Megan Hardre Photography

And the winner is...

2010-03-09T07:08:00.003-07:00

And the winner is blog comment #9 (thanks to the random number generator at random.org):

Melissa Knutson!

Melissa, email me or send me a message when you get a chance and we can talk details about when/where you'd like your photo shoot done! :) Looking forward to meeting you!

Thanks to everyone who entered -- I'll be doing another drawing like this very soon so keep checking back! :)

It's almost my birthday so I want to give YOU a gift!

2010-03-01T09:28:00.013-07:00

It's almost my birthday and I LOVE to give gifts so now is the perfect time to do a giveaway! I'd love to give one lucky person, family, or couple a free photo shoot valued at $200! Included is a 1 hour outdoor photo shoot in Colorado Springs, CO, a full set of 4x6 prints from the shoot (60-80 images), one CD of all the edited high resolution images, and the copyright to the photos.

What do you have to do to get this?

1) Become a fan of Megan Hardre Photography on Facebook AND tell your friends about this drawing by sending out a "suggestion" or posting it on your status update. Click here to go directly to my fan page: Megan Hardre Photography. If you're already a fan, you only have half the step to do. Just recommend me to your friends!

2) Come back to my blog and post it in the comments below that you did both of the items in #1.

3) Be willing to do the shoot sometime in June, July, August or October 2010 and be available to be in Colorado Springs, CO for the shoot.

My birthday is March 9th, so I'll do the drawing on Tuesday the 9th for one lucky winner by using a random number generator. Make sure you leave me a comment below (on my blog!) so I know to enter you into the drawing!

Even if you're a past and/or current client or my friends... everyone needs more photos (hello, Christmas cards?) so please feel free to play along!

EDITED to add: Please be sure to not leave your comment as "anonymous" -- if you win, I will have no way of knowing who it is or how to contact you!! Thanks!! =)

Happy March everyone!

Megan

Locals Barbershop - Commercial

2010-02-11T09:38:00.005-07:00

Colorado Springs, CO -- I think the hardest part about moving here two years ago was leaving my hairstylist behind and not knowing where to go once we arrived in Colorado Springs. Honestly, I've spent the last two years searching for someone that can do my hair and not charge a ton of money for it! Being a mom and owning my own business, I don't have a ton of time to myself so when I do get out, I want a good/fun environment and not feel like I'm in a "stuffy" salon. You know what I'm talking about ladies!

Locals Barbershop, who opened it's Denver location last year now has a Colorado Springs location and their grand opening is this weekend! Coming from someone who is super picky about their hair, this shop has some great staff! They specialize in barbershop procedures but they also have staff that does ladies hair as well -- cutting, highlighting etc...

If you have yet to check it out, stop by this Saturday (the 13th of February) at 7pm. It's located at 5230 N. Nevada Ave. in Colorado Springs near the new Costco. They will have a live band and drinks! And check out their website at Locals Cut for more information on their services. Here's some photos from their soft opening last weekend.

Everett Patrick - Newborn

2010-02-11T07:23:00.003-07:00

I was lucky enough to hang out with this little cutie pie in Denver last weekend. I think he was 7 days old when we did these photos and he slept through the entire shoot! He is such a good baby! I have a son who is 2 years old and I guess I'm fairly sheltered because I hadn't had the chance to really hold and cuddle with a newborn since my son was that small. I picked little Everett up and the tears (mine, not his) just started flowing!! What a precious miracle these little ones are.

Not sure if there's anything better than little baby feet.

I did this one in color and black & white since I couldn't decide which one I liked better. Both! ;)

Thanks Everett for letting me love on you -- you rock little buddy!

2010 Bride's Choice Award Winner

2010-02-02T12:24:00.007-07:00

WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding technology company, just announced Megan Hardre Photography has been selected to receive the WeddingWire 2010 Bride's Choice Awards for wedding photography!

The annual Bride's Choice Awards recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Megan Hardre Photography is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

"We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community" said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire's Chief Executive Officer. "The annual Bride's Choice Awards program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year."

We are happy to announce that Megan Hardre Photography is among the very best wedding photographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings.

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A BIG thanks to my bridal couples for making this past wedding season so wonderful! Looking forward to an awesome 2010!

