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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!
Katlin and Jake | Elegant Downtown Indianapolis Engagement Session
Katlin found me through a mutual friend that we have, and I’m so glad she did, because this session was SO much fun! I loved working these with these two yesterday! They opted for an engagement session downtown, because it’s a special place in their relationship. It’s so sweet when couples have an adorable reason for choosing a certain location for their session. I absolutely love using downtown locations in the winter, because architecture is beautiful in any season. You can read more about some of my favorite locations for engagement sessions here.
We actually scheduled this session for way back in mid-December, but we had to reschedule three times due to rain. Snow would have been fine, but we’ve been having such a warm December that we ended up with rain every time. Luckily Katlin and Jake weren’t in a huge rush to get their photos, and we were able to push their session back until we could get some good weather on our side.
Katlin was sweet enough to trust me to choose the specific downtown locations we used for their engagement session. She and Jake originally wanted to use the canal downtown, but unfortunately it was being drained for a once in 10 years cleaning. I ended up choosing the Central Library and the pillars outside of the Indiana Government Center. These are two of my absolute favorite places to shoot, because of the beautiful architecture and the elegant vibes.
Katlin and Jake also chose the perfect outfits! I love that they opted for a formal look, and a more casual look. They were absolutely stunning!
Katlin and Jake, I hope you enjoy your sneak peaks! Your full gallery is coming soon!
Are you looking for a wedding photographer? I would LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page!
You're Engaged! Now What?
I remember the moment I got engaged. I felt like I was on top of the world. I was so giddy, envisioning my future with Andry. But we got engaged when I was twenty two and Andry was twenty five. We were the first of our close friends to get engaged, and we had each only been to probably two weddings in our lives. We had absolutely NO idea what we were doing when it came to wedding planning.
This time of year is proposal season. I’ve seen so many engagements pop up on my Facebook timeline. So I wanted to put together a helpful guide for any couples like Andry and myself were, who need a little help with knowing what to do first after getting engaged.
Celebrate!
You don’t have to start planning your wedding the moment you get engaged. Take a moment (or as long as you want) to just celebrate the fact that you get to spend the rest of your life with your best friend! Don’t let the stress of planning overshadow the importance and excitement of being engaged. Celebrate not only with your fiance, but with your friends and family as well.
Determine your budget and guest count.
These are the two most important decisions in wedding planning. Every other decision you make with stem from these two decisions. Ask both sets of parents what they are willing to contribute to the wedding, and then determine what you’re willing to contribute as a couple. The number one thing you can do to increase how nice of a wedding you’ll be able to have for whatever your budget is, is to reduce your guest count to the smallest amount of people you and your fiance feel comfortable with. A higher guest count means extra money spent on a bigger venue, more food, more linens, extra chairs, tables, centerpieces, etc.
Select your venue and wedding date.
You can’t set your wedding date without knowing the dates the venue you select has available. I would recomend finding a few venues you love that are within your budget and going and touring them. Look through photo galleries or check out their tagged photos on Instagram to make sure you love the way it looks in the season you’re getting married.
Hire vendors that will make your wedding day stress free and give you an amazing experience.
Once you have your venue and date, you can start looking for all of your other vendors. Couples usually reach out to me right after they book their venue. When hiring vendors, make sure you not only love their work, but you love their personalities and you feel comfortable working with them on the most important day of your life. The biggest piece of advice I can offer here is to hire a wedding planner! I’ve never talked to anyone who regretted hiring a planner, but I’ve talked to plenty of couples who regretted not hiring a planner.
Relax and let your professionals take care of all the details.
If you hire amazing vendors (especially your wedding planner!), you won’t have to worry about anything! Your vendors will tell you everything you need to know, ask the important questions, and make sure everything is taken care of! The rest of your wedding planning will be stress-free!
Get married to the love of your life!
Enjoy the fruits of your wedding planning, and celebrate the first day of your marriage with the people who are the most important to you!
Are you looking for a wedding photographer? I woud LOVE to work with you! Send me a message 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 Couples and Engagement Sessions 2018
Of course, I couldn’t write a Best of Weddings 2018 blog post, without also writing a Best of Couples and Engagement Sessions 2018 blog post. I specialize in photography for two two things: weddings and couples, because these are the two things I absolutely LOVE to photograph. I always talk about how much I love weddings, and why I love them so much, but I don’t post as much on social media about why I also love being a couples photographer.
