Adam & Maria: Downtown Indianapolis Canal Walk Engagement Photos

Care to know the vibe Adam Rude and Maria Bachman give off as a couple? These two are pretty much Ben Wyatt and Leslie Knope in real life! 

I mean, Adam works in city planning, and Maria is highly organized and currently running to be on Shelbyville’s School Board. Oh, and they live in southern Indiana. What are the chances? 

I’m convinced these two could conquer the world together—while having a lot of fun doing so—and I’m so excited to share Adam and Maria’s downtown Indianapolis Canal Walk engagement photos on the blog!

Maria said “no” to meeting Adam multiple times, but mutual friends knew Adam & Maria would be a perfect match.

Honestly, after getting to know Adam and Maria during the wedding planning process and spending two hours with them during their engagement photos, it’s difficult for me to imagine that there was ever a time where Adam and Maria didn’t know they were meant to be. 

You see, back in 2017, Adam and Maria didn’t know one another, but their mutual friends Sara and Bryant knew Adam and Maria would make the perfect couple. So, they tried to set Adam and Maria up. 

After hearing his friends gush about Maria, Adam was willing to meet Maria. However, Maria wasn’t on the same page. No matter how “perfect” Adam was, she just wasn’t in a season where she wanted to date.

However, Sara and Bryant were persistent, and after SEVEN times of turning Adam down, Maria and Adam began talking, and Maria agreed to meet the “guy who was perfect for her” for dinner. 

And, before the end of their very first date, Maria knew that Sara and Bryant were right. Adam was the man Maria was going to marry. 

Adam proposed to Maria at one of her favorite places: along the Indianapolis Canal Walk outside of The Indiana Historical Society.

Fast forward a few years of vacations, a move to Shelbyville, and a lot of sour beers and orders of loaded fries (Adam and Maria’s mutual favorites) later, Adam was more than ready to propose. 

Now, Maria is a planner, and Adam (1) wanted to make sure he planned a proposal Maria would love and (2) prevented her from becoming suspicious, which he knew would be difficult. (Side note: Just to give you an idea of how much of a planner Maria is, Maria may or may not have had most of their wedding planned—with spreadsheets—before Adam even had her ring. Love her!)

While Adam and Maria live in Shelbyville today, their dating relationship started in Indianapolis, and as a result, Adam and Maria have a lot of memories in Indy. With this in mind, Adam decided Maria’s perfect proposal should include a night in downtown Indianapolis, her best friend Aaron, and Adam getting down on one knee in front of one of Maria’s favorite places in the world—The Indiana Historical Society, which is on the Indianapolis Canal Walk.

To prevent any suspicion, Adam asked Aaron to convince Maria that the three of them should get dressed up and meet in the city for dinner on December 30, 2021. Maria was—of course—happy to see her bestie and didn’t think a thing of it.

During their night on the town, Aaron suggested that they take a walk on the canal, which is something he knows Maria loves. However, this particular day was very cold, and Maria was wearing heels. She didn’t want to bring down the mood, but she was not thrilled to be walking along the frozen canal. 

Luckily, though, Maria’s cold, aching feet were enough of a distraction to prevent her from being the least bit suspicious of a proposal. So, when they got in front of The Indiana Historical Society, Maria was shocked when Adam stopped her, got down on one knee, and asked his “perfect match” to be his wife while Aaron captured the whole thing on camera. 

Side note: Aaron deserves some major props! Not only did he manage to help Adam keep the evening suspicion free, but before the proposal, he went to The Historical Society to determine the best angles for photos. He’s a gem! 

Because Indianapolis means so much to them, Adam & Maria decided to take downtown Indianapolis Canal Walk engagement photos. 

More often than not, VRP couples aren’t sure where they’d like to take their engagement photos. But, this was not the case for Adam and Maria. Because, without a doubt, they wanted to have their photos taken in downtown Indianapolis and along the Indianapolis Canal Walk. 

And, guys, I have to say that Adam and Maria’s engagement photos were A LOT of fun. I mean, Maria is very much a planner, and Adam—as an architect—really appreciates clean lines. Basically, Adam and Maria are a dream VRP bride and groom. 

We started Adam and Maria’s photos by the Indiana Statehouse, where I quickly realized that Adam and Maria are naturals in front of the camera and I could visibly see that these two light one another up from the inside out. 

After taking photos in front of the state capitol building and grabbing a few photos in the street with the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the background, we then headed behind the capitol building to take advantage of what I now know are called “arcades” thanks to Adam around the Indiana Government Center. 

On another side note, I learned a lot of fun facts from Adam and Maria during their shoot. For example, did you know that after Washington DC, Indianapolis is home to the most US memorials and monuments? I didn’t!

For Adam and Maria’s second outfit and sunset, we then headed below to take Adam and Maria’s downtown Indianapolis Canal Walk engagement photos. And, just like they did in outfit number one, Adam and Maria killed it in front of the camera. I mean, I cannot wait for you to scroll and see their photos!

Adam and Maria will become husband and wife on June 10, 2023 and will celebrate at KlubHause61 in Jasper, Indiana. And, until then, I’ll just be counting the days until I can get these two in front of the camera again!

Congratulations, Adam & Maria!

Adam and Maria, I think I must’ve told you at least a dozen times during your engagement session, but I couldn’t adore the two of you more! I mean, you’re both so kind, fun, and passionate about the things that matter most to you, and you complement one another perfectly. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for trusting me to be your wedding photographer. 

I cannot wait to get you in front of the camera again, Ben and Leslie! I mean, Adam and Maria! But in the meantime, I hope you love these previews from your downtown Indianapolis Canal Walk engagement photos!

Don’t these two just have such a classic, royal look? I just adore everything about Adam and Maria! Don’t you just love Maria’s ring?! I mean, I love the classic diamond, but the ridges on the band make her ring unique. I feel like Maria’s engagement ring is a perfect reflection of this VRP bride’s personality! Adam’s one request before their shoot was to take photos at this specific spot on the Canal Walk. As an architect, he appreciates clean lines and architecture. As a photographer, I love that he notices and cares about these kinds of details! Want to see more photos in Downtown Indianapolis? Check out other downtown Indianapolis engagement sessions!