• • • m e g a n t h i e l e s t u d i o s • • •

Finally!!

2010-01-13T11:14:00.002-06:00

The new blog is up and ready! This one will stay here for a while, so all of your photos are still visible, I just needed a change. Soooo - don't forget to update your rss feeds and/or bookmarks!

New Beginnings!

2010-01-07T11:25:00.003-06:00

Even though the blog has been quiet, it's been very busy behind the scenes over here! Lots of stuff in the works. 2010 is bringing lots of new beginnings, and here's a sneak peek of what's to come:

A preview of my first session of 2010, and a sneak peek of my NEW LOGO!! I'm working on a new website and blog [I had hoped to get the new blog up and running today, but eh - whattya gonna do?] Some snow shoveling had to be done :)
So WATCH OUT AMERICA! New things are coming your way next week.

2010 is going to be a great year.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T13:18:00.002-06:00

It's been a wonderful and busy year - and I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of my wonderful clients who have made this year [and next year!] a success.

Next year will take me to two destination weddings, and to a few dozen undoubtedly gorgeous weddings with fantastic and fun clients. I can't wait!

Stay tuned on the blog to see all my goings on :)

~Megan

*since every post is better with a picture, here are a few of the 'kids' :)

a very lovely Christmas indeed.

2009-12-29T20:43:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday season! I got a very nice, and very surprising, gift from my sister on Christmas:

a wreath, just like I was wanting! she made it herself - and it's perfect!

it's pretty :)

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-24T11:18:00.004-06:00

I knew it would take a lot to top last year's card - and I waited too long to think about it. So, this year's card is definitely not nearly as good as the awesome that we created last year, but oh well. At least it still showcases how adorable my dogs are :)
I love the whole 'ugly sweater' fad - the parties, the exchanges, everything. It's fun :) So - that was my idea [and Brandon willingly played along]. Finding sweaters for us was really easy, but there aren't ANY ugly toddler sweaters - I think the sheer size of them makes them adorable by default. So the dogs just got patterned shirts - still works!
Anytime you try to do anything productive with dogs, it takes some work. A lot of work. Here are some outtakes of the shoot that led up to the final photos:
First I wanted to get a shot of just to two of them for my mom's annual Sadie calendar [a tradition 5 years strong!]

"guys, come on - pay attention!"
[and it was at this point I thought that they didn't look festive enough]

the bow fixes it :) "Sadie - are you squinting on purpose?! that's two in a row!"

"Rocky - stoppit! you guys can play later! Focus!"

*sigh* "You guys. Please?"

"Perfect!"

[in case you were wondering what got them to look at me and turn their heads - I said "Do you WANT?" they know any time I ask them if they want. . . . they get something good :)]

Now for the family photo. . .

"Sadie - knock it off! That's not a toy!"

Not bad - the dogs never really cooperated together. No one at the camera to get their attention, ya know. But you can see how fabulous my sweater was - Santa's beard was solid beads :) and he had red beads that were supposed to be rosy cheeks but looked like chicken pox, and his eyes were black circles with x's in them - drunk Santa.

So we tried again and finally came up with something. Behold this year's Christmas Card:

[front]

[inside]

The photo is pretty fitting - Rocky's never been interested in having his photo taken. He was done. I am pretty proud of the poem, too :)

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday! I'm heading out of town today, and not taking my computer :) Just spending time with family [and eating and drinking a lot!]

Kaalan + Lance

2009-12-17T15:13:00.012-06:00

Well here it is, folks - my last wedding of 2009. It's been a long and busy year!
Kaalan and Lance were married in November, right before it got wicked cold - they couldn't have asked for a nicer temperature in November in Missouri! I met with Kaalan and the bridesmaids at their hotel in Fulton, MO:

I'm in love with the ring shot :) [and the ring for that matter - that's one big rock!]

The ceremony took place at the Churchill Memorial Museum, specifically at the Church of St. Mary of Aldermanbury - a fantastic place to get married! So chockablok full of history. If you happen to be in mid-Missouri, swing by there! I'd had the pleasure of photographing here before, so I was really excited when Kaalan booked me :)

see? it's gorgeous :)

I love this shot - it's so cinematic

very apropos, since the 20th anniversary of the falling of the wall was recent :)

I love this church! Beauty everywhere!

the fabric on the stems was part of Kaalan's mom's dress - I love passed down details, as you well know if you read this blog :)

this little pedal car was what one of the ring bearers drove down the aisle [Lance is a Columbia, MO police officer]

such a cute flower girl!

great shot, Ryan!

my first ever sparkler exit - love it!

