A chance meeting in Vegas, a long-distance relationship, an east-coast transplant and true love.  Their story is great.  I loved our time together during this shoot… and think you two are fabulous.  Until October, friends….

Courtney and I should have known each other long before we did.  We went to high school together, worked at the mall together and probably criss-crossed a million times. But as is the case with most things, our friendship was worth the wait.  We met through our friend Aaron, and the rest is history…

Courtney and Brett took awhile to get their paths aligned, too.  They’ve known each other forever and dated on and off.  But again, the best things are worth waiting for.  These two belong together.  Without question… they fit perfectly.

I cannot wait for their beach wedding in late May, especially the part where Brett emerges from the ocean as a merman…

When a girl as lovely as Megan asked me to shoot her wedding, I said, “yes!”  When she asked me to fly to their home in Brooklyn to do engagement photos of she and Eric, I said, “hell, yes!”.

I adore Megan… and I couldn’t be happier for the two of them.  Their fall wedding in Indianapolis will be one of the highlights of my year.  In the meantime, enjoy a little Brooklyn love…  Part two coming later in the spring.  Cheers.

In light of what’s going on in the Supreme Court today, I cannot end the day without sharing this:

I am in the business of photographing love.  It’s a good gig.  And as a wedding photographer, I see all kinds of love.  Young love, refound love, strong love… and every now and then, maybe some love that needs a little more time to marinate.  I really do see it all.  I can, however, say without hesitation that rarely have I seen a more pure, stronger love than I saw this weekend while I was shooting a wedding in NYC with Meg Miller Photography.  The marriage and celebration between Kevin and Michael was just perfect.  It was divine.  They were made for one another, and for anyone to tell them that their love is lesser than any other love is beyond my comprehension.  The amount of peace, joy and certainty that surrounded them from their friends and family was remarkable.  It was a beautiful day.  Meg and I were both honored to be there.

My goal is not to start a debate, as there really shouldn’t be any question as to how I feel about the issue of marriage equality. I believe, of course, that everyone is entitled to their thoughts, all the while knowing that the hope for change should never be lost.  All I am saying is that every once in a while, I get to see a love that takes my breath away.  And, mandates that prevent that kind of love just seem silly to me.

Congratulations to my new friends.  Cheers.  Photos courtesy of Meg.

And a line from one of my favorite poems that they beautiful shared during their ceremony:

“I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.  I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way than this…”  XVII | Pablo Neruda

Decisions, decisions, decisions. When planning a wedding, your life becomes consumed with decisions. But taking a moment to think about whether or not you want to see your groom before the ceremony is one of the most important decisions you can make—both emotionally and logistically.

Some brides have dreamed their whole lives of opening those doors and seeing their love at the end of the aisle for the first time. That’s respectable and totally do-able. I promise.

But there are at least 1,268 reasons to see each other before the ceremony. Here are six.

You’re looking good.  In fact, you’re looking perfect. The gloss is still shiny, there’s not a wrinkle in the dress and you’re feeling good. It’s the perfect time for you to enjoy a moment with your groom in a private location—just the two of you.

You can appreciate your walk down the aisle.  Having already seen your groom allows you to soak in the moment of actually walking down the aisle. You can relax, look around at your loving friends and family and really enjoy the moment that you’ve been planning for so many months.

All of those formal photos will be done.  Building a timeline for your big day can be stressful. There is so much to accomplish in a limited amount of time. Seeing each other prior to the ceremony lets you finish all of the bridal party and family photos ahead of time. It allows you and your groom to get fantastic portraits taken. And, it affords you the time to take a few deep breaths.

You’re able to enjoy your party.  The two of you have planned an amazing cocktail hour. Your guests have traveled far and wide to see you, to hug you, to tell you how fabulous you are. Let them. If your photos are done, it’s on to the party!

You get to see your person.  It’s your day—the two of you. Waiting until late afternoon or early evening to see your groom often adds stress and anxiety to what is already a big day. Enjoy YOUR day with one another.

