Planting Fields Arboretum Wedding - Oyster Bay, NY - Christina & Frank
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Chrstina & Frank Wedding
wedding day
Christina and Frank’s wedding day was gorgeously intimate and filled with heart-warming moments that we won’t soon forget. When we found out that Christina and Frank were planning an intimate elopement style New York wedding we were absolutely honored to capture their memories! From their laid back personalities to their playfulness in front of the lens, we were enthralled to take part in their wedding day.
ceremony
One thing that we absolutely adore about intimate weddings is just that, the intimate moments that a large wedding ceremony misses out on. From the quiet whispers of love to the laid back nature of it all, an elopement is always a great choice! Just make sure to still bring us along…someone’s got to take the photos! We headed into the park for Christina and Frank to exchange their vows. Christina’s dress was the epitome of city elopement with elegant lines and design. After the “I do’s” we headed to the Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, NY for an epic photo session.
photo session
The Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, NY was the perfect place for epic photo opportunities! We were so happy that Christina and Frank were up for multiple locations on the property! We headed into the greenhouse where these loves strolled hand in hand taking in the beautiful greenery, plants, and fountains and escaping the cold outside for a little while. The history of the buildings provided the perfect backdrop for their wedding photos and captured the essence of their love story perfectly.
conclusion
We wish Christina and Frank the absolute best as they begin their new journey as husband and wife! Cheers!
If you’re newly engaged and looking for your NY wedding photographer we’d love to chat with you!
Wedding at the Heritage Club at Bethpage: Grace & Justin
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Grace & justin WEDDING
the couple
Grace and Justin’s wedding day was a captivating blend of cherished family customs full of meaningful moments and nods to their rich heritage. We loved how they incorporated pieces of their personalities and passions into every detail of their design. It was a wonderful day in Farmingdale, NY and the Heritage Club at Bethpage, was the perfect venue to host the days events.
getting ready
We loved spending the day with Grace and Justin and we couldn’t get enough of their unique design choices and their love for one another was truly contagious. After meeting through their co-ed soccer teams as Div. 1 athletes they quickly found they had a lot in common. You know that we are suckers for first look moments and we had to take full advantage of this gorgeous couple and their families. Not only did Grace surprise her groom with a first look moment but so did the bridesmaids!
the ceremony
The ceremony was set and ready, perfectly placed in front of the hearth of the fireplace where Grace and Justin said their vows. With heartfelt promises and dewy eyes the two said “I do” and began their next journey as newlyweds. The love between these two could be felt even from the back of the room as their guests applauded and congratulated them as they exited their ceremony!
the reception
We took full advantage of the Heritage Club’s grounds as they created the perfect backdrop for a March wedding. The greenery just starting to poke its way through and the fresh spring sunshine spilling out over the golf course provided the perfect opportunity to incorporate their love of soccer into their photos. Moving into the reception, we knew that Grace and Justin loved to have fun but we were pleasantly surprised when every guest brought the same level of excitement and energy to the entire evening. The dance floor quickly filled with guests and surrounded the lovebirds as they danced the night away!
thank you’s
We were absolutely honored to be part of Grace and Justin’s wedding day, from beginning to end it was a wonderful time full of love, joy, and excitement for the next chapter to begin! Cheers to the newlyweds.
If you’re newly engaged and on the lookout for your New York wedding photographer, we’d love to chat with you!
Vendor List
Photographer: apollo fields photography
Venue: heritage club at bethpage
Florals: beckman's florist
DJ/Band: east coast entertainment
Cake/Dessert: dortoni's bakery
Dress: max bridal
Make-Up: make-up by cole
Groom’s Wear: indochino
Videographer: white diamond video
Stationary: minted
Crystal Point Yacht Club Winter Wedding at the Jersey Shore
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Jane + James
Heather and I piled into Heidi (the name we gave to our car) for our second to last wedding of 2021 with equal parts exhaustion and excitement. We have spent so much time on the road that we are scared to know the exact amount, but we ballpark a figure by how many podcasts and audiobooks we’ve rifled through. Surprisingly, we still have an amazing time in the car together. The old litmus test of taking a road trip with a significant other rings truer with every mile we traverse. A year ago to the day we were traveling to the first part of Jane and James’ wedding in Bayonne, New Jersey, and Heather would wind up giving birth to Capa just 12 days later. I still can’t believe how many weddings we did in 2020 and it made our 2021 wedding feel easier by comparison.
Jane and James’ first celebration was a beautiful trip down memory lane, as they got married in the church across the street from the school they attended as children. They held their reception at the Liberty House Restaurant in Jersey City, and it was attended by their closest friends and family as there were still relatively strict gathering restrictions. This year, on their anniversary, they got to host the wedding that they always wanted and it was nice to see some familiar faces! The camaraderie of James and his groomsmen reminded me of my relationships to my childhood friends and the kinship between Jane and her bridesmaids was genuine and sentimental.
The first time I ever visited the Jersey Shore was for Jane and James’ engagement photos so it was only fitting that the second time would be for their wedding at the Crystal Point Yacht Club. The newly renovated cocktail room boasted one of the prettiest white granite top bars I’ve ever seen. They also had a huge variety of beers and even had three taps where guests pour their beers themselves! (If Heather and I ever renew our vows I may book it here on that principle alone.) Off the back of the venue is a marina where we took Jane and James for a few quick romantic photos on the dock before the early winter sunset.
