A Few of My Favs from 2015

2015 was a great year!

Here’s to 2016! Call now to book your date!

This! What Ben Chrisman says so perfectly!

Guest Tip – Ben Chrisman on the Importance of Print

A few years ago we asked past brides what they ever did with their wedding photographs. We weren’t selling many albums then, but were giving the high-resolution files away. Almost every single bride told us their photos were just sitting on the disc in a drawer because they were just too busy and overwhelmed to even make 4×6 inch prints. At that point, Erin and I decided we needed to change things for the benefit of everyone.

After you get married, life changes fast. You buy a house, you have kids, you move up the ladder at your job. And your wedding day you planned for so long suddenly begins to slowly fade from memory. And the technology used to store those memories becomes undependable or even obsolete. So to help reverse that worry, for them and for their families, we decided to start including an album for every wedding. We didn’t raise our prices, but we took out the high-resolution files.

Shannon and Dan's wedding at St. Patrick's Catholic Church and reception at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California.

All of a sudden, giving a tangible product made so much more sense. We were providing our clients a lasting memory of their wedding, and also ensuring their children and grandchildren would be able to feel what the wedding day felt like 50 years from now.

And we finally became a full-service business that took care of people start to finish, which has made us extremely proud of what we do.

…we finally became a full service business that took care of people from start to finish.

It also gives justification for our prices because we know what we are doing will have even greater value to our clients than they could ever imagine at the time of booking us.

Shannon and Dan's wedding at St. Patrick's Catholic Church and reception at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California.

 A few weeks ago, we received the sad news that a groom from last year was losing his mother to cancer.A few weeks ago, we received the sad news that a groom from last year was losing his mother to cancer.

We just couldn’t believe the young, beautiful lady we watched on the dance floor was already being moved into Hospice Care. We had, just a couple months earlier, made both sets of parents their own album, and the bride wrote us to tell us how important that book had become to her mother-in-law. She wrote to us: “She absolutely adores her album and shows it to everyone who has visited, even today in the last days/hours with her, she asked to see the album and your photos. So thank you so much for creating it and for capturing so many moments for us that we’ll cherish more than we ever knew at that time.”

Shannon and Dan's wedding at St. Patrick's Catholic Church and reception at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California.

I now realize that if you don’t give your clients an album, you’re not really doing your job as a wedding photographer. Technology trends come and go faster than ever. But a wedding album is going to last. And so will the photographs you put all your heart into making for the families who choose you as their photographer. As artists, we all want to see our photographs printed. And we all want our photographs to be looked at forever. We have the ability to do both, and everyone will be better off because we took the initiative to make that happen.

So do yourselves a favor, and most importantly, do your clients a favor and give them something they may not fully appreciate now, but definitely will once life kicks into full gear right after the honeymoon ends. There is something magical about looking at a book of photographs. And it’s an honor to make one for every single wedding we are asked to document.

~ Ben Chrisman, Chrisman Studios

Just a few of my Favs

Just moving August images into archives and I thought I’d share a few of my favorite images from last month.

Enjoy!

St Louis Outside Family Portrait by Kristi Foster Photography

That was one hot morning! But the girls were so patient and gracious with their smiles.

St. Louis Outdoor Wedding and Elopement Photographer, Kristi Foster Photography

What a sweet elopement this was.  Were we outside the Faust Park with Carolyn Burke, the Elopement Connoisseur.

Kristi Foster Photography, Senior Portrait Photographer

Mark is a Senior this year! First time I photographed Mark, it was for his bar mitzvah, he wore his pet snake around his neck!

St Louis Outside Family Portrait by Kristi Foster Photography

Cover image for the Clayton Chamber Ensemble program at this year’s Midwest Clinic in Chicago. I can’t wait to see/hear them perform!

I love weddings, can you tell?

Erin and Jordon got married at the Chesterfield Doubletree.  We started early in the day with “getting ready” pics, then to the ketubah signing pics, the ceremony and the party.

Erin looked fantastic! She had so many moments of almost crying and ruining her makeup; she was so happy with the way everything turned out, she couldn’t control herself.  Jordon and Erin had a first look and well, Jordon thought Erin looked fantastic too.  It was a special moment.

With a packed room, the ceremony began…. Rabbi Ari made everyone laugh and cry, feeling the special bond between two best friends!

