Morris Arboretum Wedding|Alicia & Matt

It had been a few years since I had shot a Morris Arboretum Wedding so I was pretty stoked when Alicia and Matt called to have me document their day at this beautiful venue. And knowing this couple a little bit (Alicia was a bridesmaid at one of my clients weddings) made it even better!

They met in grad school when Matt was visiting to see if he wanted to attend. Alicia was already in her first year and she was one of the people that showed him around. After he enrolled, they were neighbors for a while before they started dating.

The thing I love about this couple (and there’s a lot to love about them) is that they have an amazing balance in their lives. They’re both Yale PhD. candidates, obviously very intelligent but at the same time are THE coolest people in the room. They are also madly in love, aren’t shy about showing it and have a beautiful chemistry together.

An outdoor University of Pennsylvania’s Morris Arboretum wedding was the perfect location to celebrate Alicia and Matt’s love for each other. So happy that I was there to capture it for them. Here are some of my favorites from their day:

Getting Ready
First Look
Bride & Groom
Ceremony
First Dance
Reception

Getting Ready

bride hugging with her bridesmaids in their robes

the bride's mother fixing the back of her wedding dress black and white shot

black and white shot of the bride and her mother smiling at each other

groom playing billiards before his Morris Arboretum Wedding

groom with groomsmen fixing each other's ties

The getting ready location was the Chubb Hotel and Conference Center in Lafayette Hill, PA. I loved the lobby with its billiards room and lots of space to chill and hang out!

A Message from the Bride

Ralph was the best photographer we could have possibly have imagined for our wedding. Ralph has an incredible eye, a deep sense of the range of human emotions, a talent for story telling, and the energy and instinct to realize all of his gifts amidst the chaos that often comes with all the moving parts of a wedding. But what really sets Ralph apart from other photographers is his ability to set his clients immediately at ease and work with people of diverse backgrounds, interests, and tastes. Ralph was enthusiastic about understanding the wedding day aesthetic we were going for, and his photos totally captured the vision we had in our mind. He also made really useful suggestions to help us plan the day. He loves weddings and the process of getting to know a couple and really capturing the beauty and joy of their big day. And he goes above and beyond when he’s working – he gets down on the ground, has lightning-fast reflexes in reacting to unexpected moments, and doesn’t lose his cool in 100 degree Victorian ferneries! We were amazed at the images he captured from our wedding. Their composition, lighting, and style paired perfectly with the honesty of experience they express.

First Look

Before we left for their Morris Arboretum wedding, we had Alicia and Matt’s first look in the courtyard of the Chubb Hotel. Alicia blew Matt away and his reaction to seeing her was perfect! After they had a few minutes to soak each other in, they sat down to exchange gifts.