Beth Berry Photography

NEW WEBSITE!!!

2012-01-24T20:33:00.000-06:00

Sorry to leave you guys hanging over here. Did you know I have a new blogsite! Yep, everything is in one place now! Check out www.bethberryphotography.com. I suppose you'll have to update your google reader to www.bethberryphotography.com/blog. See you there!

Kate + Kyle: Engaged! {St. Louis Engagement Photographer}

2011-12-30T19:36:00.006-06:00

December 30th, 2011-

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! It's currently New Year's Eve Eve and I'm blogging my last session of the year!

Kate and Kyle had to put their session off several times for various reasons, and when we ended up in December I was a little bit nervous! It was a little chilly, but the sun kept us warm while running around the city. Enjoy my last blog of 2011 :)

Sheesh...beautiful!

Again with those eyes! You will be a gorgeous bride!

See you all in 2012...hopefully with a new blog-site not too far in the future....

Happy Holidays!!

2011-12-23T08:51:00.003-06:00

December 23rd, 2011--

I hope my family, friends, and clients all have a beautiful holiday :) This was our Christmas card this year!

I will be "out of the office" from now until January 2nd. I will be checking email here and there. Happy Holidays!

Marcy + Joel: Married! {St. Louis Wedding Photography}

2011-12-21T07:56:00.012-06:00

December 21st, 2011- Marcy and Joel were married on December 3rd...my last wedding of 2011! I shot Marcy's friend Julie's wedding last July...so when Marcy got engaged, she called me right away! My favorite kind of bride :)

I absolutely can't believe the weather we had on their wedding day. It was near 60 and the sun even peeked out for part of the day! Don't think I've ever been that lucky for a December wedding.

I was able to convince Joel and Marcy to see each other before the ceremony. Since it gets dark at 4 in the winter, I knew we wouldn't be able to fit in all their fun photos. I don't think they regretted doing a first look!

...by starting early we even got to include their puppies!

Marcy's veil flew off before we could even leave her parents' house :)

We headed to downtown Webster for their photographs, just blocks from the church.

Marcy's bouquet was so pretty and I love the simplicity of the bridesmaids' bouquets made entirely with baby's breath!

Love this!

I posted this on facebook a few weeks ago. I had them each write each other a message, unbeknownst to the other. They ended up writing the same exact thing. Think they're meant to be? I do :)

Love Marcy's reaction to the note she received right before going down the aisle!

and finally time for the ceremony!

They got to ring the church bell to celebrate their marriage!

After the ceremony there was just a peek of sunlight left...you can't even tell it's December!

I feel like Marcy should be in a wedding dress catalog in this photo :)

Marcy and Julie, last year's bride!

These guys love Guinness, so the ring shot is very appropriate.

Reception was held at the Edge of Webster...

Toasts followed by a chugging contest...

The end! Thank you guys for an awesome end to my 2011 wedding season!

Here are some of their vendors...

Dress - Helens Bridal
Bridesmaids Dresses - Clarices Bridal
Invites & Paper products - Designed by the Bride
Flowers - Barb O’Brien - The Silver Garden
Catering - Westwood Catering
Brides sash - Sarah Walton - friend & bridesmaid
Music - Elite Pro DJs - MT Schmidt

Poole Family! {Queeny Park Mini Family Session}

2011-12-15T17:18:00.003-06:00

I've been photographing these 2 ladies for going on 4 years now! They are so cute together and seem to get along better and better every year :)

Favorite!!

Hill Family: Mini Session! {Queeny Park Family Session}

2011-12-09T17:33:00.004-06:00

December 9th, 2011-

I photographed the Hill family way back when I only owned one small camera and one small lens. At that point they only had one small baby :) It was great to see them at my mini sessions this year!

Queeny Park Mini Sessions: Davis Family!

2011-12-02T17:47:00.004-06:00

December 2nd, 2011-

Just to keep things lively around here, I'll be posting a few from each of the mini sessions I did a while back! The Davis Family is up first! Bonnie is a coworker of mine and has a gorgeous family!

Have a great weekend! I have Marcy and Joel's wedding this weekend; last wedding of the year!

Kristy + Scott: "Re-Dress" {St. Louis Modern Wedding Photographer}

2011-11-28T20:28:00.007-06:00

November 28th, 2011-

Kristy and Scott were married over Labor Day weekend (see their post HERE). They decided to postpone their bride-groom portraits until after the wedding. I've been encouraging a number of my brides lately to do this. For Kristy and Scott, it meant that their wedding day could focus on what's most important--the marriage--and the pictures could be done later. So, we gathered on a cloudy day a few weekends ago for what I'm calling a "Re-Dress" session. We met out where Kristy boards her beautiful horse and wandered the property.

My assistant Nicole also works for Walter Knoll Florist. She designed some AWESOME florals for this shoot. I wish she had the opportunity to design for me more often, and I appreciate the folks at Walter Knoll for giving us these beautiful flowers!

AND she took the following three shots:

The fall leaves were GONE but we happened across this pretty bed of pine needles...

And then we brought out Kristy's mare...love these!

Brides....contact me if you ever want to talk about doing a "Re-Dress" Session...

Graham Family!!

2011-11-22T21:57:00.006-06:00

November 23rd, 2011-

Faust Park has been a popular destination for me this fall! I met up with the extended Graham family a few weeks ago to take some photos for Christmas presents!

