Zettl Photography - St. Louis Photographer

Emily & Brad | Coronado Wedding & Reception

zettlphoto — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:09:16 +0000

The Wedding Experts

St. Louis Ceremony | Coronado

St. Louis Reception | Coronado

St. Louis Wedding Consultant | Coronado

St. Louis Stationary | Paper Patch

St. Louis Florist | Rich West

St. Louis Cake | Steve Becker Fine Dining

St. Louis Catering | Steve Becker Fine Dining

St. Louis DJ | Millennium Productions

St. Louis Musician | The Rosewood Ensemble-Dee Sparks

St. Louis Wedding Dress | Robin’s Bridal

Tell us about the proposal.

Well, we already knew we were getting married so building up to an elaborate occasion seemed too obvious. One night while cooking dinner and watching the presidential nomination convention, Brad left the room for a minute and reappeared with a grin on his face. He bent down on one knee and asked me if he would marry him. I was so surprised I asked him if he was serious and almost forgot to say “Yes.”

Click “more” to see and read more of their story!

What was your vision for your wedding day? How did you make it personal?

Our wedding plans were all over the place when we started on our adventure. We initially wanted a small gathering with a separate party to follow after our honeymoon. Then we went to the Coronado and all those plans were thrown out the window. We knew we had to have a storybook wedding and that set the tone from there. Glamour and classical themes were our inspiration from that point forward. We did add some great little touches with some custom mixed introduction music and handmade chocolate truffles for our guests.

What did you like most about your hair, shoes, and dress?

Brad loved his tux, traditional all the way, except maybe the red and white polka dot socks! I fell in love with my dress the day I first tried it on.

How did you choose your venue?

It’s a funny story, we had visited a couple locations and thought we had our minds made up but wanted to just see one more place. That place was the Coronado Ballroom. When we arrived for our appointment there was no one there to meet us so we waited about 15 minutes and we were just about to walk out the door when we were met by the event staff…turns out they were dealing with a very particular bride right before us. We’re glad we didn’t leave, and after we walked around the rooms, we were in awe of the space and knew it was everything we wanted. We loved the magnificent ballroom with its lighted dance floor and four story ceilings, just gorgeous and elegant. Also, the Coronado staff made it easy, they took care of the location, the food and drinks and helped to coordinate all the other vendors; in our view, all of that was icing on the cake.

What was your reception like? Tell us about the food, cake and dancing!

Reception was awesome. We were introduced to the music of Europe’s Final Countdown, which kept both of us laughing all the way into the room. It just got better from there; the food was perfect and the presentation impeccable. Brad’s brother gave a moving toast that was both an amusing and heartfelt speech, it brought Brad to tears. After dinner, the tone of the evening changed and was so much fun and the dance floor was full all night. Everyone had a great time!

Where did you honeymoon?

We spent an amazing week in the volcanic rainforest area of Costa Rica. We had a beautiful bungalow with lush foliage all around us with an indescribable view of the volcano, not to mention the Jacuzzi on the deck! The panoramic views and the wonderful hikes in the rainforest are sights we didn’t need a camera to remember, but thankfully we had one!

What’s next on the calendar for you as a couple?

Wow, who knows! We are going to New York in June and have plans to do all of the tourist destinations! After that, France and Italy both seem to be calling our names! We can’t wait to see what life has in store for us!

Sharon & Scott | Lumen Reception

zettlphoto — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:53:29 +0000

The Wedding Experts

St. Louis Ceremony | St. Pius V

St. Louis Reception | Lumen

St. Louis Wedding Consultant | Shayna Laiderman of St. Louis Wedding Consultants

St. Louis Stationary | Two Blue Doors & Sharon

St. Louis Florist | Artistry

St. Louis Cake | The Cakery

St. Louis Hair Stylst | Deyne Goering

St. Louis Videographer | Millennium Productions

St. Louis Musician | Charlie Barrale

St. Louis Wedding Dress | Shaffer’s

How did you two meet?

Well, we both went to an “underwear” party at a sorority/frat house at Drake University and met through a mutual friend our sophomore year. Ironically it was in March and WAY too cold to wear anything less than a very heavy winter coat. So we both wore many layers and had an interesting conversation surrounded by intoxicated college kids. 4 years later after we each had our hearts broken and had built a very strong friendship we finally began our romantic relationship.

Click “more” to see and read more of their story!

Tell us about the proposal.

