Sea Cliff Manor Wedding Photography in Long Island
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Christie + Greg
intro
Christie and Greg’s wedding day at Sea Cliff Manor in Long Island was an unforgettable blend of natural beauty, timeless romance, and joyous celebration. No detail was spared in the design of their wedding day. Each piece had a heartfelt meaning and purpose to be incorporated in their wedding day. We love the little details, the ones that most may not notice but mean something to the bride and groom and their families. It’s like little secrets scattered throughout the day that’s just for them to enjoy.
We highly suggest taking moments before the wedding day really gets going to spend time with your bridal party as you prepare for the day ahead. Take a moment to breathe, let the stress of the day go and revel in the love and support surrounding you in this day.
first look & the ceremony
Christie and Greg’s first look moment was beautifully orchestrated in front of the Sea Cliff Manor’s iron gates and as they stole a quiet moment to whisper sweet love notes to one another, you could feel their excitement build and their nerves slip away as they prepared to say “I do”. The bridesmaids gowns the groomsmen black tuxedos perfectly complemented the bride and groom. An unforgettably gorgeous outdoor ceremony and beachfront bridal party photo session followed that seemed to leave all guests just as in love as the newlyweds.
The reception
Dancing into their reception with their bridal party in tow they started the evening off with a bang! We loved seeing family and friends celebrating with the bride and groom. They concluded their night with a sparkler send off as they headed off into their new life as man and wife.
We had such an amazing experience photographing Christie and Greg’s wedding day at the Sea Cliff Manor. We were honored to be part of such an amazing celebration!
If you’re newly engaged and looking for your dream wedding photographer, we’d love to chat with you!
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Sea Cliff Manor | Sea Cliff, NY
Videography | North Island Photography
DJ | Richie Hart Events
Floral | Flowers by Joy
Dress | Pronovias | Max Bridal
Shoes | Badgley Miscka
Hair and Makeup | Beauty Lounge
Invitations | Magnet Street
Transportation | Whitestar Limo
Terrence Takeover | Farm Dinner at Honeymoon Acres in Ramsey, NJ
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How does a guy go from surviving on late night halal to cooking and hosting multi-course farm fresh dinners? From “extra white sauce, please” to garnishing butter-poached scallops with pickled apple and fennel? I’m convinced cooking wasn’t part of my DNA until the first time Heather and I made fresh pasta together in Harlem; and I don’t think Heather knew of her penchant for hosting until we held a casual picnic with a few friends shortly thereafter. But now looking back at our almost ten-year path to this pilot dinner at our family farm, every step of the way falls into place like silverware surrounding a place setting.
Heather and I first met in 2014 while shaking light pink cosmos in neighboring restaurants on the Upper West Side. Ever since then hospitality has always been and always will be a through-line for everything that we do. Being three-deep at the bar while the expo machine cranks in the background was the training ground for the weeds that we now navigate in our everyday lives. Whether it’s meeting the demands of our two under three, being the steady rock for our couples who just need to take a deep breath, or serving 20 guests five courses–we will always hold the line.
The orange wax cascading down the side of the candle is reaching the point of splashing onto the champagne colored tablecloth. Dessert is about to drop with a chilled amaro-coffee cocktail. I’m trying to call words to the forefront of my mind but only see a faucet running with a sink full of dishes that we need to turn.
“First off, I want to thank you for coming…” I begin.
My mind is black like the trees all around us.
“I also want to thank Heather, who always keeps me reaching…”
Still blank.
“When I think about hosting dinners I think about how I get into a flow state, how the whole world shrinks down to your candlelit faces, like nothing else exists.”
A spark is happening.
“And it makes me think of the phrase, “the grass is always greener,” how you know, a lot of us are always looking to the future or the past, and we fail to appreciate what is right in front of us. Well, I just wanted to say that if you look beneath your feet right now, the grass is pretty fucking green, so here’s to that. Cheers everyone!”
My mind is still empty as I scurry back to the house to start firing the dessert course. Orange wax is all over the table.
Our guests are wiping whipped cream from their mouths and it’s our first opportunity to sit down and pour ourselves a drink. I guess not much has changed since our bartending days yet everything has changed. I can trust Heather to make sure things never stay the same and she can trust me to make them feel like they are. It’s our secret sauce. Photography, dinner parties, we are the same people we have always been and always will be–and we will always keep reaching. I will never stop crushing a styrofoam container packed with halal but it’s no longer necessary for my survival.
Terrence Takeover | The Line Between Guest and Vendor
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A bunch of acquaintances sit and stand around a large table, some blinds drawn and a faint waft of hair spray comes floating into the room. The nervous tension is palpable as conversation stalls in the dense air. There are a handful of half-eaten sandwiches and macaroni salads on paper plates strewn across the room complete with crumpled napkins and half-drunk mimosas. These are the last remnants before a wedding finally kicks off.
I’m standing on a beautiful wrap-around porch on an overcast day in the Catskill Mountains in my royal blue suit. It’s the same suit I wear when I work weddings when one of the guys asks, “is it easy for you to turn it off? Like today, will your mind be cranking?” As I begin to say that I was just scouting the first look location and going into details of what I’ve already helped with I stop–”no, it’s not. I’m more of a lifestyle guy. I’m interested in making sure that everyone is having a good time.” It didn’t occur to me until now that I was lying–well sort of half-lying–I was making sure that everyone was having a good time; but I also wasn’t turning it off,
making sure that everyone was having a good time—was actually me working.
I didn’t realize I was fully put into the guest zone until I was walking on the catwalk of the beautiful barn at Windham Manor when someone yelled below, “hey, you’re not supposed to be up there!” I’ve gotten so used to the wedding vendor all access pass that I didn’t know I was trespassing.
For the last five plus years I’ve been going into rooms like the one I described and facilitating conversations with people who may or may not know each other, and definitely don’t know me. I haven’t been afraid of entering crowded rooms since I learned to bartend ten years ago. Actually, I thrive on finding the common ground between myself and others. That’s because the more I learn about others, the more I learn about myself. So when I see a room full of people wiggling in their seats, avoiding eye contact, looking for what to say–I don’t move towards the walls, I move towards the center.
I move towards getting people talking. I notice the ones that don’t want to or can’t find the right words. I don’t press them. I laugh at the loud, lewd jokes. I keep walking along, wagging my tail, as Heather constantly refers to me as a golden retriever. It’s actually a quality that’s plagued me because I find it really hard to quantify. Even speaking about it makes me nauseous with self-importance.
I love to be around other people. That’s it. I’m a chronically addicted extrovert.