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday with their families this Thanksgiving :)

Gossage Family! {St. Louis Family Photographer}

2011-11-21T21:33:00.004-06:00

November 21st, 2011-

A few weeks ago I met up with the Gossage family, and got to meet the adorable baby A.!

Yep, she's one!

I mean, she just couldn't stop smiling!

Happy Holidays Gossage Family!

Sarah + Adam: Engaged!

2011-11-12T08:53:00.005-06:00

November 12th, 2011- This super adorable couple is getting married next April in Washington, MO. We met up at Lafayette Square a few weeks ago for their engagement session. This week I went out and bought the cowl-neck sweater that Sarah was wearing in some of these photos...hope she doesn't mind! Ha!

It's been tough to find the fall colors this year...but we found a lot with this session!

Love!

The light was seriously gorgeous. And won't they make a gorgeous bride and groom?

See you in April!!!

Susan + Kevin: Engaged! {Faust Park Engagement Session}

2011-11-07T15:46:00.006-06:00

November 7th, 2011-Susan and Kevin will be getting married next March! We met EARLY a few Saturdays ago at Faust Park. I was the 1st of about 10 photogs who showed up at the park that morning :)

I think Susan has FLAWLESS skin!

Gorgeous!

The light in the morning is sooo pretty...worth putting up with the cold!

Thanks guys! See you next year!

Caroline + Ron: Married! {Meadowbrook Country Club Wedding}

2011-11-02T19:27:00.012-05:00

11/2/2011-Caroline contacted me early this year looking for a photographer for her October 1st wedding. I'd kept the date open after a loooong, busy September, but Caroline sounded so great I had to take on her wedding! I'm so glad I did. She and Ron and their families are a classy bunch and their wedding was gorgeous!

Just to give you an idea of what a great romance they have...Ron flew to StL from DC just for LUNCH to ask for Caroline's father's permission to marry her...and then he flew right back home to pop the question! AND he hired a photographer to capture the proposal. Pretty cool!

We started out at the Liebig's beautiful home for getting ready photos...

These earrings belong to Caroline's mother...gorgeous!

The backyard was perfect for some pre-ceremony family photos!

I think the photo of Caroline and her flower girls is magazine-worthy.

Wow, you look so pretty!!

On to the ceremony!

Afterward, we had free run of Meadowbrook's golf course. I got to drive a golf cart, which I'm sure was extremely scary for my assistant.

For being on a golf course, we did our best to make it look like we were anywhere but.

Gorgeous flowers by Becky Huffman.

Caroline and Ron made most of their picture time about them, which I think is great. But we of course had a few with their bridal party too!

Love the bouquets with succulents!

More fun with mustaches...

One last shot before the reception!

I love the lights on the ceiling...the room looked great!

Stunning orchid centerpieces!

...and drool-worthy cupcakes from Jillys!

The end! I loved being a part of this fantastic wedding!

Here are a few of Caroline and Ron's Vendors for their big day!

Ceremony: Ascension Catholic Church, Chesterfield, MO

Reception: Meadowbrook Country Club, Ballwin, MO

Florist: Becky Huffman

Dress: Mikaella

Bridesmaid's dresses: JCrew

Hair: Ashley Alvey from Dominic Michael Salon-Chesterfield

Makeup: Sarah Riley (works for Laura Mercier-Nordstrom West County)

Menu Cards: By the bride!

Entertainment: Downtime Band

Jackie + Matt: Engaged!

2011-10-29T19:28:00.006-05:00

October 29th, 2011- Jackie and Matt are one of my cutie-patootie couples getting married in 2012! (OMGee...can you believe 2011 is coming to a close soon?) We started out at the Fox Theater, because Jackie had a really neat photo of her grandparents taken in the same place!

We moved over to Forest Park where we grabbed a couple of dreamily-lit photos before the sun went behind a giant, dark cloud!

Sweet!

I love all these amongst the trees...

The end! See you guys in April!

Hendrix Family! {St. Louis Modern Family Photographer}

2011-10-24T19:05:00.005-05:00

10.24.1011- I was reeeallly nervous about this shoot. You see, I shot this family's portraits last year, and they were a big hit! One of my favorites of the year, and is still featured on my website! So, when Karen contacted me to do a shoot again this year, I felt a lot of pressure to live up to last year's shoot!

We met up at Lafayette Square and I brought my mustaches. Not a new prop in the photography world but I found these awesome ones that are so much better than the typical felt/paper mustaches. And it helped the kids warm up a bit :)

Karen gets a photo shoot every year to remember how much her family is growing...everyone should do this!

The end! I hope you guys enjoy these photos as much as you did last year's!

Jess + Garrett: Married!

2011-10-19T22:17:00.010-05:00

October 20th, 2011-Jess and Garrett were married on September 24th in Smithton, IL, followed by a reception in Belleville! We had a good time driving around the country (photos in a corn field! and visiting the couple's favorite neighborhood hangouts! Thanks to Nicole for being my trusty 2nd shooter for this wedding :)

Jess got ready at her parents' house, where she grew up. I love when brides do that...feels so personal.

Mom was an expert at lacing up her dress...

Flowers by the awesome Becky Huffmann...such vibrant colors!

Garrett looks excited to get married!

We headed out to the corn fields...

