Greg & Maddie’s South City Shindig
Some weddings you show up to and do your job. Then there are weddings like Greg and Maddie's, where you show up, the sky opens up and absolutely soaks every outdoor plan you had, and somehow the whole thing ends up being one of the best days of the year.
Greg and Maddie are St. Louis people. Real ones. Their wedding was packed wall to wall with artists, musicians, and general St. Louis legends who clearly knew how to have a good time. These are my kinds of people.
The ceremony was at the Jewel Box in Forest Park, which is one of those spaces that doesn't need any help being beautiful. Maddie made almost every single decoration herself. She's a seamstress, so she also altered her own dresses, which is honestly one of the cooler things I've seen a bride do. The red satin heart she built for a photo op at the reception? Completely her idea and totally bespoke. Greg’s suit? Same deal baby. And to boot, all the groomsmen had these beautiful little broaches ranging from beetles to stags to cars. It was so cool!
It rained. A lot. Every single time we needed it not to. We had planned a big bubble exit outside, and the sky had opinions about that. So we did it inside instead, which ended up being pure chaos in the best possible way. Bubbles everywhere, everybody laughing, Maddie in her dress surrounded by people who love her. Way better than whatever the outside version would have been.
Between the ceremony and the reception we ended up in Benton Park, which is my neighborhood and one of my favorite places to shoot in the city. At some point Maddie needed a bathroom (we drank a lot of Stag) and the closest option was Joel's BP on the corner. The staff knew her and Greg by name. Obviously we took photos there. Some of my favorites from the whole day, honestly.
The reception was at the Broadway Athletic Club, a historic South City venue that has no business looking as good as it does. The night was exactly what you'd expect from this group: loud, warm, and a little unhinged. We smoked too many cigarettes, drank too many Stags, and I took way too many photos. No regrets on any of those.
Greg and Maddie are a match made in heaven. Getting to photograph their day, meet their families, and spend twelve hours with their people was a genuine gift. This is why I do this.
