Stunning Speed Art Museum Wedding Documented on Nostalgic Film Photos

A Speed Art Museum wedding is an absolute dream for anyone who appreciates creativity and originality. I documented Katie and Shikhar’s celebration on a mix of digital and film photography. Their mostly candid photos feel nostalgic and personal, just like their wedding.

In this blog post, you’ll find:

  • A Speed Art Museum Wedding

  • Heartfelt Details for Katie and Shikhar

  • Preserving Presence in Film Photography

  • Putting Memories Before Social Media

  • Your Louisville Wedding Photography

A bride and groom hold hands in front of an art installation at a Speed Art Museum wedding.

A Speed Art Museum Wedding

A Speed Art Museum wedding combines a modern aesthetic with an intimate setting. The museum is everything you could want in this type of space. Think walls of windows, airy galleries, and marble pillars. Art ranging from ancient times to the present fill the galleries and give your photos a fun, colorful dynamic.

The sun shines on the Speed Art Museum in Louisville.
Strings of marigolds hang from a chuppah at a Speed Art Museum wedding.
A candle sits on a table in a film wedding photo.

Some favorite spots for wedding portraits at the Speed Art Museum include:

  • The glass exterior, especially on sunny days 

  • Galleries with illuminated stained glass as well as modern sculptures

  • The staircase in the main hall where ceremonies take place 

Wedding rings sit in a bouquet of white flowers in a film wedding photo.
A bride stands on a Louisville lawn and looks at a bouquet of white flowers.

Here are some logistical details to consider for a Speed Art Museum wedding.

  • Venue type: Indoor

  • Capacity: 300 guests

  • Starting Cost: $5,000

A groom walks down a Louisville sidewalk with his groomsmen.
A bride's parents walk her down the aisle in the main hall of the Speed Art Museum.
A bride and groom laugh as they walk in a circle around each other in front of a chuppah at the Speed Art Museum.

Heartfelt Details for Katie and Shikhar

Katie and Shikhar’s Speed Art Museum wedding included some sweet details that mattered a lot to them. Their florist, By Denizen, included marigolds because they’re Katie’s favorite flowers. Marigolds hung from the ceremony installation to create a 3-D backdrop. They flowed in orange rivers down the center of the reception tables. It felt so much more personal than a random assortment of flowers.

A bride and groom hold hands beneath a chuppah at a Speed Art Museum wedding ceremony.
Family members light a candle on a podium at a Louisville wedding.

Preserving Presence in Film Photography

I photographed Katie and Shikhar’s Speed Art Museum wedding on a mix of digital and film photography. I’m really passionate about film photography. Film is such a dream for documenting emotions and moments as they really happen.

A groom smiles at the wedding guests during a ceremony at the Speed Art Museum Louisville.
A bride's parents laugh as they watch a ceremony at a Speed Art Museum wedding.
A bride and groom kiss beneath a chuppah decorated with marigolds at a Speed Art Museum wedding.

Film is a great medium for candid photography. I try and notice moments for candids, but I also try and notice natural movements that people do on their own. That way, when it’s time for posed portraits, I can guide them into poses that already feel natural to them.

A bride hugs friends after a wedding ceremony.
Wedding guests gather with drinks in the hall of the Speed Art Museum.

Since I’d done an engagement session with Shikhar and Katie over the summer, I could see how they interacted with each other. We also just had fun!

Candles light reception tables inside the Speed Art Museum.
Flowers and candles decorate reception tables in a Louisville museum wedding venue.
A bride and groom pose with wedding party members in front of a chuppah at a Louisville wedding.

At their wedding, we didn’t spend a ton of time taking posed wedding party and family photos. We got all the necessary group photos, but I focused on the ways family and wedding party members interacted throughout the day. Those candid photos are some of my favorites. That way people get more time with each other and less time standing around for pictures.

A bride and groom hold hands in a gallery inside the Speed Art Museum.
A bride and groom kiss in front of a framed paintings at a Speed Art Museum wedding.
A bride and groom sit in front of a stained glass window at a Louisville wedding venue.

My hope for all the people I photograph is that they can just be present. If I can guide you into being present, whether that’s smelling your bouquet or looking at art on the wall, we’ll get those natural photos. Moments of stillness and silence are welcome on a busy wedding day!

A groom twirls a bride during their first dance.
Wedding guests eat salads at a Speed Art Museum wedding.

Putting Memories Before Social Media

I’ve noticed something as a wedding photographer. We often confine ourselves to the “perfect” photo with an aesthetic background. I’ve done the same in the past, and I’m constantly relearning and recentering my thinking about wedding photography. I put myself in my clients’ shoes and ask: “What would they like to see 20 years from now?”

A bride and groom laugh as they listen to a wedding speech.
A loaf of challah sits at the end of a wedding reception table.

It’s such a pivot from “What would Instagram like me to post tomorrow?”

Photobooth photos sit on a table beside wine glasses and slices of cake.
A bride and groom sit on a couch to sign a ketubah.

Katie and Shikhar’s Speed Art Museum wedding is a perfect example. We started the day in a humbler space. Katie got ready at her childhood home, and believe it or not, her parents kept it the same way it was when she was a kid. I love that wedding photography gives me the chance to see people celebrate their whole lives like that.

A bride leans on a groom's chest at a Louisville wedding.
Wedding guests sit and talk over dinner in a wedding photo on film.

When it came time for Katie to put her wedding dress on, she asked me which bedroom would be prettiest for photos. Then she said, “Well, my parents probably would be. Mine is a mess and still looks like a kid’s room!”

A bride and groom sit close together while they listen to wedding speeches.
A bride and groom laugh while wedding guests lift them in chairs for the hora at the Speed Art Museum.

I asked her which photos she would prefer to look back on. The photos are for her to remember her wedding day as it truly was, not for Instagram, after all. She said that actually she’d like it if we took getting ready photos in her childhood bedroom. So we did just that.

A bride laughs at a Louisville wedding photographer as guests lift her in a chair for the hora.
A bride and group laugh on a dance floor at a Speed Art Museum in Louisville.

Your Louisville Wedding Photography

Would you like your wedding day preserved on nostalgic film photos? I’m Kendra, a Louisville wedding photographer. I’d love to document your authentic moments with photos you’ll treasure for years to come. Reach out to me!




Thank you to the vendors who helped make this wedding so special.

Venue: Speed Art Museum 

Coordinator/wedding planner: Lorrie Hanners from L&M Detailed Events 

Photographer: Kendra Farris Photography

Makeup: The Beauty Patrol 

Invitations: Gus & Ruby

Hair: Z Salon 

Caterer and Cake Baker: Wiltshire Pantry 

Florist: By Denizen 

Band: The Downtown Band

Officiant: Bennett Glassman (Katie’s brother)

Rentals: Pizzazzle Events, Mayker, Millennium Events

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