kathy and tim put their hearts and souls into their wedding. they made it THEIRS. too many people get wrapped up in all the should dos instead of the i do.

their love and laughter was overflowing.

for their "first look," kathy and tim wanted something with personality- kathy coming out of a whale, perhaps? for their last look of the evening, they swung from ropes. we can't ask for more fabulous clients, especially when THEY are the ones to suggest they swing from a rope.

the first father/daughter dance was amazing- not a slow dance (that was their second), but a fast-paced, well choreographed number. later on, the parents surprised k + t with another performance, chorus line style. at least a dozen of their friends and family members rocked out in sparkly gold hats. it was magnificent.

family flew in from around the world to join them on their big day. that's how special they are.

some favorites and a slideshow:

the candy bar created by bridesmaid, erica...






kathy's beautiful bouquet...





kathy's mom AND dad walked her down the aisle. i LOVE it!











the best father/daughter dance i have EVER seen...



and the chorus line number... kathy and tim surrounded by dancing love!

Labels: CityMuseumStLouis, KathyTim, slideshows, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings

yesterday, as the floats were rolling, the beer was pouring and the unmentionables were exposing at mardi gras in soulard, we were busy celebrating the equally fun nuptials of liz and rob- our first 2008 wedding! and what a way to start the year- with lots of irish catholic goodness!

liz and rob, you both looked stunning yesterday and you were a blast to photograph. you were great sports at every turn. we've never been in the middle of a snowball fight on a wedding day before, but liz, you didn't even flinch!

wedding party, you guys also rocked! rebecca and connie, i doubt we will ever see such an award-winning bouquet grab. i smile every time i think of it.

and families, thank you for making our jobs easy by being incredibly friendly, welcoming and easy going.

as always, scroll down through a few favorites to reach the slideshow. press the little arrow on the bottom left of the window to start the show.

and show some blog love!!!

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, LizandRob, slideshows, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings

two emilys in a month! two weeks ago, i shot with the fabulous joanna kleine again. the ceremony was at the amazing sts. peter and paul church in soulard, one of the most beautiful churches in st. louis. the access for a photographer is a dream, with pews organized in a circle around the altar. the reception was at windows on washington, another incredible space. the day was flawlessly coordinated by sabrina torti of proposing dreams. congratulations emily + mike!

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, EmilyAndMike, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings

as promised, here's the slideshow from roma + justin's phenomenal celebration we shot a couple of weeks ago with randy solomon. i have never seen more color (or more guests @ 500!) in an event. it was just incredible- one of those days chockablock with A-HA! photographic moments. adam giggled at me the few times he heard me make a noise when i knew i had something great.

a few favs are below and please scroll down for the slideshow.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, IndianWedding, IndianWeddingStLouis, RomaAndJustin, slideshows, StLouisIndianWedding, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings

the details, the emotion, and the heart and soul that went into this wedding made it one incredible day. weddings these days can be a little cookie cutter. since we are not cookie cutter photographers, i especially love when couples really put themselves into their big day- you see it in emily's beautiful dress detailed with black beading and the hilariously wonderful kiss groom's cake and matching life-sized kiss cutout. emily and dennis, you are both amazing and we thank you for choosing us to be a part of such a amazing celebration.

a few favorites and a slideshow are below. show some blog love and leave a comment!!

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, EmilyAndDennis, slideshows, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings

i LOVE weddings with personality. emily and dennis threw one fabulous celebration, complete with a life sized cut out of KISS and a surprise KISS groom's cake. you guys rock and we're so glad we were there to be a part of your day. stay tuned for a fabulous slideshow, but in the meantime, below is quite possibly my favorite wedding photo EVER.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, EmilyAndDennis, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings

this is a long one from last week's amazingly classic and beautiful day with mike and rebecca for the fabulous joanna kleine extraordinaire. joanna and i barely missed each other at mizzou journalism and have been chatting and emailing for some time. it was great to finally shoot together! it was a beautiful ceremony at ladue chapel (i LOVE churches with great natural light) and an incredible reception at chase park plaza on top of the world.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, MikeAndRebecca, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, HeatherAndBrian, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings

