Downtown Greenville, SC Maternity Photos

Wow, I absolutely LOVED my maternity photo session last night with Amanda, Chris, and their baby girl on the way. We used two different location for these photos. We started at Paris Mountain State Park for a more woody and nature backdrop, and then we went to downtown Greenville, SC for some more beautiful maternity photos. Downtown Greenville is so unique and one of my favorite paces in this city! Liberty Bridge at falls park on the reedy river is so cool. It’s a pedestrian bridge with a beautiful view of both the downtown Greenville skyline and the stunning waterfall in the middle of the city. We started with some photos on liberty bridge, and then went down to the bottom of the waterfall. I love all of the unique spots downtown. There’s such a perfect mixture of urban and nature backgrounds for photos!

Amanda had wonderful choices of outfits for her maternity photos! She wore a long, flowy white dress for our photos at Paris Mountain state park. It stood our beautifully among the greenery there. And then she changed into an adorable tight green dress for our photos downtown. I love both flowy and tight dresses for maternity photos to show off the bump!

Amanda and Chris, I LOVED getting to be your maternity photo photographer and to document this special time in your lives. I’m so excited for the two of you as you continue on your pregnancy journey and make the transition into becoming first time parents! You’re going to be such a wonderful mom and dad to your baby girl! I hope you enjoy these sneak peek photos, and I can’t wait to send you your full gallery of maternity photos from our session very soon!

Are you looking for a maternity photographer, a newborn photographer, or a family photographer in Greenville, South Carolina? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page, so we can connect about setting up a session for you!

Greer, South Carolina Wedding

On Saturday, I had the absolute pleasure of getting to photograph a beautiful outdoor wedding in Greer, South Carolina. Jacky and Eli’s wedding day was so amazing and absolutely perfect. It was on a stunning property called The Atkin with a beautiful field, farm, and mountain view. The ceremony space is in a beautiful open field with an arbor and benches. And the reception space is an adorable open air space with a bar and fireplace. I loved all of the Edison bulb string lights throughout the ceremony and reception spaces as well.

One of my favorite things about Jacky and Eli’s wedding was how family oriented it was. This sweet couple has two kids, a son and daughter that were very involved in the well. The intimate atmosphere of the day allowed Jacky and Eli to truly spend time with all of the most important people in their lives, which is one of the reasons why intimate weddings are my favorite!

Jacky and Eli, you two are such a special and amazing couple with a beautiful family. It was SUCH an honor to be your wedding photographer! Thank you for trusting me to capture one of the most important days of your life. I’m so excited for the two of you as you join your lives together and continue on your life journey together. I hope you enjoy these first few sneak peeks! I can’t wait to finish editing your full wedding gallery, so I can send you all of your wedding day photos super soon!

Are you looking for a Greenville, South Carolina wedding photographer, engagement photographer, family photographer, maternity photographer, or newborn photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Please send me a message over on my contact page, so we can connect about how I can help you!

Paris Mountain State Park Maternity Photos

I am in love with taking maternity photos! I’m so thankful for all of the moms who trust me with documenting such a special and precious time in their lives. Mary and Hunter’s maternity session was so sweet and special. I absolutely loved getting to photograph these two! last night. I couldn’t wait to get home, and start editing sneak peeks for these two right away! This sweet couple chose Paris Mountain State Park as the location for their maternity photos. Paris Mountain is a beautiful woodsy park with pretty tree backdrops and lake backdrops. It’s a great choice for any type of photo session! I love to take family photos, engagement photos, and couples photos here as well!

Mary’s sister, Morgan, actually contacted me to purchase a professional maternity photo session for Mary, which I thought was so sweet of her! She is so excited to be an aunt and for her sister to become a mom, and she wanted this amazing time in Mary’s life documented with beautiful, professional photos. I love the idea of gifting maternity photos for a friend or family member as a baby shower gift. It’s such a wonderful baby shower gift idea!