FAVORITE! yes. I had to shout it.

On to the reception! It was held at the Tiger Hotel, downtown Columbia. I had always wondered what it looked like on the inside. . .

is it me, or does this remind anyone of 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?'

another great shot from Ryan :)

The End!

Diana + Michael • e-session

2009-12-15T17:34:00.005-06:00

Diana and Michael are getting married next May, and I met them waaaay back in November on the loop for their engagement session - my last of the year, in fact :) It's been a long time and they have both been VERY patient, but I finally have something for them to look at. I'm pretty proud of them, and I hope they like them.

yep - they're dog lovers too! I'm so lucky to have such awesome and fun clients :)

This is Micelli. She's beautiful, and her one floppy ear is her best attribute :)

This is Ari. I think he's happy - what do you think?

definitely one of my favorites - the colors, the light . . . everything!

another favorite - Diana, you're beautiful! For realz.

they had a cute idea for their save the dates - this one's an outtake :)

such good puppies! the perfect sign holders :)

dang. she has such gorgeous eyes.

I love these photos in black and white - A LOT - but the red is so pretty I had to throw it in too.

the sun was my best friend that day :)

The End! Look out for their wedding on - you guessed it - May 1, 2010!

Perfectly Puffy Pomeranian Puppies

2009-12-14T20:34:00.008-06:00

I love dogs. This is no secret as I've mentioned it numerous times before on the blog, and I have two myself. I love meeting and photographing new dogs too, and have had the opportunity a few times this summer. When I got an email asking if I could photograph 3 pomeranians, I jumped at the chance - how could I say no?!

First up is Klaus - the adorable, lovable, chill pom:

he has a lion haircut :)

rawr.

I likes belly rubs.

the family :)

Next up are "the littles" as they're affectionately and appropriately called:

they love to play :)

mine!

after they played themselves out we took it inside to attempt to get them to sit still - and they did very well :)

hallo.

This is Kit - she's the beauty of the house :)

you gonna share that treat?

This is Smalls. He's . . . um . . . small.

hallo. I have big hair.

sleepy :)

yes, they're both sitting comfortably on a dining room chair - love the tininess!

Thanks for still reading up to this point - it got a little weird and mushy there for a second. Oh well - that's me - weird :)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like

2009-12-14T08:28:00.004-06:00

Christmas! I love Christmastime :) A lot. I have my house all decorated [well, it's been up for over two weeks, but I just now got the rest of the house cleaned up and ready for photos]. It looks a lot like last year's decs, but a little different. Just a lot more silver glass ornaments - I sort of have a problem.

[had to sneak in one of Sadie]

I'm trying to find a wreath made of just a whole bunch of different sized silver ball ornaments but can't find one anywhere! I always see them on tv and can't understand why I can't find one. Pier 1 has one that's similar, but still has some tinsel in with it - I just want the ornaments. Anyone have any ideas of where to look? This red berry wreath is from my front door - and I want to put it back so the outside looks festive too :)

I like birds :) Well - not actual birds - just bird-shaped things. I have 7 in my Christmas decor [I think. . . .yep. 7.]

the 1.2 aperture artfully hides a messy kitchen :)

I just found this awesome wavy mercury glass plate - isn't it cool?!

The End! I have lots ready to go up this week - an engagement shoot, a dog shoot [!], a wedding, and a 3 for 1 blog with some family stuff I've done recently. Stay tuned!

Laura + Gary

2009-12-11T21:06:00.013-06:00

Laura & Gary were married on a gorgeous November day [sheesh I'm behind on blogging!] I met Laura at her parents' house where she got ready for her big day:

I ALWAYS like when a bride wears shoes that aren't white or ivory - so fun!

very cool programs by the amazingly talented M. Haley Design that wheel spins to show all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen - so cool!

Dad was floored by how beautiful she looked :)

they opted for a first look - which in November, after Daylight Savings Time ends - is always a good idea! We had plenty of time in gorgeous light to get portraits taken

such gorgeous eyes :)

I love this one - the flower in her hair is beautiful!

I became quickly obsessed with this red berry tree on the church grounds - so pretty!

