Adam & Shannon

St. Louis, MO

I first met Adam & Shannon when photographing Shannon's brothers wedding about a year and a half ago.  It had been one of my favorite wedding's of the year, so when Adam & Shannon called me last winter to ask if I would be willing to travel to St. Louis once I again, I was not only ecstatic from head to toe, but also felt so truly honored!

This wedding was one I will never forget for so many reasons and so needless to say, there were way too many photos to choose from....I tried my best to narrow them down and hope that it shows the true beauty of the day, starting with some of the most important details of the day I do believe.

Shannon had such a beautiful dress...almost as beautiful as she is!

Adam & Shannon were married at a chapel on the campus of University Missouri-St. Louis.  Wow, talk about magnificent, not to mention the immense picture perfect lighting coming in at the time of the ceremony!  I was in heaven : )

This one makes me smile : )

Adam is definitely as sweet of a guy as he looks.  Awwwe, just look at him as he first sees Shannon!!!  And props to Shannon for keeping it cool as she made her way down the aisle.

I always find it so special when lost loved ones are remembered during a ceremony, but this was a very unique and perfect way.  Adam & Shannon lit a candle for each grandparent and parent that were there with them in spirit that day.  So beautiful...

One of my favorite shots to try and capture is that moment that the Bride & Groom make it out of the ceremony site and are alone as husband and wife for the first time.  This is not always an easy shot to get, but I'm so glad I got this one...

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous Bride!!!!

Seriously, could these two be any more in love....Awwwweeeee!

One of my favorite times of the day was the BIG chunk of time that Adam & Shannon allotted for the entire wedding party to travel to Forest Park for photos.  I was in a for a big surprise though, let me tell you!  I don't consider my town of Springfield, MO to be all that small, but when compared to St. Louis, it's about the size of a dot : ).   Proof of this was going to a destination like we did and literally having to "wait our turn" for our chance to get a photo in ANY of the areas throughout the park.  There were at least 5 other wedding parties everywhere we went it seemed.  Good thing this group had stopped for "refreshments" to keep them tied over on the bus.  All in all, it really was so much fun, and the day would just not have been the same without it...not to mention all the wonderful photos we got! :)

So I am in the midst of getting a shot of the wedding party, when all of a sudden all the guys start going CRAZY with cheers and before I know it, they take off running full speed ahead for the golf course behind me.  Apparently, they had been watching a husband and wife playing, and were ecstatic when the wife made her tough shot.  So funny!!!!!!

Luckily, because of this, I got the idea of perhaps asking this very nice lady if we could borrow her clubs for a moment.  Sure enough, Shannon was thinking the exact same thing and so off we went!

That a girl!

Did I mention how much I LOVED this wedding party????

One of my favorites of the beautiful bride & groom...

Now on to the reception...  Adam & Shannon had some of the BEST ideas I've ever seen.  One of them was a candy table complete with little bags for everyone to stock up on their favorite candy.  I'm sorry, but uh...this should be a mandatory thing at ALL wedding receptions!!!  : )

Another favorite...

Shortly after Adam & Shannon asked me to photograph their wedding, I heard from them again.  But this time with some news that no one ever wants to hear.  Shannon's father had gotten very sick and passed away.  This was so incredibly heartbreaking, especially after knowing how close this family was and how much Shannon's Dad meant to her.  It was her dream to have her Dad at one of the most important days of her life and so the family saw to it that his presence was there throughout.  One of the hardest times came during the reception.  Brett, Shannon's brother had walked her down the aisle and also tried his best to take his father's place by giving a speech, but when it came to the Father- Daughter dance, Shannon just couldn't have that replaced.  So instead, Shannon took a moment to talk in front of everyone and tried to put into words how truly wonderful her Dad was.  Adam stood by her side the entire time holding her hand and keeping her strong.  And then a slideshow was presented of some of the many memories the family had through photographs.  Adam, Shannon, her mother, her brother, and his wife Tori and their son Max all stood together as they watched.

Once the slideshow was over, and everyone was able to hug and wipe their eyes, somehow, the family was able to pull themselves together and start to celebrate the joy and love that had filled the room by so many people who truly and deeply care about them.

After a few moments had passed, the night moved on to other dances including the wedding party dance.    LOVED this one....  I'll start it for you.... "Life is a mystery, everyone will stand alone, I hear you call my name..."

"When you call my name, it's like little prayer..."  Every time I hear this song now, I will always think of this dance and fantastic group of people and.... SMILE!!!

And yet, another great idea.  I've seen the photo booth thing before, but this time, everyone put their strips of photos into a book for Adam & Shannon and signed a message to them.  Awwwe, LOVE this!!!  With all the family and friends that filled the room that night, you can only imagine how good of a job everyone did completing this "project".

