Sea Cliff Manor Wedding Photography in Long Island
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Christie + Greg
intro
Christie and Greg’s wedding day at Sea Cliff Manor in Long Island was an unforgettable blend of natural beauty, timeless romance, and joyous celebration. No detail was spared in the design of their wedding day. Each piece had a heartfelt meaning and purpose to be incorporated in their wedding day. We love the little details, the ones that most may not notice but mean something to the bride and groom and their families. It’s like little secrets scattered throughout the day that’s just for them to enjoy.
We highly suggest taking moments before the wedding day really gets going to spend time with your bridal party as you prepare for the day ahead. Take a moment to breathe, let the stress of the day go and revel in the love and support surrounding you in this day.
first look & the ceremony
Christie and Greg’s first look moment was beautifully orchestrated in front of the Sea Cliff Manor’s iron gates and as they stole a quiet moment to whisper sweet love notes to one another, you could feel their excitement build and their nerves slip away as they prepared to say “I do”. The bridesmaids gowns the groomsmen black tuxedos perfectly complemented the bride and groom. An unforgettably gorgeous outdoor ceremony and beachfront bridal party photo session followed that seemed to leave all guests just as in love as the newlyweds.
The reception
Dancing into their reception with their bridal party in tow they started the evening off with a bang! We loved seeing family and friends celebrating with the bride and groom. They concluded their night with a sparkler send off as they headed off into their new life as man and wife.
We had such an amazing experience photographing Christie and Greg’s wedding day at the Sea Cliff Manor. We were honored to be part of such an amazing celebration!
If you’re newly engaged and looking for your dream wedding photographer, we’d love to chat with you!
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Sea Cliff Manor | Sea Cliff, NY
Videography | North Island Photography
DJ | Richie Hart Events
Floral | Flowers by Joy
Dress | Pronovias | Max Bridal
Shoes | Badgley Miscka
Hair and Makeup | Beauty Lounge
Invitations | Magnet Street
Transportation | Whitestar Limo
Small Business; Big Family Values
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Capa on my shoulders, Oli strapped to Heather’s chest, we enter the same woods that I used to explore as a child. We’re looking for deer, for frogs, or anything that rustles in the leaves. We pass places that carry snapshots of memories in my mind when Capa decides to let out a coyote howl–awooooo–we all take a turn. We are a wild pack of animals.
It’s times like these that soften the bags under my eyes, the shade of the trees allowing me to open my eyelids a little wider. For all of the blurry hours of the day these minutes are crystal clear. Heather tells me to cling to these moments when things get hard; it’s too easy to let them pass.
All of a sudden it’s the weekend and Heather and I are in the middle of a dance floor, revolving around a mother and son as they cling to each other, and I catch a glimpse of a tear streaming down Heather’s face. She never used to cry during parent dances, but things are different now. Now she sees Capa or Oliver in a suit and she imagines looking into their eyes. I can’t help tearing up either.
And this is how most weeks go for us. We bounce between day care, grocery runs, engagement shoots, weddings, scheduling meetings, and the occasional jaunt in the woods. Weekdays and weekends are indistinguishable save the tuxes, white dresses, epic dance parties, and champagne toasts. Have you ever wondered why they say someone with a watch is “keeping the time” when you can’t really keep it at all? You can only really keep time to the point of telling it, at that specific moment, on that specific day. Thus, it is up to us to keep what was happening in that moment as time moves forward.
Walking in the woods will always remind me of the time before we had Capa and Oliver, when Heather and I explored trails from the Rockies to the Adirondacks. It’s what makes it so special when we get to share it with them, leading them along the path of our values that we’ve been trailblazing since we started dating in 2014. It’s been a steady climb from bartending to starting our own business, from date nights in Manhattan to hosting dinners at our homes in Colorado and Long Island. It’s helped us realize that we will always build upon who we are to figure out where we are going.
And at this point in time, we are a pack of wild animals. Sometimes we wear hiking shoes, other times we wear our precious Sabah’s, but you can catch us howling in the woods or on dance floors alike. Our next chapter will have us tying our aprons behind our backs again, so stay tuned, stay hungry, and stay wild.
Sunken Meadow Pavilion Wedding Photos
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Gina + Peter
It’s funny how every growing family finds their little nook to get away from it all. Many times it’s a lake house or cabin in the woods that the family has been renting for generations. Other times it’s a landmark of mom and dad’s relationship that brings them down memory lane.
For my family, it was Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a wind-swept peninsula an hour-and-a-half drive from Boston. Its cozy cottages, relaxing beaches, seafood restaurants, and family-friendly establishments makes it a destination for the entire New England area. I always thought that the vibe was remarkably similar to the north fork of Long Island, not too far from where my grandmother lived in Wading River. This notion was driven home when I walked into the house that Peter grew up in Patchogue, where his mother warmly greeted me in the sunroom of her adorable colonial-meets-beach style home.
rom-com Relationship Origins
The story of the first time that Gina met Peter sounds like it is straight out of a rom-com: Gina was babysitting and went into a pizzeria that Peter worked at and the little one she was caring for ordered an eggplant Parmesan slice. Peter couldn’t believe that was what they wanted because he still didn’t like eggplant, and offered them a free slice of pepperoni on the house. There wasn’t any monumental shift in the kid’s palate but both Peter and Gina knew that there might be something between them.
Fast forward a couple years when they’re coincidentally both working at a restaurant in Patchogue. Peter comes in to meet up with one of their co-workers when they see each other and remember one another from the pepperoni/eggplant encounter. They wind up going on a beach date shortly thereafter and both show up to work one day rocking the same sunburn. They didn’t care about everyone knowing that they were dating but this totally blew their cover.
The Incredible Lightness of Being (In Love)
I never read the Milan Kundera novel of the same title minus the parentheticals, but I couldn’t help but notice the lightness of Gina and Peter’s relationship. It was clear in the way that their body language relaxed as they approached one another, folding together not only physically but socially and emotionally as well. You could tell that they were on the same wavelength, like they perpetually living in the “honeymoon stage.” You might think that every one of our couples behaves like that on their wedding day, but not quite like Gina and Peter.
Heather and I’s Relationship Origins
Coincidentally, Heather and I met at hospitality jobs also. We worked across the street from each other in 2013 at neighboring restaurants on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. People always find it romantic when I tell them that story, but it wasn’t until after getting to know Peter and Gina’s relationship origins that I began to understand why. I think it’s the idea of an organic, budding romance in the age of dating apps; how of the many relationships that come from working in the hospitality industry—where workers more often than not are in transitory parts of their lives, and people are growing into or building towards the next stage in their lives—that the idea of two people happenstantially meeting to come together and grow together seems improbable. That the odds say most paths diverge.