So when I attended the wedding of one of the last remaining bachelors of my grade school friends, I talked to a lot of people. I didn’t take many pictures, and I didn’t dance much either. I bounced around from cocktail tables to people seated on stairs, to people on couches at the after party. The entire wedding is a blur of laughter and conversations. I wasn’t working but looking back at it I kind of was. My personal life has blended so much with my professional life that it’s hard to discern where the good times end and work begins. I think it’s a good problem–and one that I will inevitably bring up while wagging my tail at one of our couple’s cocktail hours.
Small Business; Big Family Values
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Capa on my shoulders, Oli strapped to Heather’s chest, we enter the same woods that I used to explore as a child. We’re looking for deer, for frogs, or anything that rustles in the leaves. We pass places that carry snapshots of memories in my mind when Capa decides to let out a coyote howl–awooooo–we all take a turn. We are a wild pack of animals.
It’s times like these that soften the bags under my eyes, the shade of the trees allowing me to open my eyelids a little wider. For all of the blurry hours of the day these minutes are crystal clear. Heather tells me to cling to these moments when things get hard; it’s too easy to let them pass.
All of a sudden it’s the weekend and Heather and I are in the middle of a dance floor, revolving around a mother and son as they cling to each other, and I catch a glimpse of a tear streaming down Heather’s face. She never used to cry during parent dances, but things are different now. Now she sees Capa or Oliver in a suit and she imagines looking into their eyes. I can’t help tearing up either.
And this is how most weeks go for us. We bounce between day care, grocery runs, engagement shoots, weddings, scheduling meetings, and the occasional jaunt in the woods. Weekdays and weekends are indistinguishable save the tuxes, white dresses, epic dance parties, and champagne toasts. Have you ever wondered why they say someone with a watch is “keeping the time” when you can’t really keep it at all? You can only really keep time to the point of telling it, at that specific moment, on that specific day. Thus, it is up to us to keep what was happening in that moment as time moves forward.
Walking in the woods will always remind me of the time before we had Capa and Oliver, when Heather and I explored trails from the Rockies to the Adirondacks. It’s what makes it so special when we get to share it with them, leading them along the path of our values that we’ve been trailblazing since we started dating in 2014. It’s been a steady climb from bartending to starting our own business, from date nights in Manhattan to hosting dinners at our homes in Colorado and Long Island. It’s helped us realize that we will always build upon who we are to figure out where we are going.
And at this point in time, we are a pack of wild animals. Sometimes we wear hiking shoes, other times we wear our precious Sabah’s, but you can catch us howling in the woods or on dance floors alike. Our next chapter will have us tying our aprons behind our backs again, so stay tuned, stay hungry, and stay wild.
Terrence Takeover - 2023 Wedding Season Check-In
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By the end of every single day, my t-shirt looks like a Jackson Pollock painting. An orange-yellow smear of baby food and boogers up by my shoulder, a splattering of red marinara sauce across my chest, and a living museum of the day's activities everywhere else. Taking it off and throwing it into the hamper is the closest thing I’ll come to feeling like an athlete anytime soon. Part badge-of-honor and part a symbol of parental sacrifice, I throw myself on to a bed that has never felt so good.
The funny thing about my tattered shirts is that they are the perfect representation of what it’s like to become a parent–not only from a literal perspective—but also an analogy for my physical, mental, and emotional self. Everyday there is a messy confluence of factors that prod at various vulnerabilities: whether it is shifting my identity as a professional or creative to a parent; my parents exhibiting some benign (or malignant) behavior towards my children that triggers something about my experience as a child, or how each of Heather and I’s individual lives and relationship as a whole take a back seat to the family’s immediate and ever present needs.
We are fortunate enough to run a business that allows us to be present in our children’s lives, but it isn’t always easy for us to draw that line in the sand. I have a predisposition to overcompensate for the lack of attention that I got as a child, and Heather has a predisposition to provide for them as her family struggled in her youth. It is a cruel joke that parents are forced to grapple with these psychological hurdles when we are operating on the least sleep we have gotten in our lives–but I suppose true comedy is all about timing.
This entry is less about complaining about being a new parent and more about recognizing the framework of parenthood and setting up a plan for success. We will always have a pile of laundry to get to and no amount of detergent in the world will rid us of the stains. My generation is operating with a different relationship to work than our parents, where more often than not both parents are working. In our case, at least early in our 2023 wedding season, Heather is handling the business side while I am staying home more with the kids. It isn’t a clear 1:1 division of labor but we recognize that it is important for both parents to put on the other cap, realizing sides of their identities before they are lost in the maelstrom of parenthood. Sometimes time feels like a paradox, where days pass in a blur but every minute is a struggle, or “how they grow up so fast” but it feels like no time has passed.
There is no universal advice to offer new parents as every situation is unique, but here are a few observations. Right now, Heather and I only know how tired we are when we get good rest, when the bags under our eyes sag a little less. That means all of the other times we are operating on a razor slim margin, meaning that when one of us gets sick or our car winds up in the shop for a week, there will be blood (So that’s what that stain is). There is no way around parenthood, the only path is through it. The ultimate struggle is that if you don’t enjoy it then you are ungrateful and will regret it five or 10 years from now.
The best anecdote I heard to combat this is to pretend that you’re 80 years old and laying in a bed and you get to warp back in time to this particular time, where both kids are crying, or you’re trying to navigate a dirty diaper, and that there is no other place that you’d rather be. It sounds like a hypothetical platitude but it has helped me this week, and I hope it helps you.
Southward Ho Country Club Wedding Photos
Kayla + Jonathan
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Some say rain on your wedding day is good luck, but what happens if it rained during your engagement photos too? Is that extra good luck? Like when a bird poops on your head? I’ve always thought that saying these things are good luck is just our way of being a supportive friend/spin doctor rather than an indication of actual good things to come. That’s because I’m a strong believer in making your own luck; in choosing a good partner to weather the storm so that when good things actually do happen it just seems like they’re an added bonus. Kayla and Jonathan are the epitome of this kind of mindset.
Fire Island Engagement Photos
Capa and I were actually supposed to tag along for Kayla and Jonathan’s awesome engagement photo shoot on Fire Island, but because of the aforementioned weather they pushed up the start time. I missed out on a windy boat ride across the Great South Bay and oysters at one of our favorite restaurants, but Kayla and Jonathan rolled with the change of plans. They enjoyed showing Heather a couple spots along the boardwalk and had no problem going with the flow. All in all, the weather held off, but this is the kind of happiness that arises when you have a supportive partner rather than one who demands uncontrollable circumstances to bend to their will.
The Nostalgia of Your First Kiss
Kayla and Jonathan decided to have their first look underneath the tree where they each had their first kiss in 6th grade (!!) in Kayla’s backyard. What a wonderfully romantic idea! It immediately flew me back to the memory of my first kiss: the nervous jitters, the thinking back to the countless movie scenes where a group of teenage girls sit on a bed and gossip about who-is-and-who-isn’t a good kisser, and of course, having no actual idea of what to do. Kayla and Jonathan remember missing each other’s lips (lol) but knew better than to come back to their respective friend groups and say that it wasn’t totally awesome. The icing on the cake is that it was a dare (of course it was). Mine was too!
Robert Moses Beach Wedding Photos
Following their church ceremony in Bay Shore, Kayla and Jonathan and their wedding parties hopped on a bus for some photos at the beach. The weather luckily held off for a few hours in the middle of the day to do ALL family and wedding party formals and their romantics before the rain resumed. This is the kind of flexibility from Kayla and Jonathan that lended to their wonderful wedding celebration. They could’ve easily gotten down on their luck and let it dampen their day, but instead they made the most of what mother earth gave to them and had the best time. Their amazing friend groups did too!
Southward Ho Country Club Wedding
Kayla and Jonathan held their reception at a local country club to emphasize the importance of their Bay Shore roots. One of the things they were most proud of was the seating chart and details that they DIYed from recycled oysters! We love when our couples take the time to leave their fingerprints on the celebration, even if these projects typically take a lot of it! They had a great live band and the food and staff were fantastic. Never have I ever seen a fresh mozzarella bar but oh man was it delicious. We can’t wait to meet up with them for the gallery reveal which will definitely involve oysters as long as it doesn’t trigger some DIY PTSD!
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Southward Ho Country Club | Bay Shore, NY
Lake Tahoe Engagement Photos
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Hannah + Bobby
I’m a simple man–give me sunshine to soak in, mountains to stare at, a body of water to throw myself into and a local beer. If you put me in an infinite loop of those things you might not see me until my hair is gray. So when Hannah and Bobby told us that they wanted to travel to California for their engagement photos in Lake Tahoe I started packing before I bought a plane ticket. I knew it was going to be a place I loved before I even set foot there, kind of how I feel about Bend, Oregon.
Lake Tahoe Engagement Photos
Hannah and Bobby are one of those couples that make you question your adventurous spirit. They’ve championed the sky by diving out of planes, the sea by delving beneath the surface, volcanoes with their sturdy strides, and I’m pretty sure you give them a rocket and outer space is next. Hannah and Bobby have a story for every natural setting out of your earth science textbook. It was so fun getting to know them as we explored Lake Tahoe together, 191 square miles (!!) of mountain adjacent aquamarine waters.
The W Loft Brooklyn Wedding Photos
I’m not exactly sure what color the East River is, but I’m not jumping in there anytime soon. That being said, it does provide its own juxtapositional beauty in the foreground of some of earth’s most beautiful man-made mountains. The skyscrapers of Manhattan have the same capacity to inspire as the Sierra Nevadas, especially from the vantage point of The W Loft in Brooklyn. I was just talking the other day about the strangely comfortable feeling you get when you gaze upon a mountain range, allowing the immensity of its presence to make you feel small. Maybe it’s because mountains can’t move fast enough to crush you, or that they provide a grandiose depth of perspective to your eye, but I can’t quite get at the heart of that feeling.
Epic Engagement Ideas
Okay so when I said before that Hannah and Bobby conquered volcanoes, what I meant was that Bobby proposed to Hannah on an active (!!) volcano in Ecuador. What an absolutely epic and absolutely mad idea! Not to mention that the day Bobby planned to do it he came down with an intestinal infection known as Montezuma’s Revenge. Most people would’ve pushed the proposal to another day or settled for a more modest location–but not Bobby. Everything about Hannah and Bobby’s relationship makes me think of the quote that I thought was Bob Marley’s but is apparently credited to Roger Miller: “some people feel the rain; others just get wet.” Some people go through life, but people like Hannah and Bobby live it.
Surround Yourself With Those Who Inspire
As I enter my mid-30’s I can’t help but constantly assess what is and what is not serving me in my life. Lucky for me, I married Heather, a partner who in more ways than one brings me back to a healthy default. For example, we signed up for a CSA program that brings fresh produce every week from the North Fork of Long Island to our doorstep. We got a membership at a local gym with a daycare to incentivize exercise. But perhaps most important is our business where we meet like-minded inspiring people like Hannah and Bobby. Our social and professional web continues to grow outward and I will never take that for granted. Especially when I have the time to kick back and take in a view of a mountain range or skyline of skyscrapers.
The Vanderbilt Museum Wedding and Engagement Photos
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Brittany + Bryan
Despite growing up 15 minutes away from the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, the first time I visited the beautiful, sprawling property in Centerport, Long Island, was a couple years ago. I was taken aback by the charm of the mansion’s Spanish revival architectural style; the cobblestone roads, ceramic rooftops, and clearly mediterranean influence. All over the house are the spoils from the Vanderbilt’s worldwide travel: from a hand-crafted imitation of Napoleon’s bed, to ornate mantlepieces and boathouses, and perhaps most surprising—their extensive collection of taxidermied animals that is truly only trumped by the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. I didn’t even mention the fun-for-all-ages planetarium.
Engagement Photos at Vanderbilt Museum
All of the beautiful architecture makes for the perfect location to for your engagement photos. The architectural style makes it feel like you’re not on Long Island anymore, but the rolling hills and lush green trees overlooking Centerport Harbor bring you right back. You can even turn the session into a date night where they host a series of events, one of which Heather and I got to attend (a modern version of a Shakespearean play).
Centerport Wedding Photographer
Centerport is the perfect example for how easy it is to miss out on what’s right next to you. It’s a quaint residential neighborhood with winding streets and steep hills that feels secluded even though its just off of 25A, one of the busiest local roads. It celebrates it’s private and public beaches, looking out onto it’s own harbor just like so many cove-y towns of the north shore. As much as we love to hop on planes and explore the world it’s always nice to just climb into the car and show the kiddos the beauty around us.
Water's Edge Winter Wedding Photos
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AlexANDRA + BryaN
I never thought of it before, but a wedding is like a home. It is a place to celebrate the people you love with food and drinks, complete with little pieces of yourself scattered about like clues to your soul. Some weddings are sterile like condos with uncomfortably modern furniture, while others are welcoming like old homes with large wooden tables and smooth wooden benches. You know as soon as you walk in, right after you hand your coat to the host or the coat-check, what kind of experience you’re about to embark upon. Well Alexandra and Bryan’s wedding at Water’s Edge in Centerport, New York, was the kind of celebration where you have to wait ‘til the next morning for the candle wax to dry, because no one was blowing out any candles any time soon.
