It is no secret that architecture is one of my true passions! I love working in amazing venues throughout the world that inspire both the architect and photographer in me. But there is nothing more special than capturing a wedding at home. Add into that mix that the home is a jaw dropping historic house in the Central West End of St. Louis and I am one happy destination wedding photographer!

Jennifer and Tim’s at home wedding in St. Louis was a true 2020 wedding story. It was full of postponements, downsizing and changes but most importantly it all ended up resulting in the most perfect celebration. We worked with Kate of Kate + Company. You might remember this Aspen wedding we did with Kate last year. Certainly to say Kate is talented is an understatement! Kate seamlessly mastered all of the challenging logistics of a wedding at home all while designing and creating fabulous details throughout.

The celebration kicked off with one sweet detail! Working with Cheree Berry Paper, Kate and the couple dreamed up a save the date cake tasting. Guests received a cake tasting (with five different flavors!) and were asked to vote for their favorite. Cheree Berry Paper’s magic didn’t stop there but continued through the celebration from the invitation to the Italian themed welcome baskets to the sweet details on the kids table.

Destination Wedding Photographer’s Dream

The first look took place in the home’s stunning foyer. The space had classic checkerboard floor and a breathtaking floral installation on the staircase by Festive Couture Florals. The ceremony took place in the home’s front room in front of the fireplace with yet another amazing floral installation.

After that, guests made their way to the backyard for the reception with food stations for the guests to enjoy. The groom is part owner in a restaurant group in St. Louis so you know the food was flawless. The food station included a “Pop’s Pizza” set up as a nod to Sundays spent as a family making pizza in the backyard (complete with branded aprons and to-go boxes, of course). And Jennifer was certainly not left out with a piña colada bar featuring her famous recipe (which was also printed on the cocktail napkins).

Finally, the celebration continued with live music by the couple’s Nashville favorite and a surprise synchronized swimming performance. There may have been planning phases where Jennifer and Tim talked about Italy or Napa Valley or other amazing locations that make any destination wedding photographer grin but I have to say nothing beats this sweet, personal and oh so beautiful at home wedding.

See more of this stunning wedding on Carats and Cake in addition to the wedding you can see the behind the scenes feature here.

Wedding Vendors

Planning and Design Kate + Company
Stationery Cheree Berry Paper
Floral Festive Couture Floral
Catering 23 City Blocks Catering
Rentals BBJ Linen, Casa de Perrin and Décorum
Synchronized Swimmers Aquabatix via Contemporary Productions
Beauty Fleur de Lis and Heather B. Beauty
Hangover Cure Fresh Infusions
Transportation JED Transportation
Kids Table McKinley River Events
Tent and Rentals Premier Party Rentals
Music Stephen Paul
Cake The Cakery
Men’s Attire The Tailored Gents
Restrooms VIP Restrooms

When Vidhya and Kishore couldn’t travel to India for their Indian palace wedding (after already postponing the wedding three times), they decided to bring India to the United States. With only 4 weeks to plan their 3 day wedding weekend nonetheless.

Firstly, the couple needed a venue and fell in love with The Olana. A mansion on the outskirts of Dallas, TX. The mansion’s vast grounds, fountains, pools, and chandeliers mirrored the European influences of the palaces in India.

The couple have both lost their mothers but they were able to bring them into the wedding celebrations. They used their moms as the inspiration for the design. The couple worked with an amazing team of vendors to create three unique and beautiful events. Similarly, the couple’s attire for each celebration matched the design and set the tone for the weekend.

Indian Wedding Style

As a tribute to Vidhya’s mother’s wedding dress, the couple selected pale green colors for the ceremony. Therefore, the bride wore a custom green lehenga gown. She paired the gown with a gold necklace and earrings with uncut diamonds, emeralds, and pearls. She completed the look gold bangles.

Secondly, for their pre-wedding celebrations at the bride’s family home, Vidhya wore a yellow floral saree by Varun Bahl and a silk saree by Gaurang. The groom wore both modern mustard and a traditional white kurta.

Finally, for the evening Sangeet, the florist Prashe created a chic oasis with a custom emerald green dance floor. To match the bohemian vibe, the bride wore a Payal Singhal gown paired with a top by Cinq a Sept. The groom wore a blue sherwani embroidered with the wedding date. Even though the wedding was not what the couple initially planned it was a weekend to remember.

Vendor Team

Wedding Planner: Electric Karma | Venue: The Olana | Floral: Prashe, Joche W. Events and Vivek Flowers | Catering: Peacock Elite | Sangeet Venue: Renaissance Plano Legacy West | Hair: Tease to Please Hair | Makeup: Maitee Miles | Dessert: The Jenny Layne Bakery | Ceremony Music: Shehnai Guy | DJ: Dhol Beat International | Dance Floor: Prashe Wedding Decor and Bridal | Paper: Lyons Paperie

Wedding Attire

Haldi Attire: Antar and Agni, Varun Bahl, Gaurang Shah and Manish Malhotra
Sangeet Attire: Cinq a Sept, Payal Singhal, Jimmy Choo, Kunal Rawal and Gucci
Wedding Attire: Sabyasachi, Jimmy Choo and Anushree Reddy

Aspen just might be our favorite Colorado wedding town, and that’s saying a lot because there are so many great places in Colorado for a wedding. This was our first wedding in Aspen and I’m sure there are many more to come.

This adventuring couple, Emma & Andrew, were a great fit for us for so many reasons. They happen to be from the DC area and Andrew is an architect! Why does that matter? It just does. Their amazing wedding planner, EKS Events, who we met in Dubai at an Engage Summit, connected us to Emma & Andrew.

