So happy for Ann Kathryn & Caleb – their wedding has been featured TWICE this week!  They are such a deserving couple and Melanie Acker photography was honored to be a part of it all.   Head on over to Love and Lavendar AND Trendy Bride to see their features.

Here’s a little “behind the scenes” fun.  This is the blanket that turned into a gorgeous backdrop!  Here is one of the images

I loved this wedding for so many reasons.  Mostly the fact that every detail was personal and had meaning. Well, that’s exactly how Caleb & Ann Kathryn wanted things. . . simple, vintage, artistic and intimate.  And everything came together perfect! Including the weather that felt like April instead of January. 

 The ceremony and reception were held at the Foundry Art Centre in historic St. Charles.  How perfect since Ann Kathryn is an artist, specifically a jewelry designer.  When you see her work you will fall in love and want an AnnKat design for yourself, I promise.  Check out her work on etsy!  She designed all the wonderful details of their wedding, the invitations, her headpiece and the bridal party headpieces, original AnnKat designed bracelets, the grooms boutonnieres, the list goes on and on.  Her touches made every facet of their day unique, and personal to them. And I can’t think of anything better and I’m so blessed that I got to be a part of it all!!  In addition, the amazing Meghan, from Cheeky Chic Studios helped with the styling details.  She just so happens to be Ann Kathryn’s sister-in-law.  How fun is that?!!  You remember that cool red backdrop behind Caleb & Ann Kathryn in the previous post, yep that was all Meghan.  I had the great good fortune to be able to work with Meghan on previous projects and now I also feel lucky to call her friend.  And speaking of friends, I have to give a huge THANKS to my friend and fellow professional photographer for being my second shooter for the wedding, Valerie, of Valerie Ott Photography.  Being able to shoot together was a dream come true!!

 I’ll start with the amazing invitation  – an original design and watercolor by the bride herself . . .

Ann made all these dried flower arrangements - she’s SO talented.

you know they say that there’s an app for EVERYTHING . . . .

perfect for when you need a little help figuring out your tie on your wedding day!

time to relax until the girls arrive . .

 caleb & ann choose to see each other before the ceremony – it was perfect!

I love the movement and embrace in these next images where they see each other for the first time.

brace yourselves . . .ANN KATHRYN DESIGNED AND CRAFTED she & caleb’s wedding rings!!   gorgeous.

 there were special, personal ”touches” everywhere - this was one of Ann Kathryn’s art books from college and china that was her grandmothers

 oh my, ann kathryn, you are SO stunning

caleb takes all the talk of his beard in stride . . . the maid of honor made these “lumberjack beards” for the bridal party – it was such a fun idea!

LOVE this tender moment after the service . . .

beautiful cupcakes by Kym’s Confections

Beautiful, heart-felt words for the couple -  it was hard to keep a dry eye! 

 Congrats again Mr. & Mrs. Kehoe!! Many blessing to you both -

 caleb & ann kathryn - here’s a quick preview for you.  I hope you have an amazing time in Cancun!

For everyone else . . .you’ll want to come back and check the blog soon to see this AMAZING wedding.  You won’t believe all the details!

I had to throw in one of the fun ”lumberjack” shots we took – TOO cute!

 see more images from St. Louis photographer.

These are my FAV family images from 2011! For so many reasons . . . Valerie is my close friend, and just so happens to also be a super talented photographer. Our son’s are the same age and she’s just one of those people that when our paths crossed we had everything in common.  It wasn’t until I moved from Michigan to St. Louis that our friendship rekindled in the strangest of places . . . Las Vegas!  We were both heading into the Kate Spade store when we saw each other.  It’s one of those moments in life that I’ll NEVER forget!  We have never stopped talking since!   

So at least once a year we set aside a time to get together.  This year we wanted to include our families so that we could take family photographs for each other.  It’s SO important and I’m usually the one taking the pictures and not the one being photographed.  I’ll post my session that Valerie Ott Photography shot for me later.  I cherish EVERY image.  But for now, here is the Ott family!  I adore them.

