Shuttle Meadow Country Club Wedding Photos
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Kelly + Evan
One of the first things couples realize when planning a wedding is that their opinions on the event are not the only ones that matter. Whether it’s their parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, or extended family, someone has a monkey wrench to throw into the best laid plans! It can lead to difficult conversations and even harder decisions, but Kelly and Evan’s intimate wedding ceremony in Rocky Mountain National Park followed by their reception at Shuttle Meadow Country Club in Kensington, Connecticut, clearly echoed not only their own values, but also the ones they learned from their refreshingly supportive families.
Family Values
Marriage, like anything else, is an institution that is evolving over time. Heather and I have noticed how marriage preserves some generational values, while it distances itself from others. For example, just a generation ago, getting married in a church by a pastor or priest was the norm, but now couples are opting to get married in beautiful backyards (raises hand) and scenic parks by one of their closest friends or family members. Antiquated reasons for a father walking their daughter down the aisle have given way to a deeper emotional connection that is one of my favorite things to witness. Perhaps the most modern and honorable aspect of the evolution of marriage is when parents who have parted ways come together at the wedding to pay respect to one another as partners and parents while also acknowledging the newer partners and parents in their children’s lives. Emotional intelligence may not always seem like it’s on the rise, but believe me if you were at Kelly and Evan’s wedding in Connecticut you wouldn’t have had dry eyes either.
Family Tradition
Kelly’s grandparents belonged to the Shuttle Meadow Country Club before her parents did and it meant a lot to her family for her and Evan to host their reception there. I don’t typically think about deep family ties and emotions when speaking about country clubs but it was apparent in the way Kelly and her family interacted with the property and staff. Family traditions take many forms and whenever possible you should try to embrace them when planning for your wedding!
Apollo Fields Family Values & Traditions
After Heather and I had Capa it changed the way I looked at my childhood and the choices my parents made. My five siblings and I were pretty much free range chickens in our cluttered house, finding our way home for dinner after playing with neighborhood kids until dusk. The only problem was that I didn’t know that I had autonomy and power over my own decisions until I left for college, whereupon I learned of my lack of discipline and returned home shortly thereafter. I consider it one of the best things that ever happened to me because it made me really analyze what decisions I was making and why.
So when I saw Evan and Kelly’s families and the connection and respect that they all have for one another; it made me think of providing Capa the guiding hand that I did not have, while at the same time giving him the power of his own decisions as early as possible. For our families are the ones who show us our values, but it is up to us as individuals to choose the ones that we wish to celebrate.
Vendors
Apollo Fields | Photography
Venue | Shuttle Meadow Country Club | Kensington, CT
Floral | Kellie Rose Florals
Band | The Parachute Brigade
Dress | Lee-Ann Belter
Dress 2 | BHLDN
Suit | Bonobos
Rings | Traynham’s Jewelers
Hair and Makeup | Opal
Invitations | Minted
New Haven Lawn Club Wedding at Yale, CT
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John + Christine
“Compatibility is an achievement of love, not its precondition.”
- John quoting Alain de Botton in his vows.
It’s not often that a line from one of our couple’s vows stops me in my tracks. And it’s not like our couples mail in their vows. It’s just that expressing how we feel about our significant other in front of an audience is a very tall task. Even me, who writes about love all the time, wound up coming up with my vows on the spot. But when John said the line above, I realized that it summarized why my relationship with Heather continues to grow—because our compatibility is something that we are constantly, intentionally working on—it isn’t just some divine, ethereal, fixed connection that we stumbled upon. Of course, luck played a part in our paths crossing; but it has nothing to do with bringing those paths together.
Yale Wedding Photos
I guess I should’ve known that two Yale grads would wind up sending me to the library to find books from a Swiss-born romantic philosopher (de Botton). But as we made our way around the campus, snapping photos of John and Christine in the beautiful mixture of historic and modern architecture, I couldn’t help but notice how nice everyone was. There was none of the nose-in-the-air snootiness that Ivy League institutions have become infamous for. Instead we took a literal walk down memory lane on a beautifully sunny Sunday afternoon with a gleeful couple so very much in love.
