When one of the sweetest couples gets married on the first crisp fall day in Indianapolis, magic happens. Kelsie and Carl could not have been more wonderful to photograph. They are incredible together and have such a fun group of friends. One of the funniest weddings moments I have ever captured was when the groomsmen took the bird scooters to meet the girls for photos in their formal attire. Their scooter swagger turned many heads all over Indianapolis. The gorgeous couple gave us plenty of time to take portraits of them in downtown Indianapolis, which I greatly appreciate. I hope you two love your images as much as I do!!
Bride + Groom Q + A
Our wedding date of 10/13 was the only date we considered. It just so happened that we committed to one another six years ago, back in 2012. It turned out that the same date fell on a Saturday this year, in 2018, and we took that as a good omen and ran with it. We knew we wanted to show our guests a good time in downtown Indy, since it is the city in which we live and we love everything it has to offer. So we did some research on venues, Kelsie’s vision has always been vintage/rustic but not necessarily “barn wedding,” so we visited a total of 3 venues, The Sanctuary on Penn being the last one. When we saw the spaces and learned about the “all-inclusive-style” business model, we were sold right away. We booked it the next day, I think, or close to it and began developing the decor. The Sanctuary on Penn is a 1790’s church-turned-wedding venue, so it goes without saying, but the place is incredible on its own. The warm colors on the plaster walls, dark wood accents and floors and the beautiful stained glass windows provided such beautiful character, we agreed we would keep it simple, with just some florals in our wedding colors of Burgundy, Steel Blue, Navy, and Ivory, with plenty of green from ferns and eucalyptus leaves accented with some rose gold pieces. Add to it, a little more dark wood in the form of centerpiece bases and plenty of candles and that was really all it needed. We were stunned when we saw the beautiful work Post Road English Garden did on the Ceremony florals and combined with the staff at the Sanctuary, they set up our reception flawlessly. We couldn’t have been happier with the end results!
As for the day of the wedding, Kelsie, being the event planner she is, had all the right information to the wedding party and the schedule planned out with plenty of buffer time between required activities, which kept the day perfectly flowing with virtually no stress due to time or running late. The morning for the ladies started around 7:45 at the Sanctuary for hair and makeup, while the guys rested up until brunch around 9:45. The basement of the Sanctuary had the perfect setup for a relaxing atmosphere where the 7 bridesmaids, flower girl, moms, aunts and Kelsie’s grandma could hang out and spend the morning together. The ladies at Mallory’s Beautiful You Salon and Spa worked magic on the hair while Kelsie’s cousin Ashlin polished up everyone’s complexion with airbrush makeup – everyone looked stunning.The guys arrived after eating to hang out and, when it came time, to don navy suits from Menguin.com online rentals complete with vest, burgundy bow ties and pocket squares, steel blue suspenders and personalized bamboo sunglasses. Kelsie and Carl opted to give each other notes once dressed followed by their first look which took place in just in front of the altar in the Grand Hall where the ceremony would take place. With most of the group photos following, we were left with the rest of the evening to sit back and enjoy the night that would unfold.
For the Ceremony, Kelsie and Carl developed the whole of it on their own, with plenty of help from Google. They opted to have a dear friend and fellow Butler U Bulldog do the honors of marrying them. In place of unity candles, they chose to plant a tree, giving new soil and water to a little bonsai. The two prepared and read their own vows as they were focused on having a very personal and memorable ceremony. Exchanging rings and sealing with a kiss, they danced back up the aisle to Hall and Oates’ “You Make My Dreams.” It was perfect and culminated with cocktails in the back room, which spilled into the outdoor space behind the venue and dinner followed by dancing. To round out the highly personal event, Carl and Kelsie danced their first dance to oldie but goodie, John Michael Montgomery’s “I Swear” and they prepared a choreographed foxtrot which the couple learned with the help of Scott Dance Studio. The whole day went by so fast, we couldn’t believe it when we danced our last song of the night, Imagine Dragons’ “Born to Be Yours” with a rather large group of remaining friends and family.
What inspired your wedding style? Kelsie grew up in rural western Indiana where the “olden days” are often a topic of conversation. It was this love for time’s past that she grew up with that led us to go the vintage rustic route, but of course the understated beauty of The Sanctuary on Penn drove our design choices.
Anecdotes about your gown?
Oh the gown – A gorgeous fit ‘n’ flare halter style, crystal and pearl beaded number with illusion back and dramatic lace train by Essence of Australia… (lol) Probably the best part about the dress was that I shopped 6 different boutiques in search of the dress that was perfectly “me.” As fate or irony would have it, I bought the dress from Brides by Young, though after making the purchase, I reviewed photos of other dresses I had tried on and realized the one I said “yes” to was also the very first dress I tried on when I began the long, three month process!
Favorite moment(s)?
Carl: When we were taking pictures with our bridal party. It was a great feeling having all our most loved friends around us and everyone was on point, so we were very efficient too.
Kelsie: After the ceremony, during our grand exit – we exited through a tunnel of all our guests who threw what seemed like mass quantities of lavender and rosemary at us… Like straight at us!
Funniest moment(s)?
Kelsie: Our ring bearer getting stage fright 90% of the way down the aisle. He walked so confidently at first, then his confidence turned to fear, he covered his face with his hands, did a 180 and sprinted all the way back to his dad, who then had to carry him back up the aisle to deliver the ring box!
Carl: Has to be when my groomsmen and I were riding BIRD Scooters to and from the venue for photos. We were dying as we noticed every car that we passed was fumbling with their phones to try and grab a picture of 7 men in suits on scooters.
First Dance Songs?
Ours: John Michael Montgomery “I swear”
Kelsie and Dad: Lady Gaga cover of Elton John “Your Song”
Carl and Mom: Blake Shelton “Forever Young”
Vendors:
- Photography – Stacy Able Photography
- Cake – Market District Bakery
- Florist / Rentals – Post Road English Garden
- Venue + Catering – The Sanctuary on Penn
- DJ – MGS DJs (Don Masters)
- Gown – Brides by Young
- Bridesmaids Attire – David’s Bridal
- Groom’s Attire – Menguin
- Rings – Dismonds Direct + Shane Co.
- Invitations Printed by Nova Graphics
- Hair Mallory’s Beautiful You Salon and Spa
- Hair, Makeup, and Lashes – Ashlin Goreth