Natalie + Alex's Classic Autumn Wedding at St. Boniface Cathedral and the Seelbach Hotel

I had been looking forward to shooting this wedding for months as I'd worked with Natalie and Alex several times and they were always so easy to work with. Natalie and her girls got ready at the Seelbach Hotel while Alex and his groomsmen got ready in the basement with Michelle Elliott of Studio E Photography. I have worked at the Seelbach Hotel many times during the "getting ready" part of the day and I love the beautiful natural light the hotel rooms provide. Michelle of Studio E Photography shot the guys getting ready in the conference room in the basement of the Seelbach while I hung out with the ladies upstairs.

Natalie and her adorable daughter Collins, who was the flower girl, had the cutest relationship and it was apparent throughout the day that Collins was the one running the show! I always love shooting the getting ready part of the day in hotel rooms because of the wide windows and sheer curtains that are conveniently detachable from the actual curtains, which makes it easy for me to achieve different lighting effects and control the lighting for quick portraits.

In the basement of the Seelbach Hotel is the beautiful Rathskeller room. Its 13th-century Gothic style include stained glass windows and carved wall details depicting Rhenish castles and fairytale German landscapes. This room is truly one of Louisville's hidden gems. The mosaic details in this room are simply stunning when looked at closely, and the arches make framing photos easy. It is difficult to shoot in this room as all the walls are yellowish-pink, but it can be done with flash. We did Natalie and Alex's "first touch" around one of the beautiful old columns in the Rathskeller before getting a few fun group shots of the bridal parties on either side of the pillar.

CEREMONY + GROUP PORTRAITS + COUPLES' PORTRAITS

Location: St. Boniface and 4th Street, Louisville Ky.

We headed over from the Seelbach to St. Boniface which is a short drive away with group photos immediately following the ceremony. St. Boniface usually doesn't allow for flash during the ceremony or much movement, but between Michelle and I we were able to capture plenty of angles and there was enough light that there was no need for flash. Having a silent shutter on the Sony Alpha 7 III helps to not distract everyone during the ceremony!

RECEPTION

Location: The Seelbach Hotel

The Seelbach's Grand Ballroom is perfect as a reception venue - not too dark but not overly bright, with lots of neutral painted walls to bounce light off of for more dramatic lighting during the Grand Entrance, the first dances and the toasts. Plus, there are those beautiful stairs for dramatic bridal portraits.

Thank you Alex, Natalie and Collins for working with me to create beautiful memories of your day! I'm so glad that we were able to make it happen despite the "Rona. Thanks for choosing me to be the one to document your day!

Stef