Phil & Morgan : A Downtown Engagement | Danbury, Connecticut | New England Photographer
New England Photographer | Destination Engagement | Downtown Engagement
To preface this sweet couple, I wanted to give you a chance to view their relationship the way I do. So while working on Morgan & Phil’s blog, I stumbled upon a new playlist on Pandora and let me tell you, I highly recommend taking a peek at it while you view their images below. It’s the “Coming Home” by Leon Bridges Station… totally worth listening to in general but definitely for the next 75+ images.
Okay, let’s get started!
Morgan & Phil, your favorite dating app couple! You never know where you will find love and for these two, it was in Roanoke, VA and to this day, their love still travels and leaps across states during their engagement. When they first met, Phil was playing semi-professional hockey for the Roanoke Railyard Dawgs and they sparked a love made for tv shows, cough cough, like their favorite The Bachelor! Which just so happens to be how Phil proposed to Morgan. He surprised her by coming into town, saying goodbye to her thinking he was leaving for CT but ended up staying and having her family in on it, her Dad had Morgan go to his house to let the dog out and Phil had rose petals & candles everywhere so as soon as she walked into the house, she would be surprised. And based off of the video footage they have from their Ring doorbell, she was definitely shocked in a good way and said YES!
So much detail goes into their relationship but one thing that sticks out is just how passionate they are! For each other, for their families, for their friends and for their interests! Shortly after they met, Phil transferred to the Quad City Storm and then landed at the Danbury Hat Tricks and Phil became a sensation… with his mustache! For those who don’t know, he grows it every November and it’s worth a Google. But Phil isn’t the only sensation. Morgan fits right in to the hockey world and the Danbury fans EAT them up as a couple!
For their destination engagement, we decided to all travel to Danbury, Connecticut and explore the city. We started at a local park full of nature that popped out of the middle of nowhere. One minute we were in downtown and then BAM, NATURE! It was gorgeous and gave me vibes of home. Not to mention that these two made it feel like home! After spending almost an hour at the park, we jumped back in our cars and headed to the ice rink that Phil plays at and we had the ice all to ourselves with absolute freedom. When we first showed up, we were all a little worried because the ice had an intense fog sitting on top of it but it was the perfect touch! As you can tell, we laughed A LOT, Phil played around in his skates and precious Darla stole the show in every photo she participated in! You’ll see Morgan sporting two jackets at the rink, both representing their relationship in different ways. I won’t describe them here and will leave those nuggets of joy for you to read down below when you actually see them so don’t miss those tid bits below. To end their shoot, we walked through an active construction zone (thank you to the CT police for saying yes) to an alleyway across the street from the rink for the most colorful images ever! This final location completed every scenery we could’ve asked for with a nice city/urban vibe in the heart of Danbury! While we really worked the penalty box at the rink, we also enjoyed the creative mural peeping behind them and some random AC blowing out of a window in between pictures. The laughter continued through each and every location and when I say it was truly an experience, just ask their behind the scenes Darla lover Olivia and hockey fan/friend Ed who tagged along. We rolled deep into that alley creating so much fun for ourselves that I would beg to say the construction workers were jealous!
So where are they now and what’s to come? Well… after a turn of events, this strong couple continues to make long distance work between Virginia and Connecticut but there is hope to be together soon! They are still planning their spring wedding at Ivy Rose Barn and let’s just say if their engagement session was this much fun, I can ONLY imagine their wedding day. Having known Morgan through life, it’s so wonderful seeing her find her MATCH (get it, because they matched on a dating app?).. okay, there’s my dad joke for the day but what a great feeling it is!! Fun fact, we went to preschool together, her mom bought my parents car and I’ve photographed a handful of her friend’s marriages & lives and now, it’s her turn! So leave them some love because they deserve it and be prepared, I know she’ll share more pictures when she gets them!
Jacket Number One: The Patches
On her blue jean jacket, she has different patches to relate to their life events. His favorite team, the teams where he’s played, a rose for the Bachelor/their proposal, a thumbs up for being a Tinder Couple and more! But not only does she have a jacket but DARLA HAS A JACKET! Custom made for their engagement shoot, little Miss Darla twinned with her Momma and it was the most precious thing you’ll ever see!
Jacket Number Two: The Barrel
This jacket was made to show one of the iconic pictures of Phil hoisting the barrel from Litchfield Brewery on the ice after winning a game! In Danbury, the team wanted to create a tradition like other hockey teams. Hence, hoisting the barrel. Well, with that famous mustache… Phil Bronner and the barrel made the back of Morgan’s black jean jacket! Talk about style! The comradery this town has for its team is infectious and truly has me calling myself a New England Photographer just so I can visit more often… and see these two!
