Anna & Austin’s Intimate Elopement in St. Louis

Some weddings don’t need grandeur to be unforgettable.
Anna and Austin’s day was proof that simplicity, when done with heart, becomes its own kind of luxury.

They exchanged vows at the St. Charles County Courthouse on a Friday afternoon in September, surrounded by city sounds, light rain, and their close family and friends. Anna wore a structured, strapless dress with a birdcage veil — timeless, minimal, and impossibly chic. In her hands, she carried a bouquet she made herself. Together they walked out of the courthouse hand in hand, undeniably in love, the kind that makes strangers stop and smile.

After the ceremony, we wandered through Forest Park in St. Louis for timeless and classic couples photos. I photographed them on both film and digital capturing the quiet love and happiness between the two of them.

That evening, they gathered their closest friends and family at Pastaria in Clayton. The space was set with long-stem calla lilies and flickering candlelight, the tables elegantly simple and warm. There was laughter, wine, handmade pasta, and a sense of calm that can only come from celebrating something truly meaningful.

It wasn’t about perfection. It was about presence. Anna and Austin’s elopement reminded me why I love what I do, documenting love not as an event, but as a story. Their wedding day was minimal, editorial, and full of emotion: a perfect reflection of who they are.

If you’re planning an intimate wedding or courthouse elopement in St. Louis or beyond, and you’re drawn to documentary photography that feels timeless, cinematic, and deeply personal, I’d love to tell your story.

Based in Missouri, available for travel worldwide
Luxury documentary & editorial wedding photography by Jordan Grover Photo