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BASH Summer Wedding Open House
Last night, I had the opportunity to photograph the summer open house and bridal show for Carmel, Indiana’s newest venue, BASH! I have a few weddings booked at this gorgeous venue both this year and next year, but I hadn’t actually gotten the opportunity to shoot at BASH before last night since they officinally opened so recently. It was amazing to finally be able to check out the venue. It has such a unique, modern look with beautiful white walls and sliding barn doors. I can envision some incredible weddings in this amazing space.
The wedding open house last night was a great opportunity for brides and grooms who have already booked BASH or who are considering booking BASH for their wedding to get a feel for the space, and to meet the vendors on BASH’s preferred vendor list as well as sample the vendors’ products. Carmel Classic Cakes was showing off some really cool cake designs as well as giving out free cake samples. Jonathan Byrd Catering was offering free samples of their appetizers. Hello Gorgeous was doing free lipstick. Brics had an ice cream sunday bar. And there was wine tasting! The inspirational tablescape set up by Uncommonly Styled and Molly & Myrtle was one of the hightlights of the event for me! It was the place to be last night!
Check out some of my favorite photos from the open house! And I would recomend checking out the vendors as well. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the full list of vendors.
Coordination: BASH Coordination
Caterer: Jonathan Byrds
Photographer: Rakoteet
Beverage: BASH Beverage
Floral: Molly & Myrtle
Dessert: Classic Cakes
Entertainment: AMS Entertainment
Lounges/Bar Front: Atmospheres
Makeup: Hello Gorgeous
Decor: Uncommonly Styled/Molly & Myrtle
China, Flatware, Glassware: Uncommonly Styled
Back Drop(s): Atmospheres
Ice Cream: Brics
Linens: Linen Hero
Intimate Carmel Gazebo Wedding | Carmel, Indiana Wedding Photographer
Allison and Davy had the sweetest, intimate wedding on July 5th. It was held right in the heart of Carmel, Indiana at the Gazebo in front of the city hall building. The day after Carmel Fest, the city looks so different from the week before with all of the rides, fair food, and festivities. On Davy and Allison’s wedding day, we seemed to have the entire place to ourselves! The Carmel City Center is such a beautiful location for a wedding! For portraits, we were able to use every background option available to us including the fountain, the front gate of the Carmel City Hall, the Japanese Garden and Pond, the flower garden behind the City Hall Building, and of course, the stunning flower arch at the Carmel Gazebo that was set up for their ceremony!
Allison and Davy’s wedding was extremely intimate with only 12 guests. Intimate weddings are some of my favorite types of weddings to capture, because when every guest is a very close friend or family member of the bride and groom, it changes the atmosphere of the event. Allison and Davy were able to fully be themselves. They had so much fun, and were able to fully express themselves and soak in every moment with each other and with their closes friends and family.
Davy is from France, so the couple is leaving tomorrow to have a second ceremony in France. I’m so jealous, because I’m totally missing France, and I’m dying to go back!
Allison and Davy, you two are amazing, and it was SUCH an honor to be your wedding photographer! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full wedding gallery. In the mean time, have a blast in France!
Vendors:
Carmel, Indiana Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Florist: Oberer's Flowers Carmel
Ceremony Arch: Blue Blossom Rentals
Hair: Rejuve Salon
Bridal Gown: Nancy's Bridal Boutique
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Jewelry: Macy’s
Rings: Zales
Men’s Attire: Nordstrom
Officiant: Victoria Meyer
Fort Wayne Coliseum Wedding | Ketmany and Paul
I can’t belive that Ketmany and Paul’s wedding at the Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana was my last June wedding for the entire year. It’s crazy to think that the busy summer wedding season is starting to slow down. I photographed so many incredible weddings this month that it’s almost hard to believe. And Ketmany and Paul’s wedding was a lovely note to end on.
These two along with their bridal party were such troopers! I so appreciated them being so positive and keeping their fun loving attitudes while we took portraits outside in Ninety Two degree weather!! We had such a cool backdrop for photos at the suspension bridge at Purdue University Fort Wayne. I don’t get to photograph weddings in Fort Wayne very often, but now I’m dying to do more! It seems like there are so many beautiful hidden gems in this city.
Ketmany and Paul’s wedding day was full of so much joy! These two were having a blast soaking up precious moments with each other and with their friends and family. The day could not have gone smoother, and it was such a fun time for everyone involved.
Ketmany and Paul, you two are amazing! It was such an honor to be your wedding photographer! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full gallery!
