congrats heather & brian

16 miles can mean huge changes in weather, thankfully, on this day. i left the house in a downpour and arrived at larimore house only to find parting clouds and mr. sun trying to poke his way through. no rain on heather and brian’s outdoor parade! another amazing wedding with the lovely michelle ross! heather’s dress was a beautiful, flowing number, probably my most favorite ever. slight hints of vintage flair, it was one classy gown. and brian didn’t look too shabby either in his chocolate brown! a few (more than a few!) favs are below.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, HeatherAndBrian, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings

get married on the today show!

in a nutshell, you must be U.S. citizens, engaged prior to june 2nd, 2007, never been convicted of a crime, not a public official and willing to travel…you have two days to get your application in. it’s pretty lengthy but can be filled out online, so why not? how fun! anyone who knows me knows i love contests like this!

and, if you can make it to chicago tomorrow or new york in two days, you can have the chance for a FREE wedding gown!

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more free fun

laumeier sculpture park turns 30 this year! in honor of such a momentous occasion, they’ll be hosting movies + music in the amphitheater.

10-Aug Javier Mendoza Shrek 2
17-Aug Ultra Violets The Birds
24-Aug My Friend Mike Harry Potter
7-Sep Ralph Butler Band Music & Lyrics
September 14-15 LOMA concert weekend

concerts start at 6 and movies at 8:30.

if you haven’t been to laumeier, you can get a feel for what it looks like from a fabulous family shoot we did earlier this month.

and a question for you guys, oh loyal readers (all three of you!)- would you like me to keep posting info about events around the area? that’s obviously not the focus of the blog here and as we kick into high gear for our busy fall season, it will be back to pictures, but in the meantime…

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a good cause

i’ve had the pleasure of documenting a fabulous local organization, food outreach, over the past few weeks for an upcoming magazine feature. based in mid-town st. louis, they provide nutritious packed meals to those living with HIV/AIDS and/or cancer who are too weak to prepare their own meals. clients who are able to can come in and select what they’d like to eat from a menu and, in addition, leave with other prepared items from the grocery center. for those who aren’t able to come in, food outreach delivers to 137 zip codes in the metro area. there are a variety of volunteer opportunities with flexible commitments.

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my new favorite place

is the pulitzer foundation for the arts right next to the contemporary art museum and within walking distance of another favorite place, the sheldon. i’m always adding locations to the visual r’epertoire of amazing places around the city for engagement shoots, wedding day shoots, day after shoots, etc. pulitzer is now on my list. it’s a gorgeously sleek and modern building that just exudes class.

and if you’re looking for something to do today, this weekend marks the second annual city-wide open studios. click here for a map. the event culminates at the starving artists’ bbq at the contemporary from 4-8 p.m.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, STLfavs, StLouisWeddingPhotographers

happy things

include my sunflowers in the backyard, in various stages of development, from 2 ft- 8 ft. i’m a big dork when it comes to growing things. it’s truly wonderful to watch something grow from a seed in a packet to a giant, thriving, living part of one’s personal landscape. sunflowers make me happy.

and i’m addicted to handmade papers, so something else that makes me happy is papersource. it’s not shoes, purses, etc., but paper! papersource is a great resource for wedding invites, too.

i’m also addicted to beads, as i make jewelry. (one of my pieces below.)
my entire jewelry stock, aside from my personal collection, is waiting for new homes at the framery in soulard. they also do fabulous custom framing, which you can see below surrounding something else that makes me happy, our first official art purchase, a 1920’s French lithograph.

and, most importantly, waking up every day knowing that i am making a living doing something about which i am so passionate, i can hardly put it into words. that would not be possible without our fabulous clients, so to you, i am grateful.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, StLouisWeddingPhotographers

a yummy event

from the art of food website:

“Slow Food U.S.A. a non-profit organization, founded in 1989, is an international organization whose aim is to protect the pleasures of the table from the homogenization of modern fast food and life. Through a variety of initiatives, it promotes gastronomic culture, develops taste education, conserves agricultural biodiversity and protects traditional foods at risk of extinction.”

it’s a pretty lofty description, but don’t let that sway you from attending this year’s art of food event, saturday, july 28, 7-11 p.m. at mad art gallery. the food is fabulous and there is a silent art auction as well. if you haven’t been to mad art, it’s an experience in and of itself as it’s a former police station, complete with jail cells. tickets are $20 in advance, $30 at the door and get there early!

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, StLouisWeddingPhotographers

down and dirty

what: group model shoot. where: laclede’s landing. who: six photographers including organizer, michelle ross, and fabulous psuedo-bride, carrie. the pressure of keeping every last speck of dirt off the sacred dress diminishes after the wedding, so going out for a day after shoot is an amazing way to get a bit more of that visual edge we love so much. grooms welcome, too. and there are sooooooooooo many incredibly industrial urban areas around town that make great backdrops.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, StLouisWeddingPhotographers

congrats tina & david | quadruple sevens

7 p.m. 07.07.07
the kansas city star reported that 65,000 weddings took place last saturday. i had the pleasure of photographing tina and david’s beautiful day in kc with stephen seward. the ceremony and reception took place at the gorgeous webster house , a historic schoolhouse-cum-antique store and restaurant where kathy done and brad ozias (special events manager and food and beverage director respectively) took impeccable care of everyone.
i’ve been feeling quite sentimental about black and white film lately and missing my darkroom days, so you’ll notice this show is predominantly b&w. this day was just so classy and classic that b&w was a great way to tell the story. you can press play at the bottom left to start the slideshow.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, slideshows, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings

and the winner is…

thanks so much to everyone who voted! we appreciate it! after much deliberation and opinion seeking, we decided on the above for its clean, classic, bold and elegant look, which is exactly what we strive for in our visual storytelling.

i’m just back from a quick hop across the state for another wedding as a second photographer with stephen seward at webster house, a beautifully restored schoolhouse, so stay tuned for photos and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, StLouisWeddingPhotographers