St. Louis wedding photographer Nicole Welch

Tag Archives: modern st. louis photography

Christina + Justin: 9th Street Abbey Wedding

10.05.11

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

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Erin + Ben: Tower Grove Engagement Session

07.20.11

Ben and Erin’s engagement session was scheduled on what I think was THE hottest day of the year, unfortunately. But lucky for me, they’re super easy going and made for a fun engagement session. We did have to take some “cooling off breaks” in our cars, but we made it through! And Erin’s hair looked amazing down to the last shot of the day – how is that even possible?! I am really looking forward to your wedding next year. Thanks for a great shoot, you guys.

There’s always nice light out at Tower Grove an hour before sunset.

They are TOO cute together!

Erin, you are gorgeous! My favorite shot of the day.

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Mark and Danielle: St. Louis engagement session

07.08.11

All I have to say about this session is that it was hands down one of my favorites. Ever. Can’t wait for their wedding next year!

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Maitz Family: O’Fallon family session

07.06.11

Though weddings are my focus, it’s always SO much fun to change things up and shoot a family session. I love to watch children interact with their parents and capture their little personalities…On this day, the storms prevailed, and we only had about 25 minutes to shoot…I have to say that was the quickest session EVER. No lie. Despite the dark sky and shooting super quickly, I really like these images and can’t wait for this sweet family to see them.

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Danielle + Mark: Sneak Peek

07.01.11

I’m getting my gear together and hydrating for what is supposed to be VERY warm weather during tomorrow’s wedding, but I wanted to leave you with a sneak peek from a really amazing session I had this week. It’s going to be SO hard to narrow the full blog post down. Check back Monday for Grace and Kent’s wedding, and the full post from this engagement shoot will be up next week, too!

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Kristin and Jed: Oliva on the Hill Wedding

06.29.11

It was a warm, beautiful day filled with love and laughter. Jed and Kristin were married at Oliva on the Hill, a hidden gem in St. Louis. Here’s their wedding day story. Thanks for looking!

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Lori + Shawn: St. Louis Wedding Photography

12.13.10

This was my very last wedding of the year! And it was a great one. Lori and I had been emailing for what seems like years before she and Shawn were able to set their date. We had been in contact for such a long time before they had booked, I felt I really knew them well before we ever met. Their wedding took place in early November, when the leaves were still beautiful, though there was a deep chill in the air. (I didn’t mind, I much prefer shooting in the cold than the heat, especially pregnant…)

One thing that stuck out in my mind with Lori is that she is so vibrant. I think you always know what she’s thinking because she wears her heart on her sleeve. And on this day, her wedding day, she was full of joy. And let me tell you, she was a joy to photography.

Lori and Shawn, you guys are one of the sweetest couples I’ve ever photograph. Thank you so much for including me in your day. It was beautiful!

Her dress was amazing.

A lil bling.

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Love the shoes, and they matched the season perfectly.

Just a little happy?!

Lori, you’re absolutely adorable.

Jumping over the broom.

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Elizabeth + Ben: St. Louis Engagement Photography

12.08.10

We were so incredibly lucky on the day of this shoot. The leaves were still hanging on, and the light in Tower Grove was PERFECTION. I seriously have never seen light that beautiful. Thanks you two, for a fabulous shoot! I will see you in May.

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Elizabeth has amazing eyes. And hair.

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Told ya we had some super pretty light. *Sigh*

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Outfit change!

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I never shoot with any sort of external lighting at engagement sessions. That would have been tough because we had to do a little shooting in the dark. Luckily, the City Garden had some great lights to use. I’m digging the dramatic look of this one.

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Grace + Kent: St. Louis Engagement Photography

11.21.10

Grace and Kent were referred to me by one of my 2009 brides. They booked me early this year over the internet, but I was so thrilled to FINALLY meet them at their October engagement session. They chose Tower Grove Park, and it was gorgeous! The trees were at their peak, and Grace and Kent came with plenty of ideas, outfits, and fun props. It was SUCH a fun shoot. I’m really looking forward to their June wedding!

We had some really pretty light…

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Who could resist a little fun in the leaves? My favorite part of the shoot.

