Glenn Acres Spring Wedding: Savannah + Austin

Since March all of my weddings have been postponed thanks to...Covid. I sure am heartbroken for all the couples that are having to re-plan weddings, change vendors that may not be available on their new dates and just plain have to wait longer. As a way of working through the heartache that has a way of trickling down, I've decided to honor my 2019 brides and grooms by featuring their weddings. 2019 was an amazing year of weddings for Art & Soul Photography and here's my first...on their one year anniversary, Savannah and Austin.

Savannah is one of those people who is just plain nice to be with. She's laid back, kind and beautiful on the inside and out. Austin has a way of making people laugh and enjoy their time with him. They had a lovely spring wedding day at Glenn Acres Farm. A lot has changes in a year and I sure will miss photographing weddings at Glenn Acres and working with the amazing Katie Patterson.

After she put on her wedding dress from Breeze Boutique, and in one of the most heartfelt moments of the day Savannah read her letter to Austin for the videographer, James Powell. She teared up as she read and the light streamed in from the window and wrapped her in a joy-filled glow. You could hear her honesty and love and excitement about their marriage. It was the beautiful start to the perfect day.

Here's some of the magic from the day.

Sadie and I loved photographing your stunning day that ended with dancing and a killer sparkler exit. Thanks for trusting us to document your wedding and for being so easy to work with. We hope this past year has been filled with moments that remind you why you said "I do".

A special THANKS to these Vendors:

Wedding and Reception Venue : Glenn Acres Farm

Coordinator: Katie Patterson of Glenn Acres Farm

Florals : Created by Savannah's mom

Wedding Dress: Breeze Boutique

DJ : Complete Weddings + Events

Videographer: James Powell

Second Shooter: Sadie Thibodeaux

© Art & Soul Photography Inc. 2020 | Glenn Acres Farm | Columbia Missouri Wedding Photographer

Beautiful Innsbrook Resort Wedding: Sophia and Ryan

One of the things I love about photographing weddings is spending time getting to know my couples. The engagement session is a really wonderful opportunity to watch them connect and laugh and ask them questions about each other. Sophia and Ryan are fun to be with and they also share a strong faith. They laugh a lot and they know each other so well. It seems they are a perfect match. Sophia is into marketing and creating beautiful things and happens to be AH-MAZING at make-up. I mean flawless. Ryan is into biochemistry, hunting and hopes to become a brew master. Sophia said that Ryan is, “the best man I know”. I think that’s pretty sweet to love each other so well.

You can check out Sophia and Ryan’s engagement session here. It was a sweet lead up to their wedding on February 29th (yes, Leap Day) at the Innsbrook Resort in Innsbrook, Missouri. It was an absolutely stunning winter Missouri Wedding Day! It was unseasonably warm and the sun was shining. Grateful for that gift as a wedding photographer.

Sophia and her bridesmaids had access to the Innsbrook Resort’s Bridal Suite overlooking the lake. The wedding florals by Bloominous were made up of classic whites and tiny pops of yellow with bold green accent leaves. They worked so well with the hunter green bridesmaid’s dresses. I couldn’t believe that Ryan’s mom created all the lovely bouquets!

Sophia’s mom and Ryan's mom tucked themselves away and helped Sophia put her stunning Blush by Hailey Paige wedding dress on. This was a special moment for them and then a great way to have a reveal with her bridesmaids afterwards.

The guys got ready in a lodge room right inside the clubhouse over a few beers and laughs. Before long, it was time for the ceremony to begin. Sophia remembers this as her favorite part of the whole day. She shares, “Ryan’s cousin Gwen Schwartzkopf was our officiant, and we actually hadn’t heard the ceremony she had written until the actual ceremony, and it was so beautiful. Her metaphor about life and the faith journey being like a bike ride was really beautiful.” It truly was.

After Sophia and Ryan were announced as Mr. and Mrs. Schwartzkopf, the cocktail hour began. Sadie and I whisked Sophia and Ryan off for some portraits. As the sun started it’s decent on the horizon, Sophia asked to wear a fur coat that happened to be a family heirloom. It was the perfect accessory and she rocked it! As we were finishing up portraits of Sophia and Ryan, he noticed a group of white-tailed dear just hanging out in the field next to the clubhouse. We laughed about it and I’m sure he wished he could have gotten a little closer. Wink. Wink.

The reception began with a yummy meal catered by Innsbrook Resort followed by the first dances. I loved their choices. Take a listen.

Sophia and Ryan danced to Forever Like That by Ben Rector.

Sophia and her dad danced to Daughter by London Wainwright III and Ryan and his mom danced to a cover of You Are My Sunshine.

Enjoy.

Sadie and I loved documenting your beautiful day Sophia and Ryan. We can’t wait to feel super jealous when we see all your beach photos from your upcoming honeymoon. (get out of here Corona). Thank you a million times over for being so incredible.

A special THANKS to these Vendors:

Wedding and Reception Venue : Innsbrook Resort

Coordinator: Brittany Davis at Innsbrook 

Bridal Gown : Blush Collection by Hailey Paige - Loretta Bridal in Bonita Springs, Florida

Groom's/Groomsmen's Suits : Generation Tux

Florals : Bloominous | Assembled by Ryan’s mom

Bride’s Hair: Samantha Fedele

Bride’s Make-up: Sophia Fedele

DJ : Complete Weddings and Events STL

Catering : Innsbrook Resort

Cupcakes: Heather Gault

Second Shooter: Sadie Thibodeaux

© Art & Soul Photography Inc. 2020 | Innsbrook Resort | St. Louis Missouri Wedding Photographer

Fall Engagement Session at Strawberry Hill Farms: Sophia and Ryan

From the moment I met Sophia at the Fall Bridal Showcase, I knew I wanted to work with her on photographing her engagement and wedding photos. She’s just so sweet and has this overflowing effervescence that I really connect with. When I met Ryan I realized what a beautiful connection they share.

I photographed their engagement portraits on an overcast Missouri afternoon in October. The light was soft and magical. They were up for a crazy idea that I had to meet at Strawberry Hill Farms just on the outskirts of Columbia. The location couldn’t have been a more perfect fit for this fun duo.

Sophia and Ryan were having all of these lovely moments together and they have such a beautiful chemistry. Can’t you see it here?! And that mustard dress!! Seriously.

From there we hopped over to the Grindstone Nature Area for some quieter more understated engagement portraits. One of the things that couples really enjoy about these engagement portrait sessions is having the time and option to visit two locations and do a quick outfit change. This creates a lot of variety and I really love the depth that it provides.

Sophia and Ryan enjoy spending time outside and the cliffs overlooking the stream that winds through this area was the perfect backdrop. As this winter stretches on, I long for days more like this one back in October.

I’m excited that their big day is almost here! This coming Saturday, Sadie and I have the honor of photographing their wedding day in Innsbrook, Missouri (outside of St. Louis). Fingers crossed, the weather will be as lovely as it’s forecasted to be and I’m sure the sparks will be flying again.

A special shout out to these Amazing Locations:

Strawberry Hill Farms

Grindstone Nature Area

© Art & Soul Photography Inc. 2020 | Strawberry Hill Farms Engagement Session | Missouri Wedding Photographer