Two of my three wedding photography packages include a complimentary engagement session. This isn’t only a benefit for the couple, it’s a benefit for me as well. Engagement sessions are such a great way for me to get to know my couples before the wedding day. They get to learn my posing and directing style while we chat about their wedding day. This is such great practice, because once the wedding day comes along, my couples already know all the poses. And they already know that they loved their engagement photos, so they don’t have to worry about whether or not they are going to love their wedding photos.
Another benefit of the engagement session is it’s a great opportunity for my couples to communicate their hopes for their wedding photos. Maybe they get the images back and they realize that they loved the twirling photos, and want more like that on their wedding day. Or maybe they didn’t like the sitting photos, and want to skip those on the wedding day. This is another reason a trial run is so important!
Not to mention, my couples get awesome photos of the two of them that they can print and frame. Most of my couples (even the grooms) have a blast at the session. It’s like a date where you get to snuggle up to and flirt with your favorite person. What could be better?!
Besides just engagement sessions, some of my couples come back to me for anniversary sessions. And some couples who are just dating and want beautiful photos with their significant other come to me for photos as well. Any time I can get couples in front of my camera, I’m all for it!
Check out some of my favorite couples and engagement session photos from the year. A lot of these couples used some of my favorite engagement session locations. Some of these couples got married this year as well, and some of them will have awesome weddings that I’ll get to photograph next year. This year was amazing, and I’m so looking forward to 2019!
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!
The 15 Best Locations for Engagement Sessions In Indianapolis
The number one question I get from my couples when we’re planning for their engagement session is what are some of the best locations near Indianapolis. Well, let me start by saying, I can work with any location. An engagement session is really about the couple and their love. But with that being said, a great background can really enhance your photos. So today, I’m sharing my top 15 favorite engagement session locations in the Indianapolis area.
The Central Library
Technically to shoot inside the library, you need to purchase a $50 permit. However, you can shoot outside of the central library for free. This is one of my go-to locations during the winter time when park areas tend to be more brown and muddy.
2. Fort Harrison State Park
Fort Harrison State Park is one of the most beautiful places in Indiana during the spring, summer, and fall. There are so many different background options that I sometimes spend over an hour and a half just at this one location during an engagement session. There are trails, tree backgrounds, bridges, lakes, and streams. Just keep in mind that there is an $11 entrance fee per vehicle to get into the park.
3. Holiday Park
Holiday Park is one of the completely free spots for photos in the area. It’s located in the Broad Ripple area, so it’s perfect for couples who want one green park location, and then want to use a coffee shop or something similar for a second location. Holiday Park is so beautiful in the spring, summer, or fall, but this is also a spot I can recomend in the winter since they have a lot of ever-green trees. The only downside to this location is that is very popular for photography, so we usually have to work around all of the other photographers at the park.
4. Monument Circle
Monument Circle is perfect at any time of year. It’s a great choice for couples who love the look of downtown photos. It has one of my favorite sunset views of the capital building. The downsides of this location are that parking can be difficult to find, and depending on what’s going on downtown, it can be very crowded.
5. CoxHall Gardens
CoxHall Gardens in Carmel, Indiana is probably one of the most popular locations for photos and photographers in Indiana. Every time I visit this location, I know I have to prepared to wait my turn for certain spots in the park. But it’s so worth it, because this place is gorgeous! I even took most of my own head shots here! Also, Coxhall gardens is completely free to use.
6. Eagle Creek Park
Eagle Creek Park is one of my favorite places to go hiking and kayaking in Indianapolis. They also have a high ropes corse that I’ve been dying to try. But, of, course, in addition to these things, it’s beautiful for photos. They have diverse backgrounds from ponds, to trails, beautiful tree lines, and the reservoir. It’s so beautiful in the fall especially!
7. The Newfields
The Newfields was formerly known as the Indiana Museum of Art. They require a $50 pass to photograph engagement sessions on their property, but it’s so worth it! They have a green house, beautiful architecture, and an amazing garden. I recomend this location to any of my couples that are willing to spend the extra money on a great location!