7 p.m. 07.07.07
the kansas city star reported that 65,000 weddings took place last saturday. i had the pleasure of photographing tina and david's beautiful day in kc with stephen seward. the ceremony and reception took place at the gorgeous webster house , a historic schoolhouse-cum-antique store and restaurant where kathy done and brad ozias (special events manager and food and beverage director respectively) took impeccable care of everyone.
i've been feeling quite sentimental about black and white film lately and missing my darkroom days, so you'll notice this show is predominantly b&w. this day was just so classy and classic that b&w was a great way to tell the story. you can press play at the bottom left to start the slideshow.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, slideshows, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings

a wedding photographer?

here are some things to ask your photographer or to keep in mind while on your quest for what should be one of the most important parts of your wedding day. the dress is worn once. the tux goes back to the rental shop. the cake gets eaten. but your photographs preserve your memories to cherish for a lifetime. that said, hire the best photographer you can afford and don't have regrets.

so, here are some things to consider.
*LOVE the photography. ask to see complete weddings. it is easy for someone to get one good shot from every wedding, however, can your photographer consistently make beautiful and compelling images, strong in emotion and well composed?
*LOVE the photographer. would you hang out with him or her on weekends? the stronger the rapport, the stronger the images. hire someone you like.
*make sure s/he communicates well, responding promptly to any phone calls or emails.
*know what you are getting. see album samples and understand what is included in your package. do you want two photographers covering your day (great to get different angles, coverage of bride and groom getting ready, etc.)? do you want an album? high resolution digital files? online ordering of prints? printed proofs?
*what is the cost of prints afterwards? they are likely more expensive than you expect. professional photographers use professional labs. our cost for color corrected prints is significantly more than what can be purchased at walmart, so the retail price ends up being higher as well.
*understand the timeline. when will online galleries be posted? how long does album design take? do i choose photos, does the photographer or do we work together?
*will sales tax be included or is that an additional cost? missouri sales tax laws for photographers are wishy washy, but if a tangible product is included, i.e. album, prints, or even digital files on a CD or DVD, your photographer should be collecting and reporting sales tax to the government. this means he or she is registered with a sales tax ID.
*what kind of equipment does your photographer use? is it professional grade? for canon, that means EOS 5D, and 1D camera bodies with L series lenses. the 20D and 30D are considered prosumer bodies and are used by many. obviously it is the eye behind the lens that makes the pictures, so a professional camera does not necessary equal a good picture, but it does mean the photographer has made a serious investment in his/her business.
*does s/he have backup gear in case of a malfunction? ideally, every photographer should have two camera bodies and a variety of lenses.
*how are files stored? are they backed up?
*does your photographer have a commercial insurance policy for his/her equipment that includes liability?
*if applicable, does your photographer have a business license. they are required in the city of st. louis.
*in what kind of style are you interested? photojournalism (a focus on candid imagery, with little photographer intervention), traditional (formal, classicly posed portraits), fashion, a combination? what are the strengths of your photographer? many people call themselves photojournalists, but are they able to capture honest emotion well and keep up with the fast pace of undirected events?

lots of things to think about, but it's an important decision. don't have regrets.

prices vary hugely. if you think it's too good to be true, it probably is. however, sometimes when people are just starting out, they are not yet aware of their actual cost, both financially and in terms of time, to photograph a wedding, so it is possible to hire an inexpensive, but solid shooter. just do your research.

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings

last weekend i had the opportunity to second shoot monica and pat's jewel box wedding with stephen seward . it was a great time, despite the torrential downpour! pat and monica were great sports and kudos to stephen for getting the car out of a precarious parking spot.

brides and grooms, make sure you leave time for a trip to ted drewes on your wedding day! the whole wedding party gets free custard. how fabulous is that???

Labels: BentonParkPhotographyCo, MonicaAndPat, slideshows, StLouisWeddingPhotographers, weddings