This wedding was a perfect example of why I love outdoor Autumn weddings, even if the leaves haven’t ripened to their full glory yet. Stacey and Kenny married at Tower Grove Park, in the beautiful Stupp Center garden. The weather was perfect, and we had the most gorgeous golden evening light. The ceremony was small and intimate, which suited the two of them very well and made the emotional impact palpable. My favorite two instances – they pinky-promised after the ring exchange and then high-fived after their kiss.

We had 15 – 20 minutes for pictures of just the two of them in between the ceremony and their reception at Pujols 5, so we got down to business. You’ll be able to judge the results for yourself, but I’m head-over-heels for their photos in the park.

Stacey and Kenny barely know me (in fact it was the first time I’d ever met Kenny!) but they were incredibly gracious and open people and I appreciated them being so welcoming and including me in their dinner with their closest friends and family. It is a nod to the character and how friendly and respectful they are, that they allowed me to jump right in and feel comfortable. They are warm and fun and their love and warmth brightens the space around them and warms the people close to them. It was such an honor to be at their wedding and give them the kind of gift that immortalizes memories for a lifetime – photographs.

Stacey and Kenny, thank you a thousand times over for being such wonderful people and for allowing me the privilege to be at your wedding!

Becky and Brandon planned their wedding in a relatively short amount of time – 10-ish months – and it could not have come together any more beautifully than it did. Becky’s eye for detail, the enlistment and help of her friends and family, and Brandon’s dedication to everyone’s happiness made for one heckuva party!

Their wedding took place at the gorgeous Wine Country Gardens winery. The site is gorgeous and the staff all wonderful. Becky and I met there for lunch in the spring to talk about the details of the wedding and I was impressed right off the bat with the location, which they chose for the warmth and friendly, unassuming atmosphere. Becky said it was unlike other wineries, and she was absolutely right – the atmosphere is more down to earth, and more about truly enjoying oneself and present company rather than partying it up.

But don’t let that fool you – we most certainly DID party. With a family and wedding party as great as theirs, it’s a party whenever you get them all together!

What I’ve loved most about working with these two is their laid back personalities and warm sense of humor. Both Brandon and Becky smile easily, laugh easily, and are warm, fun people you just really want to be around. And that was apparent at their wedding as well – their friends and family all encircled them with smiles, hugs and a ton of love, and their magnetism (and the infectiousness of their love) permeated the entire event. It was perfect.

As a result of some really well-thought-out planning, we were able to get a ton of amazing pictures. Becky and Brandon opted for a first look (kudos to them!) so we had plenty of time to hang out with the wedding party on the (lime green) bus and trek around the winery. We also hit up Klondike park and took advantage of the golden evening light.

Becky and Brandon, you two are amazing. I was so honored to be part of your day, and I can’t wait to come up with some excuse to hang out with the two of you again (maternity photos???? Or just wine? ). Thank you so much for allowing me to capture your special day.

Love and Gratitude,
Sam
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Getting Becky into that amazing dress!

A few moments from their first look:

Off to Wine Country Gardens for photos:

Definitely one of my favorites from the day:

Are these two not absolutely GORGEOUS? They are!

The Butterfly in Becky’s flowers was for her grandfather who passed, a way for him to be there with her on her wedding day… so sweet.

My favorite from Klondike park:

And then, the ceremony! Here comes the bride!

Husband and Wife!

The beautiful ceremony site at sunset.

One of the coolest cakes ever – a wine barrel monogrammed with their last name! (plus delicious german chocolate and carrot cake cupcakes!)

Becky’s matron of honor, Jennifer, gives her speech with a few tears:

First Dance and Father/Daughter.

And… the party people!

Becky’s grandmother, who is 90 years old, still goes dancing once a week!

Stacy and AJ were married on an absolutely gorgeous and unusually warm October day at the beautiful Our Lady of Sorrows church. There were trumpets. Oh yes. A gorgeous October Catholic wedding with trumpets – it was like royalty.

