Autumn Foliage Engagement Photos in Connecticut
Autumn Foliage Engagement Photos in Connecticut | West Hartford CT Photography | Fall Leaves for Engagement Pics
Ashleigh & Joe
It was 6:30AM when I pulled up to the parking lot at the reservoir near Hartford, CT where I was going to meet up with Ashleigh and Joe for their engagement session. I was relieved that these two were all aboard for the idea of a sunrise sesh (turns out they are early risers anyway!) because the light is just SO worth it, and this morning did not disappoint.
The parking lot was totally empty and only a little bit of light had begun to break at that point. The morning chill was pretty real and wasn’t promising to warm up any time soon, but I was walking around by the reservoir watching the fog rising up gave me a real sense that I was happy to be out in nature, despite the early wake up. I sipped on my coffee and waited for the dawn to break and Ashleigh and Joe to arrive.
When they pulled up, I could just tell that we were about to have a great morning. Ashleigh and I both went to The Ethel Walker School and it was fun to have that common ground while also catching up on life post-high school. It has been twelve years since I graduated from Walkers, and it was there where I discovered photography for the first real time in the darkroom. My graduating class was only 36 to paint a picture of how small our school was, so even though Ashleigh was in a younger class, we were such a tight knit community that everyone knew everyone. I’m so lucky to get to revisit many of these friendships now as a lot of my old classmates are getting married and we have the privilege of shooting their weddings!
I also loved getting to know Joe a bit, too. They have such a fun and whimsical energy between them, but you can also tell that their relationship has a super solid foundation. I think my favorite takeaway from our morning together was when we were chatting and I asked them how quarantine has been for both of them. I got a surprisingly positive response from Joe, “It' has been amazing for us!” he started, “It sort of fast-tracked our relationship, actually”. COVID was the reason that Joe was able to move up to Ashleigh and brought them closer both literally and figuratively. A silver lining for an otherwise crazy year, indeed!
Enjoy these pics from Joe & Ashleigh’s sunrise engagement session in CT:
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
Grant Humphrey's Mansion Wedding in Denver, CO
Lindsey & Jeff's Elegant Wedding at the Grant Humphrey's Mansion | Denver, Colorado | Colorado Wedding Photographer | Denver Wedding Photography | Apollo Photojournalism
Colorado Weddings can take many different shapes and sizes and The Grant Humphrey’s Mansion is one of my favorite spots for a great wedding in the heart of the city that still feels authentically “Denver”. I love this venue because it is classy and classic but without feeling too pretentious. It’s perfect for a fun-loving Colorado couple such as Lindsey and Jeff.
I loved working with these two lovebirds and we were all relieved that their wedding — even though it was in November — was much, much warmer than their unforgettable engagement session at Lake Dillon in the FREEZING cold mountains! The night was beautiful and we totally lucked out.
They chose not to do a first look but still wanted to do wedding party pics outside. I knew this was going to be a bit of a challenge because the sun would have been long gone this time of year by the time that their ceremony had concluded. I am actually really happy for this challenge now because I just LOVE how unique these photos are! Their wedding party was so much fun and I loved spending time with them and their awesome families.
We got to do their getting-ready photos at Lindsey’s friend’s house which was basically made for photos! My second shooter, Kim, and I were just squealing at the high ceilings, beautiful white walls, and big windows with tons of natural light. It was such a fun way to get the day started off right. Then off to the mansion we went for their cozy wedding. They had an intimate and heartfelt ceremony, followed by a fun cocktail hour, and then a great party in the basement. I love live music so it was great to be a part of such a fun day! Best wishes to this beautiful couple!
Colorado Mountain Couple | Denver, CO | Grand Humphreys Mansion Erny Photo CO Wedding Photography
Lindsey and Jeff are a sweet and friendly couple who love spending time in the Colorado mountains with their three adorable pups.
They had a beautiful wedding at the Grant Humphreys Mansion in Denver's Historic District. Surrounded by their friends and family, they exchanged vows in an absolutely beautiful, tear jerking ceremony, followed by a beautiful night time couple shoot. Soon after they joined their guests for a delicious dinner, tasty bundt cakes and a night of laughter and dancing. It was such a perfect day!
Normally I recommend bridal party and couple's photos are held during the golden hour, which is the hour before sunset, but that wasn't in the cards for Lindsey and Jeff's wedding. Instead, they opted for some nighttime portraits outside of the Grant Humphrey Mansion. I just love the way they turned out. With the Edison lights and historic architecture, the Grant Humphrey Mansion was the perfect place for some fun and artsy, nighttime portraits.
Denver Wedding Photographer: Apollo Photo
Wedding Venue: The Grant Humphreys Mansion | Denver, CO
Wedding Planner: Simply Elegant Group
Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes
Caterer: Relish
Live Music: Wirewood Station Band