Best First Looks of 2019

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

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

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

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

Carmel, Indiana Winter Engagement Session

It was such a treat to get to photograph Cassandra and Daniel this afternoon! They were such champs for putting up with the snowy January weather and the freezing winter temperatures. I was so proud of how well they handled getting photos taken while it was snowing outside. This poor couple was shivering and holding on to each other for warmth in between shots.

Daniel might be the most enthusiastic groom I’ve ever had when it comes to getting photos taken. I definitely loved his energy! And I just love how sweet these two are together. Daniel keeps Cassandra laughing 100% of the time, and I love getting to witness their love for each other. In fact, they love each other so much that after planning their wedding for awhile, they decided to move their wedding date up about four months because they just couldn’t wait to be married!

We decided on Carmel, Indiana for engagement photos. This time of year, I tend to opt for more urban backdrops as opposed to nature backdrops. We used the Camel City Hall building, the Carmel Performing Arts Center, and Coxhall Gardens. One cool surprise that we got when we visited the Performing Arts Center. I didn’t realize that the Carmel Christkindlmarkt was still going on. There were some cute little igloos beside the ice skating rink that were super cute for a few photos! Plus it was a nice break from the freezing temperature to have a little bit of heat even for just a few minutes.

I’m already so looking forward to getting to photograph Cassandra and Daniel again at their wedding in May!

Cassandra and Daniel, you two are so amazing together, and I love your love for each other! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full engagement session gallery!

Generations Riviera Maya Wedding

Ryan and Naomi’s Generations Riviera Maya was nothing short of incredible! The day, the resort, the couple, and all of the guests were absolutely perfect. This sweet couple chose to have a beach wedding right on the resort beach on the Generations side of the resort. The resort is actually three resorts connected. Couples can choose to get married at El Dorado Royale, Casitas, or Generations. Ryan and Naomi chose to get married at the Generations side, because it’s the family friendly section of the resort. This allowed them to include their two sweet daughters in the wedding, and it also allowed their guests to bring children to the wedding as well.

I love how Naomi and Ryan chose to mix both formal and casual elements into their wedding. For example, Naomi wore a beautiful ballgown wedding dress and Ryan wore a suit with a jacket, but they chose not to wear shoes since the entire wedding day took place in the sand. I just love that they took advantage of all of the fun elements that come along with a beach wedding.

I loved both their ceremony and reception set ups with beautiful pink and white flowers on the arch at the ceremony and gold pineapples filled with tropical florals for the reception centerpieces. And it was so fun that the reception tables were set up under twinkling lights right next to the ocean. How romantic! But my absolute favorite thing about Ryan and Naomi’s wedding day was how much their love for each other and their two daughters was so evident throughout the day. At the end of the day, that’s what matters, and that’s what it’s all about.

Naomi and Ryan, you two are awesome, and I LOVED getting to be your wedding photographer for your beautiful destination wedding! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full wedding gallery!

A HUGE thank you to Ryan an Naomi’s amazing vendor team:

Cancun Wedding Photographer: Michelle Rakotomalala, Rakoteet Photographer

Venue/Resort: Generations Riviera Maya

Florist: Generations Riviera Maya

MC: Ben Elder

Hair and Makeup: Generations Resort Spa

Catering: Generatons Riviera Maya

Bridal Gown: La Reve Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses: Etsy

Men’s Attire: Indochino

Save the Date’s, Invitations, and Programs: Vista Print

Officiant: Kieth Freeman

Riviera Maya Engagement Photos at El Dorado Royale

Last night, I got home from the most amazing trip to Riviera Maya in Cancun, Mexico for Naomi and Ryan’s beautiful wedding weekend. We started out the weekend with a couples/engagement and family session throughout the El Dorado Royale and Generations Riviera Maya Resorts. I arrived to the resort a day early in order to scout of the entire resort as well as the two connected resorts, Generations, and Las Casitas, to find the best spots around the resorts to take portraits of this gorgeous couple and their family.