I started out with the girls at Stacy’s parents’ home, then we all transferred to the church to get Stacy into her dress.

I also popped over to see AJ and the gentlemen, and got to get photos of AJ reading the letter Stacy wrote to him. Then it was ceremony time!

After the ceremony, we hit up Gus’ for pretzels and then headed over to the Arch for some portraits. Then it was party time! Their reception was at The Edge of Webster, and I loved their oreo cupcakes!

Stacy and AJ, your wedding was a blast! Thank you so much for allowing me the honor of participating in your big day!

Debbie and David’s wedding was especially exciting for me, as I was able to get out of Dodge (a.k.a. the St. Louis area) for a day. I took along the lovely Alissa Zimmerman as my second photographer, and talked her head off the entire 2 hour drive down to Columbia. She was a trooper and even stuck around all day for the shin-dig! Oh, and took some pretty pictures as well.

Debbie and David have been together for a long time (like a million years!) and it was so sweet to see their family and friends rallying around them on this BEAUTIFUL October day. Their ceremony was at the rustic outdoor venue, Alpine Park and Gardens, and Alissa and I truly had to stop ourselves from skipping off into the gorgeous landscape on the way. Everything was golden and gorgeous, a perfectly warm Autumn day.

We rode to Mizzou for some pictures at the mandatory “Mizzou” landmark, ‘the Pillars’, and ok, just look how gorgeous these two are. Then we headed back to the ceremony site to get ready for the ‘I Do’s'! Debbie’s nephews escorted her down the pathway to the picture-perfect stage to join her Groom. The ceremony was sweet and full of love, reverence and personal touches, such as David’s father doing a reading for the Bride and Groom.

You have to check out how awesome Debbie’s friends are – they made her a little table dedicated to her love of Harry Potter, complete with Fizzing Whizzbies, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, Dumbledore’s Lemon Drops… see if you can pick out the rest in the picture! The Sorting Hat even made an appearance!

Debbie and David, your ceremony and reception were wonderful. It was such an honor to be there with your families and hang out with your friends for the day. Thank you so much for having me and Alissa! Your love, laughter, light-heartedness and respectful, enduring relationship is so inspirational. We hope you have an AMAZING honeymoon!

David's face lit up during the First Look

Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and her rings - Just For Debbie!

Pure Awesomeness.

David's Dad smiles at Debbie during his reading

Amanda and Kyle were married last weekend at Laumeier Sculpture Park (one of my favorite places in the world). The sky threatened to rain on us the entire time, and we ran into a few short sprinkly showers, but overall we were lucky and stayed dry. Their day was full of happy tears, camouflage, and fun… these two and their wedding party were a blast. I had Steve of SA3 Studios with me to help capture their day and I know he had fun joking with the groom and groomsmen.

Their ceremony had a handfasting towards the end, which was new to me. I’ve never seen it worked with a wreath in the way that their officiant did it and thought it was really interesting – the wreath was twisted into an infinity symbol and then placed on their wrists, their fingers laced together. It was a beautiful visual symbol to have during the blessing of the marriage.

The flower girl and ring bearer were Kyle’s twins, Lily and Logan, and they were so adorable. Lily at one point stuck her tongue out during the ceremony and Logan was appropriately the most gorgeous man there, dishing out dashing smiles at every pretty girl he saw.

Amanda and Kyle, your whole day was so personalized and unique, so sweet and emotional. I was honored to be a part of it and wish you a lifetime of happiness, health, and the best of everything else!

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Connect With Samantha

To Inquire about Wedding Photography, Book a Boudoir Session or Portrait Session, please Contact Me!

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I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment! Thanks! xo

Nicki and Todd – your wedding was amazing! A vinyard and a brewery – what could be more fun!

