LeLe Photographers: Kevin + Jennifer : St. Louis Wedding

In this life, there are certain people who you can not help but fall in love with. Kevin and Jennifer are two of those people.

Jen is like that girl next door. All American beauty with a smile and laugh that leaves a lasting impression. Not only is she beautiful, she is intelligent, kind, sentimental and so full of love. The night I first met her, she shared that she was a pharmacist. Before becoming a pharmacist she wanted to become a photographer. It sounded ever so familiar to my own story. Originally, I was set to attend St. Louis College of Pharmacy, but decided on the photography career road. It was a little quirky thing that the two of us shared which instantly made me feel a connection to her. But it was the time we spent at Jen's grandparents house for her and Kevin's engagement session that really secured their soft spot in my heart. We had decided to beat the summer heat by waking up super early for a sunrise shoot. As with most things in this life, these are never easy, but always worth it. (HERE is that early morning engagement session if you never had a chance to check it out earlier this summer.) The soft early lighting accompanied by a slight fog/dew mixed in with a sunrise BURSTING with colors are just a few of the things I love about these shoots. The thing I do not love about these shoots: dragging myself out of my warm, cozy bed and waking up. Jen and Kevin invited me AND Zoey to a slumber party at her Grandparent's home where we would be doing the shoot since it was about two hours away. They were so welcoming, accommodating, and genuine. Kevin did not complain one time when our alarms went off at 3:45am. He never griped as we went through a few outfit changes. He looked at Jennifer with love in his eyes. He kissed her on the forehead with adoration in his actions. These two share that love that shows me what a healthy love is all about. When I shared with Kevin how beautiful it was to see a man that was so sweet and loving to his fiance, he told me this:

"I just know how important these photos are to Jennifer."

He may have cared less what shirt he should wear, and probably had no desire to wake up less than 4 hours after we went to sleep, but you would have never guessed. He knew that something was important to the woman in his life and therefore, it was now that important to him. His goal in life is to make this girl smile, and what a beautiful smile it is, Jen. :)

Peonies will always, always be my favorite.

While we were shooting some pics with the ladies, we had a special guest appearance from Garfield...

One of my favorite moments of the day ended up being Jennifer and Kevin's first look. Even though we had plenty of time between the ceremony and reception, Jen still knew that this was something she wanted. She wanted that alone time with her soon to be husband and to get most of the tears out of the way. :)

Jennifer incorporated a little of her profession into the candy bar. Best use of the little paper pharmacy bags ever. :)

Then came the mother of all surprises. Kevin had NO CLUE that a special red Cardinal was about to stroll through the door. The look on his face was honestly priceless. Not going to lie, I was a little excited/starstruck around good ole' Fredbird!

Vendors
Ceremony Venue: Our Lady of Lourdes in Washington, Missouri
Transportation: USA Tours
Florist: Parkview Gardens
Cake: Seitter's Bakery
Band: All Mixed Up
The Dress: Allure Bridal from The Crystal Bride in Chicago, Illinois
Robes for Bridesmaids: Etsy

Any LeLe blog would not be complete without a little Behind the Lens shenanigans. :)