{ Katie + Ryan | 10.12.19 } - Engagement Session at Notre Dame

Comment

{ Katie + Ryan | 10.12.19 } - Engagement Session at Notre Dame

Wow, we had such a great time photographing Katie & Ryan for their recent engagement! They are both Notre Dame alum who recently graduated and moved away, but they were back on campus for the weekend. They had been searching for a local photographer in South Bend and stumbled across Dave Thompson Photography, and we’re so glad they did!

They were back in South Bend for the big Notre Dame vs. USC football game and wanted to schedule the shoot during their time in town. We knew it would be a busy weekend on the ND campus, so we had originally planned to take photos on Fri. evening, but due to storms and rain, we had to make a last minute decision to change to Sat. morning at sunrise. It was a little chilly at 7:30am, but it turned out to be a great excuse to cuddle up to your fiance and get warm for some great photos!

We started out in front of the Hesburgh Library for some fun shots!

After shooting at the library, we took a walk around campus to find another location. The ND campus is so amazing for taking fall photos! We love when couples search for a photographer near them and come across us! We especially love when the couple is as fun and outgoing as Katie & Ryan were!

The Golden Dome engagement photo! This couple shares such a great set of memories together at Notre Dame, we loved being able to capture this special season in their lives together :)

The Golden Dome engagement photo! This couple shares such a great set of memories together at Notre Dame, we loved being able to capture this special season in their lives together :)

Beautiful Saint Marys Lake photos with Katie & Ryan for their engagement photos. This is a beautiful spot for wedding photos as well!

So much fun to shoot in the Grotto as well, as Katie & Ryan spend some quite time together and enjoy each others company.

Congrats to Katie & Ryan on their engagement…you guys rock!

Comment

1 Comment

{ Joe + Devree | 6.22.19 } - Wedding at Holy Spirit Chapel, Le Mans Hall Saint Mary's

St. Mary’s College is such a beautiful and peaceful campus and it’s perfect for a wedding day too! As local wedding photographers, we shoot in many different venues and churches throughout Indiana and Michigan, but this campus and church has to be one of the most amazing!

We had to get the wedding party out on the beautiful bridge for a shot with the bride and groom. This is such an iconic spot on the campus of St. Mary’s College.

Taking the wedding party out around campus for some wedding photo memories in and around St. Mary’s College.

The guys and girls were getting ready in different locations so we had to split forces and photograph both at the same time. This is why it’s so important to have at least two photographers for your wedding. When you look for a wedding photographer near you, make sure you ask about timeline coverage! We make sure we plan well ahead of time to make sure no moments or memories are missed!

Gorgeous white wedding dress on personalized hanger

As wedding photographers, it’s our job to always be on the lookout for the small details and moments that happen during your wedding day. We know these are the photos that will be cherished for many years to come. After all the cake has been eaten and the ceremony is over, these are the photos that will last for generations as mementos to be passed down and pulled out year after year to remember the day by! This short, quite time spent between Mom and daughter were special to them and we’re so honored to have been able to capture it on camera!

Just look at that expression on Dad’s face! Priceless memories of his daugther’s wedding day captured by the camera! Such a special moment.

What a special emotional moment to be cherished forever as the father of the bride is able to see his daughter for the first time in her wedding dress. Dad’s - don’t hold back emotions on this special day. As a photographer, we make it a point to se…

Congrats to the bride and groom! Their Catholic ceremony was so meaningful and full of God’s grace and love for them.

The Catholic ceremony at the Holy Spirit Chapel was absolutely an amazing experience to photograph!

If you’re planning a wedding and would like to know more about how we can help make your dream wedding come true, click the button below and get in touch! We’d love to sit down and chat over coffee and show you what we can do for you!

We were able to capture a little quite time spent between these newlyweds as they crossed the iconic bridge on the campus of St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana

We were able to capture a little quite time spent between these newlyweds as they crossed the iconic bridge on the campus of St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana

Bride and Groom under weeping willow tree after getting married at Le Mans Hall
Beautiful wedding portrait taken by local South Bend photographers
Wedding reception photo of dancing bride by South Bend wedding photographer

There are a lot of wedding photographers to choose from when you search for “South Bend Wedding Photography” but we like to think that Dave Thompson Photography should be at the top of your list! We love capturing the excitement of your wedding reception!

This reception at Saints Peter and Paul Social Hall was amazing!

Reception photo of bride and groom kissing on the dance floor

Near the end of the reception the sunset was amazing, so we had to take the bride and groom outside for a couple of wedding portraits for their final memories!