Scott is a surprising romantic and so he actually had the proposal in the works for many many months. My birthday was in July and he bought us tickets to go see Wicked when it came into Des Moines that following September. It was a matinee show and so after the show ended he walked me outside where one of our friends was (conveniently with a camera) and got down on one knee. All the theater-goers watched and cheered after I said “yes”. He then had arranged for a limo to pull up and for our friend to take us around Des Moines for engagement photos followed by a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant downtown where I was pleasantly surprised to find my mom and our best man waiting to celebrate with us. They both drove in from St. Louis for the night. I was thoroughly surprised and thrilled.

What was your vision for your wedding day? How did you make it personal?

We had a 2.5 year engagement so we had plenty of time to plan and our vision changed many times throughout the years. The final vision we decided on was based on the theme of travel. Over the years Scott & I have taken a lot of vacations and road trips together and really enjoy having those trips with isolated time to escape and spend together. We also incorporated the color blue all over the place because we were becoming the “Blues”. I didn’t want to pick just one color of blue so I picked all the different shades of blue. The overall feel we wanted was fun but elegant and modern. I made a lot of things for the wedding to pull it all together, save some money, and make it more personal. I made the programs, menu cards, escort cards, table pictures, favors, and a map of the tables. One element we pulled into several paper items was an image of a heart made from two intertwining “S”s because we are Scott & Sharon and my engagement ring even has “S”s in the design. We used different cities Scott & I have visited or lived instead of table numbers. Also instead of a guest book we found post cards of all the cities we’ve lived, visited, or were visiting on our honeymoon & had guests write on the back. The postcards were then placed in a cool mini travel trunk.

What did you like most about your hair, shoes, and dress?

Scott bought me my Manolo Blahnik blue shoes as a graduation present when I got my Master’s degree so that was very special to me- my first pair of designer shoes! Plus- it helps that there’s a little “Sex & the City” nod in there since I love that show. I loved that my shoes were blue as it fit very well into our blue theme. My dress was my favorite part of my ensemble though. I found it my first day looking at dresses and it completely caught me by surprise. It was elegant, classic but also very modern and yet understated all at the same time. It felt like Audrey Hepburn in a modern-day Cinderella. It was a trumpet style which really showed off my petite hourglass figure. I never thought I’d be able to wear something so fitted but it was just perfect! Deyne Goering did a fantastic job on my hair. I wore it half-up/half-down for the ceremony & pictures and then put it all up for the reception. Deyne even made a crystal hair comb especially for me and added some blue crystals to go with our blue color scheme.

How did you choose your venue?

Lumen Private Event Space just fit our vision perfectly. The minute we stepped inside and saw the gorgeous columns, the wrought iron of the balcony, and the amazing hard wood floors we were sold. The sweet bar with uplighting just sealed the deal. The lighting they provided elevated our day to an EVENT and the drinks and delicious food they provided allowed us to have all we could ever want in one place. I loved how we were able to meet with the chef and design our own travel-themed menu with him so it was specialized to our needs. We wanted food to be Italian themed so we got a primi and secondi course and they featured limoncello in our signature cocktails.

Groom/ Bride: Tell us about the first moment you saw your bride/groom.

One of our guests was standing a bit in the aisle as I walked down so I didn’t really get to see Scott until I was almost right next to him. I’m glad though because I probably would have started crying if I had seen him earlier. He looked so handsome and all I could think was that I’m so lucky to get to marry my best friend. I had a hard time getting through the ceremony because I couldn’t stop staring at Scott. :)

What was your reception like? Tell us about the food, cake and dancing!

Our reception was so much fun! The food was delicious! We designed our own menu based on classic Italian with a modern and fresh take. All the ingredients were local and organic. Heirloom tomato salad with fresh mozzarella; creamy saffron risotto; chicken with homemade pesto sauce & polenta, and we had three different kinds of cake- chocolate, lemon w/raspberry, and red velvet! We even had late night pizza come out! Our signature cocktail featured limoncello with cranberry juice and lemonade and was SO tasty. We started dancing at around 9:00pm and it went all the way to midnight! Most guests were still on the dance floor begging for more songs when the lights all came on again. Scott and I actually had a choreographed first dance which went very well and was such a special moment for us. All our hard work paid off when the guests got up from their tables to surround the dance floor and watch more intensely. We didn’t even mess up! The air conditioning went off accidentally so it got a little hot but still the dance floor was full the whole night! We had such a good time!! Scott and I also arranged for one of our close friends to get “iced” during the reception. We had him go to the bar where he received a note: “This icing brought to you by the BlueSacks” and then the bottle of Smirnoff Ice which he had to finish in one go. :) A memory that none of our friends will forget soon.