This was my first winery wedding, and I am not exaggerating when I say the view was spectacular. The girls’ playful dresses and the parasols were perfect in this outdoor ceremony. The wedding colors were my favorite colors, so of course, I was giddy from the start. Everyone was so fun, and I can’t really thank Nicki and Todd enough for having me with them on their special day.

So – here we go! My favorite way to start – with shoes!

Getting laced into her dress-

They made the flowers!

The Groom hanging out before the ceremony (hey, it was at a winery!)-

The gorgeous flower girls-

The handsome ring bearer!

Everyone waiting on the Bride-

The Kiss!

And the GORGEOUS Husband and Wife!

The Beautiful Bride-

Chip gets to visit his mommy and daddy!

The big entrance-

I am partial, but I love Father/Daughter dances.

And Mother/Son dances too!

Oh yes he IS doing “Foxy Lady”…

Nicki and Todd, you and your families were all so gracious to me. Your wedding was absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much – and have an amazing honeymoon in Hawaii!

Emma and Owais knew it would be hot when they chose their August wedding date, but I don’t know if they knew just HOW HOT. I don’t think you can talk about the day without talking about the weather; it wasn’t just the heat that set the pace of the day, but the merciless humidity as well. It rained for all of about 5 minutes here and there while we were waiting on the ceremony to begin – which was good, because when you have an entire outdoor event planned, rain is the antithesis. However, I think we all were begging for a little relief, but the spot showers just made it steamier. Everyone, guests and wedding party alike, were soaked with sweat. And you know what? I actually loved it. Yeah I’m serious. It felt more rustic, and suited the environment so well. It added character to an already amazing day.

Emma and Owais had their ceremony at the stunning Lalumondiere Mill and Rivergardens in House Springs. I had never been and was completely astounded when I got to the property. It is LITERALLY an old mill, right on the river, and the gardens are amazing! Everything is landscaped and lush, rustic stone and wood – it is beautiful and being a junky for (my catchword of this blog) all things rustic, I was in heaven.

Here’s the “Birdcage” where the ceremony took place overlooking the river:

Emma got ready in the bridal suite upstairs (which blessedly had a window AC!) and had one of the most beautiful beds I’ve ever seen.

Emma’s mom, who was also the officiant for their wedding, cried as her daughter got into her dress.

The guys got ready down the hall. There was a jacket mix up but they got it figured out!

I am going to take this moment to say that my favorite color is turquoise blue (and all similar hues – robin’s egg, aqua, teal, peacock blue, etc). And Emma’s wedding color was all turquoise and I was absolutely in turquoise heaven. Look at her SHOES! To die for.

Emma and Owais did a ‘first look’ because their ceremony and reception were back to back, and this moment was so amazing. I know some Brides prefer the tradition of not seeing each other beforehand, but really there is no less emotion in the first moment you see each other all ready to commit your lives to each other – it is always emotional! <3

After this week took some photos of the Bride and Groom…

Then we got pictures of everyone. Oh – funny story. When I first met with Emma and Owais, and they were trying to choose a photographer, I mentioned how I’d love to do basically a comic book page collage of one of my grooms and groomsmen. I’m not sure if that’s why they chose me, but Owais was all over that idea. Here’s one of our photos for the comic book page.

And the beautiful ladies:

And some details:

The Best Man Tom made a red and a white wine for Emma and Owais’ wedding – how awesome! And my handiwork went on their labels! (one of Emma and Owais’ photos from their engagement session).

After photos and a little bit of chilling out in the Bridal suite upstairs (in the AC of course), the guests were all escorted down to the Birdcage and it was time to start the ceremony.

The Kiss!

The reception was so awesome. These two danced what I believe to be a waltz (and I could be way off) for their first dance and I was then completely in love with their love. Owais and Emma have one of the most quiet and respectful loves I have maybe ever witnessed. They are always laughing, and always so calm with each other. Being around them makes you feel like you just feel into a cupcake; sweet bliss!