For Heather and I it adds to the strength of our relationship. We were talking about it the other day and it’s like we were building a foundation even though we didn’t know it. And every subsequent year or period of growth we were building on top of that. It would follow then, that we, and Gina and Peter feel lighter, because rather than building separate foundations we were building on the same one. The higher we go, the lighter we feel.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Sunken Meadow State Park Pavilion | King’s Park, NY
Lake Tahoe Engagement Photos
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Hannah + Bobby
I’m a simple man–give me sunshine to soak in, mountains to stare at, a body of water to throw myself into and a local beer. If you put me in an infinite loop of those things you might not see me until my hair is gray. So when Hannah and Bobby told us that they wanted to travel to California for their engagement photos in Lake Tahoe I started packing before I bought a plane ticket. I knew it was going to be a place I loved before I even set foot there, kind of how I feel about Bend, Oregon.
Lake Tahoe Engagement Photos
Hannah and Bobby are one of those couples that make you question your adventurous spirit. They’ve championed the sky by diving out of planes, the sea by delving beneath the surface, volcanoes with their sturdy strides, and I’m pretty sure you give them a rocket and outer space is next. Hannah and Bobby have a story for every natural setting out of your earth science textbook. It was so fun getting to know them as we explored Lake Tahoe together, 191 square miles (!!) of mountain adjacent aquamarine waters.
The W Loft Brooklyn Wedding Photos
I’m not exactly sure what color the East River is, but I’m not jumping in there anytime soon. That being said, it does provide its own juxtapositional beauty in the foreground of some of earth’s most beautiful man-made mountains. The skyscrapers of Manhattan have the same capacity to inspire as the Sierra Nevadas, especially from the vantage point of The W Loft in Brooklyn. I was just talking the other day about the strangely comfortable feeling you get when you gaze upon a mountain range, allowing the immensity of its presence to make you feel small. Maybe it’s because mountains can’t move fast enough to crush you, or that they provide a grandiose depth of perspective to your eye, but I can’t quite get at the heart of that feeling.
Epic Engagement Ideas
Okay so when I said before that Hannah and Bobby conquered volcanoes, what I meant was that Bobby proposed to Hannah on an active (!!) volcano in Ecuador. What an absolutely epic and absolutely mad idea! Not to mention that the day Bobby planned to do it he came down with an intestinal infection known as Montezuma’s Revenge. Most people would’ve pushed the proposal to another day or settled for a more modest location–but not Bobby. Everything about Hannah and Bobby’s relationship makes me think of the quote that I thought was Bob Marley’s but is apparently credited to Roger Miller: “some people feel the rain; others just get wet.” Some people go through life, but people like Hannah and Bobby live it.
Surround Yourself With Those Who Inspire
As I enter my mid-30’s I can’t help but constantly assess what is and what is not serving me in my life. Lucky for me, I married Heather, a partner who in more ways than one brings me back to a healthy default. For example, we signed up for a CSA program that brings fresh produce every week from the North Fork of Long Island to our doorstep. We got a membership at a local gym with a daycare to incentivize exercise. But perhaps most important is our business where we meet like-minded inspiring people like Hannah and Bobby. Our social and professional web continues to grow outward and I will never take that for granted. Especially when I have the time to kick back and take in a view of a mountain range or skyline of skyscrapers.
The Vanderbilt Museum Wedding and Engagement Photos
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Brittany + Bryan
Despite growing up 15 minutes away from the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, the first time I visited the beautiful, sprawling property in Centerport, Long Island, was a couple years ago. I was taken aback by the charm of the mansion’s Spanish revival architectural style; the cobblestone roads, ceramic rooftops, and clearly mediterranean influence. All over the house are the spoils from the Vanderbilt’s worldwide travel: from a hand-crafted imitation of Napoleon’s bed, to ornate mantlepieces and boathouses, and perhaps most surprising—their extensive collection of taxidermied animals that is truly only trumped by the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. I didn’t even mention the fun-for-all-ages planetarium.
Engagement Photos at Vanderbilt Museum
All of the beautiful architecture makes for the perfect location to for your engagement photos. The architectural style makes it feel like you’re not on Long Island anymore, but the rolling hills and lush green trees overlooking Centerport Harbor bring you right back. You can even turn the session into a date night where they host a series of events, one of which Heather and I got to attend (a modern version of a Shakespearean play).
Centerport Wedding Photographer
Centerport is the perfect example for how easy it is to miss out on what’s right next to you. It’s a quaint residential neighborhood with winding streets and steep hills that feels secluded even though its just off of 25A, one of the busiest local roads. It celebrates it’s private and public beaches, looking out onto it’s own harbor just like so many cove-y towns of the north shore. As much as we love to hop on planes and explore the world it’s always nice to just climb into the car and show the kiddos the beauty around us.
Water's Edge Winter Wedding Photos
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AlexANDRA + BryaN
I never thought of it before, but a wedding is like a home. It is a place to celebrate the people you love with food and drinks, complete with little pieces of yourself scattered about like clues to your soul. Some weddings are sterile like condos with uncomfortably modern furniture, while others are welcoming like old homes with large wooden tables and smooth wooden benches. You know as soon as you walk in, right after you hand your coat to the host or the coat-check, what kind of experience you’re about to embark upon. Well Alexandra and Bryan’s wedding at Water’s Edge in Centerport, New York, was the kind of celebration where you have to wait ‘til the next morning for the candle wax to dry, because no one was blowing out any candles any time soon.
Centerport Wedding Photographer
Shortly after moving into their early 20th century, 1,200 square-foot house in Centerport in 2017, Alexandra and Bryan started becoming obsessed with local history. They became increasingly involved with the Greenlawn - Centerport Historical Association and knew that they would want to keep their celebration as local as possible. Enter Water’s Edge, the historic Thatched Cottage seated on the edge of Mill Pond with a brand new lease on life. It was the perfect place to celebrate their love and it was just a stone’s throw away from their front door.
Water’s Edge Wedding Photos
When you walk into the foyer of Water’s Edge, the clean white marble and large spiral staircase harkens back to the glam ballrooms of the Gatsby era. The decor is modern yet timeless, and the various spaces allow for customization to your heart’s content. Alexandra seized this opportunity to celebrate her love of F. Scott Fitzgerald and imprinted the beautiful blank slate with impressions of her home on every table and in every corner. Vintage books with beautiful blue bindings beneath every dried floral centerpiece, a one-of-a-kind dreamy moon-themed photobooth, and matchbox and candle wedding favors that were both cute and functional. There were no design pages left unturned.