What was your favorite moment during the wedding day?

This is a really hard question to answer because there are so many moments that stick out and the whole day was such a dream come true. However, since I have to pick one I think it was the few minutes Scott and I spent together previewing the reception venue before our guests and bridal party came in for the cocktail hour. I was able to surprise Scott with a grooms cake I ordered for him: a replica of the GTO he used to have when we were dating which was also blue. It was a moment we got to spend alone- just the two of us taking in the specialness of that day and getting to enjoy everything we had spent so long planning. It was probably the only time Scott & I were alone together that day and we definitely took advantage of that time to reflect on how lucky we are and how this would be a day we would remember forever!

Where did you honeymoon?

The Tuesday after our wedding we left the country for beautiful Italy where we spent 17 days touring around the country. We spent 5 days in Rome on our own and then joined a food and wine tour going through the Tuscan countryside and over to Venice stopping in about 5 different cities (including Bologna, where my grandfather is from). After the Italy tour we hopped over to Prague for about two days before heading home. It was so nice to get away and experience something entirely new. The food and wine were AMAZING as well! I think we have about 800 photos to show for it and 4 hours of video.

What’s next on the calendar for you as a couple?

We are now looking for a house in the St. Louis area and are ready to settle down. We’ve been leasing/renting for a long time and can’t wait to find our permanent home in St. Louis. We would love to start a family but still have a lot of traveling we want to do first. We’re currently planning a trip to Texas. :)

Elizabeth & Brad | St. Francis Xavier Wedding & Crowne Plaza Reception

zettlphoto — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 22:00:46 +0000

The Wedding Experts

St. Louis Ceremony | St. Francis Xavier College Church

St. Louis Reception | Crowne Plaza Clayton

St. Louis Makeup Artist | Looks by Lisa

St. Louis Florist | Les Bouquets

St. Louis Cake | McArthur’s Bakery

St. Louis Videographer | Rue de la Vie

St. Louis Wedding Dress | Wedding Gallery

How did you two meet?

Brad and I met in high school, I was a junior and he was a senior. I was a cheerleader with Brad’s sister Samantha (my MOH). I would see Brad when I was hanging out with Samantha and knew I wanted to get to know him better. We ended up having a health class together and sat in the back and talked the whole semester. He even asked me out on our first date in class one day.

Click “more” to see and read more of their story!

Tell us about the proposal.

Best. Day. Ever. The proposal was simply amazing and a complete surprise. Brad planned for weeks and had all my friends and family in on the big secret. I was under the impression that me and my friends were going to Mount Pleasant winery in Augusta for the day and then go out to The Landing in St. Louis to celebrate Halloween since it was October 30th, 2010. Brad told me he could not be there because he was working in Kansas City, MO all weekend. After arriving to the winery on a beautiful fall day my friends and I were strangely the only people at the winery. After just a few minutes of sipping on wine I hear Brad’s voice behind me saying, “this is for Elizabeth…” He was sitting behind his electric piano and began playing “She’s Got A Way,” by Billy Joel. I was in shock. As I turned back around to face the table I see a large group of my friends and family walking toward all the empty tables around us with giant smiles on their faces. That was the moment I realized this would be the best, happiest and most shocking day of my life. When Brad finished playing his song I ran to him as he got on one knee and with tears in his eyes said, “Elizabeth Nicole, will you marry me?” I ecstatically screamed, “yes!” We spent the rest of the afternoon at the winery celebrating with cake, wine and the good company of our families and best friends. We never made it down to The Landing that night but unbeknownst to me that was never in the plans anyway.

What did you like most about your hair, shoes, and dress?

My hair was styled by Brad’s aunt, Julie. I felt like a princess with my up-do and sparkling rhinestone headband. My bridesmaids and I wore the same ivory colored heels with bows. I loved that we all matched. I loved my dress! My favorite part of it was the sweet heart neckline laced with rhinestones. I also loved how it was fitted through the bodice but flared at the bottom.

What was your vision for your wedding day? How did you make it personal?

