Maple Shade 1785 Farm Wedding in Delhi, NY
Apollo Fields | Upstate NY Wedding Photographer | Best Wedding Photos | Maple Shade Farm Wedding Photos | Delhi, NY
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
Apollo Fields | New York Wedding Photographers | Best Wedding Photos | Owl’s Hoot Barn Wedding Photos | Upstate New York Wedding
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
We're Not Just an Instagram Couple
Farm Venues in Hudson Valley NY | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography | Husband and Wife Team | Small Business Owners
“We’re not just an Instagram couple,” I playfully declared to Heather while carrying a handful of dirty dishes to the sink. “If people knew that we really live this way all the time—I think they’d be sick,” I added. We were just putting the finishing touches on a delicious candlelit dinner of baked tofu in a spicy yellow coconut curry sauce, when Heather and I both realized that that declaration was just begging to be the beginning of a blog post.
What I meant in that moment was that it’s not just that we do “‘Gram-worthy” things all the time in our everyday lives, but that we do them because we really enjoy them rather than “doing them for the ‘Gram.” Thinking on this topic made me realize that Heather and I are motivated by connecting with each other and other people—that’s why we cook healthy, homemade meals with spices we can barely pronounce for people that we love—because that’s what makes us happy. Where most people see a moment to get some likes and promote themselves (and we’re not blind to the fact that we’re doing this also), we see a moment to express ourselves and connect with like-minded people.
Social media platforms like Instagram are the 21st century soapboxes for us to climb upon and speak our truths to the town (or more accurately, our local city, country and world). They are magnificent microphones of unlimited potential, but we all know that their feeds tend to hide the dirty dishes and legwork, tucking away the hours of unsexy tedium in favor of the curated moments of short-lived perfection. While it is important to celebrate the beautiful products of our hard work it is equally important to acknowledge the reality of success, that success is built upon aches and pains, empty cups of coffee, expletives, and endless amounts of frustration. To ignore that is to fail to tell the whole story of our success or truth.
Heather and I lean into the ugly side of our truths because we know that to ignore them is to live an incomplete life. Yes, we may not be as perfect or as “‘Grammable”, but because we are honest with ourselves we feel more whole as individuals, as a couple, and as a business. It allows us to connect with each other and connect with you. It is part of our brand because we are our brand, through and through. Apollo Fields is the whole meal: the rickety chair, the dirty dishes, the colorful plate and flickering candlelight; the stubbed toe, spilt red wine, and dabbed club soda; and as such our stomachs and hearts are always full to the brim. “We are not an Instagram couple” — we are an Apollo Fields couple and are damned proud of it.
As we enter 2020 may we give equal voice to our pains as we do to our peaks, embracing bravery in our weakness as much as humility in our strength. May we help each other do the dirty dishes while we polish off that last bottle of champagne. May we remember that success and failure are not mutually exclusive but rather are inextricably linked.
Cheers, friends, let us cry and create our truths together, Instagram and other social media be damned.
Photography: Apollo Fields
Non-Traditional Wedding Planning and Inspiration
DIY Wedding Ideas | Non-Traditional Wedding | Farm Wedding Photographers | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography | Ramsey, NJ
As wedding photojournalists we’ve had the privilege of documenting people on the best day of their lives. Surrounded by friends and family, our wedding couples celebrate their love with the traditions their families have taught them. But what happens if a couple doesn’t have any traditions? Or what if they do but they don’t have any connection to them? Please take these words as a license to create the wedding that best defines your relationship. Borrow from different traditions or create your own. There are no rules.
Heather and I chose to have our wedding at her aunt and uncle’s private farm in Ramsey, NJ, because: 1) they allowed us to, and 2) it was our closest connection to a meaningful tradition. The owners of Honeymoon Acres, Aunt Pam and Uncle Rick got married there in 1996 and we wanted to honor their union by following in their footsteps. Far from perfect, the farm is a haven for animals and family gatherings, treating four legged creatures with an equal-if-not-greater-hand than our relatives. There’s humility in recognizing the value of every animal on this earth and Pam and Rick never forget that and neither will we.