A HUGE thank you to Ketmany and Paul’s wonderful vendor team:
Fort Wayne Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Church: Good Shepard United Methodist Church
Reception Venue: Fort Wayne Coliseum
Florist: Kathy Minich (The Floral Basket)
Cake and desserts: For Goodness Cakes
DJ: Quattro
Makeup: Makeup by Jenna Marie
Bridal Gown: Sophia's Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal
Shoes: Designer Shoe Warehouse
Jewelry/Rings: Kay's and Shane Co.
Men’s Attire: Loui's Tux shop
Stationary: Loui's Tux shop
Wedding Planner: Jamie Troost
Photo booth: Lucktech Photobooth
Stacy and Eric's Newfields Engagement Session
I had so much fun with Stacy and Eric during their Newfields Engagement session tonight! Newfields (the Indiana Museum of Art) is my all time favorite location to shoot engagement sessions at the Indianapolis area. It seems like almost all of my engagement sessions have been at Newfields lately, which I absolutely love! Check out the blog to see a lot more Newfields Engagement Sessions. It’s also such a perfect venue for an elegant and classic wedding day. Stacy and Eric love Newfields as well and knew right away that this was the location they really wanted for their engagement session. The mix of the nature, garden, and elegant architectural backdrops was perfect for who these two are as a couple.
Stacy and Eric are such a unique couple, and I love that they are tailoring their wedding planning, wedding day, and entire wedding experience to them instead of feeling like they need to go along with the traditional aspects of weddings. I wish I could tell every couple that weddings are only about you and your significant other. You can make your wedding day exactly how you want. You don’t have to feel confined to traditions or to what anyone else does. I love that Stacy and Eric are fully embracing that. They’re getting married at Bash, a brand new venue in Carmel, this fall, and I cannot wait to be there to photograph it.
Bash is an amazing venue as well that I highly recomend to anyone looking for a wedding venue on Carmel. The staff there has been so amazing to work with! They’re holding an open house on July 24 for anyone who would like to come check out the venue. I’ll be there, so feel free to come say hi!
Stacy and Eric, enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full engagement session gallery!
Summer Wedding at Finley Creek Vineyards
Finley Creek Vineyards quickly became one of my all time favorite venues, the first time I photographed a wedding there last fall. This brand new venue is the perfect ceremony and reception venue, located in my hometown of Zionsville, Indiana. It’s a lovely location for any couple with classic and elegant taste. There is a beautiful ceremony spot right outside, a vineyard for bridal party, bride and groom, and family photos, and the all-white indoor space for a beautiful and classy reception. For a summer wedding, somehow Finley Creek Vineyards was even more beautiful than I remembered.
Katie and Justin’s wedding day was one of my all-time favorites for so many reasons. These two are one of the sweetest, most fun-loving couples I’ve had the pleasure of working with. They were all smiles on their wedding day, and were just having so much fun enjoying the sentimental moments and having a blast with their friends and family. It was clear just how many people love Katie and Justin with over 250 guests and 18 bridal party members, not even including the flower girl and ring bearers. I’ve never worked with a more amazing group of people. At least half of the guests came up to me at some point throughout the day to tell me how great of a job I was doing and how much they appreciated me. How sweet is that?!
One of my favorite parts of the day, was Katie’s first look with her dad. He couldn’t stop telling me how much he loves her while I was placing him for the first look, and his reaction to seeing her for the first time was priceless. Even after shooting over 100 weddings, moments like this still make me tear up. Even writing this right now, I’m filled with emotion thinking about that moment between the two of them. After seeing his daughter, the father of the bride decided to do a first look with his wife as well. His jaw dropped when he saw how beautiful she looked in her mother of the bride dress.
Throughout the whole day, Katie and Justin were so carefree and joyful. When one of the bridesmaids mentioned to Katie that the bottom of her dress might get dirty while we were taking photos, she said “that’s okay, it’s going to get dirty, but I’d rather have great photos than worry about that.” And those are my favorite kinds of brides! Just wait until you see the magic we were able to create during Katie and Justin’s bride and groom photos in the stunning rows of vines during their Finley Creek Vineyards Wedding Reception. Then, after dinner and all of the formalities of the reception, I planned on taking the bride and groom back out for some sunset photos. By the time we were able to sneak away, the sun had disappeared behind the trees, but that’s okay, because the blue hour photos we were able to capture were even better!
Katie and Justin, you two are amazing and deserve all the happiness in the world! Enjoy these sneak peaks from your incredible wedding day while I finish editing your full wedding gallery!!
