Anthony + Madeline // Silver Oaks Chateau St. Louis Wedding Photography

I am SO excited to finally be sharing this gorgeous wedding!  This adorable couple, this amazing venue, the perfect November weather, & every little detail that made this wedding an absolute joy to capture!  Remember their sweet rainy day Engagement Session?

Silver Oaks Chateau is one of those rare & amazing venues that has been thought out so well - there is so much attention to detail that literally everywhere you look is lovely.  I mean, just look at that ceiling through the window in the first image!  I can't wait to capture lots more weddings here in the future!

Madee & Tony have been such a joy to work with!  They are one of those couples that just falls into each other & you can really tell how much love they share by how they look at each other.  I was fighting back tears this whole day because it was just so sweet!  I hope you enjoy scrolling through all of the beautiful images from their perfect fall wedding (I must warn you, it's a doozy...I had a hard time narrowing down what images to show because they were all so wonderful!).

Every couple in the wedding party came in to their own song & did a little dance - it was so fun & unique!  Tony & his groomsmen even serenaded Madee to "You've Lost that Lovin Feeling" after they entered.  The DJ also had cards on each table with the title to a famous song, show, or movie & when you heard that song played it was your turn to hit the buffet...my table was Friends.  haha  It was such a fun way to dismiss the tables.

What a beautiful couple with an equally beautiful wedding day!
Thanks again for inviting me to share in so many beautiful memories with you Tony & Madee - I know there will be so many more in the future & I'm already looking forward to them!

Theresa + Hank // Piper Palm House // St. Louis Wedding Photography

I have so many weddings from this past year that I want/need to share - but it's crazy how hard it is for me to stop working on my current projects to put together blog posts!  So sorry about that!  I always say I'm going to do better, but let's be honest, I can't promise that.  haha  SO, for now I'll just share weddings & fun sessions as often as I can & hope that y'all enjoy the surprises they are when they come.

This gorgeous wedding was so much fun!  I went to high school with Theresa & was so excited when she contacted me (from Italy, where she was stationed) to capture this special day for her & Hank!  The two of them met while they were serving in the Army & have been through lots of amazing adventures together - it was so beautiful to see their families rally around them with so much love & support.

How awesome are those post card style Wedding Invitations?  Perfect for a couple that has traveled all over the world together!

These two though...I love this sweet moment of them meeting at the end of the aisle.

Theresa, Hank, & their families came from all over for this celebration because Theresa wanted to be married in the same beautiful little chapel where she had her 1st Communion.

I love how happy these two make each other!

Sisters are the best bridesmaids!

mmmm....Ted Drewes concretes!  The perfect treat at the end of a warm summer day!

Congratulations again Theresa & Hank!  I had so much fun celebrating with you two & capturing the start of your happy life together!

Michelle + Craig // Bear Creek Golf Club, Wentzville Wedding Photography

& now it's time to share Michelle & Craig's bright, cheerful, intimate, summer wedding!  YAY!
(just in case you want to take a peek at their sweet autumn engagement session you can see it HERE)  

I just love how simple & beautiful all of their details were - they fit their personalities perfectly!  These two love taking hikes together & being outside - thus the beautiful wild flowers, photos in a big field, outdoor ceremony,  & all around relaxed vibe of their day.  & it also explains why they promptly packed up after their honeymoon & moved to Colorado.  haha  I enjoyed every minute of this sweet wedding - I hope you enjoy the images we were able to capture too!

Craig, in all of his many talents, made this ring box!  SO special!

I love doing first looks with my couples - I mean look at these reactions!  It's so special because it's just the two of them (as well as me & my assistant tucked away from them a bit) in a quiet spot where they can see each other for the first time on their wedding day & spend a few minutes loving on each other & sharing in the excitement of their day.  When my assistant & I were driving Michelle to the park to meet up with Craig  she could hardly contain her excitement - she said their first look is the thing she has been looking forward to the most!  I'm so glad it was so exciting for them & that they were able to get some quiet time together before the craziness of being around people all day & moving from one thing to the next.  

That's one way to get into the field.  ;)

It's always great when I can have lots of time alone with the bride & groom before/after the wedding party photos - it seems to be a little more relaxing without the peanut gallery commenting on everything we're doing...even though that can be pretty entertaining too though.  haha

How about the amazing color of these bridesmaids dresses?! POW!  

A little storm kinda blew in on us just as we were finishing up photos at Quail Ridge Park - so they may have gotten a little wet in the field for this photo & then running to the cars.  But they were all good sports & were totally dry by the time we reached Bear Creek Golf Club for their Ceremony...

