Welcome to the Blog!
\
Indianapolis Product Photographer
As a full time wedding photographer, I don’t have many opportunities, especially during wedding season, to take on other types of photography clients. However, whenever I get the chance, I love to be able to mix up my typical wedding and engagement photography routine with some other fun types of photography, especially when these sessions are in Indianapolis or incorporate fun local Indiana locations. Product Photography is something I used to do a lot when I first got into photography, and I absolutely LOVED photographing products for both local and national companies.
That’s why I was so excited when Jess from Pember Home asked me to photograph their fun line of home decor products. Pember Home is located in Bloomington, Indiana. We ended up driving all around the city of Bloomington to incorporate all of the fun, colorful murals around the downtown area of the college town.
Pember Home is such a unique company with very interesting products that each come with their own backstory. Hector, the cat is a hipster, while Frank is more of a “fuddy duddy.” You can learn more about the animals and their individual personalities over on the Pember Home website here.
The Pember Home Brand is very colorful ad vibrant, so for their photos, we focused on colorful backdrops both in the city and using flat lays and our own backdrops. We also took staged photos of the products in a home, so Pember Home’s customers can see how they can be used as decor in different areas of the house.
This was such a fun an unique project for me. I loved getting back into product photography, which was one of my first loves back when I started on this photography journey. I hope to do more shoots like this in the future! If you’re interested in product photography, you can contact me here.
Eagle Creek Anniversary Session with a Puppy
Do you want to know what my favorite thing ever is when it comes to couples sessions? Okay, I have a lot of favorite things, but one of them is when my couples bring their dogs with them to their session. I was so excited when Shelby and Morgan contacted me to photograph their anniversary session at Eagle Creek park, and they wanted to bring their 5 month old puppy with them!
Shelby and Morgan’s dog, Andi (named after Anderson Orchard where they got married), was SO sweet and did such a good job being patient taking photos, and she loved getting to play with her mom and dad during our session. You could tell just how much she loved her parents, Shelby and Morgan. And whenever I asked Shelby and Morgan to kiss, Andi wanted in on the action too and started licking their faces. It was the cutest thing and made for some adorable candid photos.
Eagle Creek Park and Reservoir is one of my favorite places in the Indianapolis ares for engagement and anniversary couples sessions. It’s such a huge park with so many great background options. For Shelby and Morgan’s session, we opted for Lily Lake, one of the open fields with tall grass, and one of the docks on Eagle Creek Reservoir as our different background options. Shelby and Morgan were so natural in front of the camera. These two should definitely be models! It made for such a fun session, and we were able to be so efficient with our time, because they already knew exactly what to do.
Shelby and Morgan, I LOVED getting to photograph your anniversary session! Congratulations on one year of marriage. I hope you enjoy these sneak peaks, and I can’t wait to send you your full couples session gallery SO soon!
Downtown Indianapolis Canal Walk Engagement Session
I could not have possibly loved this Downtown Indianapolis Canal Walk Engagement Session any more than I did, because Cristina and Spencer are SUCH incredible people that make the most adorable couple! We had a blast walking the entire length of the canal and stopping at all of the good spots for photos. We started at the Indiana Government Center Pillars, and ended all the way at the waterfall by Canal 337 at the very end of the canal, and we got so many epic photos of this gorgeous pair along the way. I loved that Cristina and Spencer chose the downtown canal walk for their engagement session, because it’s a special place for them with sweet memories from when they were dating. It’s always so fun when couples choose locations that are meaningful to them in some way.
Cristina and Spencer have the sweetest love story. They met in college at the Library at Ball State (the same school I went to as well). After a few years of dating, Spencer proposed to Cristina in PARIS in front of the Louvre! Cristina was so surprised that she first replied with “seriously?” followed by “are you sure?” before finally saying “of course!” There’s no better place to propose than Paris, the city of love!
Cristina and Spencer are still figuring out their wedding plans, but the very first thing they wanted to do was book an engagement session to document their love. What a fun first step in the wedding planning process! I loved working with these two love birds SO much, and I can’t wait to hear all about their wedding when they start planning.
Cristina and Spencer, your engagement session was so amazing! I hope you enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full gallery! I can’t wait to send you the rest!
