Columbia, Missouri Wedding Photography {Callie & Justin}

The month of June has been quite a busy month for us and we were thrilled to photograph Callie and Justin’s wedding here in Columbia, MO. It feels like forever ago that we saw these two for their engagement session but we had such a wonderful time celebrating the day away with this happy couple.

The day started off with both the bride and groom getting ready at the historic Tiger Hotel in downtown Columbia. Having both Callie and Justin at the same location allowed us to move between both the bridal party and groomsmen, photographing both groups getting ready for the big day. One huge plus to photographing in a historic venue is that there is an abundance of ideal locations for photographs. The newly renovated rooms provide ample light and space for getting ready pictures. And the elegant lobby was the perfect spot for a few bridal portraits of Callie and some group pictures with her bridesmaids. One of my favorite pictures from the morning is the one of Callie on the stairs and her dress fanned out around her. It’s almost like the details of the lobby were meant to play off the details of Callie’s dress.

Once everyone was ready, we headed over to Missouri United Methodist Church. This church is not only a beautiful (and historic) spot in its own right, it also holds a special place in our hearts because this is the church we got married in almost 5 years ago! The church needs almost no decorations because the grandeur and grace of the stain glass windows and choir loft. The aisle was decorated simply with bouquets of baby’s breath, which fit into the soft palette of blush pink and ivory. Callie and Justin opted to not do a first look, but we were able to capture the look of excitement and joy on both of their faces as Callie walked down the aisle. Their ceremony was poignant, sweet, and very much expressed Callie and Justin’s love for one another.

Since it seems like June in Mid-Missouri has just been punctuated with non-stop rain, we were lucky enough to walk over to Peace Park without being rained on for some fun portraits with the entire wedding party. Though Columbia offers such a variety of venues and locations for weddings, portraits, and receptions, there is something nice to having all three locations within just blocks of each other. After wrapping up at the park, we ventured back to the Tiger Hotel to get in some portraits with just the bride and groom up on the roof. While the weather didn’t treat us to any gorgeous sunsets, we were able to take some photos of Callie and Justin with the iconic Tiger sign, as well as the city of Columbia stretching out behind them.

Our favorite wedding receptions are the ones where the bride and the groom are dancing the night away with all of their friends and family. Callie and Justin had that kind of reception. Since the weather didn’t give us that “golden hour” photographers always hope for, we were able to sneak the bride and groom off the dance floor during the reception to get some awesome night time photos underneath the hotel’s awning and Tiger marquee. I love the way that the lighting plays against the dark blue duskiness of the sky, illuminating Callie and Justin.

Thanks to Callie and Justin for trusting us to photograph their big day. We had a fantastic time!