Typically the shortest days of the year frustrate Heather and I. I like to call it a helio-dependence. But since having Capa amidst the crazy snowstorms of winter 2020 these short days have taken on a different type of light. They remind me of the kind of coziness of coming inside on snow days and putting your wet gloves and socks on the radiator. How we’d throw some milk in a pot and tear open a pack of swiss miss with the dehydrated marshmallows and put a christmas movie on TV. Every one of us is lucky to have memories that are that vivid and peaceful, and lucky for Jane and James, now they have two.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Crystal Point Yacht Club | Point Pleasant, NJ
Floral | Wild & Free Floral Design
Dress | Maggie Sottero
Band | Mike Dalton Band
Suit | The Tux Shop
Cake/Bakery | Tinton Falls Pastry Chef
Little Compton Rhode Island Wedding
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Brendan & Lia’s Wedding
When Heather first mentioned that we were shooting a wedding in Little Compton my first thoughts were of N.W.A and Kendrick Lamar. I clearly had never heard of the luxurious tight-knit Rhode Island community across the Sakonnet River from Newport. The landscape wasn’t all unlike where I’m from on the north shore of Long Island, but the beautiful properties sprawled along the coast boasted more horses and acreage than any of my town’s similar neighborhoods. Heather, Capa, and I stared in awe out towards the bright horizon as we pulled into our AirBnB the day before Brendan and Lia’s wedding.
Heather and Lia have known each other since riding horses back in their teenage years at the Ethel Walker School. I’ve come to understand that the bond between equestrian riders is pretty deep--it’s a camaraderie like being in the trenches--but instead of being at war with another army, you share war stories about being at war with the army of one between your legs. Danger is omnipresent and your survival is a combination of: skill, communication, keeping your cool, and good old fashioned luck. There’s a reason Heather took up photography.
Lia on the other hand, still trains riders on horseback and she’s apparently damned good at it. She’s so good that when we playfully asked Brendan to compare Lia to any object, animate or inanimate, he replied, “triple crown winning horse that wows the world.” With a healthy combination of playfulness and discipline, Brendan and Lia are one of those couples that like to work hard and play hard. Lia recounted a story on Christmas Eve one year when during a family tradition of “fun family tennis paddle” she rocked a forehand right into Brendan’s face and he wore it like a champ. “When he didn’t drop like a stone--I knew I had a keeper,” she declared.
Heather and I love when other couples are competitive. We are constantly competing in games, but we draw the line when it comes to more important things like raising Capa, business operations, or daily household responsibilities. There’s a sort of unwritten rule when it comes to those things because we both think it’s not a healthy habit to keep score with things that can stress us out. We trust each other to do our best--and we both see each other stretching ourselves thin to make things happen--so we leave competition to the gaming arena. Once we enter, all bets are off.
Heather and I are kind of becoming the unofficial Ethel Walkers wedding photographers. In fact we have a wedding coming up in the chapel on campus. It makes me happy to see Heather connect with old friends and to hear stories of Heather’s equestrian past. I’ve obviously known that Heather’s a tough competitor and fervent worker, but it’s nice to get a behind-the-scenes look on how she became the amazing woman she is today. Especially when one of her old classmates slips in an embarrassing story about her--those are my favorite. The best thing about it is that she usually laughs it off and wears the embarrassment, kind of like a tennis ball to the face six months into a relationship.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Wedding Planner | Mary Powers, Meadowlea Events
Band | Radiance | Wilson Stevens
Cake / Bakery | Easy Entertaining
Party Rentals | Exquisite Events Decor
Suit | Peter Millar
Dress | Stella York | VOWS (Watertown, MA)
Rings | MK Bennati Jewelers
Hair/Makeup | Allison Barber Beauty
Stationery/Invitations | Ink Papery | Shayne Wolf
Three Village Inn Wedding Photography in Stony Brook
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kelly & derek’s Wedding
I’ve taken 25A heading west on Long Island countless times in my life. Grandma’s house, Smithaven Mall, Port Jefferson Ferry, baseball games in St. James--it’s the kind of road that I never needed to use a GPS for. But just like the rest of this summer, I turned off of 25A towards Three Village Inn for Kelly and Derek’s wedding and stumbled across beautiful places I’ve never been to before.
First, Heather and I grabbed a snack at a local cafe tucked into Old Stony Brook Village, a charming village center of storefronts and restaurants whose timeless facades have been preserved through time. Later in the day we visited Kelly and Derek’s old apartment on Setauket Harbor and captured romantics and bridal party photos to commemorate their relationship’s beginnings as the sun set in the background.
Heather and I love traveling to places where our couples formed core memories of their relationship. It doesn’t get much more romantic than watching a couple sit down in the exact place where they used to picnic, remembering favorite meals as their bodies gradually move closer to one another. I’ve noticed that the natural state of a relationship emerges when sharing a meal; a few pilfered fries here, a sip of a drink there, each partner knowing exactly what they can and can’t get away with--sharing food turns out to be a surprisingly intimate experience.