I absolutely LOVED getting to photograph Ryan and Naomi and getting to know them the day before their wedding. We started over on the El Dorado side of the resort to get some epic photos on a beautiful bridge over by the lobby. Then we headed over to Casitas and met up with Naomi’s two daughters. I found a beautiful little backroad path and an archway that I really liked for some family photos. Last.ly we headed over to the Generations Riviera Maya beach to get some additional family photos and engagement photos. We really got to explore the entire resort. I love all of the different backdrops we were able to use. One of my favorite things to do is provide as much variety as possible for my couples.

I thought it was so sweet that Naomi and Ryan wanted to include their two girls in their couples shoot as well. They wanted their daughters to be such a huge part of the entire wedding since the day was really about the entire family, not just about Naomi and Ryan. The special bond that both Ryan and Naomi had with the girls was so sweet to see. And of course, the love they share with each other made for some stunning, love-filled photos with the most amazing backdrops.

Enjoy these sneak peaks and stay tuned for the wedding day blog post coming soon!

Best of Getting Ready Photos 2019

I’m so excited to continue on with my blog post series, “Best of Weddings 2019.” I’ve already covered Best of Engagement Sessions and Best of Bridal Detail Photos. Today’s blog post covers Best of Getting Ready Photos 2019. I’m showing off some of my favorite photos from that last couple minutes of hair and makeup, the bride and bridesmaids in their robes having fun together, the mother of the bride and the bridesmaids helping the bride into her dress, and the groom putting on his suit.

The getting ready portion of a wedding day, while some say can be one of the least exciting times of the day, I find to be an extremely special and sentimental time. It’s the calm before the storm. The bride and groom are just relaxing and hanging out their their best friends, talking about how excited they are that they are about to marry the love of their life. It’s often such an emotional time for the mothers as the mother of the bride helps her daughter into her wedding gown and as the mother of the groom helps to put on her son’s boutonniere. I absolutely love this portion of a wedding day.

One of my favorite weddings this year was Amanda and Alex’s destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta. Their getting ready photos are ridiculously epic, taking place on the balcony of their private villa with mountains to one side and the ocean on the other side. It will be hard to ever top those photos, but I have a ton more that I really loved from 2019 as well. I hope you enjoy some of my favorite getting ready photos from last year, and make sure to stay tuned for the rest of the series!

Are you looking for a wedding photographer? Contact me here to chat about your special day!

Best of Bridal Detail Photos 2019

In my last blog post, I got to show off my favorite engagement photos of 2019. At the beginning of every year, I always love to go back through all of my weddings and sessions and show off some of my favorite couples from throughout the last year. My brides and grooms are so amazing and have such inspirational weddings. I’m such a lucky photographer. In 2019, I was fortunate enough to photograph over 40 weddings. Because of that, I need to break my “Best of Weddings 2019” blog post up into a series of blog posts, each showing off a different part of the wedding day. I’m starting with the first thing I photograph on a wedding day, bridal detail photos.

Although I call this portion of the wedding day photography “bridal detail photos,” it actually includes both the bride’s details and the groom’s details. These photos generally include the rings, the invitation suite, the shoes, the flowers, the dress hanging, perfume bottles, the tie, cufflinks, etc. I love when my couples bring extra details for these photos such as a custom Mrs. Box or a personalized dress hanger.

I hope you enjoy looking through some of my favorite bride and groom detail photos below! Coming up in the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing the rest of this “Best of Weddings 2019” series including Best of Getting Ready Photos, Best of First Looks, Best of Bride and Groom Photos, Best of Bridal Party Photos, Best of Ceremonies, Best of Reception Detail Photos, and Best of Receptions. There is so much yet to come! I also can’t wait to tell you a little bit more about all of my amazing weddings and brides and grooms that I was blessed to serve last year as the series progresses. In the mean time, enjoy!