Mary and Hunter, it was such an honor to be your maternity photographer! You two are such an amazing couple. I’m so excited for the two of you as you enter into this new phase of your life and become parents to your baby girl! I hope you love these first few sneak peek photos! I can’t wait to finish editing your full gallery and send you all of your gorgeous photos super soon!

Are you looking for a Greenville, South Carolina maternity photographer, a family photographer, or a newborn photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page, and let’s connect!

Destination Wedding at Mercersburg Inn

This weekend was an amazing one, because one of my dearest friends got married! And I had the honor and privilege of being their wedding photographer! Briana and I have been friends since we were roommates in college, so it was so special to not only watch her get married, but to get to photograph the day for her and Ezri!

Briana has been to so many weddings, and she knew she wanted something very different for her own wedding. And Ezri knew that he wanted an amazing Mountain View for the ceremony. Being from Indiana, that meant they had to have a destination wedding. And they picked the perfect spot in Mercersburg, PA at the Mercersburg Inn. This historic building had the exact unique vintage look and feel that Briana had been looking for, and it was only minutes away from their stunning ceremony site, Big Mountain overlook.

Another unique aspect of this wedding that I loved were Briana’s two consigned/thrifted vintage dresses! I’ve never had the opportunity to photograph anything like them before! And they went perfectly with the vintage vibes of the wedding day!

Overall, this was such a fun wedding day that I was so thrilled to be a part of!

Briana and Ezri, you two are amazing, and such a special couple! It was such an honor to be your wedding photographer! I hope you love your sneak peeks! I can’t wait to send you your full wedding gallery SO soon! Love you to pieces!

A Huge thank you to Briana and Ezri’s amazing vendor team:

Greenville, South Carolina Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Florist: Briana Ayers

Cake and other desserts: One North Coffee and Bake Shop

Ceremony Venue: Big Mountain Overlook

Reception Venue: Mercersberg Inn

Catering: Mercersberg Inn

Wedding Dress: Retulled Boutique

Reception Dress: Thrifted

Bridal Shoes: Amazon

Rings: Shane co.

Men’s Attire: Mens USA

Favors: Etsy

Greenville, South Carolina Maternity Photographer

This past weekend, we traveled to Mercersberg, PA for our dear friend’s wedding. Those photos are coming up next on the blog, I promise! I can’t wait to share those as well. But while we were there, we had the privilege of getting to take maternity photos for my sister-in-law and brother-in law. It was SO special to get to document this special time in their lives as they prepare for the arrival of their new baby boy, Henry! Being a maternity photographer is so much fun. I think it’s SO important to document your growing family with professional photos that you can hang on your walls and pass down for generations.

Hannah is the cutest pregnant lady, and these photos were so much fun to take! We woke up early the morning after the wedding to take these maternity photos right outside of our Airbnb. We had a stunning view of the rolling rills on the little farm we were staying on. But my favorite spot was the little forest off to the side of the house. There was beautiful morning light shining through the trees! And while I’m usually a fan of more formal outfits for photos, I absolutely LOVED Hannah’s adorable romper that she changed into for our section location. Casual maternity outfits are so fun!

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do!

Are you looking for a maternity photographer, a newborn photographer, or a family photographer in the Greenville, South Carolina or Update South Carolina area? I would asbolutely LOVE to work with you to document this special time in your life and leave you with incredible, cherished memories to last a lifetime and hang in the walls of your home and even to pass down for generations to come. Documenting your growing family with professional photos is SO important, and I would love to help you celebrate the love your family shares! Please reach out to me over on my contact page to set up a session! I can’t wait to hear from you!

Upstate South Carolina Wedding Photographer

Courtney and Matthew’s wedding day this past Saturday was a dream come true. I LOVED every minute of working with this sweet couple! They planned such a smooth and stress free day. This was a wedding day that was so logistically easy for all of the guests and vendors. I think the easy of logistics really makes or breaks the guest experience on a wedding day. Couples who think about the enjoyment of their guests always end up with a happier wedding day!