Personal Wedding Vows
Coming from a writer who couldn’t quite get the right words for his own wedding vows, I couldn’t advocate more for speaking about your love at the altar. Just like everything else in life, it’s less about what you say, and more about how you say it. Bryan decided to use Alexandra’s name as an acronym and to use every letter to symbolize something meaningful about their relationship. Alexandra decided to quote a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald depicting the responsiblities of marriage. In my experience as a wedding photographer, your wedding day is a sort of dress rehearsal for the rest of your relationship, and when things inevitably go wrong, how do you handle it? Well when the brakes of the special-ordered vintage car smoked and caught on fire, Alexandra and Bryan rolled (literally) with the punches and embraced the change rather than fought against it. Something tells me that these two will be loving each other for a long, long time.
Inviting Us into Your Home
When we said our goodbyes to Alexandra and Bryan at the end of their wedding, it was like embracing guests at the end of a dinner party. You want the candles to keep burning, the cocktails to keep stirring, and the laughs to keep going. That is what is undoubtedly the best and most rewarding thing about our jobs as wedding photographers. To develop relationships with people like Alexandra and Bryan who would rather build a longer table than a higher fence. In a home and a life like the one they’re building, it’s no surprise that their benches are smooth with the company they keep.
Vendors
Photography: Apollo Fields
Venue: Water’s Edge
Flowers: Hydrangea Home
Photobooth: PicPerf Photobooth, Jenn and Laurie, 917-301-4974
Cake: Dortoni's
Music: Absolute DJs
Guestbook: FeteFone
Wedding band (Alexandra): Erstwhile (created by Erstwhile)
Engagement ring: Erstwhile (vintage)
Wedding band (Brian): Rustic & Main (whiskey barrel, mahogany, rose gold in lay)
Suit: Men’s Warehouse
Dress: from BHLDN FiDi in Manhattan, shoes from BHLDN website (Rachel Simpson)
Transportation: MV Limosines
Invitations & Menus from Paige & Co (UK) - Moon & Stars suite
Make up - Erica Heras
Hair - Danielle Cosmo
Oliver Lin Stephens Huie
“We give birth the way that we live.”
-Our midwife, Michele, East End Midwifery Services
For us—that means having a plan. That means a checklist, a Gcal invite, probably a meeting, and a few back-and-forths. That means gathering a support team, establishing contingencies, idea visualization and manifestation. Focus on intention. What do you want? Then it’s onto logistics and their eventual execution. When it all goes well it feels like the stars are aligning—but when they don’t—we never get swallowed in the darkness.
The Last Total Lunar Eclipse of 2022
For months, the full-moon total lunar eclipse on November 8th, 2022, has been on our calendar. It was a hopeful hypothesis that Oliver would be born in the early morning before the sun followed the blood moon. This is when the tides would be at their strongest and Heather’s due date was only four days later. Well, on November 7th, I woke up to the low hum of Heather moaning, eyes closed, with her head and neck arched back on a pillow. She didn’t even have to say it out loud—I knew she was already in labor.
Doula to the Rescue
A few days before Heather went into labor, our dear friend and local doula, Nancy, informed us that she took a spill down a flight of stairs and sustained a series of injuries including a concussion. A two-hour commute to our house was probably not advisable. Coincidentally, the very next day, our friend Lindsey who lives in Colorado reached out and said that she was interested in flying out and offering her birth photography and doula services if we needed it.
Lindsey’s flight arrived at La Guardia at noon on November 7th.
“A Certain Nocturnal Visitor”
Before Heather went into labor with Capa she said that she was not going to have him during the day. Maybe it’s because sunlight reminds her of work and she can’t work when she’s having a baby, or maybe she’s a vampire. Either way, he was born at night. So after I picked up Lindsey for Oliver’s birth and we told Michele that Heather was in labor, we knew that there wasn’t much urgency given the duration of her contractions and how far apart they were. No matter what we’d be waiting for nightfall.
Active Labor with a midwife
Around 5:30 pm, with Lindsey, Michele, and her assistant, Noelle, in place I could really sink into my support role. I patiently waited all day for Heather to invite me into her space. It started with a hand; to hold, clench, and steer towards pressure points. It evolved to a rebozo and gentle massaging. Then for the next few hours Heather and I would remain close, our bodies and arms wrapped around each other as we hummed and moaned. She eventually told me to stop moaning along. I listened.
Transition
Heather climbed into the tub around 10:30-11pm. I remember thinking that Oliver might arrive before the day is over. Heather requested that we put on Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar and I was amazed that she was still fully tuned in and communicative, swaying her body to the beats in the warm water. At this point during Capa’s birth she had already gone inward to manage the pain. After the first song or two, she invited me closer, pulling my head next to hers, and we closed our eyes and moved together. I remember smiling.
Capa
We put Capa down hours earlier around his normal bedtime. We all cuddled in our king-sized bed as he drifted away to the sounds of his favorite movie, Sing 2. He woke up periodically throughout the night and I would take leave to get him back down. The last time he woke up was around 2 am, when Michele came to the stairs to call me back down. “Heather wants you here, you can bring Capa.” And so for the next 20 minutes Capa and I looked at Heather as she beared down.
Nothing makes you feel smaller than watching a woman give birth. All sense of machismo, bravado, and hubris melts away into admiration—into witnessing what true strength looks like.
A Round of Applause and Fist Bumps
Immediately after Heather gave birth to Oliver, Capa began to clap. Like literally. He then went up to give Oliver a fist bump, followed by the whole support team, one at a time. What a guy.
The Plan
From the outside in, we got lucky with our 2nd successful home birth. We somehow avoided all of the many pitfalls of labor and delivery. But that’s not the way we see it. We see the plan: the meetings, the support team, the contingencies. We see how we put ourselves in a position to succeed by making decisions by following our collective minds and hearts.
We saw how all the stars began to align so we put our jackets on and took a good look at that giant, copper-colored full-moon.
So at 2:33 am on November 8th, 2022, when Oliver Lin Stephens Huie came into this world, it was not because we were lucky.
It was because we aligned our own stars and created our own constellation.
We gave birth the way we live.