When you’re planning your wedding and getting caught up in the inevitable whirlwind of varying opinions remember this: you are the stewards of your own love. It is you and your significant other who are taking this expedition together — your brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, other relatives and friends can be safe places to stop along the way — but you two are the captains. It is you two who determine the course and to cede control of your wedding day is to allow others to briefly steer the ship. If you are okay with that, fine, but know that a ship with interim captains can wind up in uncharted waters. Please forgive the dramatic analogy but I cannot overemphasize the peace and fulfillment that comes with choosing the way you wish to celebrate your love.
Heather and I decided to celebrate ours by having our friend, David Miller, officiate our mala bead ceremony (see previous post). We took this route because of something that, ironically enough, a pastor said to us at a wedding: “it’s funny, I’m probably the person in this room who knows the least about the couple getting married, yet I’m the one speaking to their loved ones about their relationship.” It was all backwards for us, so picking a friend was a no-brainer. One of the other things that David did was pass our rings around to everyone in little nests, letting our guests cradle the symbols of our love in their trusted hands. We later tried to swap out the garter/bouquet toss for a stuffed animal toss to remind ourselves of our inner children — but just like children we somehow misplaced our stuffed animals. We ended the night with a Jewish tradition, the horah, because who doesn’t want to be lifted into the air to look upon the faces of your friends and family as they have the time of their lives?
Your wedding day can be many things. Why settle for traditions that are outdated and empty? Why not borrow the ones you like? Why not create something new? Why not take the opportunity to create a community that celebrates all the best things in your life. Your wedding doesn’t have to be lavish or expensive, all it has to be is you.
Photography: Alexis Cohen & Derek Morf for Apollo Fields
Farm Venue: Honeymoon Acres, Ramsey NJ
The Barn at Raccoon Creek Wedding Photography
Kate & Jeff’s Wedding | The Barn at Raccoon Creek | Colorado Wedding Photographers | December Weddings | Barn Wedding Photography
I first heard from Kate and Jeff when we were honeymooning in Jamaica. We were introduced via Frances, who is an amazing and badass photographer that I love to shoot with. Frances absolutely raved about Kate and would be a guest at the wedding, and knew that Kate and Jeff were looking for a photographer for their wedding that they were planning on a short timeline. They actually got engaged the same day that we got married (fun fact) and when we first started emailing, I knew we would be a great fit. Even though our wifi was spotty at best and we didn’t have an international cell plan in Jamaica, I remember walking around the house trying to find a connection with my phone hoping to get our emails through! I looked like a crazy person, waving my phone in the air in our villa, but I was just so excited even then to work with this awesome couple.
Then we met up for coffee in Denver in the beginning of December and immediately hit it off. I loved their vision for their wedding: sentimental, with a big focus on family, a lot of kiddos, and some rewriting of traditions. There were a lot of things that really resonated with me because just like us, they did a circle ceremony without a traditional wedding party. Kate’s brother, Andy, would be officiating and they were going to self-solemnize. The six munchins would be throwing paper airplanes instead of flowers as they walked down the aisle to celebrate Jeff’s job as a pilot. It all sounded great to me! I love when couples use their wedding as a platform to really showcase their relationship and values, and I knew from the beginning that this wedding would be exactly that.
We chatted and chatted over coffee just getting to know each other, and I could tell quickly that these two were just beaming together. They told me all about how they got engaged which basically made me melt—Jeff took Kate up for an airplane ride in a little Cessna and flew it over her house, where her closest friends and family were all cheering around a big poster that read, “Will You Marry Me?” How awesome is that!? I realized then that Jeff loves big, over the top grand gestures for all of the right reasons. There would be more of that to come on their wedding day…
But fast forward to Christmas morning at 4:00AM. I was in the hospital and my hemoglobin was dropping fast. The doctors suspected that I was rupturing, but we weren’t sure at the time. I had to make a decision right there and then whether to go into surgery. I remember asking the doctor if I would be able to shoot my weddings that weekend and she said that if we did surgery and as long as I was feeling up to it, there was no reason not to. If we decided not to do surgery, I could be in the same position a day or two later and might not be able to shoot. We weighed all of our pros and cons and ultimately, did the surgery. It ended up being the right decision for so many reasons, especially because once they opened me up, the doctors found that not only had I ruptured, but I had a lot of internal bleeding which was life-threatening.