Sunset Bridal Portrait in South Bend

1 Comment

{ John + Elizabeth | 6.20.19 } - Engagement Session Downtown Goshen, IN

Seriously one of my all time favorite sessions right here! The energy and admiration between these two was an absolute blast to capture!

When Elizabeth and I talked about planning their engagement session, she ended up decding to do the shoot with a mix of downtown/urban atmosphere and end the session at Shanklin Park that was nearby. We decided to spend about an hour in downtown Goshen, IN and capture some of the amazing character and colors that this small town has to offer! What better way to start an evening than a stop at Electric Brew for a couple cups of coffee!

Gotta’ love the ivy and brick!

The weather was perfect for an evening stroll through downtown Goshen after coffee too! After almost 3 straight weeks of rain in Indiana, we were blessed with a beautiful evening for engagement photos.

Final stop was Shanklin Park for a little fun by the pond and fountain! Aren’t John and Elizabeth the best! They’re so much fun to hang around and made our job so much easier since their love and playfulness just comes natural! All that was left to do was click the shutter!

Of course, any couple that wants to bring their dogs to the session is definite plus in my book!

Huge congrats to John and Elizabeth and lots of gratitude for trusting us with capturing these special moments in your lives together!


Lex 530 - Elkhart Urban Wedding Venue

I was recently asked to shoot an editorial session to showcase a new up and coming urban wedding and reception venue near downtown Elkhart and we were pleased to jump right in!

The Lex 530 is located in the revitalized River District of Elkhart and has so much going for it! Location, food, atmosphere and ample open and airy spaces are the key standouts for this event center.

We had a volunteer bride-to-be who stepped in to model for us, isn’t she beautiful :)

Some of the gorgeous details used to decorate the space. Combined with the generous natural light coming in from the many large windows just really sets this venue apart from others around the Elkhart and Goshen areas.

Beautiful seating for your wedding guests!

With an executive chef on staff and one of the best wine selections in the area, your guests, family and wedding party will be more than happy. Your reception is sure to be a huge success.

With a neutral color pallet on the walls and floors, your table settings are sure to standout. Decorations can turn this space from formal and modern to rustic farmhouse and anything in between. The florals and table settings showcased during this shoot were amazing. The custom wood head table is truly a custom piece of art that any bride and groom would feel good sitting at!

CHEERS to this beautiful gem of a wedding location near the River District in Elkhart!


{ Craig + Rachel | 1.19.19 } - Wedding at St. Joseph Conference Center in Mishawaka

{ Craig + Rachel | 1.19.19 } - Wedding at St. Joseph Conference Center in Mishawaka

Sometimes you photograph a wedding and end up falling in love with the day, the couple and the families more than you thought you would….this is one of those weddings for us! The weather forecast in Mishawaka on this day called for extremely cold temps and blowing snow (can you actually believe it - snow in South Bend lol)….but there was no stopping this couple and their families from celebrating the amazing coming together of Craig and Rachel!

When Rachel and Craig contacted us looking for a local wedding photographer, we were super excited to get to know them and hear about their story as a couple! After spending a couple hours taking engagement pics for them on the campus of IUSB, it was awesome to learn all about Rachel’s upcoming graduation from law school (how cool! We get to photograph a lawyer!), how her and Craig had met in high school and all about their favorite restaurants they like to go to on dates around the northern Indiana area.

We were able to find a beautiful set of windows in the hallways of the Holiday Inn Express Conference Center to photograph memories of Rachel’s dress, shoes, invitations and jewelry for her to remember forever!

Rachel and her bridesmaids looking gorgeous getting the final touches on her wedding dress and veil just before the ceremony. Mom was there too, what a great memory to have in photos!

RACHEL+CRAIG-166.jpg

The guys were getting ready at Craig’s apartment in Mishawaka and I was able to grab a few shots of the activities over there. These guys looked great in their green and black tuxedos!

The first look is always my favorite part of the day. As a photographer, I love being behind the camera watching it happen! These two were clearly meant for each other, just the look on their faces when they saw each other for the first time was perfect! There are a lot of local wedding venues around South Bend, but St. Joseph Conference Center is one of the most beautiful locations for a bride and groom to get married for sure!

What a beautiful ceremony at the Hoiiday Inn Express Conference Center in Mishawka. The flowers in all shades of pink were perfect!

The first dance at the reception was amazing…the connection between these two is contagious! The atmosphere of an Indiana winter wedding is perfect for dancing close with your new wife!

Engagement Photos - Why they're so important!

Engagement Photos - Why they're so important!