When Heather and I eat on the road it’s not pretty: gas station snacks, Clif Bars, Starbucks sandwiches, bags of chips or nuts we forgot were in the center console. But when we have time to make a home-cooked meal, or better yet, host a dinner party, there are few things we enjoy more. Our speciality has always been fresh cooked pasta but we love to explore different cuisines, test our skills, and expand our palates. Maybe it’s because we have a lot of experience in hospitality, but we don’t quite understand when people stress about hosting others for a meal. To us, as long as you greet your guests with a drink and have some snacks ready to go, the vibes will take care of themselves. We’re actually waaay overdue on hosting so once wedding season slows down a bit we will totally be busting out our dirty aprons!
When I think about it, the best part about this summer is a lot like entertaining guests in your home: striking up a conversation with a table full of people is all about uncovering beautiful things about your guests that you didn’t already know. Just like traveling is all about discovering places you’ve never been before. We will always feel more comfortable in the familiar, in places we love and with people we know, but real connections happen by taking that extra step and finding the beautiful in the unfamiliar. So turn off your GPS, throw your cookbook away, and invite some friends over for dinner!
Enjoy these photos from Derek & Kelly’s wedding:
vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Three Village Inn | Stony Brook, NY
Dress | Family Heirloom made by Great Grandmother
Videography | Violet and Iris Cinematography
Event Coordinator | One of a Kind Gatherings | Cynthia Lynn
Flowers | Wildflower Touch
Makeup & Hair | Beauty Marks Spa and Bridal Studio
DJ | Todd Barrie Music
Trolley | Hampton Jitney
Limo | LIE Lite Limo
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Pastures of Plenty Wedding in Boulder, CO
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Mercie and Dan’s Wedding
Coasting down route 36, the Flatirons of Boulder, Colorado, grew larger by the minute. Memories flashed like road signs in the side-view mirror: like the time Heather accidentally sat on a fire ant hill on the side of the road; or the time I biked from Arvada to Boulder and flew down this decline like the red baron in an old Charlie Brown segment; or the many trips coming back from the hospital as we endured our experience with an ectopic pregnancy in 2019. Capa riding with us in the back seat to Mercie and Dan’s wedding at Pastures of Plenty has proverbially turned this sloped road into a rotary, and as we came full circle we turned to look at him and smile.
We first met Mercie when we were living in Arvada and she was working as a hostess at the same restaurant Heather was working at. Mercie always welcomed me into the foyer with the same bright smile, full of a genuine enthusiasm that most hostesses do their best to feign. Heather and I got to know Mercie and Dan as a couple when we took their engagement photos at Rollins Pass in Nederland a couple years later. It was quickly apparent that they share a wavelength--understanding each other through an invisible yet palpable electromagnetism--as after every photo they seemed to draw closer and closer together.
Fast-forward to 2021 and Mercie and Dan had a water slide at their wedding (in case it was too hot). And also appointed their young siblings as their officiants, DJs, emcees, and baby caretakers (For real, one of them took Capa mid-ceremony so I could take pictures). Everywhere you turned there was a role that Mercie and Dan empowered one of their siblings with. Where most couples cater their event to themselves--Mercie and Dan catered it to their family. A Captain Hook shy of Neverland and a religious scripture short of the Garden of Eden, Mercie and Dan’s wedding was a beautiful fantasy of love, support, and purpose. And they all made it a reality.
There were several moments at Mercie and Dan’s wedding where I had to stand back and ask, “is this really happening?” It got to the point where if one of the bubbles floating in the air turned into a glowing fairy I wouldn’t have batted an eye. I am apt to refrain from using words like ‘magic’ or ‘miracle’ when describing a wedding, couple, or family, but Mercie, Dan, and company made it really hard to describe it as anything else. The way that they spoke to all of their various members of their extended family: in soft affirmations, playful directions, and empowering words of encouragement, they reminded me of the way that Snow White spoke to her woodland friends. The exception, of course, is that Disney is a contrived monolith and Mercie and Dan are living, breathing, beautiful humans of sensitivity and intention.
As each of our families evolve and grow I can only hope to embody the acceptance and trust that Mercie and Dan cultivate on an everyday basis. It takes great patience, an even better understanding, and a dedication to emotional communication. While Heather and I already valued each of these attributes we were and are in complete admiration of Mercie and Dan’s intention and execution. It isn’t fairy dust that creates the magic in our reality, it is our thoughts converted into action.
Enjoy these photos from Merc & Dan’s Pasture of Plenty Wedding in Boulder, Colorado:
As seen in: Couture Colorado Magazine
vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Videography | Glasshouse Wedding Films
Venue | Pastures of Plenty
Invitations | Minted
Dresses | Galina
This was a special one for us…
…we have SO enjoyed our friendship with Merc and Dan and feel absolutely honored to have captured their joyful day!
Wedding Photos in Grand Teton National Park & Yellowstone
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“I’ll never forget this moment,” Heather said during our two-year wedding anniversary picnic at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park. A beautiful orange fox had just scampered by as the mountain water moved with a predictable calmness. It’s hard to believe that just a couple of months ago we weren’t sure if we were going to be shooting any weddings this season—yet there we were—taking the time to find the balance on a work trip in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. We have Sam and Conor to thank for that.
