Allison Morgan Photography

danielle & gregg's wedding day!

2008-07-08T23:42:00.000-04:00

well, it's been an insane year!!

as many of you know (and many of you may not!) -- i'm expecting my first baby in september!
and while this was QUITE exciting news for my husband and i -- it also involved making a
number of phone calls to my Fall brides to let them know that i'd be a little bit booked, giving birth and all.

when i was asking my assistants when i should work till -- they confirmed i shouldn't shoot any weddings past 30 weeks!

so who was my lucky cut-off bride??!!

DANIELLE!! :)
we snuck her into the schedule as the last wedding of the year for me (unless you count December 13th, when i return to shoot my first wedding POST-pregnancy!) and it was beautiful and a lovely way to close out a summer schedule!!!

i'm not going to lie -- it was a HOT DAY!!! without the heat index, it was 99 degrees. but add all the humidity, and sweltering sun into the mix -- i KNOW it had to exceed 100+!!!! but danielle and gregg were troopers and allowed us to get them outside for some fun candids and i have to admit -- the day pretty much went off without a hitch!

here are some of the highlights -- we hope you're both enjoying the newlywed life!!!

thanks for allowing us to be a part of your big day!!!

Marielle & Carlos

2008-05-09T13:36:00.000-04:00

ok, marielle MAY just be the cutest bride in the world. along with pretty down to earth.
but all that aside -- this girl can DANCE :)

julie and i shot this wedding and must admit we were VERY curious to see how it would turn out because it RAINED SO HARD on the way to ceremony, we had to sit in our cars and wait until we could actually SEE two feet ahead of us as we crossed the street, so that we wouldn't get blindly hit by cars. cats and dogs, people. sheets of rain.

but somehow, we still managed to have ALOT of fun :)
and you know -- there honestly was something really romantic about having the thunder crashing during the ceremony in this ancient cathedral type location in downtown DC, for an evening wedding.

it was just NEAT. and gorgeous.
carlos, on the other hand owns a dance studio and they put on the most original and exciting reception we've been to in a long time!! we had dance-offs, choreographed routines, costume changes and a crowd on the dance floor that can't be matched!!! honestly, julie and i would have gotten caught up in the whole ordeal and danced the night away ourselves, but feared we'd get trampled by the masses!!! WHAT A FUN RECEPTION!!

and i have to make a comment about what WE were served for dinner :)
NOTHING says motivation to your photographer, DJ, and videographer like a THREE COURSE MEAL including, salad, cous cous, asparagus, salmon, crab cakes, italian rolls, anything you want to drink, we even ate cake :) sure as heck beats the cold "boxed meal" that we're sometimes fed after spending 8 hours on our feet and starving!!! THANK YOU marielle and carlos for taking such FANTASTIC care of us!!!

final note == future brides, you will NEVER be able to go wrong with:
1) First Baptist Church in NW DC
2) The St. Regis Hotel in NW DC

both were top notch with STUNNING light for photography!!!

ENJOY MARRIED LIFE, marielle and carlos and we hope you had a wonderful honeymoon!!!

Lisa & Mike

2008-05-09T13:24:00.000-04:00

lisa is an event planner :)
need i say more??!
the day was organized down to the final detail and I LOVE THAT!!!
we were always on time, things were so calm, and "order" must be her middle name!!!

it was a gorgeous day -- honestly -- some days are just MADE to be wedding days.
the weather was breathtaking and we had alot of fun shooting some of the bridal portraits out by Jefferson Memorial in DC!! (thanks Seth for helping out BIGTIME!!!)

the night was concluded looking over the city skyline, dancing away!!!
thanks lisa and mike for allowing us to document your day!!!
here are are a few highlights!!!