A HUGE thank you to Katie and Justin’s amazing vendor team:
Zionsville Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Zionsville Wedding Venue: Finley Creek Vineyards
Florist: Graceful Hands Floral Design
Cake and Desserts: Taylor’s Bakery
DJ: DJ Steve
Hair/Makeup: True Colors
Catering: Jacquie's Gourmet Catering
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Laurel Hall Engagement Session
Hannah and Rob’s laurel hall engagement session last night was just extra special for a couple reasons. First, yesterday was exactly one year until their wedding day. We took their engagement photos on June 20, 2019, and their wedding day will be on June 20, 2020. The second reason their engagement session was uniquely cool was that we took all of their engagement photos at their wedding venue! They’ll be getting married at Laurel Hall as well. And in less than a year as of today!
While I was taking Hannah and Rob’s engagement photos and we were chatting, Hannah asked me what my favorite wedding venue is, and I was completely honest when I said their venue, Laurel Hall is my absolute favorite! Laurel Hall is probably the venue I’ve had the opportunity to shoot weddings at the most frequently. We have so many beautiful wedding venues here in Indianapolis, and while sometimes I have the opportunity to shoot at one venue multiple times, a lot of the time I’m shooting at a new venue each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the busy wedding season. However, I usually get to shoot at least a few weddings per year at Laurel Hall, and I’m SO grateful that I do!
During last night’s stunning engagement session with this sweet and beautiful couple, we got to explore all of the parts of Laurel Hall where their wedding will be taking place. Their ceremony set up will be outside on the lawn, while their reception will be fully outside on the terrace with beautiful string lights. Hopefully we have better weather this time next year than we’ve been having this year. Dancing will take place in my favorite room at Laurel Hall, the solarium!
One of my favorite things about Hannah and Rob’s engagement sessions is that they included their sweet dog, Miley. We took so many adorable photos with Miley, and she did such a good job behaving for photos, and looking at me when I needed her to. Hannah brought one of her maids of honor to help with Miley, and she also brought her parents, so they could look around the building to get ideas for the wedding next year. The seven of us had a blast at one of the best wedding venues in Indiana!
Hannah and Rob, your engagement session was so much fun, and I know your wedding day will be even more amazing! It is such an honor to be your wedding photographer! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your engagement session gallery!!
Sam and Eric's Lamb Lake Wedding
Although yesterday’s weather tried to test us, nothing could stop Sam and Eric’s outdoor wedding from happening yesterday on the Lamb Lake dam in Trafalgar, Indiana. Not even torrential downpours or a tornado warning could ruin Sam and Eric’s perfect day. It may have been one of the most difficult situations I’ve worked in as a wedding photographer, but it was also one of my favorite days. Throughout everything, Sam and Eric’s love for each other shined through.
With the lake in front of them, and a stunning waterfall behind them, the lamb lake dam had the most beautiful backgrounds for Sam and Eric’s emotional wedding ceremony. Sam and Eric did a first look, so we took most of the portraits before the wedding at Sam’s parent's’ house where the reception was being held, but we were also able to take a few bride and groom portraits in the rain after the ceremony with the waterfall flowing in the background. I’m obsessed with these photos, because they remind me so much of the rain scene in The Notebook!
Then back at Sam’s parents’ house on the lake, the true party started. Sam and Eric met working in the downtown Indianapolis Methodist Emergency Room, and so many of their guests were their coworkers. At one point, while everyone was dancing and having fun at the reception, someone turned to me and said “the crazy thing is, every single one of these people could save your life.” So essentially, it was like I was photographing a Grey’s Anatomy wedding.
Sam and Eric, despite everything, your wedding day was absolutely perfect. It was such an honor to be your wedding photographer. I hope you enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full wedding gallery!
A HUGE thank you to Sam and Eric’s incredible vendor team:
Indiana Wedding Photographer: Rakoteet Photography
Venue: Private Estate at Lamb Lake
Florist: Tammy Martin- Vintage Wedding Decor and Floral
Cake: The Flying Cupcake
DJ: Roger Moran
Hair: Taylor Ramey- Salon 6
Makeup: Christine Rorhman
Catering: Holy Smoke Hog Roast Company
Bridal Gown: Gretchen's Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: Gretchen's Bridal
Shoes: Kate Spade- Keds
Jewelry/Rings: Target
Men’s Attire: Jos A Bank
Stationary: The Media Factory- Kim Corbin
Videography: Suketu Patel
Officiant: Rev. Marie Wiese Garden Baptist Church
Guest Favors: Wheeler Mission Missionary and Heaven After Hell Animal Rescue
Indianapolis 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