Shannon Lee Images

Janet may be 80 but you wouldn’t know it by looking at her!  She’s so full of spirit and spunk, not to mention she looks fabulous!  Her lovely daughter had a beautiful lunch birthday for her mother.  It was so sweet and you could just feel the love for this birthday girl in the room.

This event was held at Il Cielo in Beverly Hills, CA.

Annette and Carlos had a difficult time finding the right wedding photographer.  Hiring me mere weeks before their wedding, I consider myself the lucky one getting to be apart of such a stunning autumn wedding and to be witness a beautiful couple pledging their lives to each other.

Don’t want to scroll through?  Prefer moving images?  Come check out their slideshow!

Time to see the bride!

The first look.  At first, Annette and Carlos, didn’t want to see each other before the ceremony.  However, due to the light disappearing earlier and earlier, I suggested taking photographs before the ceremony so that we would have plenty of time.  I just love capturing moments like this.  This is one of my favorite first looks.

My eyes lit up when I found out we got to ride around on golf carts!  So fun!

The girls.

The boys.

Time to get married!

Here comes the bride.

There were tears when Annette’s grandfather saw her dressed up like a princess.  Proudly, he escorted her down the aisle, determined to get her to her husband to be.

Although he nearly cried again giving her to Carlos, you could just tell there was joy in his eyes that Annette has found such a loving and wonderful man to spend her life with.

This was not only a celebration of love, but also of family.  Carlos’s daughter joined the ceremony by pouring sand into a vial to symbolize the beginning of their new family.

Party time!

When I met with this lovely couple, Carlos was a man of few words.  When I joked about it, Annette told me the only part of the wedding that he had insisted on was the wedding cake.  When he tasted this cake, he told Annette she could decorate the cake however she wanted but they were going to have this cake.  Love it.

It was pretty amazing cake.  Maybe the best I’ve had at a wedding to date.  That is layers of banana cake (sort of like banana bread), strips of fudge and banana.  Delicious!!

I’ve never seen men fight for a garter before!

Annette and Carlos, thank you again!  May you live happily ever after.

Want to have a wedding like Annette and Carlos?
Ceremony/Reception: Diamond Bar Golf Course
Florist: Ninfa’s Flowers & Gifts
Videographer: Crystal Image Productions
DJ: Premier Sound & Entertainment

I can’t believe how lucky I was to get to fly back home to St Louis to shoot this wedding for Nancy and Adam.  Although it was rainy (and a bit chilly) most of the wedding day, it was so lovely watch such a fantastic couple pledge their lives to each other  in the city I used to call home.

Nancy and Adam were married on a rainy afternoon on October 9, 2009 in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Nancy sent me a link to her dress before her wedding and I literally gasped out loud upon clicking on it.  Seeing it in person, it didn’t disappoint.

I didn’t know that I would have a little four legged assistant while I was shooting the details of this wedding.  This little calico followed me around while I shot, sniffing my head and camera, trying to attack the strings of the dress… she was a real help.  I grew quite fond of her.

Something blue.

My assistant, assisting.

Nancy, looking absolutely stunning.

Time to go see Adam!

Here comes the bride…

Even though it was raining, we managed to get some adorable shots with umbrellas!

Time to get married!!

Nancy’s flowers were SO beautiful!

Adam’s uncle is a florist and maybe the fastest boutonniere applier I’ve ever seen.

There were under 25 people in the room (including the quartet) when Nancy and Adam wed.  There was not one dry eye in the house, including mine which made it a little difficult to look through my viewfinder!  But all the more beautiful and intimate.

To make all the more intimate, Adam’s father married Nancy and Adam and what a lovely sermon it was.

Adam was so cute changing Nancy’s shoes for their first dance.  Instead of having a dance at the reception, they utilized their string quartet for a lovely waltz.  It was very cute and classy.

It’s official… They’re married!

Nancy and Adam did something a little nontraditional for their wedding, they had their reception the following evening closer to where Adam grew up.

Their super cute details!

This cake was as good as it looks.  SO YUM!

Uncle Dean teaching the florist business.

Time for some toasts!

Thank you SO much Adam & Nancy!  I loved being apart of your day and meeting your wonderful family!  I know you will have nothing but the best in your future and I’m just excited that I was apart of you beginning your new and wonderful life together.

Nancy & Adam’s Wedding Day:

Ceremony: Piper Palm House, Tower Grove Park, St. Louis, Missouri
Reception: Gallaghers, Waterloo, Illinois
Hair/Makeup: Damian Satrianni owner of Tease in Centralia, Illinois
Florist: Botanical Design Studio
Quartet: The Rosewood Ensemble
Cake: Kreative Kakes