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A Newfields Engagement Session | Priya and Shane
Pryia and Shane’s Newfields engagement session this afternoon was a dream come true for me as a wedding photographer. These two high school sweethearts were absolutely adorable in front of the camera! I loved getting to explore the museum and gardens with them even if we had to navigate the large crowds. It was such a beautiful day outside today after a rainy week, so it was no wonder everyone wanted to head to the Indiana Museum of Art to enjoy the nice, sunny weather!
Even though this couple is not from Indianapolis, a friend’s wedding nearby in Carmel was the perfect time to shoot an engagement session while they were close by. We had just enough time to head to Newfields for a beautiful session during the cocktail hour of their friend’s wedding.
Newfields is one of my favorite places in Indianapolis for engagement sessions, weddings, and any other type of photo sessions or events, because there is such a wide variety of amazing photography backdrops throughout the huge garden area outside of the museum. There is stunning architecture of the Lily hourse, beautiful flowers all around, and lush green areas around the grounds. There’s also a super cool green house, which is such a unique spot for photos!
Priya and Shane were such a sweet and fun couple. I LOVED getting to know them and chat about their wedding day. They’re getting married next March at at the Scottish Rite Cathedral and with Jean from Blue Llama Events planning their wedding, I already know it’s going to be an incredible day. I’m already SO looking forward to their amazing downtown Indianapolis wedding next year!
Priya and Shane, enjoy these sneak peaks from our engagement session this afternoon. Your full gallery will be on its way to your inbox super soon!
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
Six Wedding Favor Ideas To Make Your Guests Feel Extra Special
Wedding favors can be such a fun little addition to your wedding day if you have a little bit of extra room in your budget to make your guests feel extra special. Usually, these little gifts would be left for each wedding guest at their seat when they sit down for dinner. They can take the favors home from the wedding to enjoy as a reminder of your special day.
Forever Wedding Favors sent me six wedding favors to test out and review for you, so I can’t wait to show you these fun ideas!
These cute, bear hug salt and pepper shakers are perfect if you want your favors to be super useful for your guests in their every day lives.
Key shaped bottle openers are a classic wedding favor. Who doesn’t want a practical addition to their key ring?
This wine bottle opener is probably my favorite wedding favor idea! I’m a big wine lover, so I’ve seen a lot of different types of wine bottle openers, but I’ve never seen one this cute! I thought it was an actual miniature wine bottle at first.
This pack of playing cards is perfect for the game loving couple!
This heart-shaped wine stopper is such a cute, classic, and practical favor!
And last but not least, these love magnets are an adorable reminder of your wedding day that will be on your guests’s refrigerators for years to come.
You can find all of these adorable wedding favors in addition to hundreds of other ideas over at Forever Wedding Favors. Most of their favors are around $1.19, which allows you to add something fun to your guest experience without having it eat up too much of your wedding budget. I hope you found these few little favor ideas helpful when deciding on favors for your wedding day!
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
Five Ways You Can Include Your Mom on Your Wedding Day
Happy Mother’s Day! If you’re currently planning a wedding, today may be a reminder of not only how much you love your mom, but also that you want to include her in the wedding as much as possible. Let’s face it: moms are superheroes. And after everything your mom has done for your in your life, the least you can do is show her a little love on your wedding day. Here are my top five ways you can include your mom on your wedding day, and make her feel extra loved and special.
1. Let her get ready with you
Your wedding day is not only the biggest day of your life, but it’s an emotional day for your mom too. She’ll love getting to be there as you’re getting ready and to be able to get ready with you. She’s probably been there with you through your whole wedding planning journey for moments like picking out your dress and going with you to get it altered. This makes her the perfect person to help you put on your wedding dress on your wedding day. Someone has to button all those buttons, and your mom might be the best person to help. Plus is makes for some beautiful photos of sweet memories.
2. Wear her Jewelry
Wearing your mother’s jewelry is a wonderful way to check “something borrowed” off your list of things you need for good luck. On my own wedding day, I wore my mom’s pearl necklace that was passed down to her by her mom. It was so special to both me and my mom. But if a necklace doesn’t go well with your dress, you could also borrow a bracelet, a ring, or a pair of her earrings.
