Fort the Love of The Poppy Cottage

Spreading the Fort Love with an ongoing series about my favorites things to do and places to see and eat in good ol' Fort Wayne. 

It was a Wednesday morning. I was driving down State Street, heading home after a meeting at Georgetown Square. I've been down that road before, and Yum-Mee's Bakery is a favorite stop of mine when I'm in the area... but it had been a while.

So as I'm driving, I spot the cutest little storefront standing alone on the north side of the street.  I wasn't sure what it was, but I knew I had to pull over and check it out.

Erica & Parker :: Fort Wayne Engagement Photography

It's not easy planning a wedding from over 800 miles away. But Erica and Parker are kicking metaphorical butt and taking names... of vendors.

Erica contacted me a few weeks ago and said her and Parker would be in Fort Wayne for a few days in February for some whirlwind planning. It would probably be the only time the two of them would be up here before their September wedding.

Engagement shoot? Yes, please.

Crazy February weather? No problem.

They got dressed up, braved the slight chill, and we ran all over town getting some awesome photos of this special time in their relationship.

The Lounge at Tangles Salon & Spa :: Fort Wayne Wedding Photography

They say being in business is all about who you know.

I've never embraced that idea more than I have this past year. After Ryan and I bought our house in 2011 (a cozy craftsman in Southwood Park), we really strived to make ourselves more productive members of this community, and Fort Wayne as a whole.

Back in December, Ryan and I were fed up that we didn't know any of our neighbors. We moved into our neighborhood because it was quaint and friendly... but we had let our homebody tendencies get in the way. So, we hosted a holiday block party at our house.

There were 19 people from a 2 block stretch. We talked, laughed, ate, and drank for 4 hours straight. And by the end, I had met so many amazing people with interesting jobs and personalities. One of those being Carrie Harris.

Carrie is the co-owner of Tangles Salon & Spa at Georgetown. When we met, she told me all about their new location and their lounge space, which they use for events and bridal parties. It's hard to visualize something like that, so I made an appointment a few weeks later to drop in and check things out.

Let me tell you... I was impressed.

Fort the Love of American Food

Spreading the Fort Love with an ongoing series about my favorites things to do and places to eat in good ol' Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne has some delicious restaurants... Italian, Mexican, Chinese... the list goes on. But traditional American food is not to be overshadowed. So I got to thinking about my favorite places in the Fort to grab some American grub!

Henry's Restaurant

First up is Henry's. One of Fort Wayne's hidden gems, Henry's features a large menu with all the staples... burgers, fish fry, salads, and more.

Wedding Day Bridal Tour :: Fort Wayne Wedding Photography

Yesterday was the culmination of a lot of time, effort, and... (let's be honest) money. It was my very first bridal show at the Grand Wayne Center downtown Fort Wayne!

It was a super early morning. Ryan and I got up at 6:45, left the house by 7:15, and were unloading our cars at the loading docks by 7:30.

We arrived at my booth, and it pretty much looked like this:

Pop-Up Studio :: Fort Wayne Portrait Photography

I'm about to make your life a million times easier. Imagine a world in which you could have your family's holiday photos taken in ten minutes, choose the images you like, and have your holiday cards delivered to your door all with time to relax and actually enjoy your holiday break?! If that thought made you happy, then  this event is for you...

I'm super excited to announce that I'll be hosting a pop-up studio during November's Last Saturdays!

Miles 1 Year :: Fort Wayne Children's Photography

I've had the privilege of photographing Miles numerous times over the past year (see here, here, and here). It was only fitting, then, that we rounded out the year with 1st birthday photos.

Fort the Love of Cycling

Spreading the Fort Love with an ongoing series about my favorites things to do and places to eat in good ol' Fort Wayne.

It's no secret that I'm a triathlete. I completed my first triathlon over 4 years ago, and have been hooked ever since.

Cooper 2 Years :: Fort Wayne Children's Photography

Meet Cooper.

Steffen Family :: Fort Wayne Family Photography

The Steffen family is growing so fast they can hardly keep up. In fact, they told me the last time they were all together and had photos taken, there was only one grandchild. Now... there's six! So, it was about time to update the family photos.

We started off bright and early on Saturday morning at Parkview Field. It's a great location because it's the perfect mix of lush and urban.