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Elaine + Chris: St. Louis wedding photography

11.15.10

People often ask me if I get nervous shooting the wedding of a fellow wedding photographer. The answer is absolutely not, not at all. Photographing other photographers is a huge compliment, not to mention a great time. Usually they are willing to do anything and anything for some great pictures, and I LOVE that. They never look at me like I’m crazy, they always just say, “let’s do it!.” The same went for Elaine ( a great photographer out of Cape Girardeau) and her groom, Chris. Not to mention, they got ready at a hotel with big windows, which is always a plus, did a first look, and were just so much fun to be around. Thank you Elaine + Chris for choosing me as your wedding photographer. I had a blast with you guys. All the best!

PS Thanks for being so patient with getting your blog preview…For other clients wondering where their blog post is, I PROMISE I’m going in order of your shoots. This wedding took place on October 16, just to give you an idea where I am in the editing process.

And to the pictures…..(I made it an extra long post to make up for it! Haha.)

Loved her shoes.

The girls were having a grand ole time in the hotel.

Her dress was stunning. I’ve never seen one quite like it.

Thanks to Paula Bathon (of Lightsource Photography) for sharing her talents! She got to hang out with the boys for a while.

First look time!

Urban wedding party pics rule.

This wall was fun to play with.

I love how Chris and Elaine’s dad are looking at one another in this shot.

Elaine got a little emotional during the ceremony, and Paula was in the perfect spot to shoot.

After the ceremony, we took Elaine + Chris all over downtown Kirkwood for some photos of just the two of them.

Fave.

I LOVE this spot. It was tough to shoot here at midday with the sun so bright, but I LOVE how the next 2 turned out.

I hope you guys had an amazing honeymoon in Hawaii!!!!!

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Sarah + Todd: Farmington Wedding Photographer

11.08.10

Sarah and Todd were married on a very hot, beautiful October day. Every little detail of their day was fabulous. From the jewelry, to the tuxes, to her dress and the cake. My favorite part of the day? Hands down, when they jumped up on a hay bale right before the reception. Thanks to Sarah and Todd for rocking out those portraits!!!

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Katie + Jonathan: St. Louis Wedding Photography

10.26.10

You may remember Katie and Jonathan from their engagement session last fall…

I had been anticipating this wedding FOREVER because Katie made sure I was one of the first people she contacted once she got engaged to make sure the date she wanted was open…AND it was! I was thrilled to be their choice for a wedding photographer. I have known Katie since high school, we were in french class together for several years. We didn’t keep in touch, but you have to love Facebook for bringing people together!

Their October wedding was gorgeous, we had some great weather for most of the day, though it did get a little chilly later in the day during group pictures at Forest Park. Nobody complained though, they were a really great bunch to be around. Paula Bathon of Lightsource Photography second shot for me, and we were both smiling the entire day. I seriously don’t think I’ve ever felt more appreciated or welcomed at a wedding. Everyone was so nice.

And to top it off, Katie was one of the happiest brides I have ever seen. She looked radiant, and if she was nervous, I couldn’t tell. She was too busy smiling.

Katie, if you were wondering where Paula and I took your dress…Now you know. Don’t hate me. Haha.

She was so thrilled when she opened a card from Jonathan…not to mention the beautiful pink pearls he gave her as a wedding gift. Good job, Jonathan!

Yup. The smile never left her face.

Thanks to Paula for grabbing these next 2 shots.

The church was so pretty and had a nice “new” smell to it…Plus some good light. Can’t beat that!

Ok, so there was one minute where Katie wasn’t smiling, but I think she was just crying because she was so happy…And so were the bridesmaids. Thanks to Paula for grabbing one of my favorite shots of the day!

We were so lucky that the grounds of the church were very picturesque.

Great choice for the bridesmaids’ dresses, they really pop in the photos!

Normally the Grand Basin isn’t my favorite place to shoot because usually I’m there at noon, and the sun is always out of control. On this wedding day, I was VERY lucky. We were there right before sunset, and the light was perfect.

I took this ring shot on Katie’s grandmothers’ handbag. I love how it turned out.

Katie’s dad has a band, and they played at the beginning of the reception. Live music at receptions rocks.

Is it love?

Ceremony: First Congregation Church of Webster Groves

Reception: Orlando Gardens

Flowers: Soulard Florist

DJ: Complete Music

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Sneak Peeks! (St. Louis wedding photographer)

10.17.10

Thank you to all my wonderful clients who are being SO patient with me as I tackle the busiest part of my year (while being pregnant and having my 3 year-old on cycle break from pre-school!).