Erin & Dan

2008-05-09T13:11:00.000-04:00

WOW! i haven't updated this blog in some time and i am so sorry!!!
my husband and i found out we are expecting our first baby in SEPTEMBER! ...and in addition to that.... we moved to a new house! so things have been busy, weddings have been keeping me busy and i'm trying to catch up!!!

i wanted to try to play catch up with all my spring weddings, by giving you a sneak peak into a few of them!!!

erin and dan got married at the lansdowne resort -- which was gorgeous!!!

enjoy some of the highlights!!!

julia & blake ;)

2007-12-20T16:59:00.000-05:00

sorry this post is coming late....
there are just THAT many photos to sift through.
and i haven't even gotten joelle's pictures yet.
these are all of mine.

i need to apologize in advance to all of my other brides that i work with, because this post is going to be longer than any of your wedding overviews ever will be....this is going to be a personal post, for a personal friend.

julia and i went to church together, worked together, and then she got engaged and asked me to shoot her wedding. i was so thrilled, but wondering how i was going to pull it off professionally, while really staying in the moment and celebrating this massive covenant between the two of them!

i honestly do not have a clue where i should start, but i am going to go in chronological order and begin with the rehearsal dinner.
mr. schwarz did SUCH a wonderful job -- i was incredibly impressed!!!!! the decor was southwestern/tex-mex and it was simply adorable. the slideshow, the toasts, the anticipation of what the next day would bring...it was SO special for julia and such a thrill that i was there to share in that with them!!!

the next morning, we all joined in the Wedding Day Brunch fun being held at Maggiano's....I wasn't really paying too much attention, as I was eating more than snapping pictures....but that's ok, right Mrs Flowers?? (she wanted me to have fun and not worry about this portion of the weekend festivities!)

then we headed back to the Flowers residence where the girls starting preparing to be shuttled to the church....

julia was dressed and ready to roll by the time i arrived!!!

and of course -- these are the shoes....

all the girls had been given lip gloss and i couldn't resist this line-up shot :)

her bouquet probably weighed 20lbs....
i'm not even kidding....

walking to the sanctuary!!

i love this picture. LOVE.
so much about it....capturing the SECOND before the doors open, i totally remember that feeling from my own wedding and MY stomach was having butterflies, so it's neat to remember that moment!

before i continue....i have to tell you....i'm hard to impress when it comes to weddings.
as a wedding photographer, i've seen it all.
granted - i still get choked up at times....it's hard to really throw me for a loop.
with that said...i've never...eeever...heard an organ like this.
it took my breath away.
julia walked down this aisle not only looking like an angel, but the music was astounding, full, magestic, and so so so powerful.

and i'll probably get choked up even typing this, because i DEFINITELY got teary-eyed in the balcony at this next part.
once she got to blake at the end of the aisle...the organ swelled to a thundering volume (at least in the balcony it did!!) and flowed into congregational singing with "O Come All Ye Faithful."

now, when i think of that song, i think of light violins on Christmas Eve.
not this version.
it sounded as though we were entering heaven.
i get chills even reliving it.

i've never been so thrilled that there are 4 stanzas to a song, and i could have stood up there and sung it over and over again all night.

All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

it was truly magnificent.
julia, you were radiant, beyond imagination...
but even more radiant was the message...your example to everybody...
because we WILL adore Him forever and i could have stood in that balcony, and started forever RIGHT THEN!

i love this shot....

she glows when she smiles!!!

i was and still am so honored to have been able to witness this event with you both and with your families!!!! it was nothing but a joy and i hope you're having a wonderful time on your honeymoon!!!!!

much love always -- allison (& joelle)

Melanie & Matthew

2007-11-26T11:01:00.000-05:00

i'm not certain that old town, alexandria will ever be the same after this past saturday's wedding, celebrating melanie and matthew!!!!

...but is that such a bad thing? ;)
i have to start by publicly thanking seth for helping out on saturday as my second shooter!! as a wedding photographer trying to anticipate each moment, calculate each factor, accommodate all the requests, i can say it's such a comfort to head into each wedding with a partner who 'gets it.' whenever he, or his wife, julie, pitch in as second shooters -- the day is THAT much smoother for me! THANKS SETH!!! you make my job so much easier....! (you too julz)

now -- this wedding was actually ALOT of fun! we started out in the bridal suite at the Old Town Hilton to get ready! we had hair...we had makeup...we had pets...we had it all! melanie is incredibly organized, and the morning went off without a hitch! when time isn't really a pressing problem -- i have that much more liberty to be creative with my photography and i feel this wedding in particular shows that!

