Just warning you…this is going to be a long blog, but it is worth it.

I know that “Beauty and the Beast” may seem an odd title for a wedding blog, but that is the way our groom, Mark, had described his relationship with Janelle. Both in how each of their unique stories developed and the sheer improbability of how they came together, it is a very good description. I have seen many magical and astounding weddings, but honestly…I think this was the most fairy-tale of them all.

I met Janelle some 10 years ago or so when we were all working at a conference in New Orleans. She and her group were from Canada, and it was my first time having long contact with people from north of the border. I will never forget that in the week of our first meeting, she beat me at a little work competition we had amongst some of us. She was pretty shy back then, but I learned quickly that she was very competitive and fiery. We became better and better friends over the years, and when I would visit their town of Chilliwack, we would usually all get together to play a few games and let our feisty competitive natures run rampant. As the years went on, she and I were increasingly in the same position of watching our friends get married and find their happily ever after while we grew older without any really prospect of change on the horizon. For anyone who has been there, you know that can be a tough place to be. But, she is a strong person, so she kept going forward hoping that one day her prince might come along. She was faithful and and honorable and hard working and was always a “good” girl (in the best sense of the term). But, when you are in a place like that, you begin to wonder what is wrong with you and why you have been “passed over.” I know I felt that way myself for years.

Then there was Mark. To say he had a rough life would be putting it mildly. A few too may bad decisions and run-ins with law enforcement had set his life headed in a bad direction. After getting out of jail, he knew he had to turn his life around. He started going to church, and things started to change for him. He knew he did not have to live the same life that he had. He wanted a family and a good life, and there was no chance of that without serious change. Still, though…when you have not had the best life behind you and have made many mistakes, it is hard to feel like you deserve that happiness, and it is even harder to think that anyone without a history like yours could ever really accept you.

But then it happened. Mark saw Janelle, and very quickly began to fall for her. She had no idea, but he slowly and patiently started preparing himself to pursue her. Eventually, she started to notice him. These two people, from completely different backgrounds that are so far on opposite ends of the spectrum, began to see something in each other that no one else did. Everyone else began to see it as well. They were made for each other.

I remember how happy I was when I found out they were together. First off, I was totally shocked, but I was thrilled. Shannon and I had already experienced our love-story, and I was so happy that my dear friend Janelle was having her well deserved turn. We were so excited for the chance to photograph their wedding that we jumped on it. How could you not want to be a part of something this amazing?

We arrived in Canada on the heals of a huge snow storm. It was so cold, and along with the snow was ice and freezing rain and all that joyous stuff. We spent some time talking with the two of them let them know what we felt like we needed to do, and we made our final preparations for the epic day. It arrived, and with it came rain…lots of rain. We were not to be discouraged, though. Honestly, it felt like nothing could get in the way of the awesomeness of what was happening that day…especially not something as trivial as weather.

They started out the ceremony with an amazing video telling their story, and there was not a dry eye in the place. Everyone was moved and touched by their story that it inspired such hope and joy in everyone there. When Janelle came walking down the aisle, the looks on her and Mark’s faces were priceless. They were so happy and so excited. The ceremony was so beautiful and sweet, and it finally came time for the main event…the kiss. Mark and Janelle decided that they were not going to kiss until their wedding day, so that kiss was the first time they kissed. And not only that, it was Janelle’s first kiss in her entire life. I kid you not, it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, and I cried right along with everyone else there.

After the ceremony we went to do the photos, and it was soooo cold and wet. Everyone was freezing and soaked, but no one complained at all. How could a person complain about a little thing like being cold and a little wet on a day like this? Everyone was so honored to be a part of a day like this and was so thrilled for these two that complaining just was not a thought. I have to say, the three bridesmaids Rebecca, Esther, and Stephanie were amazing. They were so cold, but they were such good sports. You cannot ask for better friends than these.

The photo on the dock was from Cultus Lake at sunset, and it is the one that many people have all ready seen. I think it is one of my favorite photos that I have ever taken. I do not just love it because it is so great though…I love it because it so perfectly captures the epic grandeur that is Mark and Janelle. It is hard to play favorites among the couples we work with, but considering that I have been friends with Janelle for so long, I think I might be a little biased here as I am with a few others. If anyone deserves a photo this amazing, it is Janelle. She was one of the most beautiful and radiant brides that I have ever seen, and after years of waiting and doing the right thing, she finally had her day. And from my perspective, she lived it to the fullest. And Mark…here was a man that worked so hard to protect and cherish and love his woman, and even though he made many mistakes in his past, he was a man worthy of such a perfect bride.