Sam and Conor originally planned to have their wedding at Grand Lake in the Rockies in Colorado, but wound up pivoting to an elopement in Grand Teton/Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. As soon as Heather and I deduced that we could come, they sent us one of their favorite books, American Wolf, to get us pumped up about the trip. The book is a beautiful narrative about finding the balance between society and the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park in 1995. I can’t stop talking about it.
We began Sam and Conor’s photos at Schwabacher Landing at sunrise as Sam and Conor braved the morning chill for a few unforgettable photo opportunities. We hit Mormon Row next, and circled around to Jenny Lake to round out the Grand Teton experience. The entire shoot took several hours between the driving and stopping and I couldn’t think of a better argument/analogy for the phrase “life is about the journey, not the destination,” than driving through Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.
The next day we grabbed breakfast and trekked up to Yellowstone, stopping at Ol’ Faithful, Grand Prismatic, and a few other spots to watch for moose, bears, bison, and wolves. Conor and I split off on a couple of the short walks and we talked about his love for fly fishing. I had no idea how much science and geographic knowledge went into the sport, nor did I know that the flys that they use as bait are actually fake (I always wondered how you put the hook throw a dead fly’s brittle wing or body). It was clear that Sam and Conor loved to get lost in the calm of a stream or creek, entirely content to disconnect and focus on the task at hand.
A couple years back, Sam and Conor decided to take an indefinite recess from social media. They found that their habits were throwing them off balance. At red lights they’d find themselves reaching for their phones even though there was nothing they needed to follow up on. As I get older the the phrase “finding a balance” seems to ring more and more true. I’ve found my personal attachment to my phone increase during quarantine and was happy to hear Sam and Conor speak about their intentional disconnection from the common and troublesome habit.
Whether it is reintroducing wolves in Yellowstone, throwing on some waders and wading into a stream, managing our relationship to social media, or remembering to have a picnic on a work trip—it is hard to deny the importance of balance in our lives. Heather and I are lucky to have a business that brings us to places that remind us of that, and thanks to couples like Sam and Conor, we will continue to create and capture moments that we will never forget.
Enjoy these photos from Conor & Sam’s Grand Teton & Yellowstone adventure:
Intimate Wedding in Colorado Springs, CO
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Igor & Michelle
I know Heather is tough, but even I didn’t think she would be climbing through barbed-wire fencing at 30 weeks pregnant to get a shot. After reading that sentence--some may question how I allowed it to happen--but that just means you don’t know Heather and I well enough. Anyone that knows us knows that I would never tell my wife what she can and can’t do, especially when it comes to her body. That doesn’t mean I didn’t raise an eyebrow and say, “you sure?” before she bent down and climbed through the fence like a professional wrestler climbing through the ropes into the ring. I will always love her and Igor and Michelle for being up for an adventure.
We actually met Igor and Michelle in New York City where Heather did their engagement photos in Tribeca. Igor was the Executive Chef at The Standard Hotel at the time before Covid turned Manhattan into a shell of its culinary self. I’m happy that Igor’s confident that the bustling scene will come back in a few years. Michelle is his perfect powerful complement, and their son, Harrison, has a better palate than I do at five-years-old. They are actually in the process of uprooting to Arkansas for an amazing career opportunity and we can’t wait to visit them in an outdoorsy paradise that is increasing in popularity.
Michelle and Igor were supposed to get married in Los Angeles at one of Igor’s former spots, but pivoted to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Michelle grew up because of the pandemic. We started their day with a short photo session of the two of them at one of Michelle’s family friend’s ranches. It was so windy that I was legitimately worried that a branch was going to come down on our heads. Then Heather decided to climb through the fence. We never know what mother nature is going to give us on wedding days but we are always thankful when our couples like Igor and Michelle bring their A-game no matter what.
After that Igor and Michelle planned for some down time before the ceremony and reception. We love when our couples take the time to honor the pace of the day that is all too often scripted down to the minute. Igor said he took the time to play spades with one of his soon-to-be relatives. Michelle and the girls took the opportunity for some self-care with a luxurious, airy spa day at Blush - Dry Spa Bar. I always say that mental health is the most important thing and it has never been more true than in the year 2020.
Next year the plan is to go “back, back to Cali, Cali” (thanks Biggie) and finish the celebration in full swing. The intimate ceremony and reception this year at Prime25 set the stage for one hell of a party. Between Igor getting emotional waiting for Michelle at the first look, and the many toasts, some translated from Igor’s native Russian tongue, there is so much to look forward to. Sometimes we just have to throw caution to the wind, climb through some barbed wire, and have a day for ourselves--that’s what life’s all about!
Enjoy these photos from Michelle & Igor’s Micro-wedding:
Honu Kitchen Wedding in Huntington, Long Island
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Selecting the location(s) for your wedding ceremony and reception isn’t always a straight-forward conversation. You have to consider: accessibility, cost, capacity, chair and table rentals, logistics, weather, vendor lists, and even things you don’t think about like bathrooms. In this selection process you’re forced to prioritize what is most important to you and your significant other. Sage and John kept it simple—good food, good booze, and a good community—in two very familiar locations: John’s family’s church for the ceremony and the restaurant they had their first date for the reception.
