Maria and JP are married! They had the most gorgeous winter wedding in Fort Wayne on a beautiful sunny December afternoon, surrounded by their family and closest friends.
Maria and JP first met at Ball State University, where they were in the same running club and both accounting majors. They dated for a couple of years before JP proposed in February 2021. They were married in traditional Catholic Mass at Saint Therese Catholic Church in Fort Wayne, where Maria actually had attended for school. St. Therese has a lot of importance for their family, so it was the perfect venue to start their marriage.
We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day. Both Maria and JP had the best people standing by their side as their wedding party, and we had amazing weather for a Saturday in early December. They had decided to wait to see each other at the altar, so after the ceremony, we headed to Foster Park to wrap up their wedding party photos and capture their portraits as husband and wife!
When we arrived, we found this gorgeous patch of evergreen trees with the most perfect golden light peeking through. We spent the entire time with Maria and JP shooting around these trees because the light was so perfect. I couldn’t have been more excited to get home and start editing their photos because the light was just *that* good.
While I would have loved to shoot forever, it was time to get Maria and JP off to their reception at Lighted Gardens in Ossian. Everything was beautiful decorated, with gorgeous string lights and Christmas trees to bring in some of that holiday decor. Their wedding party made their grand entrances, and after that, they served a delicious hog roast meal — complete with pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, baby potatoes, and so much more.
Maria had two bridesmaids give toasts, while JP’s best man gave a toast to the newlyweds. After that, Maria’s mom Kris and JP’s mom Dianne gave heartfelt speeches to the couple, followed by a hilarious speech given by JP’s dad Chris.
After Maria and JP shared their first dance, Maria shared a special dance with her father then JP with his mother. Then the dance floor opened for the night, and it was jam packed for the rest of the night with amazing music and dance moves.
Maria & JP, it was such an honor to be a part of such a special day of your lives. Thank you for allowing me to capture these moments for you. I wish you both nothing but adventure, love, and happiness for the rest of your marriage. Enjoy your sneak peeks!
CREATIVE TEAM
Ceremony Venue: Saint Therese Catholic Church
Reception Venue: Lighted Gardens
Florist: Kathy Rorick
Cake: Hello Sunshine Bakery
Caterer: Lighted Gardens
Invitation Designer: LovePaperEvent (Etsy)
Makeup Artist: Kimmi Ensinger
Hair Stylist: I Do! Onsite Hair & Makeup
Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Suits: Men’s Wearhouse