Best of Engagement and Couples Sessions 2019

Now that 2020 is officially here and my amazing 2019 wedding season has come to a close, it’s time for me to take some time to reflect back on all of 2019’s weddings and engagement sessions as well as all of the rest of the work I got to do last year. I love making these “Best of” blog posts at the end of each year, because it reminds me of how much I loved each and every one of my sessions. As I spent the whole day today going back through all of my couples and engagement sessions this year, I was reminded of just how amazing all of my couples are and just what a fantastic year it was for Rakoteet Photography. I tried to just choose one or two photos from each session, but some sessions I loved so much that it was impossible to narrow it down, so I had to add a few more photos from quite a few of these sessions.

For some of these couples, I photographed both their wedding and their engagement session in 2019, so you will get to see some familiar faces in my “Best of Weddings” blog posts that are to come shortly. For some of these couples, I am so excited to photograph their weddings in 2020, and you’ll definitely be seeing their wedding day blog posts throughout the year this year.

In 2019, I photographed 31 engagement sessions or couples sessions. These sessions took place all over Indiana and even in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Puerto Rico. I got to shoot in some of my favorite locations multiple times, and I got to explore some amazing new locations that have become new favorites! The beach is quickly becoming one of my favorite types of locations to shoot at, as I spent so much of 2019 traveling.

Thank you so much to all of my incredible couples that made 2019 so fun! I can’t wait to see what 2020 brings for couples session and engagement sessions! Enjoy some of my favorite engagement, couples, and anniversary photos below!

Iron and Ember Open House

I was so excited to finally get the chance to explore Iron and Ember, the brand new sister venue to Mustardseed Gardens. Ever since Iron and Ember opened a few months ago, I’ve been seeing so many beautiful photos of it online. From the photos alone, I knew it would be the type of venue that I absolutely love, because the white walls and ceilings and light stone accents work so well with my light and airy style of photography. That’s why I was absolutely thrilled when Colleen, one of the venue managers asked me to photograph this styled shoot that they set up before one of their open house last night. Colleen is actually one of my brides. She’s getting married next month in Charleston, so I always love getting the chance to work with her. The staff at Iron and Ember fully set up the venue as if it was a really wedding day, complete with stunning florals from Violets are Blue. I loved getting to see what the venue looks like all set up.

I already know that Iron and Ember is going to become such a popular wedding venue choice for couples. They already have a lot of weddings booked for 2020 even though they just opened! The venue has so many cool and unique features like their floor to ceiling fire place that helps to give the venue such a classic look and their second story balcony that allows for more tables and chairs as well as a spot for photographers to shoot a really cool angle of the reception below. The venue is located on a golf course, which allows for amazing portrait locations for the bride and groom, bridal party, and family photos on the wedding day. Plus, Iron and Ember has such a perfect location right in the heart of Carmel, Indiana.

I’ve had so many people asking me about Iron and Ember already, and after finally getting to photograph this venue myself, I can definitely say that I recomend this venue to any brides and grooms looking for the perfect wedding venue! Check out my photos below to see how the venue looks when it’s fully set up for a wedding reception on a wedding day!

Winter Wedding in Anderson, Indiana

Yesterday was such a special day as Zach and Hannah committed their lived to one another after four beautiful years together. As Hannah’s college roommate, I had the pleasure of getting the witness the beginning of this relationship. And yesterday, I got to document Hannah and Zach become husband and wife.

It was such a joyful day full of happy tears, laughter, and tons of hugs from Hannah and Zach’s closest friends and family. I love that these two didn’t feel bound by tradition but completely made their wedding day their own. They completely transformed their reception space, where I’ve gotten to photograph multiple weddings, to be almost unrecognizable.

I was incredibly impressed with everything that Zach and Hannah’s families did to make their wedding day happen. Hannah’s mom made her wedding gown by hand!! And it was stunning! She also made all of the food. And she, along with Zach’s mom, made all of the flowers and reception decor as well. Hannah’s sister helped to plan their entire day along with Hannah’s mom and she made the cake and deserts for the wedding. Many other family members worked behind the scenes helping to decorate and serve food. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a family do more for a wedding day than Hannah and Zach’s families. And that speaks volumes about how loved these two are by those that surround them as they start their marriage.

