Engagement photos are one of the most exciting first steps of being engaged, and finding a professional wedding photographer can be daunting -- especially if searching for a professional photographer in a city you aren't familiar with! Many couples don't consider is the fact that many professional wedding photographers love to travel -- myself included. And, when one of my favorite people I've met while photographing Hamilton: An American Musical texted me a selfie of her and her new fiancé, and asked me if I was willing to fly to Kansas City to photograph their engagement photos, the answer was a resounding YES!

EngagementMegan AllenJanuary 7, 2019West Bottoms, Kansas City, Engagement Photos, Burr OaksComment

Elegant Wedding at Orrmont Estate

all weddings are always a favorite for both couples and professional wedding photographers alike, thanks to the beautiful fall foliage and perfect temperatures for outdoor weddings, and the Orrmont Estate boasts some of the most beautiful scenery for a Dayton wedding venue. True to form, the Orrmont Estate provided a beautiful backdrop for a gorgeous September wedding day, and it was an honor to get to be their wedding photographer!

Jake + Gabby | Dayton Engagement Photos

Yellow Springs is a quaint town outside of Dayton, and it’s one of my favorite places to hang with a fun couple! From the amazing art to the niche shops, there’s a little bit of everything in Yellow Springs, and it’s perfect for a fun engagement session, which is exactly what happened when Jake + Gabby came to hang out! Starting off with a couple lattes from Spirited Goat, we roamed down a few streets and found some fun nooks and crannies to capture their fun-loving nature. Each space was great, and even on a chilly day, they simply snuggled up and had a great time!

Engagement, CouplesMegan AllenDecember 19, 2018Yellow Springs, Engagement, Dayton Engagement Photos, Dayton, Engagement PhotosComment

Sung + Annie | Drees Pavilion | Cincinnati Wedding Photographers

WeddingsMegan AllenDecember 16, 2018Drees PavilionDrees Pavilion, Cincinnati, Cincinnati WeddingComment

Gabriel + Megan | Madison Couples Photographer

CouplesMegan AllenNovember 24, 2018Wisconsin, MadisonComment

Brent + Lindsay | Manor House | Cincinnati Wedding Photographers

WeddingsMegan AllenNovember 22, 2018Manor HouseManor House, Cincinnati Wedding Photographer, Cincinnati, Cincinnati Wedding, The Carriage House, Sherwood Florist, Party Pleasers, Studio 58 MediaComment

Tanner + Aubin | Iceland | Destination Couples Photographer

Iceland. The land of fire and ice. The land where you can drive a mile, and the weather changes from one season to the next.

The land where some of the best memories I’ve ever made on a shoot happened.

From the moment I stepped off the plane and connected with Aubin + Tanner, the adventure was on. The entire trip was magical, and Aubin + Tanner made an already beautiful place even more amazing simply by being incredible human beings themselves. Together, they are adventurous, funny, and ready to wander. Each day we found a new place to explore, and stopped along the way at spots we loved, adventured into ice caves on top of volcanoes, got stuck in a massive, sudden blizzard, found hidden hot springs in the sides of mountains, and enjoyed hot tubs while it was still light out at 11 pm.

Hit the jump to see just a tiny piece of the adventure of a lifetime, and see how amazing Tanner, Aubin, and Iceland are!

Couples, TravelsMegan AllenNovember 20, 2018Comment

Taylor + Kirsten | Packard Museum | Dayton Wedding Photography

Weddings are always a culmination of amazing things from start to finish. But what do you get when you combine a gorgeous marble hall, a reception filled to the brim with historic Packard cars, a wonderful family, and a rad couple? You get Taylor + Kirsten’s fantastic wedding day, that’s what!

Couples, WeddingsMegan AllenNovember 14, 2018Comment

Mike + Alicia | Dayton Engagement Photographers

Autumn is one of the best times for engagement photos, and it’s no secret why: everything is GORGEOUS outdoors in autumn! Engagement photos in Dayton are always beautiful, but when those leaves begin to change and turn to bright reds, oranges, and yellows, everything feels just a little more cozy, and cozy is exactly what Mike + Alicia are fantastic at. These two wandered Dayton with me for their engagement session, and through mud, poison ivy, brick dust, and celebrating an adventure well done, charcuterie, we had an absolute blast! (Well, minus the poison ivy scare…but never fear, we all walked away unscathed!)