Fort the Love of Italian Food

Spreading the Fort Love with an ongoing series about my favorites things to do and places to eat in good ol' Fort Wayne.

I am a self-proclaimed Italian food addict. I eat pasta for dinner an average of 4 times per week. Thus, discussing my favorite Italian restaurants in Fort Wayne not only got me excited... it got me hungry!

Ziano's

First up is Ziano's. They have three locations in town (Covington, Dupont, and Chapel Ridge), which are so perfectly spread out that there's amazing Italian food for everyone!

Mia Katherine :: Fort Wayne Birth Photography

Back in February, I had the pleasure of doing my first birth shoot. Little Mia Katherine had a scheduled arrival time, which made the whole thing run much smoother.

I arrived at Lutheran Hospital just as Mia was being cleaned up in the nursery...

Fort the Love of Our Mothers

My husband and I have been living in Fort Wayne for just about 3 years, and I love it more and more all the time.

So I've decided to start this new blog series to spread a little bit of the Fort Love. Twice a month, I'll be posting about the town I live in... the town I love... the one and only Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Mother's Day is one of those holidays that tends to sneak up on me each May. The weather is getting warmer, and it's all about me and what I'm going to do each weekend.

So if you're anything like me, and need a little Mother's Day inspiration, check out my list of Mother's Day activities below. And remember... you're never too old to take Mom out for the day!

Mother's Day in the Garden

If your mom is into plants, flowers, and balmy temperatures, then the Botanical Conservatory is the perfect place to take her for Mother's Day. Visit their Butterflies of Malaysia exhibit, and pot your own special Mother's Day plant for her to take with her.

Truesdell Family :: Fort Wayne Family Photography

It was a March day so gloriously warm that you would have thought it was May. I met the Truesdell family downtown at Freimann Square to capture them in this brief moment of time... one grandchild just learning to stand, and another on the way.

It's so great when a family makes time to have their photo taken. I don't think it happens enough once children move out of the house, get married, and start their own families.

So What's In It For You? :: Fort Wayne Photography

First of all, I'd like to welcome new readers brought here from Scott Howard's site. Thanks, Scott!

Now let's get down to business.

A lot of us were raised in families where custom photography wasn't a part of our lives. Milestone portraits were taken at Sears, Christmas card photos were taken using our Dad's point-and-shoot, and none of these were deemed quite fit to blow up and hang above the fireplace.

Engagement Shoot Giveaway 2012 :: Fort Wayne Wedding Photography

This contest has ended. Congratulations to Traci and Marcus. Check out their photos here!

Welcome to the first giveaway of 2012!

The Prize
One winning couple will receive a free engagement shoot by Kelly Benton Photography. It will last 90 minutes, include 3 locations, 3 outfit changes, and a DVD of edited photos (for posting to Facebook and printing photos up to 8x10 size). This is a $250 value.

Faith 8 Years :: Fort Wayne Children's Photography

After shooting twins Luke and Alexa last weekend, I received an email from their mom asking me to come back and photograph their older sister, Faith.

Faith was pretty reserved the first time I visited, but wasn't shy about letting her true personality shine this time around.

Luke and Alexa :: Fort Wayne Baby Photography

On Sunday, I had my first experience photographing twins. I knew going in to the shoot that my biggest challenge would be getting them to look in my direction at the same time. But Luke and Alexa were good sports, and let their eyes wander (too much).

This was my last scheduled photo shoot of the year, and it feels so good to be wrapping up my first year as a professional photographer. I look forward to photographing many more adorable faces like these in the years to come.

Miles Christmas 2011 :: Fort Wayne Baby Photography

I was overly excited for my first Christmas Card Mini Session of the year. I spent my free time wrapping empty boxes and hoarding holiday props like my life depended on it. I was high on Christmas.

But when I showed up at Miles' house... it seemed he hadn't gotten the "holiday spirit" memo. He was all tears, and would rather spend his afternoon clinging to mom than having his photo taken.

But that's the great thing about photography... it only takes a few great photos to turn things around. From looking at these pictures, you'd never know we were in the presence of a little scrooge that day...

Aiden 2 Years :: Fort Wayne Children's Photography

I love photographing toddlers. They're at an age where they're a little ball of energy, excitement, and expression. Capturing the perfect photograph with a 2-year-old can be challenging... but it's the challenge that makes it that much more rewarding in the end.