I love these :)

her flowers were amazing! they were done by Zu Zu's Petals - perfection :)

Laura's nieces were adorable! so photogenic :)

Gary's nephew, on the other hand, had nothing to do with me.

he couldn't even look at me :)

Yay! Mr & Mrs Gilbert!

we went on a long bus ride to downtown St. Charles for some fun pics while the light quickly disappeared. . .

so one of the groomsmen suggested the 'flying v' and I lined them up in a v. then a few of them started playing air guitar, so they all did. I imagine the air guitars were of the 'flying v' variety :)

love it! Laura can rock a 'serious' face :)

once the light completely disappeared we headed down onto Main St. for some fun pics of them:

thank you, 5D Mark II!

pretty :)

Their reception was held at the Ameristar - such a rockin' place for a reception! Check it!

gorgeous.

their cake topper was Laura's Mom & Dad's - I love passed-down details! Oh - and the cupcakes were AMAZING! I had the chocolate, and it had cream cheese icing. *swoon!* Laura - where the heck did you get those?!

The End!

Heather + Eric : part 2

2009-12-09T15:06:00.006-06:00

Last week you saw the portraits of the very lovely Heather and her fiance Eric - and now it's time for them to get hitched!
Her shoes when we did her portraits were very lovely, but when I arrived at her hotel room the day of the ceremony, she said she has a 'shoe issue.' The issue was that she walked by these in Nordstrom and HAD to have them.

I can't say I blame her. Hello, lovelies :)

definitely a good change ;)

what do you do when your church is a block from the hotel? walk to the ceremony! Love it!

I love it when flower girls are bursting with adorable energy :)

Their ceremony took place at the Basilica of Saint Louis, the King [aka the cathedral under the arch] and was beautiful and romantic :)

such pretty, soft light :)

the new Mr & Mrs!!!

a romantic winter wedding wouldn't be complete without a horse-drawn carriage!

twinkling lights courtesy of the City Garden

The End! Congratulations Heather and Eric!!

Heather + Eric : part 1

2009-12-05T09:42:00.005-06:00

Heather and Eric were married a few weeks ago with a lovely evening ceremony. They had enough forethought though - they scheduled a combo engagement/bridal/bride & groom session a few weeks before the wedding, so we'd have plenty of daylight and time to do them justice :) I'm so glad they did! They now have LOTS of portraits of them together as bride and groom, and they day of their wedding wasn't rushed or hurried to try to fit them in before it got really dark outside.
We met at Forest Park, and they brought their new addition to their growing family:

this is Lisel. she's adorable. and very tiny.

oh my.

I couldn't resist grabbing some portraits of her, but then back to business :) We did their mini engagement session:

then a quick change and we took some bridals of the lovely Heather:

I LOVE her dress - the lace is so delicate and looks very vintage [and very me :)]

another 'oh my.' she also has a weakness for shoes - I feel for her :)

the lace looks gorgeous in black and white, but her eyes are electric turquoise! I had to keep it in color.

such a handsome groom :)

favorite!

I really like this one - it reminds me of a portrait from the 20s - classic :)

The End! Next up is their beautiful and elegant wedding :)

Fran + Charlie

2009-12-01T12:21:00.000-06:00

I love this couple :) They're so fun, easy to talk to, and have great and unique style. Not to mention they gave me a glass of wine, some good cheese and bread [more on that later].
We met at Forest Park on a cloudy day, but luckily no rain to bum us out - and we got a lot of great shots:

LOVE her dress!

I love all of this next series!

favorite of the day. hands down.

gettin' crazy! I was inspired by a recent Anthropologie catalog [the COOLEST catalog, btw]

so cute together :)

they both have great smiles ;)

Then they set up for their picnic - SO CUTE! And awesome. . .this is where the cheese and wine came into play :)

The End!

These two are going to have a really cool, intimate wedding in August and I can't wait!
I fully expect you to hold your breath and wait for it.

just kidding. sort of.

Ashley :: Class of '10 :: round 2!

2009-11-30T17:30:00.005-06:00

I had the pleasure of photographing Ashley yet again - she came back for another round, this time on their farm in rural southeast Missouri [which really wasn't too far from my house]. I met up with her on a gorgeous October afternoon and we drove around, and whenever I saw something I liked, I stopped. I REALLY love working this way - it's like a photo safari, with me chasing light and color. FUN!!

it was also fun because Ashley is GORGEOUS and very easy to photograph :)

favorite!!

the light was incredible that day - like caramel sauce.

check out those lashes!

yep. caramel sauce.

so much cool stuff everywhere!!!

