Julia's Photo Blog

My first wedding of 2013 fell on the most perfect spring day imaginable… the flowering trees were in full bloom and the temperatures were lovely.  Since Gen & Scott happened to schedule their engagement session on the most perfect FALL day imaginable… I couldn’t help but compliment her amazing timing!  The day started out with the girls getting ready at Gen’s parents house and Scott and his guys getting dressed at the Hilton downtown. The atmosphere at the girls house was relaxed and fun, with lots of laughter and goofing around (my favorite thing was that the family dog was chilling on the couch in a bowtie when I got there! :).  To avoid risking being seen in her dress, we all headed over to the church, the Shrine of St. Joseph, for Gen to put her dress on there right before the ceremony. It was a full room with both moms, Gen’s grandmother, and all her girls there to help her get ready.  She made a gorgeous bride… D’Shannon Llewellyn and Jane Frederick did a wonderful job on hair and makeup.  Gen was picture of elegance, and Scott’s face as she walked up the aisle and he saw her for the first time was absolutely priceless!  

Following the ceremony we made a quick stop by the Arch for a few pictures and then went to Tower Grove Park, where we spent the rest of our time LOVING the beautiful flowering trees. What a perfect backdrop for such a romantic occasion!  Then we headed over to Kemoll’s, The Top of the Met, probably the reception venue with the very best view in town! The room looked AMAZING. In addition to the gorgeous bouquets, Bloomin’ Buckets did a phenomenal job on the floral centerpieces. The linens by Sitting Pretty, the stationary by Paper Patch, and the deliciously pretty cake by Lubely’s and candy and snack bar… everything was just perfect!  And following the lovely toasts and delicious dinner, the dance floor was packed all night thanks to the great music by the Everyday People Band.  You really couldn’t have asked for a better team of vendors, and I was amazed at how Gen and her mom brought everything together. The day was gorgeous, and of course the most beautiful thing about it to me was the obvious joy and love shared between Gen & Scott and all their family and friends who came together to celebrate with them! Thank you for asking me to be a part of such a wonderful occasion. Congratulations again to the newlyweds!

Last April I had the pleasure of photographing Mike & Becky’s beautiful wedding, complete with unexpected storms, tornado warnings, guests being sent to the venue basement to wait out the sirens, and a hail storm that led to a rather epic ring shot on a golf ball sized piece of hail (gotta say… one of my favorite ring shots ever!). Mike & Becky were troopers; rolling with whatever came, keeping their sense of humor, enjoying their day and each other, full of love and laughter.  Sound like the kind of people who would make good parents?  I think so too. :)  So I was SO excited when the couple came to pick up their wedding album and told me THEY had a picture to show to me, and they pulled out their ultrasound shot of tiny Baby Hellrich. And I was even more excited when I finally got to see Becky glowing and seven months along for their maternity session. The session was on a gorgeous spring day, and I loved that they brought the baby’s first pair of Chucks (a long time favorite shoe of Mike… I believe he has a pair in every color under the sun)!  I am so happy that I get to share in the next big step in this wonderful couple’s journey… this time into parenthood! Here are a few of my favorites from their session. Look for newborn pictures very soon!

On one of the last cold days before the winter weather finally broke for good this year, I had a blast doing an engagement session with gorgeous couple, Lindsey and Drew. The height difference between petite little Lindsey and her college basketball player fiance, Drew, is enough to make you think of Peter Pan & Tinker Bell (which is kind of perfect, incidentally, since these lovebirds are both Disney-obsessed!).  It was very cute to see him scoop her up and kiss her like she weighed nothing at all!  We did a few pictures in the Central West End area before heading to Forest Park for the rest of their session. Lindsey and Drew were whispering and laughing together the whole time; they were so playful and cute together- they made my job super easy, and of course they made me very excited to share in their big day in June!  Here are a few of my favorites from their session. Enjoy!

