Greek Wedding Photographers in Upstate New York
Greek Wedding Traditions | Upstate New York Weddings and Photography | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
Planning a wedding can be a big, elaborate affair but when you come from a big Greek family, the traditions and expectations can really pile on! In a good way, of course, but Greek weddings can be a real to-do! We love them because of how dynamic everything is and the energy level can really escalade into a good party, which always makes our job that much more fun and the photos come out so energetic.
The morning of Paris and Dayna’s wedding was buzzing with friends and family and each other’s houses. Paris got dressed with his groomsmen and participated in a Greek tradition where his Best Man will shave him and then friends and family will take turns afterwards. This symbolizes trust on your wedding day, because OBVIOUSLY things could go very wrong with an untrustworthy person— from a bad job to cutting your face— it’s important that you have a good crew there!
The wedding ceremony took place in a church where the rings were blessed three times by the priest before officially exchanged, in addition to their personalized vows that were read aloud (this isn’t as traditional, but was a fun way for this couple to give their own personal and modern take on the ceremony). One of my favorite elements of Greek ceremonies is the crowns that symbolize the union of two people into a singular entity. They are connected and worn by both partners, which I think is so sweet but also meaningful.
I loved the large wedding parties that they had and they were certainly ready to have a good time! Those portraits were probably some of my favorites, with exception of the bride and groom shots, because everyone was having so much fun together despite the hot summer day. We were able to find some shade and a nice big white wall which was a double whammy for us because the reflector that naturally occurs with all that white!
One of the most recognizable parts of a Greek wedding is the money throwing at the dancing part of the evening and it never disappoints! It feels so surreal to be out on the dance floor with tons of cash just flying in every direction! The older guests always seem to have a blast with this tradition, as well as the kids who love to dance around in all the piles of money. It always cracks me up when you see one of the staff members come up with a big sweep broom and just push the money into a big pile. It makes me think about where any dollar bill could have been— you might not imagine on a dance floor but who knows!?
Shot by Apollo Fields for Sloane Dakota
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