Jeff and Camilla's Wedding at the Missouri Botanical Gardens

Loved seeing these two get married. Andy met Jeff through their shared love of basketball (Sunday leagues, Tuesday leagues, street basketball tournaments, every Y in St. Louis, you name it!). Over the past few years, we've had the best time getting to know him and Camilla. Some of my favorite photos from the day were from Jeff and his groomsmen playing basketball before the ceremony. So fitting. The weather for their April wedding was beautiful, and the Missouri Botanical Garden was the perfect setting for their (incredibly fun) reception. Great job by the DJ, Suit & Tie.

Ceremony Venue: Lafayette Park United Methodist Church //Reception Venue: Missouri Botanical Garden //Floral Design: Botanicals Design Studio //Hair : Pixies Hair Design //Caterer: Catering St. Louis //DJ: Suit &Tie //Bride's Dress: Mikaelaa Bridal from Ultimate Bridal //Bridesmaids' Dresses: Two Birds Bridesmaid //Groom's Attire: Macy's and Converse

The Soil & the Sun at Plush - St. Louis

 

It's always a pleasure to have our friends in the Soil and the Sun roll into town in their refurbished classic bus (with their delightfully good music and gobs of instruments in tow, of course). The incredibly talented, West Michigan based group played at Plush here in St. Louis before heading down to SXSW in Austin, TX. In case I have trouble planning my Friday evenings in the future, the combo of live music, good friends, and Urban Chestnut Winged Nut is pretty much the bee's knees. Noted. Seriously though, we love watching these guys live. There's something intense yet graceful about hearing a seven member band play together so well. At the risk of using a corporate buzzword, they are a perfect example of synergy. Andy toted along our spanking new 50mm f/1.2 (yes, it is wonderful and I don't know how we lived without it) and caught these lovely images. Sending our best to Soil and the Sun on the rest of their tour!

Check them out here.

A Quick Preview - Nikki & Donnie's Saint Charles, MO Wedding

What an awesome wedding! When we woke up Saturday morning, the skies were gloomy and rain was pouring down (uh oh!). A few hours later, the skies had cleared, the ground had dried, and Nikki and Donnie were starting their marriage on a beautiful March day. Nikki was a stunning bride in gorgeous lace gown by Mori Lee, and Donnie was quite dapper in his grey tux. We had a blast with these two - they have lovely families, great senses of humor, and I don't think they could be any nicer. Truly wonderful people, and we are so happy for them!

The bottom picture is from the shoe game. Nikki and Donnie sat back-to-back and they were each given one of Nikki's shoes and one of Donnie's shoes. The awesome DJ Elizabeth from Complete Music asked them a question, like "Who is the fun one?" and "Who pays the bills?" They each answered by holding up the respective shoe for their answer, but weren't able to see how the other answered.  It was HILARIOUS. We were belly laughing right along with the crowd. Whatever question this was, you can tell people loved their answer. Nikki's maid of honor, Jessica, is giving a solid fist pump, Nikki's dad is cracking up, and even little Jackson is raising his hand. LOVE moments like this.

Wedding: Nicci & Jesse – Charlottesville, Virginia

 

I'm excited to share the full post from Nicci and Jesse's wedding! Despite it being mid-February, we were able to do most of our photos outside, and I feel like the winter colors were the perfect compliment to their day. Subdued, a bit vintage, and wonderfully soft. Both their ceremony and reception were held at the picturesque Early Mountain Vineyards, which was truly the perfect setting for their intimate wedding. I love weddings that feel like a gathering of close friends and family, laughing and eating, crying over toasts, and making a statement on the dancefloor. That's exactly how this wedding was...intimate, lovely, tender. It was an honor to be a part of it - congrats, Nicci & Jesse.