There are those days where I do not feel worthy of being involved in a story so magnificent. This was one of those days. I will never forget it for the rest of my life.

God bless you both, Mark and Janelle. We love you and want the best life for you possible, and we know you will have it.

Joel

P.S. Major thanks to our dear friends Shawn and Keri for welcoming us into their home once again, and for being such a huge help on the wedding day itself. You two are amazing and we love you so much!

Our first entry in the Bride’s Favorites comes from Angie…our fun and energetic summer bride from the very neighborhood f my youth on the West End of Belleville. What she had to say totally choked us up, and we knew this had to be the first one we posted. When we read things like this, it makes us love our job even more. Thank you so much for sharing, Angie!

“My dad and I have never been emotional people, at least not in front of each other.  We have always been considered the funny, easy-going ones of the family who show little emotion.  However those days/weeks leading up to the wedding, I could already feel some pretty strong emotions building up in me and I knew the day of the wedding was going to be quite the emotional roller coaster for the two of us.  The thought of my dad seeing me for the first time all dolled up in my wedding dress ready to become a married woman brought tears to my eyes.

Thanks Shannon and Joel for capturing such a special, important moment in both of our lives.”

We believe in real-life fairy-tales. We are living one. We think it’s only fair that you get to as well.

We believe that wedding days (and marriages too) are epic and magical, and deserve to be treated as such.

We believe that wedding photography has the power to make your wedding day the perfect day that you have always dreamed of.

We know that bridal shows can be overwhelming in the extreme (especially as a newly engaged bride-to-be!), so congratulations on making it through! As our way of saying thank you for taking the time to chat with us, we will be running a special of 5% off any package booked by Sunday 1/15 (day after Joel’s Birthday!). We’d love to talk with you more, hear about your dreams for your wedding and talk you through which of our wedding packages can best accomplish that. Contact us if you’d like to set up a time to chat!

Our 2012 dates are almost filled, but we still have a few openings and would love to see if we are a great fit for you and your fiance! For my 2013 brides out there, congrats on getting a jump start on your planning! (I wish I would have had so much time to plan our wedding! We were crazy and had a 3 month engagement.). We are currently booking for 2013, so don’t think it’s too early to get those dates secured, especially if you are planning a June or October wedding. (June is well….June, and October is the new June, so those dates always go fast!)

Last, but certainly not least we are excited to announce the winner of our extended engagement session. Actually, we met so many awesome people that we decided we wanted to pick 2 winners! So drumroll if you please…. our winners are Ashley Roediger and Ashley Urzi! Must be big year for Ashley’s Congratulations ladies!!

It was obvious from our first meeting with them that they are already an inseparable team. They both definitely have opinions about what they want, but are quick to support each other as well. Jared is an avid demolition derby driver, and even though it was something Lisa was extremely familiar with beforehand, she is his number 1 supporter now. They make each other laugh and are obviously in love. Even as we approached the wedding day that love showed through as they rallied around their family. Just a week before the wedding, Jared’s niece Carley was hospitalized for a sudden, serious infection in her lungs. They visited the hospital multiple times throughout the week checking on her and the family. And although she, and her mom, were not able to be in the wedding as originally planned they were there in spirit, and we are praying for Carley’s speedy recovery.

Joel and I woke up on the day of the wedding feeling like it had been FOREVER since we had shot a wedding (a few week break will do that to you!) but excited to be back in the saddle, as it were . We joined Lisa and the girls at Split Ends Salon for some beautifying. From there we went on to the church to await the ceremony. Lisa was pretty calm, but Jared was full of those groom-to-be jitters – not nerves, just excitement. The ceremony was lovely, as was the gorgeous St. George’s church in New Baden, IL. Although the day was a bit nippy (we’re talking December here!), it was as clear as can be, and the photo locations were lovely. After that we stopped by 7 West Bar to warm up a bit before continuing on to the reception.

Everyone had a great time at the lovely reception, and a family friend put together a touching video of Lisa and Jared growing up and falling in love. We learned how well Lisa and Jared know each other through a funny round of the newly wed game, and then the party commenced. We were pretty psyched to get to do photo booth photos, as we love them! And as we always try to sign the guest book, I did so as we went out the door, but I was a bit tired, and so, Lisa and Jared, if you think Joel’s name looks a bit weird it’s because I originally signed Shannon & Jared. Oops!!

We are so glad we got to share in your special day, and wish you all the best as you continue to grow in love together!

