Washington-Borrego Wedding: A sweet journey

I was so excited to photograph Traci and Fernando's wedding, my fabulous friends, that I don't think I was able to put the camera down at any moment in time.

There are cute couples, yes, and then there are cute couples who are your wonderful friends that you have watched grow from the sweet, "do you think he/she likes me?" stage to "I'm going to ask her to marry me" with God's blessings every step of the way. It has been nothing short of an honor and joy to see God's handiwork in bringing these two people together, and even more of a privilege to do my very best to capture not only their love, but their story.

I just had to shoot this wedding party at my favorite spots in Forest Park, in St. Louis, MO (Traci and I had every photography detail worked out almost a month before the wedding). It had been raining all week (gotta love St. Louis "winters" - rain???) so the ground was a bit wet. Well, Fernando being the fabulous gentlemen that he is whisked his lovely bride off the ground and carried her to our destination with a huge smile on his face. I mean really, who wouldn't marry a guy like that! Despite our sunny dispositions it was freezing outside, hence the numerous coats and blankets. We often had to stay wrapped up until we were all in place for the shot, and then quickly disrobe, think of a warm and sunny place so the goosebumps would subside, and then do it all over again. This was an amazing group - we really had a good time!

For my last wedding in St. Louis for the 2009 season, I could not have gone out with a better bang than these two. While you enjoy a SLIDESHOW of our time together, I'll be shooting!

Leslie

Terrence & Latashia Ingram~A Journey Back To Each Other

I remember meeting Latashia almost a year ago as she began planning her wedding, and I was very excited by her excitement! Due to her future husband's service in the military we weren't able to have their engagement photos done until about 3 weeks before the wedding at Tower Grove Park (which is one of my new favorite places to shoot), but we got them done and had a great time. The weather was perfect, the company superb, and Terrence looked stunning in his gray pants and Tasha simply amazing in her heels (inside jokes).


Finally the big day came - the picture perfect outdoor wedding was planned, but true to form, the weather in St. Louis was unpredictable, but we still had a great day. The wedding was supposed to be outside at Logan Chiropractic School, however the rain came and despite our efforts to wait it out, the ceremony was moved into the auditorium and the show went on. The minister's message couldn't have been more on point as she spoke of marriage requiring flexibility, compromise and the willingness to still have a good attitude. This supportive crowd of family and friends, all decked in black and white, were nothing short of supportive as they celebrated with this very cute couple.


The reception was held at the Lumen, in downtown St. Louis, and was simply stunning in its decor, decked out by vendors such as BBJ Linen. And there was an amazing old school candy shoppe for the guests - truly no detail was left undone.

Here is a slideshow of our time together.

Enjoy!

Leslie

Summer in St. Louis

To say that I'm far behind in posting would be an understatement unless one believes 4 to 5 months is no big deal (smile). But, nonetheless, I have certainly been shooting, a lot, amongst a host of other things, and am finally stationary long enough to update!!!

Where to begin?? Well, we'll start with the summer and make this my summer update. This was certainly the summer for family portraits, which was really fun - and I was able to travel to various parts of St. Louis like Forest Park and St. Peters Rec Plex, and some which were new to me like various parts of St. Louis University's campus and South City, to capture these family moments.

The best part about family portraits is really the kids - you have absolutely no idea what will intrigue them in the setting you are in, and that really makes for a fun time. Will they be intrigued by a branch, a rock, a stick . . . your camera . . . (yikes!) Or will I once again be "forced" to act like a complete goof to get that million dollar smile and laugh, all the while trying not to laugh myself and actually do my job which is capture that moment.

Enjoy the pictures!!!!

Leslie

Jamal & Melba - Nigeria bound

I I recently had the honor and privilege to shoot alongside a dear colleague and friend, Lance Thurman, for the May 6, 2009, engagement session of Jamal and Melba. All four of us really had a good time during this shoot in Tower Grove Park in St. Louis, Mo. This couple was so fun, our cameras couldn't take the pictures fast enough.

This first picture is my favorite - I can't really put it into words why. Its rare that I have a hard time finding any words for anything, but this picture is so sweet to me. The picture initially had their heads in it (smile), but there was something sweet and perfect about their hands and body positions, that I had to make that the focus. Its what I imagine "first love" looks like, I guess.

The couple is getting married in August and then will be off to live in Nigeria for some amazing job opportunities!!! I wish them the best of luck!!

Leslie

God Bless the Broken Road - Toni & Richard, April 25, 2009

Well, though they have been married for almost two months now (I know, so late I am), I had to share the fun pictures of Toni and Richard's wedding!! Toni and Richard are a super fun couple, and Toni and I just hit it off from our first meeting in February (yeah, she was late too, lol).


The wedding was at Harmonie Church in Innsbrook, Missouri, with the reception at the Yacht Club of St. Louis in St. Charles. My most memorable moment was actually the song played during her first dance, "Bless the Broken Road." I'd heard it before, but never really heard it - and once I actually listened to the words as I captured their first dance I thought it was amazing! It has been one of "my songs" since their wedding.

bless the broken road - selah

Enjoy the song, and enjoy the pictures!

Leslie

COCAcabana 2009!!!!

If you missed COCAcabana 2009, you missed a great party!! From the COCA's website "Guests [were] transported back to the ego-driven world of 1960s New York - the sexy, stylized and provocative era of Madison Avenue advertising; a time when the age of Camelot was in full swing, the Rat Pack was having ultimate cocktail parties and everyone 'just met a girl named Maria.' The event [was] themed after the multi-award winning television series Mad Men," and the special guest star from the show, Jon Hamm, made this SOLD OUT event one to remember!

To enjoy and purchase images from the event click on the link below:
It's rare the photographer gets to be in the photo, but couldn't resist this opportunity!

Event Co-Chairs: Patti & Tim Hand, Arlene Maminta Browne & Stanley Browne, David Schmid, Cary Schneithorst Wolfner

COCAcabana is COCA's annual spring fundraiser known for creative themes and festive atmosphere. COCAcabana includes cocktails, auction, dinner and dancing.

Funds raised at COCAcabana support COCA's multidisciplinary programs including the COCA Family Theatre Series, educational classes and workshops in dance, music, drama, and visual arts for all ages, and contemporary art exhibits in the Millstone Gallery. COCA's award-winning outreach program, Urban Arts, provides free arts education to low-income students throughout St. Louis. For more information or to RSVP, contact Peggy Ward: pward@cocastl.org or (314) 725-1834 x105.

COCA | 524 Trinity Ave. | St. Louis, MO 63130 | (314) 725-6555 | Fax (314) 725-6222

Busy Busy Week!

This was a wonderfully (is that a word??) busy week with an engagement shoot of Toni and Richard as the evening set in Forest Park, to their wedding a few days later (we were a bit delayed with the engagement pictures because of the rain, but they were engaged longer than 2 days - lol), to Kelsey's senior photo shoot in Carondelet Park (she is gorgeous!),

and topping it off with the Meuret maternity/family shoot at Studio Altius (and this family was too adorable!!).

I was busy but had a blast with each person!! Enjoy the pictures and more to come!!

Leslie