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Garden Party Wedding Day at Ritz Charles

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Stanlee and Zach celebrated their love with a beautiful garden party-themed wedding at the Ritz Charles in Carmel, Indiana. From the ceremony in the Chapel to a reception in the Garden Pavilion, their day was filled with romance, laughter, and personal touches that perfectly reflected their story.

Ritz Charles Chapel is an elegant indoor ceremony space that comfortably seats up to 250 guests and pairs perfectly with a reception in the Garden Pavilion or one of the Ballrooms.

Photo of the exterior of the chapel at Ritz Charles in Carmel, Indiana.
Photo of the interior of the chapel at Ritz Charles in Carmel, Indiana.

The Garden Pavilion is a glass-walled, covered outdoor space with panoramic views of manicured grounds. It offers a true garden-party atmosphere and can host ceremonies, cocktail hours, and receptions. The space blends indoor comfort with an outdoor vibe, making it ideal for this garden party-themed celebration.

The combination of the Chapel for ceremonies and the Garden Pavilion for receptions is especially popular for couples wanting an elegant vibe exactly what Stanlee and Zach chose. We love the mix of greens, white florals, solids, patterns and wicker backed chairs the couple choose to bring their garden party dreams too life.

A Day Rooted in Love, IU Roots, and Garden Party Fun

The bride got ready at home with her bridesmaids in matching Aritzia sets, while her sweet dog Gus provided plenty of pre-wedding cuddles and comic relief.

Stanlee had first looks with her dad, Zach and the groomsmen but it was the first look with the groomsmen was unforgettable: Stanlee surprised the guys by “Icing” them sparking instant laughter and cheers.

The bridesmaids each carried a single white Calla Lily and wore a mix of green dresses. The bride let each bridesmaid choose her own! Stanlee’s bouquet included the Calla Lilies as well, a mix of white flowers with some greenery. Perfect for a garden party!

Because the couple captured a first look, we were able to capture the wedding party photos before the ceremony.

The groomsmen.

Guests arrived and festivities began with a beautiful ceremony in the Ritz Charles Chapel.

The wedding party made their entrances into the reception to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck drinking game style.

The bride and groom immediately went into their first dance to “Trying To Get To You” by Elvis Presley.

Later, during the reception speeches, the best man returned the favor by “Icing” both Stanlee and Zach, keeping the energy high and the laughs rolling.

Zach danced with with his mom and Stanlee shared a super cute choreographed dance with her dad before they invited everyone to join them on the dance floor.

The bride and groom shared a private cake cutting and champagne toast for tradition but they had Ritz Charles provide a more interesting desert for their guests with a flaming doughnut station!

Stanlee and Zach first met while attending Indiana University (IU), and their wedding honored that shared chapter. On the dance floor, the fun reached new heights when “This is IU” played. The crowd hoisted Stanlee and Zach into the air, creating an epic moment (and photos) that celebrated their Hoosier roots and had everyone cheering.

One of the coolest photo moments came when Zach and his groomsmen enjoyed cigars together. We captured a dramatic, atmospheric smoky shot.

We went to the front of the pavilion for just a few minutes to capture some golden hour sunset photos.

I captured polaroids of little moments throughout the day and used them to create this late night flat lay. I left the photos for the couple with a bottle of champagne too wrap up the day.

From the playful surprises to the dances and cigar lounge vibes, Stanlee and Zach’s garden party wedding was romantic, personal, and full of life, exactly the kind of celebration their story deserved. Congratulations to Stanlee and Zach! Your IU love story, garden party elegance, and fun-filled moments made for a day we’ll never forget.

The incredible vendor team that made this day possible:

Ritz Charles has been a cornerstone of central Indiana events for over 40 years, founded in 1986 as a premier catering and event company. Today, it features 8+ exclusive venues and 15+ unique ceremony spaces across the region, with its main Carmel campus including the Chapel, Ballrooms, and stunning Garden Pavilion located at 12156 North Meridian Street. Full-service perks: In-house chef-driven catering, bar service, rentals, and dedicated coordination. Complimentary parking, ADA accessibility, and nearby hotels in Carmel add convenience.

Ritz Charles Wedding Day

Ritz Charles Chapel and Garden Pavilion | Wedding Day

Sarah and Jack are absolutely lovely humans who were surrounded by adoring friends and family on their unseasonably warm February wedding day. The bride’s mom had been married in a blizzard almost 30 years ago leading her to by wedding insurance, probably insuring that her daughter’s wedding day would be gorgeous.

The bride and groom met at a party while attending Ball State and while on a cruise Jack asked Sarah to marry him with a Tiffany & Co ring. Months of planning led to this day at the elegant Ritz Charles in Carmel, Indiana.

The wedding party got ready at Hyatt Place. The hotel is so close to the venue that they share a parking lot. We started the day photographing the details while the bridal party laughed and chatted in matching pajamas while getting hair and makeup ready. The bride’s fragrance of choice for her wedding day was “I Do” by Anthropologie.

The groom’s details are important too. He pinned this photo of his late grandfather into his suit so that he would carry him with him on this very special day.

While the Ritz Charles offers multiple beautiful ballrooms for a wedding day celebration the couple chose the chapel for their ceremony and the stunning Garden Pavilion for their reception. The Garden Pavillion allows for so much natural light, it’s a photographer’s dream.

Sarah and Jack wanted to see each other before the ceremony so we had a first look on the patio outside of the pavillion. The photos tell the story better than any words I could write.

Because the couple chose to do a first look we had time to do the bridal party photos before the ceremony.

The ceremony was held in the chapel and the officiant was the bride’s cousin. During the nuptuials the couple chose to have a ring warming ceremony. The wedding rings were passed between the members of the wedding party, as they held them in their hands they imbue them with their love and blessings for the couple so that when the couple puts them on they will carry the positive energy of their loved ones with them.

After the ceremony we took a few photos with the couple.

We came into the garden pavillion for the first dance, cake cutting and dinner.

The parent dances.

Speeches by the maid of honor and the best man.

The couple chose to have an anniversary dance, this is a tradition where couples of all ages are brought to the dance floor. As music plays the DJ dismisses couples from the dance floor based on the length of time they have been married until only the couple married the longest remains dancing.

We left as the bride and groom celebrated on the dance floor before leaving for their honeymoon cruise the next day.

Sarah and Jack’s wedding day was made possible by this incredible vendor team: