Small Business; Big Family Values
Apollo Fields | Best Wedding Photos | Long Island wedding Photographers | New York Wedding Photos | New york Wedding Photography | Small Business Owners | Northport, New york | Terrence Huie | Writer
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.
Clinton NJ Engagement Photography with Motorcycles
Clinton NJ Engagement Photography with Motorcycles | Outdoor Engagement Session in New Jersey | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
Allie + Dan
Our business has a way of merging my old worlds with new ones, and I have absolutely loved reconnecting with friends in order to celebrate their engagements and weddings over the years. Allie and I met many years ago, when we were both working at Horsemen’s Outlet in NJ. I was riding horses full time and doing photography as a hobby, and I worked a few days a week at the local tack shop.
Fast forward to 2021 and we were able to hook up for their engagement-style sesh (Allie and Dan actually got legally married last year). I knew they were bringing their bikes, which is one of their favorite things to do together, but I didn’t realize just how cool it was until I heard a faint hum in the background as the two of them rolled up to their session. Their helmets glistened in the sun, and up the long driveway they pulled up on their motorcycles despite the cold temps that day. Totally badasses.
But their badassery was also met with such warmth and kindness, as Allie unhinged her storage spot on the back of her bike and pulled out a personal charcuterie box for me! What a great surprise, and so thoughtful, as I immediately dove into the cheese and fruits. Good food is the way to my heart, and there’s no better way to start a session than a little nosh, in my opinion.
We had a blast catching up while I also got to meet Dan for the first time! No matter how much changes over the years, it is reassuring to see certain qualities, like Allie’s love of animals and the outdoors, stay the same. I can’t wait to celebrate their wedding reception and party the night away with these two— I have a feeling it’s going to be one for the ages.
New England Autumn Engagement Session
New England Autumn Engagement Session | Connecticut Foliage Engagement Photography | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
Jacki & Tim
Timing the New England foliage is never a perfect science– anyone who has tried to chase the leaves knows that all it takes is one nasty frost or snowfall and the whole landscape can get nipped overnight. So trying to schedule engagement sessions around the leaves during busy season can be especially tricky. However, with Jacki and Tim’s session, I think we nailed it (part luck, part good timing— true for most good things in life right?)
We met up in Washington CT (fun fact, the same town that “Stars Hollow” was based on in Gilmore Girls) on a beautiful Sunday and thought that this cozy, quiet little town would be all ours. We were in for a bit of a shock when we realized that the leaf peepers had taken over and pretty much every restaurant was booked except for one, which boasted a whole lot of motorcycles out front and a pretty good burger. We had a great lunch and caught up about all things wedding planning, quarantine life, and of course horses.
The horse world happens to be the common denominator between Jacki and I. Many of you guys might know how much of a role riding has played in my life (I have been riding since I started walking) and I actually went to boarding school in CT for four years to compete on the riding circuit. Jacki and I know each other from that past life, and we both are lucky to still be riding and own our own horses. So naturally, it only took us about five minutes to start chatting about that world and her sweet fiancé, Tim, was happy to let us go on and on about horses.
Terrence has less of a bandwidth for the pony-talk and certainly does not want to spend his weekends at the shows, so Tim got major brownie points from me for being such an enthusiastic horse-hubby! After lunch we went over to Hidden Valley Preserve to shoot and got so lucky to have an amazing golden hour against the beautiful New England foliage!
Enjoy Tim & Jacki’s beautiful autumn engagement photos:
Location: Hidden Valley Preserve, Washington Depot CT
Photography: Apollo Fields
Standley Lake Family Photos in Arvada CO
Standley Lake Family Photos in Arvada, CO | Apollo Fields Autumn Photography | Colorado Family Photographer
Amy & Jackson’s Family
One of my favorite things about our jobs (and I know I’ve said this before) is that the relationships we create with our couples go far beyond their wedding days. Amy and Jackson got married a few years ago in Colorado and I was lucky enough to document their sweet day. Each year since then, we catch up for their family photos, and it is such a treat to document them and their boys!
No matter what stage their family is in (we’ve done maternity pics, newborns, etc), these guys never take a bad photo! It certainly makes my job easy, but it also helps that their two little ones are SO sweet and curious. Watching them grow up in front of the camera is such a privilege, and I can’t wait to keep on shooting them throughout the years to come.
This session took place at Standley Lake in Arvada, which is one of my personal favorite places to shoot and just hang out for some time in nature. I first stumbled upon this location in 2016 when I was looking for a house for Terrence and I to rent when we moved there. It was how I discovered the suburb of Arvada, and the spot has never failed to impress since then!
The only change since then that I noticed when I went back this year was a big ugly condo complex that’s getting built right into the Mountain View… ugh. I suppose it was inevitable, but I just hope that this location is protected in the years to come because it is such a special retreat for Coloradans who might not have time to get all the way out into the mountains but still want a scenic break by the lake!
Enjoy these family photos from Standley Lake:
Photography: Apollo Fields
Are you wanting to get your holiday photos for 2020 done before it’s too cold or too late? NOW is the time! Reach out to get on the calendar asap.
Newborn Photography in Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Ryder's Newborn Photography Session in Hunterdon County, New Jersey | Baby Photographer Apollo Fields | NJ Family Photographers
I got to spend an afternoon with Erren and her sweet new babe, Ryder, recently and just had the best time catching up with this mama and meeting her adorable new love. We had the best chats as we shot together and her words resonated with me so much that I wanted her to be able to tell her story and journey with motherhood in her own words. Enjoy this special narrative and sweet photos from such a great day!
“From the moment I saw those pink lines I had it all planned out in my head.
But you my love, had a different plan all along. You shocked us all and came earth side five weeks early, and for the past ten days you’ve taught me so much.
Unimaginable strength during the craziest of times. Selflessness during your fast and furious birth and recovery. Love that I truly cannot put into words, and can only show you for the rest of your life. I didn’t know I was capable of any of this. I didn’t know my heart could be so full.
Ryder, you are so loved. You’re grandmothers cooked meals for us, and did the dishes we left in the sink. Your Aunt, and my rock of a bestfriend brought over bags of summer clothes for our supposed fall baby, and everything I needed to recover. Your tribe of aunties lit candles that burned for days to light your way into the world.
Everyone checked in on you, checked in on us. Anxiously awaiting your arrival. And your daddy...I couldn’t ask for a better partner in this lifetime and beyond. I could go on for hours about him, but you’ll find out. You’re already his world.
We experienced every emotion in those three days we were waiting on you in the hospital- and the days after you came. The same body that had housed you for the past seven and change months, that nourished you, kept you safe, kept you warm; was being pumped with bags of fluids, steroids, countless antibiotics, induction medication. With every needle stick, IV, and covid test, my focus was on you. I’d do it over a hundred times. Take the pain for you, take the meds, the pokes and prods.
That same body responded. And it gave your little body the strength to come into the world swinging & absolutely perfect.
Ryder James, you are our entire hearts”.
– Erren
Newborn Photography: Apollo Fields
Summer 2020 Wedding in Long Island, NY
Billy & Cara’s Summer Wedding in Long Island | NY Weddings on the North Shore | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
Returning to work has felt like going back to my childhood home, rolling the garage door up, grabbing a basketball, and heading out to the hoop in the street. Even though my old hoop may be long gone; I still remember the give of the plexiglass backboard, the strange bend on the rim from when it fell during a storm, and how I used to countdown from three right before I heaved up a game-winning shot. Those memories literally feel like a physical part of me. Then this past weekend, when I walked into Billy’s mother’s house and began joking with the groomsmen as they bent their wrists as they put on their helicopter cuff links, I realized that Apollo Fields is becoming part of me in the same way.
Billy and Cara, like many other 2020 couples, have been run through the gamut of rescheduling their wedding (twice). On top of that, Hurricane Isaias knocked power out of Cara’s parents’ house and the location where they planned to have a small reception. Resilience, patience, and kindness are the first words that come to mind when I think of the way that Cara and Billy handled all of these obstacles, but even they don’t do justice for their wonderful relationship.
A couple of Long Island natives, their engagement story is one of my favorites. Billy planned a kayaking trip on a bay on the south shore, going beforehand to bury a small box in the sand and marking it with an ‘x.’ They brought a couple of sandwiches with them on the trip and while Billy was doing his best to nudge Cara to hunt for buried treasure, all Cara could think about was how hungry she was and that she wanted her ham sandwich. “Who passes up buried treasure for a ham sandwich?” Billy playfully asked in the questionnaire we give to our couples to get to know them better. I’m sure any groom that has taken romantic lengths like this one knows all too well the anxiety of trying to maintain the surprise while trying to play it cool. “Just hunt for the treasure, damn it!”
You would never have guessed with Cara and Billy’s cool and calm demeanor during their wedding that they’re actually fierce competitors. Bowling and mini-golf are games in constant rotation, and Cara refuses to leave the alley until she wins a game (Heather does the same). Cara even disclosed in the questionnaire that she won’t play Clue with Billy’s family until they learn to play by the right rules (lol), showing the integrity of a competitor that we 100% respect. Whether it was from this backbone of competitiveness against the events of 2020 or the sentimentality behind buried treasure and a ham sandwich, we’re so happy that the celebration of their love prevailed.
It’s crazy how our memories and our work entangle with our identities, reinforcing who we are even though we think we are just living our lives. I definitely err on the side of reflection and contemplation as opposed to impulsivity, and am grateful that my job, through Heather’s undeniable artistic talent, continues to shape my reality through stories of love and basketball. Cheers to the love of Cara and Billy, who helped me realize that work can be just as powerful as nostalgia.
Wedding Vendors:
Photography: Apollo Fields
Ceremony Venue: St. Kilian Parish
Videographer: John Morelli
Officiant : Deacon Bill
Florist: Bloominous
Dress : BHLDN
Suit: Generation Tux
Rings : Blue Nile
Hair and Makeup: Luxe and Co
Invitations and Save The Dates: Minted
Transportation / Limo: All Star Limo
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.
Long Wharf Boston Engagement Photographers
Jessica and Matt's Boston Engagement Session at Long Wharf and Somerville | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography | Massachusetts Engagement Photographer
The “Big Dig” I have against Boston, aside from my predisposition as a New Yorker, is that goddamned Callahan Tunnel. I say this knowing that 1) most Bostonites would agree with me, and 2) I haven't even driven there during rush hour. Other than that, the 3rd most walkable city in the U.S. was a dream to explore while donning a mask on a morning run through the Boston Commons and alongside the Charles River. My admiration continued when we met up with Jessica and Matt in the North End, popping into quirky alleyways and onto cobblestone streets as we captured their undeniably fun and playful vibe.
I’m not sure which I enjoyed more: learning Jessica and Matt’s origin story of how they got to know each other over countless lunches as they worked together; or stumbling across a location where they shot a scene in The Departed. Around every corner there seemed to be a cornerstone of the city’s history or a memory of their budding relationship, turning their entire engagement photo session in Boston into a beautifully light trip down memory lane.
Jessica and Matt then brought us north over the Tobin Bridge to Somerville, a quaint city adjacent to Cambridge where they spent a significant amount of their relationship. Just imagine if Boulder, Colorado came 2,000 miles east or Burlington, Vermont, came 200 miles south-- that’s Somerville. Jessica and Matt amusingly did their best to explain the Davis Square Statues, the strange non-Covid-related mask-donning bronze metal statues stationed around the cozy downtown area (apparently the masks were added after their creation as a result of vandalism). We then grabbed some ice cream and took a stroll by The Foundry on Elm to commemorate the place where they had their first date.
As we looked ahead to their wedding, Jessica and Matt sang their praises to their wedding planner, Liz with Elegant Aura, who is helping them with the fine details of their June 2021 wedding at Granite Ridge Estate in Maine. Lucky for them, Jessica and Matt both have families equipped with skills that will fit perfectly into their day. Jessica’s father runs a prominent catering company in Boston and can turn a skint cabinet into a delicious meal, and Matt’s mother is happy to crush the floral arrangements. It was really wonderful to hear how excited they were to see it all come together.
Whether it's learning a new city or about a new couple, Heather and I are just stoked to be (cautiously) back at it again. We thrive on new experiences and pull on the threads of the stories of our couples that give us goosebumps and bring smiles and laughter to the world. As we move through 2020 together my optimistic side continues to be fed by amazing people like Jessica and Matt who remind me to always keep it light. Here’s to a city I never thought I’d like, a couple whose doing it right, and all of the positive vibes we can send to anyone who has to drive in that god forsaken tunnel.
Harlem NYC Engagement Photography
Mike and Madelyn's NYC Engagement Photos in Harlem | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
There’s always one moment during our engagement photo sessions—when I’m holding Heather’s backup camera lenses and am more-or-less a glorified coat rack—when a tingle goes up the top of my spine and out onto my shoulders. It is the same feeling you feel at the crescendo of a theatrical performance when you’re seated in the front row, or the first time as a kid when you walk up the tunnel of old Yankee Stadium to the bright lights and green grass; it is being witness to something spectacular. For us wedding photographers, it’s when you watch a couple look into each other’s eyes and really mean it.
As professional performers, Mike and Maddy were no strangers to the camera. It is almost literally in their job description to turn their facial expressions on and off like a light switch. But the first time we asked Mike and Maddy to bring their faces close and look into each other’s eyes it wasn’t a performance. It was real. It gave me that feeling that I’ve discovered that there’s actually a word for: frisson; a brief moment of emotional excitement. It is accessing that space and capturing that genuine connection between our couples that drives us. We just can never get enough.
Lucky for us, Mike and Maddy had moments like that on the ready as we moved through New York’s steamy summer streets. We started the photo session at the Hamilton Grange in Harlem, where they typically take their adorable dog, Millie, on a walk to a wonderfully secret local dog park. As the early evening golden light came through the trees, Mike and Maddy effortlessly showed us what it looks like to love someone. Turns out the fairytale vibes were just beginning.
In a beautiful combination of Heather’s understanding of the way that light refracts off of water and New York being New York, we stumbled across a fire hydrant spraying into the street. Whereas I would just walk by and smile as the neighborhood kids played and cooled off, Heather stopped all of us in our tracks and shouted “hol’ up!” She then told Mike and Maddy to do what they do best and love up on one another with the mist in the background. This moment led to one of my favorite images that Heather has ever taken and I look forward to storing it in my memory bank for years to come.
Mike and Maddy have decided to have a small wedding to celebrate their love in a couple weeks and it will be the first wedding we get to document as an Apollo Fields team since Covid-19 happened. I’d be lying if I said getting through the uncertainty of 2020 has been easy, but its engagement photo sessions in New York like these that my optimistic side will choose to focus on. Frissons of happiness may’ve seemed to be in short supply for the last few months, but if these photos of Mike and Maddy are any indication, we’ve got plenty of 2020 to look forward to.
Enjoy these sneaks from Madelyn and Mike’s Engagement Session:
Photography: Apollo Fields
Northport Long Island Elopement Photography
Jamie and Allison's Crab Meadow Beach Wedding Portraits | Northport NY Photographer | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
The birds of the beach soared over our heads, higher than the early morning rising summer sun, taking turns plunging into the Long Island Sound. Their impacts sent a sputter of splashes on the surface, wings flapping amidst the spray, almost like they were cooling off in a ceramic bird bath at the center of a peaceful garden. The air was fresh and only slightly saline as high tide swept up the shore, covering the thousands of small, hollowed-out sandy homes of Crab Meadow Beach with a shifting layer of foamy water. Allison and Jamie bowing their heads, gently closed their eyes, bringing their foreheads to softly rest upon one another like wings spread in the wind, floating above the earth, ready to take their dive at any moment.
Jamie and Allison took the proverbial “plunge” or “dive” a couple months prior under the tree cover of a forest in Maryland at the height of quarantine. They, like many other couples who planned to get married in 2020, had to decide what the celebration of their love would look like during a pandemic. It’s so hard to shift expectations when they’ve already been set, but if it’s anything we’ve learned from Jamie and Allison and the difficult situation in general, is that love, like water, will always find a way.
Jamie and Allison’s Zoom wedding celebration in June was intimate and endearing, heartfelt, and natural. Figuring out how to get hundreds of little faces to fill a series of screens on several different devices changes the physical landscape of the audience but not the nature of the celebration. Love is—and always will be—at the core of weddings, and we’re watching in real time how we are all adapting to our expression of it. While a few family members were on hand to photograph the ceremony and first dance on the day of, Jamie and Allison decided they would take a trip up to us in Long Island, NY, to further honor and document their love and connection.
The idyllic found a home in circumstances less than ideal that morning on Crab Meadow Beach. Jamie and Allison moved effortlessly in the sand in their stunning wedding clothes as we watched and snapped away in awe. Heather is a sucker for evening golden hour and sunrise wedding photography and our morning with Allison and Jamie further solidified her resolve. The golden shape of their smiles and the aura around their faces hit the lens and our hearts with equal emotion. It was hard not to be happy.
And that’s what many couples think they are missing during this tough time. There’s definitely some truth to it but Heather and I and Jamie and Allison are the silver (or golden) lining kind of people; we are the kind of people who know that our love and our effort will carry us through the tough times and lift us even higher in the lighter ones; we are the kind of people who commit and take a plunge when we need to but extend our wings and float in the breeze while we can.
Enjoy some of the pics from Allison & Jamie’s Wedding portraits:
Crab Meadow Beach Elopement in Northport, NY
Tracy & Matt's Fourth of July Beach Elopement at Crab Meadow in Northport | Long Island Weddings | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographer
My Fourth of July began at 4:15AM (the same time that many of yours might have been ending)! I woke up to a black night with no sign of sunrise, went downstairs, drank a cup of tea, and forced my reluctant dogs to go to the bathroom outside. Even they weren’t ready to be up, but I had been stirring every fifteen minutes for the past few hours, squinting at my clock to see if it was time to go to work yet.
Go to work. A sentence that I’ve been looking forward to for MONTHS during this pandemic. While many people might have eased into this stay-at-home lifestyle, I clung to the promise that I would be able to go back to shooting on location. Working with couples, documenting their important milestones, traveling to new locations, celebrating their love— all of this is my muse and very much what keeps the gas in my tank.
None of this quarantine felt like a vacation to me, and it did not “recharge my batteries” like it has for some. I love what I do, and that is why I was especially excited for Tracy and Matt’s elopement on the Fourth. At around 4:30, I grabbed my cameras, hopped in the car, and drove to the beach.
I was the first one there and loved the idea that this location would inevitably blow up with families later that afternoon, but for that moment, it felt like mine. The air was still cool and a breeze rippled across the sand. The first light of dawn was breaking, and before long, Tracy and Matt were exchanging their vows against the still ocean, with only the company of their officiant and myself (while I doubled as their witness).
I don’t take these moments lightly. To be included in these sacred experiences is a privilege and it brings me so much purpose to capture even—or perhaps especially—the most intimate of elopements.
There is no “right” or “wrong” way to navigate reschedules as a 2020 couple-- you just have to do what is best for you guys. But let’s be serious, that’s what weddings SHOULD be all about in the first place! If there has been one silver lining that the coronavirus has had on the wedding industry, I believe it is that couples are having to step back and reevaluate their priorities more than they might have had to in the past. A lot of the more frivolous parts of planning simply aren’t important anymore, and maybe they never were.
At the end of the day, a wedding is about two people committing their love and lives to one another. It is no secret that my favorite weddings have always been a bit non-traditional, incorporating personalized details and reimagined rituals. This new wedding landscape is naturally conducive to these kinds of weddings, and it has been so refreshing to see couples adapting with grace and mindfulness.
Photography: Apollo Fields
Location: Crab Meadow Beach, Northport NY
Bethesda Fountain Elopement in NYC's Central Park
James and Wanda's NYC Central Park Elopement in Bethesda Terrace | Intimate Weddings During Quarantine | Downsizing a Wedding in New York City | Apollo Fields Photography
I remember not-so-long-ago when we were in the thick of the Stay At Home quarantine wondering to myself, ‘Will weddings EVER go back to normal?’
It was just so hard to imagine a big group of people flying in from all over the world to celebrate marriage again. Between the hugging, tight cocktail hours, packed dance floors-- it all seemed like a dream we could only hope to relive. In some ways, it still does. I don’t know when we will have hundreds of guests jam packed on a dance floor again… nobody does. We can only predict, schedule, hold our breath, and hope.
This 4th of July weekend restored a huge chunk of that last ingredient for me: HOPE. And oh man, did it fuel my creative soul and heal a lot of the mourning that I have been experiencing as couple-after-couple have had to (understandably) reschedule their original plans.
It was my first weekend back in the saddle (the wedding saddle that is-- I’ve been in the literal saddle this whole time) and it was a double header to boot. Two mornings in a row, I got to experience couples turning lemons into lemonade and reimagining their weddings in the best ways possible. Both couples have had to postpone their big celebrations to 2021, but wanted to still honor their love and commitment to one another by legally wedding in a more intimate setting.
Wanda and James were slated for a big destination wedding in Banff this year on July 5th, but everything was obviously derailed with COVID19. This date is especially important to them, because it is exactly three years from the day they met, so in order to still celebrate this day and their marriage, they planned an elopement in the heart of the city they live in.
Central Park— and especially Bethesda Fountain— is typically a tourist hotspot as well as local refuge in the thick of NYC summers. However, on this Sunday morning, it was comparatively empty, with a light breeze cutting through the thick of the city humidity. It is easy to imagine this having a post-apocalyptic feeling, but that truly wasn’t the case. It felt private, sort of serene, like this iconic nucleus of New York suddenly belonged to only us. I remember saying to them before I left, “This is the million dollar wedding venue”. It really was. I don’t think a million dollars would actually buy out this location if somebody tried.
It sounds cheesy but this elopement really did restore so much hope for me. I got to witness two families coming together to watch Wanda and James exchange vows. I got to spend the morning with this fun and badass couple. I got to see Wanda shed a tear, which I was assured wasn’t easy to do! Nothing felt risky or contaminated, which was a very real concern not-so-long-ago (and still lingers in the present and future). We were all there for the exact right reasons, and this made me believe that weddings WILL go back, and in some respects might be better than before!
Photography: Apollo Fields
Location: Bethesda Terrace, Central Park NYC
Oh, baby! Announcing our Pregnancy in 2020: Vulnerability and Optimism in Photography
Oh, baby! Announcing our Pregnancy in 2020: Vulnerability and Optimism in Photography | Apollo Fields
The first thing I see when I look at these pictures of my wife, Heather, aside from her powerful, natural beauty, is the expression on her face. The way that the curl of her lips bends ever so slightly toward a smile as her chin drops a little. I notice the way that her jawline and the curve of her shoulder become parallel, creating a window of light between the shadows. As my eyes move down her arms and around her body, I begin to read the story wrapped into her posture; the gentle grip of her hands and fingers as they hug her breast and belly, the baby bump that protrudes from her pelvis in a blanket of light. Yet sitting in the whites of her eyes, the tragedy of our ectopic pregnancy lingers, staring back at the lens through a fragile shield of doubt. Then, although we will never forget, it disappears in an instant—as soon as you swipe the screen—and all that remains is Heather’s steely resolve. This is my wife. The soon to be mother of our first born child.
A couple years ago we shared a picture of us seated on the floor of our cozy cottage in Colorado, surrounded by cardboard boxes and cleaning supplies, crying as we were moving back east. We took great pride in this moment of vulnerability, in sharing the emotions that we were sure that anyone who has ever moved can understand. We shared it because we wanted to tell our story as authentically as possible, and to us that has to include the tears and tough times. We didn’t know that in the years to come we would build on this strength in vulnerability, and make it a cornerstone of our storytelling.
A couple of months later in 2018, Heather shared a post about her emergency surgery on Christmas Eve that resulted from an ectopic pregnancy. We now laugh at the image of our former selves crying on the floor in our Colorado home; oh boo hoo, I have to move. All joking aside, we recognize that a person’s vulnerability falls on a spectrum that is predicated upon their past, and that emotional walls stand to protect that which is fragile. We understand now more than ever that we must be careful with our words as they are symbols of our actions and beliefs. We have taken great care with how we deliver this personal message from our hearts to yours.
With the news of Heather’s pregnancy in early Covid-19 days, we were buoyed in quarantine with hopes of parenthood. Yet we each cast an eye of doubt at all of the good news that came out of the high-risk appointments, fully expecting another tragedy to land. Eventually, we made it past all those uncertain days only to see the tragic video of George Floyd’s death a couple days later. We watched as Black Lives Matter protests swept the nation and social media became even more flooded with animosity than it already is. Heather and I spoke everyday, rewriting take-after-take on what kind of message we should deliver in solidarity with BLM as Apollo Fields. We were trying to show our support for the movement while also delivering the news from our personal lives.
We were scared that anything we said could somehow be misunderstood. We were worried that our brand hasn’t represented the black community enough. We were worried that putting our clients who are persons of color front and center would appear disingenuous. We were (and are) increasingly appalled at the demonstrations of systemic racism that still run through the veins of this country. We questioned the American ideals of freedom and democracy altogether. We were vulnerable. We are vulnerable. And we should be.
Heather’s face in those pictures goes from worried to resolute. In that instant, you swipe away all of the nights of tears that we’ve endured. I think as a nation we were taught that Abraham Lincoln in 1863 did the same thing for blacks in this country—that he swiped away all of their suffering with one swoop of the pen—in June 2020 it is very clear that he didn’t.
I remember sending Heather into surgery on Christmas Eve, pulling words from out of thin air, trying to tell her that it’s going to be okay. I remember holding her hands when she got out as her purple lips trembled, her teeth chattering from the anesthesia. Are there any more blankets? She asked through her shivering lips. I remember just holding her hands—and looking into her vibrating green eyes—grateful that I could into them once again. I couldn’t imagine ever getting angry at her. I had never felt something like that before, like I momentarily understood the depth of human experience: there were no words, there were no feelings, there was just being who I had to be for someone else.
As I write this I am squirming in my chair, procrastinating by getting up to do household tasks I’ve avoided, diverting my attention from focusing on my own vulnerability. I’m grappling with the process of becoming a father amid a pandemic alongside the development of the BLM movement. It feels like I’m standing in a house and the walls are cracking all around me. Chunks of the ceiling crash into the wooden floor like meteors into the earth. I am holding my child under one arm, bowing my head over Heathers, trying to shield us as best I can. The open air in the doorway provides an escape but a support beam plummets down, blocking our path. There is no running.
This is the state of the world like it is the state of my mind. It is a battleground for what we and I stand for.
I stand for BLM, I stand for my child, and I stand for vulnerability; for I believe therein lies the strength to carry us from tears to resolve, from rebuilding a broken house into a stable one. It all starts by tearing down the walls, embracing our vulnerability, and sharing our story with the world. This is our life, the soon to be home of our first born child.
– Terrence
Announcing our pregnancy to family in the time of Coronavirus made for a lot of FaceTime calls but one very special social distanced trip to my 95 year old Nana.
Our celebration hike at Target Rock the day the doctors confirmed that we weren’t having another ectopic.
One of the only perks of being high risk was getting sonograms every few days and being able to see this little bean turn into a recognizable babe!
Still adventuring and still riding (bump in tow).
A slightly more predictable pregnancy announcement portrait. Could have dropped these instead but hey, that’s just not how we roll!
Planning a wedding can be stressful —especially if the cost is coming out of your own pockets
Planning a wedding can be stressful —especially if the cost is coming out of your own pockets!
Wedding etiquette used to be that the bride’s family shouldered the entire cost of the wedding and the groom’s family would cover the rehearsal dinner. The couple was only expected to pay for the gifts that they would exchange with one another and their wedding party… Well, it’s 2019 and we happen to think that this uber-traditional arrangement is a bit antiquated and unrealistic. According to WeddingWire, about 44% of modern couples are paying for the majority of their wedding themselves. At Apollo Fields, we probably see an even higher percentage of our couples footing their own bills and honestly, we think that’s super rad! We really “click” with the word hard / play hard kind of couples who are more focused on their weddings being a unique and sentimental experience rather than a trendy, over-the-top social affair.
QUOTE FROM A PREVIOUS COUPLE
Planning a wedding can be stressful —especially if the cost is coming out of your own pockets. Around every corner there seems to be an expense waiting for you; from bigger costs like renting a venue, catering, and stocking the bar, to unforeseen expenses like chair and table rentals, glassware and silverware rentals, and single-use items like decorations and stationery. That’s not even to mention services like a DJ or live band, the serving staff, and the totally unbiased, most important cost of your wedding: photography! Well, coming from a couple of industry-tested wedding photographers who have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly, including the full planning and execution of our own wedding in October 2018, please heed our advice from one proud, professional couple to another!
Establish Your Priorities As A Couple
As soon as you post your engagement on social media, every aunt and uncle, sister and brother, mother and father, and friend will have an opinion on what your wedding should be like. Where you should get married, who you need to invite, what food you should serve and what music should be played. As you will see (or already have seen), the planning of your wedding can quickly become less about you and more about the people who surround you. Don’t forget that the biggest benefit of paying for your own wedding is that you don’t have to answer to anyone! It doesn’t have to be as cliché and rigid as “this is your day” or “this is the bride’s day,” of course you can listen to those closest to you for advice, but the fact of the matter is-- you’re paying for it--so don’t allow others to dictate the way you want to celebrate your love. Your wedding day is just as much a romantic symbol of your relationship as it is an opportunity to showcase its strength by making important decisions together. So take the time to sit down and hash out what’s most important to each of you individually, that way each of you feels represented in the atmosphere of your wedding day, from the decorations to the guest list to the dance floor.
Apollo Fields List of Priorities:
1. Location – Family hobby farm in Ramsey, NJ.
2. Guest List – Immediate family and close friends (tough to keep <100 guests)
3. Food and Beverage – Beer, wine, and N/A bev., whiskey/scotch room, homemade fresh pasta bar, salad, candy apple dessert bar.
4. Photography – Associate/friend of Apollo Fields.
5. Entertainment – Inexpensive but trusted DJ of family friend.
6. Décor – Mainly rustic tools from farm’s history, table cloths from amazon, glassware, dishware, and silverware from second-hand stores.
7. Rentals – Tables, chairs, portapotty.
QUOTES FROM PAST COUPLES?