Years went on and the girls went to school, some got married, one married my best friend and started having kids. Things change as time goes, and understandably, the feeling of needing to protect others decreases when they are more capable of taking care of themselves. You still want them to be happy and safe and have everything in life possible, but you just don’t think about it quite as much.

During Lauren and Lars’s ceremony, it really hit me really powerfully again for the first time in while. I saw this young girl in front of me who I had seen grown up so much in front of my eyes, and I saw her entering into the most life-changing event she has known. As I was shooting the photos, it slammed into me how deeply I still wanted the best for her and for all of her dreams to be paled by the amazing reality awaiting her. It was, without a doubt, the most emotional wedding for me that I have ever shot.

Lauren, you a gorgeous and so amazing, and I am so happy for you and Lars. I love you so much, and I am so excited for what is in store for the two of you. May the grace of God be always upon you both.

Joel

p.s. We had the chance again to work with SweetTea Media who did the video for Lauren and Lars. We said it before, but these people are amazing. Check out the video from their day here.

p.p.s For anyone using Complete Music for your dj, you definitely should ask for Zach. This was also our second time working with him at the dj station, and he does an amazing job. We see many…well…not so good dj’s, and we see an occasional very good one. Zach is up there at the top of that list.

Fast forward to this year, and that bubbly excitement is still in their eyes, and you just know they can’t wait to be married. We met up with them at Pere Marquette, which is absolutely stunning this time of year! Everyone was calm and just enjoying every moment of the day as they prepared for the ceremony, which was held inside the lodge in front of the fireplace. It was a sweet ceremony just like them, and sure the flower girl kind of freaked out a bit – but my policy is that flower girls and ring bearers are always cute at the wedding no matter what!

After the ceremony we headed up into the park to capture some of the beautiful fall colors. At our first stop Joel manged to loose our car keys in the space of time it took him to walk from the driver’s side to the passenger side of the car! But thanks to the help of one of the guys we found them, lying right there on the leaf-strewn ground (we think he went to put them in his pocket or bag and missed). That was our only drama, and we ended up getting some awesome shots of the newlyweds.

The reception was also held at the lodge, and was simply lovely. The food was delicious, and the setting perfect for an intimate party. As usual I cried during the father daughter dance. It is always so precious watching the dads and daughters getting emotional and having that moment! We loved getting to be a part of such a special day for two special people!

Congratulations Lindsey and Daniel!

By Shannon

Vendors

Flowers – Dick’s Flowers

Dress – Watter’s Brides

Tuxedos – Savvi Formalwear

Venue – Pere Marquette Lodge

DJ – Gateway DJ

Hair- Rene Fite, You’re Worth It Salon

We started the day at Erin’s parents’ house in Carondelet with her, her bridesmaids, and her family. They were having a great time laughing, listening to Wilco, and drinking Stag (the official beer of the Bauer family, I was told with extreme seriousness). We went from there to the ceremony which was just around the corner from the house. We headed to the beautiful Carondelet Park after the ceremony to do the photos after the ceremony, and it was again a perfect fall day with amazing colors. We spent about an hour there and headed back to the family house, where most of the wedding guests were having a pre-reception party. Everyone was eating and hanging out and just having a great time. One of the highlights was when all went next-door so Matt could regale everyone with him playing and singing “Tiny Dancer” on the neighbor’s piano. It was great, and everyone got into it. Another really funny moment was when we discovered that a guest who was sitting at our table for dinner had his own little cake. We found it a little odd, so we had to ask what it was all about. Apparently, he had made a bet with Erin about train schedules which he won. His reward? He got his own personal cake at the wedding. Erin picked the photo for the cake, which was him kissing a T-rex. She even came by to help him make the first cut in the cake…hilarious.

It was a great day, and we had a wonderful time with everyone. There is no substitute in life for great family and great friends, it was very clear that Matt and Erin have these in abundance. Thank you so much for trusting two people you had never met and having us along for your day!

Joel

Those of you not from the St. Louis area might not have realized it, but there was this little thing called the “World Series” going on recently. On the night of Susie and Mark’s wedding was the epic 16-7 Cardinals victory in game 3, and if the day was not exciting enough, watching Pujols hit a few home runs in the middle of the reception bumped it up a notch. Ok, this is obviously Joel writing this blog and not Shannon. I doubt the game would have been mentioned at all had she been writing it, heh. Other than the baseball game, we had an awesome time with Susie and Mark and Co. We started out with the girls at California Styles in downtown Collinsville (less than 1 minute away from our office), and from there we headed to SS. Peter and Paul Church (also only 1 minute from our office). Even though I have seen that church my entire life (and even lived right next to it for around 6 years), it was my first time shooting photos in the church.  The church works very well for photos and was much prettier than I had expected. One of the highlights for me was the very creative present that Susie had made for Mark. He is an optometrist, and she had a canvas made for him with a personal note to him in the form of an eye chart. Very cool.