the wedding was beautiful -- seth and i commented that this church, BY FAR, has the best overall lighting conditions out of ALL the churches we've shot in so far (hint, hint, future brides!!) and obviously, nothing beats the Old Town waterfront for some bridal party portraits. sure, everybody was reluctant in the beginning, after all, it was BARELY 50 degrees. but with some begging, we got some fantastic shots -- and before we knew it -- THE BRIDAL PARTY was offering crazy picture ideas!! i'm assuming that after a while, you go numb in those dresses and figure, WHAT THE HECK......and it worked out perfectly!!

i haven't even UPLOADED my reception photos yet -- these were simply the ones we showed at the reception while everybody was eating dinner....i have HUNDREDS MORE! but i'm a little behind with the holiday and all....so that will have to be Blog Part 2, for this wedding....

Melanie, you were a GORGEOUS bride and SO accommodating and it was our pleasure to capture your big day!!!!! Matthew, I'm sure Seth can comment more about his one-on-one time he had with you and the boys that morning but you were also a great sport, and I wish you all the best in the world!!!! Enjoy!!!

Alexandra & Philip

2007-11-15T22:46:00.000-05:00

first and foremost:
i have to commend the entire family on their patience, while waiting for this blog entry to go up!!! so many personal sagas have been popping up and i'm just now getting around to posting some of alexandra & philip's photographs from their big day a few saturday's back!!!!

it turned out to be a GORGEOUS day and the families was very energetic, excited, and loving about their children exchanging vows! and of course, the odyssey boat is always a fun place to hold a wedding!! and it doesn't hurt when the bride and groom are drop dead gorgeous as well!!!

i hope you've enjoy your first few days of wedded bliss and that you're able to relive a few of those moments with these pictures!

THANKS A & P!! :)

robin & skip

2007-10-23T12:20:00.000-04:00

you know...every once in a while, i shoot a wedding that REALLY makes me wish i had done things differently at my OWN wedding. every once in a while...a wedding day is sheer perfection. from the orange and red painted trees, to the crisp morning air, to the calm serenity that descends on the entire day, to the tears of happiness from just about every single person present...

of course, there were the unbelievable details that were also breathtaking! robin did SUCH a fabulous job crossing EVERY "t" and dotting EVERY "i" and i'm not going to lie, Pam Barefoot, her wedding planner/coordinator (atrendywedding.com) did NOT miss a beat either! things ran incredibly smoothly, and i'm absolutely positive it had alot to do with pam tirelessly working her wedding-day magic as well!

why on EARTH did i not have a fall outdoor wedding?!!
i had never done a wedding at the Briar Patch Bed and Breakfast out in Middleburg, VA = BUT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!! everybody wore smiles from morning till night...and i truly just cannot say enough about how MUCH FUN i had!

(that is saying ALOT too, since i had undergone emergency oral surgery not even 24 hours before this wedding, so i was starving, in pain, and considerably drugged. but maybe it was for the best or i would have been bouncing off the walls!)

ROBIN & SKIP -- the pleasure was TRULY mine and i hope you have a FANTASTIC honeymoon! can't wait to hear all about it!!!

The deVallance Family

2007-10-16T11:19:00.000-04:00

here's another photoshoot that will make you want to wait till FALL to have your next family portraits done!!! i think the saturday i worked with the deVallances, it was actually the first cool, crisp day of the season! it was beautiful outside, perfect for letting these two little boys run around for hours!!

when you first meet them, you're stunned that they're not TWINS!!! but the more time you spend with them, you realize how DIFFERENT each boy is -- but all in all, they were not only adorable, but hysterical as well!

thanks jennifer for inviting me to spend a gorgeous saturday morning with your family!

attention all southern belles!!!

