St. Louis Union Station | A Classic STL Location for Wedding Day Portraits | KB Photos & Design

Are you a St. Louis couple searching for an iconic spot for photos on your wedding day? There are so many beautiful locations in and around the city for your wedding day photos, it’s hard to choose! Well, I propose that you take a look at an oldie but a goodie: St. Louis Union Station.

Union Station is rich in history and nostalgia. It was the gateway to the West with the first train that arrived in 1894, and now this complex has been reinvented with a modern twist, which brings me to one of my favorite spots for photos - the restored steel train shed! The architecture of the tall steel beams couples with the cute shops and restaurants that surround the lake. What an iconic St. Louis backdrop for your wedding day photos!

And if you’re lucky, you’ll be treated to the year-round pyrotechnic Fire & Lights Show over the lake. This fire, water, and light music show happens daily at the top of the hour. Maybe you’ll catch a little fire feature in the background of your photos!

While you’re here, you can make your way to St. Louis Union Station’s Grand Hall Hotel, take photos in front of the classic St. Louis Ferris Wheel and Polar Express train, or head across the street to the classy columns and steps of the United States Postal Service building. With all its rich St. Louis history and nostalgic backdrops, it’s the perfect place for your wedding day photos. So file into a car and head on downtown. You won’t regret it!

Special thanks to these lovely models: Derrick Miller & Jayde Lucas

The Best Season for Your Missouri Engagement Photo Session | Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall | KB Photos & Design

The Best Season for Your Missouri Engagement photo Session | Winter, Spring, Summer And Fall

I’ve photographed a lot of amazing couples all over our great state of Missouri, from St. Louis to Columbia, Kansas City, Lake of the Ozarks, Springfield and beyond. And there’s always two common questions I’m asked. The first question is “What Do I Wear??” My couples are in luck, because I share my Ultimate Engagement Session Style Guide magazine. It’s my exclusive KB Bride Guide to picking outfits, props, and time of day.

Without fail, the second question is this: What is the best season to do our engagement photos? And it’s always hard to help narrow down a favorite! In short, every Midwest season has its picturesque scenery and beautiful backdrops. Of course here in Missouri, we experience every season to its fullest - and sometimes multiple seasons in one day! Other factors can affect your season choice too: what clothing you’d like to wear, or what sentimental location or memory speaks to your heart. But narrowing down a date on the calendar - that’s tough work!

So here’s my best photographer advice to consider for each season below: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. And then you tell me: which Missouri season is YOUR pick for your engagement session?

Winter Engagement Photos

Missouri winters are COLD but OH SO beautiful. Feeing chilly? Wrap your arms a little tighter around each other, or grab a blanket and cuddle under it for some cozy moments captured. Engaged couples should feel inspired to brave the elements of nature for those snuggly shots.

Extra bonus: Midwest winters can often transform wooded forests into breathtaking winter wonderlands. What a perfect chance to walk on fresh snow, snuggled up close with your significant other. Find a beautiful grove of evergreen trees and fresh powder and you are set for a romantic, dreamy engagement photoshoot in the snowy forest.

spring Engagement photos

Spring in Missouri is wonderful because it’s the perfect temperature. We may be dodging a real potential for RAIN, but think of all that potential for first-of-spring blooms! The greenery is popping out and grape vines are filling in. Imagine yourselves under the canopy of a blooming tree or taking a romantic walk among the tulip gardens. Just don’t forget the Zyrtec :)

summer Engagement Photos

Missouri summer days are HOT but they last for a long time. There is so much daylight in the summertime that most engagement sessions can shoot until 8:30pm! This means the best light of the day is the hour before sunset, also called golden hour, and you’re going to want to have portraits during this time.

Fall Engagement Photos

Fall engagement sessions are the best! The temperature has that slight chill in the air. You can wear whatever you want and be pretty comfortable: summer clothing, winter clothing, or anything in between. And the colors are vibrant and beautiful! Fun fact: My husband and I had our engagement photos taken in the fall and it was wonderful. We loved the cool weather, and we were happy to have photos to share at Thanksgiving with our family and friends.

Bonus: Extra Tip for Your engagement Session

Bring a picnic basket, blanket, and a champagne bottle to pop and drink for your photo session!

There is so much beauty to our Missouri seasons! What do you think? Which Missouri season is YOUR pick for your engagement photo session?

Complimentary engagement sessions with styling assistance are included for many KB Brides in their wedding collections, or sessions can be scheduled Ala carte. Reach out and schedule yours today.

Eddie + Marissa | Missouri State Capitol Building Engagement Photo Session in Jefferson City | KB Photos & Design

Eddie and Marissa’s love story started many years ago with an introduction between mutual friends. He was one of her friend’s best friends, and they hit it off at the local diner. Years of dating and a dog later, Eddie pops the question by putting a name tag on their dog that says “Marry Me” out at his grandparent’s farm. These two are the sweetest pair that treat each other with such tenderness and care, and it was such a joy to photograph their love through an engagement session in their hometown of Jefferson City, Missouri.

We met on a cold and sunshiny day in the capital city for a warm and toasty start to their session - a springtime photoshoot inside Busch’s Greenhouse and Floral Shop. All the natural greenery provided a beautiful backdrop. I told my usual bad jokes for some natural smiles while they grooved to the mood music.