So three days post-op, I pulled up to The Barn at Raccoon Creek at the same time at Kate, who looked so excited that it made me forget everything that we had just been through. She helped me get my equipment into the venue, which seems like a small thing but really isn’t. I couldn’t lift or carry anything because of the surgery, and it would have been so easy for a lot of other women to play the bride card and not want to help a vendor on their special day, but Kate was so kind and understanding that I knew the day would be amazing. With one arm holding her wedding dress and the other helped me get my camera bag out of the car, she gave me a warm smile that suggested I didn’t need to apologize. There was a sense of friendship there that means everything to vendors, and it really made me grateful for my clients and my job.
Shortly after, Katie rolled in to second shoot for me. I was originally going to fly solo for their wedding, but once I ended up in surgery, I decided that the most important thing was to get amazing photos whether or not we were budgeted for another shooter. Katie has worked with me before and I knew she would be a great addition to the day, so with almost no notice, she stepped up like a rockstar to help the team. Kate had a sense of calm to her as she was getting ready, and I think there is something really peaceful about not having swarms of bridesmaids buzzing around you before your wedding. She had music playing, was doing her own makeup, and casually sipping on some champagne. All was good, so we just started snapping away.
Kate and Jeff were earlyfor pictures, which basically never happens. The whole family was organized, and even the kiddos had their shit together. This was such a rarity, but couldn’t have come at a better time. Everything was so organized and we were able to have a really sentimental and private first look and then do family formals without any chaos or drama. Again, a real luxury for photographers! Guests began to trickle in and Kate and Jeff were able to have some quiet time before the ceremony.
The ceremony was cozy and sentimental, exactly as they had imagined it. Once they had exchanged their vows, everyone gathered outside for a big group photo before the guests went off for cocktail hour. The sun was inching towards the horizon line and I knew we didn’t have too much time before golden hour. We hopped in the golf cart and drove off to the most scenic place to do some photos of just the two of them, with the golden light pouring over the yellow grass, and I watched as Kate and Jeff just basked in the company of one another. They danced, they laughed, they cozied up in a blanket together, and I just snapped away.
The sun fell behind the mountains and we retreated into the cottage where Kate and Jeff were going to sign their marriage license and have some quiet time to themselves before the reception. I took some pictures of them signing and then they looked at me and asked me to be their witness. I was so humbled in this moment because they clearly had a ton of friends and family who adored them at this wedding, and yet here they were handing me the pen. Of course, I was honored to sign and then they offered me a taste of the special wine that they were sharing. I still get emotional (blame it on the hormones) thinking about their kindness on their own wedding day. I think that says so much about a couple, really.
The reception was fun, vibrant, energetic, and of course sentimental. I had been let in on a little secret that Jeff had up his sleeve, but wasn’t prepared for how amazing it actually would be. I mean, thinking back to his epic proposal, I should have known that he had a big surprise for Kate, but this was truly one of the best things I’ve been a part of at a wedding. They had planned their first dance to be a special song by Brendan James, one of their favorite musicians and had fond memories of listening to this song when their relationship first began. Jeff loves music but loves sharing this passion with Kate even more. So behind the scenes, he had flown Brendan James out himself all the way from Charleston and had him tucked away from all of the guests. Jeff took the microphone and surprised Kate while Brendan came out to perform their first dance song for them live.
After all of the applause settled down, the whole room got quiet, Brendan sat down at the piano and magic happened. I was so wrapped up in the moment, seeing how happy Jeff was to surprise his new wife, watching the gratitude sweep over Kate, and listening to the amazing sound of Brendan’s voice. I watched his hands floating effortlessly over the piano keys, and just kept shooting away, trying to focus on my job but unable to ignore the magnitude of the moment I was in. I remember looking over at Kate’s father and holding eye contact with him for a moment, I watched a small tear fall from his face and then I began to cry hard. After such a hard few weeks, I realized in that moment that life would go on and it would be beautiful.
Then came another surprise, and this time Jeff wouldn’t be in on it . Another awesome performer was stashed away and this time Bradley Rhodes came out to do another amazing live set. Everyone hugged and danced, and all came together to celebrate exactly as Jeff and Kate had imagined. Eventually, my coverage was long over but we got to spend some time with guests and get to know their families better. They had been so sweet to invite Terrence as a guest, and when we finally made it out to the dance floor, Frances stole my camera off my harness and took over shooting for a little while. The wedding was beautiful but it couldn’t have come at a better time. Some people think I’m an animal for working during a time that I could have very easily justified subbing in another photographer, but I really wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else. I want to extend a huge congrats to this amazing couple and a lifetime of love to both of them.