Megan

The Kurtz Family

2010-01-14T15:27:00.002-07:00

Here's another wonderful family I am blessed to have in my life. We took off in the late afternoon one fine day (during a month I'm not going to mention because it was so long ago, like August) and did some photos around downtown of them and their two kiddos. :)

Okay... let's get this straight. No, I really don't slack during the summer months and just forget to blog -- it's actually just the opposite! Since busy (wedding) season for me is from May through to October, I only take on a limited number of family photo shoots during those months. And, although my clients get their photos in a timely manner, they usually don't make it to the blog until winter due to weddings taking up most of my blog all summer long. Whew! Now I feel better about explaining myself to you so you didn't think I just disappear during those months and just not blog. ;) Okay, enough about me... now, on to the photos!

Thanks guys!! I hope we can do this again soon. :)

M + S + H -- Family Photos

2010-01-13T10:38:00.004-07:00

If you were a bride/groom of mine sometime this past summer, you'll probably recognize Sarah! She's one of my second photographers at weddings and this is her family! We did these photos a bit before Christmas (told you I was behind on blogging!) when all the leaves were still on the ground rather than snow. ;) We did this session in about 15 minutes due to the lack of light in the location we were in and the sun setting, but nonetheless we had fun!

Thanks Sarah for all you do! You are not only a blessing to have at weddings as my other set of eyes, but also as my friend. :)

The Brown Family

2010-01-12T15:45:00.002-07:00

I met this cute family a little bit before Thanksgiving and it was a lovely evening out, especially for that time of year!

She didn't complain once the entire shoot... but even if she did it wouldn't have mattered because she's so cute! :)

It was so nice meeting you three -- I hope we get to do this again soon! :)

Julie & Jeremy - Mess the Dress

2010-01-11T21:34:00.003-07:00

I have officially been gone way too long in the blog world. These past few months have been crazy around here with getting the final albums out to couples from the past few weddings, then the holidays came and went -- now that things are calming down, and I realized I still have quite a few shoots to post!

I met up with Julie and Jeremy on a cold day in October (told you I'm behind!!) for a Mess the Dress photo shoot. We had literally been planning this shoot since their wedding in February. She knew she wanted to do something like this after the wedding, and when everything calmed down for them post wedding, we met out in a field in east Colorado Springs with their favorite "horse powers". :)

There's something about the clouds east of the Rockie Mountains that are just amazing. Since moving here, I've been blessed to be out at numerous photo shoots and watch clouds produce such dark colors that just look awesome in photos. However, these ones later produced large rain drops as well. ;(

Sara and Nick - Maternity

2009-11-16T10:39:00.006-07:00

Sara and Nick were one of the first couples we met when we moved here to Colorado Springs a little over 2 years ago. They are expecting their 3rd child in just a few short weeks and I feel blessed to be able to capture these moments for them. I love maternity photos because they depict a moment in time with that one specific child that will never be repeated. Sure, you might be pregnant again, but never again in the same way you were with that child. It's priceless and beautiful. I think that's why I love photography so much -- it captures moments and saves them forever.

Sara, you're stunning!

Lauren and Andy - Wedding

2009-10-22T15:29:00.004-06:00

I adore Lauren and Andy. When they hired me last fall to do their engagement session, we hit it right off. We had a whole year to wait until their wedding day, but I was super excited for it as it was my first time shooting at the Garden of the Gods Club. When their day finally came, it was an amazing fall afternoon in Colorado Springs.

LOVE the shoes. :)

His custom shoes complete with his wedding date. :)

Outdoors on a September evening by the pool? Yes, please!

Their bridal party was off the hook. They were so supportive of these two, and kept me laughing all night long.

The girls.

The guys -- who might I add, came up with all of these poses. ;)

Not sure what they were doing here... maybe it's some football thing. But they wanted to run and jump together in a circle, so I just kept shooting.

The bridal party. You guys rock. :)

And, Lauren and Andy...

They had their cocktail hour by the pool as the sun was setting over the mountains... gorgeous.

And their reception was only a few feet away with a breathtaking view of Garden of the Gods.

Lauren and Andy, it has been so much fun getting to know you this past year. I am so blessed to have met you and been able to spend your special day with you! A big thank you to you both as well as your wonderful friends and family for making us feel so welcome. I hope we keep in touch! Congrats to you both!