The End!
Thanks again Ashley - I had a blast :)

Shannon + Luke

2009-11-27T17:42:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!! I definitely did - I'm still at my parents' house, in fact, blogging from a *gasp* pc! It's a little weird [and I still edited on my macbook so no worries] but everything looks different. Here's hoping it looks good on everyone's screens!
Anyhoo - on to the shoot! I met with Shannon and Luke on a dreary afternoon in Lafayette Square but the trees were blazin' hot! Check out them gorgeous leaves [Shannon and Luke aren't so bad either]

that's their son, Ruger. isn't he handsome?

I heart Lafayette Square :)

so romantic :)

they laugh a lot :)

The End!

Brittany + Mike

2009-11-25T14:26:00.005-06:00

Brittany and Mike introduced me to the Augusta Brewing Company - and I'm grateful :) The scenery there is amazing - soft, textural, comfortable [and the beer was good too!]. We hung out on a brisk Wednesday afternoon a while back, and the overcast day paired with the dreamy location made for some beautiful photos, I think :)

they look great in black and white :) This may be my favorite from the session, btw.

and they know how to rock a serious face

they had the awesome idea of bringing this vintage Schwinn to the session!! I almost peed my pants with excitement :)

so cute :)

I love that tree! . . .if you look closely you can see the tables for outdoor dining/drinking. you should definitely visit!

The End!

I've been a little busy. . .

2009-11-24T12:42:00.003-06:00

I realized today that it's been 5 days since I've posted last - I'm sorry! It's been a little busy over here :) I shot my last wedding of the season this past Saturday in Columbia, MO [it was great to be back for a little while] and have been editing my butt off for the last week [or seven]. Some of the sessions I've shot have been babies and kids for past clients. Here are a few from those sessions:

First up is baby Alex at 5 weeks:

this one makes me smile :)

Next up little Jackson:

hahaaaa! he's making a cartoon face :)

And his baby sister Juliette, at 4 weeks here:

so peaceful. so pudgy :)

Tomorrow it's back to regular wedding-y stuff :)

Christine + Justin

2009-11-19T07:13:00.014-06:00

On a lovely fall day, in the loveliest of tiny Illinois towns, I had the pleasure of shooting Christine & Justin's wedding. I met the bride and her maids at her parents' house:

simply elegant

Dad taking refuge with a paper amidst a house full of women all getting ready at the same time :)

they all walked to the chapel - conveniently right across the street :)

such a gorgeous day! not a cloud in the sky.

so quaint, so beautiful :)

these little buggers hung around all day - everywhere.

the chapel is part of McKendree College in Lebanon, IL - meaning lots of great landscaping and beautiful old buildings :)

my favorite bridal shot of the day! [I heart my 50 1.2!]

I know I posted it before, but I really like it :) [My assistant Tracy and I searched for the perfect leaf for quite a while :)]

This is Justin. He's happy [and lucky!]

I felt I was being watched. . .

not staged AT ALL - they just took a second for themselves and I was quick enough to catch it :)

the light, the leaves, the whole day was lovely :)

I love this old tree :)

so cute together :)

after hanging around campus for a while, we headed to downtown Lebabon - the cutest little town ever :)

then, when the bridal party wasn't looking, I stole the bride and groom for 10 minutes and took them to a little field I spotted on my way into town. I'm really glad we went, and I couldn't have timed it better! check out that light!! I really love this one :)

on to the reception!

yet again, simply elegant :)

this cake knife was Justin's grandparents' - heirlooms are neat :)

The End! Thank you SO MUCH you guys for a lovely day :)

Audrey + Matt

2009-11-17T22:40:00.004-06:00

Audrey and Matt are one of next year's destination couples - and I CAN'T WAIT for their wedding! I met up with them in Cape Girardeau a few Sundays ago for their engagement session.

the light was perfect that afternoon!

yeah. that's right. double lens flare. I'm awesome [but really I have no idea how I got that to happen!]

Audrey is going to make a GORGEOUS bride

that's Rambo :)

they make a cute couple :)

The End!

Look out for their awesome South Padre Island wedding next July!

