Here is something I have noticed after photographing families, couples and weddings in Fayette County: people spend hours going down Google rabbit holes for local venues and proposal spots and come up empty, or they find a list that was written by someone who has never set foot in Connersville. Neither of those things is helpful.
So I made two new tools on the website. They are free, they take about ninety seconds to use, and the information behind them comes from me — someone who actually shoots here, year-round, in every season.
"Three questions. Real local knowledge. No rabbit holes."
The Proposal Spot Finder
This one is for the person who has the ring and has absolutely no idea where to use it.
I included eleven spots from all over East Central Indiana — from Shrader Weaver Woods near Bentonville, which erupts in wildflowers for about two weeks every April, to Thistlethwaite Falls in Richmond, to a Fourth of July fireworks proposal at Manlove Park Lake that nobody ever sees coming. There is even a vintage train option if your person would rather have a story than a scenery shot.
The tool matches you by vibe, distance from Connersville, and season. Because some of these spots have a window they were built for — the wildflowers at Shrader Weaver, the rose garden in Richmond at peak June bloom — and timing actually matters.
Side note: I photograph surprise proposals. If you find your spot using this tool and want someone hidden with a long lens, that is exactly what I do. Email me your plan and we will work out the rest.
The Wedding Venue Finder
Once the answer is yes, the next question is usually: now where? That is where this one comes in.
There are fourteen venues on this list and I put notes on every single one of them. Not just what they look like, but the details that actually help you decide — where the light falls, which ones have a covered backup plan, which ones sit inside a park so your whole day happens in one place.
The tool asks you three questions: how many guests, what kind of setting, and where your budget is at. Then it ranks the venues for you and shows your top matches. You get everything from a $350 hidden gem in Glenwood that locals book by Facebook message because it has never been listed anywhere, all the way up to Walhill Farm in Batesville if you want the full farm fairytale for three hundred people.
The thing nobody tells you about local venue lists: most of them were written by someone who has never seen these places. I have shot family sessions, scouted locations, and spent time at or near most of these spots as a local. My notes reflect that — not a press release, just honest observations from someone who actually knows this area.
The venues span the whole area — Roberts Park right here in Connersville, barn venues like Bever Homestead out in Glenwood, historic spaces like Eight to the Bar in downtown Richmond, the Markle Barn at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary, and award-winning options like Willow Acres in Middletown. Whatever your size and budget, something on here fits.
Try them both
Proposal Spot Finder
11 spots across Fayette County and East Central Indiana, matched to your partner's vibe, how far you'll go, and when you're asking.
Find Your Spot →Wedding Venue Finder
14 venues matched to your guest count, setting and budget — from a $350 hidden gem to the full farm fairytale.
Find Your Venue →Both tools are completely free. No email required, no form to fill out, no strings. I just want you to have better information when you are planning something that matters.
And if you find a venue or a spot you love and want a photographer who already knows it — well, you know where to find me.
Based right here in Fayette County
Flawlessly Candid LLC is run by Sara Garrett out of Milton, Indiana. I photograph families, children, boudoir, and Cherish Forever Sessions for pets across East Central Indiana and West Central Ohio. Sessions start at $175. Let's talk →