Charles River Engagement Photos in Boston, MA

Kendall And Kevin’s Engagement Photos On The Charles River Esplanade in Boston | Massachusetts Wedding Photographers | Apollo Fields Photography

I find peace in conversation, in taking the time to really listen to the words that people choose to express themselves. Some decide to speak with a less-is-more attitude while others feel the need to explain. I love that conversation is such a human experience compared to the way other animals communicate. As we walked up the Charles River Esplanade in Boston last week, it became pretty clear that Kevin spoke the language of the trees, naming them as we walked past, making sure to touch a leaf or a branch along the way. Kendall was a bit more cerebral, almost like you could see the wheels turning as she told a story, giving us the mental space to imagine it ourselves. As we continued on and stopped to take their engagement photos in Boston on an idyllic summer night, I couldn’t help but appreciate the serenity their conversation offered.

Early in their relationship, Kendall and Kevin used to run together on the Charles River Esplanade, which provides bridges in two-mile intervals that act as guides for the city’s active dwellers. I’ve always been jealous of couples that exercise together—the only crossover Heather and I have athletically is mini-golf. In our conversation I learned that I’m more the Kendall-style runner, choosing to push rather than pace, and wind up running shorter distances. I’d compare Kevin and Heather’s running styles but Heather does most of her running on horseback and that’s not fair. I love the idea of Kendall and Kevin getting to know each other while jogging, swapping stories between breaths—it sounds like the beginning of rom-com with a happy ending.

In the last few months, Kevin has seen his tree-cutting business boom during Covid-19, as people are reallocating their vacation funds to projects they’ve been putting off. He said that he’s had a difficult time expanding his team in light of government unemployment, but Kendall being a team player pitched in. “Kendall can drag brush with the best of ‘em,” Kevin bragged as he laughed.

Kevin went on to explain that Kendall loves to talk at night before bed but that he often falls asleep too quickly. “Not that night,” he said, “that night she worked in the field she was out.” Kendall also helps on the administrative side of the business that can give Kevin a headache and it’s really wonderful for Heather and I to see another couple work so well together. A healthy relationship really can be the basis for a wonderful life.  

They will be getting married at our favorite venue in Maine, Granite Ridge Estate in June 2021. They are planning their wedding in much the same way that they communicated with us and each other during their engagement session. Kevin is the most excited about the flowers and maybe getting a keg of root beer while Kendall gave us a glance and a smile and I could see in a glint in her eye her imagining it all. Knowing the venue and now knowing these two, I know that they will find the same peace that I found in conversation with them that they will find in each other for years to come.

The Evergreen Lake House Wedding Photography

Ashley & Nick’s Wedding | The Evergreen Lake House | Colorado Mountain Weddings | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography

When I woke up on the morning of Ashley and Nick’s wedding, I rolled over to see Heather staring at the ceiling, eyes wide open like she’d either seen a ghost or drank too much coffee.  These are the excited jitters that run through a wedding photographer’s veins that send most thin-skinned photographers running for the hills. The morning of a wedding is like being in the shoes of a performer in those final moments of waiting backstage on opening night, knowing full well what is on the other side of the red velvet curtain.  

The pressure that’s slowly been building in the pit of your stomach like a dull pain starts to climb to the bottom of your throat and it’s up to you to swallow it back down. Whether an audience of spectators or a guest list of family and friends, meeting their expectations is an uncertainty that can drive an artist at their core. The worst of them quit and exit stage left; and the best of them, well, bring the fucking house down.  

Fast-forward twelve hours and I’m dancing behind the DJ booth, and Heather is on the dance floor camera in-hand.  Ashley and Nick’s wedding couldn’t be going any better. When we first arrived at the house where Ashley and the bridesmaids were getting ready, we expected to walk into a hurricane of hairspray and a tangle of hair straighteners (as is tradition); instead we were greeted by a group of beautiful, calm and organized girls in floral robes who were ready to party.  The atmosphere at the boys’ house was more of the same (except for the floral robes).  The rest of the day transpired as planned with less logistical hiccups and more amazing dance moves, and it had us analyzing just what it was that made their wedding so seamless to us as photographers.