And most importantly, you can take a few moments.  More often than not, the few minutes you spend doing a First Look are the only moments all day that you and your groom are alone. All day. Spending a few secluded moments before the wedding allows for amazing, intimate photos of the two of you—no distractions, no drama, no anxiety. Just love.

Seeing each other before the ceremony has many advantages. But whether or not you see one another before the wedding, the primary goal is for you to do what makes you happy. Understanding the advantages to each decision helps ensure that you will have the most amazing day of your life. And, in the end, that’s all that matters.

xoxox to: Molly + Scott | Julie + Drew | Shelbe + Joel | Brittney + Brett | Lindsay + Jason | Allison + Greg | Lauren + Derek

Like any good love story, Katie and Michael’s started when they met while waiting in line for the bathroom at a trendy downtown nightclub.  Three years (to the day) later—he proposed. The rest, as they say… is history.

I’ve had an amazing time over the last year getting to know them… and I couldn’t have had more fun shooting their big day.  Katie and Michael got married on a very cold, but very lovely February day.  And with the exception of the best man forgetting the rings at the hotel downtown, the day went off magically (that, of course, was one of those things we opted not to tell Katie until AFTER the ceremony.

Thank you for letting me share in your day.  And I’ve almost forgiven you for not taking me on your TWO WEEK Costa Rica honeymoon.  Drinks soon, friends.

Ceremony: Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church | Bridal party pre-party: St. Elmo’s Steakhouse, 1933 | Reception: Conrad Indianapolis | Bride’s dress: | Bridesmaid dresses: | Tuxedos: | Hair and makeup: | Flowers: | Trolley:

And thank you to Rebecca Shehorn for keeping me sane and for taking some amazing photos.  When I can’t be in both places at the same time, there’s not one I’d rather have in the other place. You ROCK.

Hello there.  It’s been a minute, hasn’t it?

I’m one wedding into 2013 and am almost done editing the last of my 2012 weddings.  I’ve got engagement shoots coming out the wazoo.  My calendar is nuts, but I continue to be amazed by the good fortune I have had to work with so many amazing clients, vendors and friends.  With any new year comes new change.

I’ve always made myself vulnerable on this blog—whether intentionally or by accident. I’ve shared my work, my freak outs, my travels and my funny stories.  You’ve seen weddings rocked, babies born, families captured and quite a few photos of Lucy Jane.

Overall, life is great.  Some days, it’s even fantastic. So far this year, I’ve dipped my toes in the Atlantic.  And the Pacific.  It’s off to a good start.  But there are quite a few things are going on with my business and me—some new, some not so new, and some super scary.

Next month will mark two years since I left my old job.  Whoa. It’s been a wild ride.  There have been more ups than I could have ever imagined and a few downs I didn’t see coming.  But each one brought a lesson (or two, or eleven).  I’ve made a lot of decisions.  Some were harder than others, but I’d like to think they have all been for the right reasons.  I’ve learned that without my parents, my friends and some love, I would’ve fallen flat on my face.  Some badass cheerleaders will go a long way.  For that, I thank you.

So, here’s the scoop.

New projects. There are so many exciting things going on.  I just shot the most amazing styled shoot with a tremendous team of vendors at a very cool venue.  We had upside down cakes (literally), super hot models, a hanging bourbon bar, a whole rack of dresses and some exciting new concepts. It’s under wraps for the moment, which is sort of torture since I don’t exactly excel at keeping things under wraps, but I will tell you that it is some of my favorite work to date.  I’m working on a ton of new marketing pieces, including the blog banner above (shout out to Brad Ellenwood for being the brains behind the look of my brand).

New business decisions.  Deep breath. I’m closing the studio—this weekend.  I love the studio and when I think about closing it, I kind of want to puke.  Actually, I have.  But when I look at my business plan and the priorities I have chosen, keeping it just isn’t the right thing to do.  I promise I will be back—in a different time and phase of my career.  I just feel that it’s the best thing to do for the overall growth of my business.  I’ve loved having you all stop by.  I will still have access to rentable studio space if you’re ever looking for a studio shoot.  I’m fairy certain this is what being a grown up feels like.  Meh.