8. Holcomb Gardens
Holcomb Gardens is located on Butler University’s campus in Broad Ripple. This location is completely free with easy parking and is beautiful at any time of the year. There are a few different background options, so you really can’t go wrong with this choice.
9. Apple Orchard
Apple Orchards are perfect for fall engagement sessions. Many Apple Orchards will let you shoot there for free, and most of them are big enough that even if there are other photographers, we won’t have an issue finding a good spot for photos. Of course, there’s the added bonus of getting some cider after the session.
10. Tree Farm
Christmas Tree Farms are the perfect location for a winter engagement session. Most tree farms will also let you shoot there for free. It’s a great way to still get some greenery in your engagement photos even after all of the leaves have fallen of the trees. You could even pick out your first Christmas tree together while you’re there!
11. Brown County State Park
I know that Brown County State Park isn’t technically in the Indianapolis area, but I just had to include it. In my opinion the overlooks at this park are the most beautiful views in Indiana. It costs $11 per vehicle to get into the park, but it’s so worth it for those views!
12. The Canal Walk
The Canal Walk is perfect for couples who love a mix of nature and the city. There are so many great diverse backgrounds within a short walking distance from each other. The downsides are the crowds on nice days and the fact that parking has been getting more and more difficult lately.
13. Southeastway Park
I had no idea that this park even existed until a client suggested it since it was close to their house. I’m so glad they did, because I found a new location that I love! Southeastway Park is a large, gorgeous park with diverse background options that is free for photographers to use.
14. Vineyard and Winery
Wineries and Vineyards are the perfect engagement session locations for the sophisticated, wine-loving couples. I find vineyards to have such an elegant feeling. A lot of the local vineyards will let you shoot there for free. Just make sure to get permission first!
15. Your Wedding Venue
I have had several of my couples reach out to their wedding venue to ask if we can shoot their engagement session there. It’s a great opportunity for us to explore your wedding venue together before your wedding day!
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
Christmas Themed Winter Wedding at Plum Creek Golf Club | Caitlyn and Sean
Caitlyn and Sean had such a beautiful and fun Christmas themed winter wedding tonight. First of all, let me just say that these two are amazing for trusting me enough to take photos outside in the 25 degree weather for over 45 minutes. I would definitely say that it was so worth it for beautiful natural light portraits around the gorgeous golf course.
I don’t get the opportunity to photography very many December weddings. Last year I didn’t have any. It’s not a very popular time of year to get married here in Indianapolis due to the freezing temperatures, but I just adore winter weddings, and I can’t thank this amazing bride and groom enough for deciding on a winter wedding!
The lights on the Christmas trees made for such beautiful bokeh behind the detail photos, the ceremony photos, and the reception photos! I just loved the adorable Christmas theme that was present throughout the ceremony, reception, and details. One of my favorite things about this wedding was the fact that Caitlyn and Sean gave all of their guests Christmas tree ornaments as their favors/gifts.
Caitlyn and Sean, from spending the day with you two today, I can tell that you are two of the most amazing people with the most beautiful hearts and you are truly soulmates. I loved your wedding so much that I had to get these photos up the same night as your wedding. I hope you enjoy these sneak peaks as I finish editing your full gallery. I can’t wait to send you the rest!
The Vendor Team:
Indiana Photographers: Rakoteet Photography
Florist: Kathys Closet
Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes and Sam’s Club
DJ: DJ Connection
Hair: Mallorie Hook
Makeup: Olivia Rodriguez
Catering: Sahm’s Catering
Bridal Gown: Brides by Young
Dress Designer: Pronovias
Bridesmaid Dress: Amazon
Shoes: Amazon
Rings: Family Heirlooms
Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Invitation Suites: Zazzle
Videography: Zander Nunnelly
Favors/Gifts: hobby lobby ornaments
How to Plan the Perfect Wedding Day Timeline
As your wedding photographer, my goal is always to provide you with a wide variety of amazing images on your wedding day. As the bride and groom, you should always be stress-free and joyful, focusing on each other and your friends and family. These things can only be accomplished with good planning and an amazing timeline, which is why today, I’m sharing with you how to plan the perfect wedding day timeline.