Venue: Garden of the Gods Club
Florist: Dawn at Hillside Consultants
Photographer: Megan Hardre Photography and assistant Edi Pettegrew
Music: AJ with Celebrity DJ

Angela & Chris - Wedding

2009-09-23T14:03:00.003-06:00

I think the hardest thing about being a wedding photographer is that every wedding I photograph, I always see something that I wish I had done at my own wedding. If I got the chance to marry my husband all over again, I would pretty much take all of Angela and Chris' ideas and use them in mine too! I loved the way they put everything together from the dress, shoes, flowers, reception site... I loved it all.

Angela and Chris got married last month and had their ceremony at a local Catholic Church followed by a reception on the 3rd floor of Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. When they booked me about a year ago and told me that their reception was being held there, I was counting down the days until their wedding. I hadn't ever done a reception there, but I knew it had awesome potential -- it didn't disappoint!

Angela got ready in the Governors Suite in the Antlers Hilton with an beautiful view of downtown Colorado Springs on a sunny summer day.

After their ceremony, we loaded up and drove to Garden of the Gods where we took more photos. I decided I'm going to look at these sunny images when we're knee deep in snow here next month to remind me what the warm sunshine feels like! :)

They had a great bridal party -- they kept me laughing all evening! :)

Angela has the best eyes... love them!

Thanks so much Chris and Angela for including me in your big day. It was truly a joy to get to spend it with you. :)

Scott & Sarah -- Wedding (Part 1)

2009-08-13T15:00:00.001-06:00

There are just some weddings I find very hard to describe with words. I've been sitting here trying to put together a picture for you of the elegance, thoughtfulness, love, and creativity that went into making Scott and Sarah's day perfect but hopefully you'll see a glimpse of their hard work in the images below. They did a great job putting together a beautiful wedding. They were married a few weeks ago and had their reception at the Trianon which is a part of the Colorado Springs School. It was my first time being there and was so impressed by the architecture of the building -- and what's more is that the decorations that they added for their reception only made it look better. They really picked a great location that totally fit 'them'.

Warning: There were SO many great images from this wedding causing this to be a really long blog post, so it's split into two parts. :)

Sarah, who was a stunning bride, got ready at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort along with her girls.

Incredible dress and shoes -- what more does a girl need?

Sarah's something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.

I'm not sure if this was something borrowed or something old, but this is a tiny bible that was passed down to the women in the family on their wedding day and it began in the early 1900's (I hope that's right) and now it's Sarah's turn.

Meanwhile, the guys were getting ready at a different hotel in the springs.

Because of the timing of the ceremony and the reception, they decided to see one another before.

What a great expression Scott had when he saw Sarah for the first time.

... more to come!

Scott & Sarah -- Wedding (Part 2)

2009-08-13T14:57:00.004-06:00

Here's part two to Sarah and Scott's wedding day. Please see the post above to see the first part.

The girls!

Once Scott saw Sarah for the first time, he kept taking photos of her with his phone. So cute!! I couldn't help but take these. :)

The guys (taken by my second photographer, Sarah (no, not the bride :))

While they were taking photos of the guys -- Sarah and her mom were waiting for the rain to stop...

The reception --

They had a signature drink for the evening -- the Mojito!

When it's raining, we don't stop taking photos -- we improvise and these girls did awesome!!

Sarah and Scott, it has been so great getting to know you both over these last few months. I wish you the very best together and I hope our paths cross again soon! :)

Daniel & Meara - Wedding

2009-08-13T10:20:00.004-06:00

I met Meara last fall when they called me about photographing their wedding this past July. The first thing I noticed about Meara was her smile. First, she doesn't ever stop smiling, even when it rained on her wedding day and the whole event had to be moved inside. But second and more importantly, her smile is genuine. I felt so lucky to photograph their wedding because no matter what happened, weather included -- they were just simply so excited to become husband and wife. It doesn't get any better than that. :)

I met up with Meara early that morning while she was getting her hair and makeup done and my other photographer, Sarah was with the guys while they were getting ready back at the hotel.

Probably my favorite shoe shot yet.

Very handsome men in uniforms.

Thankfully the weather cleared up in time for some outdoor photos.

