Round Peak Vineyards Wedding in Mt Airy, NC

Mike and Maddy’s Vineyard Wedding in North Carolina | Apollo Fields | Outdoor Wedding Photographer | Mountain Wedding Photography | Round Peak Vineyard Wedding Photos | Mt. Airy, NC

Ever since I first read The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo I have carried the theme of pursuing your “personal legend” with me wherever I go. It’s all about listening to and trusting your intuition in your life decisions. The famous line that resonates from the book is, “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it,” and after shooting Mike and Maddy’s engagement photos in NYC and vineyard wedding in North Carolina, it’s really hard not to believe it.

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During Mike and Maddy’s engagement session, Heather got one of my favorite Apollo Fields photos of all time when we stumbled across a fire hydrant spraying into the street. Then after driving nine hours to Mt. Airy, North Carolina a few weeks later, the rapidly changing weather on their wedding day at Round Peak Vineyards helped them chart a few more. The rain started to fall immediately after we finished doing Mike and Maddy’s ceremony and family formals, and Heather seized the opportunity to grab some playfully dramatic shots of them carrying umbrellas. It poured for another hour or two only to give way to a milky golden sunset and a soaring rainbow! Mike and Maddy were all smiles as they adapted their day to Mother Nature’s beauty.

If Mike and Maddy had cancelled their wedding or engagement shoot; if they didn’t bring the celebration to Mike’s family in North Carolina; if they didn’t bring the energy despite all that they’ve been through in both of the events, if, if, if. So many conditions and variables changed the course of the celebration of their love but none of them changed the nature of it. Because Mike and Maddy knew what they wanted [to celebrate their love], the universe conspired in their favor.

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Mike and Maddy had so many opportunities to fold and postpone their wedding altogether (There would’ve been no shame in taking this action). But instead they persevered and just worked harder to make it happen. Every one of their 20+ guests were tested for COVID in advance of their outdoor celebration. They focused less on what they were missing and more on what they could do. Their hard-nosed go-with-the-flow vibe created beautifully genuine moments around every corner.

On our drive down to North Carolina we got a flat tire when we were about an hour outside of the venue. We bought a patch kit at a gas station and I began to get to work in the parking lot so we could get back on the road. Heather was standing there with her hands on her hips, watching as her adorable baby bump protruded in the light of the sun, while I took off my shirt and wore only bright orange-ish pants--I can only imagine what the rural Virginians thought of us. Then, out of nowhere, two men, and then another came to our aid, and supplied us with a reamer that wasn’t included in the patch kit. We were done in a matter of minutes. We tried to offer them a drink, money, or anything we could give to show our gratitude but they refused it all. There were so many things that could go wrong in the planning of Mike and Maddy’s wedding, but because of their energy and effort, and our kind southern strangers, the universe wound up conspiring in all of our favor.