the biggest honors of my career when brides who are in the wedding industry themselves hire me to photograph their own weddings!

Colleen was over the moon and told me that Joe was making all of her dreams come true by planning their wedding in Charleston, South Carolina, one of her favorite places. Joe and Colleen are one of the sweetest couples I’ve ever met. They compliment each other so well and would both do anything to make the other happy. It’s so obvious from the outside how much Joe loves Colleen and would do anything for her. Their love and happiness was so apparent the whole wedding day.

Joe and Colleen chose Runnymede Plantation as their venue, and what a fantastic choice it was. It’s right on the water with the classic Charleston oak trees with the spanish moss. In the center of the venue is a huge, historic oak tree where Colleen and Joe chose to have their wedding ceremony. It was also a beautiful spot for most of the day’s portraits.

I loved Colleen and Joe’s wedding so much that my second shooter and I took more photos than we’ve ever taken at any other wedding. Because of that, I’m splitting their wedding into two blog posts in order to properly show off the beauty of their wedding day. Part one includes bridal details, getting ready, their sweet first look and vows, bride and groom portraits, and bridal party portraits. Stay tuned for part two which will feature the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception details, and reception fun!

Colleen and Joe, you two are such an amazing couple who hosted the absolute perfect destination wedding! I hope you enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing the rest of your wedding day sneak peeks and then your full gallery!

A HUGE thank you to Colleen and Joe’s vendor team:

Charleston Wedding Photographers: Rakoteet Photography

Venue: Runnymede Plantation

Wedding Planner: Katie Jean Events

Florist: Forever Flowers Charleston

Desserts: Duck Donuts

DJ: Bunn DJ

Hair and Makeup: Erin Ennis & Kaci Kennedy

Catering: Hamby Catering

Gown: Essence of Australia from Blue House Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie

Shoes: Free People

Jewelry/Rings: Macy's/ Shane Co.

Men’s Attire: Black Tux

Transportation: School Wheels Direct

Officiant: Dan Towle

Best Bridal Party Photos of 2019

Continuing on with my Best of Weddings blog post series for the 2019 wedding season, I’m excited to share my favorite bridal party photos of 2019. This includes, bridesmaid photos, groomsmen photos, and the full bridal party photos, as well as those adorable flower girls and ring bearers.

Interestingly enough, 2019 weddings set a record for me for the most wedding days where the bride and groom chose not to have a bridal party at all. I’ve said it before, but I will continue to say it, I LOVE when couples don’t feel the need to follow every single tradition for their wedding day. Your wedding day should be all about what YOU want, and you should never do anything because you feel like you have to. You get to pick and choose the traditions that you want to follow and skip the ones that you don’t like.

For my brides and grooms that did choose to have bridesmaids and groomsmen, you’ll notice a few trends. Almost all of my couples chose floor length bridesmaid dresses. I love the formal feel of long dresses. You’ll also notice that a huge majority of my couples chose blush or dusty blush for the color of the bridesmaid dresses. It was by far the most popular wedding color of 2019. Burgundy was still a popular color, although it was definitely more popular a couple years ago. I wonder what the most popular color of 2020 will be? Do you think “classic blue” being Pantone’s color of the year will have an effect on bridesmaid dress colors or wedding colors in general?

All of my bridal parties last year were SO fun to work with and photograph. I’m sure 2020 will be no different in that respect. Enjoy some of my favorite bridal party photos of 2019 below!

Are you looking for a wedding photographer for your special day? Send me a message over on my contact page to see if I still have your wedding date available!

Best Bride and Groom Photos of 2019

Wow, going through all of my 2019 wedding galleries in order to select photos for this blog post was SO much fun! Sometimes I forget just how amazing my couples are and just how amazing the weddings I get to shoot are until I go back and look through the full galleries. Through this Best of Weddings 2019 blog post series that I’m doing, this was the blog post that I was most excited about writing, Best of Bride and Groom Photos 2019.

2019 was a huge year for destination weddings for me. I went to Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Rico, Atlanta, Chicago, Cancun multiple times, and of course, I got to shoot many many weddings here locally in Indianapolis and in many cities throughout Indiana. I am SO thankful for all of the couples who trusted me to capture the most important day of their lives. And I am so thankful for all of the amazing vendors that I got to work with this year as well. I shot in many familiar venues and in many new venues. As I look back on how wonderful this past year was, it makes me so excited for the year to come, all of the new couples I get to work with, all of the familiar faces I’ll get to work with as my couple’s bridal parties get married, and all of the familiar and new to me venues I get to work in. You guys, my job is seriously the best!

In this post, I tried to only select one or two photos from each wedding that I photographed this year, but I will admit that I got a little carried away. I couldn’t help but select 3-4 favorites from some of my weddings, especially the ones where my couples gave me tons and tons of bride and groom portrait time. Enjoy (more than) a few of my absolute favorite bride and groom portrait photos from 2019. I can’t wait to create more art for my couples in 2020 and beyond!

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

Best First Looks of 2019

After finishing up shooting and editing my January weddings and sessions including another beautiful destination wedding in Riviera Maya, Mexico, I’m excited to get back into our blog series, the Best of 2019 Weddings! After the bridal details and getting ready, the next thing we always shoot is the first look. I’ve been so excited to finally start working on this blog post, because first looks are my absolute FAVORITE part of every wedding day.

The first look is where the bride and groom see each other for the first time on their wedding day. It’s such a special, private, intimate moment between the two of them. It’s always so fun to get to photograph the bride’s and the groom’s reactions to seeing each other for the first time in their wedding dress and suit and tie. It’s usually when things finally start to feel “real” and there are usually tears. I love that my couples choose to add this sweet moment into their wedding day timelines so they can spend a few minutes together before the craziness of the day really begins. Something I’ve been loving is that a lot of my couples have been choosing to read their private vows to each other during the first look instead of during the ceremony.

First look photos are really all about the series of photos when capturing those sweet reactions. It’s not JUST about that one reaction photo. For that reason, I decided to post a few of my favorite photos from that series of first look photos and I opted to just share a few of my favorites instead of every first look. Otherwise, I would be sharing a million photos in this post! Don’t worry, you’ll get to see a lot more of my couples in the next post of the series, Best of Bride and Groom Photos. In the mean time, enjoy some of my favorite first look photos from last 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 to see if I have your wedding date available!