The guys left a gift for the owner of the property (don't worry, they're friends!)

The "shoe" game was rather entertaining...
Sharing a wedding tradition with her dad...

Thanks for allowing me to spend the day with you!

Here are a few of Jess and Garrett's wedding day vendors:
Reception: Fischer's Restaurant, Belleville, IL
Florist: Becky Huffmann Flowers
Dress: Mori Lee, purchased at Bridal Manor
Bridesmaids Dresses: David's Bridal
Cake: Artistry on Cakes
Hair: Emily Twigg
Makeup: Nicki Schmidt
DJ: Short Circuit Entertainment

Carrie + Paul: Married!

2011-10-12T15:18:00.009-05:00

10.13.2011-Carrie and Paul were married September 17th at Villa Antonio Winery in Hillsboro. After lots of beautiful days, their special Saturday was threatened by cloudy skies all day. Close to ceremony time I felt a couple of drops, but that was it! They were married outside without a hitch :)

Carrie getting all done-up!

She had 2 pair of shoes for the occasion...

All ready to go, off to the vines!

Carrie's son had to be the cutest little guy in the world that day!

The flower girls were pretty cute too!

The last shot of this series is my fave!

...and then it was time for the ceremony...

Since Carrie and Paul didn't want to see each other before the ceremony, and the reception was immediately following, we had to do these next portraits in about 10 minutes. My 2nd and assistant were impressed with how quickly I knocked them out, lol.

This shot was by Michelle and looked gorgeous in black and white...

Of course the first thing that grabbed my attention at the reception were the cupcakes. They deserved their own collage.

Hilarious shot!

Finishing up with a dancing grandpa...my favorite part of a wedding day :)

Here are some of Carrie and Paul's vendors:

Ceremony/Reception: Villa Antonio Winery

Florist: Blossoms (Peveley)

Cupcakes: The Cup in the Central West End

Clutches: Nordstrom

Hair/Makeup: Sarah Brown

Bride's Dress: David's Bridal

Bridesmaids' Dresses: Clarice's Bridal

Kristy + Scott: Married!

2011-10-09T14:57:00.009-05:00

October 8th, 2011-

Kristy and Scott were married over Labor Day weekend, which was my 2nd wedding in 3 days. I'd been looking forward to their day for a while. It promised to be laid-back and somewhat non-traditional (we skipped the bride-groom portraits to focus the attention on the day's events...don't worry, we're shooting those this fall!).

Kristy prepared for her wedding day at the Four Seasons...

Her bouquet by Lucky You Productions...pretty!

Kristy's best friends arrived to help her get ready...

I love this photo...so many hands are needed for dressing a bride!

All ready to go...and a few quick portraits in front of the windows with a spectacular view...
...and we headed downstairs for Kristy to see her dad for the firs time :)

Scott's daughter looked beautiful and all grown up!

The handsome groom and his son, waiting for the ladies at the ceremony site...

The ceremony and reception took place at the City Cottage...I loved shooting there! It's a gorgeous spot for an intimate wedding.

Scott waiting for his beautiful bride...

I love this picture! Kristy looks so stunning and sooo happy!

Great moment!

Not much decorating is needed to make this place look good for a wedding. There were so many things I wished I could bring home to my new house!

There's a pizza oven out back and some yummy pizzas were had by all...

The kids made an outstanding toast, welcoming Kristy into their lives :)

The couple waited until most of their guests were gone before they had their first dance...

The end!

Stay tuned for their portrait session that will be taking place later this fall!

Coming soon...

2011-10-06T18:27:00.004-05:00

Sooo...I'm REALLY behind on blogging. Can I still blame it on my move? (we've been in the new place for almost 2 months now!) I do blame it a bit on my obsession with finding the perfect paint colors and the new website Pinterest. But I assure you I am working hard even with all the distractions :) Here are some sneak peeks that will keep you entertained until my next big blog post. If you are a fan of my Facebook page, you've already seen these...

Kristy + Scott

Carrie + Paul

Jessica + Garrett

Caroline + Ron
Hold tight and you'll get more images soon!

Lauren + Matt: Married! {St. Peters Old Hickory Wedding}

2011-09-18T18:44:00.011-05:00

September 18th, 2011-

Lauren and Matt were married a few weeks ago and have been so patient with me waiting for a preview! (what can I say, it's wedding season!) Lucky for them, they got another one of the hottest wedding days of the year...so I found us lots of shade for picture-taking :)

We started out at St. Joseph's Church in Cottleville...

On the right the flower girl is wondering if anyone saw her dip her flowers in the fountain right before she walked down the aisle...

Lauren was a beautiful bride!

Then we headed over to my fave spot in St. Charles for photos...

Love this!

Matt bustled Lauren's dress for her...okay okay, it wasn't that complicated :)

I love silly groomsmen photos...

One last sunset pic before their party began...

Their cake was kinda last minute...because their original cake place went out of business and didn't tell them...

I love this bouquet shot that Michelle captured...notice where the bouquet is, opposed to where all the girls are looking...

And then THIS happened. To the tune of Chumbawumba.

And then a poor child got involved... :)

Thanks for being patient guys! I hope you had a wonderful day and enjoyed your preview!!

