When I am going into an engagement shoot I kinda have butterflies in my stomach. Not this time, I am very familiar with this place in fact it’s one of the best places for video arcade style games in St Louis. It is normally the first time I have met my couple face to face. I have talked with them on the phone because I talk with all my couples on the phone before they book with me.

As a St Louis wedding photographer, I want to let my potential couples know I am human, and I want them to know I am going to go above and beyond to do my absolute best to serve them on their wedding day.

But this shoot was a little different.

When I first started talking to Courtney and Carson, I knew I wanted to capture their wedding. Here is the thing though, as a wedding photographer you get to know your couples on another level. So, after I got off the phone with them, I told my wife “I want to shoot this wedding, I hope they book me”.

Spoiler alert they booked me. haha

With their booking, they wanted an engagement shoot. I thought “great” that gives me the opportunity to get to know them better and get them familiar with my workflow and it helps make them more comfortable in front of my camera.

Then they dropped a bomb on me.

They said they wanted the engagement shoot done in a bar. My first thought was *crap* bars are dark and can be dingy and how do you make a bar look good?! But I am a pro I should be able to work in any environment.

Courtney came back again and totally shook my world.

Courtney and Carson wanted to have their engagement shoot in a special bar–UP-Down St Louis.

Now for those of you who don’t know what UP-Down in St Louis is, it is what is called a barcade.

It is filled with classic arcade games that a lot of us grew up on. When she said that I lit up! So many ideas ran through my head with all the arcade games and neon lights on the walls. That and I can relate, I know a lot of the games there and we could carry a conversation about them. It made the whole experience as if I was there photographing friends. I am going to go out on a limb and say, ya I was photographing friends.

I will be with Courtney and Carson on one of the most important days of their lives and I am so unbelievably happy they chose me as the person to capture their amazing day.