Daniel and Meara, thanks so much for inviting me to your day. Wishing you both the very best!! :)

N + H + J + E = Family Photo Shoot

2009-08-11T21:09:00.003-06:00

You've seen them before on here -- it's my bff and her family and I always have the best time taking their photos. We finally had an evening without a thunderstorm or downpour of rain(thank you!) so we headed out to some fields and had some fun. :) Thanks to Samantha Kelly here in Colorado Springs for doing Holly's makeup for the shoot -- as always, you did an awesome job!

Hello cute family :)

My favorite. :)

Love you guys!! - M

Adam & Bonni - Wedding

2009-08-04T17:14:00.004-06:00

Adam and Bonni had their wedding a few weeks back at Mystic Meadows. Bonni was just about the most relaxed bride I've met yet. It had rained all day the day of her wedding and when I arrived they were deciding whether or not to pull her outdoors wedding inside. Bonni kept her cool and sure enough, 10 minutes before it was show time, the clouds parted and it was sunny. What a blessing!

Such a classic dress...

Reading Adam's card he sent to her right before the ceremony.

She had such great helpers

Her mother saying a quick prayer for the rain to stop

I love fun bridal parties

Not sure what the guys were doing, but they worked it!

You both are so cute. :)

Adam & Bonni -- You're truly are an awesome couple! Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with me. :)

Patrick & Lisa -- Wedding

2009-07-28T13:47:00.003-06:00

Golden, Colorado -- I'm just going to say it once otherwise I'll go on and on about it... the details of this wedding were amazing. Lisa and Patrick got married on a stormy but beautiful Thursday evening in Golden, Colorado at the Mt. Vernon Country Club, which was a perfect venue for an outdoor wedding.

My crew and I arrived a little early and found their families hard at work putting everything together. Their families spent countless weeks, months and hours before the wedding painting, assembling, counting, and creating all the little things that made their day special. It was obvious how much Lisa and Patrick are loved by how many people wanted to help make their day one of a kind. And it was...

Going into hiding minutes before the ceremony

I told you it was incredible.

To remember.

And on to the details...

Their family put glitter on probably a bazillion of these little birds. But it totally paid off; they were super cute.

Lisa and Patrick, I wish you the very best in your marriage and in life. Thanks for asking me to be your wedding photographer. It was not only a joy getting to know you both, but it was a blessing to meet your wonderful friends and family. Cheers, Megan

Matt & Kendra -- Wedding

2009-07-28T13:16:00.005-06:00

Loved their colors!

Their fun wedding party.

The guys.

The girls.

This one makes me smile. :)

I have photographed weddings where it was rice, flowers, bubbles, or sparklers...but this was a first for silly string.

Poor Matt is somewhere in there...

They had no mercy as he tried to open the door for his bride. They just kept spraying. ;)

And she still looks cute covered in string. :)

Matt & Kendra, it was a joy photographing your big day! Wishing you two the very best. :)

Robbie & Dana - Wedding

2009-07-21T16:34:00.008-06:00

I'm back with the beautiful wedding of Dana and Robbie. They were married a few weeks ago at Mystic Meadows, which is a venue here in Colorado Springs I love to do weddings at. Nothing like a field, a windmill and a white fence to make me happy. ;)

I met Dana and Robbie last year when Jessica & Josh hired me for their wedding and Robbie and Dana were in their bridal party. I liked them so much that when they told me they were engaged I hoped and hoped that they would ask me to photograph their wedding. Sure enough, they did! I'm so happy I got to spend their day with them and also see some of the same folks as I did last year in this wedding party.

So, I had a ton of favorites from this wedding and you wouldn't be here if you didn't like wedding photos so I know you won't mind that I post a ton.

Getting ready --

Watching the guests arrive from the back room.

Probably one of my favorite captured moments -- a quick hug from mom before Dana walks down the aisle.

Waiting for her to arrive...

Giving her away...

And mom watching... another moment I love.

It was a perfect evening for an outdoor wedding.

And they're married!!

Another awesome cake by Creative Cakes by Carol -- and I mean awesome.

Pretzels at the bar in a cute pink tin... such a great idea.

Thanks again Robbie & Dana for asking me to be your wedding photographer. I am truly honored and I wish you the very best in your marriage. Cheers! :)

I'm still here!

