Cortney + Thomas's Sunny Illinois Elopement
Thomas + Cortney
Effingham, Il
Zach and Rosalie St. Louis Wedding Photographers
Zach and I were on a work trip to Little Rock Arkansas on Valentine’s Day week when we got an email from Cortney about their wedding day. We had a super quick phone call where when I got off the phone, I knew we were going to get along really, REALLY well. Cortney is an artist who makes the most brilliant silk scarves, so I knew their wedding day was going to be beautiful. THENNNNN Covid. When they reached out and asked if we could photograph their intimate wedding in lieu of an engagement sessions, we said absolutely and drove to Effingham Illinois to celebrate with them.
They got ready at Cortney’s family home that has been in the family for generations. They were married down the road at the most beautiful and teeny church. T’s family face timed so they could be apart of the ceremony and it was honestly so lovely.
We can’t wait to do the big ceremony next year with these two and their families! So please, for the love of all that is good and holy, wear a mask!
Covid 19
plans for 2021 and beyond
Hey friends!
2020 was a year. Phewwwww. Most of the world, especially the United States, has faced so much hardship and struggled to make it through, but now we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Safety is still our number one priority and we will take every precaution possible when working with our couples and the ones that they love. Both Zach and myself are fully vaccinated and are grateful that we are able to photograph full sized weddings starting in May. We will also be limiting the amount of weddings and elopements we take to 15-20 a year to make sure we can take care of our couples to the best of our abilities. We will be wearing masks until further notice and maintaining 6 feet distance whenever possible.
We are so happy and thankful to be celebrating with our couples this year safely and responsibly!
Thank you and be safe
:)
Rosalie + Zach Marion
5 Best tips for what you should wear to an engagement session
5 Best tips for what you should wear to an engagement session
St. Louis, Missouri Wedding Photographers
So you’ve just got engaged and you’re planning on having your engagement photos taken! (Cue the hours of searching online for all your dream vendors! Heyyy!) We’ve been photographing engagements and weddings around St. Louis for 6 years now and we’ve figured out all the best places to shop, what kind of outfits photograph well, and how to help our couples find outfits that represent their personalities and style!
#1
to green or not to Green
If your engagement session is in a wooded area or you’ll be surrounded by grass, wear brighter colors and avoid green
Green in my favorite color, don’t get me wrong, but it will blend right in if you’re being photographed in a field with green grass and trees! (We don’t want you to disappear!)
Where to wear green:
in-home sessions • in the city • on the beach
#2 Be yourself
There are so many engagement photos floating around the internet that you * may * feel intense pressure to buy a super formal gown that you can wear in the ocean or on a cliff side (to look like a maiden waiting for her sailor to come home from sea, of course.)
Shuddering at the thought of heels? Terrified of matching white t-shirts and jeans? Don’t wear them! You are going to want to feel comfortable when having your photos taken and wearing something that isn’t you might make you feel… well … uncomfortable. You don’t absolutely need something brand new, you can wear your favorite Dr. Martens and an old leather jacket. If you dream of wearing a long flowing dress for your engagement photos, do it! If you’re comfortable and feel yourself in your clothes, it will show!
#3 Patterns+Solids
we LOVE mixed patterns when they’re done well. You can do it and get it right if you have good taste! But if you want to play it safe, solids + Patterns are the way to go.
A good thing to consider when picking out your outfits is whether they work together, or fight with each other. I’m no fashion expert, (legit shop in the boys section at Goodwill.) but photographing clothing has taught me that two busy patterns don’t always go together. Smaller prints mix well with larger prints. If that sounds overwhelming to you and one of your is wearing a print, consider the other wearing a solid or very subtle print.
#4 Bring a change of clothes
You’re trying to choose between two vibes or you’re going somewhere where it might be messy. (Aka Maybe falling in a river, ROSALIE.) Bringing a change of clothes is always a good idea.
I usually get a text the day before asking me to pick between two outfits, I respond to bring both! If we’re in an area where there is no where to change, we’ll bring our changing pod. When we have time to hit two locations, having a second outfit is a great way to get variety in your photos.
#5 Dress for the weather
Comfort above all!
In the colder months, pick thicker materials that will keep you warm. A tank top will look out of place and your goosebumps will be visible from the space station. When it’s warmer, aka hot as the sun’s surface, wear breathable materials! If you have something you really want to wear, but will be v sweaty in it, consider making one of your locations indoor and enjoy some AC with your outfit.
okay, so now where do I shop?
~ A list of places we send our couples for outfit inspiration ~
**Rosalie’s favorite
Another great option is to check out your local thrift and vintage stores! All of my favorite pieces are from stores like goodwill. It’s cheap, it’s good for the environment, and it’s a great way to find an outfit that is really unique for your engagement photos!
Jess + Ryan’s Ohio Wedding and At-Home Reception
A family filled, hometown wedding in Ohio.
Jess and Rosalie have actually been friends for over a decade. They first met through mutual friends on MySpace. Yes, we are that old. Rosalie and Jess remained friends through the years and across many different social media platforms. Finally, Jess and Rosalie were able to meet in person for the first time in their long-distance friendship when we photographed Ryan and Jess’s engagement session in The Smoky Mountain National Park. A few months later Ryan and Jess were married near their home in Ohio, near Columbus. This autumn wedding was filled with love and gratitude for family and loved ones. The emotion and joy that this couple felt for each other was unlike any other couple we have ever worked with. They were alone in the sanctuary of the church when they first saw each other in their wedding attire. The church, which is nestled between about five neighboring churches in downtown Zanesville, Ohio has stood since the early 1900s and served as a wonderful backdrop to this beautiful church ceremony. The amount of happy tears and the tightness of their embraces were so full of sincere affection and excitement for the day to come. Wedding photography can be by the numbers and routine sometimes but moments like these cannot be forced. The love Jess and Ryan share and displayed on this day is authentic. This is a real love and it is not only between the two of them, but shared throughout their family. This wedding will always be one of our favorites because we love Jess and Ryan like family and we hold the memories captured in these images just as dear as those whom attended this unforgettable ceremony.
March Mixtape
MARCH
Mixtape
tunes for your wedding day playlist, running, editing to, play during a photoshoot, or taking a road trip.
Hail zorp my dudes!
It’s the first week of the month and we’re releasing our first ever mixtape. Music is such a huge part of our life, so we’re happy to be sharing that with all of our couples (who we make personalized playlists for!) and now all of your ears too. If we had to describe this playlist, we would say it’s filled with deep tracks and lost gems from the 70’s blended with quiet acoustic songs. It reminds us that while winter is still here, spring is lurking. So we also sprinkled new, under the radar artists to keep it spring fresh.
Favorites from this list:
The Barrel
- Aldous Harding
Garden Song
- Phoebe BridgersWish I had not said that
- J.J. CaleOjos Del Sol
- Y La Bambanot a complicated person
- downtime