I loved just how happy and excited these two were to finally be getting married! These two were truly made for each other!

Courtney and Matthew, you two are such an amazing couple and so perfect together! That is so evident to anyone who is in the same room as the two of you. I absolutely LOVED getting to photograph your love story from your engagement photos to your wedding day. Congratulations, Courtney and Matthew! I hope you enjoy these first few sneak peeks from your wedding day! I can’t wait to send you your entire full gallery of wedding photos very soon!

A huge thank you to Courtney and Matthew’s amazing vendor team! I loved working with each and every one of these companies and individuals to make this sweet couple’s dreams come true on their wedding day.

Courtney and Matthew’s Vendor Team:

Greenville, South Carolina Wedding Photographers: Michelle Poteet Photography

Ceremony Venue: The Wellington Fishers

Reception Venue: The Wellington Fishers

Cocktail Hour Venue: The Wellington Fishers

Wedding Day Florist: George Thomas Flowers

Cake and Other Desserts: Brad Cleveland

Wedding DJ: Mac’s Mobile Music - Ryan McDonald

Wedding Hair: Haley Thomas

Wedding Makeup: Olivia Rodriguez

Catering: The Wellington Fishers

Bridal Gown: Sophia’s Bridal Boutique

Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal

The Bride’s Shoes: Macy’s

Jewelry and Rings: Amazon

Men’s Attire: Men’s Warehouse

Transportation: Advanced Limosines

Save the Dates, Invitations, and Programs: Zola

Wedding Planner: Holly Green

Are you looking for a photographer in South Carolina or North Carolina? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page to schedule your session. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Upstate South Carolina Family Photographer

It’s gallery delivery day for Lauren and her two teenage kids, and I couldn’t wait to share some of my favorite photos from this family session here on the blog! I have been loving getting to photograph more and more sweet family photos here in the upstate area of South Carolina! I have such a passion for capturing memories for families in all stages of life. I believe in investing in memories for your family starting when they are newborns and all the way up until they are adults and have their own children. I love seeing precious moments preserved forever in frames in the homes of my clients.

Lauren’s family session was especially perfect because they have such a wonderful home, property, and backyard area where we took these photos. They actually live right in the heart of downtown Fountain Inn, South Carolina, but they have all of this gorgeous property as if they live in the middle of the country! My favorite spot was their beautiful tree swing in the middle of the back yard. They also have a gorgeous rose arch that I loved getting to utilize.

For the blog today, I wanted to do something a little different than I normally do. In my client’s final galleries, I always include a good percentage of duplicate black and white images (don’t worry, I always provide the color version as well), so I wanted to show you what they looks like here on the blog. These are still only my favorite images from the session, and Lauren received a gallery over double this size. I was absolutely thrilled with the variety of photos we were able to capture during their session.

Lauren, Emory, and Braden, it was so wonderful getting to work with you sweet family on these photos that will last a lifetime! You have such a fun family dynamic and I loved getting to witness and photograph the bond you share as a family. I hope you enjoy these family memories for years to come! I can’t wait to see the artwork you creat to hang in the walls of your home with these photos!

Greenville, South Carolina Family Photographer

I absolutely LOVED working with this sweet family on this family photos last week! Everything about this family photo session was so much fun! Valentina chose Paris Mountain State Park in Taylors, South Carolina as the location for her photos. I actually live about 5 minutes from this park, and I LOVE this location! It’s such a fun spot for picnics and hikes. And, of course, it makes an amazing backdrop for family photos as well. I especially love the stunning lake at the entrance to the park.

Valentina asked me for outfit recommendations for what her and her family should wear for the photos, and this crew followed my suggestions PERFECTLY! I loved the way Valentina matched with her daughter and Manuel matched with their son. Neutral colors work SO well for family photos. Most people decided to take family photos, because the want memories to frame and hang in their home. Neutral outfits work so well, because the photos will go well in any room of your home, no matter your color scheme or decorating style.

