Terrence Takeover | The Line Between Guest and Vendor
Apollo Fields | Best Wedding Photos | Long Island Wedding Photography | Catskill Mountain Wedding Photographer | Upstate New York WEdding PHotographer | Writer | TErrence Huie
A bunch of acquaintances sit and stand around a large table, some blinds drawn and a faint waft of hair spray comes floating into the room. The nervous tension is palpable as conversation stalls in the dense air. There are a handful of half-eaten sandwiches and macaroni salads on paper plates strewn across the room complete with crumpled napkins and half-drunk mimosas. These are the last remnants before a wedding finally kicks off.
I’m standing on a beautiful wrap-around porch on an overcast day in the Catskill Mountains in my royal blue suit. It’s the same suit I wear when I work weddings when one of the guys asks, “is it easy for you to turn it off? Like today, will your mind be cranking?” As I begin to say that I was just scouting the first look location and going into details of what I’ve already helped with I stop–”no, it’s not. I’m more of a lifestyle guy. I’m interested in making sure that everyone is having a good time.” It didn’t occur to me until now that I was lying–well sort of half-lying–I was making sure that everyone was having a good time; but I also wasn’t turning it off,
making sure that everyone was having a good time—was actually me working.
I didn’t realize I was fully put into the guest zone until I was walking on the catwalk of the beautiful barn at Windham Manor when someone yelled below, “hey, you’re not supposed to be up there!” I’ve gotten so used to the wedding vendor all access pass that I didn’t know I was trespassing.
For the last five plus years I’ve been going into rooms like the one I described and facilitating conversations with people who may or may not know each other, and definitely don’t know me. I haven’t been afraid of entering crowded rooms since I learned to bartend ten years ago. Actually, I thrive on finding the common ground between myself and others. That’s because the more I learn about others, the more I learn about myself. So when I see a room full of people wiggling in their seats, avoiding eye contact, looking for what to say–I don’t move towards the walls, I move towards the center.
I move towards getting people talking. I notice the ones that don’t want to or can’t find the right words. I don’t press them. I laugh at the loud, lewd jokes. I keep walking along, wagging my tail, as Heather constantly refers to me as a golden retriever. It’s actually a quality that’s plagued me because I find it really hard to quantify. Even speaking about it makes me nauseous with self-importance.
I love to be around other people. That’s it. I’m a chronically addicted extrovert.
So when I attended the wedding of one of the last remaining bachelors of my grade school friends, I talked to a lot of people. I didn’t take many pictures, and I didn’t dance much either. I bounced around from cocktail tables to people seated on stairs, to people on couches at the after party. The entire wedding is a blur of laughter and conversations. I wasn’t working but looking back at it I kind of was. My personal life has blended so much with my professional life that it’s hard to discern where the good times end and work begins. I think it’s a good problem–and one that I will inevitably bring up while wagging my tail at one of our couple’s cocktail hours.
Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding
Apollo Fields | Colorado Wedding Photographers | Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding Photos | Estes Park Wedding Photographer | Outdoor Wedding Ideas | Best Wedding Photos
Kelly + Evan
Coasting down that final stretch of road into Estes Park, the sun poured through the clouds onto the mountaintops like spotlights on a stage. Mountain weather tends to have a flair for the dramatic: passing storms, ominous thunder and lightning in the distance, plummeting temperature once the sun falls below the earth’s natural curtain. Such are the concerns for couples who choose to stage the ceremony of their love in the heart of nature’s beauty.
Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding
Kelly and Evan are east coasters like us, hailing from Connecticut and most recently Maryland. But having just moved to the Mile High City a month ago, they decided to host their ceremony in Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the (many) natural Crown Jewels of the beautiful state of Colorado. Inviting some of their closest friends and family, we gathered at a trail head, a party of around 20, to listen to their vows with green meadows, chirping birds, and jaw-dropping views all around.
One Couple, Two Locations
A growing trend for our couples is to host an engagement shoot or ceremony in one adventurous destination, and a more accessible reception in another. This allows them to travel to a place they’ve always wanted to visit, or commemorate a certain chapter of their relationship, while also providing a celebration for the larger group of loved ones in their lives. WE ARE ALL ABOUT IT. Truth be told, Heather and I wanted to elope on a mountaintop when we lived in Colorado, but opted to have our wedding on her aunt and uncle’s beautiful farm in northern New Jersey.