Centerport Wedding Photographer
Shortly after moving into their early 20th century, 1,200 square-foot house in Centerport in 2017, Alexandra and Bryan started becoming obsessed with local history. They became increasingly involved with the Greenlawn - Centerport Historical Association and knew that they would want to keep their celebration as local as possible. Enter Water’s Edge, the historic Thatched Cottage seated on the edge of Mill Pond with a brand new lease on life. It was the perfect place to celebrate their love and it was just a stone’s throw away from their front door.
Water’s Edge Wedding Photos
When you walk into the foyer of Water’s Edge, the clean white marble and large spiral staircase harkens back to the glam ballrooms of the Gatsby era. The decor is modern yet timeless, and the various spaces allow for customization to your heart’s content. Alexandra seized this opportunity to celebrate her love of F. Scott Fitzgerald and imprinted the beautiful blank slate with impressions of her home on every table and in every corner. Vintage books with beautiful blue bindings beneath every dried floral centerpiece, a one-of-a-kind dreamy moon-themed photobooth, and matchbox and candle wedding favors that were both cute and functional. There were no design pages left unturned.
Personal Wedding Vows
Coming from a writer who couldn’t quite get the right words for his own wedding vows, I couldn’t advocate more for speaking about your love at the altar. Just like everything else in life, it’s less about what you say, and more about how you say it. Bryan decided to use Alexandra’s name as an acronym and to use every letter to symbolize something meaningful about their relationship. Alexandra decided to quote a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald depicting the responsiblities of marriage. In my experience as a wedding photographer, your wedding day is a sort of dress rehearsal for the rest of your relationship, and when things inevitably go wrong, how do you handle it? Well when the brakes of the special-ordered vintage car smoked and caught on fire, Alexandra and Bryan rolled (literally) with the punches and embraced the change rather than fought against it. Something tells me that these two will be loving each other for a long, long time.
Inviting Us into Your Home
When we said our goodbyes to Alexandra and Bryan at the end of their wedding, it was like embracing guests at the end of a dinner party. You want the candles to keep burning, the cocktails to keep stirring, and the laughs to keep going. That is what is undoubtedly the best and most rewarding thing about our jobs as wedding photographers. To develop relationships with people like Alexandra and Bryan who would rather build a longer table than a higher fence. In a home and a life like the one they’re building, it’s no surprise that their benches are smooth with the company they keep.
Vendors
Photography: Apollo Fields
Venue: Water’s Edge
Flowers: Hydrangea Home
Photobooth: PicPerf Photobooth, Jenn and Laurie, 917-301-4974
Cake: Dortoni's
Music: Absolute DJs
Guestbook: FeteFone
Wedding band (Alexandra): Erstwhile (created by Erstwhile)
Engagement ring: Erstwhile (vintage)
Wedding band (Brian): Rustic & Main (whiskey barrel, mahogany, rose gold in lay)
Suit: Men’s Warehouse
Dress: from BHLDN FiDi in Manhattan, shoes from BHLDN website (Rachel Simpson)
Transportation: MV Limosines
Invitations & Menus from Paige & Co (UK) - Moon & Stars suite
Make up - Erica Heras
Hair - Danielle Cosmo
Oliver Lin Stephens Huie
“We give birth the way that we live.”
-Our midwife, Michele, East End Midwifery Services
For us—that means having a plan. That means a checklist, a Gcal invite, probably a meeting, and a few back-and-forths. That means gathering a support team, establishing contingencies, idea visualization and manifestation. Focus on intention. What do you want? Then it’s onto logistics and their eventual execution. When it all goes well it feels like the stars are aligning—but when they don’t—we never get swallowed in the darkness.
The Last Total Lunar Eclipse of 2022
For months, the full-moon total lunar eclipse on November 8th, 2022, has been on our calendar. It was a hopeful hypothesis that Oliver would be born in the early morning before the sun followed the blood moon. This is when the tides would be at their strongest and Heather’s due date was only four days later. Well, on November 7th, I woke up to the low hum of Heather moaning, eyes closed, with her head and neck arched back on a pillow. She didn’t even have to say it out loud—I knew she was already in labor.
Doula to the Rescue
A few days before Heather went into labor, our dear friend and local doula, Nancy, informed us that she took a spill down a flight of stairs and sustained a series of injuries including a concussion. A two-hour commute to our house was probably not advisable. Coincidentally, the very next day, our friend Lindsey who lives in Colorado reached out and said that she was interested in flying out and offering her birth photography and doula services if we needed it.
Lindsey’s flight arrived at La Guardia at noon on November 7th.
“A Certain Nocturnal Visitor”
Before Heather went into labor with Capa she said that she was not going to have him during the day. Maybe it’s because sunlight reminds her of work and she can’t work when she’s having a baby, or maybe she’s a vampire. Either way, he was born at night. So after I picked up Lindsey for Oliver’s birth and we told Michele that Heather was in labor, we knew that there wasn’t much urgency given the duration of her contractions and how far apart they were. No matter what we’d be waiting for nightfall.
Active Labor with a midwife
Around 5:30 pm, with Lindsey, Michele, and her assistant, Noelle, in place I could really sink into my support role. I patiently waited all day for Heather to invite me into her space. It started with a hand; to hold, clench, and steer towards pressure points. It evolved to a rebozo and gentle massaging. Then for the next few hours Heather and I would remain close, our bodies and arms wrapped around each other as we hummed and moaned. She eventually told me to stop moaning along. I listened.
Transition
Heather climbed into the tub around 10:30-11pm. I remember thinking that Oliver might arrive before the day is over. Heather requested that we put on Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar and I was amazed that she was still fully tuned in and communicative, swaying her body to the beats in the warm water. At this point during Capa’s birth she had already gone inward to manage the pain. After the first song or two, she invited me closer, pulling my head next to hers, and we closed our eyes and moved together. I remember smiling.
Capa
We put Capa down hours earlier around his normal bedtime. We all cuddled in our king-sized bed as he drifted away to the sounds of his favorite movie, Sing 2. He woke up periodically throughout the night and I would take leave to get him back down. The last time he woke up was around 2 am, when Michele came to the stairs to call me back down. “Heather wants you here, you can bring Capa.” And so for the next 20 minutes Capa and I looked at Heather as she beared down.
Nothing makes you feel smaller than watching a woman give birth. All sense of machismo, bravado, and hubris melts away into admiration—into witnessing what true strength looks like.
A Round of Applause and Fist Bumps
Immediately after Heather gave birth to Oliver, Capa began to clap. Like literally. He then went up to give Oliver a fist bump, followed by the whole support team, one at a time. What a guy.
