Rekindled Love Book for sale

Not only are we here to capture your family memories we can also create a professional headshot for your accomplishments. Nancy contacted us to update her previous photo from the last time she wrote a book, Rekindled Love. Yep, she wrote a couple of book! We were honored to have the opportunity to photograph the author. The photo is on the back cover of all the books. Nancy also wanted to include a few older photos on the pages. She brought us the original copies and we were able to get them into a digital format. These photos really add another great element to the pages. Even if you didn’t write a book we can help you get those memories into the computer. How exciting it would be to share with the rest of the family. Here is a synopsis of the book. We are excited to read it! A hopeless romantic returns to his country roots; his love has moved on to the big city. Accepting that their relationship would never be restored, he resolves to make a life for himself in the green pastures of Perryville, Missouri. Years pass with a happy marriage, six children, a partner in a family business, and life on the farm until his wife of 62 years passes away. Grieving the loss, he finds solace in a kind letter whose author proves more familiar than he thought. When he realizes his new pen pal is none other than the love of his youth, his heart ignites with the possibility of love restored. But the years and miles between them are stubborn and don’t yield so easily to the renewed desire for a relationship. Will Leon and Ethel find the spark to rekindle the love they once had? This true story combines the best elements of romance, historical fiction, and a human tale of reconciliation. Buy Rekindled Love. It’s never too late to find your happily ever after. If you want to purchase this book here is the link Order on Amazon   #ravettaphotography #professionalphotos #restoration

Luella and her pumpkins

Are we allowed to have favorites? Of course we love all of our clients and enjoy spending time with them during the session. But after year and years of working with some we find the sessions are more like friends catching up. Rather than clients we work with for just a short time. It all started when we took photos of Alexis because her mom brought her to our studio. We photographed their wedding. Alexis and Dillon started a family and thought that our birthday club would be a perfect fit. We have been working with them regularly for the past few years as the children are growing. We sometimes take too much time talking that it’s more like friends catching up at a picnic together in the park than a family session. This birthday club session was for Luella’s 8 month. Alexis and Dillon decided to theme the photos with some pumpkins. They had all the right colors and sizes to put around Luella in the photos. She was doing such a great job of sitting, not great at standing just yet. Though dad let her try her best before she took a bit of a tumble, he had so much faith she could do it. Dad will always be her greatest supporter! My favorite part of the session was when we took a few photos of big brother pulling his sister in a wagon. For fun mom and dad jumped in pretending to struggle pulling the wagon. Just a fun moment and a cute family photo! Of course, we enjoy taking the regular family photos but throwing in a few fun ones is a nice change to the session. It also helps to keep the attention of the younger kids. After taking too many photos the kids didn’t want to sit still so yet again we took some time to chat. We really should schedule extra time for us to just have a picnic next time!   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #birthdayclub #familyphotos #parkphotos

Logan and Jarred enjoy time together on their wedding day!

Logan and her mom came into our office to talk about wedding photography services because they were familiar with our quality. They decided we were a perfect fit to photograph the event! After months of detailed planning the wedding day had finally arrived and everyone was very excited. The day started at the hotel where Logan was getting ready with her mom and aunt. It’s not often that we have a couple opt to not have a wedding party. However, the calm and relaxed feel in the room was a pleasant surprise. Logan said she enjoyed spending more quality time with her mom on the morning of her wedding. Logan knew that if she had a room full of people getting ready she worry about everything else and not take the time to relax. Jarred met us at the hotel for a first look prior to heading to the park. They had planned a small ceremony in front of a waterfall with only about 25 people in attendance. As Jarred waited for Logan to come out he talked about how the day was going just as he expected. He was happy to have the small moments together with Logan prior to the large party later that night. The first look was no exception, when he saw her for the first time he lit up and smiled from ear to ear. She couldn’t stop smiling either and the photos in those first moments really told the story of the rest of the day. Luckily both Logan and Jarred enjoy taking photos because we took a ton! After the normal family photos in the park we headed out with them to a few other locations. They traveled in a Rolls Royce, super classy and traditional – just like Logan and Jarred! Hundreds of amazing photos later we arrived at the reception ready to party. The couple took a few moments to themselves while we photographed the decorations. The details in the room showed the time and effort that was put into everything during the planning process.  The couple enjoyed having everyone attend the reception because they were able to take time to visit with those close to them. A dress change by Logan completed the evening and surprised everyone! Time after time they mentioned to us that they were so happy with our wedding knowledge. Not only in photography, but also in organization, timing and also making sure to capture each special moment. We were happy to work with them and hope to have the opportunity again in the future.   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #fallwedding #weddingphotos