One thing I just love about family photography is that the photos are always “perfectly imperfect.” I love getting to capture families how they truly are. I love the chaos and fun that young children bring to the photos. I love the goofiness, the love, and the connection between each member of the family. I love the way the parents show their love for each other and their kids. It’s so special to get to capture each stage of life for a family.

Valentina, it was SUCH an honor to work with your beautiful family and capture you all in the stage of life that you are in right now. I loved getting to be your family photographer! I can’t wait to send you the full gallery of photos from your family session SO soon!

Are you looking for a family photographer in South Carolina or North Carolina? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page to schedule your session. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Greenville, South Carolina Wedding Photographer

Rachel and McCabe’s Industrial Winter Wedding was such a dream. It was a bright, sunny, February day. This sweet couple and their friends and family were so filled with joy, love, and laughter. Rachel and McCabe were one of the happiest couples I’ve ever gotten to have in front of my camera. I absolutely love the love that these two have for each other. Their wedding day was so unique and totally them, from their geometric ceremony arch, to their unique ceremony readings, to all of the math puns.

Rachel and McCabe, you two are such an amazing couple, and it was absolutely and honor to get the opportunity to be your wedding photographer! I hope you enjoy these sneak peeks, and I absolutely cannot wait to send you your full gallery filled with all of your wedding photos so soon!

A huge thank you to Anna and McCabe’s amazing vendor team! All of these companies and individuals were so amazing to work with, and they all made this sweet couple’s wedding day such a dream to photograph! Rachel and McCabe hired amazing vendors!

Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Wedding Ceremony Venue; Industry, an 828 Venue

Wedding Reception Venue: Industry, and 828 Venue

Wedding Florist: Molly and Myrtle Wedding Florals

Wedding Cake and Other Desserts: Sweet and Savory Catering

Wedding Reception Dinner Catering: Sweet and Savory Catering

Wedding DJ: Complete Wedding and Events

Wedding Hair and Makeup: Alicia Leming with Something Blue stylists

Wedding Gown: BHLDN

Bride’s Ring and Jewelry: Katoaka

Groom’s Ring: Jewelry by Johan

Men’s Wedding Attire: Men’s Warehouse

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

Wedding Planner: Alissa Apple with Industry

Wedding Ceremony Officiant: Annie Sand

Are you looking for a wedding photographer, family photographer, or any other type of photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page to chat about all the details!

Scottish Rite Cathedral Wedding

Priya and Shane’s wedding was my very first wedding of 2022, and it was an amazing one! I absolutely LOVED getting to finally get these two in front of my camera again. It’s been years since I first met this incredible couple at their engagement session at Newfields. I’ve been looking forward to their Scottish Rite Cathedral wedding ever since. Unfortunately, since their original wedding day was scheduled in March of 2020, it had to be postponed twice. It’s been almost two years since their original wedding day, and there were FINALLY able to have their big celebration last night with all of their family and friends.

Priya looked absolutely stunning in both of her outfits, and it was so fun to see the way her and Shane loved each other throughout the day. All of the vendors did a fantastic job, and the wedding was so beautiful! The reception set up, and the florals were so amazing! And I was so glad that Priya, Shane, and all of their friends got to have so much fun on the dance floor all night.

Priya and Shane, I LOVED getting to photograph your wedding day! It was SUCH an honor to be your wedding photographer! I hope you enjoy these sneak peeks! I can’t wait to send you your full gallery so soon!

A huge thank you to Priya and Shane’s amazing vendor team! I loved working with each and every one of these individuals and companies. These vendors all helped to make Priya and Shane’s wedding day so amazing! It was definitely worth the two year wait!

Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Wedding Planner: Jean with Blue Llama Events

Florist: Satin and Stems

Caterer: Kahn’s Catering and India Sizziling II

Cake and other desserts: Kahn’s Catering

DJ: Mark Beecher

Hair and Makeup: Bella studios

Videographer: Skyview Media

Venue: Scottish Rite Cathedral

Photo booth: Indy Snapshot

Decor: Atmospheres Indy

Asheville, North Carolina Wedding Photographer

Connor and Hallie’s engagement session was one of my favorite engagement sessions ever. I have so been looking forward to this one. Hallie is one of my little sister’s best friends, so I was absolutely THRILLED when Hallie and Connor asked me to photograph their wedding!

This engagement session was SO much fun. We actually started the session at my sister’s house. These two wanted a fun Christmassy “in-home” session with their two dogs. Both Hallie’s dog and Connor’s dog joined in for the photos, and they were adorable. I love when couples bring their dogs to their engagement session. And it’s even more fun when they include their dogs in the wedding day, too!

Hallie and Connor wore three outfits for their session, and we used two different locations. Their session location was a beautiful park. It was a great choice, because of all of the evergreen trees that keep the park green and beautiful even in the winter. I loved Hallie’s beautiful, long white dress. And then for their last outfit, Hallie changed into an adorable skirt with a cute hat. I love her style! And the sunset ended up being so beautiful. It was a perfect session all around.

Hallie and Connor, I LOVED having you both in front of my camera. You are such a sweet couple that radiate joy and love. I can’t wait to have you in front of my camera again on your wedding day!

I absolutely LOVE what I do, and I love getting to work with all of my amazing clients! Are you looking for a North Carolina or South Carolina Wedding photographer, and engagement session photographer, or any other type of photography? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Feel free to reach out to me over on my contact page to learn more about my availability. I can’t wait to hear from you!

South Carolina Wedding Photographers

I absolutely LOVED getting to photograph Rob and Anne! Rob is an old friend from college. We were in the same major and had a ton of classes together. It’s crazy to think that my career path changed so drastically from finance to photography, while Rob is still in the finance world. It was great getting to catch up with him and meet his fiancé, Anne. These two are SUCH a perfect match for each other, and getting to hear all about their love story was so much fun.

Rob proposed to Anne at Newfields back in September, so of course we had to go back to this beautiful museum and gardens for their engagement sessions. It was such a perfect way to celebrate their love, relationship, and engagement.

I love getting to know all of my couples and their stories so I can tailor the engagement session, wedding day, and all of the poses, to the specific couple and their unique story. Rob and Anne were so much fun to get to pose and work with. I love when my couples have just as much fun at their engagement session as I do photographing it! These two were so nervous, because it was both of their first professional photo shoot ever. But within a few minutes, they were loving it. It was clear that these two were really in their element in front of the camera.

Rob and Anne, I LOVED having the two of you in front of my camera, You are such a fun couple, and I’m so glad that you loved your engagement photos!

I absolutely LOVE what I do, and I love getting to work with all of my amazing clients! Are you looking for a North Carolina or South Carolina Wedding photographer, and engagement session photographer, or any other type of photography? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Feel free to reach out to me over on my contact page to learn more about my availability. I can’t wait to hear from you!

South Carolina Product Photographer

One of my favorite types of photography is product photography! Which is why I was so excited with N.L. McLaughlin Jewelry reached out to me to ask me to take product photos of her jewelry. This shoot consists of two parts. I took all of the photos for this first part of the shoot today. It includes individual shots of each product from different angles so that buyers can really get a feel for the products before purchasing. For tomorrow’s part of the shoot, I have hired models to model the jewelry, further showing off the jewelry and allowing buyers to really see themselves in the jewelry.

There are so many reasons why it’s important for any business or brand to hire a professional photographer. High quality professional photos on your social media make a great first impression on target audience, which makes them much more likely to head to your website. Amazing photos on your website allow your ideal customer to see all the best aspects of your product. High quality photos make your brand look so much more professional than cell phone photos. I love to help my clients attract their ideal customers!

N.L. McLaughlin Jewelry sent me many different rings, earrings, and necklaces, each in gold, rose gold, and solver. They wanted shots focusing on the stones and sides of the necklaces and earrings and the close ups of the pendants. I also threw in some fun photos with props for them to use on social media.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from today’s jewelry product photography shoot. I can’t wait to show you the modeled shots from tomorrow’s session!