The Plan
From the outside in, we got lucky with our 2nd successful home birth. We somehow avoided all of the many pitfalls of labor and delivery. But that’s not the way we see it. We see the plan: the meetings, the support team, the contingencies. We see how we put ourselves in a position to succeed by making decisions by following our collective minds and hearts.
We saw how all the stars began to align so we put our jackets on and took a good look at that giant, copper-colored full-moon.
So at 2:33 am on November 8th, 2022, when Oliver Lin Stephens Huie came into this world, it was not because we were lucky.
It was because we aligned our own stars and created our own constellation.
We gave birth the way we live.
Photography & Doula | Lindsey | Lindsey Eden Photography | Arvada, CO
Midwifery | East End Midwifery | Southampton, NY
Doula | Nancy | Nancy Weidner Doula
Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding
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Kelly + Evan
Coasting down that final stretch of road into Estes Park, the sun poured through the clouds onto the mountaintops like spotlights on a stage. Mountain weather tends to have a flair for the dramatic: passing storms, ominous thunder and lightning in the distance, plummeting temperature once the sun falls below the earth’s natural curtain. Such are the concerns for couples who choose to stage the ceremony of their love in the heart of nature’s beauty.
Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding
Kelly and Evan are east coasters like us, hailing from Connecticut and most recently Maryland. But having just moved to the Mile High City a month ago, they decided to host their ceremony in Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the (many) natural Crown Jewels of the beautiful state of Colorado. Inviting some of their closest friends and family, we gathered at a trail head, a party of around 20, to listen to their vows with green meadows, chirping birds, and jaw-dropping views all around.
One Couple, Two Locations
A growing trend for our couples is to host an engagement shoot or ceremony in one adventurous destination, and a more accessible reception in another. This allows them to travel to a place they’ve always wanted to visit, or commemorate a certain chapter of their relationship, while also providing a celebration for the larger group of loved ones in their lives. WE ARE ALL ABOUT IT. Truth be told, Heather and I wanted to elope on a mountaintop when we lived in Colorado, but opted to have our wedding on her aunt and uncle’s beautiful farm in northern New Jersey.
Destination Wedding Photographers Based in New York
I’m sure many could see multiple locations for a wedding celebration as too much hassle for Heather, Capa, and I (even if we weren’t expecting!), but that’s not how we see it. We see it as an opportunity to travel to amazing places, document authentic parts of our couple’s relationships, and have fun while doing it. Admittedly, I may get a bit neurotic when packing for the airport and boarding the plane, but once we hop in a rental car, we crank the tunes and we’re on our way!
Connecticut Wedding Photographers
Part two of Kelly and Evan’s wedding celebration will be at Shuttle Meadow Country Club in Kensington, Connecticut. The venue is only 30 minutes from where Heather and Kelly went to high school together at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, CT. It’s funny how consistent the overlap of values that Heather has with her former classmates over the years. It seems that everyone we meet or every couple’s wedding we photograph, we unearth a little bit of that bond that they all forged together. Not to mention all of the amazing partners they’ve chosen to marry; Evan being no exception.
National Park Wedding Photographer
So when I closed my eyes and heard Kelly and Evan speak their vows to each other in one of the most serene places I’ve ever been to, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit of something akin to imposter syndrome. Something about all of these beautiful couples in all of these stunning locations makes me question why I deserve it. I’m so lucky to be part of this business, with a partner who could make both a board room and modeling runway bend to her will without saying a word. When speaking to Mercie and Danika—a magical couple whose wedding we photographed last year and coincidentally were in Estes Park and made themselves available to us to take care of Capa while we worked—I said that my heart is so full that I almost need to invent something to reach for. It’s not complacency; it’s marrying ambition with fulfillment and remembering that I deserve it—just like every other human being on this planet.
The Piermont Wedding Photography in Babylon, NY
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Justyna + Steve
As much as we love to travel, photographing local weddings continues to make me appreciate the place I grew up. Maybe not the Long Island Expressway or the incessant traffic, but discovering the little pocket towns that line the coast like buoys out in the water. It’s like walking into a familiar community that is just a notch different from where you are from. Last year, we shot a wedding at the Crescent Beach Club in Bayville that felt like a combination of the Caribbean and Long Island vibe; then we went out to Three Village Inn in Stony Brook that gave us a sense of the 19th century history of the island that enamored figures like Walt Whitman and Teddy Roosevelt. This year we’ve gotten a closer look at Centerport Harbor just down the road from our house at the newly renovated Water’s Edge; and Babylon Cove at The Piermont for Justyna and Steve’s wedding.
Rainbow Wedding Photos
Okay I’m not sure what Justyna and Steve did to please the wedding gods but never have we ever seen a full rainbow at a wedding reception. I’m talking, arcing-across-the whole-blue-sky-there’s-gotta-be-a-pot-of-gold-at-the-end type of rainbow. There’s no planning this sort of thing at your wedding but we were in as much awe as the rest of Justyna and Steve’s wedding guests.
Best Wedding Photos
Most of our couples have a few things in common when it comes to wedding photos: they love candids, don’t know how to pose, and get nervous in front of the camera. Family formals are necessary for posterity but beyond that–you fill in the blanks when it comes to the rest. Justyna and Steve decided to do some of their formals outside of the church that they got married at, and wanted to stop at the bar where they had their first date for a few photos before we made our way to a local park for bridal party photos. We stole them for a few more golden hour shots at the venue and had them back with plenty of time to party. It’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to wedding photography, so make sure you prioritize what is most important to you within your timeline and we will handle the rest!
Long Island Wedding Photography
The more people I meet and tell them about Heather, Capa, and Apollo Fields, the happier I become. Somewhere between contentedness, fulfilled, tired, and grateful, I look at all of the places we get to visit and love we get to document and all of a sudden I’m going through a mental rolodex of rolling memories. I think about Andy’s (Ed Helms) line from The Office pretty often when he said, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you left them.” That’s why I always make a conscious effort to take in a view, or kiss Heather on the head when a really tender first dance is happening or the sun is setting. No matter where we are, no matter whose wedding we’re working, at some point during the day Heather and I make eye contact and have an inside joke or shared glance that says “I love you.” It’s Long Island for now, but who knows what’s next.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | The Piermont | Babylon, NY
Band | Trade Winds
Floral | Flowers by Burton
Northport Long Island Wedding Photographers
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Ashley & Andrew’s Wedding
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Reception | Huntington Crescent Club
Ceremony | Private Residence
Long Island Winter Wedding at One10 Restaurant
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Amanda + Bill
Looking for a Unique venue? Have Your Wedding at a Restaurant!
