St. Louis wedding photographer Nicole Welch » weddings

Duo + Bing: Clayton Wedding

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:37:38 +0000

No matter how many years I’ve been in business, there are always room for firsts. Duo and Bing were my first courthouse wedding. When we met and they told me they wanted a wedding photographer for a very short wedding, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it was SO much fun. There was even a little drama. What’s a wedding without a little drama? To get married at the Clayton courthouse, you have to go get a number in the morning and then wait your turn. Duo and Bing had the last number of the day, assuming Bing had time to get her hair and makeup done. Well, the judge was rolling through the weddings incredibly quickly, and their number was approaching, but only Duo was there. And I was there. And many of their friends were there. (Both of their families are in China.) But Bing was not. Duo was a frantic mess, talking to her on his cell. Then in an instant, a white blur whisked through the metal detectors and up the elevator. There was still time for them to get married before the judge left. After the wedding, we had a few hours to make our way across St. Louis to photograph this adorable couple. It was nice to have no pressure, just all the time in the world to take photographs of this newly married couple. It was a blast. I hope you enjoy these images.

Kerri + Adam: Four Seasons Wedding St. Louis

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:25:06 +0000

I have a confession. I am so behind on blogging. Truly, horribly behind. The holidays, my husband’s graduation, my son’s birthday, and so on and so on….got the best of me. But I would like to get caught up, and I’d love for you to come back and see a few more weddings. I love sharing all the wonderful weddings I shoot. So I’m going to start now. I’m going to begin with a beautiful wedding that took place at the lovely Four Seasons Hotel a couple of months ago…

Kerri + Adam’s Vendors:
Ceremony – Four Seasons
Reception – Windows on Washington
Photographer – Nicole Welch Photography
DJ – First Class Weddings
Florist – Kirkwood Florist
Bakery – The Cup (Seriously the best cupcake I have ever eaten in my life. No lie.

Meghan + Joel: Mount Pleasant Estates Wedding

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:47:22 +0000

I’m finally catching up (phew!), so I figured I would get caught up on the blog, too. If you’ve been following my blog for anytime at all, you know outdoor weddings are my absolute favorite. Meghan and Joel were married out at Mount Pleasant Estates in October, and the day was absolute perfection. Meghan and Joel, thank you so much for including me in your beautiful day. I hope you had an amazing honeymoon in Turks and Caicos! (jealous!)

Love, love, love the colors and tangerine theme. Gorgeous + unique!

How beautiful does she look in her dress?! I love how happy she is. And I love her veil. So pretty.

Meghan, you are so lovely!

Waiting for his bride…

Got me!

Meghan and Joel’s Vendors:

Ceremony: Mount Pleasant Estates
Reception: Mount Pleasant Estates
Photographer: Nicole Welch Photography
Florist: Hillerman Nursery + Florist
Bakery: Whipt Cream

Allie + Jon: Norwood Hills Country Club Wedding

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:22:43 +0000

I knew the day of Allie + Jon’s wedding that it was going to be amazing. They were having an outdoor ceremony. Scheduled at the right time, they are by far my favorite to shoot – especially on a cool, beautiful, sunny October day. And what an emotional day it was. I’ll never forget the look on Allie’s face as she walked down the aisle toward her groom, tears in his own eyes. You could just feel the love these two have for each other, and it was such a special day to be a part of.

Her gown was amazing. I hope this shot does it a little bit of justice.

Allie + her mom were just adorable together.

How cute is this flowergirl in her wagon?!

Such a beautiful venue at Norwood Hills Country Club, and the light was just amazing. We were so lucky.

Celebrating when everything was signed. Officially married.

More yummy light out at Lafayette Park.

Allie works at a vet’s office, and her love for animals was apparent at her wedding. She and Jon had a picture of a dog who needed to be adopted as part of their centerpieces at every table. They also had a little story about each dog. Isn’t that such an amazing idea?! I hope more people will do this. It’s brilliant and such a good cause.

Soooo in love. *swoon*

Allie and her dad have such a fun relationship, which was obvious from their father-daughter dance. They both have some sweet moves. SO FUN.

