A Year In Review | My Favorite Images of 2023
A collection of my favorite images from the Bryson B Photo year 2023 wedding photography season.
2023 has come and gone, and the year passed by blazingly fast and, at the same time, delightfully slow. The fact that, for nearly every week this past year, I was able to wake up, grab my camera(s), and create with some of the genuinely nicest folks I’ve ever met will perpetually blow my tiny lil’ brain.
After so many years of living my life in two different spaces - 2023 was the year where I simplified everything and, subsequently, made it more complex. Last year, I quit any level of full-time employment I had so that I could commit 100% of my time to my work and, most importantly, my couples. It’s been scary, but SO rewarding!
It’s another year of astounding, vibrant people.
It’s another year totally devoid of any wedding horror stories (I have the best couples).
It’s another year where I feel I don’t deserve to be on my two feet, doing what I love.
I’m working with people I call friends (vendors and couples alike), making the photos I’ve always wanted to make in places I’ve always wanted to make them.
For a photographer who typically covers the St. Louis area, I sure as heck didn’t stay put this year. From Northern to Southern Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, and Kansas - these were just a few places to which I lugged around my camera bags.
To my couples - thanks for the trust, the laughs, the hugs, and the vibes. You mean SO much to me! If you’re reading this, I’m thankful for you and your attention.
Here are some of my favorite images that I made this year!
Hey, that was a lengthy blog you scrolled through! If you’re looking for a wedding photographer in 2024 and beyond, I’d love to learn more about you and your dreams for your wedding!
A Year In Review | My Favorite Images of 2022
A collection of my favorite images from the Bryson B Photo year 2022 wedding photography season.
2022 has come and gone, and the year passed by blazingly fast and, at the same time, delightfully slow. The fact that, for nearly every week this past year, I was able to wake up, grab my camera(s), and create with some of the genuinely nicest folks I’ve ever met will perpetually blow my tiny lil’ brain.
It’s another year of astounding humans.
It’s another year totally devoid of any wedding horror stories (I have the best couples).
It’s another year where I feel I don’t deserve to be on my two feet, doing what I love.
I’m working with people I call friends (vendors and couples alike), making the photos I’ve always wanted to make in places I’ve always wanted to make them.
For a photographer that typically covers St. Louis, I sure as heck didn’t stay put this year. From Northern to Southern Illinois, Missouri, New York, and Tennessee - these were just a few places in which I lugged around my camera bags
To my couples - thanks for the trust, the laughs, the hugs, and the vibes. You mean SO much to me!
Here are some of my favorite images that I made this year!
Hey, that was a lengthy blog you scrolled through! If you’re looking for a wedding photographer in 2023 and beyond, I’d love to learn more about you and what you value!
Piazza Messina Wedding | Jenny + Alistair
Checkout this beautiful spring wedding at Piazza Messina in Cottleville, Missouri! Jenny and Ali had just the perfect day. It was an honor to capture it!
We had a TON of fun at Piazza Messina with Jenny and Alistair! After a string of chilly, but still amazing, wedding days, Jenny and Ali’s was as warm, sunny, and joyful as we could have hoped for!
Jenny and Alistair’s story is truly a special one. After meeting about 5 years ago, they wanted to tie the knot and make things official not too long after! However, some random virus (who knows what it could have been) happened in early 2020, and Alistair was stuck at home in Scotland for a better part of that year. They fought for their relationship and stuck through so many difficulties that come with being at such a great distance from each other. I’m so impressed by them!
Their story made the wedding day all the sweeter. The toasts were extra toasty, the laughs had a bit more oomph behind them, and the tears were that much more impactful. What a stellar wedding with an amazing group of humans! Check out some of my favorites below!
Vendor team:
Photography/Videography: Bryson Buehrer Photography
Venue: Piazza Messina
Catering: Russo’s Catering
Dress: Boulevard Bride
Florals: Belle Fleur
A Year In Review | My Favorite Images Of 2021
A collection of my favorite images from the Bryson B Photo year 2021 wedding photography season.
Have a wedding in 2022 or beyond? Let’s do the thing!
Kabekona Hills Wedding - Chelsea + Mitchell
Chelsea and Mitchell wanted to keep their wedding intimate, and Kabekona Hills Retreat Center just outside of Rolla, Missouri was the absolute perfect choice!
Silver Oaks Chateau Wedding | Akia and Darren
It was a true joy to be back shooting a wedding at the lovely Silver Oaks Chateau, with the dream team - Akia and Darren. From start to finish, this day was full of so many amazing little moments! For this wedding my team and I were covering both photo and video, and we were never at a loss for beautiful things to capture!
It was a true joy to be back shooting a wedding at the lovely Silver Oaks Chateau, with the dream team - Akia and Darren. From start to finish, this day was full of so many amazing little moments! For this wedding my team and I were covering both photo and video, and we were never at a loss for beautiful things to capture!
Some of my favorites:
That dress! 😍 (and her hair accessories, of course)
Their first “touch” - High risk, HUGE reward!
Tears at the ceremony
Giggles during the first dance
A freakin’ great party
and, of course, they smashed their creative portrait session(s), even though the rain tried to say something about it.
After their sub-zero (literally) February engagement session, I know Akia and Darren were going to be such a cool couple to photograph on their wedding day. The team of vendors (down below) was a joy to work with, too! I could shoot one of these every day and not get tired of them.
Vendors:
Venue - Silver Oaks Chateau
Catering - Ces and Judy’s
Dress - Clarice’s Bridal
Reception Dress - Lulu’s
Makeup - Beauty by Reecey
Hair - Yaestylez
DJ - Andrew Jones
Bold, vibrant, and non-traditional wedding visuals for laid-back couples that reject the mundane. Does that sound like you?
