Wedding at Black Iris Estate | Carmel, IN

Black Iris Estate is a luxurious wedding venue surrounded by 13 acres of outdoor beauty. From the southern-style 1940s historic mansion to the stunning Willow Chapel, gardens, and iron gazebo, Black Iris Estate is a truly unique venue for a lovely outdoor wedding.

As a husband-and-wife photo and video team who love being outdoors, anytime a couple shares they will be having an outdoor ceremony, we get excited. Can you imagine the level of excitement we had when we found out Brooke and Troy were going to have their ceremony in Black Iris Estate’s Willow Chapel?! This is what outdoor wedding photographers dream about!

Carmel Wedding Venue

Black Iris Estate is a one-of-a-kind wedding venue in Carmel, IN with a long history that brings us to the gorgeous state of it now. The main mansion itself was built in another area of Carmel in the 1940s as a home. In the 90s, the mansion was moved to where it is located now and the ballroom was added onto the back.

Around 2016, the mansion was renovated and the getting ready suites were created. Shortly after this, the gazebo was added, paths were bricked through the Gardens, more acres of land were purchased, and the Willow Chapel was built.

With two outdoor ceremony options (the Willow Chapel or area surrounding the gazebo), the ability to have cocktail hour on the ballroom patio, and gardens to stroll through on the premises, Black Iris Estate grants an outdoor experience with the convenience of an indoor reception.

We loved documenting Brooke + Troy’s summer wedding day here and are hoping to return to this incredible venue very soon!

Favorite Photo Locations at Black Iris Estate:

• The staircase in the mansion was so elegant and perfect for bridal portraits or couple portraits—we loved to play with the reflections in the mirrors that lined the wall next to the spiral staircase.
• The gardens were beautifully manicured for wedding party portraits and couple portraits with large open spaces to explore.
• The Willow Chapel is such a unique structure that we loved to use with the couple for their portraits, but more importantly, it was stunning for capturing their ceremony with lots of natural light and greenery.
• The iron gazebo is such a statement surrounded by the gardens and made for a very elegant backdrop for wedding party portraits.
• Front of the mansion was perfect for dramatic portraits of the couple and made for an awesome backdrop during their sparkler exit.
• Big windows throughout the mansion allowed for beautiful, filtered light or sharp dramatic light depending on the time of day which is fun to play with for details and portraits.

Black Iris Estate Wedding

Brooke + Troy’s Wedding Day

Warm summer sunshine, buzzing bees, chirping birds, and bright green trees were the backdrop for Brooke + Troy’s August wedding.

Watching Brooke and Troy together was magic. These two truly love one another and it was evident in every moment of their wedding day from their portraits to the dance floor.

Surrounded by excited family members and a supportive wedding party, every part of their day had an element of fun and joy that was palpable. From getting ready in the suites to wedding party portraits by the gazebo, smiles were on everyone’s faces.

Willow Chapel Ceremony

Their Willow Chapel wedding ceremony was so wonderfully intentional from start to finish. Brooke walked down the aisle with tears in her eyes to meet Troy who was crying when he saw her. The ceremony was emotional as they all mourned Troy’s father who passed away and couldn’t be there. From the beautifully written vows to the exchanging of rings, every moment was lovely. After a kiss, they joyfully walked up the aisle ready to party the night away.

The Party

Petals floated down around B+T as they joyfully walked into their reception. They shared a choreographed first dance, cut their cake, and had emotional parents’ dances that were beautiful to watch.

The warm colors of a summer sunset lit their faces as they played and ran through the gardens. It was quiet and they were truly enjoying each other’s company before rejoining their reception.

Guests of all ages packed onto the dance floor for a good time! This was a group that was ready to celebrate! Guests could also hop outside for some fresh air on the ballroom balcony before coming back to join the party.

Before the night ended, guests grabbed sparklers and formed a tunnel for Brooke + Troy to run through on their way out the mansion doors. They laughed and shared a kiss while everyone cheered.

From the Couple Themselves

Favorite Moments to Document at Black Iris Estate:

• B+T’s details included family heirlooms and personalized photos. Troy’s ring belonged to his father who had passed and on the back of his tie was a photo of him with his dad. Mothers of the bride and groom had purses made with images of their kids on the inside and Brooke’s father had a photo of himself with Brooke on the back of his tie. Attached to Brooke’s bouquet were photos of their cats.
• This color pallet ate—all of the bright summery colors combined were full of joy and life! Every color was the perfect accent for a green summer wedding.
• This ceremony was emotional. Surrounded by nature in the Willow Chapel, Brooke + Troy shared incredibly heartfelt, teary-eyed vows surrounded by loved ones. It was peaceful and intentional-not a dry eye.
• The sunlight coming through the trees in the garden for B+T’s portraits made me swoon!! The movement of Brooke’s veil, their natural chemistry, the lighting—chef’s kiss.
• What an amazing wedding party—this group was so supportive, excited, and fun to photograph. Not to mention, they looked incredible!
• This dance floor was fire! No matter the age, everyone was on their feet having a good time. Occasionally, Guests would step outside onto the patio to mingle with their drinks in hand and enjoy some fresh air—perfect for a summer night.
• These sunset portraits were perfection. The sunset lighting was warm and soft. The gardens were quiet and these two had a second to themselves to run, dance, play, and laugh together on a beautiful summer night.  
• Brooke + Troy had such an epic sparkler exit before going back to party at their reception. They held hands and ran as light sparkled around them and shared a romantic kiss together while their guests cheered them on!

Vendor Feature at Black Iris Estate Wedding Venue

Brooke + Troy’s Vendors:

Planning an Outdoor Wedding at Black Iris Estate

If you’re looking for a jaw-droppingly beautiful location with outdoor spaces and professional service for your wedding day, Black Iris Estate should be on your list to visit.  Don’t forget: no matter what kind of day you plan, make sure it brings you both peace and joy.

If you’d like us to document your dream day, you can contact Jonathan and I here. Then we can start talking about your day along with any photo or video needs you might have.

 If you liked this post, then we think you would enjoy looking through these as well:

The Bluffs at Conner Prairie Wedding Venue | Fishers, IN

Weddings at The Conservatory at Evergreen | Indianapolis