St. Louis Wedding Photography: Karen and Josh

Karen and Josh picked a perfect late summer day for their intimate wedding at Francis Park. Carolyn Burke officiated as the bride and groom said their vows in front of their families.

Even though I didn't get to spend lot of time with Karen and Josh, we had great fun taking some casual portraits after the ceremony. I really got to see their personalities.

I love this one:

There's a story behind the next photo. Karen really doesn't like spiders, and one was on her dress. Josh went to remove it and it looked as if he were strangling her. Hey, wouldn't that be a funny photo to have in their wedding album? Voila:

Karen also does a mean fish face, which she was happy to demonstrate:

It was great meeting them and their families and being a part of their special day!

St. Louis Wedding Photography: Juliette and Harold

Juliette and Harold had their engagement photography session earlier this year (after Juliette's sister, Michelle, sent them my way - thanks!) and chose me to photograph their wedding this August at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Since I had never photographed a Greek Orthodox wedding prior to theirs, Juliette walked me through all of the rituals that would take place at the ceremony - rings, candles, crowns, drinking, and a ceremonial walk - so I wouldn't miss a thing.

It was such a special ceremony, and I was honored to be a part of their wedding day!

St. Louis Engagement Photography: Erin and Carl

Erin and Carl chose me as their wedding photographer and their package includes an engagement photography session. Since they don't live in St. Louis, we ran to Creve Coeur Park when they were last in town visiting so we could catch some late afternoon sunlight and take pictures in the great shady spots around the lake.

Aren't they such a cute couple?

Congrats to both Erin and Carl, and I can't wait to shoot their wedding this winter!

St. Louis Engagement Photography: Leslie and Ron

A couple's engagement photography session typically takes place between the proposal and their wedding. I meet couples at a place of their choosing in the St. Louis area, we take pictures for an hour, and we all get to know each other.

This was no typical engagement session.

Ron and Leslie were planning to run the Lewis & Clark Half Marathon, and Ron decided this would be a perfect time to propose. Ron asked his friend Michael to hold the ring for him at mile 12, and he asked me to secretly photograph the whole thing.

After months of preparation, the day of the race arrived and they started running. When Ron and Leslie approached mile 12, Leslie briefly said hi and kept running along. Unbeknownst to her, Ron quickly snatched the ring from Michael and beckoned Leslie to return to him. Within seconds, Ron had dropped to one knee and popped the question in his own unique way.

Thirty seconds later, Leslie said yes.

I'm so happy for both of them, and thrilled to have been a part of this special occasion!