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 18, 2020

FILED IN: Engagements

woman in green dress and man in blue pants hug in front of rocks during their bloomington engagement session

Large slabs of rock stood tall above the grass of an open field. Their faces pointed upward at an overcast sky on a damp day just on the precipice of rain. Standing amongst the rocks, Megan and Evan hugged each other. There were so many amazingly picturesque moments just like this one during Megan and […]

November 7, 2019

FILED IN: Engagements

man and woman stand under wine club sign for their Louies Wine Dive engagement portraits

Big tungsten bulbs lit up a sign that read, “Wine Club” on the wall of Louie’s Wine Dive. Standing under the sign, and under a chandelier made of empty wine bottle, Ali and Eric stood with glasses in hand. They were sharing a drink at one of their favorite places in Indianapolis. I had so […]

July 24, 2019

FILED IN: Engagements

man and woman hold hands and smile in front of graffiti during their fountain square engagement shoot

A few plants grew up through the cracks in the cement, partially covering the beautiful mural on the wall of a building in Fountain Square. Fountain Square has a knack for allowing artists to paint stunning graffiti art murals on their walls and that makes it one of my favorite places to shoot. It’s one […]

May 17, 2019

FILED IN: Engagements

in the woods at this holcomb gardens engagements photos session a blonde woman kisses a brown haired man

The sunlight fell through the boughs of the evergreen tree, spilling out onto the forest floor underneath. The glow of the sunlight gently warmed the pine needles and leaves on nestled in the ground. Next to a tall conifer, Kendall walked up behind Connor and wrapped her arms around him. Smiling, she kissed him on […]

July 27, 2018

FILED IN: Engagements

a well dress young man kisses a blonde girl with a blue dress on the forehead

The branches of the trees grew up and over a small paved path near Butler University, creating a leafy tunnel. Niki and Sam paused while walking down this path, holding hands and turned to face each other. The light from the sun broke through the foliage in a few places, but mostly just highlighted the […]

April 26, 2018

FILED IN: Engagements

man looking at woman under pine trees while hugging her from behind

The boughs of the pine trees hung low. Laden with cones and needles, they strained against gravity to stay off the ground. In between the branches, Dan hugged Katie from behind. She reached up and grabbed his arms, looking over her shoulder at fiance and smiling. She was loved and comforted as she was wrapped […]

April 25, 2018

FILED IN: Engagements

Engaged Couple Side Hug Athenaeum Theater Indy

Winter was lingering well into March, which meant it was too cold to shoot outside for long. As a result, Katie and Lyle decided to do their engagement session inside the Athenaeum Theater in Indy. The theater was lovely, warm, and so welcoming on this cold day in March. It was a lot cozier inside the […]

March 1, 2018

FILED IN: Engagements

Woman Looking at man as he holds her from behind on top of war memorial in indianapolis

On top of the Indianapolis War Memorial, as the sun was setting behind them, Ashley and Geoff paused for a moment, looking out over downtown Indianapolis. Geoff embraced Ashley from behind, wrapping his arms around her on the cool afternoon. Ashley looked over her shoulder at him and smiled for a second, then she slowly […]

December 21, 2017

FILED IN: Engagements

framed by the trun and bough of a tree a man and woman hug in arbuckle acres park

The sky was overcast and there was little more than muted light filtering through the clouds. Thankfully, Bri and Jason’s happy demeanor and big smiles provided enough happiness to lighten the mood on this dismal day. A  flash positioned just right helped out a little bit too. I had so much fun capturing Bri and […]

December 4, 2017

FILED IN: Engagements

a blonde woman kisses a brown haired man in white adirondack chairs in front of a pond close to sunset with the sunlight reflecting off the surface of the pond

In the placid face of the water a clear reflection of the setting sun was visible. Two white Adirondack chairs faced west, looking out over the pond, illuminated by the fading light of the sun and reflected light from the water. Sam and Ethan sat in these Adirondack chairs, but they didn’t look out at […]