2007-10-15T12:47:00.000-04:00

he may only be 15 mths old...but i bet he'll be worth waiting for :)
one look at him and you'll understand!!! he's moving to a North Carolina neighborhood near you and you better be on the lookout!

this past saturday, i had the pleasure of shooting baby Dean and his parents right here in DC...! we started at the house, then went to the park, then walked back to the house -- and the weather truly could not have been better. finally a fall photoshoot that FEELS like FALL!!

people. i have seen blue eyes before.
i have seen really amazing blue eyes before.
but never in all of my life have i seen blue eyes like Dean's. i laughed to myself when i walked in and met him for the first time over how EASY those eyes were going to make my job that morning.

i had trouble picking my favorites...but here are a few that rose to the top immediately!
for the FULL EFFECT you have to click on the picture to blow it up...the blue eyes are worth the effort!

Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to capture your final days in DC!!!
GOOD LUCK IN NORTH CAROLINA!!

Le Village Marche

2007-10-12T10:38:00.000-04:00

I LOVE FALL....and i love it even more when i see festive FALL HOME DECOR!!! angela's Le Village March (featured in Lucky Magazine this month!!) asked me to come back to photograph some of the new inventory for her website and it smelled and looked like heaven when i walked in. it's one of those places you could hang out all day because it feels like HOME in there. or...what i wish my home resembled! go check the shop out -- in arlington, va -- the little owl soaps did me in!!!

i'm BACK!!!!

2007-10-09T16:42:00.000-04:00

kids...i cannot believe how behind i am in BLOGGGGGGING!!!
we've had our fair share of vacations, family crap....and photography OVERKILL!!! i'm sorry, as i know some of you (hello, Robin :) rely on my updates to give them a moment's entertainment as they sit at their desk at work and i have FAILED YOU!!! but never fear....i'm back and i'm backlogged and you better hold your horsies b/c the next few days are gonna be rapid fire posts! i figured i owe all my energy to getting wedding pictures out to waiting brides, and blogging fell by the wayside. right?......right!

so i had a shoot today at the CAPITOL with Marielle & Carlos :)

gotta give it to ya, can't say i do many engagement shoots on week day mornings and i'm gonna start giving discounts to couples who take this route! i love it! sure, we were sorta hoping for a chilly, fall morning and some brighter reds/oranges in the trees....but we dabbed away our sweat and rolled around in the soaking wet grass and pretended it didn't matter. M & C, you were both troopers, i hope the grass stains come out!!

this couple is gonna be a hoot to photograph on their wedding day! he's a dance studio owner ...and she's the sweetest, most chipper chic i've photographed in a while....and together, their wedding is certainly something i am looking forward to!!!

can't wait to hang out again!

hilary & bryan

2007-09-02T09:28:00.000-04:00

i am wiped out.
today has been SO LONG....
and i never ate during the entire event!!
...even though i did find time to dance :)
there are some songs at weddings that simply never get old and tonight's deejay was incredible!

i'll post more soon, but to hold you over:
you may remember them from the U.S. Capitol shoot we did in the SNOW in February. with no COATS!!!

gabrielle, josh, henry, and baby william

2007-08-31T13:17:00.000-04:00

this morning i had the pleasure of photographing the Batkin Family over in lincoln park!! it turned out to be a gorgeous morning and the kids were throwing out smiles effortlessly! man, i had no idea lincoln park was THE PLACE for all the local toddlers to hang out mid-morning -- the park came alive with families and dogs and made me realize all over again how much i enjoy capitol hill!!

i'm still pretty in love with my new sepia technique, so alot of them were processed that way -- but don't worry Batkins, you'll have plenty of color photographs as well!!!

thanks for letting me share the morning with you!

my experiment....

2007-08-29T12:49:00.000-04:00

i have to tell ya...there this process alot of my faaaaavorite photographers use that sends me over the edge. i have NO IDEA how they do it and i've tried manipulating it, faking, forcing it.....and my images could NEVER look the way theirs did!!!!

i was losing SLEEP over this!!!
well, wouldn't you know -- one of my photog-inspirations FINALLY revealed the secret the other day, and it's a photoshop ACTION to you can purchase and apply to images!!!

i still have NO idea how it works, but it involves ALOT of steps that i'm sure i'd never learn anyways, so with the press of one button (man, i'm giving away the magic, right?), i now have the EXACT images i want!!!!

i could bounce OFF THE WALLS over this!!!!!
so, without further ado, and having taken the liberties of exploiting a very GORGEOUS baby as my muse, here you have it!!!