Lily House and Gardens Engagement Session at Newfields
Allison and Matt are the BEST and I loved their Lily House and Gardens engagement session at Newfields yesterday. I can’t believe I got to photograph couples that are high school sweethearts two days in a row! Allison and Matt have such a sweet love story. They dated for 12 years before getting engaged. After high school, they went to Indiana University together, then moved to Minnesota together, before finally moving back to Indianapolis together to get married and start the rest of their lives.
There are SO many great places to shoot at Newfields for both wedding and engagement sessions. For Allison and Matt’s session, we started the in greenhouse at the very back of the gardens. Next, we went to my favorite spot, which is the archway under the Lily House. Another one of my favorite spots is the bridge next to the Lily House. It’s always perfectly shaded, which makes it ideal for days when we have harsh sun but we have to shoot in the middle of the day. After an outfit change, we shot in front of the Lily House itself before ending out session in front of the white gates leading to the very last garden.
I seriously can not wait for their September wedding at The Sycamore at Mallow Run winery. It’s being panned by Danielle from D. Nicole Events, so I already know it’s going to be incredible and perfect. They’re planning a sweet, intimate, fall barbecue wedding in a vineyard, and I can’t imagine a more fun wedding!
Allison and Matt, it was SO much fun photographing your engagement session. Now I can’t wait for your wedding day! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full gallery.
Wedding Planner: Events by D. Nicole
Engagement Session Location: Lily House and Gardens at Newfields
Indianapolis Zoo Butterfly Garden Wedding
Every time I photograph a wedding for high school sweethearts, I know it’s going to be the sweetest, most emotional, and joy-filed day. Chelsea and Zach were no exception. And the fact that their wedding was in the butterfly gardens in the Indianapolis Zoo, a place where they share so many special memories together, just made it all that much more sweet.
My favorite thing about Chelsea and Zach’s wedding day is that they made it entirely THEM without sacrificing the elegant and romantic feel of the day. Chelsea loves colorful flowers so much, so she and Zach made sure their wedding day was FILLED wth them! Homegrown Florist made the most perfect bouquets and centerpieces for a garden wedding at the zoo. And I loved how well they coordinated with the bridesmaids’ ice blue dresses.
Chelsea and Zach had a bowl of legos on each table to entertain guests during the reception. How fun is that?? Their guest favors were also SO unique. They had little geodes with each guest’s name on them for their seating assignments, as well as crystals that guests could break open themselves. They were a HIT!
Chelsea and Zach, your love is even more beautiful than your wedding day was! I hope you enjoy these sneak peaks. I can’t wait to send your full wedding gallery to you SO soon!
A HUGE thank you to Chelsea and Zach’s amazing vendor team. You all ROCK!
Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Indianapolis Zoo Butterfly Gardens
Florist: Homegrown Florist
Cake: The Gallery Pastry Shop
Hair: Salon 6
Makeup: Madeline Grossman, Posh Salon
Catering: Centerplate at the Indianapolis Zoo
Bridal Gown: Unique Boutique and Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Shoes: Keds X Kate Spade New York
Rings: Diamonds Direct
Men’s Attire: Men’s Warehouse
Officiant: Wonder Weddings Indianapolis
Reception Lighting: Atmospheres Indy
Classic, Elegant, Drake Hotel Wedding Reception | Ashley and Mike Part 3
Classic elegance and sweet romance. Ashley and Mike’s Drake Hotel wedding reception is what fairy tale happily ever after dreams are made of. If you haven’t seen by now, Ashley and Mike’s INCREDIBLE wedding day was SO perfect and amazing, and my team of myself plus two other photographers captured so many photos within the over twelve hours that we photographed this stunning, classic, pink and gold wedding, that I split the day into three separate blog posts. Part 1 covers the getting ready portion of the day as well as the bridal details, bridal party portraits, and the bride and groom photos in downtown Chicago at the Wrigly building and the Rookery. Part Two of this amazing Drake Hotel Wedding shows their stunningly sweet two wedding ceremonies in the Gold Coast Room and the French Room. They had both a military ceremony with a saber exit and a tradition Korean wedding ceremony to incorporate the bride’s heritage. We’ve now made it to part 3 of Ashley and Mike’s wedding day, and I’m SO excited to show you not only their classic, luxury wedding reception set up in the Gold Coast Room at the Drake Hotel, but also how fun and sweet all of the moments during their reception were.