Are you looking for a product photographer? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page! I can’t wait to hear from you, and help you improve your branding and social media!

Greenville, South Carolina Wedding Photographer

Briana and Ezri’s engagement session was one of my favorite engagement sessions of all time! On of the reasons is because Briana has been one of my best friends ever since we were roommates back in college. I’ve also gotten to photograph multiple of her siblings’ weddings over the years. Briana has modeled for me on several occasions, and she is always so much fun to photograph. She’s so bubbly and energetic, and her personality comes across so well on camera.

Briana and Ezri are such a fun couple with such. a unique dynamic. I love all of the cute candid photos I was able to capture of them. My husband, Mark, who is my new second shooter also came along to take photos at this engagement session. I don’t usually bring a second shooter to engagement sessions, but I absolutely LOVED getting to have a second angle of all of my poses during this session. We can’t wait to photograph Briana and Ezri’s wedding together! These two are getting married at a beautiful inn with a mountain backdrop in Pennsylvania. I always love a stunning destination wedding.

Briana and Ezri, I LOVED getting to photograph you two! You are such a fun couple! And I can’t wait to have you both in front of my camera again at your wedding in June! I’m so glad that you loved all of the photos from your engagement session!

I absolutely LOVE what I do as a photographer, and I love getting to work with all of my amazing clients! Are you looking for a wedding photographer, an engagement session photographer, or any other type of photography? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Send me a message over on my contact page to learn more about my availability. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Greenville, SC engagement photographer

I LOVED getting to meet and photograph Hannah and Josh at their engagement session! These two are such a fun couple, and they are so great together! I always love getting to chat with my couples at the engagement session and get to know more about their relationship. It helps me tailor the session and poses to each individual couple. My goal is to truly show off each couple’s relationship the way it is, because each love story is so unique.

Hannah and Josh are getting married this July, and I’m so excited for their industrial, downtown wedding day. It’s been so fun to help them plan out the timeline of the day and find the best photo locations near their venues. I always love getting to help my couples plan a magical and smooth wedding day. I can’t wait to photograph Josh’s reaction when he first sees Hannah in her wedding dress on their wedding day. And getting to see these two with their bridal parties and family will be so much fun. Hannah and Josh’s wedding day will be so amazing, and I cannot wait to photograph all of the special little moments between these two as well as their friends and family.

Hannah and Josh, I LOVED getting to photograph you at your engagement session, and I am so happy that you love your photos! I can’t wait to get you both in front of my camera again on your wedding day!

I absolutely LOVE what I do as a photographer! If you are looking for a wedding photographer, an engagement session photographer, or if you are looking for any other type of photography, I would absolutely LOVE to work with you! Please send me a message over on my contact page to find out more about my availability!

I'm Moving to South Carolina!

After yesterday’s personal blog post, I’m sure this doesn’t come as a surprise to many. In light of my recent engagement, I’m also excited to announce that I will be moving to South Carolina in the spring of 2022! After being long distance during out entire relationship, Mark and I are excited to finally live in the same state. And I am very excited to move my photography business to such a beautiful place!

I will be living in Greenville, South Carolina, which is right on the boarder between North and South Carolina, so I will be taking on weddings and sessions in both states. I’ve already gotten to photograph weddings and couples in Charleston and Greenville as well as in Asheville, North Carolina. I will be taking on weddings as well as all types of sessions from couples, to families, to branding sessions. So please feel free to reach out to me over on my contact page if you are looking for a photographer in the Carolinas.

For all of my Indiana couples, don’t worry! I will be making lots of trips back and forth next year as I work on slowly transitioning my business. I currently have 9 Indiana weddings booked for next year, and I’m taking on two more Indiana weddings for 2022 before I close Indiana bookings in order to take on more bookings in South Carolina. If you are having a wedding in Indiana next year, and haven’t booked with me yet, reach out to me as soon as possible so I can make sure to get you on my calendar!