Here’s a sneak peek of some of the things I’m working on. Eventually, I WILL get all of you blogged. Again, thanks for being so understanding.

Mandy and Curtis.

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Kate and Chris.

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Liz and Nathan.

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Katie and Jonathan.

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Kristin and Greg.

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Sarah and Todd.

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Lauren and Dan.

Abby and Steven.

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Elaine and Chris.

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Gretchen + Lenny: Wentzville Wedding Photography

10.06.10

This post has taken me 5 billion years to get together, and this is because it’s, by far, the longest post ever on this blog. No lie. Why? Well, I had the honor of photographing the wedding of a dear friend I’ve known since junior high. And let me tell you, that was a L O N G time ago. Needless to say, she’s like a sister to me, and it was impossible to narrow down photos for this blog since I was completely emotionally invested. I cried at least 5 times. No lie.

So many things were wonderful in this wedding. Not just because it was for a friend. From a photography standpoint, the outdoor pictures we took were a dream because the light and the scenery at Quail Ridge Park on this day were absolutely perfect. The ceremony took place just a little before sunset, and we had the most amazing light for all the portraits and ceremony. On top of that, Gretchen was one of the happiest brides I have ever seen. I love when my brides are relaxed and happy on their day, but that doesn’t always happen. Despite a few little glitches before the wedding, Gretchen was smiling and laughing through it all. That made me happy as both photographer and friend.

All the little details were great, too. Her bouquet was stunning, hair and makeup were perfect, and I LOVED Lenny’s suit. Such a great choice for an outdoor wedding, in my opinion. Honestly, it was just amazing day, and I was so grateful to be there to capture their day. And, now it’s time for some pictures. Well, ok, 5 million pictures…(Well, maybe only 60.)

Did I mention we had some great light at the hotel where the girls were getting ready? No dark, dungeon-like church. Love.

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Gretchen’s mom was pretty happy that day, too.

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I thought Holly did a magnificent job with Gretchen’s makeup, especially her eyes. She looked stunning.

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Some mimosas for the ladies, well, the little lady (Bella, Lenny’s daughter) had straight-up OJ.

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Everyone looked amazing.

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I rented a tilt-shift lens for the wedding. It was SO much fun to play around with, and I’m pretty fond of this image.

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Yes, Gretchen’s mom, Sonje, had to use her foot to get Gretchen’s dress tight enough.

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Gret, you’re gorgeous.

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While all the girls were at the hotel, my husband (and frequent second shooter) was at Lenny’s best man’s house with the guys while they got ready.

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Love their expressions. Dan caught this one!

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She was laughing all day.

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Hello tilt-shift…I never want to let you go.

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Dan shot this while Gretchen and her dad waited to walk down to the ceremony.

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Juuuuust a little happy.

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Isn’t it a beautiful place for a ceremony?

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Thanks to Dan for capturing this one.

Beautiful golden light I was so happy to see.

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So one thing I noticed about shooting a good friend’s wedding is that pretty much everyone is comfortable around me because their family knows me. I can’t say I’ve ever caught a sibling shot like this. Love it. Thanks for being your silly selves, you guys.

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I totally teared up when Lenny was talking to everyone at the reception. I’m so happy they found each other.

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The photobooth was quite the hit.

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The end.

Ceremony + reception: Quail Ridge Park

Makeup: Holly Speakes

Cupcakes: Jilly’s

DJ: Marlon with TKO

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Hollie + John: Windows on Washington Wedding

09.28.10

The entire morning of Hollie and John’s wedding I was worried. I sat at home praying the clouds and rain would go away. And mother nature listened. As I drove into the city, the drizzle began to disappear. It was still pretty cloudy as we headed over to Lafayette Square Park for pictures with the wedding party before the ceremony began, but there WAS NO RAIN. I couldn’t have been happier, as I know John and Hollie were, too.

Every single detail of this wedding was perfect. I don’t usually post 5 million detail shots, I strive to capture the moments of a wedding more than anything. HOWEVEVER, I just couldn’t resist with this one. They were so unique and perfect that I had to share them with my readers. I hope you guys enjoy this wedding as much as I did. Hollie and John, it was simply amazing to work with you both. You’re a photographers dream.

The bouquet…oh, the bouquet. Simply magnificent.

And Hollie was absolutely stunning.