Wedding Photography: Apollo Fields
Venue: The Barn at Raccoon Creek | Littleton, Colorado
Music + Photo Booth: DJ Guy
Live Performances: Brendan James | Bradley Rhodes
Equestrian Photoshoot Ideas for Senior Photos
Horse Photography | Equine Portraits | Senior Photos | Capricorn Farm, Golden Colorado | Warmblood Horses | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
Aralimbo’s last home, Capricorn Farm in Jefferson County, Colorado, is a peaceful oasis that is permanently painted into my mind. Seated right in front of North Table Mountain in Golden, CO, every sunset sunk behind the Rocky Mountains too quickly, splashing palates of pink, yellow, and blue into the open sky like a landscape portrait by your favorite impressionist painter. The kicker of Capricorn Farm, though, was the owner, Katie, and her daughter, Jenna, who rode and worked that idyllic farm property as naturally as North Table Mountain emerged from the soil of the front range.
Farm life isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination, but those who dive head first into the hay do so because they love animals more than they love themselves. Katie, like most barn owners we’ve met, evoked a stern, take-no-shit attitude when we first talked shop with her. Then, when we saw her walk through the stable, strutting in her element, shaking the dust from the field from her jacket, we noticed the heart behind the hard work. The way she reached out to touch her equine friends was as gentle as a gardener’s whisper; the way she looked into their eyes as sensitive as a mother’s gaze. It’s only in the rare few that these two seemingly opposite character traits – toughness and tenderness – materialize into the calloused hands of the seasoned farmer.
The last month we were in Colorado, Heather secretly did a photo session with Jenna and her horse, Justice, as a thank you gift for Katie’s loving care of Aralimbo. There’s a certain bond between a horse and the rider, Heather keeps telling me, and it first became evident in those photographs. Jenna was heading off to college and was heartbroken leaving Justice in Colorado, but such is the price you pay when you love something so much. Yet that day at Capricorn, Heather immortalized Jenna and Justice’s bond in photographs that will also reinforce Jenna’s relationship with Katie. It reminded me that distance between loved ones can always change with time, but remembering the moments that shaped our lives never will.
There’s something about the love of animals that makes having weddings at barns or farms more appropriate than banquet halls. Perhaps it’s the unconditional love that’s exchanged between eyes, the reward of hard work, or the many loves that the old wooden walls must’ve seen over time. All I know is that Heather and I are going to find a farm wedding venue that captures whatever it is.
Whether a trend or if farm weddings are here to stay, having the privilege to meet people like Katie and Jenna is why we are in the industry that we are in. Nothing means more to us than providing meaningful pathways for families, couples, or relatives to connect to one another. It just so happens that many of the people in our lives have an overwhelming amount of love for the other creatures we share this earth with. If it’s anything we can learn from them is that although their hands are calloused, it doesn’t prevent them from also being gentle.
Jenna & Justice
Horse Photography: Apollo Fields
Venue: Capricorn Farm
Our Mala Bead Ceremony: A Non-Traditional Wedding Idea
Mala Bead Ceremony | Rehearsal Dinner Ideas | Non-Traditional Wedding Idea | Apollo Fields | Yoga Weddings
PSA to all couples who are getting married and looking for non-traditional wedding ideas: do a Mala Bead Ceremony! Originally a suggestion from a close hippie friend of ours (we love you, C!), we decided to do it for our wedding and everyone loved it! It was a heartfelt, engaging experience that was perfect for our rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.
We first decided to do a Mala bead ceremony because neither of us were raised with any religious beliefs and we wanted to find traditions that resonated with us. The basic idea is this: ask your closest friends and family to obtain beads of any make, whether natural stone, wood, decorative, or otherwise. Then ask them to charge each of their beads with their intentions for your marriage and write them down. When everyone is together the night before the wedding, have each person present their beads and written intentions to you, describing why they chose those beads. Now, one-by-one string them onto your Mala bead necklace, beginning with a guru bead of your own.
The Guru Bead
The guru or anchor bead acts as the center of the necklace just as you will stand at the center of your family and friends during your wedding ceremony. In total, a traditional mala bead necklace contains 108 beads (not including the guru bead). After everyone has shared their beads and intentions, tie off the necklace. This personalized piece of jewelry is now ready for you to give to your officiant to wear during the ceremony.