The vision we had for our wedding day was to be surrounded by all of our friends and family and give them a wedding experience they would never forget. We wanted everyone to have a fantastic time and feel like honored guests. To make the wedding an incredible experience we had the ceremony at the stunning St Francis Xavier College Church and at the reception we had appetizers, open bar, a chocolate fountain, a caricaturist and dinner was served by the waiters dancing to “Be Our Guest.” We feel like we made our wedding personal by having such a large wedding party. We had nine bridesmaids, nine groomsmen, a flower girl and ring bearer. We wanted all of our closest friends and family to be involved in the wedding and right by our side the entire day.

How did you choose your venue?

We chose St. Francis Xavier College Church since it is one of the most beautiful Catholic churches in St. Louis. We have had some friends and family get married there and were blown away by its eccentric beauty.

We chose the Crowne Plaza in Clayton since it was a venue big enough to hold our 350 guests.

We chose both venues the day after we got engaged.

Groom/ Bride: Tell us about the first moment you saw your bride/groom.

The first moment I saw Brad was as I was walking down the aisle and my heart was filled with emotions. I saw tears in his eyes and did my best to hold back mine. It was an emotion packed moment I will never forget.

What was your reception like? Tell us about the food, cake and dancing!

The reception was beautifully awesome! The room glowed with orange hues and sparkled with glimmering rhinestones. One of my favorite memories was having our chihuahua, Roxie there. She walked into the reception with us and even had a place card at the head table. The sit down dinner was served in a memorable way by the white gloved waiters dancing to “Be Our Guest.” The five tier cake from McArthur’s Bakery also glittered with sparkling dust, rhinestone trim and a Swarovski crystalled monogram cake topper. The dance floor was packed! We danced the night away with some crazy dance moves thanks to our animated friends and family. We even had karaoke during the last hour of the reception for some good laughs.

What was your favorite moment during the wedding day?

My favorite moment during the wedding was seeing my dad as I walked down the aisle. My dad is 82 years old and has Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease and could not walk me down the aisle. However he did meet me at the end of the aisle and it was a moment I will always cherish. He was so present in the moment and with tears in his eyes gave me a kiss and a hug as he glanced toward Brad, my soon to be husband. It was an emotional moment for everyone.

Where did you honeymoon?

We celebrated our honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, at a Secrets resort. It was a much needed relaxing getaway and perfect way to spend the first week of marriage.

What’s next on the calendar for you as a couple?

We our enjoying spending time together as a couple in our new home. The day we got back from our honeymoon we adopted another chihuahua, Mia. We are planning a trip to Europe in 2014 and are looking forward to starting a family in a few years.

Keisha & Jason | Piper Palm House Wedding & Sheraton City Center Reception

zettlphoto — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 00:50:23 +0000

The Wedding Experts

St. Louis Ceremony | Piper Palm House

St. Louis Reception | Sheraton City Center

St. Louis Caterer | Sheraton City Center

St. Louis Coordinator | Tonya Williams

St. Louis Cake | Le Cake

St. Louis Videographer | Ken Roberts

St. Louis DJ | Rawdon Vanderbilt

St. Louis Wedding Dress | Brides by Demetiros

How did you two meet?

Keisha: Two different mutual friends had invited us to Downtown J Buck’s rooftop, to listen to a DJ one Friday night. I was talking to some friends coincidentally about dating, and relationships. When he walked up. He started to participate in the conversation. My other two friends, are married already, but one of them decided to ask him, if he was married. He said no. She asked “Are you looking?”. I was mortified! But I made light of the situation. And started talking to him one on one, I formally introduce myself. I told him I thought I knew him from somewhere. I think he may have thought I was flirting, but I was sincere. So I asked his name. He said Jason. I said what’s your last name? He said Roberts. I said Hmmmmmm, are you in any way related to Andre & Jared Roberts. He says yes, they are my cousins. Instantly I realized who he was, I said OMG, your Brandon & Chris’ little brother!!! At that point he had a either disappointed or perplexed look on his face. But he cleverly responded, yes I am, but I’m the better looking of the three.

Jason: That’s the official meeting, but I had seen her around for years, but I just assumed she was already married.

Click “more” to see and read more about their story!

Tell us about the proposal.