Allie + Jon’s Vendors:

Ceremony: Norwood Hills Country Club

Reception: Soulard Preservation Hall

Photographer: Nicole Welch Photography

Videographer: Milestone Pro Films

Bakery: The Cup

Florist: Troy Florist

DJ: TKO

Salon: Vida Verde Studio Salon

Allie + Jon’s Engagement Session: http://nicolewelchphotography.com/blog/2011/07/22/allie-jon-tower-grove-engagement-session/

Jamie + Leslee: St. Louis wedding photography

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:53:12 +0000

Jamie + Leslee’s day began with some quick portraits on one of the most gorgeous days of the year (what a beautiful October we have had!!!) at Forest Park. The Muny is always a great spot for wedding day portraits. I love the classic elegance of the architecture. I honestly never get tired of shooting there…

I LOVE her dress. So elegant.

After the 20 minutes of portraits, we headed to the church, where the girls took a little breather.

I caught a quick shot of her mom before the ceremony. Mmmmm pretty light.

The cake was so gorgeous!

And so were the rings. Love.

Thank you, Jamie and Leslee, for sharing your beautiful day with me! Thanks to Paula Bathon for sharing her talent with me.

Ceremony: Bethel Lutheran Church

Reception: Norwood Hills Country Club

Photographer: Nicole Welch Photography

Barkery: Sugaree Baking Co.

DJ: TKO

Laura + Kevin: St. Peters Wedding

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:00:13 +0000

I first met Laura last year when she was a bridesmaid in Carolyn + Matt’s wedding in Columbia. When I found out she was engaged and wanted to hire me, I was just a little bit ecstatic. She and Kevin completely get my style. Their engagement session earlier this year was almost too easy. There is so much joy in their relationship, it made my job easy peasy. Their wedding day was no different.

Laura was surrounded by love as she got ready for the wedding at her parents’ house where she grew up. Her sisters, friends, and parents were all there, and let me tell you, it was an extremely joyous, emotional time for everyone. And I am so lucky I was there to capture that beauty. Best job in the world, I tell ya.

Laura’s mom getting a first look at her daughter in her wedding gown. Love this one.

And dad’s turn…The look on his face – priceless.

Kevin’s parents were just as thrilled as Laura’s.

What do you do when there’s a festival with a billion people all over Old Town St. Charles where you planned to do your wedding party pictures? Hit up a park just next door to your reception site. Major win. Much more their speed, I happen to believe.

Beautiful light, perfectly scripted for a beautiful bride.

The florals were magnificent.

Kevin is a musican, and he performed a song he wrote for Laura at their reception. There was not a dry eye in sight after the song. Major props to Kevin!

Congratulations, you two! It was truly an amazing day to be a part of. Thank you!

Ceremony: All Saints Catholic Church
Reception: St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre
Photographer: Nicole Welch Photography
Caterer: Catering by Georgianna
Bride’s gown: Alfred Angelo
Bridesmaids gowns: Alfred Angelo

Christina + Justin: 9th Street Abbey Wedding

admin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:08:50 +0000

I love to have engagement sessions with my clients. It gives us time to get to know each other, especially if we didn’t have an initial consultation, which happens when out of town couples book me over the phone/internet. With Christina + Justin, I had neither, which always makes me a little nervous. Meeting on the wedding day is always very interesting because I have no idea what to expect. Lucky for me, this great couple were really natural in front of my camera and a joy to be around. Everybody was so happy and so kind, and I had a really wonderful time documenting their wedding day.

If you have never been to the 9th Street Abbey, you are seriously missing out. The outdoor space is like a fairytale, which is why Christina + Justin had their first look out there.

Isn’t it just an amazing venue?

We did all the portraits before the ceremony so the guests didn’t have to wait between the ceremony and reception, which were both held at the 9th Street Abbey.

I was so thankful for this wall. It pretty much rocked.

Leave it to a little boy to make a bouquet into a gun. Reminds me of my little 4-year-old.

Great shot by my wonderful second shooter, Paula. Love their expressions.

My second shooter, Paula, grabbed this beautiful balcony shot.

How adorable are these 2? They had an audience while they were dancing the night away.

