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.

September 29, 2022

FILED IN: Weddings

bride and groom dance under a ton of stringlights during their mavris reception

String lights and chandeliers provided mood lighting as the guests took their seats at the Mavris. Then, from the stairwell, Maggie and Tyler entered the reception space to massive applause from their friends and family. Immediately after they entered the space, music swelled and they danced their first dance in the middle of the tables […]

August 2, 2022

FILED IN: Weddings

a woman hugs another woman from behind in front of bokeh during their lockerbie engagement session

A set of fairy lights twinkled softly on a small tree as the sun slowly descended toward the horizon. On the sidewalk in front of the tree, Danielle and Erin hugged and laughed. Because of the pandemic, these two moved their wedding ceremony with friends and family from the bay area to Indiana. I think […]

July 30, 2022

FILED IN: Weddings

man and woman dance outside at sunset with indy skyline behind them during their charming mavris wedding

The setting sun shined through the red tree leaves at the Mavris before dipping behind the Indianapolis skyline. Katelyn took Jacob’s hand and pulled him in to dance with her on the grass, the last rays of sunshine backlighting the two of them. This was just on of the many fantastic moments from this charming […]

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 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 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 […]

April 25, 2022

FILED IN: Engagements

man and woman in front of beautiful graffiti mural on the Indy Canal during this downtown indy engagement session

This wonderful Indianapolis engagement with Sarah and Jeffrey went all over downtown. We started at the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Monument Circle. After getting some shots around the monument and in front of the fountains, we headed down the cobblestone street toward the Indiana Statehouse. We hit the Statehouse grounds during golden hour and […]

March 9, 2022

FILED IN: Weddings

bride and groom hug in front of brown background during their indy canal wedding

Sunlight fell through the open window of Canal 337. Tyler stood near the window, the sunlight gracing his face, as Anna walked up behind him and gave him a hug. They both smiled. This was just one of the moments we created together during their portraits. Scroll down to see all of the amazing moments […]

July 18, 2021

FILED IN: Weddings

bride and groom walking hand in hand at their Indiana Statehouse Elopement

The warm tungsten light emanated from the elegant lighting fixtures in the Indiana State House. Cool blue light streamed into the building through the sky lights mixing with the warmer light inside. The result was that everything inside had a slightly golden hue in the shadows. Walking down a hall, under the warm lights, were […]

January 26, 2021

FILED IN: Weddings

bride and groom hold hands and walk away from the Indiana Statehouse during their Indiana Roof Ballroom wedding

The sunlight streamed in a slant across the grass of the Indiana Statehouse. Some of the higher rays bounced off the glass face of a nearby building and reflected back down across the grass from the opposite direction. Grace and Nathan walked across the grass, holding hands, showered in the warm sunlight streaming from two […]