Our Wedding, Part I

Header painting by artist Karen Raidy.
Wedding-day photography by Scarlett Crews Photography.

With gratitude to all of our friends, family and vendor teams that made our day unforgettable.

 

I am excited to finally share our wedding day with you. After over a decade of partnership, I married my best friend on October 18, 2019. It was a beautiful celebration. The weather was perfect. Our vendor teams worked tirelessly to ensure our day flowed smoothly. Our friends and family enveloped us with their love and support. We could not have asked for anything more.

ANEW Rooftop + Test Kitchen is an event venue owned and operated by the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri. The venue is located next to the Fox Theater on Grand Boulevard in the St. Louis Grand Center Arts District.

As a photographer, I have had the pleasure of working alongside many different wedding vendors across the St. Louis region. Through those experiences I have worked to curate a shortlist of preferred businesses to recommend to my clients, and have kept several in my back pocket to contact for my own wedding.

In the Spring of 2018 I had the pleasure of working as an associate photographer for a wedding at ANEW Rooftop. The moment I entered the venue I fell in love. The modern and minimalist art gallery vibe, galvanized metal and wooden accents, beautiful rooftop terrace overlooking Grand Boulevard and the intimate feeling of the indoor space completely enchanted me.

I knew that when the time came, this is where I wanted to host my own wedding. A few months later Matt would propose to me, and our wedding planning was underway.

Those in the wedding industry generally know the good vendors from the not-so-great ones. Diligently working 10+ hours on a wedding day can be exhausting, and venue hospitality at the reception can make or break a day for a tired and hungry photographer. Over the past few years I have been noticing great improvements with vendor to vendor relations in the spirit of “community over competition”. Vendor teams working together to execute a wedding celebration to perfection is paramount to every client. Thankfully, nearly all of the venues I have personally worked with have been very hospitable.

As a photographer, the staff at ANEW treated me wonderfully and I was impressed with how seamlessly the evening flowed. These factors were very important to me as a potential client. Ensuring that my own wedding vendors would be happy and comfortable was a top priority. Once we began the wedding planning process ANEW was the very first vendor we hired, and the entire experience was nothing short of exceptional.

Minimalist Table Decor: Botanical Greenery by Trader Joe’s
Betty Clear Tea Light Candle Holders by CB2

One of my favorite things about ANEW Rooftop is the ambiance. It is the perfect mix of rustic + modern. The rooftop dining room feels like an art gallery. Floor-to-ceiling windows illuminate the room with an abundance of soft, natural light. Handcrafted wooden tables and galvanized metal chairs from a local designer add a rustic touch to the contemporary setting.

Bundle that ambiance with a full-service kitchen and bar, a breathtaking rooftop terrace and great people working behind the scenes, and you will have the perfect venue for our intimate wedding.

I met my bridal party at Emily Miller’s studio off Arsenal Street (they’ve since relocated a brand new studio on Locust Street) for our hair and makeup appointment. Once styled to perfection by artists Maddie and Chelsea, we would travel to the Angad Arts Hotel to get dressed and ready for the first look.

Being in front of the camera and a spotlight fixture of an event is a nerve-wrecking experience for an introvert, like myself. It didn’t help that the weeks leading up to our wedding day were filled with many restless nights. I am a pretty good planner and coordinator, but I am also a worrier. No amount of planning could keep my mind from racing at night. These factors would lead to me being a bit mentally and emotionally exhausted the day of, and surely contributed to the impending flu virus I would contract (while on our honeymoon).

Being hyper-focused meant time passed quickly yet somehow, in slow motion at times. Even the short, 0.3 mile walk from the hotel to the Contemporary Art Museum for our first look felt like an eternity. My stomach was in knots. My knees were shaky. I was excited, light-headed, and couldn’t wait to see my future husband.

After finally seeing each other, some relief set in. Reunited, we would tackle the rest of the day by each other’s side.

As a photographer, photographing a first look is a very intimate experience. This is the first time the Bride and Groom see each other on their wedding day, and it is often quite emotional. This held true for us.