Hannah and Zach, it was the hugest honor in the world to get to be your wedding photographer and to get to witness you start the rest of your lives together. Enjoy these sneak peaks as I finish editing the rest of your wedding gallery! I can’t wait to send you your full gallery super soon!

Vendors:

Wedding Photographer: Michelle Rakotomalala, Rakoteet Photography

Florist: Terri Fulton and Cindy Wampler (the moms)

Cake and Desserts: Alissa Englert

Hair and Makeup: bridesmaids

Catering: Terri Fulton

Bridal Gown: Terri Fulton

Rings: Shane co.

Wedding Planners: Terri Fulton and Alissa Englert

Christmas Wedding at Valle Vista

Ivan and Anna were married last night in a magical winter wonderland themed wedding at Valle Vista right before Christmas. It’s the most wonderful time of the year to be married according to their adorable invitation suite! It was also the shortest day of the year yesterday. And while winter weddings can be sometimes difficult because of the lack of lighting, it usually means beautiful sunsets at the perfect time for all of the wedding day portraits. We had such a magical golden hour in the snow yesterday while we were taking our bride and groom and bridal party portraits! Anna and Ivan’s entire wedding day was so much fun! I love how much these two and their bridal party laughed together and enjoyed such a joy-filled day.

The ceremony was held by candle light and twinkling lights that surrounded the venue. It was so romantic and meaningful with friends and family surrounding the beautiful bride and groom. And once we got to the reception, the party really started, and Anna and Ivan just had the time of their lives. I know they are going to have such a FUN and joyful marriage.

Ivan and Anna, you two are incredible and your wedding day was so magical. Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full wedding gallery from your beautiful winter wonderland Christmas wedding day!

Anna and Ivan’s Vendor Team:

Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Michelle Rakotomalala, Rakoteet Photography

Venue: Valle Vista Country Club

Florist: George Thomas Florals

DJ: DJ Connection

Hair and Makeup: True Colors Inc.

Bridal Gown: Retulled Boutique

Bridesmaid Dresses: JJ's House

Shoes: Badley Mischka

Rings and Wedding Bands: Shane Company

Men’s Attire: Men's Warehouse

Save the Date’s, Invitations, Programs, and other Stationary: Minted

Wedding Planners: Rosie Maloney and Donna Schnell

Officiant: Alisa Petruzzi

Favors/Gifts: Stockings with candy - DIY

In-Home Couples Session

I absolutely LOVED getting together with some of our good friends last night to hang out and photograph an in-home couples session with them. It was so sweet and special to get to take Christmas-time photos in their first home together. Their beautiful tree was all decorated in the old-fashion way with popcorn and cranberry garland strands and oranges and pears hung up as ornaments. My friend, Hannah, is known for her classy, old-time style. She always make it look so good! My husband was my lovely assistant for this shoot. I asked him to hold up Christmas lights in front of my camera as I photographed Jack and Hannah. It gave such a magical, Christmas light bokeh effect that I am absolutely obsessed with!

I was lucky enough to get to photograph both Jack and Hannah’s engagement session and their wedding as well. At this point, they are so comfortable in front of my camera that this cozy session was perfect. They were relaxed and in their element in their beautiful house, all decorated for the holidays. We took photos all around their home, in their living room with their Christmas tree (and all of the presents underneath), in their beautiful white (and super photogenic) kitchen, and in their master bedroom and guest bedroom. Their rent out their guest bedroom as an airbnb, so it was perfect for photos.

It was also the perfect time to introduce the newest member of their family. They surprised me when I got to their house by telling me they had just gotten a new puppy that very morning! They already had a dog and two cats (and a horse), so this animal-loving family was so excited about their new addition.

