Alex and Jay :: Married

01.27.13

I do so love a winter wedding.  And what a privilege to photograph an event as lovely as Alex and Jay’s.

We had just the right amount of snow on the ground, a bright winter sky, and maybe a bit of a chill in the air.  If you were in Alex and Jay’s wedding party, you know by “a bit” I really mean “a whole heck of a lot.”  It was a true Missouri December day with frigid temps and icy winds, but smiles still abounded. There was so much joy all around… from family, friends, and of course the bride and groom.  The way they look at each other makes me a little giddy.

You’ll see.

Oh, and as an added bonus, Alex is a friend of a friend.  And on her wedding day, I found out she’s more of a friend of several friends!  We were running into people we knew left and right at the reception, which was an unexpected treat.  It’s wonderful when worlds collide.

Alex’s grandpa worked with a jeweler to design a special piece of heirloom jewelry for Alex.  Three roses represent three special women in his life… his wife, his daughter, and his granddaughter Alex. So sweet.

 

Beautiful bouquets from the lovely Melinda at Les Bouquets

 

such joy. love these two.

 

Alex looks 100% like her mom.  100%.

Oh hey. It’s Gretchen and Matt :).

Alex and Jay, I wish you so much joy and happiness in your new life together.  It was such a delight to be present on such a special day, and I count it as a blessing to have gotten to know you.  It makes me a little sad that your wedding is over because I so enjoyed talking with over the course of your engagement.  But, with all of the friends I now know we have in common, it’s quite likely our paths will cross again. Much love to you both!

 

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Photography :: Lisa Hessel Photography

Church :: Graham Chapel at Washington University

Reception :: The Crystal Ballrom at the Renaissance Grand Hotel

Hair :: Ashley, Ginger Bay

Flowers :: Les Bouquets

Band :: Downtime Band

Cake :: The Cakery

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Engaged :: Sarah and Todd

01.08.13

So thrilled to be able to share these photos of the lovely Sarah and her beau Todd. We met up on one of those atypical, yet somehow oh-so-typical, balmy Missouri winter days, and meandered through the streets of downtown until the sun set. It was such a pleasure to chat with them both as we walked from place to place, and I’m so looking forward to more time spent with these two on their wedding day.

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Rachel and Mike :: Married

12.06.12

I feel like I’ve been waiting for years to write this blog post.  And, well, that’s probably because I’ve been waiting for years to write this blog post.

As I mentioned earlier this year, I’ve shot a heaping handful of weddings for friends of Rachel, and photographing her wedding was something I had always hoped I’d have the honor of doing. So early this year, when she texted me that she was in the beginning stages of planning her fall wedding, my heart sank a little because I knew I’d be having a baby right around that time and would have to miss it.  But, with a little shifting around of dates and a bit of an intermission in my maternity leave, the stars all aligned and I was able to shoot a wedding for two people that it was truly an honor to photograph.  And I mean that.  I could fill the page with a whole slew of adjectives describing what it meant to me to able to shoot Rachel and Mike’s wedding, but let’s face it, there are just too many pretty things from their event to share, so I’ll TRY to keep it brief.

But before we start with a few (ok, make that a BUNCH) of photos from Rachel and Mike’s wedding, let me say this one thing… I really enjoy being behind the camera, observing what goes on during the course of a wedding day because I get to see a story unfold in a way that no one else really does.  And what I saw from Rachel and Mike was a tremendous amount of love and an abundance of character.  They handle stress well and they love well.  They are simultaneously both creative AND organized. If you know them, you know.  They’re just wonderful people.  And working with people like Rachel and Mike is exactly why I do what I do.

The event was held at Overlook Farms in Clarksville, Missouri, and it might just be one of the most beautiful places I’ve been for a wedding. It’s a bit outside of St. Louis and you have to travel through several small towns to get there.  And we may or may not know from experience, but the police in small towns definitely take the speed limit seriously.

Rachel is a fantastic graphic designer and designed all the paper goods for her wedding.

 

Jon shot this right after they say each other for the first time on their wedding day.

Navy dresses, succulents, and a golden weeping willow?  Yes please.

 

Seriously, kid, you’re killing me. Adorable.

Overlook Farms has several beautiful spots for a ceremony and reception, and Mike and Rachel chose to get married in the barn.  Although, “the barn” looks more like a super-beautiful, tucked-away-in-the-Alps , dreamy lodge to me…

Rachel and Mike, other than, ya know, having that new baby and all, your wedding was the highlight of the fall:). Let’s not make this the last time you two are in front of my camera.  Much love to you both!

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Vendors

Photography: Lisa Hessel Photography

Invitation and Program design: Rachel Eaton

Ceremony : Overlook Farms

Reception: Overlook Farms

Hair and Make-up: Chey Fox

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Rachel & Mike: MARRIED :) | I Do Invitations - [...] to marry me. 2) It means I got to design my OWN wedding invitations. 3) It means I got to have THE Lisa Hessel photograph me with my man and my invitations. 4) Me finally adding some new posts means it’s [...]

Confession… I can’t stop looking at this baby

09.27.12

There are few things in life that compare to looking at your baby’s face for the first time.

 

We met our little Max early last week, and truth be told, I haven’t been able to stop looking at him since.  He’s just the sweetest little peanut, and the way he curls up when he sleeps… oh, my heart just melts.

 

I’ll be staring at baby Max (aka, on maternity leave) for a good bit of the next few months.  I’ll be checking up on my correspondence periodically, so feel free to email me at lisa@lisahesselphotography.com or call if you have any questions or inquiries about photography for your event.  It may take me a bit to get back with you because, c’mon, this baby is adorable. But I will get back to you.  Promise:).

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Denise Franklin - Absolutely adorable – congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!

My friend Nicole and her family. And some muffins. And legos. And a big, huge dog. And a little dog, too. » Lisa Hessel Photography Blog - [...] I had just gotten home from the hospital after Max was born, Nicole came over and cooked for me one night, and also brought over some amazing paleo [...]