Allie and John get married

Allie and John were smiling their entire wedding day from the moment we arrived to the end of the evening. They were lucky enought to have a beautiful day in September. We started off with Allie at her parent’s house while she got ready with the Bridesmaids. The house was familiar since we photographed her sister’s wedding. But even with the familiarity, everything was very different because it was Allie’s big day this time. Although weddings are very similar in structure each one is very unique. What stood out to us right away at the church was the excitement of the guests gathered together. Normally when a guest enters a church they find their seat and wait for the ceremony to start. Allie and John have way more social people in their families! They were wandering around greeting each other, hugging and enjoying the moments since it has been so long since they have been together. The coordinator had to make an announcement for everyone to sit down so Allie could walk down the aisle to John. We spent a good amount of time at the park taking photos of the couple with the wedding party. But first, we had to make a stop at their first home together. This photo is so sweet because this is the location they will begin their married life together. Many years from now when family is talking about Allie and John this is they type of photo that they will bring out. After a quick stop downtown to grab a few photos with the arch we headed to the reception. The theme of mingling, hugging, and greeting continued even here during cocktail hour. It was great to see that at a wedding and this carried on the whole evening. How very special to see so many people together in one place after such a long time. It has taken 2 years for the family to get together. At the same time, everyone was brought together at their event, Allie and John were brought together in marriage. We enjoyed spending time with them. Love and support will surround them throughout their whole marriage.   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #weddingphotos #fallwedding #stlwedding

Anthony and Kim get married

The wedding day started off very relaxed and that feeling continued all day long. It is hard for a couple to relax on their wedding day but Anthony and Kim accomplished the task. Were there a few hiccups? Of course, there is always something that doesn’t go quite right at a wedding. However, they both handled those hiccups in stride by continuing their day. They were going to get married today and that is all that matters. The winery location was perfect because it was everything all in one place. They had rooms to get ready, photo locations, lakeside ceremony and a covered area for the reception. This lucky couple had friends and family around them willing to help in any way possible. Each wedding party member had a task prior to the ceremony so Anthony and Kim could relax. From decorating the arbor and placing centerpieces, to applying make-up and sewing pants (yes there is a story there that you will have ask them) the wedding party really stepped up to help. We were able to get all the photos of Anthony and Kim separately prior to the ceremony. They wanted to keep that moment he sees her walking down the isle special. But we also didn’t want to spend the full cocktail hour taking photos. By doing as many photos prior to the ceremony it allowed the day to run smoothly and add to the relaxation of the couple. After a sweet but also hilarious ceremony where the couple wrote their own vows we spent some time taking photos of them together. We could have done this for hours because they were so happy to be married which showed in each and every photo. Not to mention the wedding party was having such a great time together too. They were just a great group of people that we were lucky enough to spend the day with at the wedding of Anthony and Kim. We hope to have the opportunity to work with them again sometime soon. Thanks for allowing us to capture these memories  you will enjoy forever! #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #weddingphotos #fallwedding #winerywedding

Surprise mom with a family photo

I have known Heather since high school and along with many other people as we have gotten married and had children our lives have become very busy and it seems like Facebook is the only way that we are able to keep in touch. Heather had put online that she wanted to do a family session as a gift to her mom for her 70th birthday. Of course, I responded right away and to say let me know what you have in mind so we can make it happen. She had decided an outdoor session was a great option and really could not have gotten any luckier with the weather on the day that she selected. The plan was to move the photos inside if the weather was not cooperating but outside worked perfectly.  We met at Tower Grove Park to take photos of her husband children and parents all together to celebrate the birthday. Her oldest daughter had a headache when she arrived but really powered through it for grandma and mom. Making these photos special! We were able to get all types of photos for them to cherish forever. The generations of the girls, everyone together, the grandkids, and even mom and dad alone. I was honored that I got to capture these memories for them and it gave us a little bit of time to do some catching up on what has been going on recently. Sadly with busy schedules and everyone going some many different directions, we will probably turn into some Facebook updates for a while. But hopefully the next time they need a family photo we can get together and catch up again! #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #familyphotos #parksession