Emma and Owais, thank you SO much for having me be a part of your wedding! I had so much fun sweating out in the heat with you and your friends and family! It was an amazing day at an amazing place – a thousand thank yous.

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Connect With Samantha

To Inquire about Wedding Photography, Book a Boudoir Session or Portrait Session, please Contact Me!

Visit My Website (Portfolio and More Information about Collections and Samantha)

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I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment! Thanks! xo

If you ever have the luck and pleasure to meet Terah and Derrick, one thing is for certain: you WILL walk away smiling. These two, especially when together, exude such joy, light and, dare I say it, silliness. Derrick has the most infectious sense of humor and Terah’s smile and laugh are so beautiful that it’s impossible to be in a bad mood around them. I experienced this a little bit during their engagement session (and from them I got one of my most favorite pictures EVER; they’re in the slideshow at the top of this page!) but there were so many spontaneous bursts of joy and laughter during the course of the wedding day that I came home feeling high on life and had to stop for a cherry limeade (one of my favorite things in the world) on the way.

Terah and Derrick were married at the Provincial House Chapel at UMSL, which you’ve seen on my blog before under a half foot of snow. On this achingly gorgeous June day, however, there was nothing but golden sunshine. The entire chapel was lit up with afternoon/early evening light and my, oh my… it haloed the entire event and everyone who stepped into the chapel. The girls were getting ready at the Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel, which is also where the reception was held. I had the opportunity to work with the very lovely Simonne and Jerry Bolla as well, who were handling videography for the event. (You should check them out! Click Here.)

I could go on forever about how amazing these two are. Seriously.

We started at the Sheraton, where Terah was helping Jordan, her ringbearer, get ready while all her bridesmaids got dolled up. We ended up taking Derrick’s present with us (that’s me and the Bollas), so when we all arrived at the chapel I tracked him down and made him open it.

Terah finished getting ready at the Chapel – her dress was PLATINUM. That’s right, silver. It was amazing on her! And look at those purple shoes!

We finally wrestled Derrick away from everyone to open his gift from Terah. It was a beautiful letter, that he did his best not to cry while he was reading, a sexy new watch, and socks – incase he got “cold feet”. Cute!

Terah had a gift from Derrick as well, and I had the pleasure of delivering it.

Here’s her reaction! It was a gorgeous little silver trinket box that had “Foxy Lady” engraved on the top!

After the gift exchanges, it was TIME! Here’s Derek waiting on his Bride:

These two are some of the most beautiful children I’ve ever seen!

Terah looks at her mom just before she joins arms with her to give her daughter away!

The Kiss!

(P.S. – I love these two pictures of them coming out of the chapel! That’s what I was talking about, always laughing, happy, smiling! Come on, I know you giggled when you saw them! Infectious!)

After the ceremony, the guests headed back to the Sheraton for cocktail hour, but we stuck around for some photos. Prepare yourself for some more of that same T&D Fox fabulousness. Ready?

Some of the finer details of the day:

Derrick’s Groom’s Cake. Terah surprised him with this! Derrick is a musician and teaches music, and she had this cake special made as a music stand, book of music, and a director’s baton. He LOVED it.

The Matron of Honor, Reem, tells us all how Derrick made the BFF and sister Checklist of Approval during her speech.

The Best Man, Derrick’s cousin Delarris, gives Derrick a little trouble during his toast.

First Dance!

Terah and her Father:

Derrick and his Mother:

Terah watching the same-day edit of her wedding video by the awesome Jerry Bolla:

Many, many Congratulations Terah and Derrick! It was such a pleasure working with you two, and your wedding day was an incredibly beautiful, joyous occasion. Here’s wishing you a lifetime of nothing but love and laughter!

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Connect With Samantha

To Inquire about Wedding Photography, Book a Boudoir Session or Portrait Session, please Contact Me!

Visit My Website (Portfolio and More Information about Collections and Samantha)

Facebook | Twitter

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I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment! Thanks! xo