Gretchen and Bob's wedding was a very special one for me to photograph! I have known Gretchen about 15 years now. She shares my love for genealogy and history and, though we originally met online because of Ste. Genevieve history, we found out we are also cousins! Not very close, somewhere around 5th or 6th, but how cool is that? So when Gretchen told me she was getting married and wanted me to photograph the day for her, I was honored and ready!
Gretchen and Bob wrote, regarding their love story: "We met in 1977, fell in love and dated for several years. Too young to handle the relationship, so we broke up. Fast forward to 2015, we were both divorced and started dating again. We had never forgotten each other."
So on February 17, 2018, these two tied the knot. Since it was Valentine's weekend, Gretchen also gave me a first: my first bride who didn't wear white (or ivory/off-white)! I seriously love the red dress she chose! And it was perfect with the gold and buff colored bridesmaid dresses... and all the boots! I loved that everyone was different from one another yet coordinated so perfectly. Gretchen had a great group of ladies for her attendants, as well, if I remember correctly, they have all been friends since high school.
We started in the early afternoon at Main Street Inn in Ste. Genevieve, MO. I had the privilege of touring the building a few months prior. Gretchen is an interior designer and has been working with the Inn for quite some time now and so she was able to give me a personal tour. I took several photos on my phone that day (a few are on Instagram) and I just fell in love with the 3 story bed and breakfast, it's absolutely wonderful and I would recommend it for anyone who wanted to stay in Ste. Genevieve. Seriously, check out the website! The ladies readied themselves in the Rendezvous Room which is not only a beautiful and good sized room, but had a great vantage spot for me to be out of the way and get some great shots. After everyone was ready, we took some pictures around the grounds of the Inn, thoroughly enjoying everything about it.
From there, we headed off to First Presbyterian Church for a lovely ceremony and a few formal photos. Afterward, stopping for one quick pic right outside the O'Neille House, we headed over to Sirros and The Orris for the reception. On my tour day I got to learn some interesting information about the history of the Orris, pretty darn cool.
Bob and Gretchen concluded the night with a wonderful reception of their best friends and their families. And, if I remember correctly, they also danced to the same song they first danced to, on the same dance floor, played by the same band. Can't get much sweeter than that! I captured a lot of wonderful candid photos, too!
Thank you again, Bob and Gretchen, for letting me capture your special day! :)