Reception - Old Hickory Golf Club
Ceremony - St. Joseph Cottleville
Cake - Celebrating Life Cake Boutique in Wildwood, MO
http://www.celebratinglifecakes.com/
Florist - Mexico Road Florist (Contact is Karen)
Dress - Wedding Creations (designer - Mori Lee)
Bridesmaid dresses - Belsoie by Jasmine
DJ - Complete Music
Limo bus - Best Transportation
Hair - JuJu Bees Salon

Melissa + Ryan: Married! {St. Louis City Museum Wedding}

2011-09-06T21:29:00.010-05:00

September 7th, 2011-
Melissa and Ryan were married on the last weekend of August and ended up with a hot but beautiful day! They were referred to me by my co-worker, Kimberly...thanks! When I met with Melissa and she told me her reception was going to be at the City Museum, I was pumped...in almost 4 years of shooting I'd not gotten the chance to work there yet! For those of you that aren't from St. Louis and have never heard of the City Museum...google it. It's perhaps one of the coolest places on earth.

Anywho...I didn't get the chance to do an engagement session with these two, which sometimes makes me nervous. The engagement session helps us get to know each other, and helps me get a sense of the couple's comfort level about different poses. But no need to worry...Melissa and Ryan didn't need any practice...you'll see...

The bride's dress was by Mori Lee from Happily Ever After in Chesterfield...
...and her birdcage veil was from seller terihuang on etsy..

I like it when both parents walk the bride down the aisle...

Happy bride and groom!

Immediately after the ceremony a friend brought the couple's doug, Petie, up to the church for a few photos. They really wanted him to be included somehow on their wedding day, and since the priest wasn't quite ready for him to walk down the aisle, this had to suffice :) What a good pup!

We headed to Tower Grove Park for the bridal party photos...nevermind that the International Festival was going on...we worked around it :)

This is one of my favorites...

Custom designed clutches for her bridesmaids... from etsy seller coryrenee (the bride's clutch was from etsy seller It's so clutch)

Got lots of great comments on facebook last week about this photo...gorgeous!

I can't decide which of the next two I like the best...

Ryan told me the story about this tandem bike...no, they don't typically ride around st. louis on it...but when they found their wedding invites they had a picture of a tandem bike on them. They just happened to see a random tandem (ha that rhymes) bicycle that someone tossed out, and before they had the chance to grab it, someone else did! Missy chased him down and begged him for the bike for use on their wedding day, and he gave it to them :)
Perfect prop at the City Museum...

DIY placecards for the guests...

AND DIY centerpieces, they turned out beautifully!
Then we finally got to do what I've always wanted to do...get photos on the rooftop ferris wheel. Now, I am certainly not the first photographer to have this idea (in fact, the guy running it said there had been 2 other couples that day on the ferris wheel...lol)...but it is such a cool photo opportunity!
And I love how it turned out...

We were up HIGH....and my little ferris wheel cart was swaying a little too much for my taste. I couldn't even get Nicole to go up on it with me :)

...and then I finally left them alone so they could enjoy their party...

Why is it that guys always look like this after catching the garter?

Thanks guys! We had a great day hanging out with you and your friends and family. I hope you had a wonderful honeymoon!

Vendors:

Ceremony: All Souls Catholic Church, Overland, MO

Reception: City Museum, St. Louis, MO

Dress: Happily Ever After Chesterfield, MO, designer Mori Lee

Bridemaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid Ladue, MO, designer Lela Rose

Tuxes: Men's Warehouse, Brentwood, MO

Cake: Christine Edson

Paper Products: invitations are from Invitations by Demi, place cards are home made

Favors: photos provided by photobooth from Trotter Photo Manchester, MO

Flowers: Meleana's Flowers Overland, MO

Band: Downtime Band Affton, MO

Kerri + Jason + Baby on the Way! {St. Louis Maternity Photographer}

2011-08-29T17:45:00.006-05:00

August 29th, 2011-

We rescheduled this session at least 5 times, due to the brutal St. Louis summer heat. Some photographers chose to shoot through the nasty weather, but I find it so hard to make your clients comfortable when it's that miserably hot! So, we put off, put off, put off their session, until we finally had a weather day that was bearable. Luckily for us, we shot it just in time, because baby Macauley was born just a few days later, more than a month early!

Kerri and Jason are a former wedding client of mine, so it is extra exciting for me to take part in this journey with them. Baby Mac is slowly getting stronger, spending some time in the NICU, and I can't wait to meet him when gets home!

Until then, enjoy their maternity session!

Kerri and Jason's first baby got to wear a really cool t-shirt...

We headed over to Tower Grove...and this structure perfectly matched their outfits!

We ended up finding some gorgeous light that afternoon, I couldn't get enough of it...

This one may be my favorite.

What a gorgeous mommy! Wishing you guys all the best!

Kelly + Bob: Married! {St. Louis Old Post Office Wedding}

2011-08-25T08:09:00.008-05:00

August 25th, 2011-
It's been almost 2 weeks since I blogged last! For good reason! We moved to a new home on August 15th, and things have been crazy ever since! We are semi-settled in at this point, although with a house twice the size of our previous one, we have several empty rooms and still can't find a few important things :)

This weekend starts a quick busy season for me...I will have 6 weddings in 6 weeks, and then I'm done until one last wedding in December. I took the months of October and November off, and may be setting up some family mini-sessions that I will be advertising hopefully in the next few weeks.

