Piper Palm House Wedding // St Louis

st louis wedding photographer

Updated December 1, 2021

I must start this blog post by saying that Anne was my first friend in life.

I was in the womb while she was one years old. Our families are dear friends, and even though she moved away from our hometown, Fond du Lac Wisconsin, when I was 14, we’ve remained dedicated close friends. Many of my childhood memories include Anne, (including a period of time when she was my ONLY friend!) so needless to say, it was emotional to document her wedding. When she first told me she was engaged, she asked if I wanted to come as a guest or the photographer, and without hesitation, I knew I wanted to be the one to document her day!

Anne is one of the kindest, most caring people I know in this world, and when I met Daniel and saw them together, I was overjoyed. Their love is tangible in their smiles, the way they look at each other, and they way they face challenges. Their wedding day brought a number unexpected challenges including: Anne’s mom in the ICU the morning before the wedding (she subsequently spent most of the wedding in a wheelchair), a slight food mix up, pouring rain during photos, an indoor ceremony vs an outdoor one, and probably a few other things I can’t remember!

I watched Anne, not just as a photographer, but as a best friend, face everything with grace, integrity, and profound love and calmness. Instead of letting these challenges put a damper on their wedding day, it seemed to strengthen their bond, produce more gratitude, more humor, and a full appreciation for the presence and health of the family and friends who love them so much. The way they showed themselves on their wedding day revealed to me, and all those who witnessed it, the kind of life they will have together…. and THAT It brought me to tears. I got to see the joy she so deserves reflecting back at me in each and every photo.

Daniel and Anne’s story began like so many other couples: at a sweatpants party in St. Louis.
The party was mostly for grad students (like Anne) looking for some time to relax and enjoy each other’s company without the worries of dressing to impress. Daniel, not a grad student, and embarrassingly not even a sweatpants owner, came to the party anyway. Daniel and Anne crossed paths during the night, but only struck up a conversation when the evening was winding down. “We immediately felt at ease with each other… of course the sweatpants helped!”

As they walked each other to their cars that night, they noted that they had parked right next to one another. Daniel made a bad joke about how their cars were hitting it off and were in love, and asked for her number. It only took a date or two for both of them to realize that they shared something special, and they quickly became an “item” (the tabloids refer to them as “Anniel”).

Daniel knew that Anne loved surprises and came up with the perfect plan to surprise her with a ring. Anne showed up at their favorite rock climbing gym like it was just a normal day. Daniel politely suggested that she climb first. As she finished her warmup climb, Daniel yelled that he thought he saw something resting at the top of the rock wall. Anne looked around to find a small wooden ring box, not wanting to jump to conclusions, she looked down at Daniel who suggested that she actually open it!  Anne opened the box to find that it was empty, and Daniel quickly lowered her off the wall. Daniel went down on one knee and presented Anne with the missing ring! With lots of happiness, Anne said yes! And so began their wedding story… please enjoy the photos.

Reception: Piper Palm House, Tower Grove Park, St. Louis MO
Catering: Butler’s Pantry, St. Louis MO
Cakes and Pies: Sugaree Baking Company, St. Louis MO
Florist: The Rebel Florist, St. Louis MO
Dress: Savvy Bride, Milwaukee WI
Alterations: L Studio Design and Sewing, St. Louis MO
Hair and Make-up: S & S Bridal, St. Louis MO
Calligraphy: Susanne LeBlanc
DJ: Nick Jaworski
Rabbi: Susan Talve
Pastor: Steve Hecky

BONUS CONTENT: BEST ST LOUIS VENUES FOR 2022

  1. THE CARAMEL ROOM AT BISSINGER’S
  2. THREE BARN FARM
  3. THE THAXTON
  4. MOONRISE HOTEL
  5. LAUMEIER SCULPTURE PARK AND SLAM
  6. THE JEWEL BOX

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