New adventures.  I’m working again in the real world—just enough to keep me on my toes.  And, I’m loving it.  It’s been a very scary transition and a huge reshuffle in my schedule (turns out I still hate alarm clocks), but I’m getting there.  I’m writing again, which I love.  And, I get to be a part of a really fantastic team of colleagues (which I really love).  But most importantly, I get health benefits.  Yay.  It’s helped me to regain some of the inspiration that got tied up with worry about owning a small business.  Some breathing room feels pretty fantastic.

New priorities.  I have 21 weddings booked for 2013 (which doesn’t even include the four dear friends that are getting married this year and have oh-so-thoughtfully scheduled their big days on weekends where I’m free).  I am off to NYC later this month for an engagement shoot… and then again in April.  I have a spring wedding in Florida on the beach.  I will be shooting a fall wedding in my second home: Cincinnati.  Like I said… life is good.  No time for complaining.

All of this change and excitement has required me to step back and look at where my focus is.  I will still be doing family sessions, but I will be planning marathon mini-session weekends, which you will read all about on the blog very soon.  Same goes for boudoir.  I love boudoir, and you can count on some fancy schmancy hotel weekends just around the corner.

From a business perspective, my focus is going to be on shooting weddings, editing weddings and keeping my sanity.  I’ve not done a great job on the sanity party over the last few months, and I don’t like how that feels one bit.  It’s causing me anxiety and it’s clogging up my creativity.  So there’s a new order around here.  I’m excited. Growing this business has been the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.. and that’s what I plan to keep doing.

To those of you who have been patient while I edit, thank you.

And to my bestest friends, I say this:

I know that being my friend has been a lot of work this year.  Sometimes I just need to take the scenic route to find peace of mind and clarity.  Real scenic, it seems.  I love you all for understanding that and for helping me have some amazing adventures while I sort it out. And, when necessary, for telling me that I’m just being a dipshit. I’m getting there.  I’m happy.  I love you.

Sidenote: I just decided that I hate the font on this blog.  I’ll add that to my list of things to do.

Things are crazy.  I’ll fill you in later.  To cope, I ran away for a few days.  Grown up move, I know.  I made some photos on my iPhone and they look like this:

It was just what I needed.  Now I reset and carry on.  Ready?  Go.

And if you don’t follow me on Instagram, you totally should (@molconnor).

This time last year, I was having the time of my life.  I saw Fallon, I met a boy, I watched Al Roker zip line over my head, I drank a lot, I saw The Roots- three times, I took some photos and I barely slept.  I was so fortunate to have been able to help my friends at BMG take some photos for the Rolling Stone party that they produced.  I thought I’d repost some photos since they make me very happy.  Oh, what a weekend.

A mad man, a network page and some rock stars…

And then Bacardi hosted a little party in 1950′s Cuba…

When you plan a wedding in late December, you have to imagine a fresh inch of snow on the trees and a perfect snow-topped steeple at your church, right?  Well, Molly got her wish.  Molly and Scott got married on a gorgeous (albeit, freezing cold) day surrounded by their family, their friends and one hell of a party. It couldn’t have been more perfect.  The dress, the shoes, the venue, the R. Kelly… I mean, come on.  And, their dollar dance garnered them approximately… um… a trillion dollars.  I hope you spent it well on your honeymoon, friends.  Thank you for being brave in the cold.  xoxo, the other Molly

Ceremony: First Christian Church, Noblesville | Reception: Mill Top Banquet & Conference Center | Hair and make-up: Chateau Bijou | Bride’s dress: Blue House Bridal | Bridesmaid dresses: Nancy’s Bridal | Tuxedos: JoS. A. Bank | Flowers: Bo Kay Florist | Cake: Taylor’s Bakery | Entertainment: Platinum DJ Productions

And thank you to Micah Bell for being fabulous.