Megan + Matt - St. Peters, Missouri Wedding Photography
As summer’s last hurrah, it gave us Megan and Matt’s gorgeous October wedding with warm sunshine, clear skies, and juuuust the right amount of heat! Megan and Matt are some of the nicest folks around. They were totally down for anything, smiled through every moment of the day, and were just so much fun to hang out with and take photos of! I couldn’t ask for a better duo to have in front of my lens.
Wedding Photography at 370 Lakeside Park
As summer’s last hurrah, it gave us Megan and Matt’s gorgeous October wedding with warm sunshine, clear skies, and juuuust the right amount of heat! Megan and Matt are some of the nicest folks around. They were totally down for anything, smiled through every moment of the day, and were just so much fun to hang out with and take photos of! I couldn’t ask for a better duo to have in front of my lens.
We started the day getting ready in separate hotel rooms, Megan at the Ameristar Hotel, and Matt at Tru by Hilton. After that, we hopped on over to 370 Lakeside Park for the rest of the festivities. Their ceremony and reception setups were so gorgeous! Beautiful, simple floral arrangements lined the aisle and dotted each table, which perfectly complemented the wood tones of the massive pavilion where everything took place.
One of the best parts of the day was realizing that the venerable DJ Thurman was covering the reception. He’s awesome. He was the DJ at a wedding I shot back in July of this year, and I cannot say enough great things about how he runs the party!
As always, I love when couples ask me to do some night portraits, and we did just that to close out the night. All in all, I had so much fun documenting this wedding and I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do! Congrats, Megan and Matt!
Silver Oaks Chateau: St. Louis, Missouri Wedding Venue Review
Silver Oaks Chateau is a totally stunning wedding venue just outside of St. Louis, Missouri, specifically located in Pacific, Missouri! In my experience, Silver Oaks Chateau is one of the best wedding venues in St. Louis. Not only is the venue totally unique, but it’s also large enough to host a wedding of just under 300 guests.
A Wedding Photographer’s Review of Silver Oaks Chateau in St. Louis, Missouri
Silver Oaks Chateau is a totally stunning wedding venue just outside of St. Louis, Missouri, specifically located in Pacific, Missouri! In my experience, Silver Oaks Chateau is one of the best wedding venues in St. Louis. Not only is the venue totally unique, but it’s also large enough to host a wedding of just under 300 guests. As a kind of boring but super-useful benefit, it has GREAT parking which, honestly, you don’t see enough of. I had tons of fun shooting at Silver Oaks Chateau and, from getting ready to the reception, I was amazed at how gorgeous and functional this venue can be.
Starting off the day with a bang, the getting-ready spaces at Silver Oaks Chateau are roomy, well-lit, and adequately mirrored so nobody is fighting over a reflection. In the bridal suite, the comfy furniture and huge windows meant that I had plenty to work with as a photographer with beautiful light and a bridal party that was totally at ease all morning. To boot, the double doors opened up and we were able to make some tremendous portraits with that natural light goodness.
The ceremony took place at Silver Oak’s spacious courtyard which had plenty of room for all the guest’s chairs, an arbor for the couple and officiant, and all the decor. Set on top of the property, the landscape rolled gently downhill away from the ceremony and into the lush forest behind it. This is where we ended up taking some portraits afterward. It gave the entire ceremony this feeling of intimacy and vibrancy while still keeping everyone’s shoes and dresses away from the mud (it did rain a bit that day, as you may be able to tell from the photos below). I’m a huge fan of this ceremony format. When I arrived early that day to take a lap around the venue, the manager there was working diligently, making sure every chair was properly placed and that nothing was out of order. The staff at Silver Oaks Chateau definitely cares about the quality and perfection of your wedding, I can attest to that!
The reception area was equally stunning. The high vaulted ceilings, the gorgeous balcony, and the fantastic table settings made for a truly classic place to celebrate a marriage! The DJ’s uplighting really complimented the space superbly, and the balcony gave me a built-in place to put my flashes for lighting up the reception. Silver Oaks Chateau made my life easy that day and, with all the less-than-ideal weather, I welcomed the assistance! See below for some photos of the venue!
Are you planning your dream wedding and want to see all the venues in the St. Louis area? Get the definitive STL + Metro area venue master list and find the perfect space for you!
Bride’s dress hanging inside Silver Oaks Chateau
Bridal getting ready suite at Silver Oaks Chateau
The loft offered a great place to read notes from each other
Bride and Bridesmaids in front of Silver Oaks Chateau.
Silver Oaks Chateau in Pacific, Missouri from the parking lot
The amazing light in the front door works well for first looks!