Destination Wedding Photographers Based in New York
I’m sure many could see multiple locations for a wedding celebration as too much hassle for Heather, Capa, and I (even if we weren’t expecting!), but that’s not how we see it. We see it as an opportunity to travel to amazing places, document authentic parts of our couple’s relationships, and have fun while doing it. Admittedly, I may get a bit neurotic when packing for the airport and boarding the plane, but once we hop in a rental car, we crank the tunes and we’re on our way!
Connecticut Wedding Photographers
Part two of Kelly and Evan’s wedding celebration will be at Shuttle Meadow Country Club in Kensington, Connecticut. The venue is only 30 minutes from where Heather and Kelly went to high school together at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, CT. It’s funny how consistent the overlap of values that Heather has with her former classmates over the years. It seems that everyone we meet or every couple’s wedding we photograph, we unearth a little bit of that bond that they all forged together. Not to mention all of the amazing partners they’ve chosen to marry; Evan being no exception.
National Park Wedding Photographer
So when I closed my eyes and heard Kelly and Evan speak their vows to each other in one of the most serene places I’ve ever been to, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit of something akin to imposter syndrome. Something about all of these beautiful couples in all of these stunning locations makes me question why I deserve it. I’m so lucky to be part of this business, with a partner who could make both a board room and modeling runway bend to her will without saying a word. When speaking to Mercie and Danika—a magical couple whose wedding we photographed last year and coincidentally were in Estes Park and made themselves available to us to take care of Capa while we worked—I said that my heart is so full that I almost need to invent something to reach for. It’s not complacency; it’s marrying ambition with fulfillment and remembering that I deserve it—just like every other human being on this planet.
Wedgewood Boulder Creek Wedding
Apollo Fields | Colorado Wedding Photographers | Boulder Wedding Photographer | Best Wedding Photos | Wedgewood Boulder Creek Wedding Photographers |
Paige & Johns Wedding
Flight number five for Capa and we’ve gotten into a pretty good routine. Early morning flights are preferable because he’s tired and will sleep on the car ride to the airport and in flight. About an hour before takeoff we give him a small dosage of baby Tylenol. Then we pump him full of puffs, fruits, and top him off with some milk at takeoff. Then, almost like clockwork, he goes down within the first fifteen minutes of flight. Then both he and Heather lay on my lap and I am immobile until they both wake up. They usually sleep 1.5-2 hours while I fidget around and hope that I don’t drop my phone or book into the abyss of the floor of the airplane. This is what traveling with an infant looks like.
We first met Paige and John for their engagement photos at Sapphire Point in Dillon, Colorado, at sunrise. We expected an autumnal scene with a sea of yellows and oranges but instead were greeted with the chill and white of winter. Paige and John rolled with the punches and a special shout out to Paige for somehow being able to not look cold with exposed shoulders with temperatures in the teens. John was shivering in a full suit and jacket. I was sipping on a piping hot macchiato.
Paige and John held their reception in one of my favorite places in Colorado: Boulder Canyon. Back when Heather and I lived in Arvada I bombed down Boulder Canyon Drive on my single speed bike, careening around curves, taking in the scenery while doing my best to keep my eyes on the road. I came to an abrupt stop at the bottom of the decline when I noticed a rope swing with a bunch of people gathered around it. I couldn’t help but cool off by launching myself into the cool waters of Boulder Creek.
Paige and John’s reception was at Wedgewood-Boulder Creek, and to no one's surprise it’s one of my favorite venues. I love the layout of the property: guests are welcomed onto the property along the left of the building which spills out to a nice, green space for cocktail hour. The staff is always attentive and courteous and the food is delicious. It’s typically during this time that Heather and I take the couple down to the creek for a few romantic shots because golden hour can be tricky when seated at the base of the canyon. By the time we get back up, we’re able to enjoy the outdoors a little longer before everyone is ushered into a covered patio with regal chandeliers and natural wood beams and columns. It’s very intimate but never feels overcrowded. It’s a great space for heartfelt speeches and dances.
Paige and John hosted a beautiful wedding that we loved being a part of. It was one of the first times a guest offered to take a picture of me and Capa as we were making our way through cocktail hour! Everyone was so kind and fun that it made the day go by like an afternoon in the park with friends. Thank you for having us, Paige and John!
