Wedding at Notre Dame and The Armory | Grace & Jimmy

Wedding

August 24, 2026

Grace and Jimmy’s wedding day was one of those days that felt completely full of joy from beginning to end. From a champagne toast with the girls at The Armory to a beautiful ceremony at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame, their day was filled with colorful flowers, meaningful family moments, a whole lot of laughter, and the kind of celebration that made it impossible not to smile.

Their vision for the day was elegant and whimsical, with champagne-colored bridesmaid dresses and delicate, colorful wildflowers woven throughout the details. But more than anything, Grace and Jimmy wanted their wedding photos to feel like them. They wanted genuine laughter, time with their favorite people, and plenty of room for the fun to unfold naturally.

And that is exactly what their day delivered.

Getting Ready at The Armory

The morning began at The Armory in South Bend, where Grace, her bridesmaids, and her mom spent the morning getting ready together. Hair and makeup by Something Blue Stylists helped everyone feel polished and ready for the day, but there was still plenty of time for the relaxed, silly moments that make wedding mornings so much fun.

Grace chose not to have a first look with Jimmy. She wanted him to wait until she walked down the aisle and see her for the very first time during the ceremony.

But she did have a first look planned with her bridesmaids.

There was something so sweet about watching her friends turn around together to see her in her dress for the first time. And because Grace specifically wanted plenty of laughter and authentic moments throughout the day, we made space for all of those little interactions that happen naturally between a bride and the people who know her best.

There were also pajama photos, getting-ready moments with her mom and sister, flower girl sweetness, champagne, and all the happy chaos that comes with twelve people in a wedding party getting ready for a very big day.

A Notre Dame Wedding at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart

Grace and Jimmy exchanged vows at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame, one of the most beautiful places to get married in South Bend.

While Notre Dame was an important part of their wedding day, Grace and Jimmy wanted their photographs to feel personal rather than overly focused on the iconic landmarks. We spent time looking for trees, greenery, beautiful light, and quieter corners of campus that allowed the two of them to really be the focus.

Of course, we had to make time for some of those classic Basilica photographs, too.

One of Grace’s must-have images was a photograph of her gently opening the Basilica doors with the light coming through. She also wanted a portrait of the two of them in front of the doors, and Jimmy had one particularly fun idea for when they walked back outside after the ceremony:

A dip.

And yes, we absolutely had to get it.

There is something so fun about photographing couples who aren’t afraid to let themselves actually enjoy their wedding day. Grace and Jimmy were constantly laughing, moving, and interacting with each other, which made their portraits feel less like posing and more like simply documenting who they are together.

Wedding Portraits on the Notre Dame Campus

Because it was a warm summer day, we prioritized Grace and Jimmy’s portraits early so they could enjoy the rest of their celebration without feeling overheated.

Their request was simple: beautiful outdoor photographs, plenty of trees and greenery, and images that felt romantic without making every photograph about Notre Dame itself.

That gave us the perfect opportunity to focus on the two of them.

Their chemistry made these portraits especially easy. There was no shortage of laughter, movement, and those little in-between moments that make photographs feel alive.

And while the setting was beautiful, it was really the way they interacted with each other that made the photographs.

A Celebration at The Armory

After the ceremony and portraits, everyone headed back to The Armory for the reception.

The evening began with cocktail hour before the wedding party was introduced, followed by Grace and Jimmy’s first dance and cake cutting. Three toasts followed, and then came some of the sweetest family dances of the evening.

But this reception was definitely not going to be a quiet one.

Grace had planned a special mother-daughter moment that included her mom, aunt, and sister performing a silly dance to Mr. Roboto complete with accessories. Jimmy also had a synchronized dance planned with his friends.

And then, of course, the dance floor opened.

These are the moments I love so much about wedding days. The carefully planned details matter, but so do the completely ridiculous moments that nobody could have scripted. The spontaneous laughter. The cousins pulling everyone onto the dance floor. The friends who have known you forever being completely themselves. The people you love letting loose together.

Grace had specifically asked for photographs filled with authentic laughter, and there was certainly no shortage of it.

A Wedding Day Full of the People They Love

One of my favorite things about Grace and Jimmy’s wedding was how much of the day centered around their people.

Their twelve-person wedding party, two flower girls, parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, and friends were woven throughout the entire celebration.

There were quiet moments with their families, sweet photographs with the flower girls, wedding party portraits, and plenty of opportunities for everyone to simply enjoy being together.

And then there were the moments that weren’t necessarily on the official shot list at all.

Like the spontaneous cousin photo on the dance floor Grace had hoped for.

Those are some of my favorite photographs to make because they aren’t really about creating the perfect wedding photograph. They’re about remembering exactly what the room felt like.

A Wedding at Notre Dame and The Armory to Remember

Grace and Jimmy’s wedding at Notre Dame and The Armory was elegant, colorful, playful, and completely centered around the people they love.

From champagne-colored dresses and whimsical wildflowers to a Basilica ceremony, outdoor portraits, a Jimmy John’s bridal party lunch, silly family dances, and a packed dance floor, their wedding day had all of the things that make a celebration memorable.

But what I’ll remember most is the laughter.

Grace told me before the wedding that authentic photographs of her laughing with her friends and family were especially important to her. Looking back through their images, I think we got exactly what she hoped for.

A wedding day doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.

It just has to feel like you.

And Grace and Jimmy’s day absolutely did.