Wedding Ceremony at Silver Oaks Chateau
The balcony offers a gorgeous overlook of the ceremony and surrounding landscape!
The huge trees in the background offer beautiful colors and tones for after-ceremony group photos!
Wedding Portraits at Silver Oaks Chateau
Remember those double doors I mentioned before? Yeah. Awesome.
They retreated to the balcony just after the ceremony. This photo really showcases the classic, clean design of Silver Oaks Chateau.
Of course, I had to go bug them for some pictures up on the balcony… You can see the totally sweet fireplace down in the courtyard.
Traveling downhill a bit, you can get some awesome views of the tall grass, towering trees, and open sky.
The beautiful wedding reception space at Silver Oaks Chateau.
Even with the tall ceilings, beautiful light in the dancing photos is really simple to achieve!
If you’re looking for one of the best St. Louis wedding venues to host your mid-to-large sized wedding, I wouldn’t hesitate to give the folks at Silver Oaks Chateau a call! Your photographer will thank you.
Disclaimer: I am in no way partnered or affiliated with Silver Oaks Chateau
Your Boutique Hotel: Alton, Illinois Wedding Venue Review
Your Boutique Hotel is a fantastically unique wedding venue in downtown Alton, Illinois, just outside of St. Louis. It’s an alternative to its sister space, the larger WOW Furnishings and Events center, which makes Your Boutique Hotel the perfect solution for small to mid-sized weddings. If you’re looking for an all-in-one venue in downtown Alton, Your Boutique Hotel may just suit your needs!
A Photographer’s Review of Your Boutique Hotel in Alton, Illinois
Your Boutique Hotel (formerly WOW on Broadway) is a fantastically unique wedding venue in downtown Alton, Illinois, just outside of St. Louis. It’s an alternative to its sister space, the larger WOW Furnishings and Events center, which makes Your Boutique Hotel the perfect solution for small to mid-sized weddings. If you’re looking for an all-in-one venue in downtown Alton, Your Boutique Hotel may just suit your needs!
The features that the hotel offers come into play even before you begin to get ready for your day, as the venue is also host to a number of boutique hotel-style rooms that can comfortably sleep well over 16 guests. This means that travel the morning of your wedding doesn’t have to be a hassle. You and your family can spend the night at the place where your ceremony and reception are going to be hosted! When hair and makeup does arrive, however, Your Boutique Hotel offers a beautifully-lit and spacious Bridal Getting-Ready suite, replete with large mirrors, ample window light, a separate restroom, and it’s own bedroom. It’s separated enough that, should the groom (or anyone you don’t want peeking in) stroll by, you don’t have to worry about blowing your cover!
When it comes time to take portraits, your photographer should have no shortage of ideas and spots in which to take those photos. Not only are the dark wooden tones inside inspiring, but you have numerous areas outside in the surrounding streets, alleys, and storefronts of Alton, Illinois. I’ll add some examples below, but you can see even more in Haley and Nathan’s blog post!
As far as your ceremony and reception go, the venue is full of lots of opportunities to make it your own but, even before you add your own touch, it starts as simply a gorgeous space! Wood shiplap accents the exposed brick, with hanging greenery at the end of the room opposite of large, sprawling windows. Since the main room is longer than it is wide, I recommend placing gift tables and the food line in one or two of the side rooms so you can maximize your mobility around the room when it’s time to eat, give speeches, or DANCE!
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a beautiful, competitively priced, and turnkey solution to host your wedding day events in downtown Alton, I highly recommend giving Your Boutique Hotel a shout and sparking up a conversation! Keep scrolling for some images of the actual venue.
Your Boutique Hotel’s Bridal suite
Your Boutique Hotel’s huge spiral staircase and warmly lit library
Your Boutique Hotel’s pool table
Your Boutique Hotel’s Bridal Suite
Descending the staircase!
Your Boutique Hotel’s ceremony space
After the ceremony, we crossed the street for some group photos. You can see Your Boutique Hotel from the road!
Below are just a few examples of the potential for great photos at the venue and the surrounding area! We had a blast in the short time we had for the wedding couple portraits! See more here.
This is inside Your Boutique Hotel, at the top of their spiral staircase. So stunning, so much potential!
From a similar angle as the ceremony, here’s the same room set up for the intimate reception.
The reception space from the other side, facing Your Boutique Hotel’s large windows.
Lit properly, even light and soft skin tones are easy to achieve in WOW’s main room!
If you’re currently looking for an awesome space to host your wedding or reception in Alton, Illinois, I hope this little review was helpful or at least assisted you in figuring out what you want in a wedding venue.
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated or partnered with Your Boutique Hotel.