St Louis Wedding Photographers | Hawes Photography Blog » Weddings

bill + michele | married

ahawes — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:26:03 +0000

Fun fact: Aaron and I danced to Etta James’ “At Last” for our first dance. I chose it because I liked the song and it wasn’t on a list of “First Dance Songs.” When Bill requested that the band play that song for Michelle and I watched them twirling on the dance floor, I thought, “This couple is exactly who this song is written for.” It really summed up what we’ve witnessed since we met Bill and Michelle: They had finally found each other. It’s amazing to watch two people who have lived many years apart finally find the person who actually makes their lives complete. That sentiment reverberated through their entire day, from their laughs and cuddles while we shot with them in a creek bed to their personal vows shared in their living room surrounded by friends.

Us.

steve + cheri | married

ahawes — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:16:02 +0000

I’ve tried to write this post at least a dozen times and stopped in frustration. Cheri is one of my best friends and we were honored to be on the small guest list for (and then hired to photograph) her Jamaica wedding. We looked forward to visiting a new-to-us Caribbean island and shooting with Steve and Cheri.

The wedding day nearly went off without a hitch. The weather was perfect, everything ran on schedule, I managed not to cry as she walked down the aisle. The reception was similarly easy and fun (and we even got in on the dancing). Sadly the party came to a screeching halt when we discovered that while everyone was at the lower villa for the reception, the upper villa was being robbed.

I always say one thing goes wrong at every wedding. Unfortunately for my friends, their one thing was not a little rain or a leaning cake. I hope the pictures are a reminder for them that it was truly “one thing” and that the most important thing was celebrated throughout the rest of the day.

josh + andrea | married

ahawes — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:37:49 +0000

If you think about your group of friends, Josh and Andrea would be the couple that are super chill and up for anything that’s fun. This easy going atmosphere was very evident in their wedding day. We pulled a “Limo driver STOP here!!!” to take advantage of some of the fall color before enjoying the stunning, intimate ceremony they crafted with the help of Julie from Bomb Events. After that it was all about partying and hanging with friends.

Us.

andy + natalie | married

ahawes — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:52:41 +0000

You know we love it when couples infuse their wedding day with personality. Andy and Natalie definitely took that to heart. They captured their unique style in Natalie’s custom, non-white dress and finger waves and Andy’s standard fro. Their intimate ceremony a Laumeier Sculpture Park allowed them to share the ceremony with close family instead of forcing them into the spotlight in front of the hundreds of guests that arrived at the City Museum to celebrate later in the day. The reception details, like the yarn pompom “flowers” and rocking band, capped it all off. It was fun without being too fussy and exactly Andy and Natalie.

Us.

oliver + amy | married

ahawes — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:07:22 +0000

When I sat down to write about Oliver and Amy one word kept coming to mind: Sweet. While it’s true that they are sweet it really didn’t capture everything I wanted to say. I’ve spent a few days mulling it over (yes, this is what I do in my spare time) and if I had to ascribe one word to Oliver and Amy it would be welcoming. From the very first Skype conversation, we felt immediately at ease with them. It’s an odd feeling because normally part of what we do is put people at ease so we can draw them out.

This welcoming theme was evident throughout their wedding. They went out of their way to ensure the people they care about were comfortable and having a good time. That’s evident in their portfolio and I won’t be surprised if you feel like a part of the group when you hit the bottom of this post.

Us.

kevin + melissa | married

ahawes — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:39:46 +0000

I wasn’t going to tell on Aaron, but I feel like I have to if only to illustrate that things go wrong at weddings. It happens… just not usually directly to us.

Kevin and Melissa hosted their gorgeous, retro, peacock inspired wedding on Kevin’s family’s hunting reserve. As soon as we drove onto the property we ooh’d and ah’d over all the places to shoot. Aaron dropped me off to shoot the women getting ready and half way through I got a text that said “I’m stuck.” In his pursuit to find the most gorgeous locations to shoot and his confidence in our awesome Jeep, he had accidentally struck off the road into a seemingly dry field. Turns out that patch of land was closer to quicksand than firm terra. And after a few attempts to dislodge the vehicle he reluctantly called for help. The groom’s father (and owner of the quicksand field) was happy to oblige… but not before laughing his behind off and requiring that he be allowed to take pictures of Aaron in his predicament (Said pictures were taken on Aaron’s camera and have probably since been “lost”).

So now that you’re picturing Aaron and our Jeep covered in mud, let’s look at some prettier images. Kevin and Melissa ooze style and they totally brought that fashion sense to their wedding. The gorgeous (and quicksand free) places we shot didn’t hurt either.

Us + the Jeep

arshia + mikaeya | married

ahawes — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:02:52 +0000

Sorry we’ve been MIA but if you hadn’t heard Hawes Photography had to find a new home. We’re getting settled in but it’s meant a little more work outside of shooting then we had planned. The whole story and photos will come soon.

I’m not sure what we were expecting when we headed to Arshia and Mikaeya’s wedding. However, I am sure their description of a “tent in Arshia’s parent’s side yard” did not prepare us for the luxe event we walked into. The side yard was indeed covered with a tent that could hold around 400 people… and covered the massive pergola that served as the stage for the ceremony and seating for the head tables. The guests enjoyed an ice bar and cocktail hour in the courtyard followed by massive skewers of meat served tableside for dinner. The entertainment was also over the top, including an awesome jazz singer, a mariachi band and a DJ that spun music in the main tent and later above the indoor pool that was covered by a (second) lighted dance floor. Really, the only thing we were prepared for was spending time with the warm and laid back couple, but I guess that’s all we really need on a wedding day.

Psst! If you missed the 3D images from their wedding click here!

Us.

manuel + caitlin | married

ahawes — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:52:06 +0000

Even though we moved to St. Louis we spent a good portion of our fall shooting in Kansas City. There was something nice and familiar about heading back to KC each weekend. That feeling of familiarity was even stronger when we made the drive in for Manuel and Caitlin’s (friends turned clients) wedding. Their day was simple and sweet, which fit them to a tee, and we had a great time exploring a new pocket of downtown with them.

Us.

My friend Stacey even tagged along to shoot film & Polaroids.

bas + courtney | married

ahawes — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:39:08 +0000

Let’s just get this out of the way. The groom is an international male model. Go ahead, scroll down, see for yourself and then come back. I’ll wait.

Ok, now that we’ve covered that point, I have to tell you that’s it’s not the most interesting part of this wedding. As always, there’s so much more to a couple and a wedding day than just a (ridiculously cool) profession. What struck me most about Bas and Courtney’s day was how they brought an effervescent coolness to Kansas City. It was fueled in equal parts by Bas’ super friendly Dutch family and the couple’s troupe of NYC friends who made the journey to celebrate with them. Case in point: One of Courtney’s bridesmaids is a fashion designer who crafted her gown and all the bridesmaids dresses.

brycen + danielle | married

ahawes — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:01:13 +0000

A hallmark trait of our couples is that they are cool under pressure and adopt a “go with the flow” mentality. Danielle and Brycen fit that description to a tee. Most couples faced with a last minute venue and catering change would be on the verge of a meltdown by the time the wedding day hits. Instead, Danielle and Brycen kept their eyes on what was important on their big day: being surrounded by family and a host of international friends… and climbing into an abandoned castle at the request of their photographers. It’s safe say they were meant to be our clients.

Us.