Bridal Details: 45 minutes
The first thing I’ll do when I arrive to your getting ready location is start on the details. During this time, I like to photograph both the bride’s and groom’s details. I ask that you compile all of the details into one box or bag, and have them ready for me in the bridal suite. Here are some items to include in your bridal details: all three rings, the invitation suite, shoes, jewelry, perfume, watch, tie, a few loose florals if possible, the bridal bouquet, and any other personal details that you would like photographed. I also photograph the bride’s dress at this time.
Bridal Prep: 30 minutes
Next, I’ll capture the last 30 minutes of the bride getting ready, which can include a few staged touched up’s of hair and makeup, robe photos, and the bride getting into her dress. I usually ask that the mother of the bride and the bridesmaids are already dressed and ready before helping the bride into her dress. After getting into her dress, the bride can put on her shoes and earrings, and I will do a few additional getting ready portraits. If you’ve hired a second shooter, the groom’s prep photos can happen at the same time.
First Look: 15 minutes
This is my absolute favorite part of the wedding day, and it’s almost always my couple’s favorite part of their wedding day! I spend time before the wedding scouting for the perfect location for you to have a beautiful private moment together.
Bride and Groom Photos: 30 minutes
Right after the first look, we will go into 30 minutes of bride and groom photos. Although, I will take as much time as you will give me for these! These will be the photos you will print and hang on your walls and the ones you will pass down to future generations. I like to get you as much variety as possible in terms of posing, angles, and different background options that your venue offers.
Bridal Party Photos: 30 minutes
This timeframe really depends on your specific wedding. If you have a large bridal party and/or you’ve only booked one photographer with no second shooter, I would bump this up to 45 minutes. During bridal party photos, I take individual photos of the bride with each bridesmaids, group bridesmaid photos, individual photos of the groom with each groomsmen, group groomsmen photos, as well as full bridal party photos.
Family Photos: 30 minutes
These can either take place before the ceremony or right after the ceremony. I send out a questionnaire before the wedding to get a list of the exact groupings that you want for your formal family photos.
Bride in Hiding: 30 minutes
I like to send the bride to hide 30 minutes prior to the ceremony. This is when your guests will start arriving , and you don’t want them to see you in your dress until the ceremony starts!
Reception Details: 30 minutes
It’s so important to take photos of the reception details untouched, BEFORE guests are allowed in. Once guests start arriving, the room will be filled with bags, drinks, coats, and people, and I won’t be able to get the detail photos that I need to. You’ve put so much thought and money into your reception decor, so it’s important to set aside time for me to take these photos. If your ceremony and reception are at the same venue, I can do this right before the ceremony while the bride is in hiding. If you have multiple venues, we may have to get more creative with the timeline in order to make sure we get these shots. Make sure to check with your venue, caterer, and florist to make sure that your reception will be fully set up before I am scheduled to take these photos.
Ceremony: 30 minutes
In general, wedding ceremonies take around 30 minutes. There are exceptions such as Catholic masses that may cause the ceremony to be much longer. If you’re having an outdoor ceremony, planning your ceremony for about 1-1.5 hours before sunset (sunset time will depend on the time of year) will be best for lighting if you want gorgeous lighting for your ceremony images.
Sunset Photos: 15 minutes
If you plan your ceremony for 1-1.5 hours before sunset, these can happen right after the ceremony. Depending on the time of year or if you decide to have your ceremony much earlier, these may need to be scheduled in the middle of the reception. I promise, that sunset photos are always worth it! They are always my (and my couples’) favorite images from the day. Gorgeous lighting makes the biggest difference.
Reception: At least 2 hours
Make sure that the amount of time you’ve booked me for will last at least 2 hours into your reception. This assures that I can capture all of your formalities. When you’re planning your timeline with your DJ, make sure he or she knows how long you have your photographer for, so he or she can make sure all of the formalities will happen before I’m scheduled to leave. Sometimes DJ’s like to schedule the bouquet and garter toss for the middle of the reception instead of closer to when other formalities are happening.