Ashley and Mike, your wedding was one of my all time favorites as a wedding photographer. And that’s saying A LOT as a wedding photographer who is OBSESSED with my job and LOVES weddings! You two are so sweet and deserve all the happiness in the world. I hope you’ve enjoyed all of these sneak peaks! I’m working on getting your full gallery to you as soon as possible! It’s been so fun to relive your wedding day while editing all of your photos!
A HUGE thank you to Ashley and Mike’s vendor dream team:
Chicago Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: The Drake Hotel
Florist: Juliet Tan Floral Design
Cake and Other Desserts: Joanne Buege - Sweet Food Chicago
Hair: Tony - Exsalonce
Catering: Shaun Rajah & Katerina Opalko
Bridal Gown: Alice in Ivory
Bridesmaid Dresses: Kennedy in Blue
Shoes: David’s Bridal
Jewelry/Rings: Sam Kee Hong Jewelry
Men’s Attire: Formal/Military Uniform
Transportation: M&M Limo
Stationary: Basic Invite
Videography: Ivana and Steven Chen
Wedding Planner: Lisa Jaroscak with Storybook
Indiana Hindu Wedding Engagement Ceremony | Revathi and Naveen Day 2
A night full of romantic moments, sweet memories with family, amazing performances, and a fun dance floor. Is there anything more you can ask for in a reception? Day 2 of Revathi and Naveen’s Hindu Wedding Engagement Ceremony and Celebration was the perfect night that they got to spend with each other as well as family and friends. Revathi’s parents have the most beautiful estate home that they opened up to 400 friends and family members to celebrate the upcoming wedding of their only daughter.
During day one of the celebration, I was photographing Ashley and Michael’s wedding in Chicago, so my team member photographed Revathi and Naveen’s Hindu puja ceremony. I was so sad to miss it, but I loved getting to experience and capture the second day of their engagement party.
We started the evening with plenty of couples portraits of Revathi and Naveen. Revathi’s parent’s live on a stunning golf course, which made for the perfect location for photos of the two of them. These two were so fun and sweet. I love the adorable candid photos we captured of them. This cute couple loves to laugh and have fun together. I got to hear some of Naveen’s awesome jokes as he tried to make Revathi laugh. Doesn’t she have the most beautiful smile?
At the reception, it was so cool to experience an Indian reception for the first time! There were so many amazing performances from Revathi’s talented friends and family including prayer songs, upbeat songs, and some really awesome dancing! After the performances, the dance floor was opened up for open dancing, and this was one of the most fun dance floors I’ve ever seen!
Revathi and Naveen, it was such an honor to photograph your engagement ceremony and celebration! I can’t wait to send you your full gallery so soon!
Fort Wayne Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Private Estate
Hair and Makeup: Red Stiletto Artistry
Videography: Toast Wedding Films
Drake Hotel Gold Coast Room Wedding | Ashley and Mike Part 2
If you haven’t seen Part One of Ashley and Mike’s wedding day, which highlights their bridal details, getting ready, first look, and portraits, go check that out first. Then come back here for Part 2 of their amazing wedding day to see their elegant, classic, floral-filled wedding ceremony at the Gold Coast Room at the Drake Hotel and their second ceremony, a traditional Korean Pyebaek wedding ceremony in the French room.
I love every single wedding that I have the opportunity to photograph. Each one is SO special to me, and it is the biggest honor of my life to be such a huge part of so many different wedding days. I view it as one of the most important careers in the world. But I can honestly say that Ashley and Mike’s wedding day was one of my all-time favorites! One of the main reasons I loved it so much was their two different wedding ceremonies, which were so special and unique.
Check out both Mike and Ashley’s reaction to seeing each other as Ashley walked down the long aisle to Mike. This sweet couple did a first look, and spent the day together, but I love that they were still so emotional during their wedding ceremony, knowing they were about to become husband and wife.
The Drake Hotel is the perfect Chicago wedding venue for a classic, elegant wedding. It went so well with Ashley and Mike’s color palette of light pink, white, gold, and greenery and Ashely’s beautiful lace ballgown. Their first ceremony took place in the Gold Coast Room. It was such a touching, emotional Christian, Military ceremony. This was my first time photographing a Military ceremony. The saber exit for these two, conducted by the groomsmen who are also in the military, was so cool!
Then, while a majority of the guests were at the cocktail hour, there was a second ceremony, which was a traditional Korean wedding ceremony, called a Pyebaek ceremony, which took place in the French Room, another beautiful room for a wedding at the Drake Hotel. I love that Ashley and Mike incorporated their heritage and pieces of their story that were so special to them into their wedding day.