After the wedding was over, we headed to the Gardens at SIUE, which is always an awesome place for photos. I spent most of my time with Susie and Mark, while Shannon and Megan ran around getting photos of the somewhat zany wedding party. Ok, “somewhat” doesn’t really get it right…this group was nuts. But, they were a blast to be with. We love it when a group can relax and have a great time, and these guys definitely did not disappoint. It is so much easier (and more fun!) to work with a group when they are having a great time themselves.

For the reception, we were at Lewis and Clark Community College, and it was a massive room that fit the very large crowd they had invited to the party.

It was a long day, but a very fulfilling one. Mark and Susie were so clearly in love with each other, and it always warms my heart to see our couples deeply in love. I was born to be a photographer, for sure, but it makes my job so much wonderful when I can be a part of the best day in two people’s lives. I love this job.

Congrats and God bless to Susan and Mark!

Joel

]]> http://www.conner-photography.com/susanandmarkwedding/feed/ 5 http://www.conner-photography.com/melissaandrandy/ http://www.conner-photography.com/melissaandrandy/#comments Fri, 28 Oct 2011 03:04:18 +0000 Joel http://www.conner-photography.com/?p=3291 Melissa and Randy are such a sweet couple. She is totally glamorous, and he is rugged all-American, but it’s their beautiful hearts that make them so special. They shared an intimate ceremony at the Jewel Box on another perfect fall weekend. Melissa was stunning, and Randy’s face just lit up when he saw her come down the aisle. After the ceremony we did photos around Forrest Park and then went on to their reception at the Doubletree. It was a fun party atmosphere, although the groom and several of the guys did periodically sneak off to catch some of the World Series at the bar. Go Cards! (And I’m not even a sports fan). But really, we wish you both a lifetime of happiness and joy – it’s the ride of your life! Congratulations!

~Shannon

We started out the day at the Sheraton City Center in St. Louis where Sara and her bridesmaids were getting beautified. Everyone looked lovely as they sipped mimosas and enjoyed muffins. My favorite moment was when Sara opened Adam’s gift for her and read the letter he wrote her. Her eyes welled up with glistening tears…so precious! From there we went on to St. Cecilia Parish which is one of the most beautiful churches we have ever shot in. The walls are covered in mosaics – it is just magnificent! Sara looked positively breathtaking as she made her way down the long aisle on the arm of her father. I love her dress – it’s unusual these days to see a wedding gown that isn’t strapless, and her’s was amazing!

Following the ceremony we headed over to Tower Grove Park for photos, everything was going fine until we loaded back into the party bus. The radio had been going in and out on our way over, and the driver was outside trying to see what the issue was. Then all of a sudden the bus just died. Completely dead, immoveable, and we had just over an hour, with 2 more locations to go, before everyone was due at the reception. We got everyone off the bus and decided to do a few more photos on site while the bus driver tried to figure out what was wrong. When it became evident that more help would be required we went into Plan B mode. Fortunately, Amy and Josh from Sweet Tea Media were able to save the day! They had their van there, so we loaded up with Sara and Adam and headed for downtown to finish up while the rest of the bridal party waited for the bus to get restarted. I have to say that was a first for all of us. Sara was understandably upset, but she did great! Fortunately the bus was able to be restarted and the rest of the party joined us at the arch before we went back to the Sheraton for the reception. In it all, though, Sara was amazing. Yes, she was clearly upset, but so many people could let something like this ruin their day. Not her. She didn’t let it get her down…she’s pretty amazing, if I say so myself.

The reception was a beautiful affair, and everything went wonderfully. At the end of the evening we stopped by the popcorn bar and had the most delicious caramel apple popcorn either of us have ever tasted! Yum. Another fun treat was the grooms cake – it was decorated for the Cardinals and was made entirely out of rice crispy treats. How cool is that?

As for Amy and Josh, we really enjoyed working with and getting to know the two of them, and we would definitely recommend them if you are still looking for your videographer. We realized we are actually working with them again in just a few weeks, so we are excited for more adventures to come, although hopefully a little less dramatic .

Congratulations Sara and Adam – we wish you both all the best!

~Shannon