Heather and I had no idea how our family and friends would respond to the ceremony, but their participation far exceeded our expectations. Our families aren’t particularly open with emotional conversations but somehow the subtlety and genuine nature of the mala bead ceremony created a comfortable space for them to share their feelings (so much feels, so much safe space). Some spoke with tongue-in-cheek comedy, while others stumbled through words that are usually left unspoken, but they all spoke.
They all shared their thoughts on love and what they think makes a good relationship. Unexpectedly insightful and heartfelt, I’d never felt closer to everyone in attendance. It was like one of those icebreaker team-building activities but with more on the line and less bullshit. I can’t recommend the ceremony enough.
Incorporating the Mala into our Ceremony
The day of the wedding we gave the necklace to our officiant, David “Killer” Miller, and he explained the significance of it to our guests while it gently hung around his neck. He also passed our wedding rings around in little nests for everyone to see, feel, and put their thoughts upon. Heather and I really wanted our wedding ceremony to be as interactive as possible because we feel most ceremonies are too exclusive rather than inclusive of those in attendance.
After all, why would you invite all these people to your wedding if you didn’t want them to participate in one way or another. We are the communities we are part of and I’ve never felt more in place than when I looked around at the faces in ours. Let this message be a reminder that your wedding day is whatever you want it to be, even if, especially if, it includes some random hippie ceremony.
The Intentions That Everyone Charged Our Beads With:
May you be LOVE (blood stone)
May you be LIGHT (amazonite)
May you be TRUTH (smoky quartz)
May you be COMPASSION (jasper)
Live today like there is no tomorrow.
Trust yourself to do the right thing!
Be truthful and honest in all that you do!
Have faith in yourself because you’re a good person and can solve anything that you encounter.
May you appreciate and encourage one another.
May you realize every moment is a gift.
May you have an open heart and therefore, an open mind.
To cherish your creativity and originality. It is hard to get it back (unicorn bead)
To live healthy and balanced. Everything in moderation (heart bead)
To be resilient at all times. Like a dragon (dragon bead)
To continue adventuring, thriving, and having a good time (flower bead)
The football shaped bead is pretty and reminds me of Heather
The barrel shape: Keep laughter in your lives. “A barrel of laughs”
Round cherry: From a necklace Heather made me. I wish you many happy days in your future
Yellow bead: Mom, Nana, and Pop all have this same bead to represent the strength in family
Stay classy
Be kind before being nice
Rosary Bead: May the breeze blow new strength into your beings
White Rosary Bead: May the moon softly restore you both by night
Brown flower bead: Was picked by me in a bead ceremony to represent RESILIENCE
Red squiggle bead: Keep traditions + make new traditions. It’s a Christmas bead. Believe in order to receive.
Strength: Although the nuts are individuals, they are strongest when they come home and are joined by the bolt.
Longevity: The darker nuts are from my fathers tool box. He understood partnership. M & D celebrated 66 years together last year.
Happiness: It has many components – Humor, Honesty, Humility
Growth: You are just starting your journey. You may need a bigger bolt as you grow more nuts!
Red beads from a necklace Heather made me. Makes me think of a ruby, represents my love for you both.
Teal bead: From a necklace Gram gave me. My intentions to keep the Girls Club alive forever.
Yellow bead: Dad, Nan, and Pop have this same bead to represent the strength in family.
Oval Silver: From a bracelet Heather made me. Silver represents sophisticated and modern, riches and wealth. May you have it all.
Black bead: Keep negative energy out of your life.
Yellow bead: To show strength in family.
Lead barrel: Like a bullet with gunpowder, continue to chase your dreams.
Black and white: Remember there are many other colors in the world.
For Nature
For Passion
For Play
Take time to listen with the mind and the heart
May you have patience with each other through the hard moments.
I will ALWAYS remember that I am strong and have the support of my extended family (we love you guys)
I will not do hard to others and accept the moment for what it is.
I will not end my day on an angry note; I have much to be grateful for.
I will have the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
I took this from Nana’s necklace. Like Nana, always find goodness in all people (Turquoise and Silver)
Pop, your father, and mom have the yellow bead to represent the strength in family.
