Laurie has been getting some pretty ritzy affairs to cover for us lately, and Susannah & Eric’s wedding and reception at the Eiteljorg Museum was nothing short of jaw-dropping. Consultant Rayna Traylor, who kindly referred the couple to us, created a very unique configuration for the event, even for this versatile venue. The Clowes Sculpture Court, a big round “ballroom” normally used for dining and dancing, was completely filled with dinner tables, expertly serviced as always by Kahn’s Katering. Meanwhile, the Eagle Commons area, normally a wider “hallway” used for cocktails, provided the setting for both the traditional Jewish ceremony and the dancing later in the evening. When I stopped by to say “hi” to Laurie, Rayna and photographer Hether Miles, I was stopped in my tracks at the entrance to the commons by the huge cake under the beautifully lit chuppah that I assume stood over the couple at the other end of the space only hours earlier. Based on what little I saw in my few minutes there, this should be a fun edit!
Saturday’s coverage started with hair and makeup at Salon 2000 overlooking Monument Circle, then back to the Columbia Club for preparations. We had plenty of time, so I used this time to get some fun shots of the ladies getting ready, to break in a third new HD camera, and to capture the amazing transformation of the club’s lobby level by the talented ladies of BoKay Florist. Photographers Jim & Lois Wyant, with whom I had also worked two weekends earlier, joined the party in time to stage a tender first meeting of the couple and then some fun shots on the Circle.
For all the extravagance, the ceremony itself was a short and sweet ten-minute affair, after which Amie & Justin hopped on a horse carriage ride while the guests moved to the 10th floor for cocktails. The reception featured the usual great hospitality by A.J. Ploughe’s staff (the apple martini bar with the monogrammed ice sculpture was my favorite touch) and sublime dance music provided by the band Sequel.
Here are the highlights from Wendi & Patrick’s fun 9/2/07 wedding and reception at the Omni Severin Hotel:
The next day, I joined another very talented friend, Nate Rowe of Nathaniel Edmunds Photography, alongside Shelly Valentine outside St. Mary Catholic Church for some fun shots with the whole wedding party and their families. (Nate took some great shots of our kids earlier this year, ironically the day before David booked us and asked what I thought of Nate, whom he was considering hiring. How fortuitous!) Ceremonies can be by-the-numbers sometimes, but this one felt so much more personal due to the genuine warmth of the couple and their relationship with the parish and officiants.
The reception was my second in a week at the elegant Bridgewater Club, where we finally had some perfect fall weather for cocktails and additional photos outside. (Hard to believe it was 30 degrees warmer just six days earlier!) The ballroom was tastefully decorated by Flowers by Tiffany, with each table named after a location significant to the couple’s relationship. It was a joy as always to work with my good friend and neighbour Jim Cerone, who MC’d with his usual classly, personalized touch and kept the dance floor hopping throughout the evening with kids and grownups alike.
Laurie covered all the festivities this time around, beginning with an intimate ceremony at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in the Meridian Kessler area, noting that Brandy was one of the most stunning brides she had ever seen. The reception at the Roof was truly amazing with unique touches everywhere, including a way-cool Maui photo guestbook, Gary’s trademark extravagant decor, the ballroom’s signature light show introduction, and a huge tower of custard-filled rolls held together by chocolate, for lack of a technical term. Yum!
Jainie & Matt enjoyed a wonderful 9/1/07 ceremony at Mount Pleasant Christian Church, followed by some fun photo time at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and an elegant reception at the Omni Severin Hotel. Here are the highlights:
Here are the highlights from Amanda & Shaun’s gorgeous 8/25/07 wedding and reception at the Indiana Roof Ballroom:
UPDATE: Just got some nice quick feedback from the happy couple… “You are amazing!!! We are both crying!!! Thank you for capturing our day for us. We can hardly wait to see the rest! 🙂 With Love, Amanda and Shaun” Thank YOU for the kind words! See why I love this gig?