Denver Wedding Photographer, Chad Morgan » Hello, Beautiful.

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Golden Colorado Wedding :: Elaina & Patrick

When Kevin and I walked into the bride’s room, everyone’s smile ran from ear to ear. And the laughter was infectious. The bride sat casually on the bed; her hair full of rollers. One of her bridesmaids sat in a chair near the window getting her makeup done. Others mingled with champagne and cheese in their hands. It was clear that these women shared a bond that ran deep; the compassion they had for one another was palpable.

Patrick’s energy was a perfect balance to Elaina’s. He was calm, steady, and cool, like 007. The other men in the room sat casually around the living room with beers in their hands. As he slid into his suit jacket, checking in the mirror, a humble confidence washed over his face. Patrick was ready.

And when these two are together, it’s clear they understand each other. It’s obvious that their love and friendship run deep. They enjoy ever second of each other’s company, and are excited about their future together.

Elaina and Patrick, you two share a special bond. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your wedding, and wish you the very best in your future.

Cheers!

Elaina and Patrick were married at Boettcher Mansion in Golden, Colorado.
A big thank you to Kevin Von Qualen for assisting me at this wedding!

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Alexandra - Beautiful photos! I love that fourth to last one! Stunning.

Kendra - These are great, Chad! What a beautiful couple.
I am so anxious for you to shoot our wedding next summer and share in our day!

Longmont Colorado Senior Portraits :: Cody Serrette

Cody might be a little upset about me posting some of his senior pictures. But, he’s my nephew, and he’ll just have to deal. Earlier this week Cody and I wondered around some local abandoned buildings, running into some very interesting people during our shoot. But, we had some good fun. Cody is a good kid, has great sense of humor, and is an upstanding dude–gonna turn out to be some good peeps.

Cody, congrats on your senior year. Don’t let it go by too fast–it’s a great time in your life!

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Meghan - Wow!
Cody looks so grown up…nice photos! :)

Image Du Jour :: Ella

“Papa, don’t take my picture right now!” she exclaimed.  “I just want to blow dandelions.  Why do we always have to take pictures?”

“Alright, alright” I replied.

Click. Click.

Denver Wedding Photographer

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James Christianson - so darn cute, your little one. lovin’ these images.

Staci York Hufty - Breathtaking! You captured a peace of Heaven on earth! Angels really do live among us! Miss you all! Love the website and blog! #1 Fan, sly

9 Wedding Day TIps

I get a lot of questions about what couples can do to make their wedding day photos the best they can possibly be.  Most of it comes down to me.  I will make sure everything is taken care of to make you look your best.  However, if you’re relaxed and enjoying yourself during your wedding day, the emotional quality of the photos will certainly come through.  So, to help you out with some things to give you peace of mind, I asked a few of the women in my life to offer their advice.  Here’s what they had to say…

Wear Long-Lasting Makeup

Most brides cry at their wedding. Even if you’re not the type to cry, don’t take the chance at wearing anything other than waterproof mascara.  And, if you’re wearing lipstick, use something that’s long-lasting. But, from what I’ve heard, you’ll need to practice several times as it can be tricky to apply the color evenly
and perfectly. It’s hard to remove, so you want to get it right the first time.

Create an Emergency Kit
Some of the most utilized things during a wedding day include a small makeup kit, some clear nail polish for runs, snacks, and a small sewing kit.

Get Pearly Whites
If you can afford it, spoil yourself with professional teeth whitening. You’ll look and feel like a celebrity with pearly whites.

Make an Itinerary
Whether you’re working with a planner, or doing everything yourself, make a rough timeline for the day.  Hand it out to a couple key people so everyone is on the same page.  Wedding days never run perfectly according to schedule, but at the least, this will keep everyone working together.

Bring Some Comfy Shoes
If you can, don’t be afraid to bring comfy shoes for the reception after all the formalities are finished. Besides, you’ll be able to bust out your best MJ moves if you’re not in heels.
Delegate. Delegating tasks to the people around you will give you the space to enjoy your wedding.  Put someone else in charge of paying vendors, moving things from site to site, and all the other small tasks throughout the day.

Eat a Healthy Breakfast
The wedding day moves fast, and before you know it, you’ll have gone half the day without anything to eat. Speaking for myself, I get pretty grumpy if I don’t eat. Having a protein-rich, low-carb, healthy breakfast will give you energy for several hours without making you crash.

No Hangovers
I know it’s fun to get a little saucy before your big day.  But, the last thing you want is to have waves of nausea during the ceremony.  I’ve heard horror stories of brides having to excuse themselves during the vows to go toss their cookies.

Relax
No doubt you’ll get a little wound up during your wedding day.  When you feel yourself getting stressed, remember to look around and take it all in. This is your day, and you owe it to your self to enjoy it.

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Jasmine* - Great tips…I couldn’t agree more! :)

Jose Villa :: A Workshop

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending one of Jose Villa’s workshops right here in Colorado.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to take one of his workshops, I highly recommend it.  Jose is kind, humorous, incredibly informative, and willing to share all of his experiences, thoughts, and knowledge about his very successful career.

The workshop was hosted by Julie Afflerbaugh and James Christianson, two local, well established and talented photographers.  Fiori Flowers provided us with the bouquets, which were gorgeous.  And, I had the pleasure of meeting Jessica from The Face Lab. If you’re ever in need of hair and makeup, Jessica is the bomb!  And, a big thank you to all of our models: Autumn, Lewis and Josselyn.  All of you were patient, and up for anything.

Jose, thank you again for making the trip out here to share with us.

Here are a few of my faves from the shoot.

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Sally Clark - Good grief, Chad. These are absolutely beautiful! The setting is awesome. Such outstanding work.

Seth Haley - Awesome! really like how clean the first one is!….Good stuff!

Rachel Olsen - Gorgeous shots Chad! It was great to meet you. Best, Rachel

eliza - hey chad, really beautiful shots … and then there was ella – what a great image … can i keep her? what lense did you use for the jose villa shots? is the blurred background lens or photoshop? nice blog! eliza

chadrmorgan - Hi Eliza, I used a couple lenses that day, an 85 1.8, and a 70-200 2.8. And, other than some minor contrast curves, there is no photoshop work on the images. And, sorry, Ella is all mine, and I don’t want to share :)

Jason Grubb - Would’ve love to be at the workshop! Looks great. Nice images…

Jenny Sun - WOW… these are seriously stunning. I love the whole organic feel to these images. Did you use film, since you went to Jose’s workshop? If so, pretty please do tell us which film u used…im trying to hunt down some nice film to use for my photos, but am worried to waste money on films that arent that crash hot. Thank you so much! Anyhow, again… yummy yummy shots in this set :D

Diandra - Do you know where the first bride got her dress? Or who it’s made by? Gorgeous shots!

chadrmorgan - Hi Diandra, I don’t know where the dress is from. But, I know that it’s actually owned by Jose Villa. If you send him an email, I’m sure he’ll let you know. Or, I saw that Jasmine Star’s last bride had the same dress. You could try her as well. Good Luck!

chadrmorgan - Hi Jenny,
No, no film. These were all taken on a 5D. I know that Jose Villa shoots on Fuji film, and swears by it. Hope this helps!

Bobby Earle - Beautiful! Jose’s the man :)

Tonya Peterson - Truly lovely

Amanda - these are gorgeous!

Curtis Copeland - Great photography. Nice work. The old pick up truck adds such great texture and contrast. Thanks for sharing!

cynthia - beautiful images!!

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