I hope this timeline helps you as you’re planning your wedding! If you have an questions, leave them in the comments below or email me directly by sending me a message on my contact page!
Elegant Winter Rooftop Wedding
I traveled 5.5 hours to work with Holly Jo, Aavante, and this incredible vendor team, and every second of it was completely amazing. These two had such beautiful chemistry, the rooftop views were perfect with the winter snow covering the ground, and the elegant black and white color scheme had this wedding photographer completely in love!
I have photographed a few other black and white themed weddings this year, and, although I just adore lots of color, the simplicity of black and white has such an elegance to it that it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite color schemes!
This was my first time in Madison Wisconsin, but I hope it won’t be my last! Although it’s so much colder than Indiana and the sun sets so much earlier, the snow covering the ground was just perfect for a winter wedding! And luckily these two Wisconsin natives were used to the cold, and had no problem being outside all day for portraits. They were such troopers! Plus I had no idea that Madison had such amazing venues!
Can you even believe these stunning, over-the-top florals? My jaw was on the floor as soon as I saw the elegant black and white centerpiece and bouquet! My favorite florist in the world, Sarah from Intrigue Designs always does the most amazing job creating luxury floral pieces!
It was so difficult to narrow down this event to an acceptable number of images for a blog post, so I apologize in advance for over-sharing. Enjoy my favorite photos from this amazing day!
Vendors:
Planning & Creative Direction: Heather Benge Events
Assistant Coordinator: High Profile Events
Venue: The Loft at 132
Stationery: LK Bridal Studio
Hair & Makeup: Lovely Elegance
Gown: Watters
Cake: My Dulce Cakes
Florals: Intrigue Designs
Rentals: Relics Vintage Rentals
Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes
Fairytale-Themed Laurel Hall Wedding in Indianapolis
Continuing on with our series on my favorite weddings of the year, I’m so happy to be sharing Cam and Chelseigh’s Laurel Hall Wedding today. These two were one of all-time favorite couples to work with. They were so sweet and kind to everyone around them, and so absolutely joyful on their wedding day. I love to work with couples who are as head-over-heels in love as this beautiful bride and groom.
Chelseigh dreamed of a fairy-tale wedding. They chose Laurel Hall as their beautiful castle, and Chelseigh was truly a princess in her stunning gown from Sophia’s Bridal. Everything about their wedding was magical from the incredible floral arch and centerpieces to the love and joy of their friends and family.
I also loved that they chose to get married on a Sunday. June is such a popular time to get married, and I can only be in one place at a time. Couples who choose to get married on Fridays and Sundays give me the opportunity to shoot so many more weddings than I would have been able to otherwise. I even shot a handful of weekday (Monday-Thursday) weddings this year!
Another reason this was one of my favorite weddings is that Cam and Chelseigh gave me over an hour for just bride and groom photos! AND they made time for sunset photos! With all that time, we were able to capture a wide variety of photos all over Laurel Hall’s estate, and I delivered 244 photos of just the two of them!
Cam and Chelseigh booked 9 hours of coverage with an engagement session. All together, I delivered 1,068 photos a week and a half after their wedding. I honestly smiled at my computer the entire time I was editing these photos, because the joy of their day was just so contagious. Enjoy some of my favorites from their wedding!
A HUGE thank you to the incredible vendor team:
Indianapolis Wedding Photographers: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Laurel Hall
Florist: The Flower Market
Cake: Heavenly Sweets Cakes/Noblesville, Indiana
Catering: Hoaglin Catering
Bride and Bridesmaid dresses: Sophia's Bridal, Tux & Prom
Shoes: Michael Kors
Jewlery: Indy Facets Private Jeweler
Favors: Olivia Macaron
Christmas Tree Farm Couples Session in Indianapolis | Nicole and Brandon
Today’s Christmas Tree Farm Couple’s session was so special for me! It’s not every day that I get to take photos of my own baby sister and her boyfriend. I have been wanting to get these two in front of my camera for so long. We actually wanted to do fall Brown County and vineyard photos, but unfortunately between my busy fall wedding season and working around two nurses’ schedules, we weren’t able to schedule anything until now, so we decided that a Christmas tree farm couples session would be adorable. Nicole loves Christmas more than anyone I’ve ever met, and Brandon loves her, so this location was perfect.