Every year I have one or two awesome clients who want to do something really different for a session, and so we decide to wait for snow.  They kind of have me on call, more or less, for when there is a good snowfall that will photograph well, knowing that we may not even get that perfect snowfall when we are both available for the session.  Amy & Luke lucked out with a perfect, beautiful wintery day; the sun was out so it wasn’t too frigid outside, and the snow was still on the ground.  They were absolute troopers during the session, not complaining at all about getting cold, even though they opted out of wearing any heavy coats or gloves for most of it! I loved Amy’s stylish outfit choices and super cute hat (and of course Luke didn’t look too shabby either!). My favorite thing about wintery photo sessions are that couples have lots of extra incentive to snuggle up and keep each other warm; so these two lovebirds were cuddled up and cute for the whole session, and we had a blast playing in the snow! Here are a few of my favorites. I can’t wait for their wedding next week!

There is something so very special about being the first to capture professional, beautiful portraits of a new life, and I loved meeting little baby Tommy for the first time.  He’s such an adorable little guy- for a part of the session he was bright eyed, awake, and curious, and of course when he was a little sleepyhead he was absolutely precious!  He obviously already has mom and dad wrapped around his little finger!  I am really looking forward to seeing this sweet babe again in a few months!!! Here are a few favorites from his newborn session. Welcome to the world, baby Tommy!

There is just no denying it… I get attached to the little ones, especially when I get to photograph them more than once and see them growing up.  Stephen is one of my favorite little baby models… There just aren’t words for how much I adore this little guy!  His big blue eyes, his wispy blonde hair, his adorable expressions, and his super sweet personality….. what’s not to love?  So doing his one year old session was a lot of fun, especially with his very classic little boy’s denim overalls and hat (which fit in perfectly at the old train depot in St. Charles!), and his precious springy green farm-themed corduroy overalls. Cute, Cute, Cute!  Here are a few of my favorites from his session! ENJOY!

After 9 years of dating, high school sweethearts Kirsten and Brandon finally tied the knot on October 6, and I so enjoyed being a part of their fun and love-filled day!  Even though these two have been together, they are still just as cute and silly and clearly in love as if they were newly smitten!  

After getting ready (in some very cool rooms!) at the Doubletree Westport Hotel, the guys and girls took separate shuttles to the Larimore Plantation House, where the ceremony and reception were taking place. Having spent some time with Kirsten and Brandon already, I wasn’t surprised to find that their wedding party was also full of cool guys and girls (fun people attract fun people!), but it was a first for me to see all the guys arrive at the ceremony and reception venue and step off the bus wearing their faux multi-colored moustaches (and I mean all the guys, groom included :).   We set up the first look for the couple in front of a lovely gazebo, and it was one of my favorite first looks of the year…. Kirsten snuck up behind Brandon and gently touched his shoulder, he turned around and just said, “OH WOW!” and immediately burst into a huge smile and kissed her. Then he said, “Turn around! Spin for me!” and took her hand and spun her around, with both of them laughing, so he could get a good look at her. :) It was so sweet!  The portrait time on the beautiful grounds with the wedding party and the couple just flew by, but we got some beautiful shots (and of course some silly shots too)!  The ceremony in the Larimore Chapel l was beautiful, and I especially loved the readings the couple chose, including one called “I Like You” that listed all the reasons they had for liking each other. Immediately after they walked back down the aisle as husband and wife, I congratulated them and asked, “So, do you feel married? ”  They answered, “Yes but that happened a long time ago!”  Then Brandon looked at Kirsten and added, “But hey, your name is Mrs. Sierra now! I like that!!”

The reception was a blast, everyone had an amazing time on the dance floor, including parents and grandparents and all of the guests!  Even during the sweet, slow first dances, the little kiddos stood on the sidelines with their balloons, peering out onto the floor and longing to get back out there and bust-a-move! AND this reception included one of the liveliest renditions of Gangnam Style that I have seen yet! It was such a fun crowd, and everyone was so obviously thrilled to share in Kirsten & Brandon’s special day- the joy was truly contagious, and I loved being a part of it! Congratulations Kirsten & Brandon… to many, many more years of friendship, love, and happiness! 