Now, on to Kelly and Bob! I briefly met Kelly and her mom, Kathie, when she was in town for a quick wedding planning visit earlier this year. She and her now husband Bob live in Boston, a place I've always wanted to but have never had the chance to visit! They were planning a wedding at the Old Post Office...I often shoot around the place but I've never had a wedding inside. I was highly impressed! It's a great spot for a small wedding, I definitely recommend it!

Starting off with the gorgeous bouquet by Les Bouquets, another vendor I hope to get the chance to work more often with....
I love this shot of Kelly and her youngest bridesmaid...on her way to see Bob for the first time...

Love their reaction!

We posed for a few quick shots outside the post office before heading to the arch...

Bob was looking very dapper...the photo on the right must have been in response to my confusing posing directions. In fact, I got that look a lot that day :)

Bob was stopping traffic for his bride...
Kelly looking gorgeous on the left, and trying to contain herself from bursting out laughing at her groom on the right. He made her laugh all day :)

Now that's a classy lookin' bridal party!
And some cuuuuuute kids!
Beautiful bride and handsome groom...

Then it was time for the ceremony!
Their wedding date was 8/06...

The windowed ceilings made for some awesome natural light. I'm in love with this cake shot...

Some hilarious toasts by Bob's brothers...
And some heartfelt toasts by her bridesmaids...

Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your day! It was beautiful!

Here are some of Bob and Kelly's vendors for the day!

florist: Melinda Roeleveld of Les Bouquets
caterer: pasta house
hair/makeup: Whiteny (hair) and Dana (make-up) at Salon St. Louis
dress designer: David's Bridal
bridesmaid dresses designer: David's Bridal
DJ: TKO Vests and Ties/suits: Men's Warehouse
Cake: The Cakery
Programs/invites: Designed by Bob

Ceremony Musicians: Dysuz Quintet, featuring Jacqueline Yap, Jessica DiMariano, Riley Underwood, Charlie Zimmerman, and Jake Stergo. They are a quintet of graduating seniors from Lafayette High School, Kelly's alma mater.

Newborn Norah!

2011-08-12T22:22:00.005-05:00

August 12th, 2011-

Some time last week I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Norah, a gorgeous little girl with a full head of dark hair. She made my heart melt just a little :) I did a maternity session for her mama and papa, Gina + Nik, a few months ago. They decided to wait to find out the gender but had already chosen Norah as their name if they had a girl. It's the perfect name for her!

We started outside...poor little thing was confused a bit by how bright it was :)

I just love this shot...

I found these pom poms, left over from a baby shower. They made a great backdrop!

Norah wasn't into the "baby in a basket"!

My favorite newborn shots seem to always include the new mommy and daddy!

The end! Aren't you proud of me for blogging when I'm moving this weekend? Yep. I'm crazy.

Kristin + Steve: Married! {St. Louis Wedding Photographer}

2011-08-05T17:24:00.011-05:00

August 5th, 2011-

Kristin and Steve were married just last weekend, and are probably still on their honeymoon in Riviera Maya as I write this blog! I'm blogging a bit more quickly this time, because my life is about to go into a dizzying tail-spin...my little brother and his wife just had a baby, so I'm trekking home to meet him, I go back to work on Wednesday, and we are MOVING next weekend! So much going on, and I want these two to see some photos before I get too busy!!!

Enough about me! We started out in Soulard for the ceremony...we made it inside before a monstrous thunderstorm...

Love the pompoms on her shoes!

It was a hot, sticky day...Kristin's bridesmaids did an excellent job of keeping her cool!

Nicole snuck this shot before Kristin went down the aisle...

I never post family formals...for most photographers these are the least fun part of the day. But we got really lucky with the weather...the skies were soft and overcast, which allowed us to take the photos outside of the church in the middle of the day. Natural light is soooo nice for family formals!

Then we booked it on over to the botanical gardens, which hold special meaning to Kristin. It was so hot...we grabbed all the bridal party pictures in about 10 minutes and sent them inside to cool off. Kristin and Steve were troopers and sweated it out, literally, for a few more gorgeous photos.

I love the yellow and gray color combination...every room in my new house is somehow inspired by it...

..and the guys bought suits instead of renting, which I think is a superb idea.

Then we headed over to the rooftop at Joe Bucks for some relaxed photos of the bridal party...

I love the yellow and gray combo for weddings!

The reception was held at Windows Off Washington...

The yellow and gray invitations!

The end! Thanks to past bride Ashley for sending Kristin and Steve my way! Hope you had a wonderful honeymoon!

Ceremony: Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church

Reception: Windows Off Washington

Flowers: Russell Florist

Cake: McArthurs Bakery

Baby Lyla {St. Louis Newborn Portraits}

2011-08-01T12:13:00.006-05:00

August 1st, 2011--Lyla is the newborn daughter of Travis and Megan, who's wedding I shot almost exactly 2 years ago (Many of my clients will recognize them from one of my sample albums!) I have quite a few clients who are pregnant these days, and nothing makes me happier when a past client hires me to photograph new members of their family!

For my newborn sessions, I try to do a lot of lifestyle shots, mixed in with some cutesy posed shots. I'm not big into squishing babies into uncomfortable positions...they are just so fragile. Natural is best, but I'm not opposed to putting a baby on a shelf or in a funny hat :)

Lyla gave me a bit of the stink eye. hehe. We had quite the time getting her to go to sleep...

