What do you have when you have two families from two different cultures?  Have two weddings!  Amanda a Shawn did just that and the day was amazing.

We started the day preparing for the Indian Ceremony.

This was my first Indian wedding and it was an incredible experience.

The Missouri Theatre was the perfect backdrop for this wedding.

The Baraat in the middle of 9th street downtown.  So fun!

ceremony & reception venue • Missouri Theatre & Kimball Ballroom

catering • fresh ideas

florist • Kent’s Floral Gallary

event coordination • The Bridal Solution/Natalie Imhoff

photographers • Ashley Turner + Amy Enderle + Annika Miller

17 Reasons Kris + Carl’s wedding was a ray of sunshine:

• 1.  Yellow, yellow everywhere in happy dancing bursts.

• 2.  BIRDCAGES!

• 3.  Personalized boutonnieres?! — brilliant!!!

• 4.  KRIS! What a resourceful can-do bride with such vision (she hit every antique mall near and far and pulled out all the DIY stops to create this whimsical theme!) AND Kris herself, what a vision!

• 5.  Genuine laughter and love throughout this sun-filled day.  (Exhibit A:  see below; this is Carl waiting for Kris and her dad to walk down the aisle)

• 6. aaaaah to spend the day in the charming, convenient and comfortable Cedar Creek Resort ~ a SilverBox favorite!

• 7. getting the chance to work with our Studio suite mate,  Anne of AnnaBelle Events who can keep everyone in stitches as well as in the right place at the right time.

• 8.  A horse-drawn trolley dropped off the bridal party

• 9. including four wee flower girls . . .

• 10. dimpled and spirited . . .

• 11.  happiness and joy on everyone’s faces in this heartfelt celebration

• 12. The look on Carl’s face RIGHT. HERE:

• 13. a fun-loving bridal party who clearly adored Kris & Carl and this time together…

• 14. AND groomsmen (and a groom!) sporting chucks! ~ one more reason to smile

• 15. An appearance by Truman

• 16. a couple in love that we simply love

• 17. topped off with a little Tennessee Moonshine

oh baby, life is good.

wishing you a happily ever after, Kris & Carl!

~ kim wade (& ashley, too)

Kris + Carl

ceremony & reception venue • Cedar Creek Resort

officiant • Dr. Marlene Bricker

catering • A Catered Affair

DJ • EntPro Entertainment

florist • Allen’s Flowers

event coordination • Anne of AnnaBelle Events

photographers • SilverBox Photographers

Happy happy engagement! I’ve been photographing Cody and his family since he was just past high school. In fact, my daughter, who was 4 at the time, once told Cody after one of our shoots: “You look like a rock star!” Well, even better than being a rock star, Cody is certainly all grown up now, with a big heart and the love of his live on his arm. I’m excited to get to know Jessie and her family too, and to photograph Jessie and Cody’s wedding in October at The Thaxton in St. Louis!

~kim

We were holding our breaths . . . so close! Amelia ALMOST took her first steps right in front of my camera. Go Amelia! And how appropriate that these first steps were almost taken at Nifong Park, a spot Megan and Jeff chose for photos on their wedding day . We returned there for Amelia’s first birthday photo shoot. You can see Amelia’s growth, and the start of this Freeman family, on our blog throughout the years . . . oh how we ADORE baby Amelia . . . who is not really a baby anymore. Wow, that was FAST! Click here to see Amelia:

at six months

as a newborn

waiting to be welcomed into the world

and just a twinkle in her newlywed parents’ eyes

Scroll down for more playing-in-the-park pictures:

~ kim

If every celebration were like this one, you’d still find me documenting unfolding wedding moments most weekends.

Amber + Joe had the kind of wedding that was true to who they are. True to the core.

Confession #1:  It’s emotional work, photographing a wedding. To “lead shoot” a wedding and create the kind of images that we’re proud of requires full-on engagement. You must be “all in” ~ It’s not just the weight of the equipment or the challenge of the day’s constantly-changing lighting conditions that leaves good wedding photographers exhausted by the time we pack up our cameras and say “that’s a wrap.”

