I think this is my first blog of 2015! Well, we are definitely staring it off right then. I’m going to have a little bit of fun with these two I think. I’m pretty sure they can take it! Teah and Michael are a really fun and laid back couple. Teah says that being high strung runs in her family but I’m not sure I believe her. At no point during the engagement session, pre-wedding stuff or day of the wedding did she seem remotely worried or concerned. And Michael is very much a roll with the punches, do anything for ya kind of guy. Basically Meredith and I had a great time with them on their wedding day! They were married at First Presbyterian in Kirkwood followed by a classy and classic reception at the MAC downtown. A reception at which Meredith and I were present for longer than usual. Meaning this blog ends with some “interesting” photos. If you are a bride reading this and wondering how long you need your wedding photographer to stay at your reception this may help you make your decision. Just sayin. :)

As always, let’s start with some pretty stuff. Shiny rings perhaps?



And then we move onto pretty people. Like Teah. All smiles!

Helping mom into her dress.

Teah’s turn!

Applying the finishing touches.

Lovely!

Just a few laughs with Michael and the guys…
How cool is this church? It is covered in this little tiny stained glass windows.

Just before you’re about to get married is the perfect time to kick of your shoes and get comfy. Maybe take a nap. Have a cup of tea. Read a book. Whatever tickles your fancy.



Since I’m always in the aisle, I look forward to seeing what Meredith captures in those final touching moments with father and daughter before the walk down the aisle.






Married!


After a few family photos we are off to the park for some wedding party shenanigans.





And pretty portraits. I remember that it was just so nice out this day. We could have just hung out in the park forever. Maybe had a picnic.



Thank you crepe myrtles for filling our landscape with magentas and pinks well into late summer.




We left the park close to sunset and made a quick city stop on our way to the MAC. And I decided to have some fun with some slow shutter speed experiments!


Also gave me a chance to pull out the tilt shift. A totally under-utilized lens in my camera bag. Wedding days are just generally so jam packed that we are too busy trying to get everything we HAVE to get in a limited amount of time that we rarely have time built in to play and get creative. But on the rare occasion we have a few extra minutes, we get to take some really different stuff!
One of the things I love most about the MAC is just how reflective and shiny everything is. The dark granite floor is great for reflections and there are lots of mirrors and crystals along the walls to add extra glow.


Fun little submerged calla lily arrangements from Walter Knoll.

The classic MAC shot. During the blue period. My favorite!

Time to party!

The ceiling in that space is one of the prettiest in the whole city.


Ok, so now that we’ve gotten through all of the formalities, let’s have some fun shall we?! In the intro I mentioned that this blog may help answer this question: How long do I need my wedding photographer to stay at the reception? My general answer to that is probably half an hour after first dances is plenty to capture people having some fun on the dance floor. Anything after that is just kind of gravy unless you have some sort of special end of the night exit, late night snack, etc. Don’t get me wrong, we are HAPPY to stay at the party! Mer and I knew this was going to be a fun crowd when everyone started getting low within minutes of the dance floor opening.

Ok, ok – one more formality. That is a nice throw Teah! Perfectly centered. :)

See this guy? Troublemaker. You’ll see him again later. This is the point in the night in which smiles start to get a bit larger and dance moves begin to get a little more interesting.

And guests start to “borrow” props from the photobooth.

If we are still around at this point we will be sure to capture your awesome dance moves! Not a moment missed.

Some slightly inappropriate things may begin to happen. Teah your reaction cracks me up!

This is a moment I remember quite well. It is at this exact point in time that Meredith and I found out that the song Strokin’ actually has an organized dance that accompanies it. Did anyone else out there know about this?! I mean, I have shot at least 300 weddings and have never, ever seen this dance. And I have totally seen my share of line dances and even specialty flash mob dances for that matter. Side note: this is also the point in the night where not everyone can stay on their feet while doing said dance. :)


At some point, inevitably, the power singing begins. Drinks raised, fists clenched, head thrown back, top of your lungs power singing/screaming.



And finally, things that probably should never be caught on camera are caught on camera. Of course that is a matter of opinion. I think this is awesome. Someone else might consider using it as blackmail. My favorite part is Teah’s reaction on the far right.

I almost forgot that there was one more! Impromptu wedding dance floor karaoke. No wedding reception is complete without it!

I think this last shot accurately represents a majority of guests focusing ability around the time we were wrapping things up. :)

Thanks for letting us be a part of your wedding day shenanigans! So many really fun people we got to hang out with all day! With love, Liz and Meredith

VENDOR LOVE

Ceremony venue :  First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood

Reception venue : Missouri Athletic Club

Hair & Makeup : Annie Heyward from Danielle Style

Stationery : Invitations by Vellum and day of by Paper Patch

Florist : Walter Knoll

Cake : Missouri Athletic Club

Gown : Simply Elegant Bridal

DJ : Jeremy Roeder – First Class Wedding DJs

Lighting : Millennium Productions

Photobooth : ShutterBooth

Transportation : Best Transportation

Late night snack : Epic Pizza

L Photographie Wedding Photographers St. Louis