Megan was glowing, just a few days after bringing her new baby home...

Oh, those lips!

I look forward to capturing more photos of Lyla as she grows up!

Barb + Matt: Married! {Spindletop Hall, Lexington Wedding}

2011-07-21T10:29:00.013-05:00

July 21st, 2011-

I feel like I've been gone for a while! I was lucky enough to go on a cruise to the eastern Caribbean last week with my husband's family...so I'm finally getting back to work!

Barb and I met in graduate school at Saint Louis University when we were both getting our Master's Degree in Communication Disorders. She moved back to Indianapolis where she met her now husband, Matt. Barb followed my development as a photographer through Facebook and when she got engaged, asked me to shoot her wedding! They decided to get married in Lexington, where Matt went to college. It was perfect for me...shoot a beautiful wedding and then drive only an hour or so up to my parents' to celebrate the rest of the holiday weekend!

I want to thank my bestest friend in the world, Heather Kramer, for coming down and assisting me with this wedding!

The wedding took place on the grounds of Spindletop Hall, a 45,000 square foot mansion built in the 1930s. Such a neat old place filled with well-preserved architectural details...

Barb looked absolutely gorgeous in her dress...it was perfect for her!

Her grandmother carried this bible on her wedding day...

Barb and Matt did a first look and we got to explore the mansion and the grounds of Spindletop.
I just loved this room with all the hand-painted doors...

In Kentucky you have to pay homage to the Derby!
You can tell Barb and her sister Carolyn are super-close!
The guys were all so pleasant...I don't always get that lucky :)

They suggested the "law firm" pose...perfect for a cheesy billboard :)
Spindletop also has a golf course!

Then it was time for the ceremony!
The bride and her dad were brought in a horse-drawn carriage...this is Jefferson Davis.

Wahoo! Married!

Barb and Matt indulged me with a few more late-afternoon lit portraits...

...which ended up being my fave of the day...

EEEK! GORGEOUS!

Introducing Barb and Matt Durrett!

The end! Thank you for asking me to capture your lovely wedding day!!!!

Mary + Casey: Married! (Sheraton St. Louis Wedding)

2011-07-09T14:35:00.010-05:00

July 9th, 2011-

Mary and Casey were up 2nd in my double-header the last weekend of June! I loved their engagement session this spring and couldn't wait to see them again for their wedding! They were married at the Old Cathedral, another first for me!

Mary looked gorgeous as she stepped off the bus!

Surrounded by all her friends before the ceremony...

The flower girl was just too cute! She stopped and smiled for me on her way down the aisle!

After the ceremony the skies quickly clouded up on us, so we started shooting fast. Don't forget it was Marine Week, so it took us quite a while to get from location to location. I may or may not have acquired a red-light camera ticket...

The ever-taleneted Tina Barrera of The Special Event Florist provided the flowers...wow!

These guys had quite the bridal party!!!

The wind picked up like CRAZY for a few minutes...

Outside it was super hot/stuffy, and starting to sprinkle, so we headed over to Union Station to do a few more photos...

It's your wedding day, of course you can take a break for subway or french fries if you're hungry :)

The reception took place at the Sheraton in downtown StL...

Coolest ice sculpture ever! I am not a Mizzou grad, but my husband is...he was quite impressed! After dinner it served as an ice luge, where you could do a shot of "Tiger's Blood". Love it!

The end!

Here are some of Mary and Casey's vendors for the day!

Ceremony: the Old Cathedral (Basilica of St. Louis)

Reception: Sheraton St. Louis City Center

Flowers: The Special Event Florist

Hair/Makeup: Katie Gerli-K Gerli Designs

Cake: Lubeley's Bakery

Dress: Clarice's Bridal

Bridesmaid's Dresses: Sophia Tolli

Paper Products: Maureen Iqbal at Daley Design

Party Bus: Best Transportation

DJ: Rockstar DJ's, Mike Frazee (very nice dj!)

Theresa + Matze: Married! (St. Louis History Museum Wedding)

2011-07-06T11:22:00.011-05:00

July 7th, 2011-h

Theresa contacted me on June 15th, 2011, about her wedding on June 24th, 2011. I had to read the email a few times to understand. Unfortunately for them, their wedding photographer had a family emergency and was unable to shoot their wedding, which was in just over a week. As if that wasn't difficult enough for them, they had to find a new photographer while getting ready to travel from their home in Germany back to the US. Needless to say, Theresa was probably pretty stressed. Now...May/June are 2 of my busiest months of the year, and I was already inundated with massive amounts of editing to get through. But...I couldn't let this couple go without a photographer for their wedding! So, a few days later I met them for a cup of coffee and they booked me on the spot!

These two currently live in Germany, where Matze is from. He loved the idea of shots by the Arch. I didn't realize it was "Marine Week"...so we had to work around a ZILLION people and cars for all our shots that day :)

Matze hooked his groomsmen up with fun props :)

Megan joined me for a few hours while everyone was getting ready to help relieve the stress of a last minute wedding, and took this beautiful bouquet shot...
I thought Theresa handled everything uber-gracefully.

Ring on a Coach bag...I love Coach purses :)

Quick shot with some random marines walking by...

Love Theresa's eyes in the shot below...