Kara • Senior 2010

2009-11-17T10:26:00.003-06:00

Kara's graduating in the spring, and I went to her family's property to roam around and take some fun senior pics - if some of the places look familiar, they should :)

definitely one of my favorites of the day - LOVE the window reflections!

very cool.

my favorite barn in the state :)

can you guess what sport she plays?

I was in love with this fantastic light in the barn!

quite possibly my favorite from the whole session

back home for a quick outfit change - doesn't she look like a badass?

Thanks Kara! I had a blast - good luck with your senior year!

Hilary + Cory

2009-11-13T08:40:00.006-06:00

Cute couple, friggin' gorgeous day. I'll let the photos do the talking.

she has to do this a lot. he's reeeaaally tall and she's reeeaallly short :)

I absolutely LOVE this one! it may be my favorite of this session :)

then again, I really like this one too :)

a little foreshadowing here [their reception will be at the W. F. Pavilion :)]

yes - in case you were wondering - I love her shoes [funny enough, I own the same ones in red!]

The End! Thanks guys for an awesome session - can't wait for your wedding in September!

Tanya + Bret

2009-11-12T15:31:00.006-06:00

Geez, was October the month for engagement sessions or what? I think I had about a dozen or so in the last 2 weeks!
First up was Tanya and Bret, on a crisp day with some fall color shining through the trees. We met at Sasha's and hung out over a drink, then wandered around the De Mun neighborhood and we all had a capital time [I just finished reading Little Women, and they said "capital" a lot. . . .so I've decided to follow suit]

a little slow dancing on the sidewalk to start things off. . . .

love it!

. . .ummmm I'm pretty sure this is their reaction when I . . .sat down. . .rather quickly and unexpectedly.

even though I didn't plan this angle, I really like this shot! anything to get a genuine laugh, I guess :)

playing in the leaves!

favorite!

so romantic :) and not planned at all *ahem*

yes, I know it's blurry. I like it that way :)

they're really great [and gorgeous] together :) I love this one, btw.

I love that Bret likes to joke around :)

the light that afternoon in Concordia park was gorgeous!

The End! Thanks SO much guys - I'm looking forward to your March wedding!

Kristina + Tim

2009-11-09T17:31:00.014-06:00

I gave a little 'sneaky peeky'- as Kristina put it - on Friday. And, drumroll please . . . here are the rest!

This kind of tells the story of the day - red and sparkly :)

I'm in love with all of the gorgeous lace on her dress! So pretty!

I almost stole her bracelet. Almost doesn't count, right?

I took a lot of pics of Kristina - can you tell why?

This is Tim. He's about to see his bride for the first time. He's happy.

meeting your groom can be emotional :)

since they decided to see each other before the ceremony, we had PLENTY of time to take a lot of cool pics around the hotel:

I LOVE this shot!! Then again, I'm a sucker for dramatic lighting ;)

this hallway had BEAUTIFUL light, but was painted a nice tangerine color which presented some problems - but I'm happy with the result!

On to the church!

beautiful! I love black magic roses!

uh oh. . .almost time!

here come the waterworks again. . . I think it's cute ;)

more waterworks [still cute]

Yay! Mr & Mrs! You can tell they're made for each other :)

i heart fun bridesmaids :)

the light in Belleville was gorgeous that day! Luckily it was before Daylight Savings Time, so we had lots of time for pics :)

the reception was at Scott AFB, so we took some pics around the base for awhile [and took some apropos 'military style' pics]

cute!

she died her crinoline bright red - great idea!

on to the reception!

Kristina picked out this GORGEOUS black damask linen. . . which I became a little obsessed of.

it's even on her cake!

pretty :)

off to the limo! an early flight to Hawaii had to be caught :)

Kristina + Tim • sneak peek

2009-11-06T09:55:00.001-06:00

I'm getting everything ready to head to an afternoon wedding today, but I promised Kristina to show her some pics of her wedding:

LOTS more to come next week!

Holly + Jeremy

2009-11-04T11:27:00.003-06:00

It was cloudy and cold, and I know Holly was freezing, but there is definitely a lot of love there :)

poor Holly - I was in a coat, jeans and boots and I was freezing - I still feel bad for her :)

she still worked it though! definitely a favorite.

Soulard is full of architectural interest, and since it was daytime and during the week, not too crowded :) most of you may know it's quite the opposite on a weekend night!

they're so cute together! and check out that AWESOME necklace!