In-home sessions might just be my new favorite thing to shoot! They are so perfect for those winter days when it’s cold but not snowing so it’s not super pretty or fun to be outside. Who is up for an in-home winter engagement session? Check out some of my favorite photos from my session with Jack and Hannah yesterday, and let me know if you need some cuddly winter photos!

Jamaica Destination Wedding - Next Day Catamaran Cruise

After how amazing Sharon and Andrew’s Sandal’s Ochi Resort Jamaica Destination wedding was yesterday, I was so excited to get to photograph their next day catamaran cruise as well! This entire wedding group was so much fun to work with! I love that this sweet bride and groom thought to book a fun excursion for all of their guests and invited me to come along to photograph it for them.

Destination weddings are so much more than just the wedding day. It’s an entire vacation that the bride and groom get to spend with their closest friends and family celebrating their love. That’s why, in my destination wedding packages, I always offer a complimentary day before or next day session, or I offer to photograph a fun event or excursion that the couple has planned for their guests. It’s such a fun way for the couple to have more photos in their destination wedding location besides just their wedding photos. In Sharon and Andrew’s case, they were fortunate enough to have 60 friends and family members join them in Jamaica for their destination wedding, and most of them came on the catamaran cruise as well!

I’ve been on catamaran cruises before, but this one was super fun for multiple reasons. The crew really knew how to throw a dance party, and the guests loved learning some new Jamaican dance moves. Plus there was a fun surprise when we got to watch a dolphin show just off the coast of downtown Ocho Rios. None of the gusts had any idea that was going to happen! And just as the sun was setting, the crew opened up the water slide for everyone to jump in the water if they wanted to. It was so beautiful tp watch the sun set over the mountains as we cruised back to the resort.

Sharon and Andrew, you two were a blast to work with and photograph! I can’t wait to finish editing your full wedding and next-day gallery! In the mean time, enjoy these sneak peaks from your catamaran sunset cruise!

Destination Wedding at Sandals Ochi Jamaica

When Sharon and Andrew first got engaged over a year ago, they tried to start planning a local wedding close to where they live in Philly. But as Sharon started researching more and more, she discovered that destination weddings were a thing. And the more she and Andrew learned about destination weddings, they became convinced that a destination wedding was the perfect choice for them! They chose such a beautiful resort, the Sandals Ochi in Ocho Rios Jamaica. Let me tell you, Jamaica is such a beautiful place to get to photograph a wedding, How lucky am I that I get to be a destination wedding photographer? It’s the best job on the entire planet.

Sharon and Andrew decided against having a bridal party, which made their day so much less stressful. They got to spend so much time just the two of them, and they had a blast getting ready with and spending the day with their families. We had a few hiccups throughout the day (like a fire alarm separating the bride and groom for almost an hour!) but it still ending up being such a perfect, joy-filled day! I loved that these two just rolled with the punches and didn’t let anything bring them down on the most magical day of their lives. That’s the perfect attitude to have, especially as a destination wedding bride and groom.

Even though Sharon and Andrew’s wedding was all the way in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, they still had 60 wedding guests fly in to see them commit their lives to one another. When Andrew got up to give a speech at the reception, he commented how much it meant to them that he and Sharon had such strong bonds, friendships, and family ties, that 60 people would fly to the Caribbean for them. It was truly such a special night for the bride and groom, celebrating with the people closest to them.

Today, I get to photograph Sharon and Andrew and their wedding guests AGAIN as we set sail on a dinner cruise! I can’t wait!

Sharon and Andrew, you two are so incredible, and it was such an honor to be your wedding photographer! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing the rest of your wedding gallery!

Winter Engagement Session at Coxhall Gardens

My second engagement session of the day yesterday was with Annah and Troy at Coxhall Gardens during the golden hour and sunset time slot. Winter engagement sessions can be so magical. I know it’s still technically fall, but with how cold it is and the fact that the colorful leaves have fallen off the trees by now, I pretty much consider it winter. Plus, Coxhall Gardens was already all set up for Christmas and the holidays. The gorgeous mansion on the property was set up with green Christmas garland and green and red wreaths in all of the windows. And the black gate that leads to the mansion’s driveway had fun ornaments on it. It was so fun to essentially do a Christmas session in the middle of this winter engagement session.