Here's another first sighting for me...invisible double dutch...in dancing style!  LOL!!!!!  I have to admit, I really, really, really wanted to put my camera down a few times and jump in and join in on the fun.  I'm telling you, these people really know how to celebrate!

But perhaps one of the funniest times was when Shannon and one of her bridesmaids joined in.  By this point, just about everyone had spilled their drink a time or two so the floor had become a bit slippery to say the least : ).  This didn't make the situation any less funny though.   Michelle, the bridesmaid, fell not just once, but then got up and fell yet again!  

Many props and "costume" changes took place throughout the evening.... : )

Cheers to one of the best groups of people I have ever met!  

Adam & Shannon, thank you sooooo much asking me to be a part of your special day!  There is not a doubt in my mind that you two have years and years and years of  happiness together ahead of you, and I truly wish you nothing but the absolute best in life!!!

Adam & Shannon Questionnaire...

What was your favorite memory of the day?

Dancing with all of our family and friends at the reception.  We had a blast.

What was the funniest memory of the day?

When my cousin Michelle ran in to do the invisible double dutch and slipped and fell and then proceeded to get up and try again and slipped in the same spot.

What was your favorite detail?

My favorite detail was my wedding party.  Everyone looked so perfect.  I couldn't have asked for a better looking wedding party.  They are pretty great people too!

What was your favorite wedding purchase?

I would have to say my dress.  I loved it and I want to wear it again.  Maybe in 50 years it will still fit haha!

If you could do it all over again, is there anything that you would change?

I would have taken time to go to the photo booth and the candy bar.  I expected to have a ton of candy left over and there wasn't so I missed out on all the goodies.

Any advice you might have for future Bride & Groom's?

Take time to have fun at your reception.  There are so many things that have to get done, but make sure you get the chance to eat, drink, and dance because it all goes so fast.

Where did you go for your honeymoon?

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Any favorite memories you would like to share about your honeymoon?

My favorite memory about the honeymoon was not having a plan.  We woke up every morning when we wanted to, took naps when we wanted to and did whatever we wanted to.  Our biggest decision of the day was where we were going to eat dinner!

A few of my favorites:

1.)  Seeing Shannon in her dress

2.)  Waiting our turn amongst all the other wedding parties at Forest Park

3.)  Adam not being able to take his eyes off Shannon.  His eyes would dance every time he saw her.

4.)  Fearing that Tori (my other favorite bride from last year) might go into labor at any given moment...her due date was only 6 days away at the time!

5.)  The playlist at the Reception...one of the best of all times

6.)  Shannon's "costume" changes throughout the reception.  Let's see I believe there was a Hawaiian Bride, Construction Bride, and Dark Angel Bride!

7.)  The photo booth album...a seriously great idea.

And my least favorite moment:

Having to say goodbye to the Perry family at the end of the night.  Unfortunately, Brett & Shannon are the only siblings, but I truly hope our paths will cross again at some point! 

Don't forget to leave your comments below!!!

Darrell + Michelle + Trevor

Republic, MO (in-studio)

Meet Trevor, the newest addition to Darrell & Michelle's beautiful family.  He was just as cute as could be but also very alert at just one and a half weeks old.  I LOVE babies, but Trevor, oh my, I wanted to hold him all day long!!!

Of course I absolutely love all the sweet precious photos from throughout Trevor's session, but this next one...I can't help it, it's definitely one of my favs.  Everytime I look at it I can't help but hear my Dad saying to me, "well I'd cry too if you put that hat on me".  I should also mention, that even though Trevor was very alert throughout the session, he never once cried, not once, except for the hat incident!   : )

Darrell & Michelle, I sincerely enjoyed getting to meet you guys and can't wait to see Trevor again.  I am always amazed at how much they grow and change in just a few short months or even weeks for that matter!!!

Phillipsburg Christian Cowboys

The Back Porch Tea House in Willard, MO

As many of you know, I am a member/secretary of the Northwest Greene County Kiwanis Club and am so proud of this club and what I think is in store for us in the future!  Our club counselor, Kyle Gibson has just been itchin to introduce a band from his hometown of Lebanon, MO to one of our meetings.  So last Monday the band came and played for almost the entire hour of our meeting.  They were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!    I would describe some of their songs as Gospel, Bluegrass, and maybe even some that were the old style rock-n-roll.  Anyone who knows me, knows this is TOTALLY my kind of entertainment!!!  Not to mention they were just some of the kindest most down to earth gentlemen and such a delight to chat with.  I absolutely cannot WAIT for them to visit again...oh I do hope that it is sometime soon!

