St. Louis Wedding by Lisa Hessel Photography
When Brit of The Landlocked Bride submitted this wedding to us it was a total no brainer. Not only is she an expert in midwest weddings but she’s got her own event design company too! So we are pretty much thrilled to be sharing the details of her day, captured by the talented Lisa Hessel, with all of you! This modern, eco friendly couple decided to nix the flowers on their big day, with the exception of Brit’s bouquet, to minimize the carbon footprint of their wedding. And I’m totally loving their flower-free fete! For even more modern, midwest goodness, check out the full gallery!
Click here to see entire image gallery!
Don’t miss out on this beyond beautiful video by Kevin Von Qualen!
From the second we got engaged, I knew I wanted to take a different route with our wedding. While we still had many of the same elements, we also carefully thought about the others and how they tied into our personalities and values. I mean, we got engaged while in full ski / snowboard gear before heading down a run at Keystone. Not exactly “normal” by any means. And, while we were not going for offbeat, we were aiming to plan a soiree that was modern, fun and left our guests with a good feeling.
I planned the day in a way that left everyone feeling calm. No rushing. I was a calm and collective bride, cracking jokes and tending to my maid of honor, who was coming down with the flu. I pulled in details that meant something to me – my TOMS shoes (which I wore to the reception) and the DKNY Pure perfume. Instead of bouquets, my bridesmaids carried clutches I had made specifically for that day. The groomsmen wore light tan suits, with bold pops from their ties and argyle socks.
While the Jewel Box is a popular wedding venue in town, we knew we wanted to hold our ceremony there because of our love for the city and Forest Park. It really is this “gem” in the heart of one of the largest urban parks in the country. An actual green house filled with flowers, the Jewel Box is filled with natural light and made a beautiful backdrop as we read the vows we had written for each other. We had my Aunt become ordained and had dear friends read quirky poems.
At the time we were planning our wedding, many of the newer venues in town were not yet complete. But, we knew we wanted something modern. The exposed brick and loft-y feel of the 8th Floor at Windows on Washington fit the bill. We wanted to really work with the space, rather than fight it. We hired a great event production team in town to incorporate red and amber lighting and the red drapery over the dancefloor. And, we had them hang paper lanterns directly over a few of the guest tables as an alternative to traditional centerpieces. String balls and glass balls covered the other guest tables.
We opted against flowers (other than my bouquet) in an effort to stay true to our goal to reduce our wedding carbon footprint. A decision that baffled some at first, but left guests and friends appreciative of our goal. All of the paper goods were printed on 100% recycled paper, including the envelopes and labels for the invitations. And, while we could not completely account for everything, we offset our wedding by purchasing carbon credits through Terrapass.
To keep guests entertained, we shared over 60 (yes, 60) wedding photos that family and friends shared with us. They were scattered all over the room – on the bar, on tables, by the gifts. A local surprise in the form of the St. Louis Cardinals’ mascot, Fred Bird, paid a visit; mingling with guests and keeping the smiles on everyone’s faces. The photobooth provided for hours of entertainment. Literally. The line for the booth was never ending. AND, we provided our guests with a late night snack, featuring pretzels from a local favorite pretzel shop (and St. Louis tradition), Gus’ Pretzels. To top it off? A nacho cheese fountain. Of which nearly every one of our guests had never seen before.
We ended the evening the exact same way we started the party, with me and Brady dancing to our “first dance” song, “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michelson. What made the entire day so absolutely enchanting is the fact that, not only were we married and totally happy, but our families and friends had a wonderful time. It warms our hearts every time we think about it.
Photography: Lisa Hessel Photography / Ceremony Venue: The Jewel Box in Forest Park / Videographer: Kevin Von Qualen / Cake: Whipt Cream / Nacho Cheese Fountain: Chocolate Falls / Late-night Snack: Gus’ Pretzels / Photobooth: CI Photobooth / Lighting: Exclusive Events Inc. / Stationery: Brit Stewart Weddings / Custom Map: SWOONOVERIT / Wedding Planner and Event Design: Brit Stewart Weddings
35 Comments about “St. Louis Wedding by Lisa Hessel Photography”
5 Links to “St. Louis Wedding by Lisa Hessel Photography”
Leave a Reply
| « Nautical Engagement Session by Lauren Gabrielle Photography | Suncadia Resort Wedding in Cle Elum » |
 |
Visit us on Facebook |
 |
Follow us on Twitter |
 |
Subscribe to our RSS Feed |
- More Style Me Pretty...
