engagement photographer st. louis – Kansas City Photography

Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Get Engagement Photos!

January 2, 2018January 2, 2018 by Kansas City Photography, posted in Photoshoots

Whether it’s a surprise proposal or a part of your wedding package, we are always thrilled to capture the magic of an engagement!

But what makes these photos so essential? Why get engagement photos taken after you’ve posted the big bling to your snapchat crew?

Well, we can tell you a bunch of reasons why engagement photos are a must-have, but as professional photographers, we may come off as a bit bias. So, we brought the question to our clients and we narrowed it down to 3 solid reasons.

1. From “You/Me” to “We”

You’ve found the person you want to share the rest of your life with, and you’re ready to take the next step down the aisle. Your journey doesn’t start after you say “I do” and it’s not the beginning of your romantic relationship. It is the first chapter in creating a family unit within each other. The evolution to being two people in love to becoming one single force.

Beth made us realize that it’s not just about romance, but also about family when I asked her why her engagement photos were important to her:

“It was our first time having professional photos taken of us as a couple–as a unit. When I saw them for the first time it was like seeing us as a real family.”

That really put it in perspective! A start of a family is something to be honored and preserved for the rest of your legacy.

Another client of ours, Bret, shared a similar sentiment. “I wanted to get engagement photos to record the moment for ourselves at the very least. I’m certainly glad I did.”

Plus, without engagement photos, the only professional photos you’ll have of yourselves is in wedding attire! Not that you won’t be stunning, but do you want your walls filled with only photos from the wedding, or a good mix?

2. Remembering and Renewing

“Until death do us part” can be a little intimidating … literally your entire life! During that time, Samantha put it perfectly how important her engagement photos will be for her in later years:

“Ten years from now we can look upon our photos and see all the ups and down we have had over the years. Everything we have accomplished within the ten years or even farther in the future. When we have grand children and we’re gray and old, I want to share where it all started.”

One of our brides, Katherine, told us it’s all about memories —

“For me it’s a big part of making memories. It’s a way to look back and remember all the love that each one shares as you enter a new stage of your relationship. Bonus is if you use them for save the dates you share those memories with everyone else!”

“I want to be able to look an reflect on the moment long after it has past. Memory is great, but having the pictures to look back at can really put you back in the moment. Our engagement wasn’t even a year ago and I love looking at these pictures and remembering Hannah’s reaction and subsequent answer, or… erm, reaction… (She snatched the ring and put it on. Once she had realized she needed to answer, it went from there). It a part of our story which has been recorded for us,” Bret said.

Seeing the glimmer in your eye looking at your partner at the very beginning is truly a treasure! Renewing your love by seeing where you’ve been — very powerful stuff in a photo!

3. Timeless Happiness before “Happily Ever After”

The wedding day is going to be such a monumental memory in your lives and all those attending to celebrate your eternal love.

Engagement photos give you the opportunity to celebrate your love one-on-one without all the pressure of the time crunch to get the ceremony going and keeping your guests entertained. Just you and your partner, ever so in love, making memories with each glance and smile.

And of course, us recording it all for your personal history book!

Beth Franklin is always touched by the history she sees when looking through her mother’s photos:

“I love looking back at my parents old photos and seeing what everyone looked like and seeing how happy they are. I hope that one day our kids will have the same feelings when they look back on ours.”

Timeless photos don’t just happen on the big day! You’re creating beautiful memories everyday.

Let us not only capture the “I do,” but the moment you said “yes!”

As Bret told us: “Putting a scene to the story can give the moment that little something extra when you tell friends or put a photo book together.”

Let’s talk wedding! Send us a message today! And make sure to follow Kansas City Photography on Facebook!

They Cut The Grass! A Country Engagement Shoot

November 8, 2017 by Kansas City Photography, posted in Photoshoots

Samantha wrote to me about her dream to have her engagement photos in tall grass. I scouted around and found some fields in Eureka two weeks ago and she and Josh agreed they’d would work perfectly. But, little did I know this location was not going to work out!

The day before the shoot, I drove by them again, and … they had been mowed!! I reached out to Samantha and told her, but then realized my own property had exactly what she wanted!