The party? I think the pics speak for themselves!

Enjoy a few of my favorite images.

The Wedding….finally!

Mike and Darryl have been together for 13 years.  That’s awesome.  A few years ago they adopted 5 little ones, all brothers and sisters; they wanted to keep them all together. Wow, that’s even more awesome!

And finally Missouri said they could make it legal. It’s about time!

It was indeed a happy day for their family! Their church family was there too in celebration.  It was a small inmate wedding with a Disney theme, of course. There was laughter, tears, good food and drinks and lots of dancing.  Oh and Darryl surprised Mike with a drum solo too.

They belong to First Congregational Church of Webster Groves and have been planning their wedding with Rev. Denoon for several years.  FCCWG, is one of the few churches in STL that allow same sex marriages to be performed by their clergy. I sure hope to see more churches marrying ALL loving couples!

Enjoy some of the images from Mike and Darryl’s big day!

 

I do love a sweet wedding!

I photographed another elopement last week with Carolyn.  She and I are beginning to make this an every Friday kinda date.  And I have to say that works for me!  I really enjoy photographing at all the cool spots in STL and getting to meet and know all the new couples.  Last Friday we met at the Muny in Forest Park and despite the rain, Megan and Colt said “I do” along side of their moms and children.

While I don’t typically know the couples until I meet them minutes before the ceremony, I can usually connect with them pretty quickly.  By the end of this wedding with Megan and Colt, I knew they were all gonna be one big happy family!

Check out a few of my favorite images.  Aren’t those kids adorable in their pretty pink dresses?

Sarah and Jen get married!

This month I was able to photograph my first “LEGAL”, Missouri same sex marriage.  It is heartwarming to see this finally coming to fruition.  I had not met the couple until their big day because they are from out of town.  Jen is stationed in Belgium and Sarah will be going home with her new wife tomorrow.  It’s so wonderful to see two people who love each other being able to get married!  Their family and friends were excited and happy to be there too.  The wedding and reception was held at Spazio’s in Westport Plaza (way to go Spazio!) and it was officiated by the one and only, Carolyn Burke!

Enjoy a few images from Sarah and Jen’s special day.  If you’re looking for a wedding photographer contact me and let’s talk about your big day!  If you’re looking for a wedding liaison, contact Carolyn Burke.

Lots of Weddings

I have been photographing lots of weddings over the last few months.  I have two more this weekend and 2 more for the month of October.  Those who know me, know I love weddings.

I have been second shooting for a friend and also a lead shooter for a husband and wife team out of St. Charles.  But today KFP will photograph the daughter of one of my favorite professors at Webster University.  Saturday, I will work with Marie at a wedding in Soulard.  It’s a big, fun weekend.

If you have friends or family who need a wedding photographer, have them contact me.  I’m booking now for 2015 and 2016.  I am almost completely booked with weddings and mitzvahs through March 2015.

Enjoy a few images from the weddings so far this month.

Small Intimate Wedding

Although I hadn’t even met the couple before their big day, Michelle and Khaled were like old friends.  They were fun, relaxed and my favorite, traditional.  They wanted all the classic poses and groupings that included their parents and wedding party.  I tried to get them to each hold one of their chickens, but they declined; something about getting the dress and suit dirty.  Small details!  The wedding took place in their own backyard and then a small reception at Ameristar Casino Resort in St. Charles. Enjoy a few images from Michelle and Khaled’s wedding day.

Check out my new gif file too. Isn’t it cool!?  If you are looking for a wedding photographer, please contact me!

Perfect Weather for a Wedding

Once again I had the pleasure of working with Carolyn Burke of Elopement in St. Louis.  Jamie and Ashley, the lovely couple wanted to be married in St. Louis.  So we went to Tower Grove Park .  Jamie and Ashley picked the area around the ruins for the ceremony.  As always Carolyn was able to bring out some laughs and of course big smiles and good ole’ heart swells!  While Jamie’s folks ran back to get the forgotten marriage license (oops), I was able to spend a little extra time with the newly weds.  We had a great photo session…the photographs are spectacular; Jamie and Ashley were a fun loving, photogenic couple!  They truly made my job easy.  Enjoy the pics.  Leave a comment letting Jamie and Ashley know how much you love their wedding pics.  If you have an upcoming wedding, contact me to secure your date.