Tackle One Thing At A Time
When you have to pay for your own wedding, you have to work the planning around your already busy schedule. The best way to do this is to start at the top of your list of priorities and work down one at a time. This way it is more manageable, enjoyable, and hopefully never becomes overwhelming. If a venue is at the top of your priority list, start there, and then determine your guest list as per different venue’s respective guest maximums; if the guest list is paramount, then start there and find which venues are best for your guest count. Leverage your priority list into the planning process. Take a weekend to hit a few venues, taste their food, and check out nearby towns and hotel accommodations. Over dinner at a restaurant, discuss who or what is not negotiable come wedding day. Let it be light and fun, it doesn’t have to be stressful! I still remember putting the playlist together for the DJ in our cottage in Colorado, laughing and singing to all of our favorite tunes. But bear in mind, get a start as far in advance as possible, as venues, DJs, and photographers become booked up as far as a year to two years in advance, and we all know the feeling of being in the mall the day before your significant other’s birthday, only to settle for a gift that doesn’t truly represent how much you care. Don’t let this happen for your wedding day.
Apollo Fields Planning Workflow:
1. Location - Heather and I planned trips to New Jersey from Colorado in advance of the wedding, purchasing things that wouldn’t spoil, measuring space as per rental table dimensions, and helping set up the property as much as possible.
2. Guest List - The guest list is a common battleground for couples. There are going to be those left behind. You can try to divide the count 50-50 but it’s never that cut and dry. For us, we began with what the space allowed, and then it was all about who was currently contributing something to our lives that made the difference.
3. Food/Bev. - Getting a Costco membership can save you tons. We shopped around for the best prices for whiskey, beer, and wine, and grabbed a package or two of non-alcoholic beverages.
4. Photography – This was obviously easy for us as it is right up our wheelhouse.
5. Entertainment – We prioritized cost effectiveness on this one, and a family friend who had good reviews online came at the right price and delivered (literally and figuratively).
6. Décor – We built these purchases into our trips to NJ from Colorado, and found things on Amazon that were much better quality and cheaper than renting from a wedding company.
7. Tables and Chairs – At first I wanted to build all of them. In the week leading up to the wedding. Yeah, I was over-ambitious. We rented them at a great price from a company that dropped off and picked up at the location. We also rented a portapotty, which was a funny conundrum getting stressed about where people were going to use the restroom.
Tangible Items vs. Intangible Services
Similar to creating a pros-and-cons list to help make tough decisions, separating costs into tangible items and intangible services can help clarify where you should direct the bulk of your time and budget. It’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole of designing your wedding to be the perfect, dream-like experience, all the way down to the way the napkins are folded, but to be honest, the quicker you depart from that pipe dream, the better. The reality is that something always goes wrong at weddings and the more value you put into each small detail the more you risk that stress eventually coming back on you when/if it doesn’t pan out. If you do have your heart set on a lavish extensive wedding experience, it can pay to hire a wedding planner, but if not, or they’re too expensive, we say cut the corners on immaculately matching silverware, dishware, glassware, and single-use items like decorations, invitations, wedding favors and the like. It will drive you crazy and the pursuit of perfection will make everything else seem imperfect. Instead, consider hiring a Day-Of Coordinator to take the stress off without breaking the bank. This is one of the biggest “I wish I had _____” feedback that we hear from past couples. Having a point of contact for the day to make sure things are running smoothly and on time will take the pressure off of you guys without maxing out your credit card.
MAYBE GET A QUOTE FROM A LOCAL DAY OF COORDINATOR HERE?
Invest in the things that people will remember: your beautiful ceremony in an historic barn, the tunes blaring from horns and reverberating from the strings of an electric guitar, and of course the photography that will capture all of these moments for you “to have and to hold” (see what I did there?).
(INDUSTRY SECRET: You wouldn’t believe how much cake goes untouched (and often thrown away) while your guests are tearing it up the dance floor. We say ditch the elaborate multi-tiered cake and direct the funds elsewhere. Dessert bars with cupcakes and cookies are great alternatives. Or think outside the box-- we had an autumn wedding so we went with bite-sized pumpkin pie nibbles and caramel apples).
Apollo Fields Tangible Items vs. Intangible Services Cost Breakdown
1. 70% Services: DJ, photographers, venue, staff.
2. 30% Items: Rented tables and chairs, second-hand silverware, avoiding glassware via bottled beer and large stock of wine glasses.
Backyard COVID Elopement in Long Island
Roy and Randi's Backyard Elopement in Long Island | Intimate Wedding Photography | 2020 Weddings During Quarantine | Apollo Fields Eloping Photographers
Many couples are obviously having to postpone their big wedding celebrations this year due to the effects of coronavirus and subsequent travel bans. While this might mean obviously having to wait to have hundreds of people on a dance floor all hugging, drinking, and partying together, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you cannot still get legally married and celebrate safely with your closest friends and family.
I have been so inspired by the resiliency of couples who are taking all of the current events in stride and prioritizing the health and wellness of their guests by moving their receptions to a later date but still focusing on the importance of honoring their marriages. One popular option has been backyard and otherwise private elopements where social distancing and staying outdoors are easy options. By taking the worry and stress off of health concerns, you’ll be able to focus more on celebrating one another and staying in the moment.
