After an absolutely incredible engagement session with Erin and Jon, I couldn’t wait to dive into their wedding day.  And dive, I did.  I spent the entire day with them, vicariously experiencing as much love and excitement and fun as any wedding photographer could wish for.  By the time the reception hall closed its doors, I left with all my memory cards full, a slight limp (ok, my gear is a bit heavy), and a huge smile on my face.  Denver was incredible, but what made this wedding so special was Erin and Jon.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art is a beautiful place for an engagement session.  They have amazing gardens, sculptures, and fountains that keep their beauty through all four seasons.   A lot of couples choose this as the location for their portrait session, so I have to work hard to keep every session fresh and unique.  I don’t keep a standard list of poses to use at every session, “kiss pose in front of fountain” or “smile pose next to tree” are not the kind of guidelines that bring out a couple’s true feelings for one another.  With every portrait session, I try new techniques, new poses, new equipment- whatever I can find to keep my images exciting.  Of course, it always helps to work with a great couple like Dilpreet and Manjyot!

For me, the cold month of February is the perfect time to stay inside where it’s warm and look at pictures of summertime.  Since the past year has been filled with so much excitement, I haven’t had time to blog about all the wonderful things I’ve been photographing!  I’m taking this opportunity to catch up.  When I thought about what to post for Valentine’s day, I realized it absolutely had to be this beautiful August wedding.  Courtney and Brock are two of the kindest people one could ever hope to meet, and watching these high school sweethearts celebrate the years they’ve spent loving each other and the years they will spend together in the future was a one-of-a-kind experience.

Here’s Courtney waiting excitedly for the ceremony to begin.

The first time the couple sees each other on the wedding day!

After the ceremony Courtney and Brock were greeting their guests in the receiving line.  I captured some images from the receiving line as well, but then I sneaked off to steal candid images of the guests.  I loved this couple excitedly searching their camera for pictures they had taken during the wedding ceremony.  Judging from their happy faces, I think they caught some good ones!

Look closely at this couple…you should spot some bunny ears =)

I stole this moment through a window.  These boys had gone outside to play on the balcony, completely oblivious that I was watching.  The window glass thought my photograph should include some waiter ghosts.  Good call, window glass.

After the reception was over and all the guests had gone home, a few people stayed behind.  I stayed to capture some moments of the night’s end.  A couple relaxing into each others’ arms, and another couple looking through their photographs of the day.

Kellie and Glenn did the impossible- they managed to plan a beautiful wedding full of personal touches in only six weeks!  Their wedding was the perfect combination of elegance and fun.  It was full of personal touches including his-and-hers Bears jerseys for the happy couple and wine bottles for each of the guests, each one personalized with photographs and stories.  Of course, the best part of their wedding was all the love in the room.

We started the wedding day at one of the bridesmaids’ houses where the girls gathered to share makeup and laughter, and to help the bride put on her amazingly gorgeous dress.

I saw so many tender moments between Kellie and her family.  Here she is with her father getting ready to walk down the aisle.

Once the ceremony started, Glenn and Kellie hardly stopped smiling.  They were so excited to be married!  The officiant standing behind them is Glenn’s sister.  I think it’s so sweet when the person officiating the wedding is very close to the couple.  It made the ceremony even more special.

Despite the freezing weather, we ran outside for a very quick portrait session after the ceremony.  I think they do a great job of pretending not to be cold!

A silly moment after the cake cutting!

I don’t get too many couples willing to brave sub-freezing temperatures for an engagement session, but Glenn and Kellie were determined to make some great portraits despite the weather. So we got some warm drinks, put on our coats and hats, and went out in the snow to play. It was a cold but beautiful day. I had my camera to keep me warm, and Glenn and Kellie had each other!  This might be the most fun I’ve had in the snow in a long time.

We spent part of our session inside the Columbia Club on the circle.  I loved this shot by the fireplace, it felt so good to be warm!

A step beyond the usual engagement ring closeup.  In this shot I wanted to show their connection with each other along with the beautiful ring.