Ashley and Mike, enjoy your touching ceremony sneak peaks! Part 3 of the sneak peaks from your stunning wedding reception is coming soon!
A HUGE thank you to Ashley and Mike’s vendor dream team:
Chicago Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: The Drake Hotel
Florist: Juliet Tan Floral Design
Cake and Other Desserts: Joanne Buege - Sweet Food Chicago
Hair: Tony - Exsalonce
Catering: Shaun Rajah & Katerina Opalko
Bridal Gown: Alice in Ivory
Bridesmaid Dresses: Kennedy in Blue
Shoes: David’s Bridal
Jewelry/Rings: Sam Kee Hong Jewelry
Men’s Attire: Formal/Military Uniform
Transportation: M&M Limo
Stationary: Basic Invite
Videography: Ivana and Steven Chen
Wedding Planner: Lisa Jaroscak with Storybook
Fort Wayne Hindu Wedding Engagement Ceremony | Revathi and Naveen Part 1
As a wedding photographer, I LOVE new experiences and getting to learn about new wedding traditions and the traditions of different cultures. Revathi and Naveen’s Hindu Engagement Puja Ceremony in Fort Wayne was one of my favorite things I’ve ever gotten to photograph. This giant two day party had so many amazing elements that I have to split Revethi and Naveen’s sneak peak blog post up into two different parts. Part 1 will cover the first day of the ceremony, photographed by my associate shooter, Cassie while I was photographing Ashley and Mike’s wedding in Chicago. Part 2 will cover the second day of the event including portraits and the reception.
I wish I could have been at both days of this amazing event! It was so fun to experience all of the Hindu traditions and learn about the ceremony meanings. If only I could be in two places at once! But Cassie did an amazing job covering day one. Cassie has second shot for me multiple times and was always one of my favorite second shooters, so I knew she would be perfect for Revathi and Naveen. It’s so important to have a team you can trust. This weekend I had three different photographers working for me at two different events, and all of their photos are AMAZING! I love that my team always makes sure that my clients receive the highest quality possible.
Revathi and Naveen, it was the biggest honor to photograph your engagement ceremony and reception! You two are such a sweet and kind couple and it was so clear to me this weekend just how many people love you. Enjoy these first few sneak peaks from the first day of your celebration. Part 2 is coming soon. And I can’t wait to send you ALL of your photos!
Fort Wayne Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Private Estate
Hair and Makeup: Red Stiletto Artistry
Videography: Toast Wedding Films
Chicago Wedding Photographer | Ashley and Mike Part 1
Wow wow wow!!! This memorial day weekend may have been my favorite weekend of my entire career as a wedding photographer! I feel like the luckiest photographer in the entire world, because Ashley and Mike chose me as the photographer for their downtown Chicago wedding at the Drake Hotel. Ashley and Mike’s wedding day was so grand, and we ended up shooting their STUNNING downtown Chicago wedding for over 12 hours. So instead of overwhelming you with over 600 photos from this dream wedding, I decided to break their Drake Hotel wedding up into three separate blog posts. Part 1 covers their bridal details, getting ready, and portraits. Part 2 will cover their two sweet wedding ceremonies, and part 3 will cover their elegant ballroom wedding reception details and fun reception celebration. I can’t wait for you to see their full wedding day!
Ashley and Mike are THE most amazing couple. They were so joyful throughout their wedding day. I love the way these two interacted with each other. Their love for each other radiated through the entire wedding day through all of their interactions with each other and their families and friends. They also had the most fun and helpful bridal party to celebrate with throughout their entire wedding day. They each had 10 bridesmaids and groomsmen, so it’s clear that so many people are drawn to how fun and kind this couple is just like myself and Andry were.
I had so many favorite parts of Ashley and Mike’s Chicago, Illinois wedding that it would take more than one blog post just to write about them. But I have to tell you about how touching their first look at the Wriggly Building was! Mike had the sweetest reaction to seeing Ashley for the first time, and I LOVED documenting their tender first moments together on their wedding day. Everyone around these two can tell just how much Mike loves Ashley. I mean, he cried during their first look AND when she walked down the aisle during their wedding ceremony (but you’ll have to wait until part two to see that!)