This was from a necklace Heather made Nana. Hold the memories of both Gram and Nana (Teal)
Keep a transparent window of your future (Glass Bead)
What ever your wishes are!
Go forward.
My mom’s love of family.
Honeymoon Acres.
For memories.
For love.
To hold space for love even if it is small.
For a long, happy, ever-growing bond that gets stronger with time.
For you to find the joy even when you have to look for it.
For you to keep your uniqueness as individuals and as a couple.
May you have kind words, a loving heart, and good intentions.
May you take time every day to sit and quietly listen.
May you live in a constant state of amazement.
May you march to the beat of your own drum.
Winter – Teamwork. It takes two to build a snowman (snowman bead)
Spring – Pace, don’t rush through life like a speedy bunny. Slow down, enjoy the moments (bunny bead)
Summer – Freshness, a happy and fulfilling relationship (strawberry)
Fall – Harvest, enjoying the benefits of a long commitment (yellow tube)
Jade Tear: Jade is for luck and fortune.
The Bull: Bulls are strong. Willed with stronger personalities. Be mindful to see the bull in yourself and moo-ve on :)
The Frog: Frogs, while seemingly adaptable, are in reality quite fragile. Remember to nurture your relationships so it doesn’t dry out and be willing to shed your skin and try new things.
Flower on a White Background: This was the first bead I chose. It reminded me of traditional European embroidery motifs, which makes me think of our families as they have moved across this world, allowing for so many things, like you two getting to meet. Flowers make me think of spring and regrowth. The blank background is for possibility. I hope only the best in your new family, and everything that will come from it.
Venue: Honeymoon Acres, Private Farm | Ramsey NJ
Officiant: David Miller
HMUA: Jennifer Belle // Sandra Wittner
Photography: Alexis Cohen shooting for Apollo Fields
Brookside Gardens Wedding in Berthoud, Colorado
Kathya & Levi’s Wedding | Brookside Gardens Event Center | Berthoud, CO | Colorado Wedding Photographer | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
Kathya and Levi had such a sweet and romantic wedding at Brookside Gardens in Berthoud, CO. I love this part of Colorado because the landscape is so beautiful with the Rockies in the background en route to Estes Park. It’s a quirky and cozy little part of Colorado near Lyons which is pretty artsy and filed with cafes and little shoppes.
I stopped for a nice working breakfast in town before heading over to the wedding. I love getting up to the towns early, stopping for coffee and a little power breakfast, plugging into my laptop with my headphones in and getting into my zone before a big wedding day. It’s a great routine for me to unwind and also rev up at the same time!
I arrived at Brookside Gardens and everyone was sort of quietly buzzing with wedding prep. I bounced back and forth between the guys and the girls while also snapping away some detail pics. They had such a sweet ceremony outside in the gardens and I could tell that they were super in tune with one another. They incorporated a few special readings, a tree planting ceremony, and even a dove release to make everything that much more special.
Afterwards, we went into cocktail hour with some family photos and wedding party pics. They decided not to do a first look so we were able to squeeze in everything after the ceremony when we still had good light. Then I snuck Kathya and Levi out to the field for golden hour to catch the dreamiest summer golden light! It’s like catnip for me when that beautiful dewy sun begins to set against the sun and I just get so excited when we get to have time for couples photos when the lighting is at its best.
I loved working with this sweet couple at this beautiful Colorado wedding venue!
Colorado Wedding Photography: Heather Huie for Apollo Fields
Colorado Wedding Venue: Brookside Gardens Event Center, Berthoud CO
Selina & Evan's Wedding at The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park in Colorado
Selina & Evan’s Wedding at The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park | Colorado Barn Venues | Rustic Weddings | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
We just love a good barn wedding– for us it’s not a trend, it’s a way of life. I grew up as a “barn rat”, an affectionate name for the scrappy barn kids who just never seem to leave. I mucked stalls, I scrubbed buckets, I dragged hay bales that were my size up and down the stairs to work off my riding lessons. I loved every minute of it. In the summers, I got dropped off at the barn in the morning. We had to do all of the barn chores before we were allowed to even look at a saddle. Then in the afternoons, we rode. I took group lessons and plotted around x-rails until I was told to stop. On the weekends, we would trail ride, flying through the woods on the ponies, running through the trails and dragging our horses through the streams. By the time the sun had gone down, someone would pick me back up from the barn and take me home.
