St. Louis Wedding at the Lucas School House: Hadas and Tony

Lucas School House in St. Louis provided a great backdrop for Hadas and Tony's wedding. The space was intimate and charming and the couple chose to echo the venue's stained glass windows in their beautiful chuppah:

Hadas and Tony's wedding program looked like an article out of an old newspaper:

As in most weddings, there were plenty of unique personalities. The bride and groom also shared a classy fist-bump in the middle of the ceremony.

The reception spanned both floors of the building, and each table had the name of a presidential pet as its identifier. The groom's cake was shaped like a pig, and that can just be a mystery to those of you who haven't had the good fortune to get to know the couple over the blooming of their relationship.

Could it be Mr. Six? No, but he was a close facsimile:

The couple romanced and partied throughout the night with all of their guests:

Surprise!

Congratulations to Hadas and Tony!

St. Louis Anniversary Photos: Brian and Mindi Sue

I met Brian back in college, but we became better friends a few years after we had graduated. We founded the St. Louis Dinner Club together, helped a good friend rehab his house, and went on countless road trips to both nature and eating destinations.

Then, one day a few years ago, Brian moved to Dallas.

This would be completely unacceptable were it not for the fact that his quality of life in Dallas improved drastically - he met somebody down there, they started dating and fell in love, and a year and a few days ago, they got married.

As a side note, I met Dallas wedding photographer Lynn Michelle and her crew when she was photographing their wedding, and she's been a tremendously helpful resource - thanks so much!

When Brian and Mindi Sue were recently in St. Louis for a wedding, they asked if I'd take some photos for their first anniversary. How could I possibly say no? Thus, I'm thrilled to present some of Brian and Mindi Sue's anniversary photos:

This is decidedly not a St. Louis Cardinals shirt, but I took the photo anyway:

The Underground Restaurant

Underground (adj.):

Hidden, furtive, secretive.

These criminals operate through an underground network.

(Source: Wiktionary)

He goes by "the clandestine chef" and the secret dining room roams about the St. Louis area. Not much is known about him or his helpers at Entre, but the food and experience were both unique.

The night I attended, they - whoever they are - presented three cocktails for sale and a beer pairing with each course:

• Wilted salad with duck vinaigrette / goat cheese and pear


• Acorn squash and apple soup / bacon and cider foam


• Grapefruit confit with mint


• Pancetta wrapped elk tenderloin with carrot juice risotto


• Butternut squash ice cream with sage shortbread

I cannot divulge details of the event such as the location, names of workers, or attendees, but suffice it to say that I had a great time photographing this special evening.

One never knows, but I believe the chef and orchestrator may be reading this post. As always, feel free to ask questions or leave comments.

I leave you with a brief photographic record of the evening:

Orlando Gardens St. Louis Wedding: Stacy and Eric

Orlando Gardens St. Louis (Maryland Heights location) provided the setting for Stacy and Eric's wedding and reception. The day started early at Orlando Gardens, and after a light breakfast for the friends and family who were helping to set up for their wedding, I drove Stacy back to the groom's parents' house for her hair and makeup appointment. Kelly did a fantastic job with Stacy's wedding makeup while everybody else got dressed and ready elsewhere.

We drove back to Orlando Gardens, where the wedding party gathered in a room to take care of the legal components of a Jewish wedding, signing the Ketubah (or marriage contract) and signing state marriage documents.

The ceremony had beautiful music, played by Tanya Couture.

Here are my favorites from the ceremony (held in one of the ballrooms at Orlando Gardens):

Since Eric is a huge Muppets fan, the couple ordered an awesome cake topper from Sophia's Workshop featuring the two of them with Kermit.

They made their grand entrance, the guests toasted and roasted them, and the partying began.

Stacy and Eric also hired one of my favorite artists, Cbabi Bayoc, to do caricatures during the reception. I loved watching the crowd's reactions to his awesome work:

What would a Jewish wedding be without a Horah?

The groom's nephew was quite the crooner.

He did not, however, perform the slow songs that the couple danced to:

Alas, all good things must come to an end. Best wishes to Stacy and Eric for a long and happy life together!