...the sky looked so awesome after that storm too!  

They seem like a milk & cookies kinda couple, right?  
& boy were those some good cookies too!

They have a fun family tradition at the Lake of the Ozarks every 4th of July - it's a big parade & each family has a theme they always use - so, since Craig & Michelle always do a patriotic theme everyone put on a surprise patriotic parade at their reception just for them - it was a pretty fun bonus!

Thanks again for inviting me (& Betsy) to be a part of your beautiful celebration Craig & Michelle!  I hope you two are doing wonderful & loving the beautiful fresh air in Colorado!  :)

Katie + Jake // The Franklin Room, Downtown St. Louis Wedding Photography

Hey!  Happy Wednesday everyone!  I am LOOOONG overdue for a blog post (or 20!).  haha  So, I'm going to try & spend the last bit of winter showing off some of the gorgeous, sweet, fun weddings that I got to be a part of in 2015 - I hope you enjoy them!

Do you remember Katie & Jake's amazing Shaw Nature Reserve Engagement Session?  I was giddy the whole time because it was just such a gorgeous place & because Katie & Jake were so much fun to romp around the park with.  Well, their wedding day was pure delight too!  From start to finish there was laughter, love, & of course lots of beautifully sweet moments too. 

I love it when the  bride & groom exchange gifts to each other & I get to capture it - of course she wore the earrings & he wore the bacon socks.  ;)

I LOVE their fun bubble exit images - they really show how beautiful their day was & how excited Katie & Jake were to be married & surrounded by all their loved ones!

Aren't these wedding colors gorgeous?!

I love shooting in this old part of Downtown St. Louis under the train bridges - I love mixing the old rustic stuff with the crisp, beauty of the new.

Oh Katie - you were such a stunning bride!

On to The Franklin Room for their reception - such a cool old building with lots of charm!

I'd say this wedding day perfectly fit you two!  I am so pleased that I got to celebrate with you & capture it in all it's perfection!  I wish you two all the best!

Caty + Randy // Old Town St. Charles Wedding Photography

Good morning!  Happy Monday!
I'm so happy to share this gorgeous wedding with you!  The beautiful spring colors & details from Caty & Randy's wedding were just perfect!  She wanted a European, romantic vibe & I think she nailed it!  Keeping with "typical" spring weather, they just happened to have a pretty rainy day for their wedding - but we got blessed with just enough time to do everything we needed to do outside before it started raining again - love when it works out so perfectly!
Oh!  & if you want to see their beautiful engagement photos from last fall you should look here!

Caty's lovely sisters helping her with some of the final touches.

This is Caty's childhood dog - she just had to have him in a few photos on her wedding day - I think he enjoyed his moment in the spotlight.

I'm so glad the storm held off a little while for us to get all of these beautiful images at the Old Capitol Building in St. Charles...it was the perfect setting!

Such a beautiful group of ladies, right?!  & Caty - you were such a stunning bride!

Right after we decided to pull out the "just in case" umbrellas for a few fun photos with them - it started to rain!  Good thing we were able to get all the other photos taken before then!

Their reception at the St. Charles Embassy Suites was so elegant.  
& how beautiful were their floral arrangements?  Perfect for their spring wedding!

Now, you tell me...what romantic, European style wedding would be complete without a gelato cart & cute little European details??!

Congratulations again Caty & Randy!  Thank you so much for inviting me to share in such a beautiful, special, &  memorable day in your lives!

OH!  Did I mention that there were seven of my brides at this wedding?!  Five of them were all related (by marriage), so of course, I just had to get a photo with them!  & three of these lovelies now have adorable children I get to photograph too - needless to say I feel like I'm with family when I'm with all of them!  Love you girls!

Lauren + Jeff // Palladium St. Louis Wedding Photography

I love getting to celebrate with all of my amazing couples on their wedding day - there are so many beautiful, hilarious, emotional, & intimate moments all wrapped up in that one day & I love being able to bottle them all up in their wedding photos that they will cherish forever!

I've known Lauren for a long time now (she's my best friend's sister-in-law - remember their Engagement Session?) & when she asked me to capture her & Jeff's big day I was giddy!  I knew it would be beautiful - but the amount of detail & thought that went into making their day extra special & fit just for them was more than I imagined, & I loved every minute of it!

Of course she had to get rose gold shoes to go with her rose gold rings.
& what are best friends for if not to share in the joy of one of the most important days of your life by jumping on the bed?!