The sanctuary of the church was a mix of beautiful wooden arches and pews and recently renovated clean white granite. The family pastor who led the service spoke honestly and jovially, weaving in biblical quotes as seamlessly as the architecture of the room blended together. These walls have seen John’s family through good times and bad, and it’s ironically the tragic and celebratory moments that remind us of the supportive communities we have in our lives. From opposite sides of the emotional spectrum we constantly find ourselves drifting back to the center where we feel safe, where we feel loved. What more appropriate place for John and Sage’s wedding ceremony than the embracing arms of this powerful community.
The reception shifted gears into the heart of one of Huntington’s busiest restaurants, Honu. A modern, dimly lit multi-level expansive space with large white pillars, a dance floor, and contemporary Asian cuisine. Just a few years back, John and Sage were first laughing with one another over one of the cocktail tables. Now they were holding their sides as their best man and maid of honor spoke straight from their hearts and funny bones. Rather than have a quintessential “sweethearts table” they had what I would call a “sweetheart’s nook” where they could have a bit of privacy and probably steal a nap if they really wanted to. Rest assured they partied like the best of them and waited until much later to call it a wedding day.
Shortly after dinner we pulled them out onto the streets of Huntington to snap a few romantics for posterity. We stumbled across an antique green chair on the sidewalk that perfectly complemented their classic, clean, almost timeless appearance. We kept laughing and walking when we suddenly stopped upon a narrow alleyway that you wouldn’t trust at night but glowed in all of it’s golden hour glory. Without hesitation John and Sage jumped in their and we snapped this absolute gem.
Whether locations happen upon (like this alley) you or you know your priorities (family church, first date spot), know that your wedding day will be amazing no matter what. Adversities are inevitable but logistics will be worked out. “Where there is a will there is a way,” or perhaps more accurately, “where there is love, there will be a wedding.”
Vendors:
Cocktail Hour / Reception Venue | Honu Kitchen & Cocktails
DJ/Band | DJ Keith Cheshire
Cake / Bakery | Sammy Barea
Dress | Stella York | Max Bridal
Shoes | Badgley Mischka
Earrings and Bracelet | Olive & Piper
Makeup | Amanda Rose Cosmetics
Hair | Alexa Toscano
Florist | Bella Flower
Invitations | Zazzle.com
Champagne Escort Cards | Leslie Barlow
Horse Farm Engagement Session Ideas
Anet and Ian’s engagement photos | hunterdon county wedding photographers | apollo fields | New York wedding photography | farm wedding photographers | wedding writer
There’s something about looking out into a field from the wooden porch of a farm that makes you want to take a deep, full breath. Maybe it’s the way that twilight seems to color the evening sky a little longer than it does in the city. Maybe it’s the smell of dinner from the stove that sweeps through the house and makes the screen door squeak. Or maybe—it’s just the company that we find ourselves in.
Heather and I plan to create such a life on a farm together one day...but it looks like Anet and Ian are going to beat us to the punch! We can’t wait to photograph their wedding next May at The Farmhouse at the Grand Colonial in Hunterdon County, New Jersey because we love being on farms with wandering animals, freshly cut grass, and seasonal vegetables. And if it’s up to Heather, we’ll being feeding our horse, Limbo, through the kitchen window from the palms of our hands one day.
Funny enough, Heather met Anet over 10 years ago in the—you guessed it—horse world. As an equestrian novice, I’ve learned that the bond between a rider and their horse should never be underestimated; and apparently neither can the social ties between horse people. It’s one of the everybody seems to know everybody kind of communities; a blast to be a part of and an absolute mystery to the rest of us. In the years to come I hope to be integrated into the community through meeting people like Anet and Ian, who is also apparently a pretty deft hand at polo. (I, on the other hand used to think that the players hit the ball with the small end of the mallet. facepalm.)
For us, one of the most alluring aspects of the living on a farm is learning to utilize fresh produce all-year round. Whether you’re storing, preserving, pickling or crunching into a spear of asparagus fresh out of the soil, there ain’t nothing quite like biting into some really fresh, homemade food. Despite the fact that both Anet and Ian are afraid of birds, they’re also excited to start a farm and get some chickens—and we’re excited for them! (We miss our little Colorado flock!) Anet and Ian’s plan after their wedding is to begin their family farm in the hills of Ireland and we couldn’t be happier for them. As long as they share their vegetables.
Shooting weddings on farms feels like we’re part of a family or something. Like we can hear the dinner bell and remember to hide the grass stains on our knees. It’s the comfort of a shared table, the waves of chatter, and the clanking of glasses and silverware. It’s the raucous bursts of laughter. There’s so much warmth in my thoughts when I think of farm life that it makes photographing weddings on farms one of my favorite things to do. It may be because of the fresh food and long summer evenings—or maybe—it’s just the company we find ourselves in.
