I didn't even recognize her when she answered the hotel room door. It had been a while since I'd seen Monica and Bill for their engagements but it wasn't THAT long and SURELY I remember what she looked like. I was expecting a curly blonde when I showed up that day, but when a sleek, gorgeous brunette opened the door, I was taken aback! As I told her how great she looked with the darker locks, both she and her stylist in the room said 'Thank you' and it made me laugh.

I spent the rest of the day laughing with this awesome group. Bill and Monica have a stellar group of friends and family and I know that having them all there was just the icing on the New Orleans Saints cake for them. Don't forget to check the shoes - no heels for this girl! She managed to find white and gold 'Brooks' running shoes! (Brooks being her new last name and all.)  How perfect?

Side note: Hello, dark stormy clouds. Thank you for giving me some awesome dimension to the sky for portrait time. And for not raining on us until we got to the reception. You're the best. :)

Enjoy!

Oh MY can I tell you all how ready I am to post another wedding? Cuz I am. And you are going to be so stoked to see this one because its simply gorgeous. When I first met Christy and Steve, I knew they were a great match for me. Steve does some photography on his own and we ended up in some great conversation talking shop. He also attends Logan College of Chiropractic and will be graduating in December. I can tell you from experience that there is nothing like having a good adjustment after a long wedding weekend. And Christy is so darn stylish, she has her own jewelery company! A girl after my own heart.

After a gorgeous and emotional wedding at Sts. Peter and Paul in Soulard, we hopped on down the Arch ground for some afternoon pictures and finished up at Logan College's Purser Center for the reception. All the details that went into this day were amazing. The damask pattern with a green accent was so classy and tied into everything throughout the day. The bridal party was wicked fun to hang out with and worked it like pros. Christy and Steve, it seemed, just couldn't stop smiling. No one would doubt that they were both living the best day of their lives. I love when a couple is so comfortable and happy just to be together. It was wonderful to be part of it!

I also had the distinct pleasure of working with the one and only Michael of Gebb's Wedding Films for this wedding. On his 24th birthday no less. What a trooper! The same-day-edit he did for Christy and Steve at the reception was breathtaking!

And another thanks goes to my sweetie second shooter Kate. You rocked it, girl! Thanks for your hard work. :)



Oh and for you kids who can't get enough, enjoy the slideshow!

I generally don't submit weddings to magazines much. It seems like they all have different rules and formats and ways they want files and, honestly, I just don't have a lot of time to figure it out. But after seeing this little page in the most recent St. Louis Bride magazine, I think my tune might be changing...

I know what you're thinking. "Geez Stevie, way to be a couple months LATE on posting! This issue has been out since June!" And you'd be right. Sad face. And I do have a paltry excuse for waiting: I couldn't find an issue. REALLY! I live in the outcrops of St. Charles county and apparently the delivery didn't happen out here until almost a month after it came out. But its here now and in my possession so you all get to see it finally. Yay!

If you happen to pick up a copy of the Fall/Winter 2010 St. Louis Bride magazine, peruse yourself on over to page 40 to see Jenny and Greg's springtime event. Oh how I love these kids! And a special thanks to Jenny for the request to submit the photos! The magazines are going to be soooo sick of me now! :)

Shams and Shazia booked me to shoot their wedding the month before it happened. That's right, kids. One month. Talk about your super-planners. Did I mention that they were also planning this whole shebang from Los Angeles? I can't make this up! And for as elaborate as their celebrations were, they put everyone they knew in charge of something and the result was nothing short of fabulous!

The night before the wedding was the Mehndi ceremony where the couple are feed sweets by various family and friends all to wish them well.There's also a rather feisty bargaining for the bride by the ladies! These girls essentially held the groom hostage until they got the appropriate payment from the groom's family and friends. It was intense!



Shams and Shazia got married at the Daar ul Islam Mosque in a short but lovely ceremony. So many people came and the clothing was beyond beautiful and colorful! After the ceremony, there was a lunch for the guests and the couple and I were off for some portraits in Queeny park and the Arch grounds. I just loved how Shams and Shazia were attached to each other once they were married. Even just walking along to our next photo locale, they strolled hand in hand and only had eyes for each other. Be still my heart! You just don't see that kind of sweetness everyday, or even at every wedding! I was so happy to be there and document it!

After a short break, they each went back to change and get ready for the reception at the Grand Hall at Union Station. Oh yeah, there's another dress! A deep crimson one, at that. Not that everything Shazia wore wasn't stunning but this one takes the cake for gorgeousness. I made sure to get some portraits and details of her after she was glammed up. And Shams was quite the catch, himself, for the evening. Shazia's mom did all the flowers for the decor and the whole place looked perfect! Check out that arch!

The reception was filled with amazing food, warm speeches, and fond memories of each of them. We even got to sneak out at the end of the night to get a few shots in front of Union Station all lit up. As I was leaving, they were taking a walk around the fountains outside enjoying one last quiet moment of their beautiful day. What a way to end the night!

I'm not sure if I had more fun AT this wedding or EDITING this wedding. Seriously, what a fun group! And the chemistry between Layne and Terry was simply magic. Its one of those weddings where you have a hard time moving from image to image because they're just so darn great together, you want to spend oodles of time on every one. Laynie was a beautiful bride and Terry just lit up when she was around. So happy their wedding day was finally here.