Pssst....I perhaps heard through the grapevine that they might start providing live entertainment at the Back Porch Tea House during the new dinner hours which are Thursday and Friday nights.  Between this entertainment, and the homemade delicious food that Pam Askren and her stuff cook up, I might be visiting this place often!!!  : )

I wish I was savvy enough, oh and also perhaps had the bands CD, to incorporate one of their songs as background music while you look at the photos...but instead for now, the pictures are all I have for you!

 

Even though the other two members said not to fuss on the topic because it will just make his head explode, I can't help but mention that this next man is one heck of a guitarist (take notice to his guitar by the way, possibly the coolest I have ever seen).  He is so good in fact, that he is also a member of Iowa's Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame!

I just have to give it up for this next guy, Kyle Gibson.  He is our group's counselor and also the kindest, dearest of a person.  AND it took a lot out of him to get up a sing a song or two with these guys due to troubles with his vocal chords and the fact he will be having surgery on them in the next coming months.  Kyle, you did great my friend!!!

Thanks again guys for coming to pay us a visit, we all enjoyed it sooooo much!!!

Robert + Melanie + baby on the way!

Republic, MO (in studio)

It is now time for you to meet Robert and Melanie who moved to the Marshfield, MO area not too long ago after living in New Orleans.  Culture shock to say the least, but so far, they are happy to be in our area, and I of course am so happy that they found me!  They are one of those fascinating couples that I probably could have spent all day talking to (me talking too much, imagine that...HA).

So here are a few favs from the day...

If you have been a follower of my work, you will know that I am big fan of props in the studio, especially for the maternity sessions!  Here's why...

Just one example of the fascinating things about this couple...Robert is a tattoo artist and made some stunning paintings for the baby's room.  I was soooo happy they brought these to their session and couldn't wait to incorporate them in!

Seriously, Melanie, you are just absolutely gorgeous!!!!!!!!

Showing off their New Orleans pride!!!!   : )

Robert & Melanie, thank you once again for coming to see me, it was such a pleasure to meet you both!  I can't WAIT to meet Mr. Liam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kirsten & Hunter

Marshfield, MO (city park)

These two adorable little kiddo's are my cousin's babies and of course are two of my most favorite subjects.  Kirsten can make you laugh like no other kid around let me tell ya!  She is like a giant sponge soaking up any and all information around her.  And then there's Hunter, who is a nice balance with his calm and relaxed attitude on life and quite frankly, is just about as cute as can be!

When we got to the park, Kirsten was asleep in the car, so we stayed close by the car and got Hunter's photos done first.  This park is amazingly beautiful, with huge trees, lots of hills, and a crystal clear creek running through.  I have only got to do photos for my cousin outside the studio one time and that was when Kirsten was turning one and and Hunter wasn't born yet.  So to get both of these outside was so wonderful!  Being outside the studio always gives so many more options not to mention all the beautiful scenery!

So here are a few of my favorites of Mr. Hunter (it was REALLY hard to narrow down favorites from this session).

I'm kind of partial to the quilt we used in these photos, because my momma made this for Hunter.  And the fabric is the same fabric that I used when we made all the bedding and decorations for my boys when they were babies...which was too long ago it seems (sniff, sniff).

The rocking chair and teddy bear in this next shot are my Aunt's from her childhood.  There's stories behind the items that I wish I could tell off the top of my head (and this is why I should write things down the second they are told to me rather than the whole "mental note" thing).  

Next up was Miss Kirsten, who I am not kidding you, always reminds me of a china doll.  She just has this face that photographs so amazingly well, and her eyes always seem to pop against that snow white, flawless skin of hers.  I couldn't wait to use this bridge in a shot, and then was shown the centerpieces that were going to be used for her first birthday party and well, of course was sure to race to grab these perfect photo props!

Eeek, so happy to see this shot once I got home because I do believe this is the BEST smile I have ever gotten from this girl!  It's just a face that screams, I am so innocent and never do anything wrong.... LOL.

Oh my goodness, this shot was a heart stopper in the making, and I am sooo not kidding.  Having these two on a bridge this close to the edge without having their momma directly in the shot was probably one of the most nerve racking shots I have done yet.  I can recall a few others where I was climing a rock roll or hanging over the edge of a bridge.  Okay, here's the secret...their mom was actually only a few inches from Hunter but I photoshopped her out.  But still...it was a one, maybe two shot try and that was all I could stand for!

And lastly, we decided for some water time!!!  Definitely one of my all time favortites for these two!!! : )

I love you guys oh so much!  Happy 2nd Birthday Kirsten, and Mr. nine months Hunter...see you soon for your 1st Birthday shots!!!  I can't believe it's already been a year!