AS SEEN IN THE POPPED! MAGAZINE
Jamaica Honeymoon - Day 3
Apollo Fields Destination Wedding Photographers | Negril, Jamaica | Honeymoon Adventures
Jamaica – Day 3
Sunday, November 4th, 2018 ~7:35 am, local time
Another morning waking to the ebbs and flows of the Caribbean Sea. There’s something about the sound of waves crashing that lures your mind into the rhythm of nature, reminding you that everything that comes will also go. The whitewater that sprays into the air, jettisoning from the sharp rock face, shows no concern for my presence, or for any of the other creatures that cling to their cratered homes on this violently-formed beautiful façade. Yet it’s these wall-dwelling sea creatures — these Jamaican mussels and crabs — that taught me that we need to carve a small niche for ourselves, where we can brave the onslaught of life’s elements, if we want to survive in this otherwise unforgiving world.
We took a right out of Sundown Villa this morning for the first time on our Vespa, passing Rick’s Café among the other horribly named Americanized resorts like ‘The Palms’ and ‘Lover’s Paradise” as the wind whipped around our bodies on our way to a place called “Barney’s Hummingbird and Flower Sanctuary.” Heather clung to my back like a baby koala as we veered off the pavement onto a dirt road, her lips stammering through the worried words of her mind like mental pot holes. We passed a man walking down the road, sharpening a machete and were reminded of our cab driver who told us that all the goats that roam the island are owned by someone — and if you were to say, pick one up — you will find yourself on the wrong end of one of those blades. We swerved around the man and slowed as we approached two large, faded green doors that hung on rusted hinges.
“Hello!” Said a thin pale-skinned old man donning a worn trousers-and-suspenders outfit as he swung the gates open. “Welcome to my hummingbird and flower sanctuary. I am Barney, the proud German-Jamaican-English owner of this place,” he added. As he led us through the narrow walkways of his garden, the flutter of hummingbirds moved all around us, kind of like the sound of tiny handheld toy fans. Palms and large leaves hung down as geckos and other insects fed from the vibrant pink, red, and yellow flowers that boomed in contrast to the blue sky. Barney gave us all tiny bottles with punctured red caps that dripped with sugar water to lure the hummingbirds in. We held our outstretched arms in the air, mimicking the branches that reached over the garden’s pathways, hoping that the birds would come feed from our “flowers.” Patiently walking around, the birds began to trust us one at a time, holding fast in midair right in front of our faces, mother nature’s natural helicopters, hovering in place, wings effortlessly flapping seventy times a second. Barney grinned a grin that only a hummingbird expert could grin, or maybe it was because of the six-pack of Red Stripe.
Eager for local cuisine we stopped just up the road at a place called Just Natural Veggies. Simple enough, I thought. From there we ordered rum punch, a vegetable plate, lobster salad, sweet potato and plantain, and a bean and rice burrito. As we walked to the side of the restaurant we followed a path into the jungle, tables and chairs scattered about like a diner inside the woods. There were checker board tables that used plastic bottle caps and Red Stripe caps as checkers and each table had an orange bottle of locally made hot habanero hot sauce. We ate our freshly made dishes in the middle of the jungle, no one around but the smiling faces of the restaurant, who laughed and joked as they set down our plates. They could’ve been feeding us fried gecko for all we knew as we sat mesmerized in this restaurant that made rustic concepts back home look like four-star hotels. In the jungle and of the jungle, we walked out of there happy and full.
There are niches to be carved, if only we are wise enough to see them. These experiences will stick to my heart like the geckos on the flowers and the mussels on the rock wall. As the trip continues, I can only hope to unearth more things that I can learn from and grow closer to carving out my own crater I can call home.
Buena Vista Destination Wedding in Colorado Photography
David & Sadie’s Wedding | Buena Vista, Colorado | Rocky Mountain Weddings | Destination Photographer | Apollo Fields
It was 6:00am last Saturday and I was driving on the long empty roads through the Colorado countryside. After spending the last few weeks in the cramped and crowded boroughs of New York and New Jersey, I felt the stark contrast of the open plains even more than usual. It was unseasonably cold that morning: a chilling 21 degrees when I first set out, and I watched the dashboard temperature rise with the sun as I cruised along the foothills.
I got to Buena Vista ahead of schedule and was able to pop into a local coffee shop before the wedding kicked off. The sleepy little town was enjoying it’s off-season, but the cafe was busier than ever with locals. I pulled up a seat next to a stranger because there were no empty tables, and got to enjoy a little old-fashioned small talk with a bundled-up hiker who was about to hit the mountains for the day.
Our day began at 9:30am at Spring Canyon, a quiet venue tucked away past the hot springs. Everybody was happily abuzz with last minute wedding prep, and I settled right into shooting details and scouting our first look location. The property boasts epic mountain views, but the sun was already high and with no clouds whatsoever, I had to be a little more creative with our locations.
I consider myself a bit of a light-junkie and I really felt the different between the East Coast light (which had been ultra-diffused from days of nonstop rain and heavy grey clouds) versus the big Colorado skies (at altitude with no atmosphere or humidity to break up the strong rays).
Sometimes you have to work with what you got, so we took advantage of the aspens that were still boasting their gold leaves and leaned into the full sun. I’m so happy we did, because we got those truly epic autumn mountain shots! I hadn’t seen any aspens with their leaves still on the whole trip, so it was the best surprise to find these groves still going strong! Colorado had a big snow storm later that night, and I have a feeling that we captured their last hoorah which makes the shots that much better to me.