Open Mic at Weddings
It seems that John and Christine’s friends were cut from the same brilliant, creative, and kind cloth that they were. From both group and solo a cappella renditions of romantic classics, to classical piano and cello arrangements, musical talent was not in short supply. Even Christine’s dad brought a mountain of his endearing personality to both his heartfelt speech and dance with his daughter. Your wedding provides you a venue to not only express your love, but your friends and family if they so desire.
New Haven Lawn Club Wedding
One of the pieces of advice I constantly hear myself saying is that your wedding should reflect your values. Do you have a bunch of musically talented friends like John and Christine? Have a mic and instruments ready to go. Are you more casual and like games? Rent some carnival games and concessions. Somewhere along the way we forget as adults that we can celebrate things or live life the way we want to. Christine and John created an unforgettable experience for themselves and their guests with some great choices and help from an absolutely fantastic wedding coordinator.
Romanticism Comes in Many Forms
If I learned anything from Christine and John it’s that you don’t have to be saccharine to be romantic. You don’t have to resort to cliches and platitudes. All you have to do is do a little research, stay in your lane, and express your love in the language you know best. It doesn’t have to be poetic or original to resonate with someone else—it just has to be true.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | New Haven Lawn Club | New Haven, CT
Floral | The Floating Dahlia
Dress | Woo by Watters Vielle | BHLDN
Videography | Powerstation Events
DJ | Local Motion
Party Planner | Irene + Co
Suit | Men’s Wearhouse
Rings | Tiffany and Co.
Invitations | Zola
Hair/Makeup | MBD Beauty
It’s Us!
Having a blast with John and Christine! Reach out for your own wedding photography.
The Ethel Walker School Wedding Photography
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Jess & Dan’s Wedding
I don’t know exactly when we became the unofficial Ethel Walker’s alumni wedding photographers--but after photographing Jess and Dan’s ceremony in the chapel on campus--it’s pretty safe to say “‘08 Don’t Hate!” That was the hilarious motto for Heather’s graduating class, which was less than 40 students. I love watching Heather talk to her old classmates and share the questionable teenage stories that are made of pure nostalgia. It’s like listening to The Goonies talk about their adventures, or hearing “Green Onions” come on when The Sandlot boys are walking on their turf to talk some trash. Nostalgia is so powerful because it connects senses (smells, tastes) with memories that immediately transport us back to a place in time. I’m just happy to be taking photos and coming along for the ride.
I’ve learned as a photographer that the lighting in churches is typically terrible. That being said, the chapel on Ethel Walker’s campus has pure New England church vibes. It has that immaculate white spire that pierces cloudless blue skies, and clean, dark wooden pews that contrast with all the white on the inside. The large, long windows allow natural light to pour in from all directions. There was an aura in the air during Jess and Dan’s ceremony, almost like an atmospheric halo floating above their guests’ collective heads. It’s probably one of the most divine scenes that I’ve experienced in a church.
After the ceremony, we borrowed Jess and Dan and took them up the hill from the church to take some romantics. The sun is already setting so early so we have to be precise when it comes to golden hour in the beautiful fall months. Jess and Dan danced around in the same space that Heather used to jump horses, with a quintessential New England backdrop in the background. Every time we have one of these perfect moments it makes me sad that Heather and I never quite got a romantics session for our own wedding. Between hosting it on Heather’s uncle’s farm, the on-and-off rain, and welcoming our guests, we simply didn’t carve out enough time. It does make me immensely happy to help deliver this experience to our couples like Dan and Jess, though!
From there we headed to The Riverview in Simsbury, Connecticut, a venue that we have worked at a few years ago. We rolled right into cocktail hour as the night came on quickly. Heather and I got to catch up with a few more of her classmates before dinner was served and dances and speeches began. Once the music kicked off people hit the dance floor and it was all partying from then on!