I decided to stop torturing her and let them change, and then we added their adorable boxer, Marley, to the mix :)

ha!

I'm pretty sure I asked if she wanted to go bye-bye :)

doesn't she look like a supermodel here?

so sweet :)

I couldn't resist - such a cool sign!

cool.

Thanks SO much for a great session! I'm definitely looking forward to your wedding in April!

An advantage to working from home . . .

2009-10-30T10:08:00.002-05:00

you can stumble across one of your dogs doing something incredibly adorable:

and document it.

**note the teeny footprints :)

Kelly + Lee

2009-10-27T17:01:00.006-05:00

Poor Kelly booked her engagement session in Jeff City MONTHS ago, and when the day finally came, it rained. a lot. We made the best of it though, and I think it worked in our favor! We were on Lee's family's farm, so the Missouri hills seemed kind of like a foggy English countryside. At least I think so :)

I LOVE this barn! The colors, the texture, the size - everything :)

DEFINITELY a favorite :)

cool :)

double cool.

Thanks guys for bearing with me in the rain and mud! I hope you think it was worth it :)

Jessica & Jim

2009-10-26T17:29:00.011-05:00

Jessica and Jim were married a few weeks ago with a classic ceremony and reception, and beauty was all around - check it out:

her dad's house is gorgeous! so many pretty places for detail shots :)

this is Buddy. he likes me, but he's suspicious of my camera :)

meanwhile, across town:

gorgeous flowers and tiny feet make a nice combo :)

ingenious programs! little tissues tucked in the back for every guest - love it!

last seconds with dad before heading down the aisle - great shot, Cheri!

they have the same initials - can you guess what they are?

Mr. & Mrs!

such a gray day - cool looking clouds though :)

check out the airplane - nice little touch :)

once we got to Sunset Hills Country Club the skies lightened a bit, making for perfect light to show off the course

I can't take credit for this one - it was Jim's idea - but I'll probably use it in the future. so fun!

this one's definitely my favorite - I love those purple flowers! such a pretty spot :)

meet Fenway, their beautiful Bassett :)

such a cute family!

the awesome candy bar for their guests. . .

their love is 'red hot!' get it? RED HOT? anyone?

I'll end things with the beautiful couple's grand entrance to their reception.

Thanks guys! Congratulations!

fall is awesome!

2009-10-25T01:31:00.002-05:00

I just got back from today's wedding and I'm beat, but I thought I'd share one of my favorites from today. Fall is so pretty!

Emily + Neal

2009-10-21T11:46:00.007-05:00

Emily and Neal are getting married in a fabulously creative and unique [because that's the kind of gal Emily is] ceremony next June. We met a few weeks ago in Tower Grove Park to take a few engagement photos. A 'few' is quite the understatement.

they love Jake . . .

and each other.

I love Tower Grove Park :)

such a cute family :)

"whoooosshhh"
you had to be there. it was funny :)

nothing like a little slow dancing in a public park to complete silence - and they handled it very well :)

dang. I just love my 50 1.2!

rockin' it out on the Stegosaurus [yes. I had to look it up. I would not do well on 'Are you Smarter Than a Fifth Grader' on the bright side, I found out that the Stegosaurus has a fan site]

:)

Wardrobe! Scene!

I LOVE this one. I especially love all the garbage. Even more though, all of the shades of gray [I do really like that part - the trash I could take or leave]

so pretty!

cute couple, eh?

The End! Thanks guys for a fun afternoon, and I'm DEFINITELY looking forward to June 12!

**LOTS more to come - I've been shooting nonstop, and will be for the next 2 weeks. 11 more shoots before the end of the month, not to mention last week and this weekend!

Lauren + Zach

2009-10-15T18:54:00.013-05:00

Lauren and Zach were married on a day with, quite possibly, the most bizarre weather I've ever encountered. I was driving to Fox Run Golf Club and had to slow down to about 40 [which if you've ever ridden with me you know that's really unusual!] due to the really heavy rain. Then when I arrived, it cleared up and got really sunny. I'll tell you more as the post goes on. . .

Let's start with the details! Beautiful flowers, an adorable cake, and a ring shot I'm very proud of:

pretty neat, huh? they're spooning :)

this is Lauren. she has incredible eyes.

