STL-area Knotties - I need your advice for the magazine!

Knot Annie

Hey STL-area Knotties,

We're looking for the best kept secrets and tips in the STL area for our local mag. For example, where would you take OOT guest for brunch or where's a great place to find wedding night lingerie? Post below and we might feature your tips in the mag!

Post your tips below:

Thanks in advance,

Annie

bridetobemo

Best kept secrets:

Forest Park: The perfect location for bridal party photos

Schlafly Brewery and Restaurant

The Boat House restaurant in Forest Park

FutureMrsN11

Best place for Rehearsal Dinner: Canolli's Restaurant in Florisant, MO - the main restaurant has around 8 different "buildings" decorating the inside - including houses, a bakery, a dance studio...great place for pictures.  Food is great and reasonable, and the back room is spacious but not too big so great for bridal party, close family, etc....  They do buffet, family style, or you can create your own menu off of their menu. 
For Engagement Pictures: downtown main Street St. Charles.  Great for pictures due to the brick road and cute restaurants and small homes, plus right next to the MO river.
Best place for wedding cakes: Wedding Wonderland...you walk in, and get a free tasting of three different types of cakes (if you go on Saturday there is already 3 different types pre laid out, so if you go then you get those three that are put out and then choose your other three so 6 total!) then you walk around their show room and pick out your cake. PLUS they will work with any changes you want to make ex: color, texture, etc...plus COSTUMER SERVICE WAS GREAT!
A great idea for wedding pictures (but do cost some amounts that vary) Busch Stadium and Union Station.  A place that doesn't cost but that you will need a permit for the old courthouse.
Best place for a reception: it hold 25 - 400 people...Yacovelli's Restaurant (Florissant, MO) Again it is in North County (that's where/who I have mainly been working with) but everything is inlcuded expect for the flowers on the table or the candles (they provide vases or hurricane lamps).  Open bar, buffet or served meal, wedding cake (from wedding wonderland), bridal party toast, cutting the cake, just everything.  Plus after doing the research it was the best bang for the buck with GREAT food.  When we sat down to do the tasting I thought we would have a little food here, a little food there...no we had everything on the menu and we ended up with leftovers.  All the food was great and it was super hard to decide.  They also really work with you and no working with a staff member, I have been working with the actually owners (the Yacovelli family)

That's all for now, I can't wait to see what everyone else has to say about STL.  I know I am looking for some more great details to add to our wedding. 

rachel9652

Bakery: LaBonne Bouchee - We tasted cake there and it was delicious and not the typical "wedding cake bakery."

Reception: Schlafly Tap Room - It is a smaller venue, but it is great if you are having a smaller amount of guests; you fill the room rather than filling 1/3 of a ballroom. 

maryandkirk0909

For wedding night lingere- if you're anything but a standard size, it is sometimes difficult to find things that make you feel sexy- Ann's Bra Shop can totally help you out!

Brunch at Rooster is amazing, because it is a contemporary experience rather than your traditional bacon and eggs over sterno.  Also, the Creperie in Clayton is good for breakfast style food any time.

Best place to hang out with your wedding party- The Dubliner- a lively crowd but friendly bartenders and lots of seating- including an upstairs balcony section our friends took over for a roast and toast session the night before our wedding.  Hilarious and one of our favorite memories.

Lubeley's has the best wedding cake in the city.  So good- and we were able to have the exact same kind of cake they made for my grandma's wedding 60 years ago.  They also dyed the icing to match the gold in my dress.  You've gotta love tradition in a city like this!

My best kept secret was my photographer- Amy Pflasterer is one of the best in the city- without the hype or the price of some of her competitors.  

katielynn2262

The best brunch:  The Blue Owl in Kimswick is wonderful and has super service!  you've got to try the apple pie there...OMG!

The best photographer:  Hands down is Bob Crail photographer and owner of Crail Photography.  He is absolutely amazing.  His website is crailphoto.com.  He will stay with you from 5am to 2 am if that's your choice or he will do hourly if prefered.  All his photos taken of the wedding ceremony and leading up to the reception are on display (unedited) at the reception on a laptop in a slideshow.  All his work is done in house.  The albums are beautiful and the tricks he can do with a photo are really awesome!  His photography is beautifully amazing and he is a lot of fun to 'work' with!

The best reception venue:  Lake St. Louis Banquet Center.  This venue is not only gorgeous but the staff and the owners are helpful, professional, curtious, and will make sure your reception goes well.  The food is phenominal. Oh my goodness the baked chicken is amazing!