Photography & Doula | Lindsey | Lindsey Eden Photography | Arvada, CO
Midwifery | East End Midwifery | Southampton, NY
Doula | Nancy | Nancy Weidner Doula
Grayfields Farm Wedding in New Jersey
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Gray + Laura
I’ve always told people who don’t believe in ghosts that I’d pay for them to stay in a legit haunted house or hotel room. It’s not that I think that it’s actually dangerous but more that it will scare them in the same way I used to be scared of the monsters under my bed (that is, unless I leapt from the bed, in which case, they couldn’t reach me). Now I haven’t had a paranormal experience in a long time—but the photo that Heather took of Laura and Gray at their farm wedding in New Jersey this past weekend—that was the good kind of paranormal. The kind of feeling you get when someone you lost is there with you, watching over you.
Lens Flare? Don’t Care
During Laura and Gray’s golden hour session, they decided to stop by the pine tree that they planted for Gray’s late father, Chris. As they settled into a few poses, Heather kept noticing a flare following Gray around wherever he went. At first she thought it was a lens flare but the way it moved and the way it appeared she ruled that out. Then, as they went to the next spot, Laura and Gray’s favorite tree on their property on the other side of the house, the same flare appeared. Whether or not you believe in ghosts or the many other explanations for how that light appeared, I don’t really care. What I saw and what I felt gave me the sense of presence of life after death and that our energy lives on. This is the positive reality that I choose to believe in.
DIY Weddings
Weddings don’t have to be one-size fits all. You can prioritize or de-prioritize wedding details according to your needs. Laura and Gray didn’t want to have a lot of moving parts so they decided to host it on their gorgeous family farm in Allamuchy, NJ. They did, however, want the food to be amazing so they splurged on a high-quality caterer. They brought in a band, tent, tables, and a trailer restroom and had themselves a wedding to remember. Don’t get overwhelmed with details, instead, choose things that represent your priorities.
Relaxed Wedding Vibes
I always say that the vibe of a wedding comes from the top-down. If the bride and groom are relaxed, everyone else will fall in line, logistics included. Laura and Gray decided to have a more casual attire, jackets optional, because they wanted their guests to be comfortable in the August heat. Many think that the c-word (casual) is an invitation for friends and family to wear cargo shorts and a tuxedo t-shirt, but what happens more often than not is a dressed down, comfortable chic look. I for one, am heavily in favor of moving away from full suits or tuxedos during summer weddings, preferring a more customizable, fashionable style that Gray and his brothers absolutely crushed. Ladies, as for what you decide to wear, the floor is yours!
Laura and Gray’s wedding is one that will stick to me for a long time; if not for the spirituality, or the relaxed vibes, then it is because Capa got to come along. With a bunch of other little ones in attendance, the Grayfields wedding was the perfect blend of family and fun, class and comfort. Cheers guys!
It’s us!
The whole fam with Gray and Laura at polo the day after their amazing wedding. Reach out for your own photo needs below!
Maple Shade 1785 Farm Wedding in Delhi, NY
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Tamara + Ronan
Before Heather and I started Apollo Fields together, my professional mindset was totally different. I had gotten used to being told what to do; whether it was making a drink in a particular way as a bartender, or editing copy according to industry standards as a freelance copywriter, or organizing meetings as a political activist. But as our company has grown over the last four years I am no longer looking for the next task to complete, instead, I’m looking towards what the future holds for Apollo Fields and how Heather and I are going to bring it into fruition. Well visiting Abby and Jay’s idyllic Maple Shade Farm for Tamara and Ronan’s wedding in Delhi, NY, gave me inspiration for one vision of what our future might hold.
Maple Shade Farm Wedding Photos
Working with Abby and Jay on their beautiful upstate New York wedding venue/homestead felt reminiscent of what makes working with Heather so enjoyable. We all were willing to do whatever we needed to do to create the best possible wedding for Tamara and Ronan. There were no ifs-ands-or-buts—only sound decision-making and pleasant attitudes. Heather and I have known for a longtime that a venue of our own might be in our future, and working with Abby and Jay showed us just how possible it is.
NYC Engagement Photos / Upstate New York Barn Wedding
Heather originally met up with Tamara and Ronan in Long Island City in Queens for their engagement photos, but they knew they’d be getting married in a place with more natural surroundings. It’s one of our favorite things about our couples: a shared love of both city life and the natural world. In New York we are able to ride up the Hudson to the Adirondack or Catskill Mountains and we take any and every opportunity to do so. It reminds me of the beginning of Heather and I’s relationship when we were living in NYC but taking adventures all over the northeast.
Maple Shade Farm Wedding
Abby and Jay’s historic barn lies on the foothills of their property that reaches all the way up to the peak of a mountain. It is immaculately groomed, including a man made pond (with canoe upon request!) that serves as a perfect backdrop for an altar and ceremony. Just a quick ride up a hill on a golf cart and you have a beautiful view of the valley that they call home, and we were lucky enough to come at a time when a whole field of daisies were in full bloom. Photo opportunities abound at Maple Shade Farm, both inside and outside the beautifully renovated and repurposed historic barn.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Maple Shade Farm | Delhi, NY
DJ/Pianist | Westphal Music
Dress | BHLDN
Shoes | Loeffler Randall
Veil | Twigs & Honey
Earrings | Jennifer Behr
Rings | Kent Jewelers | NYC
Suits | Robbie and Co. | NYC
Cake | Holiday Farm Biscuit Co.
Catering | Chef Deanna
Invitations | Minted
Owl's Hoot Barn Wedding in Coxsackie, NY
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Jess + Kyle
Some of our couples find us through Instagram, some were guests at a wedding we worked, and others, like Jess, are best friends with the woman who delivered our baby, Capa. We actually met Jess for the first time at Stony Brook hospital a week after Capa was born when Heather had a postpartum appointment. I’d never visited a friend who works in medicine at their hospital before but boy were we grateful for Jess’s enthusiasm and warmth.
Long Island and Upstate New York Wedding Photographer
Even though most in attendance to Jess and Kyle’s wedding were from Long Island, they still opted to get married at Owl’s Hoot Barn in West Coxsackie, NY. It’s a beautiful venue with a cute bridge, little creek, a few ceremony sites to choose from, and a great combination of rustic and modern amenities. Jess and Kyle each had their own house on site to get ready in, maintain privacy, and have plenty of space. The light pouring in through the barn doors was perfect for the reception, and the cocktail hour under the covered back patio allowed for their guests to comfortably enjoy the day.
Have Your Friend Officiate Your Wedding
I may be a bit partial to Michelle, Jess’ best friend, officiant, and our midwife, but having someone close to you officiate your wedding is absolutely the way to go. They know your quirks, relationship, and will speak from the heart. Watching the ceremony allowed me into enter another world of Michelle’s life and of course it was consistent with her thoughtful, caring, and genuine self. You just won’t get the same type of emotional investment in those moments with an officiant-for-hire. We welcome all the feelings and all the tears!