Becky + Michael - St. Louis, Missouri Engagement Session
What a lovely St. Louis engagement session with a lovely couple! Becky, Michael, and I ran around City Garden and the Mural Mile in St. Louis for a while and made some straight-up magic.
What a lovely St. Louis engagement session with a lovely couple! Becky, Michael, and I ran around City Garden and the Mural Mile in St. Louis for a while and made some straight-up magic. We dodged a rowdy car show, chatted podcast, and swapped photos of our dogs.
Overall, a 10/10 evening! Check out some of my faves below!
Need Some Photos of Your Own?
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!
Stone House of St. Charles Wedding Photography | Alysa + Kyle
It feels like just yesterday that Alysa contacted me to shoot her wedding! Well, it wasn’t yesterday, but it WAS just two months before the wedding. Dang, 2020 is weird, right? Anyways, here’s a beautiful wedding at Stone House of St. Charles that I had the privilege of photographing. Check it out!
Wedding Photography at Stone House of St. Charles
It feels like just yesterday that Alysa contacted me to shoot her wedding! Well, it wasn’t yesterday, but it WAS just two months ago. Dang, 2020 is weird, right? I’m gonna let you in on a little wedding photographer’s secret. There are lots of ways to attract super cool couples and convince them to shoot your wedding day. Some photographers attend wedding shows. Some photographers beg and plead while crying. I’ve done both. However, for this specific couple, I used good ol’ nepotism because Alysa is my cousin! So, of course, when Alysa and Kyle reached out to me, I was absolutely ecstatic.
This one was a fun one, and I think it’s super apparent in the sum total amount of smiles that permeated every part of the day. Also, their babies are beyond beautiful. Also, nobody dances like my family. I’ll write a full review of wedding photography at Stone House of St. Charles in the next few weeks but, as far as my initial thoughts, it’s a gorgeous venue with fantastic potential no matter the weather! It’s important that a venue be able to “work” at any point in the itinerary, during any season, and at any time during the day. During the getting ready time, you’re met with huge, soft window light and simply decorated rooms so as to not distract from the humans in the photos. The courtyard is spacious enough for family photos and totally well-lit, and the reception hall is more than equipped for anything you can throw at it.
Cassidy Eckman killed it on makeup!
Sisters Flowers knocked it out of the park on the florals!
Scroll to see some of my faves from their day…. If you dare.
See more venues like Stone House on our full St. Louis wedding venue page!
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
Haue Valley: St. Louis, Missouri Wedding Venue Review
This is a venue review of Haue Valley in Pacific, Missouri from the perspective of a wedding photographer. With lush landscapes, rustic design, and plenty of space, Haue Valley Weddings and Events may just be the wedding venue for you!
A Photographer’s Review of Haue Valley Weddings and Events
Haue Valley is a beautiful wedding venue in Pacific, MO, just a quick drive outside of St. Louis. Just a couple months ago, I had the privilege of photographing Derek and Linsey’s wedding at this exact venue! When they first told me that their wedding was going to be here, I was stoked. Not only was I taking photos of a super fun, talented, and joyful couple, but the venue would make my job on the wedding day, admittedly, very easy. In my opinion, Haue Valley is a venue that has everything you could want in an efficient, stress-free day and is one of the best options for wedding venues in the St. Louis area.
On their website, they describe themselves as hosting “Pinterest-Worthy Weddings.” These days, I’m not spending tons of time on Pinterest, but I can’t disagree with that statement. Nestled in Missouri hills, Haue Valley offers beautiful views, intimate nature settings, and comfortable ceremony and reception spaces. The venue supports ample space in terms of getting ready spaces for both the bride and the groom, so you won’t be starved for space and bumping the makeup artist’s elbow as you try to squeeze by.
As far as photo potential goes, you really can’t go wrong. If you give your photographer ample time to work, and build in a few minutes of travel time into your portrait sessions, you’re basically guaranteed to get a final product that you’d be proud to put on your wall. The venue’s property stretches for a fair amount of acres, with ponds, woodland, open spaces, and ruined buildings in which to create some really striking images.
Haue Valley’s reception space follows this overwhelming trend of quality, as well. The soft ambient lighting, dedicated bar area, outdoor covered seating, clean bathrooms, and warm rustic styling create such an idyllic mood for your wedding reception.
Okay. That was a lot of words. Some would argue that that was too many words. I’m lucky I’m a photographer! Here are some photos that I believe showcase the beauty of Haue Valley. Hopefully they assist you in your search for the perfect wedding venue.
Exterior of Bridal Getting Ready Suite at Haue Valley
Groom’s Getting Ready space at Haue Valley
Inside the Bridal Getting Ready space at Haue Valley
Haue Valley’s gorgeous courtyard. The first look and ceremony took place here.
Inside Haue Valley’s reception hall
Wedding ceremony at Haue Valley
Like I said above, Haue Valley is no slouch when it comes to making beautiful wedding photography! Here are some of my favorite portraits that showcase a few of the locations. You can see some more here.
They have these breathtaking walls covered in greenery. In the right light, they are absolutely stunning!
The reception space also has these awesome glass doors. Perfect for snagging some last-minute family photos!
That’s it! As a wedding photographer, I have the opportunity to shoot at countless beautiful venues. I’d be remiss if I didn’t showcase them and the potential they present to future couples! If you’d like to get in contact with Haue Valley or myself, click below!
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with or partnered with Haue Valley Weddings & Events