The best DJ:  Jukebox Productions.  These DJ's are awesome!  They get the party started right and keep it going.  They have just about any music you can think of.  Gary & Kim are THE best DJ's they have and I promise you won't regret hiring them.  Amazing..truely a wonderful decision!

Thanks~Katie

kes81

I second the brunch ideas of Rooster and The Creperie - great food! 

The Piper Palm House is my reception venue - great if like that outdoorsy feel and it's in beautiful Tower Grove Park.  Butler's Pantry is the caterer and they're one of the best in St. Louis!  Just had our menu tasting, it was SO good!

criefle

I definitely second Lubeley's for best cake!

CCO2012

I third Lubeley's. I have dreamed of getting my cake from their since I was 4yo and would go for Saturday donuts with my grandpa. Amazing baked goods and even better service and tradition!

aprilmelissa1979

Cake--The cakery, got a cake from here as a present from one of my bridesmaids as a shower gift. Beautiful and delicious.

Best Bridal Salon---hands down Simply Elegant downtown St. Louis.  Great customer service.

Best venue--The Crowne Plaza Clayton.  Great customer service, catering managers are awesome. Plus free parking!

For reception linens---Take a Seat LLC.  Great customer service and reasonable prices. Very creative and artistic.

aprilmelissa1979

Oh and forgot. For best brunch---3 Monkey's in south St. Louis City.

Best places for pics---Forest Park, The Muny, The Botanical Gardens.

gwencortopassi

Best Florist:  Ann Rabbitt, Thorn Studio.  Amazing flowers, reasonable prices.  And she and her husband were so much fun to work with that we ended up inviting them to the wedding and reception

Best Makeup:  Makeup Artistry by A & C.  I had airbrush foundation done and my skin stayed flawless for 12 hours.  I never felt more beautiful in my entire life than I did on my wedding day.

Best place for a rehearsal dinner if you're getting married in Soulard:  McGurk's.  We had a private room with our own bar, a three course meal (really amazingly good food.  I had only ever gone to McGurk's for pints and atmosphere, but the food was great and pretty reasonably priced from what my MIL tells me), and after dinner, you can go downstairs for more pints and live music. 

Best hotel if you're getting married in the 'burbs but want your guests to be able to check out downtown or vice versa:  Drury at Forest Park.  I love Drury Hotels.  The hot breakfast doesn't suck.  You get free cocktails during "happy hour."  But the main reason is the prices are reasonable, the rooms are always clean, and a suite is a great deal.  The Drury at Forest Park has easy access to 40 and 44.  We got married in Soulard, but our guests could get to anywhere easily.

Cipolla2Be

Best kept secrets for wedding photography locations.  If you want a more edgy/modern vibe the alleys right off of Washington Ave downtown have very cool textures and buildings.  There are huge classic columns outside the vacant movie theater off of Washington Ave.  Lafayette Park has little cobblestone paths and the surrounding neighborhood has a very french antique vibe which is great for wedding party photos. The flood wall down by the Mississippi River near interstate 64/55 also is great for a more edgy background (covered in colorful graffiti) and the train yard/abandoned buildings have old company writing on the side and glass patterned windows which look neat in photographs.  Finally The Muny has a great elegant light fixture for portraits and lots of black iron doors for photographs.

Best place for brunch is the rooftop deck at Vin de Set.  Great views of downtown and the food is wonderful!  Cute little shop downstairs for your guests to purchase gifts or souvenirs.

1jazzybride

i'll co-sign the 3 monkeys brunch - its wonderful 

best photogs secret is riquita with Pinxit photo she does boudoir, it was super tasteful, (which was great hubby didn't see it coming) and was super accomidating and helpful in doin our photos.  

best video secret is Exousia video i didn't get to use them but Iw anted to SO BAD they were so creative and affordable (but were booked for me) 

Best Cake - Lubeley hands down it was AWESOME 

Best DJ -- DJ Needles didn't need to give him a list just let him rock it out.  

laurenwoolard

Best photography - Conner Photography in Collinsville, IL. Joel takes the time to get to know you as a couple and captures your day better than you could ever imagine.

Best videography - sweet Tea media. Amy has great package choices and is very flexible with the creative process so it fits your vision.

Best brunch - Vin de Set. Amazing food and beautiful view. Open all year long although the lower deck is only open in the spring/summer months

Best bridal salon - Simply Elegant Bridal on Olive in downtown. These ladies go above and beyond to help find your dress but also work with your schedule. My girl even met me on days the shop was technically "closed"

gwencortopassi

Best Favor:  Italian cookies from the Missouri Bakery on the Hill.  Very St. Louis, very delicious.  Went over like gangbusters!