On a beautiful day in the fall, I had the chance to photograph the wedding of Caitlin and Conor. I was really excited for this wedding not only because they are a sweet couple with a fun family and beautiful venues (The Cathedral Basilica and Moulin Events), but also because it was my first wedding for a Rice University (my alma mater) alumnus (Caitlin), and, as it turns out, her twin brother was actually a freshman of mine back in the day when I was an upperclassman advisor! Small world!  Caitlin & Conor’s wedding day could not have been more gorgeous… fall colors were just starting to arrive, and there were still wild flowers blooming in Forest Park, where we went for pictures.  I also loved the decor of the wedding, including beautiful florals by Wildflowers and a lovely cake by The Cakery.  Emily Miller did a phenomenal job on Caitlin’s makeup, and she made a stunning and elegant bride!  The whole day was beautiful, and the celebration was a blast; I couldn’t be happier for these two! Here are a few of my favorite images from the day. Enjoy!

These two lovebirds are getting married TOMORROW!!!!  I couldn’t be more excited to share in their special day, and I’m especially excited to be shooting a wedding in this gorgeous spring weather that we are having in St. Louis.  We are in the height of the lovely bloom of flowering trees here in the Lou.  Last time I photographed Gen and Scott, we were at the peak of the fall “bloom”- so they have amazing timing! I realized I never got around to blogging this absolutely gorgeous fall session, so when could be better than the day before they tie the knot to really get everyone (including me!) excited for the beautiful day ahead?! These two make my job so much fun; they are naturally happy, playful, and adorable together (and they happen to choose amazing times of year to be photographed :).  Can’t wait for their big day tomorrow! Congratulations, Gen & Scott!

In the late autumn months I had a very fun session in Faust Park with one of my favorite little families.  This session was extra special because we were celebrating two very happy occasions… first, little Callie turned one year old! I started photographing her as a newborn, so it was so much fun seeing her stand and start to toddle around. She has gotten so big! And she is absolutely precious and getting more adorable by the day! :)  We were also there to take some pictures of just Callie’s mom and dad for their engagement session! These two are tying the knot on May 18, and I’m very excited to share their big day with them! We had a really gorgeous day at the park, and they were a ton of fun to work with, as always! Here are a few of my favorites from their session. Enjoy!

Growing up, Becky had a dream to someday get married in the chapel at the historic Daniel Boone Home in Defiance, Missouri. Unfortunately, the chapel is teeny tiny, and Becky & Adam have a lot of friends and family they want to invite to their wedding (a lot!). So as a happy compromise, they decided to have their engagement session at the Daniel Boone Home instead, and I was very excited to explore the new location! I didn’t know what to expect… even though I grew up in the St. Louis area and THOUGHT  my mother took me to all sites of educational or historical value in the area a million times growing up, apparently we missed this one.  I thought maybe it was just going to be a house; I was wrong! It’s a beautiful piece of property with a variety of buildings in addition to the chapel and house itself, and we had a wonderful time exploring the grounds! Becky & Adam also wanted their two adorable dogs included in some of the pictures, so we did drive up the road a bit to find a spot that would allow dogs. We just happened to drive by two awesome spots… one with a cool winding road and very graphic looking lines of tall, skinny trees, and then, right at sunset, a gorgeous field of tall grasses that looked AMAZING in the late evening light. It was such a fun session! Becky & Adam are laid back, funny, playful, and adorable together, so working with them was a blast, and I loved discovering such awesome new locations! Here are a few of my favorites from their session. I can’t wait until their wedding day in October!