I met Samantha at a winery during a bachelorette party for her now sister-in-law, Maria. I should have known we would hit if off — anyone who loves wine is automatically my best friend.

Since we had both had more than one glass, we started chatting about life and work. That’s when she mentioned she was engaged. And that’s when I told her I could help her out with wedding photography!

I feel like I should be able to write off any and all winery trips from my taxes now as a business expense!! Let’s go again, Samantha!! Hahaha.

Samantha and Josh have been together for 3 years and met each other at work. They picked out the engagement ring together and kept it in a safe under their bed.

Samantha told me she would put the ring on and wear it around the house sometimes before he proposed. Isn’t that cute?

Since she knew Josh had the ring, she was getting pretty impatient waiting for him to actually ask her so that she could keep it on her hand permanently.

Finally, after probably the 1,000th time Samantha asked — Josh proposed! Samantha said he did it while they were sitting on the couch because she kept asking him when he was going to pop the question. So, he did it right there!

And, let me tell you what, these two are adorable! And Samantha kept doing silly things and making Josh smile — probably not expecting me to document them:

Never trust a photographer, Samantha!!

I always tell my clients if they do something silly, or if they fall … I promise to take photos of it!

Speaking of injuries — before the shoot, Samantha asked me if I could Photoshop out some stitches. I told her I definitely could, but didn’t realize how severe the stitches were until she showed me her arm! It was a total freak accident involving her kitchen and some broken dishes.

The happy couple also brought along their daughter, Miss Genevieve. She was a hoot! She is actually hiding in several of the photos because she really, really didn’t want to let mommy’s leg go!

Thankfully, I also have a 2-year-old, so I had plenty of toys for distraction — and a nice playset outside for her to play on while we took some shots around that area. But, as any parent knows, if you walk with your child in between the two of you …

This is definitely what’s going to happen next!

So excited for your wedding next year!

Make sure to follow Kansas City Photography on Facebook!

Celebrating A 19-Year Wedding Anniversary With A Surprise Photoshoot!

November 7, 2017 by Kansas City Photography, posted in Photoshoots

Debbie & Jeff drove to St. Louis from the Lake of the Ozarks to celebrate their 19-year wedding anniversary and be treated by family. And boy, were they ever treated! Mimosas, a hotel, and a surprise photoshoot!

I met Debbie at her daughter Brittany’s place. I walked in and went back into the bathroom where Debbie was getting her hair curled.

She gave me a big hug and that’s when Brit told her that the last part of her anniversary surprise was professional photos from yours truly!

We went to Tower Grove Park, which is a spot listed on our Top 8 Photoshoot Locations in St. Louis blog post!

It has some gorgeous trees, which are lit up in bright oranges and vibrant yellows right now. It also has some willows, as you saw above, and a pond! I thought about photoshopping out the goose in the photo below, but I’ll let him have his moment of glory! Plus, we were all tickled the geese didn’t feel like being mean! Do you see him?

I asked Debbie and Jeff what their secret was to a long and successful marriage. Debbie said they are constantly making each other laugh. And that showed in the photos — they were having a blast and making each other giggle throughout the entire thing!

I asked Debbie who was funnier, and she answered “I am!” That’s when Jeff shook his head in disagreement. He thought he was funnier.

After he said that, they both laughed. If humor is what keeps marriage alive — these two are going to last forever!

We drove together to the park since it was only a few miles from Brittany’s place. On the way, we were listening to classic 80s. “Why Can’t This Be Love?” by Van Halen came on the radio. Jeff reached over and turned it up. The lyrics blared:

“Oh here it comes
That funny feeling again winding me up inside
Every time we touch
Hey I don’t know
Oh, tell me where to begin cause I never ever
Felt so much

And I can’t recall any love at all
Baby this blows ’em all away”

These lyrics are so fitting for these two lovebirds! Although, it is love with them 100%!

At Tower Grove Park, there are these fun rock formations. Debbie immediately started climbing up them, without me even instructing her to. She climbed up, put her hands on her hips, and laughed down at Jeff: “I’m the boss!!” she laughed.