After the first look, we took bride and groom portraits as well as bridal party photos in front of the Wriggly Building and on the river with the Chicago Skyline in the background. This location is perfect for the Chicago - loving city couple! Next, we took the limo to the Rookery for the rest of our bridal party and bride and groom photos. The Rookery has the coolest staircases! We also took a few last bride and groom photos in front of the Drake Hotel when we got back to the Drake to prepare for Ashley and Mike’s first wedding ceremony. I can’t wait for you all to see the rest of the wedding day!
Ashley and Mike, it was the biggest honor to document your wedding day and celebrate your first day as husband and wife with you! Enjoy these first few sneak peaks! Parts 2 and 3 will be up soon, and I can’t wait to send you all of your wedding photos. I’m already in wedding photographer heaven just editing the highlights!
Update: Check out Part 2 here!
A HUGE thank you to Ashley and Mike’s vendor dream team:
Chicago Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: The Drake Hotel
Florist: Juliet Tan Floral Design
Cake and Other Desserts: Joanne Buege - Sweet Food Chicago
Hair: Tony - Exsalonce
Catering: Shaun Rajah & Katerina Opalko
Bridal Gown: Alice in Ivory
Bridesmaid Dresses: Kennedy in Blue
Shoes: David’s Bridal
Jewelry/Rings: Sam Kee Hong Jewelry
Men’s Attire: Formal/Military Uniform
Transportation: M&M Limo
Stationary: Basic Invite
Videography: Ivana and Steven Chen
Wedding Planner: Lisa Jaroscak with Storybook
The Best Wedding Venues in Indianapolis
1 . Laurel Hall
It’s no secret that Laurel Hall is one of my absolute favorite venues in the Indianapolis area. It’s also one of the venues that I photograph weddings at most frequently. First of all, Laurel Hall looks like a castle that belongs somewhere in Europe. There’s nowhere else in Indiana to get this vibe for your wedding day. Also, Laurel Hall is the perfect venue for your entire wedding day from getting ready through the reception. There is a beautiful presidential suite for the bride and bridesmaids to get ready in. The groom suite is in the basement of the building. There are multiple options for your ceremony location including the chapel on the third floor, the lawn outside, or even in the solarium on the main floor. The terrace is the perfect spot for your cocktail hour, and the grand dining hall is a lovely place for your reception. My favorite place to take photos in this amazing venue is the Solarium with its beautiful windows and amazing natural light.
2. Newfields
Newfields, formerly known as the Indiana Museum of Art, is one of the most beautiful places in Indianapolis. It’s an art museum with four floors of cool exhibits as well as acres of beautiful gardens. I love to explore the Newfields museum, gardens, and Lily House even when I’m not photographing weddings and engagement sessions here. There are so many options for your ceremony and reception locations. My favorite spot is probably the terrace behind the Lily House.
2. The Conrad
The Conrad is perfect for couples who love the city and being downtown. First looks at the Conrad happen on the balcony of the penthouse, which has the most incredible view of downtown Indianapolis. I especially love being able to see Lucas Oil Stadium from up there. They also have the most beautiful ballroom for your reception. And the staff of this venue is one of the best venue staffs I’ve ever worked with. They take care of everything!
3. Black Iris Estate
Although, Black Iris Etstate isn’t technically in Indianapolis, I had to include it on this list. Located in the beautiful suburb of Carmel Indiana, this wedding venue is so unique and offers a wide range of photo backdrops. The gazebo outside is the perfect spot for your ceremony. It’s located in the woods with beautiful green backdrops for photos. There’s even a creek running through the trees. Black Iris Estate is also currently working on a Willow Chapel that will make another great ceremony option. I love the elegant feel of the ballroom at Black Iris, which is perfect for your wedding reception.
4. Mustard Seed Gardens
Mustard Seeds Gardens is a wedding venue with a much different look and feel than most of the other venues on this list. It’s the perfect wedding venue for a couple who loves nature and the outdoors. There is a large outdoor ares with huge beautiful trees. The outdoor sting lights add the perfect touch. There are so many great ceremony options from setting up your ceremony at one of the beautiful trees or using the white gazebo. There’s also a beautiful upscale barn that provides the perfect place to party and celebrate your marriage at your wedding reception.