That Time Your Wedding PHotographer Rapped with the Bride
So I don’t know exactly how it happened, but it did. That familiar guitar riff from “Lose Yourself” by Eminem came on and Jess got into the middle of the dance floor and started going for it! As a huge Eminem fan, I joined in on the rapping from the sidelines, but once her friends started peeling off as the song got into its lesser known verses, I found myself gravitating towards the center. I wasn’t going to let her rap by herself! Then all of a sudden, there I was, camera on my hip, rapping with Jess as we exchanged lines. If you prefer your wedding photographer to wear black and be a wallflower, please don’t play Eminem or classic hip-hop. You’ve been warned.
End your Wedding with a Bonfire
The music fades, the cake or ice cream has come and gone, and your friends aren’t done hanging out yet. Book yourself a venue like Owl’s Hoot and grab a bench or a stump to roast a marshmallow and assemble a s’more. The perfect wind down to an epic celebration, just don’t tell Heather, she gets waaay too competitive about her s’more technique.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Owl’s Hoot Barn | West Coxsackie, NY
Floral | River Garden Flower Farm
DJ | DJ Johnny B
Videography | Genuine Collective Films
Makeup | True Beauty Company
Suit | Advance Formal Wear | Rockville Centre, NY
Dress | Enzoani | Bridal Reflections
Invitations | Minted
Cupcakes | Dolce and Biscotti | Clifton Park, NY
Transportation | First Student Transportation
The Piermont Wedding Photography in Babylon, NY
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Justyna + Steve
As much as we love to travel, photographing local weddings continues to make me appreciate the place I grew up. Maybe not the Long Island Expressway or the incessant traffic, but discovering the little pocket towns that line the coast like buoys out in the water. It’s like walking into a familiar community that is just a notch different from where you are from. Last year, we shot a wedding at the Crescent Beach Club in Bayville that felt like a combination of the Caribbean and Long Island vibe; then we went out to Three Village Inn in Stony Brook that gave us a sense of the 19th century history of the island that enamored figures like Walt Whitman and Teddy Roosevelt. This year we’ve gotten a closer look at Centerport Harbor just down the road from our house at the newly renovated Water’s Edge; and Babylon Cove at The Piermont for Justyna and Steve’s wedding.
Rainbow Wedding Photos
Okay I’m not sure what Justyna and Steve did to please the wedding gods but never have we ever seen a full rainbow at a wedding reception. I’m talking, arcing-across-the whole-blue-sky-there’s-gotta-be-a-pot-of-gold-at-the-end type of rainbow. There’s no planning this sort of thing at your wedding but we were in as much awe as the rest of Justyna and Steve’s wedding guests.
Best Wedding Photos
Most of our couples have a few things in common when it comes to wedding photos: they love candids, don’t know how to pose, and get nervous in front of the camera. Family formals are necessary for posterity but beyond that–you fill in the blanks when it comes to the rest. Justyna and Steve decided to do some of their formals outside of the church that they got married at, and wanted to stop at the bar where they had their first date for a few photos before we made our way to a local park for bridal party photos. We stole them for a few more golden hour shots at the venue and had them back with plenty of time to party. It’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to wedding photography, so make sure you prioritize what is most important to you within your timeline and we will handle the rest!
Long Island Wedding Photography
The more people I meet and tell them about Heather, Capa, and Apollo Fields, the happier I become. Somewhere between contentedness, fulfilled, tired, and grateful, I look at all of the places we get to visit and love we get to document and all of a sudden I’m going through a mental rolodex of rolling memories. I think about Andy’s (Ed Helms) line from The Office pretty often when he said, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you left them.” That’s why I always make a conscious effort to take in a view, or kiss Heather on the head when a really tender first dance is happening or the sun is setting. No matter where we are, no matter whose wedding we’re working, at some point during the day Heather and I make eye contact and have an inside joke or shared glance that says “I love you.” It’s Long Island for now, but who knows what’s next.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | The Piermont | Babylon, NY
Band | Trade Winds
Floral | Flowers by Burton
Prospect Park Engagement Photos
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Dan + Rachel
Engagement photos are like first looks—they are less about being overly romantic and more about having fun with your partner in front of the camera. A lot of the times, Capa and I will come along for the engagement shoot to lighten the mood while we all get to know each other. For Dan and Rachel, however, Capa and I explored a little bit of Park Slope, Brooklyn, while they brought Heather around Prospect Park to some of their favorite spots. That’s because I’ve known Dan since grade school and they didn’t necessarily need a heckler and a toddler to tag along.
Prospect Park Engagement Photographer
We began the shoot at Dan and Rachel’s apartment where we had a couple of cocktails on their cozy back patio. They wanted to get a couple of shots with their aptly named pup, Toast, and didn’t want to bring him for the full session. After we wrapped and took our last sips, Capa and I took to the pavement and they all hopped in a cab. There are few things I enjoy more than walking around a New York City neighborhood with no destination. I may or may’ve not intentionally stumbled upon a brewery a couple blocks away.
Grabbing Dinner (or drinks) With Your Photographers
Since my job as an assistant to the engagement shoot was not needed, my other job was to get Capa to sleep so that we could all enjoy a nice dinner together. We love to connect with our couples over a meal or round of drinks because we get to talk details of the wedding, setting expectations, and finding out what they are most looking forward to. This familiarity and connection really does wonders for removing some of the stress of the unknowns on your wedding day! Cheers to Capa for going down just in time for us to relax into a charming outdoor dinner with Dan and Rachel.
WINDHAM MANOR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
We were stoked to hear that Dan and Rachel decided to get married at Windham Manor in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York. We haven’t worked there before, but the tagline on their website “classic charm meets modern luxury” gives me assurance that our photography style will be a perfect fit. Heather and I love nature, lush greens and rolling hills, big spacious barns with high ceilings and authentic craftsmanship. The trick is finding a venue that has all of these while also maintaining access to lodging and modern luxuries. My guess is you’ll probably find Dan and I on a golf course nearby in the days leading up to their wedding!
City/Nature Lovers Like Us
If you live in a city and can’t decide where to do your engagement photos, why not get the best of both worlds and do them in a park in the city like Dan and Rachel? You pay homage to part of you that loves the city and you get to save the more outdoorsy photos for your wedding!
New Haven Lawn Club Wedding at Yale, CT
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John + Christine
“Compatibility is an achievement of love, not its precondition.”
- John quoting Alain de Botton in his vows.