And now for a little peek of things to come in 2012 at MELANIE ACKER photography.  I will be adding customized styling services to the services at Melanie Acker Photography.  I’m SUPER excited.  Without giving too much away yet, below is a tiny peek into the styled session.  Check back after the new year to hear all the details and see MANY more images!!

This was our family card this year.  Merry Christmas to everyone!  I’m looking forward to enjoying time with my amazing family while we celebrate our Savior, Jesus Christ! 

 I always say that “the camera doesn’t lie.” Maybe you’ve heard that before. But in the age of “digital” where there is a lot that can be done with editing , one thing you can never edit is the soul of someone. And that’s what I love to capture with my camera. The real emotion and spirit of my clients.  And trust me, the camera doesn’t lie.  True inner beauty is reflected through the eyes and very essence of someone and let me tell you that Emily was TRUE beauty.  She is stunning and glows in these images because she has inner beauty that just enhanced her outer beauty and  my camera could not get enough of her! Thank you for choosing me to do your Senior portraints, Emily and have a great rest of the year at Christian High!  

check out these cute kicks! love her boots!

So, I haven’t blogged in a LONG time.  This is such a busy time of year for everyone but that’s not my excuse.  As many of you know (and probably many more don’t know) I had a scheduled parathyroid surgery during October. YES, the busiest time of year!  But you just can’t always plan these things like you would like! I was recovering as expected and ready to get back to work when 10 days post surgery a blood clot developed in my neck and I found myself in the ICU. While it was scary we saw God’s work throughout the entire situation and his provision for our family. We were so thankful to all be together and healthy for Thanksgiving!  So, now I’m back and I’ll be blogging again. I am so grateful for all my amazing clients who waited patiently for galleries and in some cases even re- scheduled session until the Spring. THANK you so much!

I’m going to start with my little girl’s session because she just had her birthday! It is hard for us to believe she is four. This was right before Fall started.  The light was gorgeous that evening and just poured over her. Her personality shines bright just like the light that night.  She is confident, humorous, creative and always entertaining us! We love her so much!!

Next week I’ll be posting portraits of a beautiful High School Senior from Christian High in O’Fallon, Missouri!

 Find out more information on photo sessions with Melanie Acker Photography.

 I LOVED these sisters! Partly because I have been photographing all boys it seems lately but mostly because they reminded me of my sis and I. We had that SUPER white hair at that age. Although these sisters were much sweeter to each other than we were. I don’t recall my older sister wanting to be next to me all the time!  It wasn’t until we were older that we became best friends and I think if you are fortunate to have a sister you have the BEST treasure in the world.

Their mom told me ahead of time that as a family, their two favorite things are Cardinal baseball and camping. I knew I wanted to make a “girly” tent to bring to their outdoor photo session.  All different versions of these tents have been floating around Pinterest.  My husband made the frame for me and my favorite quilt fit perfectly.  This image turned out just as I imaged in my head – that doesn’t always happen!

Little ones change SO much and SO fast during that first year of life.  That’s why it is a great idea to, at the very least, try and get photographs taken at birth, 6 mo, and one year.  Or capture them according to some of the major developmental stages - as an infant, crawling, and then walking .  I have never known anyone who has regretted making that investment! 

This little guy was celebrating turning one!  He was SO good.  I mean we moved him all over on location, up and down, in the grass, in & out of the wagon and he NEVER fussed.  Such any easy going little guy.  Oh and did I mention smart!  He figured out that if he took his hat and put it over his eyes that I would stop taking pictures. So cute!  Here’s a little image preview for you, Kim.

