Laying Low

The national weather spotlighted St. Louis on the Today Show this morning saying that we could pick up one to two FEET of snow. FEET. Of SNOW. We've noticed that our local weather mavens have been, well let's be honest, they've been less than accurate of late. Frankly, I hope that the national weather is all wet too (no pun intended!) It is so nice to have the focus of the country on this fabulous town, we love that--- but maybe not for the sort of icky icy snowy yukky stuff they are saying is on the way. Time will tell. We have a rather full schedule of brides and holiday portraits over the next few days so we're hoping for the best. We just love seeing everyone for holiday portraits, it is so much fun. Meeting new brides is wonderful too, we have such a great time with them! So we'll hope that the roads hold and the weather is mellower than expected so that nobody has to reschedule, that is such a bother for them. One of our families coming in for their portraits tomorrow is heading on to Chicago for the weekend--- yikes, they say this storm is heading to Chicago next so they are facing a long trip!

Drive carefully---stay warm and dry---and keep your shovel and ice melt at the ready.

Hana and Prince

It is SO funny how many BBP Blog Readers ask about Hana and Prince (Hana top and Prince lower image) and how they are doing! It is true.............. they are dang cute. Well, the answer is that they are great having just celebrated their first birthdays. They still don't look too much like brother and sister, except that their playing and bickering sure makes that as clear as can be! Bobbi says that they are very well behaved pups but she feels kind of bad that they can't do incredible tricks like her friend Laine and Giuliano's dogs. To see a big Lab take a can and carefully carry it to the thirsty person who requests a beverage is something to see! Now THAT is a puppy trick. No, the dogs don't go to the studio because they would bark their nosy little heads off and we aren't in a free standing building any longer and need to be nice to our building neighbors now.

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The weatherpeople say that there is a nasty bad storm heading in the direction of St. Louis that will bring ice and snow and that our currently balmy temperatures will drop 30 to 4o degrees tomorrow! Last time we had the threat of weather, our forecasters were dead wrong so we are wondering if this time their alarmist attitudes might be right. Just in case, make sure your cars are stocked with salt and blankets and your homes are stocked with milk, eggs, bread and CHOCOLATE. Maybe a bottle of vino---- just in case!

Have a great day-----Happy Hump Day!

Colleen & John

Yesterday we were blessed to photograph the wedding of Colleen and John. They were married at Our Lady of Sorrows in South City where they met (such a romantic story!) Their ceremony was gorgeous and happy and light hearted, just as it should be. Their kids were an integral part of the day as was their family and we all had a great time in Forest Park before the reception. Who in the world could have guessed that the weather would be downright balmy on the last weekend in November here in usually cold and gray St. Louis. We arrived at the reception at the Forest Park Clubhouse to the sound of Irish music, an homage to family indeed! What a gorgeous, stylish, fabulous evening, everyone enjoyed themselves right down to the kids who win our award for the most well behaved kids EVER at a wedding! Tina who is self professed old school (and okay, just plain old) gives double points for yes ma'am's and they were in abundance! And Colleen, what an incredible woman! Maybe it is the fact that she isn't marrying at 23-------- or maybe it is just simply the fact that she is one of the kindest, warmest, most loving and truly fabulous women we have met. Colleen shown like a rare jewel throughout the day and John..... well soft spoken laid back John knew that he was the luckiest man on earth yesterday! Thanks to this couple and their family for allowing us the honor of being a part of their very special day. We very sincerely look forward to being part of this families lives as clients and more importantly as friends. Don't even get us started about how fantastic and fun the sisters were---------- oh my gosh!

Still Thankful!

It is still officially Thanksgiving Weekend, and you can be sure that we are all still THANKFUL! At the top of the list at BBP is the fact that we are thankful for our brides and grooms, our babies and children, our families and our corporate clients. We appreciate you very much!

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While many of you continue your shopping marathon, or relax with family, or put up your Christmas decorations while the weather is so spectacular we will be shooting a wedding today, that of Colleen and John. You couldn't pick (or expect) such a gorgeous day on the last weekend in November for a wedding---- what a blessing!

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Whatever you are doing today, enjoy---- and continue to count your blessings and be thankful.

Amy & Jason

What a great couple! Amy & Jason are wonderful, and so much fun! We can't wait for their wedding! The leaves were perfect in OUR location at Tower Grove Park---- can't say that for other places in the park where the leaves had fallen and many had blown away or the Park crew had already removed them. The only problem was that the gorgeous yellow leaves were under a grove of those Ginko looking trees.......... with the little persimmon like fruits that congregate on the ground in the fall. Those little fruity guys stink to high heaven------ blech! A small price to pay however for such gorgeous drifts of fall color.

Happy Monday----- the holiday countdown begins!!!!

