Angie + Bobby tied the knot at St. John Nepomuk Chapel in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 4, 2014. After hitting up Forest Park for portraits (which included free custard for the entire bridal party at the legendary Ted Drewes), Angie + Bobby partied into the night at their reception at The Sheldon Concert Hall. Read the Q&A with the couple below to learn more about their downtown St. Louis wedding and photography experience!

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1. What was your favorite moment from the day? 

Seeing each other as I was walking down the aisle. Bobby got emotional and it was a really touching moment that we shared.

2. What was most important to you in planning your wedding?

The most important thing to us was to make it personal to who we are as a couple but also to make sure everyone was going to have a great time at the reception. We wanted to make sure we threw a fun party

3. What was the biggest challenge?

Biggest challenge by far was the ever-changing guest list. Everything else was so simple by comparison. Bobby and I 100% agreed on all the big important things so that was a success.

4. What factors other than photos went into your decision on a wedding photographer? Why did you decide to pick me?

Well a big part of it was to have someone who had a connection to us and so it was just perfect since I’ve known Courtney since we were kids. Our moms are best friends and have been since college, so Courtney came highly recommended and her work really is amazing from what I’d seen online. It was an easy decision, and we were not disappointed.

5.  What’s next for you as a couple?

Next step is to move and buy a house and become homeowners. So excited for that next step so our dogs can finally have a fenced backyard to run around in and so we can finally have a permanent address.

6. Anything else you’d like to add about your wedding or photography experience?

Both the planning and the day goes by in the blink of an eye, so we are so blessed and grateful to have had such a wonderful photographer to capture those moments for us so we can remember and treasure the day forever. Cannot thank you enough.

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Angie + Bobby, thank you for inviting me to document your day. It’s always special to photograph family friends, and returning to my hometown made this wedding even more memorable for me.  I hope you enjoy these photos for the years to come!

To view all of Angie + Bobby’s wedding photos and order prints, please visit their gallery on my online print shop.

A shout-out to all our fab vendors for making this day possible:

Bride and Bridesmaids Dresses: Clarice’s Bridal

Flower Girl Dresses: David’s Bridal

Groom’s Clothing: Savvi Formalwear

Florist: Schnucks Florist

Cake: Lubeley’s Bakery

Catering: Catering Your Way by Lisa

DJ: TKO DJs

Transportation: Corporate Transportation

Hotel: Hilton at the Ballpark

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Despite the nearly sub-zero weather, we all had a lot of fun shooting at Forest Park St. Louis. (For you North Carolina readers who are unfamiliar with the Midwest: Forest Park is St. Louis’s biggest park and home to some amazing attractions that I frequented in my childhood- the Saint Louis Zoo and the Saint Louis Art Museum topping my list. Surprisingly, it is larger than Central Park in Manhattan!) We spent most of our time on Art Hill and also shot some fun photos on the wooded running trail along Skinker Road (which is where Katy and Tim had their first kiss!)

I had so much fun rediscovering this part of Forest Park and taking a break from shooting in the same old places in North Carolina. Katy & Tim are a naturally affectionate and effervescent couple, so they didn’t need any direction from me, which always makes shooting fun.

Katy & Tim, thank you so much for hiring me to do your engagement photos. I had a lot of fun working with you and gallivanting throughout Forest Park in the cold. I hope you weren’t too frozen after our shoot!  I hope these photos capture your joyful spirits and love for one another!

Prints from this session AVAILABLE HERE!

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Stephanie is the younger sister of Lindsay, whose bridal portraits I took on a volcano in New Mexico last summer.  They both have the same beautiful curly blonde hair and are extremely fun to be around.  Stephanie and I spent our shoot laughing about all the (innocent) mischief we got in together when kids, like throwing ice from the balcony of Aquaport and making collages of awkward-looking kids from band camp.  Stephanie and Lindsay shared the same warped humor of my own sister and I, and they remain some our favorite people to hang out with and just be ourselves.

Stephanie and I walked around Creve Couer Lake in all its desolate glory at sunset for her shoot.  The sun slowly descended from the sky into the train tracks on the horizon, and it made for a really beautiful scene.

Stephie (as my mom would call you!), thanks for hanging with me last night and letting me shoot with you!  You and Lindsay need to come to North Carolina for some beach adventures at one of the many lighthouses we talked about.  And remember:  it’s not polite to throw ice!

Enjoy!

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I had heard a lot about David, but it was fun to be able to meet him and shoot with this unique couple.  Even though they have dated for about a year-and-a-half, for the majority of their relationship they have lived in different countries:  Lauren in Korea and David in China (or America).  Lauren recently returned from her time abroad as an English teacher, and she and David now have had to learn how to be a couple in the same city. I loved seeing their deep appreciation for one another’s presence, since it was still a newfound thing and not taken for granted by either of them.

There’s nothing I love more than photographing close friends.  Not only are those images cherished by them, but they become a part of my own personal history, tokens of my meandering journey throughout this life. Lauren and David, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your story and have a random adventure in St. Louis.  La, it was such a joy to catch up with you after all these years. Your depth, honesty, and humor lifted me out of my February blues.    Love you so much!

Enjoy!

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The next third of the year was a rebirth of my business.  I quit my previous work with Cana Collective and decided to go solo, focusing solely on weddings and personal projects.  This decision preceded the Santa Fe Workshops with Chris Buck– which truly was a rebirth.  I shed a lot of tears at thisportrait & lighting workshop, and even some clothes. I put aside some of my photojournalistic habits and experimented with conceptual art photography.  Chris pushed me beyond my comfort zone, encouraging me to put more of my own self and psychology into my work–which meant facing some demons. My final project was designed by Chris to help me identify and face my fears related to photography in a studio-lit self portrait. This was the hardest assignment I have ever done–and also the most fulfilling.  These photos have become and Ebenezer of sorts for me.  Something inside me really changed with the final open and close of the shutter.

That workshop really set the stage for the last third of the year and the attitude I would have towards my work. One of the first big changes I made was to consciously surround myself with other creative photographers and artists.  One of the best things about Santa Fe was collaborating with other photographers and playing off of one another’s strengths.  So I started shooting more with UNC photo kids and really investing in developing a mentorship program for young photographers. My first intern ever, Maria Van Aalst, “graduated” from our little Durham home at the close of summer, but I continue to shoot with her.  When the leaves finally fell and I continued to miss Maria’s presence, I decided to start a new high school internship program for the talented Layson Peters.  I also set out on a new top-secret endeavor with a brilliant photographer, but since it’s top-secret right now you won’t hear about it until the start of 2013!  All of this collaboration has really infused me with the energy I need to bring something “fresh” to my work.

The main change that the workshop instilled in me, however, was to really focus on making pictures where my voice comes through, rather than a focus on technical elements.  I am still proud of my photos that have pretty light and beautiful compositions, but I’m trying to use those elements to really say something about how I see the world. Focusing more on portraiture has been a catalyst for achieving this.  I’ve cut out a lot of video and multimedia work from my life this year, and it’s freed me up really push the limits of my camera and vision.

The following photos are some of my favorite portraits from 2012 where my voice comes through a bit stronger than in previous years.

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