Alicia connected with me through an incredible mutual contact and friend - Candice Cusic of Cusic Photography, who happens to be one of my wonderful friends and colleagues that calls Chicago home! We’ve photographed Chicago weddings together, and she is one of my favorite human beings on the planet; so, when Alicia said she’d found me through her, I knew we’d have a great time, because only the most awesome folks hang with Candice! And, sure enough, it was true of Alicia and Mike. Their adventure and playful nature was infectious to be around, and the best thing Alicia said to me was, “We chose you for your creative eye…so don’t be afraid to experiment and play!”

Well, you don’t have to tell me twice!

Couples, EngagementMegan AllenNovember 10, 2018Comment

Patrick + Karlee | Chicago Engagement Photos

Sometimes life hands you incredible connections to incredible people, who then introduce to you more incredible people, who then…well, you get the picture. And in the case of Patrick and Karlee, I couldn’t be more thankful for all the incredible people it took to connect us and make this PHENOMENAL Chicago engagement session come to life! Patrick and Karlee are easily two of the most fun, creative, vivacious people I’ve had the honor of photographing, and it’s immediately clear that they are over the moon about each other, and equally over the moon about their new adventures in making Chicago their home. So, when Karlee shared her vision for her engagement session with me, I said, “Say no more, let’s do this!”

Rocky + Cassie | Krippendorf Lodge | Cincinnati Wedding Photographers

What do you get when you have a gorgeous wedding venue like the Krippendorf Lodge, the perfect autumn day in Cincinnati, and a group of the most rad human beings you could ever hope to spend a day with? You get the perfect combination that makes up Rocky + Cassie’s amazing wedding day, that’s what! Words don’t begin to do these two and their lovely friends and family justice, but hopefully I can try, and then share a few of the images we created as proof of how awesome they really are. So, without further ado, let’s get to it!

WeddingsMegan AllenOctober 26, 2018Krippendorf LodgeComment

Tom + Sophie | Dayton Engagement Photographer

Sophie + Tom are hilarious, adventurous, and a ridiculous amount of fun to hang with. From the start of their session to the end, they were champs — we were out in true Ohio autumn weather, and Sophie braved it with a gorgeous sun dress for the second half of the session. You are truly a rockstar, woman! We wandered Eastwood Metro Park from front to back, finding new spots to get creative, and their flirtatious spirits shone through in the gorgeous autumn light!

Couples, EngagementMegan AllenOctober 22, 2018Eastwood Metro ParkComment

Lance + Rachel | Dayton Engagement Photographer

Meeting Lance, I knew he would be a special guy to win Rachel’s heart. After spending even a brief moment with these two, you can tell their connection is real. The joy they share is infectious, and the friendship they have is genuine, which is so rare to see. These two REALLY like each other, along with loving one another! That’s always a blast to capture on camera, and I think they had a good time wandering around Dayton together for their session.

Tyler + Taylor | Canyon Run Ranch | Dayton Wedding Photographer

Tyler + Taylor are two of the most laid back, fun-loving people I've met, and their spirit of adventure is inspiring -- and something I love in every couple I meet! When their wedding day was a little wet, to say the least, there were people who wondered if they would opt against their fairytale wedding in the woods at Canyon Run Ranch. However, for them, it was a no-brainer: they'd dreamed of this day, of this wedding, and they were going to follow that dream, no matter how it unfolded. So when it rained...and rained...and rained some more, they let everyone know they were welcome to come play in the rain, and that's just what we did...and man, was it amazing!

Tim + Michelle | Chicago Engagement Photographers

What do you get when you combine two fun loving, amazingly funny souls, a gorgeous backdrop, a photographer down to roam, and a couple willing to show off their city? You get one of the most fun engagement sessions ever, that's what! Tim + Michelle are an absolute blast, and living in Chicago, there are no shortages of places to go. However, for them, the Chicago busy life isn't all there is to the Windy City -- they love the beach, and since Tim grew up sailing, it only made sense we played at a nearby beach and highlighted a piece of what they love the most about their city!