Back in the fall I had the chance to photograph the sweetest little family and their gorgeous little girl, Piper.  Piper is a natural born model; she was hitting poses and giving me everything from knock-out smiles to steely-eyed serious stares and adorable little pouts… the camera loved her! And of course one of my favorite parts of the session was capturing her interacting with her mom, Tara, and her step-dad, Chris, who are (not surprisingly) both quite wrapped around her cute little finger!  I had a fantastic time working with this family, and I absolutely loved the two beautiful canvas arrangements (one all in color and one in black and white) that we put together for their new home.  They look absolutely gorgeous on their walls!  I really look forward to photographing this precious little lady and her family again in the future. :) 

With all the dreary, gray weather we have been having, it is nice to look back at sessions from the gorgeous fall season. So I wanted to share a few images from another of my favorite autumn engagement sessions.  Ashley and Garrick were a lot of fun to work with; they just had a wonderful ease and comfort about them. It was very obvious to me that they both compliment and complete each other. Ashley lit up in a radiant smile around Garrick, and Garrick could not have looked more cool, confident, or happy than he did with Ashley was on his arm.  The gorgeous fall background of Forest Park was the perfect setting for their session, and they are such a beautiful couple; I had too many favorite images to count!  Here are just a few of them… enjoy! :)

A couple of months ago, I got to visit a location that I’ve been dying to shoot at with a really sweet couple and their too-cute-for-words pup.  Rachel and Adam chose Cedar Lake Winery for their engagement session, and it was really perfect that time of year with the gorgeous fall colors and the rustic feel of the barn and landscaping.  They brought their dog, Piper, along for some of the session, and my heart just melted looking at those big brown eyes and cute floppy ears!  Piper wasn’t TOO excited about wearing the little chalkboard sign with Rachel and Adam’s wedding date, but really she was a trooper and cooperated pretty well, with a little coaxing! :)  After handing Piper off to a friend, we spent the rest of the session exploring Cedar Lake’s gorgeous grounds. Rachel and Adam were so much fun to work with. My favorite thing was that whenever I would suggest to Adam that he give Rachel a kiss, she would perk up, smile big, look up at him, and say, “Kiss me!” in a cute excited voice (it was kind of adorable, and Adam didn’t seem to mind the direction at all!). :)  We got a lot of beautiful images, and of course it made me even more excited to shoot their wedding over Labor Day weekend this year! Here are a few favorites from their session. Enjoy!

A few months ago, I had the great privilege of welcoming precious newborn, Aubrey, into the world, when she was only about a week old.  It was obvious that this little doll was much anticipated, as her parents already had her spoiled with beautiful blankets, bows, dresses, a tutu, and even a cute little panda hat for her session.  She was bright eyed and curious for a good part of her session, but eventually she dozed off into a sweet newborn slumber, which of course were some of my favorite pictures of the day! Mom and Dad were both very much in the adjustment period during this session (especially Dad, who looked pretty shell-shocked after a particular diaper change :), but I loved seeing how much that precious baby girl already had them wrapped around her finger!!!  So I’ve already actually gotten to photograph little Aubrey a second time since this session, for her 3 month photographs… look for them to hit the blog soon enough. For now…  I hope you enjoy meeting her for the first time! Welcome to the world, Baby Aubrey!

Recently, just for fun, a group of super talented St. Louis wedding vendors got together and set up a gorgeous, Parisian-themed, wedding photo shoot in the St. Louis Woman’s Club, complete with a truly stunning table setting, cakes, flowers, furniture, and two total knock-out models.  Yara Holt, from Plume Events, did an amazing job bringing lots of talent together and styling it into the perfect marriage of chic style, romance, and elegance. Then a group of photographers got together and had an awesome time taking turns shooting and directing the models (who were fantastic to work with and barely needed any direction!). We all had a wonderful time combining and sharing our talents with each other, and I am in love with so many images from the shoot!  (As a little teaser… at the end of the shoot, the bridal gowns came off and we turned it into a little boudoir session… so keep an eye out on my boudoir blog to see a few of those images soon!). Here are a few of my favorites from the styled shoot. Many thanks to everyone who participated!!!