It’s not often that a line from one of our couple’s vows stops me in my tracks. And it’s not like our couples mail in their vows. It’s just that expressing how we feel about our significant other in front of an audience is a very tall task. Even me, who writes about love all the time, wound up coming up with my vows on the spot. But when John said the line above, I realized that it summarized why my relationship with Heather continues to grow—because our compatibility is something that we are constantly, intentionally working on—it isn’t just some divine, ethereal, fixed connection that we stumbled upon. Of course, luck played a part in our paths crossing; but it has nothing to do with bringing those paths together.
Yale Wedding Photos
I guess I should’ve known that two Yale grads would wind up sending me to the library to find books from a Swiss-born romantic philosopher (de Botton). But as we made our way around the campus, snapping photos of John and Christine in the beautiful mixture of historic and modern architecture, I couldn’t help but notice how nice everyone was. There was none of the nose-in-the-air snootiness that Ivy League institutions have become infamous for. Instead we took a literal walk down memory lane on a beautifully sunny Sunday afternoon with a gleeful couple so very much in love.
Open Mic at Weddings
It seems that John and Christine’s friends were cut from the same brilliant, creative, and kind cloth that they were. From both group and solo a cappella renditions of romantic classics, to classical piano and cello arrangements, musical talent was not in short supply. Even Christine’s dad brought a mountain of his endearing personality to both his heartfelt speech and dance with his daughter. Your wedding provides you a venue to not only express your love, but your friends and family if they so desire.
New Haven Lawn Club Wedding
One of the pieces of advice I constantly hear myself saying is that your wedding should reflect your values. Do you have a bunch of musically talented friends like John and Christine? Have a mic and instruments ready to go. Are you more casual and like games? Rent some carnival games and concessions. Somewhere along the way we forget as adults that we can celebrate things or live life the way we want to. Christine and John created an unforgettable experience for themselves and their guests with some great choices and help from an absolutely fantastic wedding coordinator.
Romanticism Comes in Many Forms
If I learned anything from Christine and John it’s that you don’t have to be saccharine to be romantic. You don’t have to resort to cliches and platitudes. All you have to do is do a little research, stay in your lane, and express your love in the language you know best. It doesn’t have to be poetic or original to resonate with someone else—it just has to be true.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | New Haven Lawn Club | New Haven, CT
Floral | The Floating Dahlia
Dress | Woo by Watters Vielle | BHLDN
Videography | Powerstation Events
DJ | Local Motion
Party Planner | Irene + Co
Suit | Men’s Wearhouse
Rings | Tiffany and Co.
Invitations | Zola
Hair/Makeup | MBD Beauty
It’s Us!
Having a blast with John and Christine! Reach out for your own wedding photography.
Equestrian Wedding Photos
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Helen + Sam’s Wedding
The first wedding of a triple-header weekend feels like the first lap around the track when running a mile. Your pace is good, energy is high, and you think to yourself, “I got this, this is going to be easy!” Lucky for us, Helen and Sam’s equestrian wedding at John Jay Homestead was the perfect mix of their fun personalities to get our weekend off on the right foot!
John Jay Homestead Wedding Photos
The best part about having a wedding on a blank canvas historical site like John Jay’s Homestead in Katonah, NY, is how customizable it is. Yes, you have to do the legwork to bring everything in, but the result is a wedding that reflects the most important aspects of a couples relationship. Take Sam and Helen’s wedding for example: they held their ceremony behind one of the many picturesque, historical buildings, and branded a cowhide rug at the ceremony’s conclusion. From there, their guests moved onto cocktail hour in the garden while the staff put the finishing touches on their reception space under a pristine white tent. Helen and Sam decided to bring in food trucks rather than a catering company, and had a mechanical bull (!!), and a bunch of other carnival games scattered about the grass. You won’t see these details at your local country club.
Equestrian Wedding Photographer
We knew going into Helen and Sam’s wedding that wedding photos with their horses were at the top of their priority list. Right after the ceremony, their horses, Pacman and Pepper, arrived to the property, and we found a great shaded spot for them to stay cool while we corralled them. Taking photos of horses can feel like trying to take photos of 2,000 pound children who can’t be bothered to look at the camera, but Pacman and Pepper did a great job! Helen even jumped on Pacman bareback—the kind of no-frills bride we absolutely LOVE to work with! Do what YOU WANT TO DO on your special day!
Personalized Wedding Details
Whether it’s something blue, a pair of cufflinks, a watch, belt buckle, tie clip, or cowboy hat—make sure you grab a little something for yourself to show off on your wedding. Heather and I had “bad cop” and “good cop” stitched into our respective wedding garments for our celebration. We always joked that when we had a kid that these would be our roles. As for Helen and Sam, they trekked down to Fort Worth, Texas, to get some American-made, custom cowboy hats for their wedding day. They both dazzled in them and wore them like badges of honor. No faux cowboys or cowgirls here, just a couple horse lovers through-and-through.
Golden Hour Photos
We finished Helen and Sam’s wedding day with some absolutely stunning golden hour photos! They strolled the grounds, already reflective and ecstatic with how their wedding day went, and shared a few beautiful moments before we headed home.
vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | John Jay Homestead | Katonah, NY
Tent | Cartwright and Daughter’s
Bar | Bar-a-Cudas
Food Trucks | Brooklyn Boys @southbrooklynboyspizza | Three Little Pigs | Taco Loco | Waffle Cabin
DJ | Lakeside Productions
Floral | Maple Field Floral
Planner | LCR Events
Concessions | Conrad’s Concessions
Carnival Games | Just 4 Fun Entertainment | Ovation Events
Hair/Makeup | Beautify by Celeste
Transportation | Red Oak Transportation
Howdy, friends!
We had such a blast with Sam and Helen! Reach out today for your own photography.
Coastal Wedding at Water's Edge in Centerport, NY
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Erin + Gavin’s Wedding
Wedding season 2022 is upon us and it feels gooooood! Heather, Capa, and I spent most of our “off-season” traveling: a couple of work trips to Florida, and a few leisure trips to Mexico City, Aruba, and Vermont. Everything and everywhere seems to feel fuller, more enriching with Capa growing by our sides. The bigger he gets the more he engages, and the more I want to throw him on my shoulders and show him the world.
Water’s Edge Wedding Photos
The venue formerly known as Thatched Cottage on 25A in Centerport has gotten a fancy new facelift and it is stunning. Clean, marble surfaces, pristine white walls and columns, and a beautiful expansive patio out on the water. The decor is modern and inviting, well lit, and flattering. We were so excited to work in the space and Gavin and Erin’s wedding did not disappoint!
