Best of 2018 | A Year In Review

Somehow, another year has come and gone, and as I’ve rounded up our favorites from this year’s sessions, I can’t help but feel humbled. What an extreme honor and privilege it is to be trusted and invested in. Whether mundane or largely significant - these moments are personal - and to preserve you and your loved ones, as you are, in this moment in time, is an absolute gift. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for continuing to give us the opportunity to share our love of beautiful imagery.

Lauren has been along for my photography ride since I purchased my first film camera, and this maternity/family session we captured while in the final weeks of her carrying her baby girl Madeline remains one of my favorites. Motherhood remains a very magical genre for me; see more from her session here on the blog. It was also featured months later on The Fount Collective!

WHO ELSE LOVES ANIMALS?! This session of Lindsey at the Little Barn with her furry friends was something I had dreamt of for months before it finally came to fruition (translation: Lindsey got sick of my nagging and agreed to participate). The Little Barn is not a textbook beautiful place, but it continues to amaze me how the right angle and lighting can completely transform a space. See more from this session here on the blog, or over on Cottage Hill Magazine!

My friend Debbie and her darling daughter, Simone Migwaan, made for the sweetest late morning subjects on a quick weekend trip to Florida. See the full blog post here.

Our Midwest “spring” weather typically leaves something to be desired… and unfortunately, that was exactly the case on this cold, gray day in late March. This being said - Britta, Zach, and their pup, Wallace, stole the show and served as a reminder to us all that even on the dullest of days, we can find beauty. See more from their sweet anniversary session here!

I remember the day when Amy (of Victorian Gardens) reached out wanting to collaborate… it was SUCH a proud moment, and I’m still so in love with this editorial that her and Emily (of Emily Love Events) designed and planned. See more right here on the blog, or visit the feature on Inspired By This!

My sweet friend Megan, who happens to be an incredible stylist (follow her work over on Megan Styled), wanted a mini anniversary session and although chilly, we found inspiration in beautiful light and soft blooms. CJ ended up proposing several months later, and I CANNOT WAIT FOR THEIR WEDDING NEXT OCTOBER! See more from their session here!

Styled by Megan (see above), this minimalistic bridal inspiration is sure to be a favorite for years to come. I still can’t even. We get like, 60 minutes of spring weather here and it’s nearly impossible to plan for… but when you can catch it, it’s 100% WORTH IT. See more on the blog and the full feature over on Trendy Bride Magazine!

As it would turn out, maternity photos in the spring are just as magical as bridal. So thankful to Kelsey, who agreed to model in this refreshing motherhood inspo sesh. I posted SO many images from this session on the blog, but it was also featured on Inspired By This!

This session is so bittersweet. We had originally planned to photograph Tayler and Blake’s early December wedding, so we planned a styled engagement session amongst the Dogwoods in the spring. It wasn’t long after that we discovered we were expecting, and due to the conflicting dates and many unknowns of pregnancy, we had to relinquish their wedding to another fab photographer. Still - I adore these images, which are featured here on the blog as well as over on Trendy Bride Magazine!

Abby and Price’s beautiful engagement sesh over at Cantigny Park (which I didn’t blog due to first trimester sickies… but don’t worry, I got my act together by the time the wedding rolled around)

… and Page and Robert’s sweet summer mini session (which, I was also too lethargic to blog. It was a rough couple of months, folks). BUT HOW CUTE ARE THEY AND THEIR DOG, PAISLEY?!

I finally got my life together to go photograph Lindsey’s surprise proposal in St. Augustine, FL! Some of my FAVORITE images. Lindsey was gorgeous, and her now husband, Garret, did such an incredible job getting it all together. I posted MANY images over here on the blog, but it was also later featured on Bajan Wed!

Abby, a talented wedding florist and friend from my hometown, married the love of her life on a hot June day last summer. As you can imagine… the floral arrangements were ON POINT. See more here on the blog, as well as their feature on Chic Vintage Brides!

And then there was this gorgeous editorial, meticulously styled and coordinated by the fabulous ladies of Lauren Field Design! So much detail and texture - I’m still obsessed with the Old World vibe. This shoot was later featured over on Hochzeitsguide!

Amber reached out to me literally 2 days before this shoot happened - her and her adorable family were about to embark on a cross-country move, before which they wanted some photos in the beloved city they’d called home for the past few years. Naturally, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to photograph this cuteness. See more from this mini session here.

When I look back on this wedding day, I can’t help but remember that perfect, 75 degree weather we had… (WINKWINK) But seriously - would you have ever known that these two were graced with an epic heat wave on their wedding day? Loved getting to photograph our sweet friends Evan and Kayla tie the knot - see more from their summer celebration here.

The Jacobs fam purchased a session we donated to the American Cancer Society of St. Louis and let me say - we had the best time photographing them with their littles. We even got our first “I love you” post session - I mean, COME ON. We consider it a HUGE win if we get through a family session without tears but to have a child take it next level and PROFESS LOVE?! The best feeling ever. See the full session here!