2009-07-08T16:45:00.004-06:00

Sorry I've been absent from blogging for a few weeks. No, I didn't fall off the planet... I'm just knee deep in the middle of wedding photography season and will have some awesome wedding posts coming very soon. :) Check back in a day or two for Lisa and Patrick's beautiful Golden, Colorado wedding. And, since a post isn't a post without a photo... here's another one from Austin and Katie's wedding day.

Austin & Katie - Mess the Dress

2009-06-23T23:45:00.006-06:00

It's locations like this one in Colorado Springs that really make me excited to be a photographer here. It's couples like Katie and Austin that really make me love my job. Not to be cheesy, but it's true. The grass was cut at this field below a month or so ago, so when I suggested that location for their Mess the Dress photo shoot, I was unsure if we'd have some longer grass to work with. I was literally jumping for joy when I saw it came up to my waist in some parts! If that doesn't get you excited, well... that's okay -- because I was excited for all of us!

Anyway, you might remember Austin and Katie from my last wedding post. They wanted to do a Mess the Dress session, which is a photo shoot done after the wedding, usually after the honeymoon. They come back relaxed and not rushed for time -- she's in her dress and he's in slacks and a dress shirt and we take the types of photos we couldn't take the day of the wedding due to not wanting to "mess" up the dress. So here we are, a week into the marriage and still glowing. =)

Favorite #1 below. =) They are so cute together.

Favorite #2. Love it!!

Katie & Austin - Wedding

2009-06-14T18:33:00.004-06:00

Palmer Lake, CO -- Let me just start by saying that this was such a fun wedding! Katie and Austin have such great family and friends surrounding them -- most of whom came in from out of town to show their support. When I arrived, Katie was getting ready upstairs in the Palmer Lake home -- which might I add was an amazing place to get ready at -- beautiful! I always suggest to brides to opt for the "getting ready" photos. I didn't have them at my wedding and wish I did. It's those moments with your mom, closest family members and friends right before you're married that are priceless...

Hello gorgeous windows!

Always nice to have help. :)

Katie, you're beautiful! I hope you know that. :)

Finishing touches with help from mom.

My random "ring shot" that I think would be perfect on a canvas in their kitchen. However, if they hate it I also did another one below in the flowers. :)

I don't know who did it either.

And sparklers... a perfect way to end a wedding on a summer evening in Colorado.

Katie and Austin, thank you for asking me to be your wedding photographer! You and your family treated us like we were family and that makes us love our jobs even more than we already do. :) Looking forward to our Mess the Dress session in a few weeks! Enjoy your honeymoon.

Moab

2009-06-09T13:30:00.004-06:00

I'm in the middle of editing 2 weddings and a family portrait session so in the meantime I thought I would give you something new to look at.

On one of my weekends off in May, we (my husband, son and I) along with 3 of our friends decided to camp in Moab, Utah for the weekend and do some trails with our Jeeps. Call me a geek, but I am now totally in love with taking my Jeep out on trails and am looking for ways we can go out again soon! Anyway, on the Saturday we were there, we decided to do the White Rim Trail. Not only was it the perfect time of year to do the trail, but it also meant something to my father and I wanted to see it as well.

The view from the trail head -- from here, you take switchbacks down about 1,000 feet. Since I couldn't stand the thought of being in the passenger seat for it and not having "control"... my sweet hubby let me take the wheel down. I ended up driving the entire trail to Hardscrabble. :)

This tree is at the middle of Hardscrabble bottom surrounded by the river and tall cliffs. You could actually hear the "silence" when the wind stopped and feel the crackling heat of the day. I know God was there.

I'll be back in the next day or so to give you more two more weddings and a fun family session!! :) Oh, and I don't recommend camping with a 2 year old in a tent in case you were thinking about it. :)

Meara - Bridal Portraits

2009-06-02T21:20:00.006-06:00

Meara is getting married in July and wanted a gift to give to her husband on or around their wedding day. Bridal portraits are the perfect idea! Meara has the best bubbly, joyful personality -- her smile is contagious! It's really easy to photography someone as happy as her. Here's a few favorites from our shoot.

Meara's bought her dress from Something New Boutique and the awesome flowers were donated to us specifically for this shoot by Amber at Beautiful Expressions.

Thanks Meara! Looking forward to your wedding in July!