Keisha: Well, after our weekly family bible study at the library… Jason invited me to our neighborhood hangout, Sasha’s for dinner. It was cold & rainy and we love the fireplace at Sasha’s on cold nights. So we walked in, he asked me to have a seat on one of the couches. Incidentally, I was puzzled by that request, because it was a couch facing away from the fireplace, and we never sit there. We ALWAYS sit at the one facing the fireplace. He walks to the bar, and orders our drinks. We sit, sip and talk. The music playing is very familiar, but I didn’t notice at the time. It’s a collection of all our favorite songs. Earlier that evening, I had surprised him with a ticket to the Rams football game. So he reminds me that we always seem to surprise each other at the same time. He pulls out a journal I had given him earlier in our relationship. It basically was a collage of ours, and my life up to that point. So it contained baby pictures of me, pictures of me growing up, pictures of my friends, activities we had done together up to that point. And basically it was the story “To Be Continued”, and who knew how the story would end. Well, he started Chapter 2, from his prospective. So he added baby pictures of himself, his family, pictures of us at the stage when we met each others families. Mementos from trips we had taken together, pictures of friends that married during our courtship, and additional activities we had enjoyed together since I gave him the journal. Then I turned the page, and it was dated October 26, 2011, with an inscription “The day that would change our lives forever”… By now we are both crying, and Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon In The Sky” is playing. I turned the page, and it had a picture of a HUGE cartoon engagement ring, with a caption “Not Actual Size”. The words “Will You Marry Me?” and at the bottom with my response options: YES NO MAYBE. I said yes, and looked up and he was holding the ring box with the ring, I held my hand out for him to put it on me… and he pulls from his other pocket a pen… and says “No, you have to MARK your response, before you can have it.” I circled “YES”. and he put it on me, and then he told me to turn my left, and all my friends, and their husbands, his best man & his wife, and his two sisters were all huddled together snapping pictures. They had been there the whole time and watched it, which was why he had us sit at the couch facing away from the fireplace. So I wouldn’t see them all!!!

A very special evening that we will both always cherish.

Jason: I did it when I did, because I wanted her to be totally surprised. I went to Sasha’s 3 weeks in advance to set it up, and went in earlier that day to make sure everything was still in place.

What did you like most about your hair, shoes, and dress?

Keisha: My hair, I loved my vintage up do, and my birdcage veil. My shoes were a Badgley Mischka modern vintage style, and I absolutely loved the rhinestone embellishment, and peeptoe that showed off my pedicure.

Jason: Ummmm no comment on the hair. The shoes… not the most comfortable pair, but they came with the tux. And I don’t wear dresses, no comment.

What was your vision for your wedding day?

Keisha: Vintage Glam

Jason: I just wanted something original, that truly reflected our diverse personalities. And whatever would make Keisha happy within reason.

How did you make it personal?

Keisha: The most personal thing I thing we both did was our attendants gifts. I hand embellished my girls handbags. Jason made and bottled homemade beer, and customized the labels for each attendant. We also hand embellished our wedding invitations, and sealed them with an old fashioned wax seal.

How did you choose your venue?

Keisha: Well I always wanted a garden wedding, according to my religious belief the first marriage ceremony was in a garden. So I wanted to have the same start. I live in the Tower Grove neighborhood, so I’m in the park alot and it has become my favorite park. Jason and I also spent alot time in the park during our courtship. So it was also a sentimental location also.

Tell us about the first moment you saw your bride/groom.

Keisha: My first thought was ”Wow! I get to marry him today.”

Jason: Socially inapproriate response: Wow her butt looks amazing in that dress! Socially approriate edited version: Wow all the time we spent in the gym, paid off… She looks amazing.

What was your reception like?

The room was full of love, and it looked just like I imagined it, Modern Meditterean. Everyone seemed like they were really enjoying themselves, which was very important to us, because alot of our guests travel from very far to attend.

What was your favorite moment during the wedding day?

Keisha: Our first dance, which was to a classic. “The way you look tonight”

Jason: I have no favorites, but probably the fact that the entire day seemed to run smoothly. Which was great, because we didn’t feel much stress, and could really enjoy it. Our wedding party and coorindator did a great job.

Tell us about the food, cake and dancing!

Keisha: The food was delicious, and most important to me was the chef remembered I didn’t like asparagus, and served me green beans instead! The cake was made by someone that I’ve known for a long time, and she has made every special occasion cake for me for the last couple of years. I had read in alot of wedding books, that many brides & grooms miss eating their piece of cake that’s served to them, and I didn’t want to miss mine. So as soon as I saw it was on the table, I disappeared for a second and sat at the table, alone, and scarfed my cake down. It was a very enjoyable private moment of the evening. Because I could sit from a far, and observe my new husband participating in conversations, and see the happiness in his face.

Where did you honeymoon?

Maya Riviera Mexico

What’s next on the calendar for you as a couple?

The next chapter for us, is to purchase our first house, and start making our home.