Garrett Wills & Co.

2007-08-27T11:18:00.000-04:00

i have so many photos from my weekend, but for some weird reason, this blog site won't allow me to upload any more than this....maybe it'll have to carry over to another post :)

chad and i went down to NC to attend a friend's wedding, and had the lovely pleasure of staying with jonathan & aimee wills! long live PowerShares! ;)

at any rate -- they have a freaking ADORABLE three month old and there are just some things you can't resist photographing! he was probably the happiest and most content child i have ever seen, particularly for his age!

thanks for letting us crash at your place, aimee and jonathan....it was so good to catch up!!

marykate & doug

2007-08-19T21:18:00.000-04:00

wow! this wedding FLEW BY!!! marykate and doug's wedding was so...easy! effortless! smooth! seth and i had the privilege of shooting their wedding and we couldn't have asked for better weather, location, and couple! :) it was my first time shooting out in leesburg, virginia -- and i hope i have many more weddings out there! it definitely has some advantages over big city weddings!

thank you both for inviting seth and me to your big day!
we had a great time and wish you two ALL the happiness in the world!

new york....new yoooork!

2007-08-14T01:00:00.000-04:00

what a weekend!.....on friday, my photog bud joe and i took the train to NY for Erica & Raphael's BIG DAY!!! i have to admit, i was wondering if the weather would hold up because it had been SO SO SO SO hot over the last week!

...and i still cannot get over how absolutely GORGEOUS it was on Saturday!!

first i need to thank joe for taking this trip with me and helping me out SO MUCH!!! i don't think i can shoot with you anymore because the quality of your images makes mine look awful. HAHA. yes...yes...i want a new camera. but it'll have to be a 2008 expense :)

the bride, groom, family & friends were so welcoming and sweet to us...and get this....I HAD MY OWN NAME CARD at the reception!!! this is a FIRST! i was so impressed and touched....THANK YOU GUYS!!!

they had all the tables named as different cities that were special to each of them....HOW DID THEY KNOW that i love LA?! ;)

at any rate -- i hope you two have a wonderful honeymoon and are enjoying the first few days of marriage!!! thanks for letting me shoot your day, it was a joy and honor!!!

laura & tommy...

2007-07-30T11:07:00.000-04:00

WARNING:
if you have things to do...or only have a minute...come back to this post LATER :)
i've NEVER in my life posted 40+ pictures from a wedding onto this blog....but....i just COULD NOT wittle it down any further :)

WHAT A SATURDAY!!!
to start off -- i HAVE to thank my team who pretty much KICKED REAR at this wedding!!!! we had every angle covered, every expression captured, every moment documented....shooting with FOUR was SO FUN, though....i doubt i'll be able to ever coerce that sort of situation again :)

juju, neens, seth = thank you.....i uploaded and am still in awe of all we captured...

laura & tommy....one word:

WOW!!!!
i really feel honored that you allowed me to shoot your BIG DAY!!! the other shooters and i were talking about how intimidating it is to shoot another WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER'S wedding!!! but, i trust and pray you love what you see!!!

enjoy your honeymoon and each other!.....forever and ever.....

i need a nap now ;)

niki & eric

2007-07-23T11:47:00.000-04:00

what a fun weekend!!!
my girlfriend from my previous place of employment, niki, got married on saturday and it's so cool to witness, firsthand, all of her hard work and planning unfold!

she was so beautiful!!

i was NOT the official photographer of the day -- granted -- i brought my camera along and told her i'd post some images for her instant gratification!!

so, nik, wherever you are -- enjoy the following and know we're SO happy for you and wish you and eric all the best!!!!

....and my favorite the of the night!!!....

CONGRATS, NIK & ERIC!!