- February 23, 2012
- February 22, 2012
- February 21, 2012
- February 20, 2012
- February 18, 2012
- February 17, 2012
- February 16, 2012
- All Archives
About
Press
Advertise
Submit A Wedding
Contact
Terms Of Use
It is so neat that you got them on a ferris wheel
I just love Brit and am so happy to see her wedding on SMP :) Love how gorgeous everything looked without flowers; so brilliant!
Brit, your wedding was amazing, and your attention to detail is fabulous. You are such a joy, I am honored to call you a friend, and an amazing asset to our St. Louis wedding industry.
Congratulations Brit on such a gorgeous write-up! Your wedding is spectacular and definitely deserving to be featured on such a fabulous website!
Fabulous use of color and personal touches! Sharing wedding photos of friends and family -- great way to make everyone feel like they're apart of the event. Cheers to the happy couple!
I love this!!!! I love the modern/eco twist!!! Congrats to you both!
Not only is Brit beautiful, she is also one of the kindest women I know! I had the pleasure of meeting her prior to her big day, and it was fun to listen to all her plans. And seeing this wedding featured on SMP makes my week - she put so much hard work into every single detail, that sharing it with all of your readers makes perfect sense!
Great job, Brit, for planning & executing your biggest dream!
xo
Wow, this is just too beautiful. I had a lump in my throat watching that amazing video.
Brit is beautiful and I adore her red bouquet. The pops of red everywhere are absolutely stunning. So well done!
The hint of retro is too cute!
Brit, I'm so excited to see your wedding featured on SMP!! You look absolutely beautiful and I love all of the detail you put in to your wedding!
Wow!! Love everything about this wedding! What gorgeous colors and styling. Congrats Brit, this is fabulous!
Lovely photography! Love the red accents and that cake look so cute!
Brit looks absolutely beautiful!! and I love the nacho cheese fountain!!!!
Gorgeous! I love all the ways Brit + Brady made it THEIR day- from no florals to the family/friends wedding pictures. Those yarn ball centerpieces are amazing!
I loved the non-fussy feel of Brit's wedding. It was just a comfortable, fun, carefree environment while still feeling upscale. Her details are obviously great, but you can't capture the feeling of the day with the camera. Lisa did a crazy great job of capturing these pics and she and Brit deserve the feature! Good call SMP!
I love this wedding! As a guest and also a BM, I could not have summed up Brit and Bradys day better! It was full of fun, excitement, lots of happy tears and just over all the best wedding I have ever been to. Brit you are beyond talented and I am so glad to call you my best friend! love you!
It is always fun to see the wedding of a fellow blogger and the details and different elements of this wedding did not disappoint! Love the bridesmaid dresses, the color palette (so unexpected but totally works!), and the idea of a nacho cheese fountain. Sounds like a fun wedding!
wow! love the shade of red throughout. the pairing of red and chocolate brown is just beautiful! LOVE the personalized dress hanger! so cute! the groomsmen outfits look great!
It was such a beautiful wedding. The friends and family that gathered made this day one of the best wedding's I have attended (or even planned). I am so grateful to call this wonderful couple my friends. Congrats to you both!
I LOVE all the red! Everything is just gorgeous and I wouldn't expect anything less of Brit!
I LOVE THE COLORS! It's so beautiful! Congratulations!
Beautiful! Brit, you looked so stunning and all of the details are just charming!
You look AMAZING, Brit! Absolutely amazing.
There are so many cute details in this wedding. Love, LOve, LOVE!
Brit, you looked gorgeous!
Love that image of the couple outside on the deck of some high place :-) Great lines!!
What an effective colour scheme. Love the string spheres as centerpieces, i keep meaning to try these out and this has motivated me further! I love the theme carrying onto the cake as well.
Please tell me about your dress? Where did you get it and who is the designer?
Love it!
Hi Sarah - My dress is by Watters, and I bought it from a local boutique in St. Louis. I'm not sure if it's one they still make, as I couldn't find it on their website tonight.