Jeff, being a good sport & standing where I asked, put his tie on (perfectly, I might add) without a mirror...this was impressive to me!

Since Jeff & Lauren met at the Chase Park Plaza that's where they wanted to get ready & share their first look...just the two of them excitedly starting the first day of the rest of their lives together...it was perfect!

How gorgeous is this massive wedding party?!

I love that we were able to do all of their wedding party photos in a part of town that was special to Jeff & Lauren...& I love how perfect Lafayette Park fit in with the vibe of their wedding too...meant to be.

Look at all of these sweet, personal details!  Lauren put a lot of time into planning all of this out & creating the details she wanted & it all came together perfectly!  & Her dad actually made the birch candle holders!  
This was my first time working at Palladium St. Louis & it was such a cool venue!  It had all kinds of quirks & beautiful features...Everyone was really nice & easy to work with...& the food was amazing too!  Bonus!

Yes, that's a bacon maple cupcake.

Can't you just tell how great these two are together?  Every time I look at their images it makes me so happy they found each other!

Congratulations again Jeff & Lauren!  
Thank you so much for inviting me to share in this perfectly beautiful day - here's to many more equally delightful memories still to come!

Anna + Johnny // Edmond's Space 15 St. Louis Wedding Photography

Hey y'all!  Do you remember Anna & Johnny's snowy engagement photos?  Well, they were so fun & lovely & I suggest you take a look if you're interested in a little back-story on these two love birds.  I figured that since we're all fighting off the heat, a beautiful winter wedding may be just the refresher we need right now.

This ceremony was such a special thing for me to be a part of, not just because Anna is a dear friend of mine, but because theirs was a unique one.  Shortly after Johnny proposed & we played around in the snow for their engagement photos, Anna was diagnosed with lymphoma.  During this scary & delicate time they decided it was best to focus on Anna's health & put their big May wedding plans on the back burner.  What a way to start off your journey together...but through it all we have continued to see just how perfect God's timing is.  Johnny wanted to be there for Anna in every way possible through this season, so before God in their pastor's home they were married on February 28th, 2014.  After nearly a year of hospital stays, treatments, & just all around challenging circumstances, Anna remained strong & beautifully hopeful (it truly was astounding & encouraging for me to witness).   As that long year came close to an end they started to make plans for an Anniversary Vow Ceremony - one thing they wanted so very badly was to stand together surrounded by their loved ones, proclaiming their love for each other & strong trust in God that He will continue to see them through their life together as Mr. & Mrs. Prosser. . .& It was beautiful!

Sweet/brave Anna...I was so pumped that she wanted to take a few quick photos in the snow!

Since they were already married, they walked together, hand-in-hand to stand before all of their loved ones & vow to continue loving & supporting one another for the rest of their lives.

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to  myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."  Lamentations 3:22-24

Also, a fun perk of being the photographer/guest at a friend's wedding is that my husband get's to be there with me...as well as my bestie & her husband too!  It was so fun to celebrate together with Johnny & Anna!

OH & Anna is doing great!  Shortly after their Ceremony her last scan came in clean!  So now she can focus on having a normal life as a newly-wed, spending time enjoying life with her husband & loved ones, & getting her body back into tip-top shape.  
Lots of beautiful life is still ahead for her!

Thank you again for inviting me to be a part of capturing & telling your beautiful story Anna & Johnny - I'm so glad John Paul & I get to continue doing life together with you two - so many more happy memories still to come for you guys!  
Lots of love,
Gertie

Sandy + JoJo // Windows on Washington, St. Louis Wedding Photography

This was such a sweet & special wedding for me to be a part of!  
Sandy & Jojo got engaged a few years ago & had me do some engagement photos for them, but also told me that they were going to wait about 3 years to get married.  I have to admit, I had so much fun doing their engagement session that I was kinda bummed that their wedding would be so far away...but alas, they decided they could't wait any longer (which of course, made me squeal a little with excitement when she told me they were getting married in November!).  Sandy wanted everything to be classic & beautiful with lots of pearls, diamonds, & lace - kind of a modern take on a classic Audrey Hepburn...she succeeded!  There were so many beautiful details throughout their day that fit her description perfectly!

These two are so adorable & so in love with each other.   You could really tell how wonderfully supported they were by all of the family & friends that surrounded them on this special day too.  What a wonderful treasure of strong, deep, sweet love God has blessed them with!

They created their own awesome little photo booth with some balloons, face props, & a tablet with the camera set to a timer...such a fun & easy way to capture all of your guests having fun being goofy!