Amanda and Bill decided to have their wedding at One10 Restaurant on Long Island because they felt it represented who they are more than a venue could. Consider their amazing wedding a reminder that you can do whatever you want at your wedding! One10 serves up a delicious mix of elevated rustic Italian and classic steakhouse. The expansive, clean space is anchored by a huge white granite bar and has a door that separates the space for private events. The flow of the day was seamless and the windows at the back of the restaurant allowed plenty of natural light to pour in for stunning photos!
Personalize Your Wedding Details
Amanda has a ton of experience in the wedding industry as a florist so right off the bat she knew what she wanted. She loved the details of One10: the floral wall with neon sign that read “the dolce vita,” the modern stylish decor, customizable space and the unbeatable food. Amanda added her own personal touches in the place cards with fun games and obviously stunning florals. Little details can go a long way into helping your wedding feel more intimate—the work might be tedious or laborious but it is always worth it!
Have a Winter Wedding
Winter weddings come with low temperatures and early sunsets but don’t let those things deter you from planning a winter wedding! The winter months also allow for more flexibility, different attire like fur shawls, and the chance of getting some amazing photos in the snow. Amanda and Bill got a chilly day but still braved the cold for their first look photos outside, and even finished the day with a few shots on the back patio. It’s up to you to determine what is most important at your wedding, so if one of those things isn’t spring or summer weather, take a look at hosting your wedding in the colder months.
Long Island Wedding Photography
From Montauk to the city, Heather and I travel all throughout Long Island to document weddings. We personally love doing weddings like Amanda and Bill’s that clearly have been well-planned and executed with a personal touch. Amanda and Bill are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet and their wedding reflected their personalities through-and-through. We wish them the best of luck and can’t wait to meet up to grab a slice or bagel in the coming years!
VENDOR TEAM:
Photography: Apollo Fields
Ceremony & Reception Venue: One10 Restaurant
Party Planner / Day-Of Coordinator: Audra Jones- The Day Of Company
Videographer : White Tie Video
Florist: Flowers by Manny
DJ / Band : High Voltage Entertainment
Cake / Bakery : CaseyCakes
Rings : The Karat Shop
Hair and Makeup: Sue Natale + Mel Polito
Transportation / Limo: Cruise Control Limousine
The whole squad!
It’s us with the dream team of vendors + Amanda and Bill!
News Years Eve Wedding in Nashville at the Union Station Hotel
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Mike + Robyn
We Say Goodbye to 2021 with…country music?!
I’ve never liked country music, but Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver BANGS. And I’m not sure which genre you place Johnny Cash or John Prine in, but they’re good in my book, too. For the last wedding of the year Heather and I found ourselves in Nashville, Tennessee, on New Years Eve for my friend Mike's (henceforth known as Skeats) wedding. Skeats met Robyn in Nashville shortly after he moved down from New York several years ago, and everytime I’ve met up with them I’ve known that they found great partners in each other. Robyn loves country music and Skeats is coming around.
Traveling During Omicron: Making Things Happen
Unfortunately for Skeats and Robyn, the surge in Covid cases due to the Omicron variant threw a last minute monkey wrench into their plans. They pressed forward and still held the best New Year’s Eve party and wedding that I’ve ever been to! We all took the proper precautions to the best of our ability and knew the risks involved. So much has been made of Covid over the last two+ years that it’s hard to separate opinions from politics, but in Heather and I’s experience, just add this to the list of events that we were grateful to be a part of. Even in pre-pandemic times, there were always a million reasons to not do something, or be somewhere. We were totally stretched to our limits the past two years and time-and-time again the choice to just make things happen and show up put smiles on all of our faces.
Union Station Nashville Yards Wedding Photos
Holy beautiful, Batman. The clean large tile floors, plush leather furniture, vaulted ceilings, and massive crystal chandeliers. The tall christmas tree at the center of the lobby with woodcraft classic board games set up at every table gave this luxuriously welcoming space a homemade vibe. Skeats and Robyn’s ceremony was held at one end of the looming hall, right in front of a stone fireplace with a clean mantle. Robyn particularly loved descending the original wooden stairs of the building, holding onto a handcrafted handrail that has stood the test of time. It’s crazy how time can change a space from a place full of commuters to a venue to celebrate the commencement of love.
Broadway Doesn’t Disappoint
If you like to party and haven’t been to Nashville–get there. The main strip of Broadway is lined with live music bars with wide open windows, so every 15 feet you walk you hear a new tune. We didn’t get to get as crazy as a younger me would’ve liked, but we did stroll Capa down the block and watch as he marveled at every sparkling, blinking, banging, iota of stimuli. Heather went to the Country Music Hall of Fame with her aunt, Pam, then, the next day, Heather and I went to the Johnny Cash Museum. I didn’t know that Johnny Cash grew up listening to his 2nd wife, June Carter, on the radio. I also didn’t know that she was the one who wrote the song, Ring of Fire.
2022 and Beyond
Heather and I had one more wedding this past weekend on Long Island; and with that, our wedding season finally comes to an end. From here we plan on catching up on studio work, taking a vacation or two, and continue booking all the way through 2023! We are going to Aruba and Mexico City so please share with us any recommendations you might have! To a happy and healthy 2022, make sure you make the effort to make things happen.
Photography: Apollo Fields
Venue: Union Station Hotel
Day-Of Coordinator + Florist: Olive & Birch
HMUA: The Agency of Beauty
Band: For a Good Time Call
Cake: Nashville Sweets
Ringing In The New Year
It’s going to be hard to top this NYE for us! Nashville brought all the energy and good vibes.
RGNY Winery Wedding Photos on Long Island
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Stephanie + John
I’m beginning to fall in love with autumn skies. How the white wispy clouds seem to be suspended in the pale blue sea like stuffed toys spinning above a child’s crib. And how the chill in the air creates tears in the corners of my eyes but somehow the atmosphere appears more clear the longer that I hold them open. I love how the smoke from fireplaces in the distance smells totally different from the beach bonfires on those late summer nights. I can practically see the couple or the family cuddling around the couch and coffee table with the hooting and hollering and clicking and clacking of dice in a pair of hands. My nose begins to sniffle and I take one last inhale and exhale before I head inside to Heather, Capa, and the dogs to do something of the same.
A week before John and Stephanie’s wedding at RG|NY in Riverhead, NY, Heather, Capa, and I headed out to the north fork of Long Island to check out a ciderhouse and try to get lost in a corn maze. After laughing our way through the corn stalks and warming up with some great local cider, we decided to stop at the shopping outlets to pick up a couple outfits. We were in a store when I caught a very well-dressed, good looking guy looking at me like he had a question for someone who worked there--I was immediately confused because I was in a black sweatshirt with Capa’s drool stains all over it. He said, “I’m sorry,” and nodded over towards Heather with a smile that said, “I’m pretty sure we know each other.”