Lily & Nathaniel | Kemoll’s Reception

zettlphoto — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:10:35 +0000

The Wedding Experts

St. Louis Ceremony | Central Presbyterian Church

St. Louis Reception | Kemoll’s

St. Louis Caterer | Kemoll’s

St. Louis Florist | Wildflowers

St. Louis Cake | McArthur’s Bakery

St. Louis Stationary | Minted

St. Louis Wedding Dress | Simply Elegant Bridal

How did you two meet?

First of all, I am very bad with names/remembering people, so we actually met 3 times, and I did not realize he was the same person until the third. 1. We were in the same history class together, and he was the well-spoken, fun, popular guy in class. 2. He lived a floor above me in our college dorm where I was a resident assistant and had to pass my room (which always had the door open) in order to do laundry. 3. And finally after having an argument in class, simply for the sake of making class more entertaining, he stopped me outside the library to make sure I wasn’t offended (I wasn’t of course!), and that is when I put two and two together and realized these guys I had been seeing a lot were really only one!

Click “more” to see and read more of their story!

Tell us about the proposal.

On Sunday October 23, 2011 I woke up later than I had in a really long time, and watched into the living room to find Nathaniel watching some zombie show. He told me right away we didn’t need to watch it, but I gave it a shot for a few minutes until I couldn’t take the image of decapitation any more… We had rented the movie Bridesmaids the night before, but had not had a chance to watch it, so he suggested we watch that instead. After putting the DVD in, instead of previews, a home-video of me “mooing” at a car truck started playing. I was totally shocked and my first thought was that he had gotten bored waiting for me to wake up and had put the movie on youtube. When the movie ended, a slide show started with pictures of us with captions and music playing, and at this point I had kind of figured out what was going on. I didn’t know whether to look at him or at the movie, and finally, when the last slide came that said “Will you marry me?” Nathaniel pulled the ring out from under the couch and got down on one knee in front of me.

What did you like most about your hair, shoes, and dress?

My hair and makeup were done by a family friend (Caity Hawksley) as a wedding gift. It was really special because growing up she always liked to play hairdresser, and even did my hair and make up for prom. She is now finishing up college with a degree in theater hair and make up design, so it was really awesome to have someone with such great skills. I could not have been more pleased with how it turned out.

My dress was my favorite detail of the entire wedding. I absolutely loved it and would not have changed a thing about it. I like that it was classy but not traditional and I had never seen another one like it before. When I tried it on for the first time with my mom and sister I said that I felt like a cupcake.

How did you choose your venue?

Choosing the venue was a little difficult, because of the timeframe of the wedding planning. I knew I wanted to get married in the church I grew up attending and where my parents got married, so within 36 hours of being engaged we had the church booked. From there we had to look for venues that were still available on the same date. We found out quickly that June is a very popular wedding month, so a lot of the places we looked were already booked. Luckily, we stumbled upon Kemoll’s and after tasting their food and seeing the fabulous view of downtown and the arch, we were sold.

Tell us about the first moment you saw your bride/groom.

Seeing Nathaniel for the first time was very overwhelming. I had been waiting so long for that moment, and it had finally arrived. Seeing him tear up as I walked towards him down the aisle is something I will never forget.

What was your favorite moment during the wedding day?

It is so hard to choose one moment, I really did have an awesome time all day. If I had to choose though, I would say walking out of the church at the end of the ceremony walking hand-in-hand back down the aisle. It was so nice to have everything finished, so we were finally able to relax and catch up with each other since we hadn’t talked all day.

Where did you honeymoon?

We went to Bermuda! Though the weather wasn’t great, we had a chance to explore the whole island, see a rum cake factory, drink some dark and stormys, ride the ferry, go on a walking tour of Hamilton, cave swim, kayak, snorkel, and even go on a segway tour. We had a great time, and I hope that we have a chance to go back someday.

What was your reception like? Tell us about the food, cake and dancing!

It was a blast, but way too short. We had a live band (Power Play), which was awesome, and we had a special performance by a family friend (Anne Callaway) who played some love songs for us and even made up a special song to celebrate the day. The food was great, my favorite part of dinner was the salad and of course my favorite food overall was the cake! I had my bridesmaids make sure that I got three slices so that I could taste all the fillings (chocolate, raspberry and buttercream).

Nikon Speedlight Handbook hits #1 on Amazon

zettlphoto — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 21:10:27 +0000

This past weekend my book The Nikon Speedlight Handbook hit #1 on Amazon.com for Photography Lighting Books. While this ranking is always changing based on sales, it was a very proud moment. I’m glad to see the book that I worked so hard on is doing well and helping people learn about flash photography.