The couple’s vision for their Colorado wedding weekend was unique, personal and entirely reflective of them. The weekend started on Wednesday with horseback riding and whitewater rafting for their friends and family who were able to arrive early.

Sunrise at the Maroon Bells

The couple is clearly smart! They planned an early morning sunrise portrait session on the Thursday before the wedding. This accomplished a few things – one, they saved portrait time on their wedding day. And two, they got photos at one of the most beautiful locations in Aspen or even all of Colorado, the Maroon Bells. I suppose there is a third benefit of having sunrise on their side, which is the best lighting and also the least busy time of day for a photoshoot. Above all, this sunrise session in Maroon Bells in Aspen is one of my all time favorites! Emma’s blue dress against the mountains at sunrise will always feel like a dream.

That brings us to Friday, the rehearsal dinner at the Viceroy in Snowmass. In true Emma and Andrew style, the dinner was a casual party under a beautiful sailcloth tent. Tons of lawn games, picnic style food and Contra-dancing were the highlights of the evening. All set with the beautiful backdrop of the Colorado mountains.

Mountaintop Wedding Ceremony

By the time Saturday came around, we were all ready for a unique and experiential wedding. The morning of the wedding day was casual, with only family around as the bridal party. Emma had purchased a pair of overalls to get ready in and then she wore to the top of the Gondola at Snowmass Village. Once at the top, she changed into a beautiful blue dress. Andrew and the guys went on some sort of adventure in the morning, but were ready and on time (a photographer’s dream).

The ceremony was all the way at the top of the mountain and required the guests to take a chairlift up the hill. The couple also arrived on the chairlift (only a Colorado wedding, right?). After that trip up the mountain the guests arrive to the ceremony site. EKS Events designed the ceremony setting inspired by a “ghost chapel”. Framed by windows and a doorway, the ceremony site was intimate but also incredibly impactful.

Following the ceremony, the reception was set with long family style tables and dinner was a good old fashioned buffet. Finally, late at night, there was an astronomer with a huge telescope for guests to do some late night star gazing. We were over the moon to be a part of this wedding and can’t wait for many more in such a beautiful part of this state we love.

Aspen Colorado Wedding Vendors

Wedding Planner: EKS Events
Florist: Aspen Branch Design
Venues: Aspen Snowmass and Viceroy Snowmass
Videographer: Red Mountain Productions
Hair and Makeup: Alchemy Creative
Catering: ASC Catering & Events
Musicians: Silver City Strings

When having a wedding in the summer in Aspen, it only makes sense to do a Colorado engagement shoot at a totally different time of the year. Ideally, in the fall when the Aspen trees of Colorado are at their loveliest. And that’s exactly what this couple did!

The couple, from California, are getting married at the lovely The Little Nell in Aspen. We linked up with them during one of their wedding planning trips in October. We all kept our fingers crossed that the Aspen trees would stay in their full fall foliage. There is a narrow gap between a brilliant yellow background and dead sticks in the mountains but luck was on our side.

We kicked off this Colorado engagement shoot at the Guanella Pass Brewery in Georgetown, Colorado. I always recommend starting an engagement photo shoot with some liquid courage. Not only does a drink help calm your nerves but it helps us get to know each out. We love capturing our couple’s engagement shoots. But also love using that time to get to know them so they are even more calm on the wedding day.

After getting comfortable with each other, we all headed up the pass to look for some scenic spots along the way. Being Colorado, there were many! And we were able to get a variety of backgrounds and some really sweet moments between these two.

Colorado Engagement Shoot Outfit Ideas

We also encouraged the couple to plan for a couple different outfits. They started out with him in a casual slack and shit look. And she wore a classic simple black dress and an adorable hat (it is Colorado after all!). We finished up the shoot with a more formal look but still mountain appropriate. He wore a jacket and she wore a stunning pleated skirt that pop with all of the mountain green.

Weddings in Colorado are not like weddings anywhere else, especially an Aspen, Colorado wedding! At an Aspen wedding you can literally get married at the most photographed place in North America. And that’s what this couple did! Once K&B’s plans were postponed due to COVID-19, they decided to elope at Maroon Bells in Aspen, Colorado.

This couple lives in St. Louis, Missouri. So you might ask how do we know them and how did we end up photographing their Aspen, Colorado wedding? We know this sweet couple through our lovely friends, Kate & Co, incredible wedding planners in St. Louis. Kate & Co helped pull together this elopement for the couple in less than 3 weeks! Talk about rockstar planners!

Not to mention, Maroon Bells is not an easy place to get to. You can’t just show up and hope for good weather. First of all, you must purchase a parking pass to access the Maroon Bells. These parking passes are extremely popular, so they tend to sell out very quickly. As with any new, tricky, unknown location, we visited the Maroon bells to scout the area ahead of time. We always ensure that we know all the rules before the wedding day.

We were lucky enough to score not only a parking pass but a beautiful day for a wedding! K&B said their vows nestled among the trees next to a beautiful stream. After the ceremony, we took K&B around the Maroon Bells for more portraits. And, of course, a champagne toast.

If COVID has taught us anything it is to not overlook the small intimate celebrations. We feel honored each and every time our clients allow us to be a part of any celebration, big or small.

Aspen Colorado Wedding Vendors

Planning & Design: Kate & Co. Florist: Amy Lauren Floral Design Flower Farm: Blossom & Branch Flower Farm Hair + Makeup: Elwynn + Cass Beauty Concierge Service Hotel: The Little Nell Officiant: Reverend Scott Awbrey