We met this afternoon at Watts Christmas Tree Farm and Sparkle Shop (the best name ever for a tree shop) at Traders Point Creamery in our home town of Zionsville. I was hoping that our snow from a few days ago would stick around for our session, but the surprisingly warm weather was nice as well! We took a few adorable photos while they looked around for the perfect Christmas Tree for Brandon’s home, killing two birds with one stone. They ended up settling on the perfect little tree, which was actually one that we took photos in front of.
Am I biased or are these two the most adorable couple ever? I’m sure you’ll see them popping up on my blog and social media a lot more in the near future (it must be nice to have a sister who’s a professional wedding and couple’s photographer ;) ). We still need to do that Brown County and Vineyard Session once spring comes. In the mean time, enjoy the photos from our tree farm session this afternoon!
Industrial Engagement Session at INDUSTRY
I had so much fun with Leah and Devin tonight during their engagement session at INDUSTRY, one of my favorite wedding venues in Indianapolis.
These two are the winners of INDUSTRY’s unique REAL wedding experience. Leah and Devin receive a completely free wedding, including all of their vendors. They get to bring their bridal party, invite their own guests, and really get married. But in addition to their own guests, the wedding will be open to the public as well, so future brides and grooms can experience a wedding at INDUSTRY and see all of the vendors in action. I love the concept of the combination of a wedding and a bridal show and I can’t wait to be a part of it!
I’ll be posting on social media as soon as tickets for the event are available. In the mean time, enjoy these photos from Leah and Devin’s engagement session!
St. Louis Wedding at Haue Valley
Vendors:
Host: Styled Shoots Across America
Planning & Creative Direction: Heather Benge Events
Venue: Haue Valley
Stationery: Okota Weddings
Hair & Makeup: Eye Do STL
Gown Salon: Signature Bridal
Cake: Cake House Design
Florals: Intrigue Designs
Linens: Nuage Designs
Cows: Crooked Creek Beef
Caterer: Graze Catering
Jewelry: Ariem Treasures
Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes
Ritz Charles Wedding in Carmel, Indiana | Elizabeth and Michael
Every single speech during the reception last night mentioned Beth’s infection laugh. And I got to experience it all day long. Elizabeth and Michael are truly the most joyful couple that I’ve had the pleasure of working with. My husband, Andry second shot this wedding with me, and he completely agreed that Michael and Beth’s Ritz Charles wedding was one of our all time favorites. From Elizabeth’s elegant ball gown, to the amazing lighting in the getting ready rooms, to the beautiful portrait locations in downtown Carmel, to the perfectly planned timeline, this wedding photographer was head over heels in love with everything and everyone I had the pleasure of photographing.
I was recommended to Elizabeth by her sister, who is also an amazing wedding photographer. Check out here work here! Ivana was Elizabeth’s matron of honor, so she couldn’t photograph her sister’s wedding. I was SO honored that she trusted me enough to capture her sister’s wedding. As an older sister myself, I completely understand how much you want the best for your sibling, so it meant the world to me. Ivana’s husband, Steven, captured the videography for this wedding, and I can’t wait to see the video when it’s finished!
Elizabeth and Michael, your wedding day was beyond amazing, and Andry and I were so honored to be a part of it. You are two of the most joyful, genuine souls we’ve ever met, and we are praying for you as you enter into the awesome adventure of marriage. Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full gallery!
Vendor Team:
Carmel, Indiana Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Ritz Charles
Florist: Kroger
Bridal Gown: Marie Gabriel Couture Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: The Dessy Group
Rings: James Allen (Michael's wedding band), Blue Nile (Elizabeth's wedding band)
Men’s Attire: The Black Tux
Videography: Ivana & Steven Videography
Photo booth: Picture Perfect Photo booth
What's In My Camera Bag | The Best Equipment For Wedding Photography
Today, I’m sharing with you every single piece of equipment, large and small that I use to photograph weddings (and couples sessions). I’ve built up my inventory over the past few years, and I’ve done tons and tons and tons of research of every single one of these items. I’ll give you my honest opinions on all of them and show you exactly how I use them with photo examples. As a disclaimer, if you decide to click on any of the links in this article and purchase any of these items through my links, I do receive a small commission. However, I can guarantee that all of these items are actually in my camera bag, and I truly believe this is the best equipment for wedding photography.
