Wedding Advice & Photography

Two things we are confident in: Wedding Planning & photography. Van Elk & Co is made up of a team of photographers who love to create portraits of love & happiness and share advice for wedding couples.

This isn't your typical photography blog. We share useful info for couples who are getting married and those who are heading that direction. Let us show you pretty things while you fill your head with all things wedding planning.

July 29, 2022

FILED IN: Engagements

man and woman hug on top of star floor at bottom of circular stairs during their bottleworks engagement session

A set of circular stairs follows the wall in a foyer at Bottleworks Hotel. The room has beautiful stone walls with golden tones. Rob took Kristen by the hand and led her down the steps. At the bottom of the stairs, they danced in the circular room below. We love this beautiful Bottleworks engagement session […]

June 27, 2022

FILED IN: Weddings

groom in blue suit dips bride in white dress and kisses her at sunset at their Indianapolis Hawaiian Jewish wedding

The setting sun reflected off the windows of buildings in downtown Indianapolis. Standing on the terrace of Regions Tower, Riane and Jacob and were backlit by the light. They danced and Jacob dipped Riane, practicing for when they would do their first dance later in the evening. They kissed while dipping and it was magical. […]

June 24, 2022

FILED IN: Weddings

bride and groom dance under overhang after their first look at their sand creek wedding

The overhand outside the Sand Creek Country Club provided a nice respite from the sun on a hot day. Under that overhang, Shanelle walked toward Phil as they prepared to see each other for the first time on their wedding day. After lots of hugs and few kisses and some chatting, Phil took Shanelle by […]

June 22, 2022

FILED IN: Weddings

bride and groom under chuppah at their charming coxhall gardens wedding

The leaves of the weeping willow were blown slowly back and forth by a light breeze, adding a little movement behind the Chuppah during the ceremony. Under the Chuppah, Shayna and Aaron stood holding hands as Aaron prepared to break the glass. When the time came, he stomped so hard his yarmulke flew off his […]

June 7, 2022

FILED IN: Engagements

The Indiana State Government building is next to the Indiana Statehouse and the canal in downtown Indianapolis. It has a large, gorgeous overhang that looks stunning in photos. I took Barb and Keith there seeking a little shade on this hot day last summer while shooting their engagement photos. I asked them to hold hands […]

June 6, 2022

FILED IN: Weddings

bride and groom hold hands and walk through West Clay with their wedding party before their Carmel backyard wedding

June 3, 2022

FILED IN: Weddings

bride and groom dancing in black and white photo during their charming regions tower wedding with someone dressed as uncle sam behind them

The guests made a circle around the dance floor and lit sparklers. As the sparklers caught fire, one of the bride and groom’s relatives came out of Regions Tower dressed as Uncle Sam. As the bride and groom danced through their guests who were waving sparklers, Uncle Sam also danced around them and made their […]

June 2, 2022

FILED IN: Weddings

beautiful blonde bride standing in front of steps of building for her unique wedding photos

A soft breeze blew across the quad at Ball State University, lifting the lace of Sara’s dress and tousling her blonde hair. She lifted the skirt of her wedding dress and spun in the breeze taking in the day. Her groom Adam stood watching, a smile on his face, as he watched Sara having her […]

May 25, 2022

FILED IN: Uncategorized

If you love receiving personalized gifts or giving them, we have been on the search for some great options for couples. The first thing we will be reviewing is a personalized cheese board from Groovy Guy Gifts. Steven and I go through cutting boards faster than anything else when cooking. Although I like to only […]

May 17, 2022

FILED IN: Weddings

wide shot of first kiss in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart during a University of Notre Dame wedding

We had so much fun shooting this University of Notre Dame wedding with Emily and Adam! We love visiting the University of Notre Dame and shooting there is so much fun. The campus is beautiful and provides so many gorgeous backdrops for photography. With this wedding we got to shoot at Saint Mary’s Lake, the […]