I will have to re-visit this post with a few more photos and their story when we get back from Denver, but I promised this amazing couple they would have a blog post! And here you are.



















Thanks for checking out my blog!
I will have to re-visit this post with a few more photos and their story when we get back from Denver, but I promised this amazing couple they would have a blog post! And here you are.



















Lisa + Bob were married on a VERY steamy day in August. The sun was literally beating down on us every single second we were outside, but I never heard them complain once! They were probably too busy kissing. Love that!
Because their wedding ceremony and reception were both taking place at the same location and they had several photo locations in mind, they decided to do a “first look,” which was a great decision for their wedding day. I love their reaction when he turned around to see her. Can we say excited?

They started out the day smooching.

First stop was Busch Stadium. They’re huge Cardinals fans, and there are some super fun locations around the area. The guys strike a pose.

And then it was the girls’ turn.

Then we headed to another spot downtown. This was my favorite of the day. These two has SO much love and happiness. They were smiling the.entire.day.


Love her bouquet!

Walking down the stairs to the stage.

The Sheldon is a tough place to shoot, I’m not going to lie, but it’s always fun and challenging to shoot in new places. I love the dramatic lighting.


The front of the Sheldon is beautiful!


Keeping with the Cardinals theme for the day. In addition to this cake, they also had Ted Drewes (SCORE!) and Gooey Louie. If you know me well, you know gooey butter cake is one of my favorite things in the world. If you’ve never had gooey butter cake, well, shame on you. Go buy some right now or find a recipe to make your own. It’ll be worth it. Promise.


Vendors:
Dress: David’s Bridal
Ceremony: The Sheldon
Reception: The Sheldon
Treats: Gooey Louie
Florist: The Flower Pot
Transportation: St. Louis Transportation
Still trying to get caught up. Over the period of 9 days, I had 2 weddings, a day-after shoot, an engagement session and 2 newborn sessions. Phew.



I am so, so, so behind on editing + blogging. This post is from a wedding I shot last week. I’m going to leave you with just the images of Nikki and Tim’s beautiful wedding.
Ceremony: World’s Fair Pavillion
Reception: The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
Dress: David’s Bridal
Cake: McArthur’s Bakery
DJ: Rick Anzelone
Flowers: DIY


























Kelly and Donny hired me for one of my favorite kinds of shoots – the “day after session.” It wasn’t technically the day after their wedding, but basically these sessions involve the bride and groom getting dressed up in their wedding day attire and shooting in fun places they may not have had time to on their actual wedding day. I love these shoots because they give us plenty of time to create beautiful pictures in a non-stress environment. There’s no crunch for time, there’s no wedding party hanging around and distracting them. Just me and the couple. And I love it. Think about adding one to your collection, I promise we’ll have a blast, and you won’t regret it!







This post is loooong overdue! Last week got me good, but this is a new week! So here it is.
Ceremony: Columbia United Church of Christ
Reception: Orr Street Studios
Wedding Gown: Maggie Sottero
Flowers: Hy-Vee
This sweet little girl took a rest while everyone else was going through the receiving line. She has amazing eyes, so I couldn’t help but throw this one in here.


After the ceremony, we headed to Peace Park for some group pictures. It was the perfect location because of the gorgeous light! Thanks to my fabulous second shooter, Mallory Taulbee of Avia Photography. She photographed the guys while I had the girls. It was a S U P E R hot day, and we tried to get them out of the heat as quickly as possible.

The entire wedding party was a lot of fun..

And while the guys (+groomswoman) were having a good time, Carolyn and her bridesmaids were having just a little tiny bit of fun themselves….with some half-dressed men.

Told ya this was a fun group. And thanks to the drummer boys for holding bouquets and sharing their drums.


Then we kicked the wedding party out to get some portraits of just the lovely bride and groom.


Then we moved to Kaldi’s and their favorite booth…

And then…it was party time!

(photo by Mallory Taulbee)

(photo by Mallory Taulbee) Love this moment between sisters.

photo by Mallory Taulbee

photo by Mallory Taulbee


photo by Mallory Taulbee


Instead of doing the bouquet toss, Carolyn decided to dedicate the bouquet to her mom. I have never heard of that, but I thought it was incredibly touching and a WONDERFUL idea.

Then Carolyn + Matt gave me about 15 minutes to make some pretty pictures in some pretty light. I love that they did this.


Love, love, love the look on her face. She’s beautiful.

Hellooooo beautiful golden light.

Love this wall.


Thanks to Mallory for grabbing this on the way out!