Enjoy these pictures from John & Paige’s Boulder CO Wedding:
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Wedgewood Boulder Creek
Florist | Bitterroot Studio
Bakery | Button Rock Bakery
Video | Multiply Media
Dress | Emma & Grace Bridal
Rings | Lauren Addison
Hair | Hayley Styles Hair
Makeup | Mooi Studio
Colorado Weddings
are some of our favorites!! Reach out for your own photography
Cazenovia New York Wedding Photographers
Liz & Rob’s Wedding in the Woods | Cazenovia NY | DIY Upscale Backyard Weddings | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
Some call getting married “taking the plunge,” others call it “tying the knot,” but never before have we heard it called “stepping through the portal.”
“The Portal” is what Rob and Lizzie called their woodland-sourced and family-crafted circular altar. It’s mismatched limbs created a complete arch with local wildflowers and ivy and it was unlike any altar we’ve ever seen. This thoughtful feature of Rob and Lizzie’s wedding in the woods of Cazenovia, NY, is but one of the many things that made their wedding one of the most unique we’ve ever documented.
Rob & Lizzie are a couple of New York City performers who own their own dance theater business and are constantly using the sidewalks as their stage. Where we see open space, they see bodies and choreography, and where we see people— they see an audience. Rob and Lizzie’s creativity knows no bounds and ambitions have no limits. They are as present and improvisational as they are contemplative and calculated. Their energy and relationship epitomizes the creative New York spirit that pulls wanting eyes to the sparkling lights of Broadway. They are performers.
And their celebration of love reflected just that. From the hula-hooping fire twirler, to “the portal,” and multiple dance and singing performances, we never saw a stagnant soul. Tears were shed, lips quivered, and bodies embraced. Family and friends sat on on the edges of their seats beneath an illuminated tent in the otherwise dark woods. Every word spoken barely left the lips of cracking voices. Moments were used to reflect and collect emotions rather than repeat dead words, reminding us all that love is a product of our collective souls. The memory of this celebration still echoes in my mind like a catchy, heartfelt Beatles’ tune.
The word that kept coming up when I asked the guests about Rob and Lizzie was nucleus. Like their guests came to their wedding because they pulled them into their lives like floating electrons. All of us are are charged with a certain amount of energy but some of us have a bit more magnetism, a bit more pull than others.
Watching the way Lizzie and Rob exchanged moments with their eyes showed us just that. They didn’t talk to their friends, they reached out with their irises and arms and touched them. They made them feel seen and felt—a feeling humans spend a lot of time chasing —Rob and Lizzie gave in a glance. What a wonderful kind of pull they have.
Rob and Lizzie reminded me that we are all nuclei and centers of our own communities. That we bring something to our friends and families in our lives that no one else does. They also reminded me that we are in a constant state of self-improvement.
That ambition isn’t only about accolades and achievements but also emotional well-being. What pulls people in is not what you have done or seen but the way you make people feel. Our magnetism comes from our centers, our portals, and our nuclei. Cheers to Rob and Lizzie, and the performers of the world that remind us that we’re supposed to feel.
Enjoy these sneak peeks from Lizzie & Rob’s wedding:
As seen in: Storyboard Wedding
Vendors:
Photography & Writing | Apollo Fields
DJ/Band | Melody Rose DJ
Getting Ready Photos/Hotel | The Brewster Inn
Rehearsal “Dinner” | Brae Loch Inn
Bakery | Half Moon Bakery
Florist | Just a Sweet Grandma in town named Wesley
Decor/Tent | Ralston Tents & Events
Dress aka “Moon Baby” | Theia | Lovely Bride
Suit | Macy’s
Invitations/Save the Dates | Canva | Shutterfly
Custom Rings | Misty Summers
Come Join us for a Beer and Let’s Talk Wedding Planning!
This is from a recent visit to Port Jeff Brewing Company on Long Island, one of our local faves. The visit included an IPA, an imperial stout, and our two dogs getting a barkload of attention. Cheers!
Wedgewood Boulder Creek Wedding Photographer
Apollo Fields | Wedgewood Weddings at Boulder Creek | Intimate Wedding Photos | Candid Wedding Photography
The modernization of traditions keeps our jobs as wedding photographers fresh and inventive. From DIY ceremonies and weddings in the woods to more conventional rituals in churches; each wedding reveals each couple’s unique relationship to their respective belief systems. Kelly and Alec’s catholic wedding at Sacred Heart of Mary and reception at Wedgewood-Boulder Creek in Boulder, Colorado, showed us that you can both honor your past and embrace the new.