David and Sadie had a sweet and tender way about their relationship. Amidst the bustle of the wedding morning, they still found time to have these long quiet hugs as if nobody else was around. I spend a lot of time watching my couple’s body language during their first looks to see how they naturally interact with one another and try to capture that throughout the day. David and Sadie were so fun because they would share these sentimental moments with each other, but then be able to goof around and be silly at the same time. They balanced these lighthearted fun times with the seriousness of a wedding perfectly.
Their families were also gracious and loving. I felt as much like a photographer and vender as I did a guest, and those are the days that make me love my job as much as I do. I was especially excited to photograph this wedding because there were going to be a few familiar faces in the crowd — one of my favorite couples from last year was family and the whole reason that I crossed paths with David and Sadie! In this business, referrals and word-of-mouth are everything, and I am so grateful for my clients who carry the Apollo Fields name from season to season. I’d like to give a big shoutout to the Danielson family for the connection, and also throw in a little vendor love to their awesome companies, Tentrix and Poc-a-Poc Catering who kept me happily in a cheese-coma for the reception.
Venue: Spring Canyon, Buena Vista CO
Photography: Apollo Fields
Published on Wedding Wire: Sadie & David’s Wedding
Heather loves to travel – especially to the mountains – for weddings! Get in touch for your photography needs: CONTACT
Upstate NY Farm Wedding Photographer
Horse Farm Wedding | Upstate NY Weddings | Backyard Barn Wedding Photographer | Montgomery, New York | Apollo Fields Photography
Tori and Colin had an intimate wedding at their family farm in Montgomery, New York. The Riverview Farm is absolutely beautiful and holds a special place in my heart. I grew up riding horses and spent some time riding at this New York farm years ago and I can’t put into words how wonderful it felt to be back on my old stomping grounds. The farm itself is a 25 acre equine boarding and training facility located a little over an hour north of New York City.
Tori and Colin’s wedding included the perfect mix of rustic and modern details, as well as some intimate ones like photos of Colin’s father. I absolutely love when couples include special details like this to honor their loves ones that, for one reason or another, cannot attend their special day.
Tori and Colin also decided to include horses in their couple's photos, which made this the perfect equine wedding. They are both involved in the hunter jumper world and love horses just as much as I do. I have been riding my entire life and have a horse of my own, so photographing an authentic horse wedding like Tori and Colin’s was a dream come true.
Tori and Colin’s Equine Wedding at River View Farm
Tori & Colin | Farm Wedding on Equestrian Property | Upstate New York Weddings | Horse Wedding Photographer | Montgomery, NY | Apollo Photo
I was so excited when an old friend who I used to ride for reached out to ask about flying me out to their family farm to photograph her son's wedding! It had been years since I rode at their farm, but I always loved their property. The farm was always pristinely manicured with flowers, ponds, beautiful old trees, and perfect paths. Colin owns a landscaping business, so I was sure that they would be rolling out only the best for the wedding!
The barn houses a number of the family's horses as well as a few boarders that are part of Jenny's training business. She has been a highly successful and competitive hunter rider for years and I know her from the equestrian world and showjumping circuit. I was surprised when I still recognized a few of the four legged friends on the farm even after all of these years.
Tori was a stunning bride and I felt more like family than a photographer on the entire day of the wedding. Many wedding days begin hectic, with people running around last minute tacking on decorations and frantically calling vendors and friends. This wedding was the complete opposite.. everybody was calm, loving, and nostalgic. Friends and family were gathered around laughing, spending quality time together, and sharing memories. I truly felt like everyone was fully present in the moment. Wedding mornings like theirs remind me of why I love my job.
Tori and her bridesmaids got ready in the family farmhouse and I couldn't believe how much natural light there was! It was a photographer's dream: white walls, soft lighting, tall ceilings. If only all of my bridal suites were this aesthetically designed! One of my favorite in-between moments was when I went downstairs to find Tori tucked in a quiet corner painting her own nails. I just loved how modest she was in that moment, not obsessing over having her nails done at a salon or them being perfect. Instead, we just chatted together as if we were old friends. I love those moments on wedding days when I just put my camera down for a moment and lay down the foundation for a friendship.
The ceremony was sweet and heartfelt. Tori and Colin exchanged their vows, but it was the easy and adoring way that they looked at each other that said more than any words could. Afterwards, everyone celebrated with live music, champagne, family photos, and dancing. We even managed to squeeze in a portrait session with a few of the horses, which was one of my favorite parts of the day!
Tori and Colin's Wedding Vendors
Horse Wedding Photography: Apollo Fields
Wedding Venue: Riverview Farm, New York
Heather is a New York and Colorado based wedding photographer, but photographs weddings throughout the United States. If you’re interested in having her photograph your wedding, contact her today!
Colorado Adventures That Make My Heart Smile
4.5.18 - Vital Root on Tennyson ~ 12 PM MT
We’re sitting at Vital Root after enjoying a well-crafted, fresh, lunch filled with flavor and crunch. There’s a woman breast-feeding out in the open and it’s kind of hard for me to focus, but here we go. Heather thinks that breast-feeding in public should be less stigmatized and a more common practice, and it does make sense in the same way that we should be more in tune with where our food comes from. As we distance ourselves or create social stigmas around human practices that have gotten us to where we are as a society, we are very literally losing some of the community associated with our humanity.