Oyster Bay Engagement Photography
We began the day at Gavin and Erin’s gorgeous home in Oyster Bay, where the girls were getting ready while the guys relaxed at the Marriot hotel in Melville. As a photographer, there are a few things you come to expect when you walk in the door: clouds of hairspray, half-drunken mimosas, curling irons, makeup kits, and empty water bottles, and a bride slightly on edge. Everything is finally coming together and the reality of their wedding day is beginning to set in. We like to plan to arrive 30 minutes before the bride gets in her dress, and Gavin and Erin’s home checked all of the boxes except that Erin was as calm as a breeze passing over Oyster Bay.
Wedding Vibes Come From the Top Down
You can pretty much tell how a wedding day is going to go when you see a couple engage with each other after their “first look.” Up until then, the jitters of marrying your partner play in your mind like those nostalgic butterflies on the playground—except they feel a lot larger. Before Gavin even turned around to see Erin he turned to me and said, “I know I’m gonna cry,” and that’s all you really need to know about their relationship. They have a kind tenderness to the way they look at each other; and we knew that when we did their engagement session a few months earlier.
Bridal Parties Amplify the Vibe
A proper bridal party knows their couple inside and out, tends to their wants and needs, and parties their faces off. Whether that means packing the dance floor, carrying the bride’s train, or pouring her a baby shot of vodka to curb the jitters, a bridal party knows what to do. That couldn’t have been more true for both sides of Gavin and Erin’s bridal parties, who gave support and care when their best friends needed it, and were the first ones to lift them off the ground when they asked for that too. They were a photographer’s dream: photogenic, packed with energy, and followed direction to a tee. Bravo to the couple for picking solid crews to surround them!
Rain Happens, But Don’t Let it Cloud Your Wedding Day
The more perfect you expect your wedding to be the more upset you will be when things out of your control happen. I’m not saying don’t get excited, I’m saying be prepared to embrace contingency plans. On an otherwise gorgeous day, Gavin and Erin had to shift their ceremony location change at the last minute due to rain in the area, but they didn’t let it get them down. The strength of their relationship and their connection to each other permeated the stress of the situation and they still had a beautiful ceremony thanks to the fast-moving team at Water’s Edge. Love is a top-down thing on your wedding day, and that is even more true for the rest of your life!
vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Water’s Edge | Centerport, NY
Band | Silver Arrow Band
Cake | Dortoni Bakery
Floral | Verbena Designs
Rings | Catbird | Brooklyn, NY
Dress | BHLDN
Suit | Men’s Wearhouse
Invitations | Minted / The Printery (Oyster Bay, NY)
Transportation | Mark of Elegance
Chart House Wedding Photography in NJ
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Lily + Dan’s Wedding
Being invited to photograph any wedding is a privilege. But being invited to photograph the wedding of my childhood bestie is an extra special privilege and one that isn’t lost on me.
Lily and I met in pre-school and were fast friends, despite the fact that she came home from school to tell her mom about her new buddy “Feather” and promptly decided that I must be the spawn of hippie parents. (Little did they know, my dad wanted to name me Pinecone, so the assumptions weren’t that far off).
But as we grew closer, so did our parents, and for the next decade we had lived within walking distance of each other so there were endless playdates, hiking adventures, sleep overs, and I even managed to coerce Lily and her sister onto a horse one or two times. We went to the same schools and rode the same bus all the way up until 9th grade when I left for boarding school, but despite the distance, still managed to maintain our friendship as we formally grew up, went to college, began our careers, and eventually “settled down”.
“Settled down” is a term I mostly loathe, so please don’t take it too seriously. There is an inherent resignation in the phrase, which is precisely the opposite of how I feel at this point in my life. But it does sort of blow my mind to think that we are at the age where we can be getting married and having babies and it’s not scandalous.
When Lily and Dan first began dating, I was living in the UWS of the city at the time. And I remember joining them at the tail end of one of their early dates in midtown actually, but my fatal flaw was that it was during my "sober week” that I do the first week of each new year. We had a great time, but I do remember the bartender getting a little sassy with me for just ordering an iced tea late night at a bar….
Over the years though, their relationship grew and grew so I was both delighted and unsurprised when they got engaged! Getting the opportunity to photograph their wedding meant so much to me, as I was able to be so hands-on with both of them on one of the biggest days of their lives! And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tear up at least a few times during their big day.
Northport Long Island Wedding Photographers
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Ashley & Andrew’s Wedding
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Reception | Huntington Crescent Club
Ceremony | Private Residence
Long Island Winter Wedding at One10 Restaurant
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Amanda + Bill
Looking for a Unique venue? Have Your Wedding at a Restaurant!
Amanda and Bill decided to have their wedding at One10 Restaurant on Long Island because they felt it represented who they are more than a venue could. Consider their amazing wedding a reminder that you can do whatever you want at your wedding! One10 serves up a delicious mix of elevated rustic Italian and classic steakhouse. The expansive, clean space is anchored by a huge white granite bar and has a door that separates the space for private events. The flow of the day was seamless and the windows at the back of the restaurant allowed plenty of natural light to pour in for stunning photos!
Personalize Your Wedding Details
Amanda has a ton of experience in the wedding industry as a florist so right off the bat she knew what she wanted. She loved the details of One10: the floral wall with neon sign that read “the dolce vita,” the modern stylish decor, customizable space and the unbeatable food. Amanda added her own personal touches in the place cards with fun games and obviously stunning florals. Little details can go a long way into helping your wedding feel more intimate—the work might be tedious or laborious but it is always worth it!
Have a Winter Wedding
Winter weddings come with low temperatures and early sunsets but don’t let those things deter you from planning a winter wedding! The winter months also allow for more flexibility, different attire like fur shawls, and the chance of getting some amazing photos in the snow. Amanda and Bill got a chilly day but still braved the cold for their first look photos outside, and even finished the day with a few shots on the back patio. It’s up to you to determine what is most important at your wedding, so if one of those things isn’t spring or summer weather, take a look at hosting your wedding in the colder months.
Long Island Wedding Photography
From Montauk to the city, Heather and I travel all throughout Long Island to document weddings. We personally love doing weddings like Amanda and Bill’s that clearly have been well-planned and executed with a personal touch. Amanda and Bill are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet and their wedding reflected their personalities through-and-through. We wish them the best of luck and can’t wait to meet up to grab a slice or bagel in the coming years!
VENDOR TEAM:
Photography: Apollo Fields
Ceremony & Reception Venue: One10 Restaurant
Party Planner / Day-Of Coordinator: Audra Jones- The Day Of Company
Videographer : White Tie Video
Florist: Flowers by Manny
DJ / Band : High Voltage Entertainment
Cake / Bakery : CaseyCakes
Rings : The Karat Shop
Hair and Makeup: Sue Natale + Mel Polito
Transportation / Limo: Cruise Control Limousine
The whole squad!