Love this shot of the bridesmaids that my second shooter, Paula grabbed.

VENDORS
Ceremony: 9th Street Abbey
Reception: 9th Street Abbey
Photographer: Nicole Welch Photography
Bakery: McArthurs

Sneak peeks

admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:33:22 +0000

Lauren + Dave: Vineyard at Riverbend Wedding

admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:14:46 +0000

Thank you SO much for being patient with me and my lack of blog posts lately. I’m right in the middle of the crazy fall wedding season. So many weddings in a row, combined with engagement shoots, family sessions and my own family has made my blogging time few and far between. I’m staying on top of galleries though! As a little side note, if you’re needing an October engagement session, please email ASAP because I only have a couple dates left. And now, for Lauren + Dave’s wedding day post!!!

Pounding rain greeted me as I exited my car and ran into the hotel where Lauren was getting her hair and makeup done. Not exactly how a bride wants to start her day, especially when she’s supposed to be getting married at a beautiful vineyard in the picturesque Washington, MO. We all kept our fingers crossed that the clouds would part and the sun would make an appearance, but it was not to be. It was easy to see that Lauren was a little disappointed, but at the end of the day, she was marrying Dave, and the joy on their faces as they walked down that aisle after the ceremony was all the mattered. And lucky for us, during the reception, the skies took pity upon us and gave us a little of that glorious sunshine, and we were able to sneak out for a few portraits in the vineyard.

I love these next 2 shots. They put a smile on my face.

Lauren’s bouquet from Four Seasons Florist was spectacular!

There was such joy in their faces after they were married. I hope they love this shot as much as I do. They couldn’t stop looking at one another.

We ran outside for a few shots in the drizzling rain…We weren’t sure we’d get back outside, and Lauren really wanted some outdoor shots of the 2 of them.

Love this cake, especially the cake topper! Looks just like them.

This kid had some MOVES!

And so did this one.

And look who was also at Lauren and Dave’s wedding!!! Katie + Jonathan! I shot their wedding last year, and it’s just about their 1 year anniversary. Happy early anniversary, you guys. Much love.

This was a fun group for sure.

And this is where the sun came out, and we ran out for a few minutes for portraits of just the 2 of them. It was sticky. It was hot. But we were all happy.

The end. Congratulations again, Lauren + Dave! It was such a joy to be a part of your day.

Lauren + Dave’s Vendors:
Ceremony: The Vineyard at Riverbend Chapel

Reception: The Vineyard at Riverbend Chapel

Bakery:Exquisite Cakes

Florist: Four Seasons Florist

Photographer: Nicole Welch Photography

Makeup: Emily Miller with Delicately Bold

Hair: Hair by Chrissy

Lauren + Dan: The Vineyard at Riverbend Wedding

admin — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:07:37 +0000

If you’ve ever been to my blog before, you know I LOVE outdoor weddings, especially when they take place at a vineyard. It’s such a magical, romantic type of venue. Their ceremony took place at sunset, and I couldn’t have planned the day any better. Congrats Lauren + Dan. It was an amazing wedding.

What are sisters for?! Steaming wedding dresses.

The guys have it WAY too easy on their wedding day.

The location…breath-taking.

I couldn’t resist grabbing this shot as I waited for the ceremony to begin.

Lauren’s brothers…They were fantastic!

So the flower girl didn’t quite make it up the aisle…She made her own way.

And everyone loved it. (Look at that gorgeous light!!!)

Best groom reaction. EVER. Seeing Lauren for the first time.

I love that even the groomsmen have the BIGGEST smiles on their faces.

No matter how many times I shoot at The Vineyard at Riverbend, I never get tired of it. This is why.

Lauren + Dan had a pretty rockin’ candy table for their guests.

They showed a very touching slideshow at the reception.

Lauren’s little brother celebrated his birthday on her wedding day…It wasn’t complete without a birthday cake!

VENDORS:
Photography: Nicole Welch Photography

Ceremony: The Vineyard at Riverbend

Reception: The Vineyard at Riverbend

Florist: For Seasons Florist

Bakery: Wedding Wonderland

Videographer: Photo Video Image Productions