Injured... :(

2007-07-22T22:04:00.000-04:00

hey kids!

wow.
been a full month since i posted!!!
SO much has transpired, BUT, my energy was limited and my time at the computer was abbreviated due to what we BELIEVED was a herniated disk in my lower back!!!!

it's been a rough month.
between my mom being in and out of the hospital and me hurting my back, i had NO TIME for blogging, which....i hated because my blog was such a fun thing for me and brides i was working with!!!

it was the strangest thing! on july 1st...i was sitting at my computer and went to stand up and BOOM...my entire left foot went numb!! let's just say that for TWO LONG WEEKS, i was on my back...or heavily...heavily...heaaaavily medicated.

i've seen the likes of anti-inflammatories, narcotics, steroids, muscle-relaxants, ice packs, heating pads, lumbar support pillows ....and the list goes on. 3 trips to the doctor...one trip to the ER....followed up by physical therapy.....WHEW! and YES, i kept shooting weddings in the mix :)

but i think i'm OUT OF THE WOODS and my MRI came back normal!!!
even though i still have some sciatic nerve issues -- it may all just be a bad reaction to muscle spasms in my lower back.

we'll see.
but for now i'm on the mend...THANK YOU LORD!!!!!

and YES, i'm very very very behind my editing, so in the next day or so, i'll try to pick up where i left off and post some WEDDING SHOTS!!!!

here's to getting back in the saddle and here's to all the people who have helped me and my photography assistants who have KICKED REAR to make my life easier!!!

aka., SETH SETH SETH :) thank you seth.
and thank you to my husband who's done the grocery shopping, the dishes, the laundry, ....and i won't go on to all the rest.

have a great week!!!

laura & benson

2007-06-24T00:20:00.000-04:00

siiiigh.
that's how we feel right now....
it was my first wedding on the Odyessey -- and it was a CRAZY breath of FRESH AIR! it was one of the sweetest, calmest weddings ever! the weather was all we could have hoped for -- the breezy morning was soft and romantic and it just too easy and way too fun!!!

laura and benson DEFINITELY win the award this year of "most-laid-back couple!" thanks for including us!! it was like a little party in the bridal suite prior to the wedding, with the makeup artist and hair stylist!

HAVE FUN IN ALASKA, guys!!!

joellewattphotography.com

2007-06-24T00:13:00.000-04:00

heya!!! GREAT WEEKEND!!! i had the FORTUNE of shooting with joelle -- a long lost friend from 10 years ago!! she and charlie drove in from PA and she accompanied me to laura & benson's gorgeous wedding!!!.....

joelle's a photog in PA and we're currently commiserating the plight of our future photography empire :)
we snuck away to take some pics of her .....

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photographers who babysit...

2007-06-18T01:09:00.000-04:00

ha! well, since 2006/2007 became THE YEAR for all of my friends to have their first baby -- we found ourselves babysitting on Father's Day. :) baby ella was lucky enough to have a camera shoved in her face for the entire first hour i arrived. and then...things took a turn for the worse aaaaand the camera had to go. haha. poor baby passed out within 10 minutes of her bedtime feeding.

considering she's 4 mths old (give or take a few weeks?), she was very accommodating toward me and only spit up on me a few times...and let me play with her "diaper genie." who knew....

katrina & marvin

2007-06-18T00:55:00.000-04:00

i spent the day with katrina and marvin on saturday...it was my first military wedding! they were a completely wonderful and gracious couple, and i can't lie - i wish all my weddings were "military-style!" those wedding coordinators did NOT skip a beat and i've never felt more informed and up to speed on minute-by-minute activities, than i did on saturday! whew! why can't they all be just like that!

everyone was so sweet to us -- it was perfect weather -- perfect location -- perfect couple! i wish you both the best and congratulations!!

on a personal front -- seth nickerson REALLY came in and saved the day for me!!! seth is a longtime friend who has his own videography business. www.nickersonvideo.com. at any rate, his WIFE usually shoots with me but just had that adorable baby abel...therefore, her hubby stepped up and exceeded my EVERY expectation! between the three of us -- we could do alot of great things and i can't wait to shoot again with you next month, seth and....to also get your wifey back in commission!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU! many of the below are his photos...