Heather and I are enjoying the connections she has to Ethel Walker and the friends of her past. We got a small tour of the gorgeous campus before Jess and Dan’s ceremony and we even found a mural that Heather painted back in 2008. It still hangs in the infirmary, right behind one of the nurses that has worked there since Heather was a student. As our partnership goes into its seventh year it’s always wonderful to see sides of Heather I haven’t seen before. Judging by all of the interactions with her friends and teachers it’s obvious that everyone knew that Heather was going somewhere. I’m just grateful that she was heading towards me.
Enjoy these photos from Dan & Jessica’s Simsbury, CT wedding:
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Ceremony Location | The Ethel Walker School | Simsbury, CT
Reception Venue | The Riverview | Simsbury, CT
Back in my old stomping grounds…
And always up for a CT reunion. Reach out for your own wedding photography!
Candlelight Farms Inn Wedding in CT
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Joe + Ashleigh
An empty back seat is a strange feeling as a new parent. No rustling or jangling of a toy, no chirps or squeals, no eyes peering back at you through the rearview mirror. It’s a very real void that manifests itself when you leave your baby under another person’s care--like the feeling you get when you forget something at home on a road trip--except that thing you forgot is a living, breathing, human. Heather and I joke that having Capa is like having a regular at your bar 24/7 who always needs something. “You think this milk is warm enough!? Warm it up again!!”
We were just pulling out of Aunt Pam and Uncle Rick’s farm in Ramsey, New Jersey, en route to Ashleigh and Joe’s wedding at Candlelight Farms Inn in New Milford, Connecticut. Heather and Ashleigh know each other from back in the day when they went to The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut, an established private school with a great equestrian program. Ashleigh’s mom, Dee, was actually the athletic director of the school at the time and her competitive spirit can be traced through the tightly knit relationship between Ashleigh and her other three siblings.
Two of Ashleigh’s sisters, Lexi and Sandra, gave a joint-maid-of-honor speech that spoke to just how close they’ve all become. Lexi and Sandra regaled with stories from childhood and during quarantine, and extended the same love that they have for Ashleigh to Joe. “In my eyes, I was pretty sure no one was quite good enough for my sister--but then you met Joe. Joe, to be honest, I don’t even remember the beginning of your relationship because it feels like you’ve always been a part of the fam,” Sandra read through teary eyes and trembling lips. Lexi added how much Joe has challenged her in the last year, both in the gym and intellectually, and how he’s become one of her best friends. Behind the delivery of every one of Lexi and Sandra’s words was the bittersweet knowledge that Ashleigh and Joe would soon be moving down to North Carolina.
After trying to discreetly wipe the tears from the viewfinder of my camera one of the bridesmaids called me out and yelled, “even the photographer is crying!” No shame, I replied, “how could you not?” Heather and I document speeches all of the time and few are as raw, honest, and real as the ones that Lexi and Sandra delivered. Plus, it brought back memories of when Heather and I first moved to Colorado from NYC and the blubbering messes we were at our going away parties. We admire Joe and Ashleigh for pursuing their careers and taking on a new adventure, knowing the amazing friends and experiences we accrued in our little cozy cottage in Arvada, CO.
Over the course of Ashleigh and Joe’s wedding day we barely had to give them any direction for photos. It is a wedding photographer’s dream to be able to move through the logistics seamlessly, to pull the couple aside and merely snap away as they do their thing. This wedding season I’m trying to invent a word or term or pinpoint exactly what it is when two people are so obviously in love. I can safely say that being able to be part of Ashleigh and Joe’s wedding in Connecticut got me one giant step closer.
vendors:
Venue | Candlelight Farms Inn
Photography | Apollo Fields
Dress | Jenny Yoo; The White Dress by the Shore
Shoes | Jack Rogers
Suit | Joseph A. Bank
DJ | Troy Ramcharran
Rings | Michael’s Jewelers
Hair & Make Up | Beauty Entourage
Invitations | Minted
Decor/Party Rentals | All Seasons Party Rentals
Wassup
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As seen in B’Loved Magazine
This was such a fun publication for us to see Ashleigh and Joe in this mag :)