Styling by Plume Events
Flowers by Belli Fiori 
Cakes by Patisserie Chouquette 
Furniture from Finch Vintage Rentals 
Stationary by The Invite Loft 
Linens by Connie Duglin
Hair by Nikki Russo
Makeup by Chelsey Sweeten (Airbrush Makeup by Chelsey)

Venue-St. Louis Woman’s Club

Models: Gina Pesante and Meg Adkison

I love when a couple has something a little different in mind for their engagement session. So I was very excited when Angie & Tim suggested we do part of their session at the downtown St. Louis live music venue, Plush, since Tim is in a band and music is a big part of their lives.  It was a super cool venue with lots of interesting, eclectic furniture and decor… kind of a photographer’s playground, actually. :) We got a lot of great shots there, and we even gave a little shout out to Tim’s past concerts by hanging some modified concert posters showing the couple’s wedding date- Tim’s idea (I love a groom with creative ideas to contribute)!  Next we headed up the street to SLU campus, where Tim & Angie incorporated another shared love of theirs into their session by sporting some customized Blues Hockey jerseys. They had one more change of clothes while we walked around some scenic parts of campus, just as the sun was setting. It was a perfect session with a great mix of cool urban shots, romantic outdoor settings, and a whole lot of personal, unique touches thrown in that really tell what this fun and adorable couple are all about! Here are a few of my favorites from their session… Can’t wait to share this their big day in June!

One of the absolute coolest things about my job is getting to participate in the big milestones in the growth of a young family.  I love starting with a family from the maternity session and newborn pictures and getting to see that tiny, precious new life grow into a happy little toddler, with their personality growing just as fast!  Just before the holidays I got to photograph one of my favorite families in celebration of their son Blake’s first birthday.  We had a beautiful, late fall day in St. Charles, and I loved the little outfits that they brought along for Blake to wear… he looked like a proper, stylish little man! I couldn’t BELIEVE how big he had gotten!   Blake was all smiles; giggling at mom and dad, playing in the leaves, crawling around, and getting ready to start walking on his own!  Sessions like this one really warm my heart!  Here are a few of my favorites… enjoy!

Time to catch up on some blogging!  This session happened in the early fall with absolutely gorgeous Seckman High School senior, Mary.  Mary’s older sister is getting married this year, and I’ll be photographing her wedding, so it was very special for me to have one of my future brides introduce me to her little sis and her mom, and the girls made a fun outing out of Mary’s senior session. Basically, I had two great assistants in tow, helping style Mary during her outfit changes, getting her to laugh, and helping me by holding a reflector here or there as well. :)  We did the session in Faust Park, which was beautiful that day. Mary totally rocked out the high fashion poses but also has a knock out smile; I felt like I couldn’t take a bad picture of her!  Here are a handful of my favorites!

And here is a fun peek at my awesome crew that day: the beautiful senior and bride-to-be, and their proud mom! It was such a fun afternoon with an adorable family!

I may be a little biased, but really… I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cuter Santa or Rudolf than my two adorable pups, Dickens and Gypsy, who I subjected to the humiliation of doggy dress-up for the sake of my holiday cards this year. Standing in the pet store a few weeks ago and looking at the outfits, I thought, “This is going to be the biggest waste of money ever, no way they will keep these on and sit for pictures!” But then I got home and tried the Rudolf outfit on one of my dogs, and I laughed so hard I cried. It would have been worth the money just for the laugh! Thanks to some help from my awesome family, I managed to wrangle some pretty cute pictures out of my dogs.  The cards came out REALLY cute, but I wanted to share some of the pictures here too!   

So the front of the card had the following three pictures and said, “He’s making a list, He’s checking it twice, Gonna find out who’s Naughty or Nice….”

And then my FAVORITE picture was this next one, where the dogs just look super guilty, and it was on the inside of the card, which said, “So, um… How do you define “Naughty?”

And then as a nice little reference for any fans of the movie “Up,” the back of the card just had one more picture and said, “SQUIRREL!”

Anyway, I definitely think one of the main reasons to have pets is just for simple amusement, and I guess I am easily amused. I love my adorable, furry little models. :) Here’s a couple more faves of each pup. I had a handful of them made into ornaments for myself as well.  

It’s fun taking pictures of my own “kids” every now and then!

I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season with all of your family (the two legged and the four legged kind) and friends. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!