Obviously Ashley and Nick were well-prepared, but it was their energy and trust that set the tone for their wedding.  For example, both wedding parties, despite being large groups (7-8 people/each) were down to clown but still listened to and followed our dictation.  When it came to family formals, romantics, and the first look, Ashley and Nick totally put the ball in our court, trusting us with where to go, when to do it, and what angles to take.  That’s not to say our couple’s shouldn’t generate photo ideas or looks of their own, but rather that that trust in our professional and artistic vision 1) makes our jobs a breeze and 2) allows our couples more time with their guests.  This is all not to mention the deep, genuine love that Ashley and Nick have for one another which made photographing them a joyous experience composed of one-part envy and one-part melt-your-fucking-heart.  Nick was crying before he even turned around for the first look! (Sorry, not sorry bud!)

So when it comes to the pre-wedding jitters and meeting the expectations of such an event, the uncertainty is just part of the ride.  Some weddings are obviously more difficult than others, but it often comes down to the tone that the couple sets for the day. That tone is so important because it stems from the current health of the relationship at a point in time where they’ve both deemed their love worthy of an official union.  As wedding photographers, we embrace the unknown with our artistic hearts, but are always hoping that a couple’s trust and energy will reign supreme.    

Enjoy the pics from Ashley & Nick’s epic wedding:

The Vendor Team:

Photography and Writing: Apollo Fields
Venue: Evergreen Lake House
Florist: Wandering Poppy Co.
Entertainment: DJ Guy
Wedding Cake: Small Cakes Colorado
Decor: Event Rents
Dress:  Aisle Chic
Shoes: BHLDN
Jewelry: BHLDN
Veil: Needle Button Wardrobe
Suit: Men's Warehouse
Rings: Rogers & Hollands
HMUA: WedLocks Bridal Hair and Makeup
Stationary: Shutterfly

Hey, it’s us…

…We are Heather & Terrence: the husband-and-wife duo of Apollo Fields! We had such a great time at Ashley & Nick’s wedding and absolutely love heading back to our old stomping grounds in Colorado. REACH OUT to say hi!

Andrea & Arash's Destination Wedding in Punta Cana, DR

Andrea & Arash | A Story of Connection and A Relaxed Destination Wedding in the Dominican Republic

            The first time you meet someone you have no idea how big a role (if any) they are going to play in your life.  When I met my friend Mitch at SUNY Cortland, a state college in upstate New York, who would’ve guessed that several years later my fiancé and I would be the photographers for his wife’s sister’s wedding in the Dominican Republic—but as Kurt Vonnegut would’ve said about life’s unpredictability, “and so it goes.”

            In February 2017 Heather and I stepped off a plane into an overcast, muggy day in Punta Cana to head towards a resort complete with the canopied huts and aquamarine waters that define vacation prizes on game shows.  Eager to dip our toes into the warm water, we made it to our air-conditioned room, dropped off our stuff, threw on some flip-flops and swimming trunks and headed to the beach.  As we approached, Andrea and Arash were standing among family and friends, laughing and smiling in a relaxed circle of reclined beach chairs. 

            Between the telling of stories, their eyes lifted to meet ours and they gently drifted towards us with open arms.  I remember their skin being sandy and a little sticky but when you meet someone for the first time and their first move is to hug you rather than shake hands—you know you’re in good company.  We grabbed a couple of drinks from the poolside cabana and joined the circle as we quickly felt like part of the family. 

            We captured Andrea and Arash’s first look beneath an opal dome made of stone, it’s curves and edges as clean and crisp as the vest hugging Arash’s body.  Andrea’s smile shone like the bright glare reflecting off of the white granite floor—almost too beautiful and overwhelming to look at directly.  When they embraced and his arms wrapped around her lower back they whispered into each other’s ears the words reserved for lovers and their eyes slowly drew closed as their smiles pushed their eyelids into a happy recession. 

            Andrea and Arash carried this intimate gentle air all around the resort, strolling on scorching hot stones with the lightness of a breeze flowing across a rippling pool of water.  When they stood at the altar during their ceremony, the guitar strums of Somewhere Over the Rainbow followed suit and the stride of passersby slowed in relaxed admiration of a scene so serene. 

            To think that we would’ve never been in attendance of such an occasion without the meeting of two 18-year-old college kids in upstate New York over ten years ago is an idea that’s hard to wrap your head around.  It shows that life can bring you all sorts of places if you are mindful about the connections you make and the people you decide to keep in your life.

                          Dedicated to Andrea, Arash, and Kayla; Mitch, Diana and Maya.

We love you all.

Caribbean Destination Weddings | Andrea and Arash have their winter wedding in the Dominican Republic

I'm always up for a good destination wedding, but *especially* one in the Dominican Republic during the winter!  The weather was perfection and the company even better.  No better way to break up the cold months than a trip to the islands.

