Sarah and Chris

We photographed a family photo for Chris a few years ago and he was happy with the results so when he got engaged he called us to photograph some engagement photos. Sarah also enjoyed working with us and so we received the honor of photographing their wedding. The day began at the hotel with the girls and guys getting ready. Of course, they were in two different rooms so we hopped back and forth until they were ready to meet the families in the lobby. Chris and Sarah wanted to keep with tradition and not see each other before the ceremony so we started with photos of Chris before he headed to the ceremony. Once we finished up with the girls we followed along to the church as well. Chris seemed a bit nervous, yet he was so happy all morning, and having his friends around helped calm him. Sarah was ready to walk down the aisle as soon as she was dressed. She was so elegant with her hair down and a sleek gown, Chris was surely going to grin from ear to ear when he saw her. Yes, he did! The priest at the church mentioned that he was just introduced to the couple shortly before the wedding. He said that they were so welcoming to him and easygoing about him doing the service instead of the original plan. That exactly explains this couple, they are very relaxed and well-balanced. In the fall you really don’t know what type of weather you will get but these two were super lucky. We enjoyed the wonderful day taking photos around Forest Park after the ceremony. Being close to the reception, which was at the zoo, helped us to capture every moment with this couple and wedding party. We headed to the zoo, which was also having the boo at the zoo event, and I think some of the little kids thought they were just dressed up for Halloween. With so many out-of-town wedding guests, it was truly a special event seeing this couple surrounded by so many people. Literally, the DJ had the whole room circle the couple for a song, it was perfect to get some photos of everyone around them. We hope they had a wonderful day and enjoyed the honeymoon!   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #fallwedding #weddingphotos #sayidostlzoo
Rachel Ravetta   0     Ravetta Photography , st louis photographer , st louis wedding , wedding photographer

A spring wedding for Kim and Grant

Kim called in early 2020 during the time our studio was closed to talk about wedding packages. Although we were closed to clients coming in the office we were there to answer the phones and make sure everyone could reach us to schedule upcoming events. We knew that we wouldn’t be shut down forever! We had done a wedding for Kim’s sister so she knew that as long as we were available that she would be selecting a wedding package. Who knows what would be happening in May of 2021 but she was hopeful that everything would be back to normal. As the wedding day approached we talked about the possibility of spaces shutting down again or the mask wearing restrictions. Kim and her fiance, Grant, were so excited that instead of closing all the venues and mask wearing was easing a bit. They were looking forward to celebrating in a way as normal as possible after everything this past year. We arrived to greet a house full of girls getting ready, with 8 bridesmaids and 4 flower girls it was a frenzy of girls all over doing hair and make-up. Surprisingly they were running pretty much on time! Kim and Grant decided that they did not want to see each other prior to the ceremony so instead we did all the photos of the groomsmen first followed by all the photos of the bridesmaids. This way we were able to save time after the ceremony and focus on photos of the newly married couple together. The day just went by so fast that it seemed like we were doing photos of them together before we knew it! A very accommodating wedding party listened to the strict instructions of go behind the venue to the lake and don’t stop at the bar or talk to anyone. They all did as they were told so we quickly were able to get those photos done so they could go mingle. Kim and Grant spent a bit more time enjoying each others company as we did photos and the video guys got some wonderful drone footage. I’m sure there was lots of stress going into this event not knowing what they would be allowed to do, however as Grant stated in his speech it was amazing for everyone to come out and freely celebrate with them. They were so grateful to have such a perfect day. We wish them all the best and know we will see them again. 

#ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #weddinphotos #springwedding

 

ravetta   0     Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer , wedding photographer

Jenna and Joe

Fall weddings have so many weather factors to consider, will it be cold or rainy? Will the trees have any color or will all the leaves be gone? And now in 2020 will any event restrictions effect our event. Way too much for any couple to be considering as the wedding day approaches. We have been working closely with Jenna and Joe for months. Engagement photos, save the dates, custom designed invitations and then figuring out the best timeline for their wedding. This couple couldn’t have gotten any luckier with the day of their wedding. The weather was in the 70’s, the color on the trees was amazing and everything went so smoothly throughout the whole day. We began the day at grandma’s house where the entire wedding party was getting ready. This was the same house that we photographed mom’s wedding. We made sure to get a photo of Jenna in the same spot! It’s amazing that after so many years we are now photographing second generation weddings. We couldn’t do this without the support of our clients. The girls were upstairs doing hair and makeup, while the boys were downstairs playing pool! It was wonderful to see everyone on time and ready to get started with photos. Since the sun goes down so early in November and the ceremony was at 5pm Jenna and Joe decided to do a first look followed by all the photos before the wedding. The front of grandma’s house was a nice quiet area for them to see each other for the first time. We took Joe outside to get set while Jenna prepared herself to come around the corner. She tapped him on the shoulder and Joe had a gleaming expression when he saw her for the first time. He twirled her around so he could get a better look at the back of the dress. Such a wonderful moment that we were present to capture! The wedding party, as well as, the family members loaded on the party bus to head to a nearby park. We had a fun time wondering around with this group for a bit getting all the necessary photos along with some fun shots of all the kids. We had plenty of time to get over to the venue to take some photos with family over there too. Then we had a bit of time for the wedding party to head out on the golf course in order to capture some amazing fall images. Surprisingly we were running ahead of the schedule we came up with so Joe and Jenna decided to just relax a bit prior to the ceremony. The ceremony was quick and simple but included all the important parts – the vows, rings, unity candle and a kiss to top it all off! After a few quick photos with extended family members Joe and Jenna were ready to party the night away. They did just that while the smiles never left their faces. We are so happy that we were able to capture these moments! #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #fallwedding #2020wedding
ravetta   0     Ravetta Photography , wedding photographer , wedding photography

Lauren and Michael

Sometimes when I meet a couple I just know we will be a good fit as their wedding photographer. Lauren and Michael came into the studio to review our package options. We discussed the package that would work best for them and went over a bit of a timeline for the wedding day. This helped them to get an idea of how everything would work during their February wedding. Lauren and Michael decided that they should go home and discuss these options then call back if they wanted to use our photography services. They left the office….30 seconds later they were back! They said there was no reason to talk anymore about it, they wanted us at the wedding. I’m glad they felt the same way I did from our meeting. We again had wonderful February weather, yes of course it was cold but the sun was out and it could have been much worse. The day started off at the church with the wedding party getting ready, doing a few photos outside and then relaxing before the ceremony. Lauren and Michael wanted to be sure to have a special moment to exchange letters however they didn’t want to see each other so holding hands around a door create the perfect photo moment! The church offered a great way to take a photo from the balcony of all the guests that attended the wedding. Lauren and Michael are going to enjoy looking at this photo to see the amazing love and support they have from family and friends. We had plenty of time to take photos around the church before we headed to the park. Yes, we went to the park in February. The wedding party was great about getting into the photos quickly so we could get back in the cars to warm up. The area we went had some evergreen trees and a pond so despite the dead trees all around Lauren and Michael’s photos actually look more like spring photos! Since it was chilly they decided to let the wedding party head to the reception while we went to one more location with just the two of them. A downtown street with a great brick wall and alleyway was a unique spot to do a few photos. The funny part was that as soon as we started taking photos a local restaurant turned on the outdoor speakers with some music for us to listen to. We decided that music was meant for them so they did some dancing! It was just a great moment to watch between the newlywed couple. They continued that dancing well into the evening at the reception. I don’t think either Lauren or Michael stopped smiling the entire day. Such a wonderful couple to work with, thanks for coming back in the door that evening. #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #weddingphotography #edwardsvilleIL #winterwedding
ravetta   0     ravettaphotography , St. Louis Photographer , wedding photographer , wedding photography