I loved getting to finally meet Annah and Troy and get them in front of my camera! Poor Annah was super sick, and I felt so bad for her, but she didn’t want to postpone their session, so she powered through. She did such an amazing job looking like she was having a blast while feeling miserable, and I’m so proud of her! Regardless of the unfortunate sickness, these two were so much fun to get to photograph!

I’m already SO looking forward to Annah and Troy’s wedding next September! Their getting married during harvest season at Finley Creek Vineyards in Zionsville, which is one of my absolute FAVORITE wedding venues in the local Indianapolis area. It’s a wedding photographer’s dream with its stunning vineyard, which is perfect for portraits and its beautiful white walls in the reception space. Their wedding day is going to be so beautiful and amazing!

Annah and Troy, I LOVED getting to have you in front of my camera at your engagement session tonight! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full wedding gallery!

Winter Engagement Session at Newfields

When Anna and Ivan told me that Newfields is their favorite place in Indianapolis, so they wanted to use the beautiful art museum’s gardens for their engagement session, I was ecstatic! Newfields is also my favorite place in Indianapolis, and it’s absolutely my favorite place to photograph both engagement sessions and weddings. It was so much fun to be out in the gardens during the winter as I’ve never gotten to shoot at the Indiana Museum of Art in the winter since their annual winter lights festival takes up so many of their open hours. Although the lights for the Winter Lights exhibits weren’t on while we were taking photos around noon, we still got to see all of the pretty displays. I can’t wait to come back in December to experience the Winter Lights. It’s one of my favorite things to do here locally in Indianapolis during the Holiday Season.

When I first started shooting with Anna and Ivan, Anna told me that they weren’t photogenic. It’s so funny to me that I hear that from almost all of my couples, and they are always wrong! I LOVED getting to photograph these two, because they were so much fun and so full of laughs. I love how they just decided to have fun with their session. They are so photogenic in my opinion!

Anna and Ivan have one of the shortest engagement sessions of any of my couples ever, which I love! They are having a red and green Christmas themed wedding in just a little under a month - right before Christmas, and I absolutely can’t wait! December weddings are so magical, especially when it happens to snow!

Anna and Ivan, I LOVED getting to have you both in front of my camera today. I can’t wait for your wedding day in just a few weeks. Enjoy these sneak peaks from your engagement session today. Your full gallery will be on its way to your inbox super soon!

INDUSTRY Indianapolis Wedding Open House

It’s been 2 years now that I’ve had the opportunity to be an epic vendor (INDUSTRY’s version of a preferred vendor list) for the wedding venue, INDUSTRY in downtown Indianapolis. I loved having the opportunity to explore this venue way back when it was still under construction to be turned from a warehouse into a wedding venue. Since then, I’ve loved seeing the changes to the venue over time every time that I get to photograph a wedding, shoot, or event here. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to shoot at this beautiful urban brick venue, so I was so happy when the staff asked me to photograph their fall wedding open house. 828 Venues such as INDUSTRY and BASH have such a unique way of running their open houses. Instead of being like a typical bridal show, each vendor who comes actual gets to provide their service at the open house for couples to experience. One of my favorite parts of the open houses is that the rentals and florist come together to create a stunning table scape and ceremony set up to inspire couples about ways that they can decorate the venue for their own event.

I loved getting to take photos of the stunning inspirational set ups that all of the vendors came up with and collaborated on during this fall wedding open house. The theme/mood board of the event was “Golden Hour,” which is such a fun and beautiful theme/color scheme, especially for fall! The colors of the florals and linens complimented the venue so well. I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite photos from the event!