Ashley Ashley Ashley

If you don't know that it is ALL about Ashley---- think again! Or nevermind----- this dynamic, energetic, creative and full of life senior will serve you notice! Ashley is an up and coming photojournalist from Nashville Tennessee who retained BBP to shoot her senior portraits. It was a cold, gray, rainy day but the photos turned out absolutely fabulous! We even got a slice of sunlight in the middle of the day to give us some gorgeous fall color shots.

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Keep an eye out for this phenominal young woman, she is going to set this tired old world on it's ear!

Have a great Sunday!

Kathleen & Bryan

We were so pleased to have had the opportunity to photograph Kathleen and Bryan's wedding last Saturday! It was a lovely wedding and the couple and the family were so excited. This bride and groom were married at the gorgeous Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, the same church that Kathleen's parents were married in many years ago. That fact added to the very special day for all involved.

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One of the challenges that arises in November weddings is that Daylight Savings Time has occurred and daylight rapidly departs at about 5 p.m. And it is dang cold! Regardless, the photos were gorgeous as you can see in the few samples of their special day above. We still found a way to visit some of St. Louis's most celebrated photo locations despite the light and the cold. Did we mention cold???? Oh yeah!

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Have a fantastic Saturday leading up to Thanksgiving week. Everyone we know seems to be busy with grocery shopping for the hoopla next Thursday, running to holiday crafts fairs, and even trying to do their Christmas shopping. Those are the people we hate! :) Whatever you are doing, please enjoy your day!

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Stay warm and be a blessing!

Long Time No Hear...........

Okay Okay Okay........... it's been way too long since I've blogged and I'm sorry! Really sorry! We've been extremely busy from St. Louis to Nashville and points in between---- weddings and engagement photos and families and seniors. Whew! So we'll try to make it up by adding a few more gorgeous images!

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The photos above were from Tovah and Josh's wedding, it was gorgeous and SO MUCH FUN! They had one of the best wedding parties ever and it was a fantastic day. The ceremony was at St. Ambrose which is such an incredibly beautiful church on The Hill, and the reception was at Favazza's Rose of the Hill. The bride and her family are friends of the Favazza's so you know that dinner was just extra special! (Yum~!) The wedding photos are nothing short of spectacular as you can see from the small sample above.

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We had lunch yesterday with one of our favorite brides, now a married lady, Elizabeth and her Mom. It was great, and we're all so sad that we don't have their wedding to look forward to anymore! Tina did have the Pepperoni Quiche (no idea why!!!) and comments that next time she is going to stay the boring lunch girl she always is. The white chocolate bread pudding was pretty fine however! We're so lucky to be able to lunch and kibbitz with clients, we think of all of them as friends. So............. let's have lunch! Call, we are always up for food and gossip!

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Back to the grind---------stay warm and dry in this awful St. Louis weather! We're pretty sick and tired of the cold and rain. If the weatherman is right (and thank heavens he almost never is) we are in for SNOW tomorrow. A couple inches of heavy, wet snow. The good news is that in the midst of the busy schedule we're keeping is that since the move to the Central West End and NOT having a freestanding studio any longer we won't have the days and days of decorating for the holidays and hanging ALL those lights. Danielle and I smile just thinking about it.

November Weddings

Many people will tell you that November is an 'iffy' month for weddings, and a number of brides are a bit afraid to tie the knot so late in the year. With October being one of the most popular wedding months in St. Louis, we sing the praises of November as well. You can almost always count on the weather being cool, the fall foliage is more than likely still holding (as it is now), and it is already beginning to have that feel of holiday excitement.

Today we capture a wonderful marriage celebration, that of Tovah and Josh. The skies might be a bit cloudy but the weatherman says not too cold. Their reception venue is one of our favorites for a warm and happy atmosphere.

Stay warm, relax, and have a fantastic weekend!

Just Don't Tell Us!

Yes we know.............. Christmas is officially 62 days away. Gulp. Gasp. Shudder. We are scheduling Holiday Family Portraits like crazy in addition to working with our fabulous brides and grooms and their families and somehow all we hear is the clock tick tick ticking. Have you seen the Christmas commercials on tv yet? Amazing! And for your pleasure (ha!) we present a fun website we found..... http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/xmas_cnt.htm. The Countdown to Christmas on the website. What a hoot, but I know that kids will be entertained, as well as the rest of us who can't believe how quickly the calendar pages run away! (This just proves once again that you can find ANYTHING on the Internet!)

And here we are in St. Louis in the CHILLY weather, only two days of November gone and it feels much later. It is darn cold when it comes right down to it. So the homage to what is left of Fall we present above a lovely photo of Tower Grove Park resplendent in it's foliage.

No matter what the countdown says, or the time of year, take the time to enjoy the day and be a blessing to someone!

"When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy. " -Rumi