 Have you heard of the ladies of Evidence?  These girls are SUPER talented! They are a local singing group committed to spreading the gospel through their music.  They travel all around greater St. Louis singing in Churches and other various venues.  If you have never heard them you are certainly missing out. . . . but not for long.  They are about to release their first CD!  And currently it looks like it is expected to be released at the end of this year or the beginning of next.  Check out the Evidence Website or Facebook Page to get the latest updates.

These are some of my personal favorites that we shot for possible CD cover options.  I bet they’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment and let them know if you have a favorite and keep watching for details on the CD release! 

These brothers were so fun to capture.  Mr. Grant took to me right away and I could have photographed him ALL day!  Such a smart little guy with the most infectious smile.  Mr. Sam wasn’t so sure about my big camera following him but he came around and showed me his personality.  But I’d have to say that the “gold star” goes to the Dad. Not only did he carry my props around (thank you again) but you should have heard the songs & noises he came up with to keep those boys giggling. I loved it!   

I smile whenever I look at this image! He was laughing his head off at my “stinky socks” joke.  Little boys are so cute!

How could you not love this BIG grin!!

I am so lucky to meet such wonderful people and this family was no exception . . . just beautiful inside and out!  It gets me SUPER excited if I am photographing little kids with either red hair or curls. So I think I may have squealed when I saw this little guy get out of the car. What a heart-breaker! And then there’s his big sister with her long, flowing curls – I could go on and on! I enjoyed every minute of this outdoor session.

 To say that I have been waiting for this engagement session is an understatement! Allyson is my hairdresser and I’ve had the privilege to listen to Doug and Allyson’s love story unfold.  At my appointments I would try to secretly (or sometimes not so secretly) steal a glance at her ring finger to see if there was anything sparkly on it yet.  And then he asked her and boy did he find the perfect, most beautiful ring for her. Good job, Doug!!  They are absolutely perfect for each other. It only took an instant for me to see that.

There were so many reasons we felt that Chandler Hill Vineyard was the best location for their engagement session. Of course it’s a gorgeous property, but Doug and Allyson also love the outdoors and a good party with good wine! Thank you to the staff at Chandler Hill for being so gracious and letting us stay a little late!  

OK, and finally if you want your hair to look amazing go see Allyson at Studio Branca and I promise you won’t be disappointed. (there’s my shameless plug, ha!)

THANK YOU Doug and Allyson for such a fun session!! 

Find out more information onengagement portraits with MELANIE ACKER photography.

EVERY time I photograph her I am left speechless! Her presence in front of the camera is unbelievable and this time she has such long beautiful hair. I hope as she grows up that she will always see in herself what I see behind my camera lens and that is pure, innocent, natural, beauty!

Every year I “hope” that my children will cooperate and let me photograph them for Mother’s Day.  It’s the only thing I want – to preserve memories of these precious little people through photo images.  Here is the Mother’s Day outdoor session of them from last year. It’s so important for me to capture them JUST as they are – that means, giggles, pouts, pushing, hugging, silly faces.  I love it all.  So I set out my blanket and let them go at it!  These images are SO special to me.  It’s the little things, like the band aid on my daughter’s elbow.  It’s been there for two weeks (even though the scratch that we could never quite locate is gone). She insists the pain is terrible and the band aid makes it feel better. And THAT is the difference between raising a boy and a girl . . . drama!   I hope your mother’s day was special too!

I love to hold photography sessions in field locations like this.  There is nothing more beautiful than natural light and the timeless feel of an open field.     Some days there are beautiful wildflowers blooming, sometimes you’ll find tall weeds blowing in the wind.  And you can go to a field all year long and never have the same photos twice  because they are always changing.  Here in the greater St. Louis area we have so many beautiful landscapes to take advantage of.  In addition, children are so much more comfortable “being themselves” in a place where they can play and I can just follow along and capture them just as they are.

This field below is one of my favorites – I wait for these little yellow wildflowers to bloom every year when spring arrives. I never get tired of their beauty.   

These obviously weren’t taken in my favorite field, but next to the field is a little wooded area and these are too cute not to post.