This is going to be one of those blogs with a TON of photos. Meredith and I have both tried to narrow it down and we basically suck. Damn you Hogans and Hilles for being so fun! :) I think this might be our next wedding sample album. Not only were the beautiful details executed flawlessly by our friend Alison over at Alred Wedding Consultants, but this group was just so expressive. They are chocked full of smiles, laughter, tears, engulfing hugs and an overarching spirit that tells me they will take full advantage of all the joys life has to offer. And with that very simple intro, I think it’s time to let the photos speak for themselves. Enjoy this happy winter wedding!

A nice pair of sparkly Kate Spade Charm glitter shoes is a perfect way to start the day. Yes, I know it’s not about the shoes, but I still love them.


Now these are the sparkly shoes that Darby REALLY wore most of the day. Black tie fitting right?!

Darby has the perfect hair. It is that thick smooth hair that holds pretty waves all day long. If I didn’t like her so much I might hate her for it. ;)

See what I mean about fun?! And the day has barely started!






Love the relationship Darby has with her sister. Who cried at least 10 times (the good kind!) throughout this lovely day.


I think this was technically at least the 3rd teary moment since we arrived. :) In her defense Darby wrote out these really sweet cards for everyone in her family and most had similar reactions.

Father daughter and mother daughter moments. So much love.




Let’s check in with Meredith and see how Steven and the guys are doing! I think he liked his gifts. I’m not sure which one was the bigger hit – the watch or the monogrammed cummerbund. And yes that is how you spell cummerbund. After about a five minute debate in studio, we are going with Merriam-Webster on this one. I have been spelling that wrong for years. On a similar note, Kate and I have decided we are having a monogram-off between this Hogan wedding and one that she shot for Darby’s cousin Courtney back in July. We haven’t counted who had more items monogrammed yet, but we think it’s going to be close! We will check back with the final count.

Awww…teary-eyed Steve.




Steven helped design this building for Wash U! Very cool.

Off to the church! I love the pretty gilded gold leaves in the aisle decor.




This car that Darby’s dad Carl restored is so incredibly awesome! I kind of want to borrow it for a photo shoot. Carl? Thoughts? :)

The “ah-ooo-ga” horn made everyone crack up as they drove to the chapel.

More of those sweet cards sending everyone into tears…good one Darby.


Relaxed and ready to get this shindig started!


So many smiles…



And tears.

Not many people do aisle decor anymore, but they are so pretty!




Married!

Back to the fun getaway car and off to take some wedding party photos.




These guys aren’t fun at all. ;) And if you look close you may see two of our former grooms in there. Love this group of friends.



Nice moves Steve. I have a set of these that I think may make a hilarious animated gif.


I personally LOVE this shot. It’s so tough to get long veil stuff to go as planned. But with Meredith holding it to my left and a nice breeze this turned out just as I had hoped!



Also love this fur cape that has been in Darby’s family for years. It’s the perfect wintery touch!

Red berries! One of my favorite things to shoot in and through. But they have to be low enough for me which is rare seeing as I’m, um, below average in the height department.




Love the wheat-colored, natural pallet available during the winter months. So soft and pretty.


A quick stop downtown for a few arch shots on the way to the MAC.


Steve’s dad made this metal sculpture. How cool is that?!

Let’s get into some of the insanely pretty MAC ballroom shots shall we?


I just love this classic gold and ivory pallet with a touch of amber uplighting.


Sideline photographer nerd moment: This next shot I just took to prove a point but then it ended up being a kind of cool shot of a cake floating in blackness. Ok, so you saw the cake shot above right? Surrounded by all of that pretty background of yellow, amber and florals? The only way we were able to make that shot look like that was by moving the cake out of this really strong spotlight the MAC puts on it. Although that spotlight on the cake looks fine (and pretty!) to the naked eye of guests walking into the reception, it is next to impossible for photographers to photograph the cake. Or the cake cutting for that matter. So this is a shot of the cake with just the spotlight on it. To expose the cake correctly, look what happens to the background? Gone! Pure blackness! My main point here is when considering wedding lighting choices, maybe check in with your photographer. Or make sure your cake is on a wheeled table like this one. ;)

I watched Meredith stare at the ceiling for a good 5 minutes trying to get this perfectly centered shot of the gorgeous chandelier in the MAC. I think she succeeded.

Pretty head table design with the glow of candles in a sea of fluffy white and gold.

First look at the room…I think they like it!





So many good hugs at this wedding. I love hugs.

And smiles. Just caught myself looking like a crazy person smiling at the screen again. Must learn to control that.







Dad and his girls.

Ok, hilarious. Just downright hilarious.

Yes those are glow stick jump ropes. It’s a tradition.


All kinds of great late night snacks for guests to enjoy! Fitz’s root beer floats and ice cream bon bons from Serendipity to start.

Holiday themed Fish Eye Fun photo booth! Always a big hit.

Stan the Donut Man was there making these little tiny hot fried circles of goodness on the spot. Yum!

Dance party with Galaxy Red!

Seriously you guys, so much fun. Thank you for letting us in on your amazing wedding day. It was truly the perfect way to wrap up 2014. Couldn’t have asked for more!  With love, liz + meredith

VENDOR LOVE

Wedding Planner : Alred Wedding Consultants

Ceremony venue : Graham Chapel Washington University

Reception venue : Missouri Athletic Club Downtown

Band : Galaxy Red

Florist : Schnucks

Chairs & Lighting : The Aries Company              

Floor decal : Craftsmen

Stationery : M Haley Design

Late night snack : Stan the Donut Man and Serendipity Ice Cream

Transportation : Best Transportation

Wedding Dress & Veil : The Enchanted Bride

Bridesmaid Dresses : Town & County Bridal

Make Up : Lauren Wilkinson 

Hair : Joey Manley – Kink Hair Salon

L Photographie St. Louis wedding photographers