Cameras
I shoot with two Nikon D750’s on a wedding day. Of all the cameras I’ve used, this one is my absolutely favorite. I love the Nikon D750 and the colors that come out of it. Something that is really important to me, and should be important for any wedding photographer, is dual memory card slots. This means that every time I take a photo, it is saved to two different memory cards. As rare as it is for a memory card to get corrupted, as a wedding photographer, you need to be prepared for any situation without it affecting your client’s images. I have never had a problem with a memory card, but I feel so much better knowing I have another copy of the photos if something were to happen. Another option is the Refurbished Nikon D750. This version is a tiny bit cheaper. One of my D750’s was new, and the other I bought refurbished.
My backup camera is my Nikon D810. I know it might not make a lot of sense for this to be my backup camera considering it’s more expensive than the D750, and thought to be a better camera than the D750. I used to shoot with one D750 and one D810, but I realized I prefer the colors that come out of the D750, and it’s easier to edit images consistently if they are coming from the same type of camera. In addition to being my wedding backup, I like to use my D810 for landscape and travel photos. I used it for all of my Europe photos. The D810 also has dual card slots, but instead of taking two SD cards like the D750, it takes an SD and a CF card.
My second backup camera is my Nikon D3300. This is an entry level camera, great for anyone just starting out with photography. It was my first DSLR. I kept it around to use a a second backup, because you can never be too prepared when it comes to your client’s wedding images. I’m sure you’re probably getting the gist by now that I go a little overboard when it comes to back ups. Better safe than sorry!
Lenses
My absolute favorite lens is my Sigma Art 135mm 1.8. I use it whenever I can get far enough away from my subject for it to make sense. It provides beautiful compression, creating that nice background blur, and allowing my subject to really stand out in the photo. It comes in handy for ceremonies as well, especially in churches where I can’t stand very close to the bride and groom. I even use it for reception details sometimes.
Ever wonder how I get those close up ring shots? It’s my Tokina 100mm 2.8 Macro. A macro lens is an important addition to any wedding photographer’s collection. I use it for rings, details, and sometimes even for portraits. In my opinion, the Tokina version of this lens is very high quality, but it’s so much cheaper than other macro lenses. I always recomend this macro!
My Nikkor 85mm 1.8 comes in handy when I want a little more background compression than my 50mm, but I can’t quite get far enough away from my subject to use my 135mm.
My Nikkor 50mm 1.4 is by far the most versatile lens in my collection. I use this guy far more often than I use any other lens. It’s on one of my camera bodies almost the entire wedding day.
I use my Sigma Art 35mm 1.4 for large group photos like the bridal party and family photos. I also usually use this lens to capture the groom’s reaction to the bride coming down the aisle since I’m normally standing pretty close to him, next to the first row of seats.
I also find a wide angle lens to be super important. I love my Tokina 16-28mm 2.8. I use this for full room shots of the reception, a wide shot of the entire ceremony, and I’ve also had to use it when I’m in a really tight room where I can’t back up very far but I need to photos of very large groups, like the extended family. It’s also my favorite lens for travel and landscape photography.
Flashes
For receptions, and other dark spaces, I use two Nikon SB 700’s, one on my camera, and one off my camera on a stand. I use triggers to help the flashes communicate with each other and know when to fire. This helps me to light the room beautifully for a consistent style even in a dark reception.
On my other camera, I use a Yongnuo Flash. This is a great, super cheap flash option. Although I do prefer my SB 700’s.
Accessories
My secret weapon is my Holdfast Moneymaker. This is a harness that allows me to carry two cameras at once. As you may have noticed above, I prefer to shoot with prime (non-zoom) lenses For this reason, it’s super important that I shoot with two cameras, so I can easily switch back and forth between different focal lengths. In addition to also providing extra backup, it just looks really cool and professional. I get so many compliments on it from guests at every wedding.
