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Photography by Kate Munsch
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Jessica Douglass
Florist, Flowers & Weeds
Like many college students, Jessica Douglass had a hard time finding her calling. Then, she says, “Toward the end of my senior year, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I wanted to spend the rest of my life working with flowers and plants.” Since then, Douglass has built her business, Flowers & Weeds (2118 Cherokee, 314-578-8793, flowersandweeds.com), around sustainability, sourcing materials from her garden, from local farmers, and even by foraging.
Personal Style: Garden and a little rustic, along with some vintage touches. Signature Elements:I try to use as many plants and florals as I can from my own garden and am really conscious about sustainability. I love playing with color and shape. Why She Loves Weddings: Flowers are so visceral and can create such an emotional connection, which can really make a wedding special and beautiful. Favorite Bridal Trends: Antiques and vintage decor, succulents, brass candelabras and vases, terrariums. Least Favorite Bridal Trends: Flowers submerged in water, bouquets made of only one flower, calla lilies. Key Technology: Instagram is my biggest tool. I’ve met local farmers and clients just by using certain hashtags. Also, Pinterest has been a great source for ideas. I make boards for each client. Inspiration: I love taking walks and seeing what’s in bloom, what’s growing in community gardens. Budget Tips: For a friend of mine who was getting married in a huge space, I foraged a bunch of driftwood and put candles all over it. I also encourage renting antique items from The Heirloom Room (2116 Cherokee, 314-772-8000, theheirloomroom.com) and decorating partially with flowers, partially with items like vintage books, brass animals, and vintage typewriters.
Katie Kemp Hileman
Illustrator and stylist, Katie Kemp Stationery & Event Styling
As a graphic designer, Katie Kemp Hileman has long had a talent for eye-catching, colorful designs. As friends and family started to get married, she learned to create beautiful, modern invitations, then helped translate those designs to other parts of the weddings, such as centerpieces and table numbers. Last year, she started what she describes as her “passion project,” Katie Kemp Stationery & Event Styling (314-560-7717, katiekempstationery.4ormat.com).
Personal Style: I’m the opposite of traditional. I have a very eclectic style and love to use bold, high-contrast, colorful designs. Favorite Bridal Trends: Using bold colors and found objects. Least Favorite Bridal Trends: Burlap and shabby chic. What She Loves: I get excited when brides are a little more adventurous with things. Key Technology: I look at a lot of design blogs that aren’t necessarily wedding-oriented to get ideas for typography, color, and layout. Inspiration: I love going to thrift shops, fabric stores, and the floral markets in Soulard. Budget Tip: I don’t have set pricing. I try to work with everyone’s budget and share money-saving options for things like envelopes and paper stock. What Makes a Wedding Memorable: It’s different with every wedding, but apart from the stationery, I think a table setting is especially important.
Jered & Jordan Schneider
Videographers, Lovebird Studios
Jered and Jordan Schneider became videographers out of necessity. When Jered, a history education major, and Jordan, a business major, got married, they couldn’t find a videographer who fit their style, so they hired a friend. When he got married, they returned the favor—and learned they had a knack for the medium. Now the Schneiders are full-time videographers with a wedding business, Lovebird Studios (2617 Cherokee, 314-664-4233, lovebird-studios.com), and a media business, Pounds Media, telling stories for couples, the Cardinals, and many others.
Personal Style: We don’t have a specific style. We do our best to make each video look like it came from that couple, whether it’s upbeat and fun or sentimental. Why They Love Weddings: We love the challenge of trying to make each wedding video unique and reflective of the couple. We try to tell each couple’s story differently. Favorite Bridal Trends: We’ve seen a lot of gold accents and sequins lately. What They Love: First looks. We love capturing that moment when the bride and groom see each other for the first time. Key Technology: We’ve started putting our final products on Blu-ray…[which makes] the quality of the final project so much better. Inspiration: We try at least once a week to look at wedding blogs like Green Wedding Shoes (greenweddingshoes.com), Once Wed (oncewed.com), and Style Me Pretty (stylemepretty.com). Budget Tips: We give discounts for couples who have Friday or Sunday weddings and for weddings in the off-season. We’ve also done save-the-date videos, which saves the couple printing and postage costs. What Makes a Wedding Memorable: When a couple writes their own vows. It gives all the guests a chance to get to know them better.
