Ally + Zen Get Married! An intimate Hamilton County wedding in the Fall.

Ally + Zen booked their wedding with me about a year in advance. We had never met before, and although they both grew up here, they currently live in Michigan. Being out of state, they originally planned to skip their complimentary engagement session that comes with my wedding packages. But as luck would have it, they came back to Indiana for a weekend in June and messaged me to see if we could sneak in a session while they were here.

When I photographed them, I instantly saw the chemistry between them. They made my job easy and were complete naturals in front of the camera. Both of them were up for all my creative (and slightly crazy) ideas, which made me so, so excited for their wedding day.

A few short months later, it had arrived, October 4, 2025. The perfect 75-degree, sunny fall day. I met Ally and the girls at their Airbnb in Sheridan, a cute little house spacious enough for hair, makeup, and mimosas. It even had a classic clawfoot tub, so of course I had Ally pose in it (a total dream!).

After photos there, we traveled to their ceremony spot, a private property owned by a mutual friend. We were greeted by a pet rooster who wasn’t too happy about strangers invading his space, but we carried on with bridal party photos. We started with the ladies before the guys arrived since Ally + Zen wanted to wait until the ceremony to see each other for the first time. There was a great shaded space behind the barn for photos, but the real showstopper was the ceremony spot itself.

The property originally hosted weddings years ago but stopped when the family moved there full-time. Because it was designed for weddings, it truly was the most beautiful setting.

Their ceremony was perfect. They each read vows they wrote for one another, and they were so similar that I asked if they’d written them together. Turns out they’re just soulmates who happened to be on the same wavelength. They didn’t realize how perfectly their vows would mirror each other until they were at the altar. I definitely shed a tear or two, but that’s not unusual for me! Be sure to look for the most joyful, candid photos of them leaving the ceremony, two of the happiest humans I’ve seen in a longggg time.

After the ceremony, we took more bridal party and couple portraits on the property before heading to Osprey Point Pavilion on Morse Reservoir for the reception. The ceremony was an intimate one with close friends and immediate family, so it was lovely to see more guests join later in the evening to celebrate. They had table numbers featuring childhood photos of each of them at that same age, such a sweet touch, and the cocktail hour on the deck overlooking the water was absolutely perfect.

Just after dinner, we snuck out for the most magical ten minutes of sunset portraits, complete with the water, willow trees, and that perfect golden fall light. I’m so happy they agreed to it! Some couples opt out of sunset photos to enjoy their reception, but it truly only takes 10–15 minutes to create images you’ll treasure forever.

And last but not least: the party. They went hard. I love when my couples hit the dance floor and celebrate right alongside their guests, it makes the night so much more fun! Turns out Ally + Zen share my taste in music, so I even got to request a song from The 1975 (“The Sound,” of course).

It was the best day and truly reminded me how much I love, love, love photographing intimate weddings. Smaller guest lists mean so much less stress and more time focused on what really matters. Your wedding day should be about celebrating you and your love, everything else is just a beautiful bonus.

So if you’re planning an intimate wedding around central Indiana (or want to fly me somewhere else beautiful), let’s chat. I’d love to create the most picture-perfect memories together!!