They opted for a 'first look' to make the day go smoother, and it always works!

here's Zach, ready for his bride :)

this way we had plenty of time to get wedding party shots before the wedding, and after the ceremony they could do whatever they wanted!

they laugh a lot. I like that.

now off to hide before the ceremony!

uh oh. that doesn't look so good. This was taken at 4:41pm - 9 minutes before the ceremony was to start.
well, it rained. hard.

the wedding was in a pavilion - outdoors.

haha! I love this one :) they were already waiting around the corner to make their entrance, and it started raining. plan b - hide in the bathroom :)

it got really windy, but all the guests just huddled under the pavilion like it was no big deal, and after about 10 minutes, it cleared up. weird.

but at least they got a rainbow :) it looks really strange because the sun was shining on the trees and bushes in the foreground, but the sky was still really dark. . .

Now let's get married!

do you think she's happy? um, yes.

then it was a beautiful day :)

definitely a favorite!

I love this one!

they're a cute couple :)

and they love to have fun with photos - my kind of people :)

Thanks guys for a beautiful and eventful day :)

Emily + Mark • engaged!

2009-10-14T14:46:00.005-05:00

We started the gorgeous Sunday afternoon off at Ted Drewes. . .

then walked it off in Francis Park :)

they're a really cute couple :)

a favorite of the day - I love the willow tree!

another favorite - I LOVE the shadow pattern!

aviators are fun :)

and so are random pink chairs :)

. . .looks kinda like a Ralph Lauren ad, huh?

Thanks guys for a fun afternoon! I'm definitely looking forward to your wedding next year!

Lola!

2009-10-13T09:30:00.004-05:00

Lola is the CUTEST 9 week old Cairn Terrier - and I got to play with her for a few hours ;) Right at the peak of cuteness too. She weighs about 3 and a half pounds, has puppy breath, and her hair is ridiculously soft. The only drawback was the biting [oh was there ever some biting], but it was worth it :)

puppies just love to eat that shootsac!

nothin better to wear out a puppy than a good stick to chew on :)

awwww! I love those ears :)

haha - a girl and her dog :) she may look familiar if you read my blog a lot. . .

puppy butt!!!

hahahaha - this makes me giggle every time :)

sooooo cute!

"plz to let me up?"

the scale thing was a good idea, but the execution took a long time :) maybe a smaller puppy next time.

adorable!

I love photographing puppies :)

Hampton

2009-10-12T12:26:00.003-05:00

I had a fun playdate with Hampton a few weeks ago, and it was a good chance to catch up with his Mom & Dad.
We met at a super fun secluded green space:

it was a dog's heaven :)

any dog here can't help but smile ear to ear

ha!

so graceful :)

we couldn't help but have some fun too :)

Thanks Lauren & Brad! I had fun playing with Hampton for the afternoon :)

Katie + Travis

2009-10-08T15:09:00.015-05:00

Katie & Travis were married on an overcast September day in Cape Girardeau, and I loved shooting every minute. I went to high school with both of them, and several members of the wedding party - it was really nice knowing my couple really well :)

cute shoes - and only my 3rd bride ever to have a real sixpence in her shoe :)

her 'something old' - her Grandmother's watch [or was it her Great-Grandmother's? - regardless it was beautiful and very delicate]

yep. they got the car from their engagement session! I love the raindrops - the pink in the reflection was from my second's umbrella that she was holding over me :)

I love this shot - it looks like an old photograph :)

they were all very tall. of course I'm very short, but I feel even shorter when the groom and a couple of groomsmen are over 6 feet tall!

his gift from Katie was a pocket watch - I love when heirlooms are started :)

cute! that's his Grandma :)

my second was able to catch this emotional moment right before it was time to walk down the aisle

very cool atmosphere - all of the lights in the sanctuary were off

she had a little stool she pulled out to stand on for their first kiss - very cute! everyone laughed :)

i heart rose petal exits :) too bad a lot of churches won't let you do it anymore!

one of my favorites from the day :)

a fair was in town :) and of course, a wedding isn't complete without a pic with SpongeBob!

LOVE this one!

the dragon ride operator was kind enough to let us on for a few minutes [come to think of it, if you're wearing a wedding gown and a tux, you can get away with almost anything!]

ha! my second caught this one too :)

tall fields are on the top of my list of favorite locations to shoot

they pull off a 'serious' face well - but only for a few seconds. mostly they look like this:

one of the funniest Best Man speeches - although it doesn't hurt that he's a friend from high school too :)

always a tearjerker :)

The End!