Industry Fall Wedding Open House Vendors:

Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Michelle Rakotomalala, Rakoteet Photography

Venue: Industry 828

Coordination: 828 venues coordination

Catering: A Cut Above Catering, Brozinni Pizzaria, and Sahm’s Catering

DJ: Complete Weddings and Events

Florist: Fleurish by Angela

Bar: Industry Beverage

Makeup Artist: Makeup by Summer

Rentals: A. Classic Party Rental and Nerdy Fox Rentals

Dessert: Sea Salt and Cinnamon

Biltwell Event Center Wedding

Last night was the perfect evening for Jake and Kaitlin’s Biltwell Event Center Wedding. Although it didn’t actually snow yesterday, there was still some beautiful snow on the ground from the last time that it snowed here in Indy. I knew that the glistening white snow on the terrace outside of the second floor of the Biltwell would be so pretty for bride and groom as well as bridal party portraits. When I asked Jake if he was okay with doing the first look outside on the terrace even though there was snow on the ground, he replied that that would actually be amazing since snow was his and Kaitlin’s “thing.” Ah! How cute is that? It’s so perfect how it worked out that there was this pretty snow outside for their first look photos as well as the bridal party photos outside. I also loved so much that Kaitlin also chose to do a first look with her six year old son. He had been so excited for his parents’ wedding day for so long, and he had such a sweet reaction to seeing his mom look absolutely stunning in her wedding dress for the first time. The entire day was so touching and emotional. It was such an honor to be a part of.

Jake and Kaitlin, you two are amazing, and it was SUCH an honor to be your wedding photographer! Enjoy these first few sneak peaks while I finish editing your entire wedding gallery. I can’t wait to send the rest of your photos to you super soon!

Vendors:

Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Michelle Rakotomalala, Rakoteet Photography

Venue: Biltwell Event Center

Cake and other desserts: Nothing Bundt Cakes

DJ: Derrick Hudson

Hair and Makeup: Colleen Massoth at The Salon and Spa in Muncie Indiana

Catering: Hoaglin

Bridal Gown: The Blue Bridal Boutique

Gown Designer: Essence of Australia

Wedding Rings: Shane Co

Men’s Attire: Jos A Bank

Stationary: Zola

Officiant: Steve Jones

Favors/Gifts: Promise Coffee

Archway: Brian Seward

Cancun Destination Wedding at the Secrets Playa Mujeres

Wow wow wow! That’s all I can say about Scott and Marianna’s STUNNING destination wedding in Cancun at the Secrets Playa Mujeres. From the weather, to the beautiful location, to the gorgeous flowers, to the amazing people, everything about Scott and Marianna’s wedding day was perfect. These two were so sweet, laid back and full of JOY to be getting married in front of 70 of their closest friends and family who had traveled all the way to Mexico to watch them commit their lives to each other.

Marianna and Scott opted for a first look, as most of my brides and grooms tend to do. Their reasoning for wanting a first look was a little different than most, though. These two love each other so much and were SO emotional and excited to get married to each other that they new they would both be a mess of tears if they waited to see each other until they walked down the aisle. They wanted to get as much of the crying out of the way before the ceremony as possible. I LOVED their sweet reactions and tears to seeing each other for the first time. They both mentioned that they were so glad they did a first look in order to calm their nerves before the ceremony. They got to have that intimate moment with just the two of them before standing up in front of all of their family and friends. But when Marianna walked down the aisle during the ceremony, they both still had such sweet reactions and teared up. These two were just the cutest and I love their love.

At their wedding reception, Scott and Marianna had their first dance to a song called Easy Love by Tom Misch. Before they danced, Scott got up and gave a speech about what the song meant to them. They found the song when they had been dating for about two years. They were in love but Scott hadn’t started thinking about marriage yet. He got a call one day that Marianna had been in a car accident. He rushed to the hospital, worried about her. She ended up being totally fine, but Scott said from that day on all he cared about was that Marianna was okay, physically, emotionally, and in every way. That’s when he knew she was the woman he was going to marry. I mean, have you ever heard a sweeter story?!