Funny enough it was John and Stephanie picking out an outfit for his son, Ryan, for the wedding! I was taken aback by their warmth and friendliness because I’m usually an overly friendly person. This was my first time meeting them but Heather had previously done their amazing engagement photos on Fire Island where they popped champagne and had a blast despite having a sketchy weather forecast. They were a little worried like most couples getting married about how the weather was going to be on their wedding day, but with their even-keeled demeanor I knew it was going to be a great wedding no matter what.
And it was. Stephanie and John got a beautiful, cool fall day and they both looked absolutely stunning. I learned of the stories of their relationship in its early stages and how they used to take the cross-sound ferry to each other. They both never wanted their dates to end and it reminded me of the romance of my first relationships ever. The feeling of how nothing else existed beyond the words and coy glances from the person you’re spending time with. Like being trapped in a bubble that you never want to pop. “There’s always the next ferry,” John and Stephanie would say to each other.
It’s hard to bottle up the idyllic images or experiences in our lives, harder still to even remember to recollect them. Days pass and we spend most of them with our eyes on the road, down at our phones, or working. Part of what makes my job great is that my mind is peppered with these idyllic images and experiences every year. I do my best to relive them through writing these words, and remembering to take in an extra deep breath or two when I smell a fire in the distance on a cold, autumn night.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | RG|NY | Riverhead, New York
“There’s always the next ferry”
Enjoying the heck out of Stephanie and John’s wedding!
74 Wythe NYC Rooftop Wedding in Brooklyn
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Hiro + Janel
The wedding season winding down feels like those last couple hours of an amazing dinner party: you’ve got a good buzz going and you’re looking around as the crowd starts to wane--but you’re not quite done yet. You start striking up conversations with people you’ve never met and you open one of the leftover bottles of wine. As guests continue to file out you find yourself finishing your last few sips and you begin to admit that the night is coming to a close. It’s bittersweet--but you know that rest is important and you say good night to the hosts for an amazing evening. 2021 was (and is) Heather and I’s best year of our lives, both professionally and personally, so it’s only fitting that Hiro and Janel are one of the last few incredible hosts to bring our year to a close.
The week leading up to a wedding Heather and I are always keeping an eye on the weather report. Even if the forecast says rain we typically carry a bit of optimism because you never really know. Contingency plans are important, of course, but maintaining a positive attitude is even more critical. I’ve learned to watch how a couple manages their emotions during their wedding day--it often tells you most of what you need to know about how they handle difficulties in their relationship. Well despite hail, sideways wind, and an immense wall of fog sweeping through Manhattan like an early morning in San Francisco, Hiro and Janel were class and charm all the way through.
When Heather and I started snapping Hiro and Janel’s getting ready photos at The William Vale in Williasmburg, Brooklyn, the sky was tame and the atmosphere clear. I took Hiro and his family members and groomsmen out onto the gorgeous balcony overlooking the east river and took advantage of the beautiful, diffracted light. Within minutes the sky went black and little white pebbles began to fall from the sky. I could no longer see a single building in Manhattan. Hiro and Janel’s wedding venue, 74Wythe, was just across the street but the hail gave way to a downpour of rain. Crossing that block would feel like an avenue in the city. Heather and I told Hiro and Janel that we’d go scout the venue and come back with a contingency plan.
We all decided to do Hiro and Janel’s first look in the rooftop greenhouse where they would later hold their ceremony and reception. After they climbed the stairs and turned to look at each other their gazes still carried such a depth of appreciation: of each other, the day, and the moment. It definitely wasn’t easy for them to look past the things they couldn’t control but watching the way they looked at each other I saw how strong they were together--not to mention that they looked absolutely stunning.
The night would continue on as planned, and the band brought down the house. Each of Hiro and Janel’s brothers gave speeches that further proved the caliber of their families and friends, and the depth of their connection. At the end of the night they thanked us for being calm amidst the storm and we commended them for doing the same. They invited us to the after party, and we would’ve 100% taken them up on their warm invitation if we didn’t have to get home to Capa. As we said our goodbyes and I started ratcheting down the light stands, I found a glass of wine that a guest put in my hand from 30 minutes before--and I couldn’t help but take a sip and want to stay a little longer.
Closing out the night
with Hiro and Janel! Contact us below for your own photography.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Reception | 74Wythe | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Getting Ready Photos | William Vale | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Florals | Eriko Nagata | EriN Design INTL | New York, NY
Caterer | Nuhma NYC | New York, NY
The Carltun Wedding Photos on Long Island
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Dmitri & Laura’s Wedding
When Heather and I walked into Dimitri’s parent’s house on the Great South Bay, the vibe was a lot like his and Laura’s intimate wedding last year. A bunch of family members wearing half-done ties around their necks, orange juice and bagels on the counter, and some EDM playing in the background. Dimitri was the only one fully dressed and was as relaxed as someone walking in from a beach on Mykonos. Laura was actually at the reception venue already, The Carltun, getting ready with her bridesmaids while sipping on a mimosa. Another date on the calendar and another beautiful Long Island summer day to celebrate their love.
Laura and Dimitri held another wedding this year to 1) host a ceremony in a Greek Orthodox Church, and 2) to do a big fat Greek wedding right. Holding the reception at the Carltun aptly fit Laura and Dimitri’s architectural backgrounds with: an ornate fountain, distinguished and specialized craftswork, and historical details aplenty. The large, partially-covered patio was perfect for a leisurely cocktail hour where their guests were happy to eat, share stories, and enjoy a drink or two.
I learned a lot about Laura and Dimitri at their wedding last year but even more from the questionnaire they submitted this year. I learned that for the first summer they were together as a couple Dimitri was in Greece and had to chase down places that offered WiFi to FaceTime Laura at all hours of the night. And that they have a love for visiting national parks and plan to hit Glacier and Yellowstone to kick off their honeymoon. I love the stories of them getting to know each other while doing studio work together, sneaking glances in between focused coursework. But most of all I enjoyed how Dimitri compared Laura to a hobbit or a rose; and Laura called Dimitri “definitely a bird.” You can see how their love has evolved over the years but is still so light and playful.
I’d like to say that Heather and I’s love is still light and playful-- and it is--but it definitely comes with a boatload of responsibilities at this point in time. We both knew before having Capa that we wanted to make a concerted effort for each other as individuals and as a couple after we had him. It’s one of those things that new parents tell you to look out for. But amid a crazy wedding season, our calendar has had other plans. The cliche “there just isn’t enough time in the day” comes to mind, and as humans we have a finite energy supply. We still find time to joke around in our long car rides and jogs through the airport, but the words light and playful aren’t the first words to describe our relationship right now.