Sometimes you get the urge to switch it up, and these fun images of Abby (of Lavish Floral Design) working her magic in her studio totally fed those creative cravings. In addition to the blog, these images were featured on Inspired By This!

That beautiful bouquet Abby (in the grid) above made? Welp, we couldn’t just NOT use it, so we found ourselves a gorgeous model, a stunning dress, and headed to the countryside for some more magic-making. These “Sunflower Bride” images were featured on the blog, and then months later on one of my favorite film publications… Belle Lumiere Magazine!

And then there was Abby and Price’s beautiful wedding, which took place on a delightfully warm July day. Such a refreshingly beautiful affair filled with beloved friends and family and the most perfect summer greens. Ahhh. In addition to here, their images were featured in the October 2018 issue of Quincy Area Bridal Magazine!

Lindsey knew as soon as Garret popped the question that she didn't want a huge wedding... or even a big one, for that matter. She and Garret opted for an intimate ceremony just months after getting engaged, with only immediate family in attendance. They traded an expensive venue for a lovely park with nothing but the rings, a dress, and bouquet... and guess what? It was BEAUTIFUL. See more images from their simplistic celebration here on the blog.

The Hendrians were the winners of a Giveaway we had done in early 2018, and after months of scheduling & rescheduling due to the wonky Midwest weather… we were finally able to capture them in the beautiful neighborhood of Lafayette Square. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… family sessions give me life. See more of their images here!

Lexi and Hunter are one of our 2019 couples, and their gorgeous summer engagement session has us itching for all the pretty yet to come. We love that they incorporated their pups and cannot wait for their nuptials next September! See more from their e-sesh here!

Danielle and Jeremy’s early Fall wedding concluded our 2018 wedding season, and what began as a cold, drizzly morning turned into a lovely afternoon. I have to say… being 27 weeks pregnant and being on your feet all day is not an easy task, but these two and their families had the kindest hearts, and it was an honor to be able to capture their day (as seen here).

In the midst of pregnancy, working full-time as an SLP, moving into our first home, and all of the sessions in between… we photographed our first newborn session for sweet little Jack. I’ll be honest with you - newborns are still very out of our comfort zone, and due to the hectic time of year, I neglected to blog more of these images… but we’ll keep you all posted if JWP decides to take on more newborns in the new year. I guess we’ll have a lot of practice by then?!

And so it began… MINI SESSION MANIA. Some of our faves from our round of Fall mini sessions, which, to our convenience (NOT) almost all had to be rescheduled at least once due to weather. (Remind me to take note of this next year). Still… we were able to photograph a whole lot of cuteness in beautiful light, and we’re excited to offer more mini sessions throughout the coming year. See our compilation of favorites over here on the blog!

Remind me why we don’t do more senior sessions?! Maddy looked absolutely stunning during her fall senior sesh and after our experience with her, we’d GLADLY take on more. See more of our favorites here.

… MORE MINI SESSIONS (but these were in my hometown). Normally, I’m partial to greenery backgrounds (versus heavily changing leaves) but I have to say… the fall of 2018 was one of the prettiest I can ever remember, and it was so fun to get families out and playing in the leaves! Also seen on our “Best of 2018 Fall Mini Sessions” post (right here).

Nicole had purchased a gift card (BEST GIFT EVER, BTW) for a family session for her mama, Julie, who she knew had been wanting updated family photos for awhile. We don’t do many extended family sessions, but having known Julie’s family for years and years… we definitely wanted to make this work. It’s a beautiful thing, watching how family dynamics change and grow. So many favorites from this session, which can be seen here!

I believe this was our second in-home session like, EVER, and I must confess… shooting film indoors is still scary for me. This being said… the Turner family’s home had some beautiful morning light that even the grayest of Missouri days couldn’t dull. We loved watching them love on their son in the comfort of their home, and then moseying on over to a nearby park for some fun in the leaves. See more from their lovely session here.

Mike is an incredibly talented photographer here in St. Louis and in the spirit of continuing with full disclosure, I was both extremely honored (and extremely nervous) to photograph him and his beautiful family late this fall (after he took our own maternity photos). The great thing about photographing a photographer’s family? They know how to dress, and they know how to pose. See more from their family session here ze blog!

Okay, so technically Allie’s maternity session was lumped in with the mini session blog post, but how could I not give these two their own grid here?! Maternity is special, people, and I just want to photograph more of it! After rescheduling on several occasions, we were finally able to connect with the McCleery’s for their maternity sesh on a cool, November morning here in St. Louis. Allie is due exactly one month after me, so aside from the excitement of taking their photos, it’s been fun to have a friend experiencing all the #pregnancyfeels with me.

And last (but certainly not least)… our very own baby’s nursery tour, soon-to-be published on the blog for your viewing pleasure! Zach and I are SO EXCITED to be Mommy & Daddy to a precious baby boy - although somehow, at 39 weeks pregnant, it still doesn’t feel quite real. Soon enough, I suppose. We hope you all like baby photos, ‘cause 2019 is looking heavy in that area. <3

Big hugs,

Justine & Zach