Marianna and Scott, you two are THE best! Your wedding day was as incredible and beautiful as you two are, and I cannot wait to finish editing your full wedding gallery. In the mean time, enjoy these sneak peaks while you wait!

A HUGE thank you to Scott and Marianna’s amazing vendor team:

Cancun Wedding Photographer: Michelle Rakotomalala, Rakoteet Photography

Wedding Planner: Jewell Event Design

Travel Agent: Roxanna with RNR Vacations

Bridal Gown: Pronovias

Officiant: Joe Copper - friend of the couple

Hair and Makeup: Tania Tagle Makeup & Hair

Venue: The Secrets Playa Mujeres

Florist: Secrets Playa Mujeres

Catering: Secrets Playa Mujeres

Cake: Secrets Playa Mujeres

Engagement Photos at Secrets Playa Mujeres

I was so glad that while I’m in Cancun, Mexico to photograph Marianna and Scoot’s beautiful destination wedding, I could also take engagement photos for Anne Marie and Brad. These two were so sweet and fun to photograph. I loved that they love having their photos taken, and they even told me how much fun they had during our session afterwards.

The interesting thing about taking photos in Cancun is that it’s on the east coast of Mexico. That means the sun rises over the beach and sets behind the resorts. Since we took these engagement photos during golden hour, the sun was pretty harsh on the beach, so we started with the resort as our backdrop to get that pretty backlighting, which I loved! The beach at the Secrets Playa Mujeres is very deep and has lots of greenery growing in it, so there are so many pretty spots to take photos besides the typical ocean backdrop. When the sun got a little lower in the sky, we moved to have the ocean as our backdrop.

The other interesting thing about taking photos at resorts is you never know who or what might end up in your background. I did a lot of maneuvering to avoid banana boats and families taking selfies in their swimsuits from being in the background of our photos. I did like a couple photos with a fishing boat in the ocean in the background, but for the most part I wanted to give the illusion that we were on a deserted beach.

This session tonight was SO much fun! This Indiana based wedding photographer always loves getting to photograph couples on the beach! That is just one of the reasons why I love being a destination wedding photographer so much. Cancun is quickly becoming one of my most booked destinations.

Ann Marie and Brad, you two were such a blast to photograph! Enjoy these sneak peaks while I finish editing your full engagement session gallery!

Fall Broad Ripple Engagement Session

I’ve been looking forward to James and Laken’s fall engagement session in Broad Ripple for what feels like SO LONG! I first met Laken when she was a bridesmaid in Alex and Amanda’s Puerto Vallarta destination wedding. Laken ended up getting engaged to James not too long after that, and I was so honored when she asked me right away to photograph her wedding. Since Laken and James LOVE the fall season, they’re having an October wedding next year. They’re actually getting married on Halloween. It’s super cool that Halloween is on a Saturday next year. They even thought of the cutest wedding hashtag: #AllensSayIBoo. How sweet is that?!

I love that Laken and James decided to taken their engagement session almost exactly one year before their wedding. We’re technically just under a year away now, and I already can’t wait! Their wedding day is going to be so beautiful. For their engagement session, they decided on the Broad Ripple area. We started at the Broad Ripple Arts Center, which I always LOVE getting to take photos at. It’s also close to a Monon entrance where we were able to take some beautiful photos on the trail in between all the bikers passing. Then we headed to downtown Broad Ripple to take photos on the love lock bridge, which always reminds me of Paris. I should have thought to bring a love lock for these two to put on the bridge! After we were done with photos on the bridge, we took a special request photo for James. He wanted photos of them drinking out of beer glasses with their union logos on it, which was such a unique idea that I loved! And we ended the evening on the HopCat rooftop. After typing all of this out, I can’t belive we were able to accomplish so much during out session tonight!

James and Laken, I LOVED getting to photograph you two tonight! I can’t wait to send you your full engagement session gallery. In the mean time, enjoy these sneak peaks. I’m already looking forward to your wedding next year!!