I’d probably say dedicated, professional, and unrelenting. We both give all that we have everyday to our business, our beautiful baby Capa (nine months old already!), and whatever we have left we give to ourselves and each other. It is the life we chose and the life we love, but man what we would do to kick it on a beach in Greece right now. We have plans to plan an offseason for the ages but for right now we are gearing up for the last couple months of this grueling but unbelievable wedding season. So tie up your bowties, slip into your dresses, and get the toasts ready because we have more love to document and enjoy!
Enjoy Laura & Dimitri’s Wedding Photos:
vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Videography | ONPHILM
Venue | The Carltun | Westbury, NY
DJ | Bravo Sound
Floral | Garden World
Cake | Francesco’s Bakery
Dress | Essence of Australia | Paisley Bridal
Suit | Feldman Tuxedo
Rings | Kardesh Jewelers
Makeup | Adelyn’s Canvas
Hair | Ahern Beauty
Transportation | Broward Limo
It’s Busy Season!
And we’re loving it. Reach out for your own wedding photography!
Three Village Inn Wedding Photography in Stony Brook
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kelly & derek’s Wedding
I’ve taken 25A heading west on Long Island countless times in my life. Grandma’s house, Smithaven Mall, Port Jefferson Ferry, baseball games in St. James--it’s the kind of road that I never needed to use a GPS for. But just like the rest of this summer, I turned off of 25A towards Three Village Inn for Kelly and Derek’s wedding and stumbled across beautiful places I’ve never been to before.
First, Heather and I grabbed a snack at a local cafe tucked into Old Stony Brook Village, a charming village center of storefronts and restaurants whose timeless facades have been preserved through time. Later in the day we visited Kelly and Derek’s old apartment on Setauket Harbor and captured romantics and bridal party photos to commemorate their relationship’s beginnings as the sun set in the background.
Heather and I love traveling to places where our couples formed core memories of their relationship. It doesn’t get much more romantic than watching a couple sit down in the exact place where they used to picnic, remembering favorite meals as their bodies gradually move closer to one another. I’ve noticed that the natural state of a relationship emerges when sharing a meal; a few pilfered fries here, a sip of a drink there, each partner knowing exactly what they can and can’t get away with--sharing food turns out to be a surprisingly intimate experience.
When Heather and I eat on the road it’s not pretty: gas station snacks, Clif Bars, Starbucks sandwiches, bags of chips or nuts we forgot were in the center console. But when we have time to make a home-cooked meal, or better yet, host a dinner party, there are few things we enjoy more. Our speciality has always been fresh cooked pasta but we love to explore different cuisines, test our skills, and expand our palates. Maybe it’s because we have a lot of experience in hospitality, but we don’t quite understand when people stress about hosting others for a meal. To us, as long as you greet your guests with a drink and have some snacks ready to go, the vibes will take care of themselves. We’re actually waaay overdue on hosting so once wedding season slows down a bit we will totally be busting out our dirty aprons!
When I think about it, the best part about this summer is a lot like entertaining guests in your home: striking up a conversation with a table full of people is all about uncovering beautiful things about your guests that you didn’t already know. Just like traveling is all about discovering places you’ve never been before. We will always feel more comfortable in the familiar, in places we love and with people we know, but real connections happen by taking that extra step and finding the beautiful in the unfamiliar. So turn off your GPS, throw your cookbook away, and invite some friends over for dinner!
Enjoy these photos from Derek & Kelly’s wedding:
vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Three Village Inn | Stony Brook, NY
Dress | Family Heirloom made by Great Grandmother
Videography | Violet and Iris Cinematography
Event Coordinator | One of a Kind Gatherings | Cynthia Lynn
Flowers | Wildflower Touch
Makeup & Hair | Beauty Marks Spa and Bridal Studio
DJ | Todd Barrie Music
Trolley | Hampton Jitney
Limo | LIE Lite Limo
It’s no secret…
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Prospect Park Engagement Photos
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Ashley and Andrew’s Engagement Photos
A steamy summer Saturday in Brooklyn has a particular vibe: fire hydrants spraying into the street, shirtless people riding Citi-bikes, local vendors selling sliced mangoes or papaya in ziploc bags, and an all-too-familiar New York City stench. Yet being outside is somehow preferable to staying within the comfort of an air conditioned living room. Whether it’s cozying up on a picnic blanket in the shade, catching a baseball game, or grabbing a margarita at a bar, the heat doesn’t scare New Yorkers into hermitude.
When we first met up with Ashley and Andrew for their engagement photos in Prospect Park, Ashley immediately asked if she could hold Capa. It was a trip to see someone I’ve known since my first day in kindergarten throw my eight-month-old baby on their hip. For as long as I can remember, Ashley has always had a maternal presence, caring for her friends as if they were family. Growing up, her mother always welcomed anyone to join their dinner table and it’s endearing to see Ashley embody their tradition of hospitality.
I met Andrew for the first time when I caught a performance of he and Ashley’s band, Moondrunk, at a bar in Brooklyn a few years back. As a hip-hop fan, I was blown away by Andrew’s ability to freestyle rap, a skill that both he and Ashley have shown off in their Broadway performances with Freestyle Love Supreme. From the outside looking in, freestyle rapping is terrifying--conjuring up punchlines seemingly out of thin air--but from a fellow freestyler (albeit a very amateur one), it is one of the most welcoming, loose, fun, and creative experiences I know. You should really try it sometime, or better yet, take a class!
Heather and I are similar to Ash and Andrew in that we are hustlers. While they try to plan things around a hectic performance and rehearsal schedule, we try to plan things around weddings and engagements. We both show up everyday, on time, ready to work, but behind the scenes we are trying to catch our breath (at least speaking for Heather and I). Yet every time Heather and I get a stretch of time at home we enjoy it for a few days then get a bit restless. I imagine it must be the same for Ashley and Andrew, who spend a lot of time in the spotlight.
In the end, it always feels better to push ourselves than to rest on our laurels. For years I allowed myself to stay inside, thinking too much, and not taking enough action. At some point I gave myself an ultimatum: either you put yourself out there or you tell yourself that you are okay never giving it a try. This black-and-white approach allowed me to simplify an otherwise convoluted emotional dilemma, and I began performing spoken word poetry in bars around Manhattan. Through that experience, I learned that I didn’t enjoy performing as much as I enjoyed creating and expressing myself with words and rhythm. I never knew it would lead to me telling couples love stories but here I am--I’ll leave the spotlight for the professionals like Ashley and Andrew.