It’s us with the dream team of vendors + Amanda and Bill!
News Years Eve Wedding in Nashville at the Union Station Hotel
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Mike + Robyn
We Say Goodbye to 2021 with…country music?!
I’ve never liked country music, but Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver BANGS. And I’m not sure which genre you place Johnny Cash or John Prine in, but they’re good in my book, too. For the last wedding of the year Heather and I found ourselves in Nashville, Tennessee, on New Years Eve for my friend Mike's (henceforth known as Skeats) wedding. Skeats met Robyn in Nashville shortly after he moved down from New York several years ago, and everytime I’ve met up with them I’ve known that they found great partners in each other. Robyn loves country music and Skeats is coming around.
Traveling During Omicron: Making Things Happen
Unfortunately for Skeats and Robyn, the surge in Covid cases due to the Omicron variant threw a last minute monkey wrench into their plans. They pressed forward and still held the best New Year’s Eve party and wedding that I’ve ever been to! We all took the proper precautions to the best of our ability and knew the risks involved. So much has been made of Covid over the last two+ years that it’s hard to separate opinions from politics, but in Heather and I’s experience, just add this to the list of events that we were grateful to be a part of. Even in pre-pandemic times, there were always a million reasons to not do something, or be somewhere. We were totally stretched to our limits the past two years and time-and-time again the choice to just make things happen and show up put smiles on all of our faces.
Union Station Nashville Yards Wedding Photos
Holy beautiful, Batman. The clean large tile floors, plush leather furniture, vaulted ceilings, and massive crystal chandeliers. The tall christmas tree at the center of the lobby with woodcraft classic board games set up at every table gave this luxuriously welcoming space a homemade vibe. Skeats and Robyn’s ceremony was held at one end of the looming hall, right in front of a stone fireplace with a clean mantle. Robyn particularly loved descending the original wooden stairs of the building, holding onto a handcrafted handrail that has stood the test of time. It’s crazy how time can change a space from a place full of commuters to a venue to celebrate the commencement of love.
Broadway Doesn’t Disappoint
If you like to party and haven’t been to Nashville–get there. The main strip of Broadway is lined with live music bars with wide open windows, so every 15 feet you walk you hear a new tune. We didn’t get to get as crazy as a younger me would’ve liked, but we did stroll Capa down the block and watch as he marveled at every sparkling, blinking, banging, iota of stimuli. Heather went to the Country Music Hall of Fame with her aunt, Pam, then, the next day, Heather and I went to the Johnny Cash Museum. I didn’t know that Johnny Cash grew up listening to his 2nd wife, June Carter, on the radio. I also didn’t know that she was the one who wrote the song, Ring of Fire.
2022 and Beyond
Heather and I had one more wedding this past weekend on Long Island; and with that, our wedding season finally comes to an end. From here we plan on catching up on studio work, taking a vacation or two, and continue booking all the way through 2023! We are going to Aruba and Mexico City so please share with us any recommendations you might have! To a happy and healthy 2022, make sure you make the effort to make things happen.
Photography: Apollo Fields
Venue: Union Station Hotel
Day-Of Coordinator + Florist: Olive & Birch
HMUA: The Agency of Beauty
Band: For a Good Time Call
Cake: Nashville Sweets
Ringing In The New Year
It’s going to be hard to top this NYE for us! Nashville brought all the energy and good vibes.
74 Wythe NYC Rooftop Wedding in Brooklyn
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Hiro + Janel
The wedding season winding down feels like those last couple hours of an amazing dinner party: you’ve got a good buzz going and you’re looking around as the crowd starts to wane--but you’re not quite done yet. You start striking up conversations with people you’ve never met and you open one of the leftover bottles of wine. As guests continue to file out you find yourself finishing your last few sips and you begin to admit that the night is coming to a close. It’s bittersweet--but you know that rest is important and you say good night to the hosts for an amazing evening. 2021 was (and is) Heather and I’s best year of our lives, both professionally and personally, so it’s only fitting that Hiro and Janel are one of the last few incredible hosts to bring our year to a close.
The week leading up to a wedding Heather and I are always keeping an eye on the weather report. Even if the forecast says rain we typically carry a bit of optimism because you never really know. Contingency plans are important, of course, but maintaining a positive attitude is even more critical. I’ve learned to watch how a couple manages their emotions during their wedding day--it often tells you most of what you need to know about how they handle difficulties in their relationship. Well despite hail, sideways wind, and an immense wall of fog sweeping through Manhattan like an early morning in San Francisco, Hiro and Janel were class and charm all the way through.
When Heather and I started snapping Hiro and Janel’s getting ready photos at The William Vale in Williasmburg, Brooklyn, the sky was tame and the atmosphere clear. I took Hiro and his family members and groomsmen out onto the gorgeous balcony overlooking the east river and took advantage of the beautiful, diffracted light. Within minutes the sky went black and little white pebbles began to fall from the sky. I could no longer see a single building in Manhattan. Hiro and Janel’s wedding venue, 74Wythe, was just across the street but the hail gave way to a downpour of rain. Crossing that block would feel like an avenue in the city. Heather and I told Hiro and Janel that we’d go scout the venue and come back with a contingency plan.
We all decided to do Hiro and Janel’s first look in the rooftop greenhouse where they would later hold their ceremony and reception. After they climbed the stairs and turned to look at each other their gazes still carried such a depth of appreciation: of each other, the day, and the moment. It definitely wasn’t easy for them to look past the things they couldn’t control but watching the way they looked at each other I saw how strong they were together--not to mention that they looked absolutely stunning.
The night would continue on as planned, and the band brought down the house. Each of Hiro and Janel’s brothers gave speeches that further proved the caliber of their families and friends, and the depth of their connection. At the end of the night they thanked us for being calm amidst the storm and we commended them for doing the same. They invited us to the after party, and we would’ve 100% taken them up on their warm invitation if we didn’t have to get home to Capa. As we said our goodbyes and I started ratcheting down the light stands, I found a glass of wine that a guest put in my hand from 30 minutes before--and I couldn’t help but take a sip and want to stay a little longer.
Closing out the night
with Hiro and Janel! Contact us below for your own photography.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Reception | 74Wythe | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Getting Ready Photos | William Vale | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Florals | Eriko Nagata | EriN Design INTL | New York, NY
Caterer | Nuhma NYC | New York, NY