The last three days have felt like a vacation in Colorado: on Monday Heather and I lounged in the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs outside of Buena Vista; on Tuesday Heather rode Limbo and I climbed at Earth Treks in Golden; and on Wednesday David Miller and I carved down the slopes at Keystone and smiled and laughed in our descent. Each day contained moments of levity that are within a couple hours of our home in Arvada, providing us places of refuge and relaxation to panoramic summits and high speed descents with meandering roads and adventures in between.
The common thread running through all of them was a sense of gratitude that continuously left our lips. Heather and I were borderline tripping balls as we gazed to the sky in a creek side hot springs pool, thinking upon where we are both literally and psychologically. The strong sunrays, the quickly drifting clouds and the smell of the fresh green pines combined with the sound of the constant trickle of the cold creek over the warm rocks lured our minds towards serenity. The next day, clinking our glasses together at Kline’s Beer Hall after each of our endorphin sessions on horseback and climbing wall, respectively, made the pints go down that much easier. On the chair lifts and on the slopes, Miller and I smiled and laughed, asked and answered, and thought, felt and shared stories. When we plopped down into lounge chairs beneath the blinding high-noon sun we were billionaires, basking between snowcapped mountaintops gazing upon the best that the world has to offer. There is luxury and then there is gratitude and appreciation – without the latter, the former is empty and broken, but without the former, the heart can still smile.
It’s weird to think about a person meaning more to you than your longest friends, but David Miller has achieved such status. There is significance in the way he approaches conversations, welcoming the mundane and the magnanimous with an equal hand as if each holds equal importance. In a paradoxical way there is wisdom in understanding the whole spectrum and listening to each wavelength as you try to hone in on someone’s frequency. We all walk around with our own thoughts, suffering through our troughs and celebrating our crests, and it’s easy to forget that everyone around us has their own path but when you talk to Miller you feel like he’s listening in an attempt to sync up. Being completely in concert with another’s wavelength is more than likely impossible, but that’s how I felt on the mountain with Miller – and that’s what happens when you listen to a song that resonates with you; or when you somehow spend an hour or two in front of a piece in a museum. What I’m trying to say is when you find someone who tries to sync up with your wavelength, don’t let them go, because they don’t come around that often, and human connection is invaluable.
Wedding Photographers in NYC
3.2.18 - 5004 Cody Street ~ 1:05 AM MT
Heather told me tonight that she really appreciated my partnership today. She told me that she could count on me to tidy up the house, to research SEO stuff for Apollo Fields, and that trusting someone else to handle things isn’t easy for her. Since the beginning of our relationship we’ve always trusted each other because we haven’t given each other a reason not to. It’s wonderful that that reality is also seeping into the business partnership that we’re creating.
I know that few people are lucky enough to find a significant other whom they can communicate with, work with, and even enjoy being with for a long period of time. Often times it’s hard enough to even get along with yourself for awhile. Yet here we are as a couple in pursuit of a creative endeavor that incorporates and celebrates the things that we are both best at individually. There are even fewer people who can be part of something like that.
As I explained it to several people at Oasis tonight, Heather and I’s partnership and eventual marriage was borne out of the recognition of a pattern of mutually beneficial decisions and actions. To us, concepts like eternal love are irrational fantasies seated in the rationality of the human mind; pursuing them is akin to letting your conscience be commanded by a belief in heaven and hell—it allows imaginary ideas to take precedence over the human faculty of rationality.
In the past three years Heather and I have taken countless trips, published a cookbook, moved across the country, adopted a Doberman from a sandwich shop, had our Jack Russell become paraplegic, acquired a horse, and fought and laughed in between. Many things have stood in our way but none of them have stopped us. Our relationship withstands the things that come our way because we know we control our actions and that we will be there for our partner when they get in their own way.
To say that, “we don’t fight” is a misnomer and an oversimplification—we hold different opinions all the time, but it’s a matter of choosing when and where to dig our feet into the mud. It takes emotional will power to cede your pride in the name of the greater good of the relationship, but learning to govern your feelings in order to foster an atmosphere of trust, support, and honesty will always be worth it. There are times when I or Heather knows that the arena we have chosen to fight in is a waste of time or that we were not meant to share this same battlefield and we’ve learned that that’s OK. Our altercations are a matter of recognizing what works and what doesn’t, or what’s harmful and what’s helpful. It’s less of a fight and more of a concerted effort at honest communication aimed at understanding.
Through all of the fun and tears we strive to create love and act out of rationality and reason. It’s less exciting than the love stories we’ve been told and sounds less sexy than the hyperbole of unoriginal wedding vows, but it’s the closest thing to being human that I can imagine. If Heather and I love each other enough we will bring another human into a world where creativity, rationality, and reason are the concepts dangling above the crib, slowly spinning on a hand-stitched mobile as stubby, wrinkly fingers reach for the sky. Instead of pursuing imaginary fantasies we are writing our story one thoughtful camera click and pen stroke at a time.