I Do! Ellen Kammer & Taylor Vaught

Being from St. Louis means a lot to Ellen Kammer. So when she married Houston native Taylor Vaught, she wanted to make sure their out-of-town wedding guests experienced the city to its fullest.

“Most of our guests came in from Texas, and many of them had never been here before,” says Ellen, an Ursuline Academy grad. “I love St. Louis and talk about it all the time, so I wanted to incorporate its history into our wedding celebration. That’s why we chose Union Station for the reception.” Guests also visited the Gateway Arch and went to a Cardinals baseball game while they were in town, and the couple encouraged them to see as much of the city as possible. “Some of them made a mini vacation of it,” Ellen recalls.

Tradition was important to the couple as well, so they chose not to see each other before the ceremony. “People thought we were crazy for doing that, but we loved it,” Ellen says. “Catching sight of each other for the first time when the church doors opened made the rest of the day so special!”

Ellen’s father passed away before she was born, so she wanted to carry a special memento of him on the big day. “I had my dad’s wedding band on my bouquet, and my mom walked me down the aisle. So they were both with me at that moment,” she says. Taylor knew her mother’s blessing would be important to Ellen, so before proposing, he secretly flew in from Dallas to ask permission. “My mom was really touched that he did that in person,” Ellen says. “I didn’t find out about it until the day he proposed.”

She says the wedding went smoothly with the help of Kristin Ashley Events, and guests enjoyed dancing and partying in Union Station’s beautiful Grand Hall. The bride had the venue set up a special ‘Taylor’s Bourbon Bar’ in lieu of a groom’s cake. “There were five types of bourbon and whiskey so guests could order special cocktails,” she notes. At the reception, a friend serenaded the couple with a rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” accompanied by the band. “We had no idea he would do that,” Ellen says. “It was such a fun memory!”

wedding party
maid of honor | Stefanie Klaudt
bridesmaids | Alex Klinghoffer, Kristin Trumble, Liz Doerr, Katherine Davis
best man | Turner Vaught
groomsmen | Ben Rothchild, Drew Hollingshead, Matt Hudson, Jeremy Smith
bride’s parents | Jan Kammer of St. Louis & the late Jay Kammer
groom’s parents | Bob Vaught and Mary Vaught, both of Houston, Texas