Duncan Memorial Chapel Elopement | Denise and David
When David and Denise first contacted me to be their Duncan Memorial Chapel wedding photographer, they were planning a very small Kentucky spring wedding. When I arrived at Duncan Memorial, I discovered their wedding had become an elopement! It was my first time witnessing one of the weddings I was there to photograph (the other witness was one of the musicians)!
It was a gorgeous day for a wedding, with all the wild violets in bloom around the chapel. Denise wore a dress she found on Amazon, and she and David had a short ceremony in the chapel, lit a unity candle, and did a couples session on the chapel grounds. Then they had a short and sweet “cutting of the cake”— which had fun runner-themed decorations since they’re both runners!
Duncan Memorial Chapel Spring Wedding | Kristi and Matthew
Kristi and Matthew’s spring Duncan Memorial Chapel wedding was full of love, laughter, big smiles, singing— and square dancing during the reception!
Kristi and Matthew’s Duncan Memorial ceremony and the following reception at 314 Exchange this spring was so full of love, laughter, ecstatic smiles, and enthusiastic support from friends and family— wedding photographer goals! I couldn’t help but grin and tear up a little from behind the camera. Kristi got ready at Duncan Memorial and met up with Matthew behind the chapel for an intimate first look, followed by some couples photos and family group photos before their ceremony. The ceremony began with Kristi walking down the aisle while Matthew sang to her, and the whole ceremony was full of heartfelt song and music.
The reception at 314 Exchange, just minutes from Duncan Memorial Chapel, was a fun lunch/brunch with square dancing instead of traditional dancing! They had a square dance caller join the group to instruct their guests in the various square dances. At the end of the afternoon, guests lined the side walk to send Kristi and Matthew off in a cloud of bubbles. I love bubble send offs (less chance of accidentally getting burned with a sparkler)!
Venue: Duncan Memorial Chapel
Reception: 314 Exchange
Dress: David's Bridal
Suit: Jos A Bank
Caterer: Wild Eggs
Square dance caller: Deborah Burden
Bouquet: Touch of Elegance
Bride's hair: Emma Justine Salon
Lord of the Rings Wedding | Olivia and Donovan
I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan, so when I found out Olivia and Donovan's spring wedding was going to be Lord of the Rings themed, I was ecstatic (there was some high-pitched squeaking involved). Their venues (Duncan Memorial Chapel for the ceremony and Shall We Dance? Louisville Ballroom for the reception) were carefully selected to suit the Middle Earth aesthetic, and every detail was thought of in a poetic way to make their wedding day absolutely stunning. Even the rain didn't dampen the spirits of all in attendance-- it actually added to the Rivendell vibe they were going for.
The bride and bridesmaids wore elf ears (a la Arwen and her elven kind), the groom and groomsmen wore tunics (Aragorn and his fellows)-- and the couple both donned circlets befitting their royal LotR counterparts. Olivia's Evenstar necklace was a lovely nod to Arwen, and Donovan and his best man each had swords at their belts, which made an appearance during their wedding ceremony. The ceremony itself was a handfasting ceremony complete with "jump the broom" ending, and was officiated by John Cowgell in his Pocket the Fool garb.
Throughout the day, the camaraderie and friendships amongst the wedding party was evident and kept all entertained. Bridesmaids chowing down on fast food, playing board games while they waited, jokes and laughter, memes and dabbing, feigned concern at the drawing of swords, dancing and drinking at the reception... I can't describe it all, but I hope the photos below do their day justice.
Venues: Duncan Memorial Chapel, Shall We Dance? Louisville Ballroom
Flowers: Nanz & Kraft Florists
Bride and bridesmaids dresses: David's Bridal
Officiant: John Cowgell / Pocket the Fool
Photography: Lauren Alexandra Photography
Duncan Memorial Chapel Wedding | Lindsay and Daniel
Since moving back to Louisville and getting to know my home city all over again, I have been lucky and very grateful to have a wonderful network of family and friends who support and share my work in their circles. In November, I was fortunate to get to photograph Lindsay and Daniel's beautiful wedding at Duncan Memorial Chapel due to a connection the couple had with my immediate family and their friends.
I met with Lindsay and Daniel to plan the ins and outs of the photos (deciding on a first look during their ceremony, family photos following, etc), and immediately had a fabulous rapport with the bride due to a shared love of old rom coms ("My colors are BLUSH and BASHFUl!" "Your colors are PINK and PINK!" from Steel Magnolias was quoted on more than one occasion). On the day of the wedding, I was able to do a bit of "Jennifer Lopez"-ing (a la The Wedding Planner) to help her out! It was fortuitous, I think, that they married on 11/11 (I always make a wish at 11:11, don't you?). The boys even had custom 11/11 stitched into their converse shoes for the wedding!
The couple each have two kids-- Lindsay's two boys and Daniel's two girls-- and they were the only wedding party they needed, and we came up with some fun photo ideas to reflect their love of family and that were a bit of fun for the kids instead of traditional wedding party photos. Pre-ceremony, Lindsay and the kids got ready in a cottage at a historic Anchorage home, where the reception would follow later in the day.
Ceremony at Duncan Memorial Chapel
Reception at a private historic home
Makeup by Alexis Mattingly
Hair by Krista Crowell
