Emma & Conor’s romantic Ritz Charles Garden Pavilion wedding was seriously magical! This was a wedding I had been looking forward to for YEARS! Emma & I have known each other since our elementary school soccer days!  Growing up with her and getting to see her marry her best friend… I was basically crying happy tears all day. Their wedding was as close to perfect as you can get. With the beautiful weather, drop dead gorgeous floral arrangements, Emma & Conor looking like pure royalty, and being surrounded by the most fun group of friends and family… their garden wedding will go down in history as one of my all time favorites!

The first time I met Conor, it was 20 degrees outside, he was dressed in a suit, and modeling alongside his “bride” (aka girlfriend of just a few months). Back in the winter of 2014, I decide to go through a rebranding project. I changed my business name, my logo, my approach… I changed everything about my business. And to show off my new editing style, I set up a woodland styled wedding. That’s where Emma comes in.

I needed a drop dead stunning model to play the “bride”, so I reached out to Emma and she couldn’t have been more excited to help! To top it off, she brought along her super handsome boyfriend to model with her! At the time, they had only been dating for a short while, so I was a little nervous that it would be weird for them to see each other as “bride & groom”. Their relationship was SO new and I didn’t want to jinx anything for them! But it became very clear, very quickly, that Conor was the one.

The story of how I met Emma’s husband is certainly fun for me to tell, but the story of how they met each other is even better! They were both attending Indiana University, and happened to be in one of the same classes at the start of the school year. However, neither of them knew they were in the same class, because they both skipped on the first day!! The next time their class met, everyone had already been paired up for a project… expect for Emma & Conor. And as fate would have it… you guessed it! They were paired together.

We were outstandingly lucky to have a beautiful wild garden engagement session at McAllister Park, and their wedding day was even more perfect! The day started in an adorable vintage home in Indianapolis where hair and make-up was being done. Emma was surrounded with so much love from her girls and her mother! Especially because the day before the wedding was National Best Friends Day! And if you know Emma & her bridesmaids, you know that there’s no one in the world who love each other more than these girls! I’m pretty sure Emma’s heart was exploding with gratitude at this point, because mine sure was and I was just overwhelmed with the love that they were feeling that morning!

After Emma & Conor were finished with preparations, all of us headed to Coxhall Gardens for their first look! Conor’s reaction was SO precious! He was straight up elated to see his gorgeous bride! In case you didn’t know, first look reactions are my absolute favorite, and if you’re on the fence about having a first look… you should definitely do it! After Emma & Conor had a little bit of alone time, we headed into wedding party portraits! At this point, it was starting to feel pretty hot outside and I forgot to bring water with me. Whoops. For a few seconds there I thought I was on the verge of fainting! Imagine telling that story to your friends and family at the reception! Haha!

It was so so so windy at Coxhall Gardens, so we decided to head over the Ritz Charles Garden Pavilion a little early to finish up the bridesmaids and groomsmen photos separately. And seriously, when you scroll down to the bridesmaids photos, just stop for a second to admire how absolutely incredible they look, especially with their AMAZING bouquets!! The amaranthus florals (those beautiful fuzzy, green, overflowing plants) really makes these bouquets super unique and brings the entire garden theme together! Emma, I’m seriously stealing your idea for my own wedding. There will be amaranthus EVERYWHERE! I’m completely in love with it now!

Their ceremony was beneath huge, towering trees that photos just don’t do justice to! Emma & Conor read their own vows which left so many guests in tears! Especially the bridesmaids! And because I was friends with all of these ladies before the wedding, seeing all of the cry made me cry too! Happy tears, of course. I even had to let Tanner take over for a couple minutes during the ceremony because I couldn’t see through the viewfinder on my camera!

We had been waiting all day to photograph their reception decor, and when we finally got to, we were in detail heaven! I knew Emma & Conor has BIG plans for their reception decor, and it definitely didn’t disappoint! The Ritz Charles Garden Pavilion is enough of a show stopper in itself! Then add on gorgeous white drapes hanging from the ceiling, adorable cross back chairs, take-home succulent escort cards, along with the most beautiful centerpieces you’ve ever seen, and you have yourself a recipe for the most elegant reception of all time!

Emma and Conor, no one deserves this perfect day more than the two of you. I am so beyond happy that I got to be there to witness the beginning of your next big adventure. Thank you a million times over for being so incredible. I hope this new adventure together gets better each and every day. Your joy is contagious and I absolutely loved being surrounded by it on your wedding day. Cheers to many more decades of love and happiness!

Vendor Credits
Photography: Bailey Elle Photography
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Ritz Charles Garden Pavilion
Hair & Makeup: Christine Rohrman
Florist: McNamara Florists (Kathy Deer)
Bridal Gown: Essence of Australia (purchased at Blue House Bridal)
Entertainment: Karli Peetz & Levi Hession
Ceremony Macrame Decor: Savannah Norris
Invitations: Vista Print
Groom Attire: Jos A. Bank