This post is going up at 1 a.m., so there will just be pictures for now. I promise to come back tomorrow and tell you more about these wonderful people and their beautiful wedding. For now, the preparation and the ceremony…

























I really like this photo and am very proud of it. I wanted to post it as Carolyn + Matt’s sneak peek from their Columbia wedding for a few reasons. First, you can make beautiful pictures anywhere, even at a bus stop. You just need to see the light. The light here was beautiful, and I had to use it. Luckily, I had a great couple who trusted me and didn’t look at me like I was insane for wanting to take their wedding pictures in a parking lot. They said, “Ok Nikki. Let’s do it.” How awesome is that? The second reason I wanted to post this is because Carolyn + Matt really valued photography when they were planning their wedding. I was thrilled they hired me, but even more thrilled that they truly appreciate what I do. So much so, that they made the perfect schedule for their day around photography. This included taking about 15 minutes from their reception to get the “golden light” that you see in this photograph. They’re on their honeymoon right now, but I assure you, they’d say it was worth it to get the images we did. Just a little something for all the brides + grooms out there to think about.
These two need no introduction for most of my blog followers. I know many of you have been anticipating this very blog post since Autumn + Kellen’s wedding last weekend. If you don’t remember them, check out their engagement session. It was pure magic – one of my favorites this year. (I can say that, it’s my blog! Right?!) Ever since then, I’ve had many friends and blog stalkers email me about how they loved Autumn’s hair, or her shoes, or Kellen’s smile, or that pose, or that location, or that light. They really do have quite the following. So here it is friends, Autumn + Kellen’s wedding!!!
Ceremony: Dardenne Presbyterian Church in O’Fallon, MO
Reception: The Columns in St. Charles, MO
I couldn’t get over the shoes.


I think this may be my favorite ring shot EVER.

Thanks to Paula, my awesome second shooter for grabbing this one for me!



Again with the shoes. I know. They’re pretty sweet.

Paula captured this shot when she was hanging out with the guys. I’m still not sure what the joke was.



This church was GORGEOUS! (As you can tell.)








Wow. That’s all I’ve got. Check out the slideshow to see Paula’s version. It’s pretty rockin, too!



They are beautiful people inside and out. Truly.





Love this one Paula grabbed.


Her mom watching Autumn with her dad. Priceless.

Thank you SO much for letting me be a part of your amazing day. I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon!!!!
And….since I haven’t shared a slideshow in a L O N G time, I figured this would be a good time. I’m pretty proud of this one.
Happy Monday!
Don’t forget to give it a minute to load!
Kelly emailed me about 3 weeks ago to ask if I was available for a wedding on July 7. July 7?! I was a little shocked at the short notice, but then she told me her plans. Their original plans to have a destination wedding in California had fallen through, and they were in a hurry to plan a wedding in St. Louis. It was a very special, intimate wedding with just the 2 of them in the perfect setting at dusk. And it was beautiful, emotional…perfect.
Ceremony Venue: The Vineyard at Riverbend Chapel
Hair/Makeup: Danielle Erb
Videography: Gebbs Total Video
Her dress was stunning.



The fabulous Danielle Erb did her hair and makeup, and it turned out AMAZING.



Beautiful!!!

Kelly had her vows on her Blackberry. Donny had his on his iPod.


After they got ready in Fenton, all of us headed out to the Vineyard at Riverbend Chapel in Washington, MO. It’s a stunning location, and I LOVE shooting there.


If you look closely, you’ll see Donny’s name.

Kelly’s mom was there to help her get ready…


Love the veils…

Although she got a little stuck in them.

They opted for a first look!

And it was very emotional for both of them.

We didn’t shoot a single posed picture on this day, although this one looks posed. I love the looks on their faces. They were SOOOOO happy.

Then it was ceremony time, so Kelly busted out the Blackberry. Too cute!




They did a first dance overlooking the river. It was such a spectacular view.


We’re going to do a “day-after” shoot soon, so stay tuned for that!
Katy + Steve’s wedding was a complete 180 from their modern engagement session. It was a small, beautiful wedding that took place last weekend at the Oakland House in Afton. The dress, the location, the couple…everything was perfect. Except the weather.
Katy chose a beautiful vintage gown. It went with her skin tone perfectly. Amazing choice!


Katy chose to wear a flower in her hair instead of a veil. Great choice for a garden wedding!

Checking out the weather. It went from rainy to sunny and back again about 10 times.

This was the cutest first look ever.

Surprise!

Isn’t she stunning?

Again, checking out the weather and hoping for the best…

But this is what she and her brother saw out that window…And so they moved the ceremony inside.

Loved the programs (fans) they made for the ceremony that was supposed to be outside in the St. Louis June heat.

But Katy handled the change with utter grace and a smile on her face. The ceremony was still beautiful, as well as emotional. Katy’s brother walked her down the aisle.



Enjoying a moment to themselves after the ceremony.


Love me some bald babies!

Checking out the rings.

And out came the sun…I was thrilled…Even though it was only for about 5 minutes. Then the rain returned.

And then it stopped. Whew, it was hard to keep up with all the weather changes that day. I love this shot of Katy and Steve. I love the romance of it.


But they still know how to have a great time, and they didn’t mind running in their wedding attire!






The end. Thanks for looking!
Ceremony: Ephiphany United Church of Christ (Benton Park)
Reception: Lemp Grand Hall
Florist:
DJ: TKO DJs
Cake:



























