St. Louis, Missouri 2010

At the beginning of this year we were commission to film a wedding in St. Louis, Missouri to take place in 2011.  In the meantime we were flown out to St. Louis alongside Artisan Photography for a couple days to film their engagement shoot.  Upon arriving I immediately fell in LOVE with St. Louis!  It was so beautiful and fun.  We stayed at the Hyatt which was right across from the Arch.  We mostly scouted for locations to shoot at which gave us some great opportunities to sight see.  The last day was a free day and we really got to kick back and explore.

 The view from the plane on our way to St. Louis.  I got to sit right over the wing.

 That's Busch Stadium!  

For the engagement shoot we actually filmed from the top of a nearby parking garage overlooking the stadium DURING a game.  The couple were HUGE baseball fans.  Too bad St. Louis lost otherwise we would have had fireworks :(

 And St. Louis Union Station!  

This place is BEAUTIFUL inside.  It reminded me of the cathedrals in Europe.  This for sure is on our list of places to film next year when we come back for the wedding.

 And of course the Gateway Arch!

The arch is amazing!  This is just outside the Old Cathedral where the couple is getting married.

An incredible view of the Arch down an old alleyway. 

 One day we traveled across the bridge to East St. Louis, Illinois.  It was my first time being in the U.S on the other side of the Missouri River.  We discovered a gorgeous view of the arch from across the river.

 Andrew and the Artisan team planning out their shots.  We filmed the couple later that night when the sun went down.  It was so beautiful!

 Another first for me was eating at Hardee's/ Red Burrito!  For all of us west coast people this is the Easts version of Carl's Jr. and Green Burrito.  It was strange, almost like being in an alternate reality.  It's the same restaurant with a different name and a few slight variations~ biscuits and gravy ;)

One of the biggest highlights of the trip was taking the tour to the top of the Gateway Arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial!  For just a couple bucks you can actually ride up the inside of the Arch in a washing machine looking little cylinder.  It's not the most comfortable ride but the view from the top is phenomenal!  The building in the center is the Old Courthouse and our hotel, the Hyatt, is the first building on the right.

 Here's a view of downtown St. Louis including the Old Courthouse and Busch Stadium.

 Looking straight down.  

You can see the steps up to the Arch and the Missouri River.

 A Bit of History: 

The Gateway Arch reflects St. Louis' role in the Westward Expansion of the United States during the nineteenth century.  The park is a memorial to Thomas Jefferson's role in opening the West, to the pioneers who helped shape its history, and to Dred Scott who sued for his freedom in the Old Courthouse.  -http://www.nps.gov/jeff/

Andrew and I at the top of the Gateway Arch!

 Jen and Tim at the top of the Arch.

 Another must see in St. Louis is the City Museum.  It is SO awesome!  I'm not sure if I can even explain it's awesomeness, it's just that awesome. 

  This giant wheel was fun.  While Tim kept it spinning Andrew held on and managed a couple full rotations.

 Tim sliding down one of several of the big "adult" size slides.  The largest slide was the best, being several stories high!

 On the roof is an amazing 360 degree view of St. Louis, along with a slide, a Ferris wheel and a school bus looming over the edge of the building!

 Andrew and I waiting in line for the Ferris wheel with a stunning view of St. Louis in the background.

And last but not least we went to Forest Park where everything is FREE and there's everything you can think of there!  We happened to check out the St. Louis Zoo which was awesome.  If I could I would happily spend days exploring everything the park had to offer.  :I took this picture for Evelyn, elephants are her favorite :) 

I can't wait to return next year for the wedding!  To see the results of the engagement shoot please visit our website located at www.hdmweb.com.