When I walked into the bride’s getting ready room on the second floor of The Blanton House, I found the bridesmaids were gathered around Caroline, the bride. They were sharing everything they loved most about her. It was the perfect beginning to this wedding day.
Caroline had thoughtfully prepared every detail she wanted photographed. I began with a flat lay featuring her invitation, rings, shoes, an adorable pair of sunglasses, and the delicate necklace her maternal grandmother had worn on her own wedding day 65 years earlier.
Brian, my second photographer, started the guys coverage in the groom’s getting ready room where Bradon was showing off the cufflinks Caroline had sent over that morning and glowing over what a thoughtful gift giver she is. He finished the guys getting ready coverage and took them outside for portraits while I finished with the girls.
One of the sweetest parts of the morning came when the bridesmaids and moms presented Caroline with a custom book filled with their favorite memories and handwritten letters. Watching her read through the pages was a genuinely beautiful, emotional moment, one I felt honored to document.
Caroline was planning to do a first look with her bridesmaids so she had all the girls leave the room while her mom helped her into her dress and veil. This also allowed for mom and daughter to have a few quiet moments together before the day unfolded.
The expression of the bride’s closest friends seeing her is priceless.
It was important to Caroline that we carved space in the timeline for a few bridal portraits. Her wedding dress was absolutely exquisite and these bride alone images are a meaningful part of the wedding day story.
We had time to create Pinterest worthy bridesmaids with parasol photos before the ceremony. The vibe of the day was garden party and the soft pastel color palette of the bridesmaids dresses made these portraits especially romantic.
Before Caroline’s dad walked her down the aisle we had one last first look with Caroline, her dad, and brothers.
Guests began to arrive.
While I documented those moments, Brian captured these moments before Caroline walked down the aisle and Bradon was able to see her for the first time on their wedding day.
Caroline and Bradon did not have a first look so the first time they saw each other was when she walked down the aisle. The bride chose the song for her part of the processional as a surprise for her groom. A beautiful cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Haley Reinhart.
Even Bradon’s best man Jacob cried seeing her walking down the aisle.
The ceremony starts. One of our focuses is always photos of the people in the front row, parents, grandparents, siblings. They are quiet emotional anchors of the ceremony. While the couple focuses on each other the front row holds the people who loved them longest.
A ring warming ceremony is one of the most meaningful modern rituals we have the opportunity to photograph. The rings don’t just appear at the alter, they travel through the hands of the guests , each person holding them for a moment, offering a blessing, hope, or prayer for the couple and their marriage. It’s not just the exchange of the rings between husband and wife, but the collective love surrounding them.
After the vows are said and the rings exchanged Bradon and Caroline are pronounced husband and wife and the union is sealed with a kiss.
Because Caroline and Bradon did not see each other until the ceremony they went to spend a few minutes alone together to soak in that just married feeling. When they rejoined the party we gathered everyone and captured family formals and wedding party photos.
Cocktail hour concluded, the wedding party made their entrance to the reception and the bride and groom went straight into their first dance to All My Love by Coldplay.
Dinner was a taco bar catered by Tlachos.
Toasts were given by the bride’s father, the best man, maid of others, and each of her brothers. They each stood up sharing their love for Caroline and Bradon, recounting stories that left everyone laughing and tearing up, each one ending in hugs and glasses in the air.
And then it was time for cake cutting, one of the oldest and most enduring wedding traditions. The bride and groom cut a piece together and playfully fed each other.
One photo we always include in the gallery, the cake after it’s cut.
We had hoped for golden-hour photos but the Indiana sky had other plans. With a storm rolling in we stole a few quiet moments on the mansion lawn to make these these special portraits happen.
When the rain arrived , no one scattered. Guests simply moved under the reception tent and onto the dance floor, turning the change of weather into the start of the party.
As we approached the end of our photography coverage, the guys broke out a bottle of Blanton Bourbon purchased during the bachelor party. They thought it was go fitting since the wedding took place at Blanton House. The bottle was included in photos throughout the day.
This wedding day at Blanton House in Danville, Indiana felt like stepping into a storybook. The Georgian Colonial mansion, with its sweeping verandas, antique details, and 73 acres of carefully tendered grounds offers both intimacy and grandeur.
This space encourages real connection. Guests spill easily between indoor and outdoor areas. This of the mansion and reception tent from a distance is one we love for our couples to see in their gallery, the party unfolding from afar while they are fully present in the middle of it.
Caroline and Bradon are incredibly lovely humans surrounded by so much love from family and friends. It was an honor to bear witness and to document their beautiful wedding day.
We wish you a lifetime of love and adventure.