3. Have her escort you down the aisle
Traditionally, fathers escort their daughters down the aisle to meet their groom.. But there is nothing wrong with breaking away from tradition and having both parents walk you down the aisle. Your mom will love being included in “giving you away.”
4. Save her a seat
Usually, unless you’re doing a sweetheart table, the bridal party sits next to the bride and groom at the reception. But, at a few weddings I’ve photographed, the bride and groom saved the seats right next to them for their mothers. I thought this was the sweetest way for them to spend time with their mothers during the reception, and show their moms just how important they are.
5. Gift her with a parent wedding album
Last but not least, you can even include your mom after the wedding by gifting her with a parent wedding album. Usually parent albums are a smaller version of your own wedding album. She will love having a physical book in her home to reminisce on your wedding day for years to come.
Are you looking for a 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.
Surprise Proposal During West Virginia University Graduation Ceremony
At West Virginia University’s graduation ceremony this weekend, most of the excited graduates and their friends and family expected a perfectly normal commencement with an encouraging speech by a successful alumna before all of the graduation candidates walk on stage to receive their diplomas. But THIS graduation was about to be so much more special than usual. As the very last graduate walked across the stage, the announcer asked Skyler to come up on stage. Dylan got down on one knee in front of the entire auditorium and asked her to marry him while the whole crowd cheered for them. What a perfect surprise proposal! Of course, she said yes!
After learning more about Skyler and Dylan’s story, I learned that this was the perfect proposal for them as a couple. They’ve been dating for a couple years and have been talking about getting married for so long. But Skyler wanted to wait until after Dylan graduated from college. Dylan wanted to propose to Skyler so badly that he proposed the very second that he graduated. He couldn’t wait 5 more minutes. It’s also the last thing that Skyler would have expected. She’s an extrovert, but Dylan is more reserved and doesn’t like to be the center of attention, so she would have never expected him to propose in front of a crowd. I love how sweet and thoughtful he was to propose in the way he did.
I’ve gotten to know Skyler over the past year and a half or so as she helped with her mom, Sarah’s, workshop tour across the country with her wedding floral business, Intrigue Designs. I got to photograph the behind the scenes of her workshops at quite of few of their tour stops. I was SO incredibly honored with Sarah asked me to come to West Virginia to photograph such an important moment in Skyler and Dylan’s lives.
Skyler and Dylan, enjoy these sneak peaks from your engagement! Your full gallery will be ready super soon!
Florals by Intrigue Designs with flowers from Kroger
Ritchie Woods Nature Preserve and Mustard Seed Gardens Engagement Session | Colleen and Joe
Last night, I had the pleasure of photographing the most amazing spring engagement session with the most gorgeous and sweet couple, Colleen and Joe at Ritchie Woods Nature Preserve in Fishers and Mustard Seed Gardens in Noblesville. Spring is in the air, and all of the budding trees and spring flowers made our engagement session so beautiful. We had to change the date of the engagement session last minute to avoid these April showers we’ve been having, and I’m so glad we did, because we ended up with the PERFECT day.
I first met Colleen a couple years ago when she coordinated a few weddings that I photographed. She always does such an amazing job coordinating weddings, which is how I know her wedding is going to be absolutely incredible! Colleen and Joe are having a destination wedding! Destination weddings are super popular amongst people who work in the wedding industry, and after joining the wedding industry myself, I can definitely understand why. Destination weddings are extra special and beautiful. Their wedding will be in Charleston, South Carolina at a stunning plantation wedding venue, Runnymede Plantation.
I absolutely can’t wait for their wedding. It will be so amazing to get to photograph this gorgeous couple among the famous Oak trees with the Spanish moss and the beautiful southern plantation architecture. AND their wedding is on “Leap Day” since next year is a leap year. How fun is that?!
Colleen and Joe, enjoy these sneak peaks from your engagement session. I can’t wait to finish editing your full gallery!
Are you looking for a wedding or couples photographer in Indiana or anywhere else in the world? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page to see if I have your date available!
