Mary Elizabeth Photography

Last year I met Andrea when I did a photoshoot for her as a gift to her then boyfriend Eldon. She was absolutely stunning and bubbly and completely in love with Eldon. When I got her phone call that Eldon had proposed and she wanted me to shoot her wedding of course I was super pumped! We booked over the phone and started planning right away.

“This will probably be your first small town country wedding but we will make it your BEST!!!”

Andrea’s words were definitely true. This was probably the smallest town April and I had ever shot in. For instance we followed a two lane highway into the town and were stuck behind a tractor for about 15 minutes. Not something I expected.

Weddings were also done differently, but they were done the same way each time and the people of Carrollton have grown to love it. For one, the gorgeous salon Hollywood Images doubled as a really trendy clothing boutique and it was normal custom for the reception guest to eat dinner before the bride and groom even arrived. But hey, we like change so we rolled with it!

From the beautiful Catholic Church to the sweeping farmlands my “photographer senses” were screaming all day long! And just as promised it was one of the best small town weddings!

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Gold house shoes. She wore gold house shoes to honor her grandmother, had 4 darling flowers girls, a maid of honor and a best lady, and she was about to marry a man who couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Or his lips for that matter

When I met Lauren at the salon, she was bubbly and full of excitement. Her beautiful hair was swooped to the side and she was wearing her “Bride” kimono. She laughed with her sisters and friends as they talked about “shellacing” their hair back. At the nail salon, where they painted her nails in a pretty little french manicure, she told me she felt {like a duck}, calm on the surface, but frantically kicking under the water. Back at her apartment, there was a flurry of makeup and hairspray as sisters, friends, mother of the bride, and flower girls tried to get ready for the day.

Meanwhile, April was at the church scouting locations and setting us up for the day. When I arrived, Todd was as calm and laid back as I remembered him. He met me at the front with a warm smile and led me into the sanctuary. April started preparing him for the “first glance” while I awaited the “here comes the bride” text message. He followed us into the back of the room to “hide” while we waited at the curb for Lauren. Of course she was all smiles as she walked up to him, and she even pinched him flirtily on his bum! (They really are too cute for this blog post!) As guests began arriving, we had to take them away for some cute photos before the ceremony, they just couldn’t stop giggling and kissing!! I LOVE how IN LOVE they are!

The ceremony was really sweet and very personalized with readings and song. Not only were there family members from all over, including a special Skype from Lauren’s brother overseas, but the “Father” performing the ceremony was actually Lauren’s high school prom date! I mean really, how neat would that be! Lauren and Todd held hands throughout, and even sneaked a few kisses here and there, even before “You may kiss the bride”. When they finally were pronounce man and wife, Lauren leaned right in and gave him a kiss that we could all see meant “You, Todd, are the love of my life”.

Afterwards we headed down to Tower Grove park to get some really beautiful group shots and newlywed portraits! Lauren and Todd wanted fun casual pictures and with this group, a mix of long time friends and sisters, candids came easy! In fact, I may just have to do a whole post of “outtakes” to show you how much fun this day really was!

The reception was at the Randall Gallery and it was truly beautiful. There were fun and quirky sculptures, bright paintings, and plenty of space to gather in. I loved the mix of beautiful clean bright white and black that the gallery provided, with the personal table runners and color that Lauren and Todd added. Heartfelt toasts were given, dinner was served, a cupcake was cut, and the dance floor boomed. To end the night Lauren and Todd showed me to one of their favorite spots – Eclipse Rooftop Terrace. A perfect ending to a beautiful day.