Lastly, I just want to thank everyone for all of the love and support. I have had SO many amazing clients in Indiana, and while I’m sad to leave, I’m also excited to start a new adventure and meets lots of amazing people in South Carolina.

Here’s a few photos of the work I’ve gotten to do in South Carolina so far. I can’t wait for all of the amazing shoots to come!

Life Update: We're Engaged!

I’m so excited to share a personal life update with you all today: Mark and I are engaged! And before I get into all of the juicy details about the proposal, I thought it would be fun to take a step back and share our full love story. It truly feels like a story right out of a fairy tale or romance movie.

Mark and I first met over 8 years ago at a swing dance night that we went to with mutual friends. I’m older than Mark, so at the time, I was in college, and he was in high school. Here’s a photo from that night. We’re on opposite sides of the picture.

He came to that dance with his sister, Hannah, who ended up becoming one of my best friends! Hannah and I became close through swing dancing together, living across the street from each other, and then working together. Hannah is still one of my best friends today! And because of that, Mark and I stayed in each other’s lives as friends over the years as well. Here’s a photo of us a few years later.

I always knew that Mark and I had great conversations whenever we saw each other, but I never thought of him as anything more than a friend. Then, in 2020, we began to become much closer as friends when our friend group formed, and all of us started hanging out a lot more often. Here we all are, celebrating Hannah’s birthday.

At the beginning of this year, Mark started coming to church with me and asking me to hang out one on one, but I was pretty oblivious and didn’t think anything about it at the time. I thought he just wanted to hang out as friends. When Mark first told me that he liked me and wanted to date me earlier this year, I was shocked! I didn’t even know how to respond. I knew that I really liked spending time with him, but I didn’t think I could date my best friend’s brother, and I didn’t want to ruin my friendship with him either. But Mark was so sweet and patient, and never stopped pursuing me. About a month later, we took a trip with our friends to North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. It was on this trip that I realized I had strong feelings for Mark. Here’s a photo of us on a hike in Tennessee!

After a few more weeks of spending time together, I finally told Mark I was ready to date him on the same day that he told me he had accepted a new job offer and was moving to Greenville, South Carolina. I was sad, but I knew that dating Mark long distance was better than not being with him at all. He ended up moving less than two weeks after we started dating.

Our relationship has been filled with lots of driving back and forth between Indiana and South Carolina and lots of FaceTiming when we can’t be together in person. But it has also been filled with so much more fun, love, joy, support, adventures, hugs, and great conversations than I ever could have hoped for. Here’s a small glimpse into our many adventures over the past few months. These were all “selfies” taken with my tripod.

After 7 months of having so much fun together, Mark asked me to marry him last Friday! He asked me if I wanted to go for a sunrise walk in downtown Indy and bring the tripod along to take some photos of us. We set up the tripod on the War Memorial downtown and took a couple rounds of photos with the self timer. On the third round, he got down on one knee and proposed! Afterwards, he had planned a surprise engagement party with all of our friends and family at Hannah’s house! We had a lovely brunch with waffles and mimosas and all of the people we love the most. It was absolutely perfect, and so special. Here are the photos from the proposal!

And now I get to marry the best person I’ve ever met! Mark is so kind, thoughtful, hard-working, loving, caring, and self-less. I’m the luckiest girl in the world to get to spend my life with Mark!

Wedding planning has just begun, and now I’m in the same position as the couples that I get to work with every day, which has been so much fun.

I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit more about our love story! Engagement and wedding photos to come :)

November Engagement Photos at Eagle Creek

I had such a fun time with Aaron and Alicia during their November Engagement Photos at Eagle Creek! We ended up with an absolutely perfect fall day. It was in the sixties and the leaves were still beautiful even in November! Usually peak fall colors happen around mid October in Indiana, but we lucked out with a much later fall this year. I’m so thankful that I was able to squeeze in my last few weddings and engagement sessions of the fall season while we still have such beautiful colors.