5. The Ritz Charles
The Ritz Charles in Carmel, Indiana is ideal for couples who want to get married in the suburbs. There are so many options and things you can do with this venue, the possibilities are endless. My favorite spot for wedding ceremonies is in their beautiful white chapel, and my favorite place for wedding receptions at Ritz Charles is the garden pavilion. I can’t get over the amazing natural light at the garden pavilion offers for wedding receptions. It’s perfect for couples who love the light and airy look and feel. There is also a ballroom option at the Ritz Charles for couples who prefer the elegance of a ballroom wedding reception.
6. Allison Mansion
Allison Mansion, located on the campus of Marion University is Indianapolis’s best kept secret. I was introduced to this venue by Chrissy from Special Occasions by Chrissy, and I’ve been obsessed ever since. It reminds me a lot of Laurel Hall. It’s a historic mansion with amazing rooms for your reception that are full of natural light.
7. Daniel’s Vineyard
Vineyard weddings are some of my favorite! I’m a big wine drinker and I love exploring vineyards whenever I get the opportunity. I’ve done vineyard tours everywhere from California to Tuscany, so it’s safe to say I really love vineyards. And even though we don’t have the same rolling hills here in Indiana as Italy or Napa Valley, we still have some beautiful vineyards including Daniel’s Vineyard, which is located in McCordsville, Indiana.
8. Union Station
Union Station is located right downtown, and is a great wedding venue for couples who appreciate all of the cool historical elements of the venue. This place is huge and has unlimited possibilities for your ceremony and reception set ups. It’s an amazing venue for your entire wedding day.
9. Canal 337
Canal 337 quickly became one of my all time favorite wedding venues, the first time I photographed a wedding there. It’s the perfect wedding venue for couples who are in love with Indianapolis and also love industrial yet elegant types of venues. It’s located right at the end of the canal, which makes it the perfect venue for all of your wedding photos. You can either get married indoors or you can get married outside right along the canal. The room where most couples choose to have their wedding reception has an entire wall of windows that open up to the canal, so this wedding venue really shows off the beauty of the city.
10. The Central Library
Last but not least, the Central Library in downtown Indianapolis is definitely one of the best wedding venues in the city. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to photograph a wedding here yet, but I’m dreaming about the day when I do. It’s already one of my favorite spots for engagement photos, and it’s one of my favorite spots to just hang out. The architecture of this place and the beautiful natural light are hard to beat. It’s also located right downtown, which means there are so many amazing photo opportunities without even having to drive anywhere!
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!
My Top 5 Tips for a Stress Free Wedding Day
After photographing over 100 wedding days, I’ve seen it all! I’ve seen weddings go SO smoothly and end up way ahead of schedule. Those are the weddings where the bride and groom can spend the day having the time of their lives focusing on their love for each other and hanging out with their friends and family. I’ve also seen super stressed out brides, grooms, wedding parties, and families because of totally avoidable situations. After witnessing all of this, I want to share the secrets I’ve figured out about how engaged couples can ensure that their wedding day is the best day of their lives and completely stress-free.
1. Use as few venues/locations as possible
The number one cause of stress on a wedding day is multiple venues or locations. If you want a super smooth wedding day AND to save money and time, I would encourage you to only use one venue for your entire wedding day. This includes getting ready, your ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, and all of your bride and groom, bridal party, and family portraits.
Sometimes, my couples tell me they don’t like the look of their ceremony or reception venues for their bride and groom and bridal party photos, so they want to take all of these photos at a third location. I totally get it. Some venues aren’t ideal for portraits, and I want you to have amazing photos. But I would encourage you, when you’re choosing your wedding venue, to choose a location that you LOVE for all aspects of your wedding day. Does the venue have a ceremony location AND a reception location that you love? Does it have a bridal suite and a man cave/groom suite? AND does it have beautiful locations for portraits? Would you be happy to have photos at that location hanging in your home forever to someday be passed down to your children and grandchildren?
Using multiple locations adds so many unnecessary logistics to your wedding day. There are so many more things that you have to think through and there are so many more opportunities for miscommunication. How is everyone going to get from the salon to the church? What is the parking situation like at each of these locations? What if there’s traffic? Plus, it’s so easy to loose someone along the way. I know you’ve told the groomsmen where to go a million times, but one of them will go to the wrong place. I promise, this happens all the time.
When you choose to have your entire wedding day at only one venue, you’ll also save money. Not only on your wedding venues, but also on your wedding vendors. When you don’t have to account for drive time between locations, you won’t have to add on extra hours to vendors’ services to make sure the entire wedding day is covered.
