Pancho3 Studios present Keely and Ben’s wedding at Oak Knoll Park. I started the day with Keely getting ready at Hotel Ignacio, a luxury hotel near downtown St Louis, with unique rooms and decorated with pieces of art originating from artists located around it’s location. I captured the last few minutes of her morning at the hotel, preparing for the day with her mom, Deb, and friends.
After the final touches, putting on the beautiful dress and wedding day jewelry, we left mid-afternoon to see Ben (who really does remind me of a young Harvey Keitel) for their wedding day first look. Their first look, pre-wedding creative portraits, family portraits, and ceremony, took place at beautiful Oak Knoll Park – located in Clayton, Missouri. The ceremony was unique as it was standing room only for the guests, who were invited to get as close as they wished to the bride and groom. It made for an intimate setting of their closest family and friends, creating a cozy semi-circle around them. Their personalized vows were emotional, resulting in a few tears of happiness. I felt great joy being there amongst their people (literally) to witness it all – very moving!
They swung by Narwhal’s for some drinks (have a pretty funny story about my naiveté – ask if you see me in person 😊 ). Narwhal’s, a favorite of Keely and Ben and located near Midtown, St. Louis, offers a variety of crafted frozen and specialty cocktails on their menu. After the slushies at Narwhal’s, we made a quick stop by the Old Burnt Out Church for a few portraits, before heading to ANEW (hosted by Lauren and their terrific crew) for the reception on the rooftop. I loved getting to know Keely and Ben over the course of their engagement session and wedding day. Genuinely great people, with a fun family, and oh, such photogenic flower girls! Below are some of my favorite photos captured of their St. Louis wedding day…