It didn’t take Amanda Lovelace and Andrew Keefe very long to know they were a perfect fit. Their first date, brunch at Russell’s on Macklind, left Andrew stoked for reasons beyond his two large cafe lattes. A connection had been made, and a year later, Andrew kicked off an August weekend in the best way possible: with a Friday night proposal.
“When I got home, there was this weird glow in our stairwell, and I was hoping nothing was on fire,” Amanda says. But it was merely the glow from a candle sitting next to a beautiful wooden jewelry box from Mavrik and a sign that asked the big question. “He had a Frank Sinatra record playing, wine poured and Dom in the fridge—it was all so sweet,” she says.
The romance continued during their fall wedding at the Piper Palm House, the same day as the Great Balloon Race in Forest Park. “They always hold the race on the best weather day of the year, statistically, and it could not have been more beautiful. We thanked our lucky stars!”
There were numerous special touches for the festivities, starting with the invitations. “I designed them, and my mom sketched a few pavilions of Tower Grove Park that I included,” Amanda says. Andrew’s grandfather, a retired baker whose family owned Beyersdorfer Pastry Shop in the Metro East, personally baked the couple a small cake, which the florist, a family friend of the Keefes, decorated. “It was the most charming cake I have ever seen,” Amanda says. Since they each love ice cream, they also had Dilly Bars in personalized wrappers for each guest. From their first look at Hotel Ignacio (where Amanda got ready) to taking pictures around the city, Amanda says she wishes she could experience it all over again.
The couple resides on The Hill. Amanda is the marketing services coordinator for Washington University Physicians, and Andy is an attorney at Keefe and DePauli in Fairview Heights, Illinois.
resources
Ceremony | Piper Palm House
Reception | Piper Palm House
Gown | Essence of Australia
Cake | Charles Beyersdorfer
Florist | Steven Mueller
Music | Matt McCallie Orchestra
Honeymoon | Italy
wedding party
Maid of Honor | Becky Shoemaker
Bridesmaids | Sophie Friesen-Wilson, Jackie Niedner-Pundmann, Lauren Zenke
Junior Bridesmaid | Taylor Shoemaker
Best Man | James Keefe Jr.
Groomsmen | Michael Keefe, Bobby Wondolowski, Chris Layloff, Tyler Willibrand, Jim Gehrs
Flower Girl | Kennedy Keefe
Ring Bearers | Bobby Wondolowski III, Jimmy Keefe III, Drew Shoemaker
Bride’s Parents | Robert & Debbie Lovelace of St. Charles
Groom’s Parents | James & Donna Keefe of Belleville
Photos by Untamed Heart Photography