So you got engaged….congrats! Now you start the fun planning process and get to go to bridal shows, dress shops, different venues and start browsing for the perfect wedding photographer near you! All of these things are great fun and but can sometimes lead to more questions than answers. Wedding photography in particular can be confusing…so many options…so many packages….albums, digital files, shooting time, number of photographers, timelines, styles….the confusion can be daunting for someone planning their first wedding.

One of the choices you’ll need to make is whether or not to have engagement photos taken. Many local wedding photographers will include this as an extra option and others will include it in their standard packages. Here at Dave Thompson Photography, we include it as a standard part of all of our collections for a number of reasons, here’s why….

It’s a great excuse to get all dressed up, go out for a couple drinks and lunch, and then spend a couple hours with your future hubby/wifey having fun….kinda like a date night that includes paparazzi taking your pics!

You’ll be able to spend some time in front of the camera, before the hustle and stress of your wedding day. We’ll work with you to help you feel comfortable with the camera pointed at you (BTW, most people are very camera shy, it’s not just you!). We’ll help you learn posing, the best ways to stand, how to relax and how to have fun to create beautiful memories.

You’re gonna need pics for your save the date cards, reception slideshows, guest sign-in books and wedding websites…. this is the perfect way to get them!

 
 

Are you planning a wedding? We’d love to work with you and document your love story for you! Click the button below to get in touch and we’ll meet you over coffee to connect!

 
 

You’ll be happy you documented this time in your lives together. We like to pick activities and places to shoot that are special and meaningful to you. If you both enjoy horses, we’ll plan the session around horse back riding. If you have a favorite local restaurant that is special to you, we’ll shoot their. If you got engaged on a pier overlooking lake Michigan, that’s a perfect spot for your photos! In 20 years, when you look back at your photos, you’ll be so glad you had this season in your life captured to remember forever!

So there you go, hopefully you’ve learned a little bit about why we think you can’t go wrong with an engagement session! Get in touch, we’d love to hear your love story and document this beautiful time in your lives together for you!

{ Kiah + Derek | 1.12.19 } Engagement Session

{ Kiah + Derek | 1.12.19 } Engagement Session

I knew this engagement session was going to be amazing from the first time Kiah contacted me. Kiah and Derek are both Notre Dame grads and recently Derek popped the big question on campus, so they knew they had to find a way back to campus for their engagement photos! After finding their perfect local wedding photographer (me!) their plan was coming together!

They had both made recent career moves that took them to different parts of the country but wanted to get back together for their engagement session at their alma mater campus. They knew they wanted a snow filled love story for the theme of there photos, so we picked a date to “shoot” for (lol, no pun intended). In Indiana, you never know what you’ll get, but lucky enough the weather leading up to the date showed plenty of snow in the forecast, so it worked out perfect!

We started off in front of the famous golden dome for a few shots….the snow was really coming down at this point!

These two were completely amazing to work with! Their natural connection was contagious and it was an absolute blast to shoot with them.

What a better way to start a lifelong relationship than to light a candle of blessing together….

Time to cuddle up and get warm together! Derek sure knows how to score brownie points when he grabs the blanket and wraps Kiah up tight :) They are perfect together…blizzard and all!

When you’re in a local Indiana snow storm, there’s no better way to end a day of picture taking and walking around campus than to have an epic snowball fight!

A huge shout out to Kiah and Derek for choosing this local photographer to capture this special time in their lives together! With all the choices in photographers today, it’s an honor that they’d choose Dave Thompson Photography! We had such a blast this day, it’s surely on the top of our list for the most fun session to date!

We wish we could be there to see the wedding day, I’m sure it will be amazing! CONGRATS!

Wedding Wire Award Winners

I’m so happy to announce that Dave Thompson Photography has been given the Couples Choice award for 2019!

Bride in strapless ball gown with beautiful floral pattern and burgundy and green bouquet in front of white pillars.

Thanks to all of the amazing couples that have chosen this local photography team to photograph their wedding day! We love getting to spend the day with brides and grooms and being there to witness and capture all the special moments for them!

I’m always honored when we get great feedback on our Wedding Wire page and 2018 was no different! We got to see all the emotions of Moms and Dads, grandparents, children and of course brides and grooms as they make a life changing commitment to each other! It seems like every wedding I end up drying off my camera eyepiece right in the middle of the ceremony because I start crying :) At the end of the day, once all the hard work and stress of planning and organizing a wedding is complete, it’s really about the connections, moments and memories that are being made!

Here’s to another wedding season in 2019 full of fogged up camera eyepieces !!!