Not gonna lie — he didn’t really seem to disagree that much! 🙂

The weather was a perfect mid-70s and felt great when the wind blew. It was really muggy, though, so we were still sweating by the end, despite Mother Nature being oddly nice to us. That’s when my phone started buzzing — there was a tornado watch!

Leave it to true Missourians to not panic. Debbie and I just both went “ooooh!” because the fact it was so muggy and humid now made perfect sense! Then, we continued on with the shoot!

The park has around 7,000 trees!! Most of them are now turning delightful shades of all things Fall, so we made sure to take advantage!

Jeff didn’t want to sit on the ground, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t throw some leaves up in the air and play!

This was my first time meeting Jeff, but I have known Debbie forever. And I went to school with her kiddos! I know she’s a big goofball, but just in case you weren’t, here’s proof!

After this shot, I asked her if she has ever seen “Superstar.” It’s one of my favorite movies, and if you’ve seen it, you’ll know why!!

Debbie calls me one of her own, so I was tickled when Brittany messaged me so I could squeeze these two lovebirds in on Sunday before they drove back home!

Happy 19-year anniversary!! You’re both an inspiration to me — I can’t wait to make it to 19 years with my hubs!

It was also Debbie’s idea to put their hands together like a heart on the tree!! How cute is that?! Just like them!!!

Make sure to follow Kansas City Photography on Facebook. We’re in both St. Louis and Kansas City!

Following ‘Duck-Ducks’ at Bass Pro! A Special Engagement Shoot!

October 19, 2017 by Kansas City Photography, posted in Photoshoots

Oh, hi! Tatiana on the blog scene to show you this special engagement shoot for Samantha and Zachary!

Now, I say special because this engagement shoot had a plus one — or rather, 2-year-old Louella! Look at how precious she is!!!

When I met with Sam and Zach for coffee to go over our wedding packages, they wanted to make sure little Louella could be a part of their engagement photos since she is such a huge part of their lives. Of couuuurse! No one could say no to that cute, little face!

Sam and Zach chose Bass Pro Waterfall Park for their location because they really wanted to incorporate a waterfall in their photos, along with the changing leaves of the season.

Unfortunately, Bass Pro was not on the same wave length and although the weather hasn’t quite turned, the waterfall was “turned off” for the winter.

Our walk to the waterfall, however, sparked Louella’s main interest: the “duck-ducks” — which were actually geese … but she was in the right ballpark.

As soon as she saw those little aquatic birdies down in the lake, she had forsaken the rock she was so desperately clinging to the whole shoot and tried to bolt!

Luckily, her parents were on it and swooped her up, just like I was on it to capture the only smile we could get out of her!

Toddlers are hard to please, but she was overjoyed to go down to see the geese.

One day she’ll grow up and realize they’re actually kind of mean, but until then … enjoy those “duck-ducks!”

Of course when she kept trying to dive in, her Aunt, who was on standby, took Louella to the play area.

Now, back to the happy couple!

Zach chose a beautiful ring with an amethyst-like stone as the gorgeous centerpiece.

Since purple is my favorite color, it’s automatically amazing in my book!

Zach proposed to Sam on Valentine’s Day. He was going to propose when he took her out to dinner that evening, but Sam said he got too nervous and instead proposed right there in the kitchen before they left! Isn’t that adorable?!

Sam and Zach met online via “Meet Me.” We have noticed more of our clients are finding true love on the web, like our Free Engagement Shoot winners!

And we just love love! <3

Since then, they’ve created a beautiful family together and have a wonderful wedding ahead of them — which they booked through us! We’re so excited!

See you again on the big day! <3

And we send you the biggest congratulations!

Make sure to follow Kansas City Photography on Facebook!

A Romantic Windy City Engagement Shoot [We Snuck Onto A Dock!]

October 10, 2017October 12, 2017 by Kansas City Photography, posted in Photoshoots

I drove up to Chicago this weekend to celebrate Emily and Stephen’s engagement! It was a gorgeous day — so we drove over to Lake Michigan and took some celebratory engagement photos!