The best part about a destination wedding is that you are surrounded with the friends and family that you will probably have for life.  People make that extra effort to be there, and literally go the distance with you.  Plus you get multiple days with the people you are closest to, rather than just one day with everything packed into the course of a few hours.  

Planning a destination wedding can be surprisingly easy!  Andrea and Arash had an intimate wedding with small wedding parties.  The resort took care of a lot of the moving parts that usually weigh down the planning process.  Catering, cake, decor, room rentals, hotel blocks, DJ, and other vendors were essentially taken care of.  

Hiring their wedding photographer was one of the few vendors that they did not want to use the venue for, however.  It was really important to them to have timeless wedding photography and beautiful albums to look back on, and this was not one of the areas that they wanted to compromise on!  I couldn't agree more.  

Terrence and I flew down a few days early to ensure that we wouldn't have any problems with travel since international flights in the winter can sometimes get a little tricky.  Lucky for us because that is exactly what happened to a few traveling guests.  We flew from Denver International Airport to JFK to Punta Cana.  Little did we know, we just missed the big snow storm in New York!  Unfortunately, a few guests did get stuck in NYC airports and missed the ceremony.  

PLANNING AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION WEDDING?  

Always leave extra time for travel!  Flight delays, rental cars, all of these moving parts can go wrong.  We were so glad that we got down there early!  And it meant that we got extra time hanging on the beach and going snorkeling so that was also a bonus! 

Enjoy some of our favorite shots from the day!

Destination Wedding Photography:  Erny Photo CO | Apollo Fields Photojournalism
Venue:  Melia Caribe Tropical Resort | Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

AS SEEN IN THE BUDGET SAVVY BRIDE MAGAZINE:

Jon & Jen's Destination Wedding at the Chateau De Frontenac in Quebec City

Jon & Jen's Destination Wedding | Chateau Fronenac | Old Quebec City, Canada | International Wedding Photography

             Heather and I love road trips.  Being trapped in a car with someone for several hours is the ultimate make-it-or-break-it for a relationship and after the first one you pretty much know how the relationship is going to go.  We like to fill ours with silly games to pass time with the occasional deep talk about various human rights issues or whether we’d prefer to be a reincarnated as a carrot or an apple.  Our eight-plus hour drive from New York City to Quebec City was no different.

            We were originally going as guests for Heather’s friend, Jon, but wound up as on-call photographers for his French-inspired wedding in the Chateau de Frontenac overlooking the St. Lawrence River.  I’ve never been to Europe or France but the rustic buildings that hug one another over the cobblestone streets of Old Quebec City had me saying “bonjour” in a dreadful attempt at honoring Quebecois culture between mouthfuls of savory and sweet crepes (we had them every morning we were there, no regrets).

            The first time I met Jon and Jen was an annual old time Jazz celebration on Governor’s Island, a short Ferry ride away from New York City.  They’re the kind of couple that is as artistic as they are lovingly humble, welcoming you into their lives with their eyes and smiles as well as their paintbrushes.  Jon hand-painted their wedding invitations with a night portrait of the Chateau de Frontenac with scattered windows warmly lit up in a yellowish hue that cued that bedtime was nearing for each room’s lucky inhabitants.  I remember picking up the card and feeling and knowing that it came from Jon’s home rather than some massive production facility.

            Jon and Jen’s ceremony took place in the wine cellar of the chateau and I remember their officiant singing both the man and woman’s roles in various songs that they handpicked.  The child in me thought it was hilarious and came close to laughing out loud but the adult in me knew better.  You could tell that Jon and Jen had an intimate relationship with this man and have probably laughed harder together than I would’ve that day but I’m glad that my maturity won the battle for once.

            For their first dance Jen choreographed a sequence that swept them from corner-to-corner of the lavish ballroom floor with swift dips, spins, and smiles in between.  Jon had been excited to show us this number for months, sure that he would falter or stumble somewhere, but I’ve noticed that when love has the wheel the bumps in the road magically disappear one after the other in the rearview mirror.  If I didn’t know them I would call their movements graceful because they are, but because I do [know them], I just see them as familiar actions of Jon and Jen.

            Here’s to a couple that anyone would be lucky to call friends that just had their first child, Shea, who will carry on a tradition of artistic love and humility. 

Venue:  Chateau Frontenac | Old Quebec City, Canada
International Destination Photographer:  Erny Photo CO | Apollo Photo