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!
Katie and Justin's Engagement Session at Holiday Park in Broad Ripple
After a rainy few April days this past week, we ended up with PERFECT weather for Katie and Justin’s Engagement Session at Holiday Park in Broad Ripple yesterday evening. It was 70 degrees with only light clouds in the sky. We could not have had a more ideal situation for our engagement session. Our golden hour session made for the most beautiful, soft, glowy light for all of our photos. Holiday Park was a great location for our session, because it provides a wide variety of background options, which is just what these two asked for for their engagement session.
Katie and Justin are SO sweet together, and they are so much fun. I just LOVED the way they interacted naturally together. They were such natural models in front of the camera, so I know their wedding day is going to be so amazing. I can already imagine how beautiful their wedding photos will be!
I was already so looking forward to Katie and Justin’s wedding at Finely Creek Vineyards in June. I fell in love with Finely Creek Vineyards when I shot a beautiful fall wedding there last November. The outside of the venue provides so many amazing spots for photos such as the vineyards, the fields, the string lights, the arbor with a chandelier. The inside of the venue is very classy with white walls and beautiful chairs that they provide for the wedding guest tables.
Katie and Justin, enjoy these sneak peaks from your engagement session while I edit your full gallery! I can’t wait to send you the rest of the photos, and I’m already looking forward to your wedding day, which will be here before you know it!
Are you looking for a wedding or engagement session 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!
Anniversary Couples Session at Newfields | Christine and Caleb
Newfields, formerly known as the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA), is my absolute FAVORITE location in the Indianapolis area for engagement sessions, anniversary sessions, and couples sessions. Christine and Caleb’s anniversary session in the Newfields gardens certainly did not disappoint. Christine wore a beautiful flowy, lavender dress with was perfect for the romantic feel of the Newfields gardens. And I absolutely LOVE when my brides get bouquets for their engagement sessions or anniversary sessions. It adds so much to the vibe of the session, and as an added bonus, if gives you something to do with your hands for those of you that are like me who never know what to do with their hands while getting photos taken.
Unfortunately, we ended up with a cloudy and rainy day for photos, but that’s okay! We always make the best of any situation. Newfields offers such a wide variety of backdrops for photos including many places with coverings, so we didn’t have to worry too much about the rain. I brought my clear umbrellas, but we didn’t even end up needing them for photos. We only used them for walking between locations. We started out in the greenhouse. Newfields has the most adorable little greenhouse, and luckily we were the only ones in there. Next, we headed to the archway underneath the Lily house for more covered photos until the rain stopped. We ended our session on the stairs behind the Lily house and then in front of the Lily house. We had the most beautiful tulips in the background of our photos. All of the flowers are blooming at Newfields right now, and it made for an even more beautiful session.
I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite photo’s from Caleb and Christine's amazing anniversary session in the Newfields Gardens!
A HUGE thank you to all of the talented people who helped with this amazing session:
Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Florist: Angel Stoffregan with Fleurish Floral Designs
Hair: Allison Williams with Rae Luxury Hair
Couple: Christine and Caleb Tate
Planning and Design: Lillian Rose Photography
Are you looking for a wedding or couples 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!
Wedding Day Bridal Portraits in a Green House
One of my favorite parts of a wedding day is the bridal portraits. I don’t usually have a ton of time to take bridal portraits on a wedding day, so that we can save most of our portrait time for bride and groom images, but I love to save around 5-10 minutes to take some special photos of just the bride in her dress on the most important day of her life. Lily’s bridal portraits were particularly beautiful, because they took place in this gorgeous green house with the most amazing natural light. Here’s a fun fact: This greenhouse actually came from Euro Disney in Paris! How cool is that?!
Lily was SO much FUN to photograph. I love when my brides are this excited and happy to be marrying the love of their life and they smile this big in every photo. I love how she danced around and twirled her dress out of pure excitement. Any time I gave her direction, she took it and ran wth it, making all of the poses entirely her own. It was absolutely perfect.
Enjoy a few of my favorite photo’s from Lily’s wedding day greenhouse bridal portraits!