It’s the love.

Love takes work. Before, during and after. For us to do a good job, a really good job, requires that we are not just part of the moment but fully engaged in the emotion of the moment. Emotionally available, present and committed.  In short, we have to fall in love.

Confession #2:  “Amber, I just don’t do this any more…” I explained on the phone when the bride-to-be inquired about me documenting her wedding. With a lump in my throat, I laid it on the line. “Since my divorce, wedding photography has been hard for me, too hard. Second shooting with Kim or Annika, that I can handle, but being the lead shooter requires such intimacy. It’s a different level and I’ve not been able to generate the enthusiasm necessary to feel like I can do this justice. I simply don’t delight in the wedding details anymore ~ I find it exhausting, not energizing. I guess I’m sort of anti wedding industry at this point in my life,” I tearfully confessed during that phone call.

Confession #3:  What a relief it was to finally say it all aloud. A weight was lifted. Is it possible that when we come to terms with what’s been crushing us, fractured light seeps in and our little corner of the world is not quite so dark anymore?

Confession #4:  “Actually,” said Amber listening politely to my narrative about my past few years (her PhD is in social work; maybe that helped her endure my rambling confession,) ~ “Amy, your story doesn’t scare me; it actually makes me want you to photograph my wedding all the more” she insisted. And with her words, I felt the tension in my shoulders release. I realized that I could breathe. Then I realized I was crying.

Confession #5: I’d been drained by the very thought of weddings for a long time, but now, after admitting my story and my struggles, and after hearing Amber say, ”We want the kind of pictures that you took at Tracy’s wedding years ago — we want pictures that show how people feel about each other.” I realized I still had something to offer. Imperfect, struggling me…

Confession #6:  “We’re getting married,” Amber said, “but we’re anti-wedding-industry, too ~ and really, this day isn’t even about us. Joe and I contemplated not having a ceremony, but bringing our families together and letting everyone know how much we care about them is just too important. We want pictures of our families. We want pictures of the people that we love.”

“We see the pictures, and the celebration really, as sort of a gift to our guests. Good pictures are a way to say thank you. This matters. We want our guests, our family, to know how much they matter to us,” continued the wise bride.Confession #7:  “We’re not your typical couple. This won’t be your typical wedding,” Amber assured me.

“We’re holding the ceremony in the Lupus General Store because of how much Lupus means to me…I’ve lost both my parents; their ashes were spread in Lupus. They loved this place. I love this place. They played music there with their friends. Roots. I have roots here.”

Confession #8:  As Amber talked, I, the jaded wedding photographer, was falling in love.

As Amber explained the roots and the “whys” — why they wanted a wedding ceremony after all; why they wanted, needed, wonderful photos; why they chose Lupus; I felt my heart open up. As Amber shared her vision (music, poetry & readings, true friends together sitting in the general store, “no bridesmaids or groomsmen  — who needs that?!” and no wedding cake, but really good bbq and “I didn’t even buy a wedding dress; it came from a second hand store, but I love it”…) I cried, and said yes, Amber. Yours is a story I will photograph; yours is a story I want to tell.

Confession #9:  And I knew I could never do it alone. SilverBox partners Kim Wade and Annika Miller were already booked, that’s why I was even having this conversation, so I reached out to the unflappable Rebecca Allen and I thanked my lucky stars that she was able to help document this adventure. Rebecca understood. She gets it. She is a story-teller, a remarkable one. So many of the pictures you see in this post aren’t mine, but her’s — well, “ours” really. Because that’s how weddings work.

Confession #10:  What are weddings really about?  The people and the richness of what is Real. And Sacred. And it’s not stained glass and an organ that elevates a gathering into something Sacred. (Stained glass and organ music can be elements to a Sacred story, but they don’t guarantee it and sometimes they even stand in the way.) So what is the Sacred? It has something to do with the connection you feel to those around you. You feel it when when you walk in the door. It’s love, and it’s palpable.