Megan got some fun shots of me hard at work. I promise I wasn't using my flash...just couldn't fit it in my ShootSac that day :)

Matze and Theresa's cutie-pie son, Colin.

Posted this petal toss photo on facebook last week...

I love these next 2 shots together!

The Grand Basin is such a classically beautiful place for wedding photos. But are any other photographers tired of photo-shopping out the cranes in the background? :)

The reception was held at the History Museum....love it here...

Matze had his touch of Germany in place...

Including this crazy game where you have to try to hammer a nail into this log...

The End!

I am so happy I was able to help you guys out! I hope you enjoy all your images!

Here are some of Theresa + Matze's vendors for the day!

Caterer: Butler's Pantry http://www.butlerspantry.com/

Lighting:Exclusive Events Inc. http://www.exclusiveeventsinc.com/

Cake: Wedding Wonderland http://www.wwcakeshop.com/
Music: TKO DJ
Bridal party:

David's Bridal/Men's Warehouse

Jewelry: Custom Designed by Vicky@sassypeacock.com

Transportation: Jed Limousine http://www.jedlimousine.com/

Hair & Make-up: Fringe Salon & Spa www.fringesalonandspa.com/

Allison + Brock: Married!

2011-06-29T14:20:00.009-05:00

Allison and Brock were the very first couple to book me for 2011, and it seems like it was years ago! I have been looking forward to their wedding ever since...they are two wonderful people...AND they were having their reception at the Palladium, a new venue I hadn't had the the pleasure of shooting in yet. Their day was executed to perfection, down to every small detail. Thanks to my 2nd, Michelle Lunn, for helping me out once again, and to a past bride, Ashley, for lugging all my stuff around :)

On to the photos! Allison got ready at the Hyatt at the Arch...more brides are getting ready here...I always love the beds here for dress shots!

I loved the doors and the weathered stone at their church...

We only had a little time after the ceremony to knock out the remainder of the photos...we worked quickly!

Then it was off to the reception! Try a "Zen"tini...

Beautiful centerpieces...

The appetizer on the right was YUMMY. I mean, I had to try it, right?

A friend of the family put together this amazing candy bar...each family member had a favorite candy.

...and the cake pops...Allison's budget-blowing item :)

Her dad thanking her mom...so sweet...

Thanks for allowing me to capture your beautiful wedding!!

Vendors:

Ceremony: First Congregational Church of St. Louis

Reception: Palladium

Caterer: Butler's Pantry

Florist : Thorn Studio

Beverage: The Zentini, based on a drink at SubZero Vodka Bar

Entertainment: Griffin and the Gargoyles

Michelle + Justin: Engaged!

2011-06-23T11:16:00.006-05:00

June 23rd, 2011-

Sometimes life and relationships just don't go as planned. Sometimes, life just might give you two adorable little children BEFORE you get married. And as far as Michelle and Justin are concerned, that is just how it's supposed to be :) I loved Michelle's honesty in our initial email bantering and was so happy to meet her whole family at our photography consultation. They will be getting married next May and can't wait to see the dress Michelle chooses!

She found this location and thought it would be perfect, given the 1-2 for their wedding date!

We just did a few shots with the kiddos before they were allowed to run around the City Garden fountains with Justin's mom...good job guys!

I really do love the City Garden in the late afternoon...

Hope you guys enjoyed your portrait session! Looking forward to your wedding next year!

Marcy + Joel, Engaged!

2011-06-22T07:50:00.006-05:00

June 22nd, 2011--

I met Marcy back around the holiday season randomly at Stir Crazy, of all places! She was dining with a past bride, Julie, and told me she may just need a wedding photographer very soon :) A few months later she contacted me to let me know she'd be having a winter wedding this year! I'm glad I was open for their date!

We started out hanging with Marcy and Joel's pups. They weren't quite sure what was going on but seemed to enjoy the cuddle time :)

And then we headed over to the park...where we were bombed by cicadas. Heard a few shrieks out of Marcy...

We walked down a path and this gorgeous spot of sunlight just "appeared". It was perfect...

Brides, if you want light like this, it's going to occur about an hour or 45 minutes before sunset!

Racquetball court? Yep, makes for some sweet shots.

Marcy and Joel, see you in December!!

Ashley and Casey: Married!

2011-06-20T09:33:00.009-05:00

Ashley and Casey were married a few weeks ago on the hottest wedding day so far this year! We started out at Ashley's parents' home in St. Albans...they have lots of nice, big windows, which are perfect for getting ready!

She gave her parents a sweet card and everyone got a bit sniffly :)

Ceremony was at Graham Chapel on Wash U's campus...

I did my best to keep everybody in the shade! You totally can't tell how hot it is, right?

We headed over to Forest Park and jockeyed for position with several other bridal parties. Luckily these guys had an engagement session and knew what to expect from me (quick shooting, moving, moving moving) and we were able to get lots of good stuff!

Then we stopped at Ted Drewes...and since it was so hot, the wedding photographers also indulged in some ice cream!

Quick stop at the entrance of Old Hickory to blow some bubbles :)

We had to take advantage of the soft light at the end of the day (they let me steal them away from a much deserved dinner)...

This shot and the one above are in the exact same lighting situation...you can do so much by just adjusting your camera settings a little bit....

Thanks for a lovely day guys!