New mom and dad are in love

We often do photographs for multiple family members and this past December we were at the home of one of our clients doing some Christmas photos of the family. We noticed an announcement for a baby on the refrigerator. We have also done this family members wedding! We were very excited to hear that they were expecting. We knew that when the baby arrived we would hear from them to set up a newborn session. The moment they got home from the hospital they did just that – they called the office and decided to have us come out the following week to take the newborn photos at their home. It’s always a personal touch to do the sessions in the nursery because we are then able to incorporate some of the blankets and decorations that are present in the home. We often come with multiple items posing pillows, blankets, wraps, baskets, and all sorts of things that we can use for the photos but we do like using personal items to make the photos unique. These items also make baby feel comfortable. When I arrived I had all of my usual items and settled in the nursery. Baby Jacob was wide awake which gave us some great family photos with mom and dad. We typically start with mom and dad photos so that they can then relax while we finish up with the individual photos a baby. Jacob got in his mind that he was not going to go to sleep for his photo shoot. He stayed awake most of the time and when we tried images of him unwrapped mom mentioned that he really doesn’t like to be naked and he told us that right away! We were able to get many photos of him dozing in and out of sleep as well as wide awake, as long as, he was wrapped or had clothes on. We did joke a little bit that as much as those naked photos are cute it might be a good thing that he wants to keep his clothes on. During the session we chatted about how well Jacob is doing with his sleep and feeding he is such a great little baby. Mom and dad are very lucky to have such an easy-going little guy. This being the first baby for mom and dad they were overjoyed by all of the wonderful images that I captured. We look forward to capturing more memories of baby Jacob in the future and at some point maybe even a photo of all the cousins together #ravettaphotography #newbornsession #stlphotographer #nurseryphotos #babyboy

Family Photos before the rain

Finally! It happened we were able to take a family photo. Sadly we had to reschedule due to rain more than once. It seems that it is always raining on the weekends recently so we set up an evening appointment. It actually turned out to be a wonderful night, clouds in the sky and a nice breeze. When this family found me in the park they said they were up for anything or any area in the park. Kristy said she liked the look of barns so we chose Faust Park giving us plenty to work with. To get started I had dad sit down and then said “now pose, this is it. Didn’t you know this was a photo shoot of just you?” The whole family played along laughing at dad’s reaction. This joke put everyone at ease knowing that we were just going to have some fun during the session. With three older children we were able to get in lots of combinations of photos. The whole family of course, just the girls and then the boys, even individual photos. I wanted a photo of mom and sister giving one of the boys a kiss on the cheek. We got the shot but not before I got lots of photos of them laughing since she probably hasn’t given him a kiss on the cheek ever. We did photos of them walking, jumping and showing off some sassy faces. They were really up for anything so did just that. Working with such a relaxed family all the expressions came through in all the photos. Great smiles, interaction and fun! They said they are hoping to do photos more often and will definitely call for something in the fall leaves. I can just imagine them tossing leaves at each other. I’m so excited!

Mom and dad very soon

We were contacted by Rob many months ago because we previously did a session for him and his wife. A few years back they were celebrating 10 years of marriage! They enjoyed the session with us so much that they knew they wanted to work with us again. This time they needed a maternity session since Laura is expecting. The baby is due in May so an April session with the beautiful spring blooms was going to be perfect. They selected the botanical gardens for this session, which was an excellent choice to get all the different types of spring colors in the flowers. Laura had a few things in mind when it came to the locations of the photos, it worked out perfectly because all of the areas she like had wonderful colors matching what they had chosen to wear. As we walked around the garden we talked about how excited they were to welcome their first child. They have nieces and nephews that are looking forward to another addition to the family. They done with the nursery – after a few snags with the furniture. Who knew that getting dresser right now could possibly take 6 months! Laura had to change the original idea on the wood color but actually loves how everything has come together. They have chosen a few names for their little one and have decided to wait until they see that sweet face to officially decide which name to use. How exciting! I will be wonderful for the family to finally hear who has joined them. We are looking forward to the opportunity to work with Rob and Laura again when we do a newborn session. We are hoping to have a new birthday club member soon! These photos are amazing and any others we take with this new family will be wall worthy for sure. Let us know when little one arrives.

The gift of photos is Amazing

The gift of photos, what is better than that…nothing! When you are looking for that perfect gift you should get a gift certificate from Ravetta Photography. Our studio is more than happy to find the package that you think would work best for the person you are buying for or perhaps just a dollar value that they can use as they wish. When we got the call for Harrison’s session we were excited to meet him. It is always exciting to meet new clients and even better when our other clients refer them to us. Admittedly mom said that she thought about doing newborn photos then the world shut down shortly after Harrison was born. Then she toyed with the idea of 6 month photos, but wanted him to be able to do a bit more during the session. A one year session was the winner! Of course we suggest doing photos at all stages but if you HAD to choose then one year is a good pick. Mom and dad didn’t have too much in mind for the session leaving it totally up to us. Our creative minds went wild during the session in order to capture those cute little faces. We always play it safe and have a parent (or our assistant) stay near the children when they are posed up on a chair. We leave it up to mom and dad who they think the child would smile at for the photos. Harrison loves to see daddy’s silly faces so he got the job of being near the camera. His eyes lit up and those teeth came out as soon as dad got into action. We were able to get so many different looks in the backgrounds, props and he even had time to change clothes. Harrison spoiled us today, making our job super easy! We hope to work with this family again before they move from St. Louis, or perhaps they can just visit us when they are in town! Our session pricing can be viewed here. #ravettaphotography #oneyear #giftcertificate #stlphotographer #stlouis #studiosession