I’ve photographed so many sessions at Eagle Creek at this point that I know all of the best spots for photos, how to avoid the crowds, and where to find the best fall colors within the park. I’m so thankful that Aaron and Alicia trusted my location recommendation. We were able to hit about 6 of my favorite spots within the park during the two hour session that we had together. I love that we were able to capture such a huge variety of photos for these two sweet love birds. Their final full engagement session gallery ended up with over 300 photos! My goal is always to capture as much variety as possible for my couples but to do it as efficiently as possible.

Aaron and Alicia, you two are so much fun to photograph, and you are such an amazing couple! I absolutely LOVED getting to photograph your engagement session, and I can’t wait to get you both in front of my camera again on your wedding day in just four months! Until then, happy wedding planning!

Are you looking for a wedding or an engagement session 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! I can’t wait to hear from you!

November Engagement Photos at Newfields

I had so much fun with Jackie and Bryce yesterday during their engagement photos! It was such a beautiful November day for engagement photos at Newfields. We lucked out with a very late fall this year. This beautiful peak fall colors are absolutely perfect right now, even in November. And it was the most beautiful day yesterday for engagement photos. I couldn’t believe it was over 60 degrees. That almost never happens this time of the year in Indiana. I was so thankful though, because I got to squeeze in all of my last few fall weddings and engagement sessions before it gets too cold and while we still have all of the stunning fall colors.

Newfields is always one of my favorite locations in the Indianapolis area for engagement photos. And it’s such a stunning wedding venue as well! The acres and acres of amazing gardens provide so many lovely background options. It’s so nice to be able to achieve such a huge variety of different looks all within walking distance of each other.

Jackie and Bryce, you two are such an amazing couple, and I loved getting to have you two in front of my camera! Your love for each other is so evident and makes my job so easy and fun! I absolutely can’t wait to get you in front of my camera again at your fall wedding next year! I’m loving all of your photos, and I can’t wait to send you your full engagement session gallery. Until then, enjoy these sneak peek photos!

Are you looking for a wedding or engagement session 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! I can’t wait to hear from you!

Fall Wedding At Laurel Hall

Yesterday was the most perfect day for a fall wedding at Laurel Hall. Valerie and Caleb's wedding day was so amazing! And it was the second perfect wedding day that I got to photograph for them! Like so many other couples who had wedding plans in 2020, Valerie and Caleb had to move their big wedding day from last year to this year, but they still decided to get married in a small ceremony with just immediate family last year on 10/10/2020. It was the perfect peak fall colors that day. And this year again, even though their wedding was almost a month later, we still ended up with peak fall colors! I love shooting weddings at Laurel Hall so much! It's one of my favorite venues in the Indianapolis area, but I don't know if I've ever seen it look so beautiful. It might be the perfect venue for a fall wedding.

Valerie and Caleb, I LOVED getting to photograph another wedding for you two! It was SUCH an honor to be your wedding photographer two years in a row. You two are such an amazing couple, and I can't wait to send you your full wedding gallery. In the mean time, enjoy these sneak peeks!

A wedding day can only be as perfect as flow as smoothly as Valerie and Caleb’s wedding day did when an amazing vendor team is running the day. I can’t thank these incredible vendors, companies, and people enough! Everyone did a fantastic job and was amazing to work with!

Valerie and Caleb’s Wedding Vendors:

Indianapolis Wedding Photographer: Michelle Poteet Photography

Indianapolis Wedding Ceremony Venue: Laurel Hall

Wedding Reception Venue: Laurel Hall

Cake and Other Desserts: Classic Cakes

Florist: the bride and the mother of the bride

Wedding Ceremony and Reception DJ: DJ Connection

Catering: Mills Catering

Bridal Gown: Blush Bridal in Fort Wayne

Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie and David's Bridal

Bridal Shoes: BHLDN

Men’s Attire: The Black Tux