Stephen proposed while he and Emily were on vacation. Their vacation spot was also off Lake Michigan, but seven hours north. Stephen told me when he got down on one knee to propose, he had this whole speech written out.

However, Emily immediately started bawling (happy tears). He said he still tried to fit in some of the speech he worked so hard on, but realized it just wasn’t going to work out because Emily was so excited and couldn’t stop crying. Maybe he can save the speech for the wedding?

The ring is gorgeous — with a deep blue sapphire in the middle. Stephen really wants to tell Emily how much it cost, but she says she wants it to be kept a secret! The world just may never know — but it is stunning!

These two couldn’t make each other stop laughing. This is probably one of my favorite poses — Stephen was supposed to be whispering sweet nothings into Emily’s ear, but the word he was actually whispering to get her to laugh is NSFW. So, just enjoy the photo instead! 🙂

And, sometimes, I’d be trying to pose them — and this is what would happen. This is definitely not how I instructed them to stand! I’m not sure if they’re going for a Rosie the Riveter vibe or what.

So, I just … let it happen. You’re welcome, world.

This is the pose we were actually going for —

Emily and Stephen are native Chicagoans. Emily loves everything about Chicago. So, when we found this backdrop around Montrose Beach — we had to hit it up. Emily can even tell you what the four stars on the Chicago flag mean!

We also hit a part on the lake with a bunch of fancy yachts. Emily told me the gate is always locked and that you need a card and code to get inside. We watched a woman leave — and it just so happens the gate didn’t lock. #wesosneaky

A few photos on the dock never hurt anyone, right? We did at least make sure it was locked on our way out, though!

I had originally envisioned the two of them on a cute canoe on the water. Emily kept trying to tell me the water was just too choppy — but I didn’t believe her until I actually saw it! Definitely better to just hang your toes over the edge!

Later that night, we all went out for drinks. At one point, Stephen was outside waiting for our Uber. Emily looked at me, and giddily declared, “I just feel like I found my person, you know? He loves me for me!” It was just too precious for me not to share!

Congratulations, Emily & Stephen! I can’t wait to be there for your wedding!

Make sure to follow Kansas City Photography on Facebook!

From The East Coast To St. Louis — An Engagement Shoot At Forest Park!

August 1, 2017 by Kansas City Photography, posted in Photoshoots

I met with the loveliest couple on Sunday — Sayo and Oye. It was a relatively last-minute shoot (their original photographer canceled the day before — after they had already done their hair and makeup), but I am so glad I was able to work with them on their engagement photos (and was actually in town this weekend)!

Sayo told me she had a thing for columns — so we made sure to hit up the Muni in Forest Park in St. Louis.

Months ago, Oye asked Sayo hypothetically, “If I happened to ask you to marry me, what would be your answer?”

Sayo gets so many bonus point for her answer: “You have to ask to find out!”

Oye told me he’s not a gambler, but he told me he decided to hedge his bets. He decided to propose anyway on December 31 at Sayo’s family home in Philadelphia.

Good news — he found out that her answer was “yes!”

The happy couple is getting married back on the East coast in South New Jersey at Lucien’s Manor this October. There are columns on the outside, so Sayo is going to be in Heaven!

Right now, Oye and Sayo are in a long distance relationship. She is finishing her medical residency at Saint Louis University Hospital — and he lives in the DC area. He just happened to fly in this weekend, so it was really important to get their engagement photos done!

This fun couple was introduced by mutual friends. Oye was given Sayo’s phone number, but didn’t call her for 2 weeks. Heart thumping, he finally did, but she didn’t answer. He bravely left a voicemail, something he told me he doesn’t usually do, and she happened to call back.

The rest is history. <3

Above you’ll see their ‘magazine model’ poses. Although, Sayo didn’t take it seriously for too long —

I’m so happy I was able to cross paths with these two! They color coordinated perfectly — even down to the socks!

We at Kansas City Photography wish you the happiest wedding day! Although, who knows! We travel, too! 😉

One last columns shot for Sayo —

And, of course, a practice spin for their first dance —

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