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 Engagement Session
How lucky am I as a photographer that I got to shoot two engagement sessions in the beautiful Cater Woolford Gardens in Atlanta, Georgia?! I always love getting to photograph weddings and couples in new cities all across the country and the world. Being a wedding photographer is already a dream job, but being a destination wedding photographer is the best job in the world. I don't have to shoot every wedding or session in an exotic location in another country. I get just as excited about shooting in new cities right here in the United States. And whenever I get to go someone a little warmer in the winter, well that's just a huge bonus!
Working with Emily and Trey for their couples session was especially awesome, because Emily herself is a wedding photographer in Atlanta, Georgia, and Trey works with her as her second shooter. I work with my husband, Andry, a lot in my business, so I always think it's fun when I meet other couples who work together as well. I'm always so honored when other wedding photographers choose me as their wedding and/or engagement session or couples session photographer. I know how picky us photographers are when it comes to hiring photographers for ourselves! These two were so comfortable in front of the camera, and they love to have tons of fun together! They were such natural models and were so good at taking my direction and running with it and turing it into cute poses that were so them!
Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from Emily and Trey's Cater Woolford Gardens engagement session!
Are you looking for a photographer for your wedding and engagement session? 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!
Cater Woolford Gardens Engagement Session
I first discovered Cater Woolford Gardens around a year ago online. I knew immediately that I wanted to shoot there the next time I was in Atlanta. Atlanta has so many amazing locations for engagement sessions. It makes me a little jealous of the photographers that get to shoot there all the time. Although, luckily, I have been getting to do weddings and engagement sessions in the Atlanta area more and more recently.
Cater Woolford Gardens provides such a wide variety of locations for photos. I love the elegant building with it’s white marble pillars, the woods with its blooming trees, the long staircase in the middle of the woods, and the garden area with its spring blooms. We chose the perfect time to visit Atlanta, because spring was in full force. There were beautiful flowers everywhere, and the trees were starting to get their leaves back. Jasmine’s choice of a light colored floral dress was perfect for the spring vibes of this engagement session.
I loved working with Jasmine and Karl. Jasmine is actually an Atlanta blogger over at http://nlovewithjasmine.webflow.io/. Her blog focuses on motherhood, fitness, relationships, and home decor. I would definitely recomend checking her out! Jasmine is SO gorgeous and was so comfortable in front of the camera. Her and Karl were just adorable together. It’s amazing when, as a photographer, I can tell how in love my couples are just by the way they interact with each other during their engagement session.
Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from Jasmine and Karl’s Cater Woolford Gardens engagement session!
Are you looking for a photographer for your wedding and engagement session? 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!
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!
Atlanta Engagement Session | Georgia Couples Photographer
One of my favorite things that I get to do in this business is travel and meet new people. Sabrina and Sahir were so sweet and amazing to work with during their couples session. We had originally planned to shoot at Chateau Elan, but unfortunately those plans fell through. I was actually glad they did, because we ended up shooting in the country club in Sahir’s parent’s neighborhood in Duluth, Georgia, and this place was a DREAM! There are so many beautiful locations in Atlanta for engagement sessions. As a photographer, I absolutely LOVE getting to photograph couples, engagement sessions, and weddings in Atlanta as well as the surrounding areas and suburbs.
Sabrina is actually an amazing fashion and lifestyle blogger over at https://simplysabrinablog.com/. She has some amazing beauty and travel tips that I love! Definitely check out her site! Being a blogger couple made these two much more comfortable and at ease in front of the camera. They are used to being models all the time, which made them so easy to pose and direct. These two are high school sweethearts that have been together for so long. They are such a charming couple, and just a pleasure to photograph.
Atlanta may be one of my new favorite locations for engagement sessions and weddings. Atlanta has such beautiful gardens as well as well as historic venues with southern charm. I’ve been to Atlanta before to photograph a beautiful wedding at the Swan House. If you haven’t checked out the swan house yet, you have to see photos of this amazing location. It’s actually in a lot of movies. It’s President Snow’s mansion in the Hunger Games.
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!