Then we headed to the Missouri State Capitol. I always encourage my couples to make their session their own, and these two did with a fun champagne bottle to pop and drink at their session. Our walk across the bicentennial bridge gave us urban vibes and a great view of the capitol in the background as the sun was setting. That sunshiny glow was serene! We also took a stroll across the capitol building steps and up to the white columns, marking those last few minutes of daylight.

Every season in Missouri is beautiful but not all seasons are warm - thank you to Busch’s Greenhouse and Floral for helping this couple keep toasty during their winter shoot! If it’s chilly outside, and you are a couple considering a winter engagement session, this is proof that you can have the best of both worlds and get some amazing images both inside and outside in the cold of winter.

I’m really excited to spend time with this couple and their friends and family while photographing their wedding day next year. Here’s to the party in 2024 and their destination wedding next fall in the beautiful subtropics of Tulum, Mexico!

KB Photos & Design / Busch’s Greenhouse and Florist

Kirk + Darby | Destination Wedding to Margaritaville Resort Lake of the Ozarks | KB Photos & Design

For Kirk and Darby, it was Love At First Swipe! "We met on the dating app Hinge, although Kirk’s favorite response to this question is to tell people we met on Craigslist," Darby said. They met up for their first date and talked for hours, loving every minute huddled around a heater at the restaurant and bar they enjoyed together. For the proposal, Kirk sent Darby on an Amazing Race style night out. He had a limousine with her best friend pick her up with the first clue in an envelope to the next location. Each location stop had another friend there with a clue in an envelope to the next location that was meaningful to the couple. Kirk was waiting at the last stop in downtown Dallas with their parents and 15 of their closest friends waiting for them. He popped the question, and the rest is history!

When they started wedding planning, they quickly decided that the location needed to be somewhere that all of their family and friends from Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri could drive to. They settled on the Lake of the Ozarks, a good halfway point for many of their loved ones, and chose to wed at the beautiful Margaritaville Lake Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri.

Groom Kirk got ready with his groomsmen in the main hotel area, while bride Darby got ready in her bridal suite at the lakeside villa, which doubled as their honeymoon suite. Darby had a beautiful and simple off-the-shoulder dress, and paired it with a belted cathedral length train that could be removed during the day. As a wedding photographer, I’m seeing this trend of having outfit embellishments, or even second outfits for the reception, and I am all for it!

The bride and groom opted for a First Look before their ceremony, and it was the perfect choice for this couple. There wasn’t a dry eye around! After seeing each other for the first time, they read aloud their heartfelt personal vows to one another. “Kirk and I knew we wanted to write our own vows, but we weren’t sure if we wanted to read them in front of everyone or keep them more personal. We decided to do them during our first look, which is something I do not regret – it was such a special, loving moment to do alone!” Darby said. This intimate moment will stick with me as a wedding photographer for years to come!

The pair had their outdoor wedding ceremony on the rooftop patio overlooking the lake. Surrounded by greenery, drinks, and string lights, bride and groom said their I Dos. "We couldn’t get married at the lake without being on the lake!" Darby said. "Our guests had a blast and so did we."

With the ceremony behind them, Kirk and Darby made a grand entrance into their indoor reception at Margaritaville, complete with fanfare and some cold sparklers! They wanted their wedding day to be a great party for their guests, and it did not disappoint. This group was full of personality and spunk, and they knew how to PARTY.

Darby and Kirk’s best advice for wedding planning? It’s your wedding day. "This is a tad cliché, but I wholeheartedly believe in it—make sure that you end up doing what YOU and your partner want because at the end of the day it’s your wedding! Don’t be afraid to step outside of what’s 'expected' at a wedding if that really speaks to you and your relationship! After all, your wedding should be a reflection of who you are as individuals and a couple,” Darby said.

It was such an honor to capture this sweet couple’s destination wedding day at Margaritaville Lake Resort. Cheers to their lifetime of love and wedded bliss!

Here’s what Darby had to say about KB Photos & Design: “We hired Kristen to photograph our wedding in September at Lake of the Ozarks and she did an AMAZING job!! All of the pictures are exactly the look we were going for. She was so responsive, helpful, and organized throughout the entire process. My now husband even had the crazy idea to ask a guy if we could get on his boat to take a couple of pictures while we were getting sunset photos and Kristen was on board for that (literally)! She truly helped capture such a special day for us and I cannot recommend her enough!!”

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PHOTOGRAPHY KB PHOTOS & DESIGN / VENUE & CATERING MARGARITAVILLE LAKE RESORT / PLANNING THE PARTY PROPER / VIDEOGRAPHY MATTHEW JAY FILMS/ FLORALS PINE AND PETAL WEDDINGS / DRESS BALEY'S BRIDAL / SECOND DRESS STARDUST CELEBRATIONS / BRIDESMAIDS' DRESSES MORILEE / HAIR & MAKEUP MADDI MOREHEAD - JOEL'S HAIR SALON / NAILS CLAYTON NAIL SPA / MENSWEAR EXPERT ALTERATIONS AND TUXEDO / RINGS MOODY'S JEWELRY / DJ KC EVENT COMPANY