Using only one location for your entire wedding day is THE number one way to reduce tons of stress for yourselves, your wedding party, your family, and all of your guests on your wedding day!
2. Reduce Your Bridal Party Size
I totally get it. You want ALL of your friends to be your bridesmaids, and you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Maybe you have a million sisters or a large friend group, and you don’t want to leave anyone out. But you also have to think about what is best for you and your fiance, and what is going to make your wedding day as enjoyable as possible for the two of you.
Adding more people to your bridal party not only adds to the cost of your wedding (think about all those bouquets that you have to buy), it also quickly starts adding to the stress of your day and your entire wedding planning process. You have more people with opinions on dresses and hair and makeup. There’s a lot more communication involved with more room for miscommunications to happen.
On the day of the wedding, the more bridesmaids you have, the earlier you’ll all have to start getting ready assuming you’re all using the same hair and makeup team. There will be a lot more people to corral for photos and make sure everyone is where they need to be the entire day.
One of the best things you can do for your stress level on your wedding day is to only have your absolute closest friends as your bridesmaids and groomsmen. The ones who you know are your lifelong besties. The ones who you couldn’t imagine getting married without them by your side. Hopefully, these are also the friends who calm your nerves and help keep you relaxed on the biggest day of your life.
3. Create your timeline months in advance
Something I do for all of my couples is to create their timeline for them from the very beginning. As soon as my couples book with me, I send them an easy and short questionnaire to fill out, and from there, I create a custom timeline for them. After photographing so many wedding days, I know exactly how long it takes to get you amazing bride and groom portraits and plenty of bridal party photos without having to worry about time. And here’s a little secret: I always add buffer room in the schedule between different parts of the day, so you never have to stress if anything runs behind for any reason.
4. Limit your guest list
This tip is similar to limiting your bridal party size. The smaller your guest list, the less people you’ll need to communicate with prior to your wedding day and coordinate on your wedding day. It’s also a lot less people who are expecting to spend time with you and chat with you at your reception. Focus your invitation list on the people who matter the most to you and your fiance and who you couldn’t imagine the day without. Make sure everyone you invite is someone you want to spend time with at your wedding reception. Of course, this will also save you SO much money on almost every aspect of your wedding from the venue to the food, the rentals, the floral centerpieces, and so much more.
5. Hire a wedding planner
Most of my couples’ number one regret is not hiring a wedding planner. Wedding planners can save you time, money, and stress by taking almost everything off your plate and doing it all for you. They already have all of the expertise in all aspects of the wedding day, and they will plan an entirely stress-free day for you! If a wedding planner isn’t in your budget, I would highly recomend at least hiring a wedding coordinator. They will run your wedding day for you and communicate with all of your vendors. Trust me, you don’t want to be the point person for questions on your wedding day. Lora and Amanda from Magical Moments Event Planning are the amazing planners pictured above!
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!
Spring Engagement Session | Newfields at the Indiana Museum of Art | Hannah and Bryson
Hannah and Bryson’s spring engagement session this afternoon at Newfields at the Indiana Museum of Art was nothing short of perfect. We lucked out with absolute PERFECT weather for this beautiful golden hour session out by the historic Lily house and gardens.
Hannah and Bryson have been one of the absolute sweetest couple I could have dreamed of to work with as their wedding photographer, and we have so much in common. We actually all graduated from Ball State University, where these two college sweethearts first met. I SO loved getting to know this fun couple during our time together tonight. And I was so thankful that they drove all the way to Indianapolis for their engagement session considering Hannah lives in Cincinnati and Bryson lives all the way in Michigan! Although I’m sure they’ll both agree that the long drives were worth if for such an incredible engagement session location. Newfields never disappoints with its wide variety of photo backdrops in addition to its overall beauty!
It melts my heart when couples take my advice for their session to heart, and this amazing pair definitely did! Their choice of session location was perfect, their outfits were so on point, AND they even brought a stunning bouquet from Laurilyn Farms, which added SO much to their session, and their engagement photos
I already can’t wait for Hannah and Bryson’s September wedding up in South Bend, Indiana! This fall is going to be filled with so many incredible wedding days, and these two tying the knot will be so special.
Hannah and Bryson, enjoy these sneak peaks! Your full engagement session gallery will be hitting your inbox SO soon! I can’t wait to finish editing these gorgeous photos for you!
Vendors:
Indiana Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Newfields at the Indiana Museum of Art
Florist: Laurilyn Farms
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!