Before Kelly and Alec’s wedding, I never knew the significance of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment. But when we went to photograph Kelly and Alec’s first touch (a version of a “first look” where a couple doesn’t see each other) right near a fountain with a golden statue of St. Francis, Alec filled me in after they shared a few moments of beautiful tension. Alec spoke about St. Francis the same way that an environmentalist speaks about Jane Goodall, worshipping the person for what they mean to the natural world rather than elevating them as an idol outside the realm of natural phenomena. It was incredibly refreshing to see someone who holds a monotheistic belief system so close to their heart also share a deep love for Mother Nature.
Following the ceremony inside the church, the caravan climbed Boulder Creek Canyon Road to the reception hall a few minutes into the foothills of the Rockies. Wedgewood-Boulder Creek is an immaculately designed, accessible, and romantic setting to host one of life’s most precious gatherings. Upon entering the space you can hear the trickle of Boulder Creek, just as the friendly staff of the venue greet you with your favorite refreshments and libations. The flow of the property mimics the way the creek carves its way through the mountains, allowing for family and friends to naturally convene on patios and berms of fresh green grass. There is no doubt in my mind that St. Francis helped Kelly and Alec choose this venue to celebrate their love.
On a day where clouds were kept at bay, golden hour floated in the early evening air like lightning bugs on a summer night. We borrowed Kelly and Alec from their celebration for a few romantics down by the creek and thanks to their genuine chemistry we didn’t keep them for long. They spun and smiled and danced and frolicked. They kissed. They unabashedly enjoyed themselves, wrapping their arms around one another like vines around a tree. Undeniably in love, we laughed, snapped pictures, and danced with them. When love is as natural as the trees, the breeze, or the trickle of the creek, you better believe that you’re doing something right. If Kelly and Alec wouldn’t take credit themselves, I’m sure they’ll be thanking St. Francis for a long time to come.
AS SEEN IN COUTURE COLORADO MAGAZINE
Vendors:
Venue | Wedgewood - Boulder Creek
Dress | Madison James
Floral | Painted Primrose, Sabia Magrun
DJ/Band | Diamond Empire Band
Suit | Generation Tux
Rings | Shane Co.
Hair & Makeup | Serenity Salon- Arvada
Cake | Kelly Leigh Cakes
Oh Hey!
It’s us at the end of the night having the best time with Kelly & Alec.
Rollins Pass Nederland Colorado Engagement Session
Mercie & Dan’s Engagement Session | Rollins Pass Nederland, Colorado | Mountain Engagements | Apollo Fields
As night gave way to day, rays of sunshine swept away the shadows on the trees, lifting golden purples and greens to contrast with the muted blue sky. The morning chill still lingering in the air brought our breaths and bodies closer together as our reflections shivered upon the reservoir’s still surface. Movements warm our bodies just as emotions stir our souls; and there’s always that one look during these engagement sessions that reveals this inward dance in the eyes of our couples—a sort of intimate revelation—that leaps from their irises like the first light over a dark horizon.
Mercie and Dan were first set up in high school and their relationship still shines with an optimistic and exuberant young energy. Bolstered by their strong and confident characters, it’s hard not to be enamored by the story of how Mercie asked Dan to prom by spelling it out in sushi at Dan’s first experience with the Japanese culinary tradition. Cuter still is how Mercie doubled down on this romantic gesture when asking Dan to marry her! (If that doesn’t immediately make you think of a scene in a romantic comedy I don’t know what does.) Their happiness during their engagement shoot in Nederland was as palpable as the smiles on their faces. Kind of like what Dan said about the first time she told Mercie she loved her (at prom), “[the words] just sort of fell out of my face.”
Bearing witness and documenting relationships like Mercie and Dan’s is just one of the many reasons why Heather and I love running Apollo Fields. Whether it’s the privilege of connecting with such loving people, or appreciating a love in an idyllic yin-and-yang, conditional-meeting-unconditional balance that serves as a reminder for Heather and I’s own symbiotic relationship, or perhaps the most practical and paramount point— what these photos mean to them. Around every corner of every moment of these engagement sessions are parts of life to be appreciated. We promise to never to forget that. For our sake—and for Apollo Fields’ sake.
Mercie and Dan aren’t sure where or when they are going to get married, but we hope to be there. They’re moving to California in a couple months and we’d follow them coast-to-coast, hell maybe even continent-to-continent if they asked us. We’re so excited for them to start this next journey together and know that they have all of the support they will ever need.