Thanks Travis and Katie for a great day!!

Katie & Travis • sneak peek!

2009-10-07T15:46:00.001-05:00

I'm heading out the door for a session on this gorgeous afternoon, but I though I'd post one photo of the wedding I'll be posting tomorrow:

Have a great afternoon!

Jessie + Pete

2009-10-01T16:40:00.014-05:00

Jessie and Pete didn't have an engagement session, which sometimes makes me nervous as I'm heading to meet a bride to begin their day. Typically the engagement session allows me to see what kinds of people my clients are and how they work together and how I can document it. I wasn't nervous heading to Jessie's bridal suite though. Through various emails and her gmail status updates that always made me laugh, I could tell that Jessie was witty, VERY smart [more on that later] and just undoubtedly cool. They're so cool that they took an adventure honeymoon in Peru, and now they're living it up in Boston. That kind of cool. Oh - I also quickly discovered that she also has impeccable taste when it comes to everything wedding.

simple, understated, yet supremely elegant. the theme of the day.

Believe it or not, her friends put together the bouquets! I was floored! They're so gorgeous! Plus, they delivered them in very appropriate containers. Jessie [and I believe almost everyone in the wedding party and lots of the guests] is a Biologist. Real scientists!! I felt a little intimidated and tried not to say anything stupid. Not that Jessie or her friends judge, they're incredibly nice, but ya know.

I love this shot of the flowers, but I love the next one equally. I couldn't decide.

I love this dramatic, intimate light, and I love the shape of the J'adore bottle - perfect for a ring shot :)

I like it :)

she is so STUNNING! I love this shot. A lot.

so serene and beautiful - I love this one too :) In fact, I love a lot of the shots of Jessie - she's very elegant and easy to photograph.

On to the Piper Palm House, where everything took place [!]

almost ready to see his bride for the first time. . .

so cute together!

I always have the bridal party wait somewhere else during the first meeting, to give the couple some privacy. These girls have the right idea :)

REALLY digging the lighter tuxes these days!

Tower Grove is so beautiful!

DEFINITELY a favorite [though not my absolute favorite - they come later!] this reminds me of an English garden, which is fitting because that whole day I felt I was in a Jane Austen novel.

cool.

back to the Palm House to get hitched!!

that is one proud dad :)

I love the puppy dog eyes he's giving her :)

see what I mean about Jane Austen-esque? breathtakingly beautiful.

Yay! The new Mr. & Mrs!

Now off for some time alone [well. . .almost. I was there.] in the carriage!

We stopped at the Carriage House where we took my favorite shots of the day. Possibly the year.

Oh. My. God.

I love this one SO much! I love just about everything! The only thing I don't care for is the fire extinguisher. Maybe I should've photoshopped it out.

you can't tell it from these pics, but it actually rained a little that day. right before the ceremony. then it stopped, and the sun came out at exactly the right moment - and I love that it did :)

again - breathtaking. this was taken at the private residence in Tower Grove on Magnolia - you know the one I'm talking about? who the heck lives there? anyway, we used their yard. and we whispered while we did it :)

brick pathways are neat.

so sweet!

the seating cards were adorable - little chairs :)

I love this quiet little moment between just the two of them right before they were announced. hmmm. . .I'm kind of a voyeur, huh?

the band was good! too bad I don't remember who they are though. . . anyone know?

a perfect late-summer's evening outside in the park. *sigh* It was awesome :)

Thanks Jessie and Pete for being such awesome clients! Congratulations!

ummm . . .how about another sneak peek?

2009-09-30T16:43:00.003-05:00

I know, I know. I promised a BIG post - and honestly I'm working on it - but today's my anniversary. I didn't get as far along today as I'd hoped, but I'm not about to work all evening on it, either :) I'm going to make a big batch of fresh gnocchi and watch movies with my husband. Check back tomorrow for a big post!
So yesterday you saw that the bride is stunning and that we had beautiful light that afternoon, so here's another clue to the wedding:

Yep. A horse-drawn carriage :)

Jessie + Pete - sneak peek :)

2009-09-29T16:05:00.002-05:00

I'm working on this GORGEOUS wedding right now - I have a ton of favorites, so expect a huge post tomorrow! but. . . .later tomorrow. It's gonna take me a while.