Steve + Jessii + Haylee

[by Ash-a-ley]

There are certain clients that begin to feel more like family than clients.   I remember the morning that I first met Steve and Jessii.    Seriously...the date and everything (weird, I know, but sometimes certain dates stick out to me).    I knew I was going to love Jessii as soon as she agreed to do a sunrise shoot with me for her Ripe Belly Session yet.   Those kind of shoots take serious dedication and discipline.....not just on the clients part either!   Her enthusiasm about the shoot was contagious.    I could feel it in our phone conversations and email exchanges.    Somewhere along the journey from the Ripe Belly Session to the most recent 18 Month photo session, Haylee, Jessii and Steve all stole my heart and acquired that "feel like family" title.   Jessii's excitement, enthusiasm has never dulled in the slightest.   We work together before each and every shoot to come up with a new, creative, how are we going to beat the last shoot idea.   Her excitement for the shoot only amplifies my excitement, and the results leave my heart happy each and every time.   :)

We made our way to Midtown, because I wanted to shoot around the Fox Theatre.   Little did I know, but the Fabulous Fox is actually where Steve and Jessii had their wedding.  :)  

 We finished up the shoot with a sweet treat at the Fountain on Locust.   This cute little spot had been on my "Must Try" list for a while now.    The milkshake we ordered was seriously INCRED.  

Aaron +Meg:Saint Louis Engagement

(by Ash-a-ley)

I never know who I am going to meet when I show up to shoot a wedding.   Before I even arrive, I already know I love the bride and groom.  Throughout the day, I meet, interact, and make friends with bridesmaids, groomsmen, officiants, vendors, and yes, even the valet guys.  Fast forward anywhere from 8-12 hours, and I end up leaving the reception feeling like a part of the family.   Last summer I met Miss Meg.   She was a bridesmaid in one of my favorite weddings of the year (HI MARSHALL & AMY!!!).   That wedding was on the HOTTEST day of the year, but you would have never guessed by looking at the pics, because Amy and her girls were troopers.    Here is a flashback of that June day.......

(Amy is on the far right)

Aaron + Meg's wedding will be here on June 1st!   We met a few weeks ago for their engagement session.   We kept the session in Webster, because it is not only where they live, but also where they spend quite a bit of their time.  It made for the most lovely location.  

Happy 1st Birthday Easton!!!

{With Love - Ash}

It will be one year in September that we were celebrating with Jan and Mike at Lola's first birthday party.   Jan pulled me aside and told me the news, they were expecting baby #2!!   No one really knew yet, but she had to let me know that they were definitely doing a birthstory.     Fast-forward nine months and one year and VOILA~Here is Easton.   Easton and his entire family (yes there is one more on the way) have become an extension of my own heart.   Watching these guys grow as a family and grow up is one of the best perks of my job.    Easton is having a farm themed birthday party, so I went out to scout locations and find the perfect barn setting.   Mike and Jan even made the super cute cow cake themselves!!   Very crafty, you two!   :)    

 I just love this family.   More and more each time.  

The wind was in full force that day!!!!   We rocked it to our advantage the best we could!   

And time for a little walk down memory lane.....
Here is the last year in a nutshell:

Meg & Billy's Wedding Album

I love absolutely EVERYTHING about Meg & Billy AND their wedding day.   Their wedding album was no different!!  They chose the 11x14 Premium, Flush-Mount album.  The rectangular sizes are always my FAVORITE!!  Especially on the pages where the image goes top to bottom.   Nothing like seeing that Pnina Tornai dress on a full spread!   BAM!     Finding the perfect wedding album company was sooooo very important to us.   We wanted quality and the type of album that was going to become a family heirloom.    Every single time I receive the finished product from Madera, I have been blown away.    Thank you once again Madera for making such a beautiful piece of art for me to share with my bride and groom!!   :)

And just in case you missed their wedding, HERE is their full blog.   Click on it, you will be happy you  did.   :)  I swear, this day came straight out of a storybook.

Meg chose the premium leather Camel color for her cover.   We also chose her favorite pic from the Newlywed session as the cover photo.   This album is so custom and special to the two of them, especially because of the Faith, Hope, & Love imprinting (which is their special verse that was featured all throughout their wedding) on the cover along with the wedding date.

Meg also added special imprinting down the spine of her wedding album.    

The cover page (with zoey sneaking in the background)

I absolutely LOVE the impact that one image across an entire spread makes!!!   

Itty Bitty Isabella Grace!

So this little lady had her Itty Bitty session last week and had the CUTEST cheeks!!!  Here is the announcement I custom designed for her:

Front:

Back:

Welcome Itty Bitty Audrey Mae!

Welcome Sweet Baby Audrey!!!    We had to pull out our favorite Km2 bands for this special little princess!    In my opinion, the more jewels, chevon and lace,the better!   Here is her personalized birth announcement....

The front......

Then you flip it over and get even more of this sweet little angel!    

and another favorite from the day!