Then I went off to a boarding school for riding horses and continued spending most of my time in barns. When I graduated, I got an apartment over a barn and began training horses to pay off my tuition. I love it, it’s where I stay active, I work out my frustrations on horseback, I find my sense of peace when I’m all alone at night with the horses feeding them treats. This is all to say that as a wedding photographer now, barn venues are MY JAM. For me, rustic wasn’t a hashtag, it was a reality.
The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park
This Colorado venue is situated in a beautiful little town along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The landscape is amazing and the little barn is nestled off of the road. It has these amazing stained glass windows adorning the front and an open concept inside that is perfect for weddings. We were lucky to have a great golden hour where we went behind the barn for some romantic couple’s portraits.
I loved all of the personal touches that Selina and Evan had at their wedding. They are such a sweet couple and I just loved working with them and capturing their special day!
The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park in Colorado
Selina and Evan are a fun loving and caring couple.
They're very sentimental and family oriented, so they opted for a more traditional wedding ceremony at the Cherry Hills Community Center in Denver, Colorado.
After the wedding ceremony, they moved their guests over to their Barn at Evergreen Memorial wedding reception. And it was everything a wedding reception should be! They laughed and danced with their guests all night long. It was a blast to be a part of!
One of my favorite parts of their wedding day was their "blind look". They really wanted the first time they saw each other to be when Selina was walking down the aisle, but they also wanted a private moment for themselves before the ceremony. So instead of a first look, where a couple sees each other privately before the wedding ceremony, they held hands through a curtain and prayed together. It was so intimate, and personal. The perfect choice for Selina and Evan.
FARM WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY | AUTHENTIC WORKING BARNS | FARM TO TABLE
Heather Erny is a Colorado Wedding Photographer who specializes in telling your unique story in a timeless, photo journalistic way. If you're interested in having her photograph your wedding, get in touch!
Denver Ceremony: Cherry Hills Community Church
Farm Reception: The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park
Wedding Photography: Apollo Fields
Ethel Walker School Weddings Photography
Michelle & Sarah's Engagement Photos | Ethel Walker School Barn | Connecticut Wedding Photographer | Simsbury, CT | Apollo Photojournalism
Talk about a blast from the past! I spent my entire high school career at The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, CT and it was so surreal to be back there to shoot Michelle and Sarah’s engagement photos there. It was a damp and rainy New England day and we were carefully planning when we could still shoot outside. When we realized that the rain wouldn’t let up, we decided to pull out the umbrellas and just go for it. This is what makes this couple so great, they didn’t let the rain get them down at all… if anything, I think it had the opposite effect!
I met Michelle at Walker’s many years ago. Her father was — wait for it — my first photography teacher!! He’s literally the person responsible for putting my first camera in my hands and where this whole thing started. I took a darkroom photography course and never looked back. There was something so magical about the whole process of shooting film and developing it myself. I soaked up the whole thing and spent all of my study halls in the darkroom processing my images. I loved learning about old school methods of dodging, burning, and even hand painting in your images. Mr. Coster, or “Papa” as we affectionately called us, let me run wild with my ideas. He showed me how to do double exposures and a lot of other fun photo manipulations that I find kind of cliche in digital but still fascinate me with film.
Mr. Coster helped me navigate my art career throughout my four years of boarding school. He gave me so much guidance and I quickly became close with his whole family. He has three daughters, one who was in my grade, so I easily fit into their dynamic. Then, his wife started physical therapy at the same doctor’s office as I was going to after my knee surgery so she would give me rides to my sessions. Being at boarding school meant forgoing a traditional “family” environment so when you did have families in walking distance who would take you in occasionally, you took advantage of the opportunity. I remember even walking into their house sometimes when the cafeteria food was inedible and just announcing, “so what’s for dinner”, and he would blankly answer, “Chinese food” without even looking up.
So when Mr. Coster’s youngest daughter, Michelle, got engaged, it made perfect sense that I shoot the wedding. Talk about full circle! Just being back on the old campus was such a trip, and it was also Terrence’s first time seeing EWS so it was crazy to show him the place where I spent my four years of high school. I love this session for so many reasons but I think it perfectly captures their fun and animated personalities at a place that I spent so much time years ago!
Connecticut Wedding Photographer: Apollo Photojournalism
Venue: The Ethel Walker School | Simsbury, CT