Sometimes in life you take leaps and sometimes you take bruises. “You learn to figure things out,” Mercie said, “I am who I am through trial and error.” I believe that the freedom to explore the world inside and outside ourselves is the key to finding enduring happiness and supportive partners. By staying close to home, or refusing to acknowledge the movements of the emotions inside our bodies and minds, our worldviews become myopic and close-minded. Learning to take risks and choosing to be brave opens an entire world of experiences, so if you’re looking for that little push—just remember—that first light is just on the other side of the dark horizon.
Here’s to you Mercie and Dan!
Colorado Engagement Photography:
Colorado Wedding Photography | Apollo Fields
Granite Ridge Estate Wedding Photographers
Outdoor barn wedding in maine | apollo fields | granite ridge estate and barn | best maine wedding photographers | wedding in the woods
Highways lined with tall green trees and deep blue lakes. A soaring summer sun casting shadows upon the open road, swaying the silhouettes of Maine over faded yellow lines. Distant laughter echoing from a canoe, heard between splashes and shrieks of joy. Just a stone’s throw away, atop one of the many peaks in Norway, Maine, Anna and Jeff were to be wed at Granite Ridge Estate, an irresistibly charming barn venue tucked into the backwoods in jaw dropping view of the Appalachian Mountains.
The natural beauty and lush greenery of Maine called to Anna and Jeff’s adventurous hearts, harkening to their love for the outdoors from their childhoods. In fact, Jeff’s family has been going to Camp Winona, a summer camp just down the block from Granite Ridge for generations. It may have been the family ties in the area that brought them to the venue, but it was the gorgeous views and cozy and intimate feel of the barn and estate that solidified it as the location to celebrate their love.
Anna and Jeff’s wedding was the perfect example of a laid back couple setting the tone for the day. There are so many moving parts to a wedding day that can pile up on the minds of brides and grooms, but a strong relationship and a willingness to roll with the punches can turn a bumpy ride into a smooth cruise down an open road with the top down. From the bridesmaids lounging in the rustic and comfortable leather sofas; to the groomsmen exploring a brand new treehouse and tinkering with power tools and construction materials, personalities and laughter were not in short supply.
Hosting a ceremony between the trees provided the perfect refuge for Anna and Jeff’s guests from the blaring summer sun as the crisp air buzzed with adoring anticipation. As words of love left the lips of those around the altar, the eyes and ears of guests drifted between the beauties of nature and the hallmarks of romance. Too often we forget to use our words, our gestures, and our energy to tell those in our lives how much we love them, but a wedding ceremony is the forum to air any and all of the love we carry in our hearts. It is an atmosphere of sensitivity and acceptance, the ethereal realization of the privation nestled in our souls. I can’t think of a better spot to sink into this headspace than in the natural sounds of the woods.
The reception and cocktail hour continued with the theme of natural serenity. Before the sun set towards the horizon, the outline of Mount Washington stood proudly in the distance as sunshine poured through the large windows of the reception hall like warmth into an empty cabin. The pristine decoration and detail adorned the space with a natural elegance, equal parts class and greenery. Refracted rays painted the room with an ethereal glow made of fairy tales and storybooks. It was the scene that children who cannot wait to get married dream of. This was Anna and Jeff’s reality.
It is a luxury and dream of ours to be part of days like this. We are constantly reminding ourselves that we get to enjoy some of the best moments of people’s lives, delivering a product that helps them relive them. Here’s to Anna and Jeff, the latest saga in Apollo Fields that proves that love is real.
As seen in: Mountainside Bride Magazine
The Vendor Team:
Venue: Granite Ridge Estate and Barn
Suits: Joseph A Bank
Day-of Coordinator/Catering: Blue Elephant
Wedding Band: East Coast Soul
Florist: Pooh Corner Farm
Cake/Bakery: Baked with Love
Decor/Party Rentals: Affordable Events
Dress | Designer: WTOO / Andrea’s Bridal
Shoes: Kate Spade Blue and Sparkly
Rings: Creative Gold
Hair and Makeup: Studio 88 Salon
Invitations: Little Ivy Paper Goods
Another happy couple…
Our favorite part about being wedding photographers is getting to know our couples. Apollo Fields is more than a vendor or service, it is a place for us to connect with people who care about creating and preserving timeless memories—it’s a place for us to make people happy and make new friends. If this sounds like you, click the button below!
