Photo Blog

Meghan + Ande | St. Louis Engagement Photography

For the past couple years I have invited couples into our home for the initial bridal consult. I was really over the task of hauling all my albums to a Starbucks, plus I walked out smelling like a coffee bean. 😉 I was a little nervous and apprehensive at first, but now I love it! It’s a great way to relax and have fun while we chat. The couple also gets a good sense of my style and the type of artwork (large photos 😉 ) we have on our walls! We have one of our very own engagement photos printed on canvas (24×36) and framed in an antique gilded frame. It looks amazing and it seems to be a favorite for everyone. So I finally met a couple who drew inspiration from the print, and wanted to get DRESSED UP! The perfect time to do it – during an engagement session!

Meet Meghan and Ande. Gah, I’m in love with these two. Sweet as can be and so beautiful! The downtown St. Louis library has been closed for a little over 2 years while it went through a $70 million renovation. It is worth seeing, and I’m sure this is going to be a hot spot for wedding photos this season. I can’t wait to go back with another look + couple! Unfortunately, the floors were just waxed so we couldn’t go in the main “ballroom-esq” area. So that will be next on my list!

Couples ask all the time if they should bring props and if I have any ideas for them. Props are a sentimental touch and for an engagement session, I think tying them into the wedding would be a nice touch. So since this shoot was a little more styled, we opted for beautiful flowers! The pretty gardenia hair piece and bouquets were made by the talented Barb over at Bloomin’ Buckets. Thank you, Barb! If you are interested in using flowers for your engagement, have your florist add it into the quote of your wedding flowers. 🙂

Enjoy the prettiness! And congratulations to the happy couple.

xox

HSR

Erin + Greg | Chicago Engagement Photography

If you are keeping up with things around here, which I’m sure you are … (wink!) you might have noticed we just got back from taking a road trip to Chicago where we were lucky enough to photograph two of our adorable 2013 couples! Starting with Chelsea + Jim in the West Loop and the following day with Erin + Greg just outside of the Lincoln Park Zoo. En route to the location from the hotel, I noticed this little ‘cove’ on Lake Michigan where the beautiful sparkly water and skyline view looked soooo pretty… little did I know that the wind gusts and overspray from the lake would practically blow us over. And not to mention it was freezing cold there! One point Mother Nature, photographer zero. I seriously wrapped up the scenic spot in about 2 minutes, and judging by their expressions and hair, they were ready for a new spot too. ha! It just goes to show you that you have to shoot in a location where both the photographer and the client are happy + comfortable! 😉

So, we made our way inland – right outside the entrance of the zoo where it made for a cozy little spot to shoot… and it felt at least 30 degrees warmer … and we were all much happier. Erin with her gorgeously long skinny legs, and Greg with his cute smile, it’s no wonder they were so easy to photograph. Oooooh the joys of being in love and the moments leading up to a wedding. I just love it!

Enjoy!

xox

HSR

Chelsea + Jim | Chicago Engagement Photography

Hi there!

Ryan and I recently took a trip to Chicago to photograph two of our engaged couples. Ironically, both couples have ties to St. Louis, and their weddings are just a week apart! So, meet Chelsea + Jim! These two are made for one another and you can just tell in all the sweet moments they shared while I photographed them. I really love a couple that can be comfortable with lovin’ on each other in front of the camera. I know it’s not as easy as it sounds! 😉

Chelsea + Jim asked if we could meet them in their West Loop/Meat Packing District hood for their engagement session. So how fun is it to shoot in a new location and just walk around the block? So fun! However, don’t let this sunny spring weather deceive you. It was a little on the chilly side. Coats on. Coats off. Coats on. Coats off. We survived the weather and finished with a beer at their cute little neighborhood pub. Cheers!

xox

HSR

Happy Easter!

I did a little baking this week – taking a stab at the ever-so-popular ruffled ombré cake. I’d share the recipe, but thanks to Betty Crocker I don’t need to! 😉

Wishing you and your loved ones a warm + sweet Easter weekend!

xox

HSR

Meet Simply & Forever | St. Louis Wedding Planners

Hi!

This past Fall, the incredibly talented gals over at Simply & Forever asked if I could do some fun “headshot-y” type photos of them! I’ve been saving the photos to share on the blog with a fun and quick Q + A session. We all know how much love, time, creativity and not-to-mention moolah goes into a wedding. So have you thought of hiring a brilliant wedding planner to help?

Before my own wedding I was juggling creative mood boards (Pinterest was about a year too late, darn it!), tearing pages from magazines and shopping online like crazy. All while managing a busy end-of-year portrait + wedding season. I was a real hot mess… excited, but a hot mess. I liked soooo many different things! Plus I was trying soooooooo hard not to be influenced by all the pretty, pretty things that have already been done. and done. and done. It’s so hard not to get caught up in all the planning, that we get so consumed in it all that we forget the real reason for the day – the ceremonial rite of marriage! I’m having a Downton Abbey moment, “I’d rather have the right man, than the right wedding.” – Anna

I definitely don’t want to tell you where to spend your $$ or where to save, but hiring a wedding planner can be a HUGE help! Some planners even offer just ‘day-of’ help, if you are a control freak like myself. 😉

So meet Katie and her fabo side-kick Jaci! I’ve had the chance to work with Katie several times! I love that she is this quiet, smiley girl. I can look at her and know her brain is swelling with something good! Like myself, she is a perfectionist. Need I say more?! So moving on to the questions…

How do you and your team work together on the wedding day?

We have a fabulous team that helps make each day run very smoothly for each of our clients. Jaci and I both lead wedding days for our fabulous brides, and we have a great group of event assistants who assist us on the wedding day with setup, coordination, and making sure the families have everything they need to enjoy the day stress-free.

What do you like about designing for brides?

Katie – We love that every bride has their own unique style! I grew up surrounded by art and photography and have always had a love for details. We love coming up with fresh ideas that reflect the couples so that when their guests walk into the venues, they see the couple in every detail that they come across. We approach every wedding design with a questionnaire that the couples fill out that tells us more about them in their personal lives, their likes/dislikes, and so much more that puts us on the right path as soon as we start their design boards for them.

Does social media and sites such as Pinterest help you with the wedding planning?

Katie – It certainly does, we love Pinterest! It can be easy to lose focus on your design using a site like Pinterest with so many options to choose from, but we like to use it to show a bride specific images to get their feedback on design elements we are pulling for them. As a designer, I can learn a lot from a client’s Pinterest page about their style and what they are drawn to the most.

What trends are you seeing for 2013?

Soft, Romantic colors is still a huge trend in St. Louis for 2013. I am also seeing jewel tones this year as well which I love! I hope to see some weddings use the classic new pantone color emerald this year as well.

What is the best advice you can give a couple when planning their wedding?

Katie – I always recommend that the couples take an evening or two a week where they are not talking about the planning. It is very important to focus on growing your relationship together and still going out to enjoy St. Louis activities during this time.

To learn more about Simply & Forever and the services they offer visit their site here. I just love their branding phrase – Simply stylish, Forever elegant. So true, Miss Katie!

xox

HSR