Here are some of Ashley and Casey's Vendors:

Ceremony: Graham Chapel

Reception: Old Hickory Golf Club

Flowers: Lesher's

Cake: Wedding Wonderland

Gina + Nik + Baby on the way!

2011-06-14T13:56:00.008-05:00

Gina and Nik are having a little one soon! They've nicknamed the baby "raisin", as they are being surprised on delivery day :) We met up on a hot evening in my favorite spot in the park. Looking forward to meeting your little one in a few months!

Not to sound weird, but Gina has the prettiest preggo belly I've seen!

Sigh...I just love these last two shots!

See you soon, Baby Raisin!

Kristy + Scott, Engaged!

2011-06-13T18:19:00.005-05:00

Kristy and Scott will be getting married this Labor Day weekend (on a Sunday, my first double-header wedding weekend!) They are opting to have a small, intimate ceremony/reception at a new location, the City Cottage.

We started off at Kristy's super-cute home.

A hammock! everyone should have a back porch like this.

How can you resist those eyes? Can you see his eyes? :)

Then we headed down to Kirkwood...I love the train station and I'm always amazed that it's a real, working station.

The light in this alley is always perfect.

I've passed these chairs before...but I guess I never paid much attention to them! Aren't these fun?

Thanks guys! See you in September!

Megan + Matt: Married!

2011-06-11T17:42:00.007-05:00

Megan and Matt were married a few weekends ago at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, with their reception following at Windows on Washington. It was a gorgeous day for an outdoor wedding! I have to thank my sister in law, Rachael, for her help as my assistant that day!

On with the photos! Megan's dress was floaty and beautiful...

Tina Barrera, The Special Event Florist, made the yummiest smelling bouquets of peonies...
This was my facebook teaser a while back...
Meet the groom:
Just kidding...those were some random dudes that were in the park, playing softball or something.

THIS is the groom...waiting for his first glimpse of his fave lady.

Matt walked a circle all the way around Megan, to take it all in :)

I like this one a lot...

Then it was time to get married!

Um...the cake was super yummy. Rachael and I took one home after the wedding and paired it with a glass of pinot grigio...

I love when people get REALLY into catching the bouquet. Plus Megan nailed one of the paper lanterns.
One last shot of yummy cupcakes :)
We enjoyed spending this day capturing all your wedding moments!

Here are some of Megan and Kevin's vendors:

Wedding: Missouri Botanical Gardens; Japanese Gardens

Reception: Windows on Washington

Florals: The Special Event Florist, Tina Barrera

Cake: The Cakery

Lauren + Matt: Engaged!

2011-06-05T10:58:00.006-05:00

June 5th, 2011- Lauren and Matt are getting married Labor Day weekend! We met up a few weeks ago under the arch after much debate about the weather. It ended up being an evening filled with gorgeous light...so glad we decided to go through with it!

Every time I shoot at the Arch, I notice things "written" onto it while editing. I can make out "Frank "loves" ....."

There aren't enough fun poofy cloud days!

Love this! Matt working his serious face.

I'm a firm believer that if the light is pretty enough, you can shoot anywhere.
See you guys in September!

Katie + Matt: Married! {Columbia, IL}

2011-06-02T15:31:00.006-05:00

Katie and Matt were married almost 2 weeks ago, on the supposed day of the armageddon, or rapture, or whatever they were calling it. In fact, it was supposed to occur during their ceremony! Instead of the end of the world, we ended up with an absolutely gorgeous May day, that I feel was quite deserved after all the terrible weather we've been putting up with.

The couple had a non-traditional, intimate day. No bridal party, short ceremony (gasp, they didn't have an aisle!), and no tossing of garters or bouquets. They married on the property of a family friend instead of a church. They proved that you can have an un-traditional wedding and it will still be beautiful :)

Katie started out the day getting hair and makeup done by a friend...

Matt was looking dapper in his pink tie...

We did a first look under a canopy of pines...

Her flowers were gorgeous, arranged by Flowers to the People.

Allergic to ragweed? No problem. Katie knew I was going to drag her out into this field and took extra amounts of allergy meds :) What a good bride!

The ceremony was officiated by one of her sisters...

We headed back out for a few more images during dinner to capture the remainder of the glowy light...

Love!

A wedding isn't a wedding without mustaches...

The end! A big thanks to my husband for filling in on this wedding day while my assistant is taking some time off. I love you babe!

Here are some of Katie and Matt's vendors for the day:

Wedding Coordinator: Yara with Plume Events

Cake: McArthurs

Flowers: Flowers to the People

Jenna: 1 Year!

2011-05-31T11:57:00.005-05:00

Jenna is the daughter of one of my bestest friends/roommates/bridesmaids, Jess! I miss Jess a ton, but luckily we stay in pretty constant contact through phone calls and emails and texts! I was able to take maternity pics for Jess, but scheduling just hasn't worked out for me to get home to photograph any other milestones for Miss Jenna so far. Luckily it worked out that I could get home and do some pics near her first birthday. It was a totally overcast/misty day, but Jenna didn't mind at all :)

If you are a fan on my Facebook page, you would have seen this super cute teaser last week!

An arm was all Jess would let me photograph that morning...hehe.

Outfit change and a snack break!

Thanks to grandma Cheryl for helping out with Jenna's shoot :) Jess, she's getting so big and getting such a cute personality! See you guys soon!