Of course, SD and CF cards are important for shooting the photos! I find these SD Cards and these CF Cards to be the highest quality. I used to use cheap memory cards, but it slowed me down so much because I had to stop and wait for the cards to finish writing before I could take more photos. I highly recomend using these cards, because they are the fastest ones you can buy.
You’ll also need an SD Card Holder to protect your cards when you fill them up and need to switch them out on a wedding day. I have two of these, because I use 8 memory cards when I’m shooting a wedding by myself, and 16 when I have a second shooter. This may sound like a lot, but remember, I shoot with two cameras at a time, and they each have dual card slots.
Lastly, this is the backpack that I use to carry all of my gear around on a wedding day.
Leave a comment below letting me know if you have any questions OR tell me your favorite equipment for wedding photography!
Indianapolis And Destination Wedding Photographers: Rakoteet Photography
Downtown Indianapolis Wedding at Canal 337
Now that I’ve started blogging all of my wedding and couples photography, I wish I had started way sooner! Over my past few posts, I have fallen in love with sharing my heart and my clients’ stories. (Side not - it feels so weird to call people clients when I grow to know and love them so much!). So now that my busy wedding season is slowing down with the colder weather here in Indianapolis, I want to start sharing some of my favorite weddings from earlier this year before I started blogging.
Amanda and Sean’s wedding was one of my absolute favorites this year! They were married in late September at Canal 337. It was my first time working at this gorgeous venue, and a certainly hope it won’t be the last! I instantly feel in love with this downtown Indianapolis venue. Canal 337 sits right at the end of the canal walk, making it a perfect location for stunning photos. Amanda and Sean wanted to prioritize variety of backgrounds for their photos, and we certainly managed to accomplish that while staying perfectly on schedule.
The vendor team for this wedding was another dream team! It was my first time getting to work with the incredibly talented Bella Sorella Floral Design. I will certainly be recommending her to my clients from now on, because she did an amazing job! I was also obsessed with Amanda’s Christina Wu wedding dress from Nancy’s Bridal Boutique.
Amanda and Sean booked 6 hours of photography coverage, and they received a gallery of 840 beautifully edited, high resolution photos less than a week after their wedding.
Here are a few of my favorite photos from their wedding day. Enjoy!
Vendor Team:
Indianapolis Wedding Photographers: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Canal 337
Florist: Bella Sorella Floral Design
Cake: Carmel Classic Cakes
Donuts: Jack’s Donuts
DJ: Sound Advice
Caterer: Thomas Caterers of Distinction
Gown: Nancy’s Bridal Boutique Designer: Christina Wu
Shoes: DSW
Jewelry/Rings: Diamonds Direct
Men’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank
Magical Moments Event Planning Head Shots and Branding Session
They say it’s the people you work with that determine how you feel about your job. And while I absolutely love what I actually do for a living, I also love the industry and the incredible, creative, and talented people I get to meet and work with along the way. My clients are amazing and mean the world to me, but the amazing vendors I work alongside make my job so easy and fun! That’s why I loved the opportunity to shoot a branding session and head shots for one of my favorite wedding planning teams, Magical Moments Event Planning.
The story of how I got connected with these two shows the power of relationships in this industry. I was heading home from a wedding late at night earlier this year when I received an Instagram message from Chrissy, the owner of Special Occassion Design asking me to come shoot a styled shoot the next morning. I had met Chrissy a few weeks earlier when I was photographing a floral workshop she attended. Of course, I jumped at the chance to work with a talented florist, and I also got the opportunity to work with some awesome vendors I hadn’t worked with before like Magical Moments Event Planning.
I’m so glad we got connected, because I loved working with this awesome mother-daughter duo! We actually worked together on our first real wedding this past weekend, and these two knocked it out of the park yet again. I’m also shooting Amanda’s destination wedding in Mexico in a few months, and I’m sure it’s going to be amazing, especially with all of the wedding planning experience her and her mom have! I shot Amanda’s engagement session a few months ago, and I loved getting her in front of my camera again, and with her mom this time for some branding photos!
Shooting head shots/branding photos for other wedding industry professionals is such an honor. These two are such a talented and creative pair, and I feel so privileged to get to be a small part of their brand. Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from our session this afternoon!