The Nikon Speedlight Handbook

Lindsay & Todd | Chase Park Plaza Reception

zettlphoto — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:00:51 +0000

The Wedding Experts

St. Louis Wedding Ceremony | The church of St. Michael & St. George

St. Louis Wedding Reception | Chase Park Plaza

St. Louis Wedding Planner | Bride’s Vision Weddings & Events

St. Louis Wedding Caterer | Chase Park Plaza

St. Louis Wedding Cake | Sugaree

St. Louis Wedding Florist | Artistry

St. Louis Wedding Decor | Exclusive Events

St. Louis Wedding Videographer | Westview Media

St. Louis Wedding Rentals | Sitting Pretty

St. Louis Wedding DJ | Porta Party DJs

How did you two meet?

Todd: My sister played “Match-Maker” and sent me on an errand to Lindsay’s work. That was the first time we saw each other, kind of a love at first sight in retrospect. I still remember thinking how pretty she was the whole ride home.

Tell us about the proposal.

Todd: That is memorable story actually. I had set up a reservation at Barcelona in Clayton (where we went on our first date) with Champagne and even went there to go over the details with the staff prior to make sure we got the table we first sat at. When we arrived @ 8:00pm sharp, the hostess seated us under our reservation at a different table….. I turned away from Lindsay towards hostess and said “Can you seat me at that table I reserved over there….to which she replied “Oh, I’m sorry. That table is reserved for a proposal tonight. (Looking right at Lindsay) Isn’t that romantic!” I was angry/anxious/excited giving the hostess a look to which she quickly disappeared knowing she had blown the moment. So now that the jig was up, I regained my composure and sat down. Then told Lindsay “This was the place where I started the best chapter of my life with her and I couldn’t think of a better place to start the next one.” I think the ring sold her.

Click the link to read and see more!

What was your vision for your wedding day?

Todd & Lindsay: Whatever Lindsay wanted. A lot of “Yes that looks great” and “Ohh…good idea let’s do that” were done leading up to the day. Todd and I wanted it feel full of love, family, and friends. I wanted it to feel romantic with lots of flowers and beautiful music.

How did you make it personal?

Todd: We hired Peter and Stephanie Zettl, made absolutely sure that the food was excellent, and a bunch of other little details to make it fun.

Lindsay: We made sure we did exactly what we wanted to do. Todd and I have a profound love of music. So I made sure we had our professional church choir sing for our wedding ceremony. It felt like I was in heaven when the doors opened to the beautiful music and Todd was standing there waiting for me! It was perfect. We made it personal by letting our love fill that day for everyone to see.

What did you like most about your hair, shoes, and dress?

Todd: LINDSAY – YOU ANSWER THIS ONE. Tuxedos were invented by women so I didn’t have much thought outside of the shoe debacle Stravalli had.

Lindsay: I love the vintage 1950′s so I wanted my look to feel that way with hair, makeup and my Carolina Herrera wedding dress!

Groom/ Bride: Tell us about the first moment you saw your bride/groom.

Todd: For about 1/10 of a second 15 minutes before the ceremony. But really when she walked down the aisle. One word, “Incredible.”

Lindsay: There was some confusion at the church and they let Todd walk in the same room I was standing; so we both just started laughing. What else can you do?!! When I saw him as I walked down the aisle I just kept thinking how blessed I was to be marrying this incredible man!

What was your favorite moment during the wedding day?

Todd: Watching my bride walk down the aisle. Totally took my breath away, I’ll never forget it.

Lindsay: Saying my vows to Todd as I looked into his beautiful blue eyes!

How did you choose your venue?

Todd & Lindsay: It was the first place we went and we all liked it. Food was really important and the Chase had good reviews.

What was your reception like? Tell us about the food, cake and dancing!

Todd & Lindsay: Being surrounded by all the people you love is always a good time, but the cake from the Sugaree was incredible. Dinner was amazing! We also had a late night coffee bar with cordials and custard, yum!!

Where did you honeymoon?

Todd: Italy Tour: Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Rome, & Milan

What’s next on the calendar for you as a couple?