Kindness and warmth matter. Context matters.  Amber and Joe’s celebration opened with music and with the owner of the General Store sharing a bit about the history of Lupus, Missouri.

Words matter. Words help create the Sacred. The Spoken Word brings all present fully into the common experience that at this moment, is shared. A speaker puts into words the feelings of those gathered. Yes, words are part of the Sacred.

Joe and Amber wrote their own vows. They addressed their friends, their family and each other. Words have power. And though she writes poetry, Amber told Joe after struggling to find the right words, she realized that it was Bo Diddley who said it best… “Oh baby…”

Confession #11. It doesn’t matter what you wear on your wedding day, the menu, the weather, who stands where…none of that is the Sacred. The Sacred is who is holding your hand. [And on this day, the hand holding was everywhere, like when Amber and Joe sat together listening to the music written by Amber's father and performed by his dear friends honoring both his memory and his daughter on her wedding day.]

Confession #12:  It’s not the traditions that make a wedding — it’s the authentic connection between you two and those you’ve invited to encircle you; those who share your life’s journey, your heart, and your love. “Joe, I’ve loved watching the people I love fall in love with you,” Amber said in her vows.

And the only thing more beautiful on your wedding day than the smile on your face is the unadulterated joy of those who encircle you.

It’s a special place, Lupus, Missouri, the trains…

…the tracks……the river.

The ties that bind.

It was a reunion.

Damp. Heart-felt. And in every way, fabulous.

Amber Moodie-Dyer and Joe Smith were married April 27, 2013 in Lupus, Missouri and it was pure magic.

Amber and Joe ~ thank you for not being easily scared. Rebecca Allen, thank you for capturing the magic.

~ amy

Oooh, I sure did LOVE working with Sarah and Colby! Columbia College was a delightful location for a wedding. EVERYTHING took place in and around Dorsey Hall, which has lots of classic character and is right in the middle of downtown Columbia. Check out some of Dorsey Hall’s special features below: the stained glass window in the chapel, a balcony in the Dorsey Gym that allows for photos from above the reception action, and a lovely lounge, where the two photos above were made. And it’s as gorgeous outside as in; the college does a fantastic job landscaping the campus grounds. And most important of all: Columbia College holds special memories for this couple because Sarah’s grandmother and Colby’s dad both worked for the college. Thanks to Rebecca Allen who was a second shooter for me that day and did great work!

sarah + colby

ceremony venue • Chapel, Columbia College

ceremony venue • Dorsey Gym, Columbia College

dress • The Gown House

florist • Petal Pusher

DJ • Rick Gains

cake • All About Cakes

photography • SilverBox Photographers

~kim

Congratulations, Susan and Collin! We sure are big fans of one-location weddings! So convenient for guests AND bride & groom ’cause you spend every bit of your time on your wedding day hanging out with the people who love you MOST in the world (instead of transitioning from one location to the next…packing…unpacking…repacking…driving).  Susan & Collin’s location of choice was Rothwell Park in Moberly, a rustic, intimate lodge with LOTS of overhangs (that turned out to be pretty important because we sure needed some open air shelter on that rainy day). I was so impressed with Susan & Collin’s relaxed, “whatever happens” attitude on their wedding day, summed up as: “rain or shine, at the end of the day, we’ll be MARRIED!!! And a big hats off to Annika of SilverBox who is great buddies with many folks in the wedding party and who shot SO WELL that day!

susan + collin

ceremony & reception venue • Rothwell Park

officiant • Pastor Steve Bramblett

dress • Belle Vogue Bridal

bridal party dresses • Emily Hart Bridal

florist • Lynn’s Country Floral

DJ • Redbeard Sound Co.

catering • Monning Catering

photographers • Kim & Annika, SilverBox Photographers

~kim & annika

Looking forward to the July wedding!

~ashley