It’s the official wrap-up post of my 2015 shooting year. Yes, it may seem a few week’s behind, but when you end the year with a bang and go out with a New Year’s Eve wedding, you’re allowed a small grace period to wrap up the year. 😉

In true Michigan fashion (yes, this was another Michigan wedding!) we had bitter, blustery weather for this winter-wedding, but this Indianapolis wedding photographer was up for the challenge… and having spent years living in Colorado and Montana where the weather gets MUCH more frigid, I was prepared. Lucky for me, the wedding party was in support of braving the cold, wind, and snow for some outdoor portraits, too!

I have to admit – having never been a fan of New Year’s Eve as a holiday, this wedding was a first for me. I can count the number of New Years’ Eves I’ve gone out and celebrated on one hand… probably only on a couple of fingers. Furthermore, I’ve actually had a slew of crazy (and not good-crazy) experiences on each of those evenings. So, years ago, I opted to start staying home (usually sleeping through the event). When we moved out west, we updated our tradition to include traveling back home after the holidays. We’d spend the day driving, splurge on a nice hotel, and treat ourselves to a cushy evening in. Now that we live so much closer to home again, we can make the drive in a few short hours, leaving our post-Christmas travel (and NYE celebrations) wide open. So when Rachel and I first connected in the fall of 2014, I was thrilled at the opportunity to shoot a New Year’s wedding so close to home. What better way to enjoy the holiday than DOCUMENTING it!? You photographers will understand… right up my alley!

So when the day ended with this, and Rachel asked me what I thought of a New Year’s Eve wedding, I could respond with nothing short of a huge grin and a delighted yell across the energy of the room to her. It was just perfect.

How did we get there? See for yourself! We started at the home that Rachel grew up in… nothing like having a shot of your wedding dress hanging on the front porch next to your childhood home house number to show the grandkids one day. <3 It’s the storytelling that goes into photography that just steals my soul. In a good way, of course.

And this is why winter weddings are worth braving the cold. Beautiful diffused light and moody blue clouds. Breathtaking. … oh wait, the breathtaking part was the single-digit temperatures. 😉 

Always a pleasure to feature some of the gorgeous and drool-worthy creations of Jen House Design.

Also, have I mentioned yet about these dresses?! Literally perfect. In every.single.way. 

Always one of my favorite parts of a traditional ceremony – the giving away of the bride. 

As a spur-of-the-moment decision, I sent my second shooter around to catch the bride’s parent’s reaction to the kiss and announcement of the newlyweds. With the way the church was set up, we were going to end up with the same shot of the first kiss and I always like to have something special for the couple for this moment. So while I was stationed center-aisle in the church, Jenny ran around to the grooms side to focus on these two and I am oh-so-glad she was there for this. In being with Rachel leading up to this moment it became easily apparent that she’s very close to her family and to her parents, especially, so in a split-second decision, I switched up our shooting plan and could not be more glad that I did.

When you pack a church so full that people are standing in the back you know you’re loved. And those in the front row are always your biggest fans.

This day was full of so many personal details and I have to point one more of them out. Before heading to the cocktail hour we stopped by the bar where Rachel and Brett met for some quick portraits and a chance for the wedding party to let loose a bit. While sneaking down the back stairwell I had a vision… and this is it. And I LOVE it.

Ok. Rachel has a cat… that she loves DEARLY. And he was ever-present while the girls were getting ready in the morning, and he managed to make a second appearance at the reception. Brett put together a surprise video for Rachel and the joy in her face says it all. You can check out the video here, and then you will understand just how much she loves Rocky by the third picture below.

Let the New Year’s party…. begin!!!

And this is where we ended up. 🙂 Happy New Year, all. May 2016 be your best year, yet. <3 casey and her camera is an Indianapolis Wedding Photographer specializing in couple, lifestyle, senior, wedding and family photography for Indianapolis, Indiana and the surrounding areas.