Todd: House, 2nd English Bulldog, and a baby

Kelly & Eric | Missouri Botanical Garden ~ Chinese Garden Wedding

zettlphoto — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:25:07 +0000

The Wedding Experts

St. Louis Wedding Ceremony | Missouri Botanical Garden

St. Louis Wedding Reception | Missouri Botanical Garden

St. Louis Wedding Caterer | Catering St. Louis

St. Louis Wedding Music | The Rosewood Ensemble

St. Louis Wedding Cake | Wedding Wonderland

St. Louis Wedding Florist | Botanicals Design Studio

St. Louis Wedding Gown | Simply Elegant Bridal

How did you meet?

We met at a gymnastics facility in St. Louis where we were both working.

Tell us about the proposal.

On New Years Eve, 2010, we went to church and then came home to watch the ball drop on tv. He said “I think 2011 will be a good year.” I asked “how do you know?”, he pulled out the ring box and smiled “I just have a hunch, he said”. I got so excited and asked him to say the words. When he did I screamed Yes!

Click to Read and See more!

What was your vision for your wedding day?

Bride: My vision was a beautiful, natural, peaceful outdoor wedding, surrounded by serenity. The colors, flowers, and decorations were all very elegant and sophisticated. My mom and I did a great job with the details.

Mother of the Bride: “It was the perfect wedding for Kelly and Eric, small and intimate surrounded by the springtime beauty of the Garden and the surprise and charm of the Chinese Lantern Festival. That Eric’s family, all from out-of-state, were able to come made it even more special. I’m happy Kelly thought the “details” were great. We had the help and guidance of many outstanding St Louis vendors: Cathy from Catering St. Louis, Dee from The Rosewood Ensemble, Dean from Botanicals Design Studio, Julia from Simply Elegant Bridal, Lisa from BBJ Linens, Tim from Cravings, Wedding Wonderland, Demetrios, Rev Michael Wilson, and our fabulous phtographers…. Stephanie and Peter.”

What did you like most about your hair, shoes, and dress?

My hair got a boost with extensions to make it look fuller and had a beautiful scrolly floral headpiece. My dress was dripping with crystals, which I love. The shoes weren’t a big deal to me – I just picked out a cute pair with jeweled dragonflies.

How did you choose your venue?

I’d always wanted a Botanical Gardens wedding since I heard my friend had hers there…it was immediately a perfect fit, the right choice.

Tell us about the first moment you saw your bride/groom.

I came out of the changing rooms and he was with his buds texting or playing some game. Typical. But he looked charming

What was your favorite moment during the wedding day?

When the preacher announced us man and wife!

What was your reception like?

The reception was small, but formal. No dancing. Just a luxurious meal, The Rosewood Ensemble played beautifully and the decorations were perfect. We also has a popcorn bar and open bar.

Where did you honeymoon?

Walt Disney World

What’s next on the calendar for you as a couple?

Moving, children, and fully starting our lives together

A Top 10 Missouri Photographer

zettlphoto — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:54:18 +0000

We are quite honored to be named a Top 10 Photographer by Missouri PPA. Competition is tough in Missouri, and we’re proud to place among the top wedding and portrait photographers in the state.

Here are the images that we entered into competition this year. All six of our prints earned merit scores.

The first image, entitled “Composure”, also won us second place in the Wedding category.

Don’t let your kids laugh at your senior photos…

zettlphoto — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:33:41 +0000

Ever look back at senior portraits from the 80’s and 90’s? You know the one’s I’m talking about - the big plastic numbers, the tacky props, the wild and crazy back drops. Add that in with some tight rolled jeans and mall bangs and you have some “Awkward Family Photo” action happening there. I know, I lived through that era.

Today we see the over use of Photoshop, grungy dumpsters and poses that make beautiful young women look like prostitutes. Soon those photos will also end up on AFP.

I know it’s hard to think past graduation, college, marriage and babies, but someday your kids and your grandkids will look at your senior photos. And when they finally do, do you want them to say “Wow, my parents look amazing” or do you want them to just bust out laughing?

I don’t know about you, but personally, I vote for the amazing option.

As a photographer, I’ve never been one to sell out to trends. I’ve always believed that elegance is a style that never goes out of fashion. That’s the reason we approach all our sessions with the idea that it should always be about your personality. You should have gorgeous photos that could be in a magazine and still look like you – not some plastic, over retouched barbie doll .

If this is something you believe in too, give me a call or an email. We’ll chat and see if we’re a good fit.

314.454.6612 or zettlphoto@prodigy.net

Shine bright,

Stephanie

ps – here are some recent senior portraits that I love! Three beautiful ladies each with their own wonderful style and personality.