Valerie + Jon Married! St. Louis Wedding Photography

I met Valerie + Jon on a (relatively) cool Sunday morning in July.  They had planned a lovely intimate brunch wedding, so I suggested we meet at Lafayette Park at 8 a.m. to catch some of that beautiful morning light and attempt to beat the heat.  Since they never got a chance to do engagement photos, we decided to use this time for couple portraits.  Not only was the light great and the temperature a little more reasonable, but the park was practically deserted so I didn't have to worry about curious onlookers getting in the background of the photos :)  I think Lafayette Park is my new favorite place to shoot!  Afterward, we headed over to the Missouri Botanical Garden where the ceremony was to take place.  After the ceremony, they hosted a delicious brunch for family and close friends at the Spink Pavilion.  I have to say it was a nice change to be done working at 2 pm!  Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Mansfield and thanks for including me in your special day!

This one was so sweet!

They're adorable...

Love the light in this one...

This is one of my favorites.  What do you think of the faded colors?

The gorgeous bride:

The happy bride:

We borrowed someone's front steps for these shots - I don't think they were home!

Chihuly Sculptures in the Botanical Gardens...

Love this one... so sweet!

They were crying happy tears.

Valerie's eyes look absolutely gorgeous here!

Their cake topper was super cute, hand made masterpiece.  It looked just like them!  I had to use it for some ring shots:

A new twist on the guest book - put your thumb print on the tree!  Love it!

Seems like every wedding I've photographed, the toasts are hilarious!  (Just remember your notes.)

Their rings on the Chihuly sculpture... so pretty!