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.

June 2, 2020

grandparents of bride and groom sit on wooden bench in newfields during an IMA wedding

My dad has always been on more of the sentimental side. He loves photo gifts and anything that you have to put in thought. This has made it really hard to come up with something 3 times a year for 15 (adult) years. If you’re in the same boat, then here are some of my […]

April 30, 2020

FILED IN: Newborn

sweet baby all wrapped up in pink blanket on white backgroundNoblesville Newborn Photography

Last week we published a piece about how to shoot newborn photos with an iPhone. We received some feedback from parents that are expecting that they don’t know if they have any picturesque newborn props and they don’t really want to spend money on something that would just be a photo prop. So we decided […]

April 23, 2020

FILED IN: Newborn, Portraits

Recently we’ve had to close our doors to portraits because of COVID-19, and it’s been heartbreaking. The most heartbreaking thing is having to say no to clients who want newborn portraits. Babies change so quickly, so I wanted to put together some tips on how to capture your newborn portraits with your iPhone (or Android […]

April 16, 2020

FILED IN: Wedding Tip

So what is trendy in Indy? We’ve seen some classic wedding dress trends in 2019. Here are a few dresses from the past year that have caught our eye. Straps & Sleeves Isn’t it time for us to be comfortable on our wedding day? Are the days of us pulling up the top of our […]

April 13, 2020

groom in burgundy suit kisses bride in white dress at sunset during their East Central Indiana wedding

Hiring a wedding coordinator is a priority for any and every budget! I hope you loved the last time we included some advice from the married on our blog. Here’s some more advice from another one of our lovely couples! “The three most important things for our wedding day were having you guys [awww, thank you!!!] […]

March 2, 2020

We are so excited to share Carly & Jon’s Mavris wedding in Indianapolis again on the blog today. They are celebrating their 1st wedding anniversary *all the excitement emojis*!!! We are doing things a little differently. We’ve asked for advice they have to share with our readers about wedding planning and Carly & Jon had […]

February 16, 2020

We were at Pelican Hill near Newport Beach for Lauren & Campbell’s wedding until the very late hours (2:30 am our time), but I couldn’t wait to get a few photos up to share. It was such a beautiful day and the photos were all so gorgeous. Steve and I had so much fun capturing […]

February 13, 2020

FILED IN: Wedding Tip

On the 9th episode of Wedded, we talk about cheese (maybe a bit too much about cheese), how I wish I would have splurged a bit on a pair of designer shoes for the wedding, and the wedding guest list. Listen to the episode on your commute to work, or while you multitask. I’ve broken […]

February 12, 2020

FILED IN: Weddings

Wedding at a hospital in Indianapolis. Photo of two hands with wedding bands holding on to a man's arm in a hospital bed.

We received a message from Megan on Christmas night stating that she and Jeremy were going to get married the next day. Her father wasn’t doing well and had been in the hospital for several days after suffering a heart attack. They wanted to get married at the hospital with Megan’s dad present. So I […]

February 11, 2020

FILED IN: Engagements

Couple wraps arms around each other in a city park while they laugh.

Megan and Jeremy had gorgeous weather for their Indianapolis canal engagement shoot. The Indy Canal Walk is great for those couples who want a mix of city and nature in their photos. Even though the location is popular, there are so many hidden gems that can make each session unique. After the first time chatting […]