Roy and Randi were able to have a sweet backyard wedding with their closest family and friends in a very laid back and stress-free way. They each have children and even some grandchildren in the mix, so it was obviously imperative that they were able to be present, in addition to their matriarch of their family. We were able to use their landscaped yard for nice family formals, and even took advantage of their koi pond and waterfall out back.
The ceremony was sweet and intimate, with a chuppah even impromptu fashioned out of the garden terrace that they have on their fencing. The chuppah is one of my favorite elements of Jewish wedding ceremonies because it symbolizes the home with the four pillars, but intentionally keeping the sides open so visitors know that they are welcome. Roy and Randi made theirs out of Randi’s family tallit, which was another special touch. They were still able to exchange vows, rings, and break the glass even though a lot of the other wedding formalities had to be postponed.
After the wedding ceremony, we did a champagne toast outside and Roy surprised his newlywed wife with a brand new Audi— her dream car (black on black) that she has always wanted! Such a sweet touch to always remember the day by.
Photography: Apollo Fields
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
Haven's Kitchen Wedding Photography in NYC
Laura and Tim's Wedding at Haven's Kitchen in NYC
Bouncing up and down in a crosstown cab, all smiles and sunshine. “I’m gonna destroy this dress—I’ll lay down in the grass, on a New York City bench, wherever!” Definitely not common words we expect to hear coming from a bride on her wedding day—but Laura was and is not your everyday bride.
In fact, everything about Laura and Tim’s winter wedding in NYC was anything but your conventional wedding experience; from only three months of planning to coordinating guests flying in from all over the globe, their heartfelt and absolutely stunning intimate wedding will have us bouncing and smiling in the sunshine for a long time to come.
You may have seen the post about Laura and Tim’s rainy NYC engagement photos, where I explained how they decided to get married on such short notice. If you haven’t, the backstory goes like this: after they got engaged in November 2019, they popped into an antique ring shop to pick out some vintage wedding bands for each other, when they stumbled across a ring with the date “2/22/30” engraved on the inside. They joked about how it would be cute to celebrate this other couple’s 90-year anniversary on 2/22/20 and thought it would end there.
It didn’t.
My experience on their wedding day began in Tim’s hotel room in the wonderfully charming Freehand Hotel in the Flatirons district of Manhattan. With only a narrow window casting sunlight into the room from the alleyway, the mood was calm and dramatic. Tim opened a small care package from Laura containing a pair of goofy socks stitched with images of ramen noodles, a silly black cat pin that read “good luck,” and the real gem of the bounty: a short, heartfelt letter that had a print of Laura posing for one of those awkward glamour shots in high school. In a perfect representation of their relationship and their wedding day, that letter carried as much lightness and levity as it did genuine care and love.
We snapped their first look in the foyer of the restaurant downstairs, occasionally holding the door for hungry New Yorkers that we dare not deprive of brunch. Afterwards, Laura and Tim shared a quick drink at the bar to coat themselves in a thick layer of liquid courage armor before we journeyed to the tourist-heavy Highline in the Meatpacking District for some intimate photos. In the cab we bounced but on the path we strutted, stopping here and there for some authentic New York City shots. As we made our way to Haven’s Kitchen we carried the same casual and light gait that Laura spoke with in her letter to Tim.
Haven’s Kitchen opens into a cozy, chic, cafe in the front, with a clean open kitchen with stainless steel tables used for teaching cooking classes in the back. On the left, a stairway bends up to the second floor with a wooden Victorian-style bannister leading the way. The second floor has a wide open dance floor on one side and a white granite bar and cozy cocktail area on the other.
Adorned into every nook and cranny were trinkets of Laura and Tim’s relationship with an eclectic mix of kangaroos (Tim is Australian), Star Wars references, and other personal keepsakes. Finally, the top floor is a pristinely white, flexible and customizable space that can double as a location for the reception and ceremony. Laura and Tim, with the help of the amazing staff used every inch of this intimate wedding venue in New York City to celebrate their love.
Despite only having three months to plan and execute their wedding, Laura and Tim have shown how a strong couple can literally and figuratively absorb the bumps in the road and come out smiling in sunshine on the other side. They have shown that you don’t have to be conventional and can instead invent tradition or celebrate love in whichever way you see fit. Embrace what the world gives you with an open mind and hard work and love will do the rest.
Enjoy these sneak peeks from Laura & Tim’s Wedding:
Also featured in: Carats & Cake Magazine
The Vendor Team:
Photography + Writing: Apollo Fields
Ceremony + Reception Venue: Haven’s Kitchen
Wedding Coordinator: Irit Oren, Events Service Manager
Officiant: John Heagney - One of Tim & Laura's best friends in NYC
Florist: Dried flowers assembled by Laura and Tim
DJ / Band : DJ Mikey Palms
Cake / Bakery : Billy’s Bakery
Dress : Jenny Yoo
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Suit: Custom Made Navy with llama pattern lining + tailored by Suit Supply NYC
Rings: Hannah Blount + Gray & Davis
HMUA: Drybar + Ryann Jones
Stationary: The Knot with Paperless Post
Heyo! It’s us…
…with our favorite ramen-slurping, kangaroo-tossers! This was the BEST wedding to kick off our 2020 season and we are still raving about how much fun we had with Laura and Tim.
Estancia 460 NYC Engagement Session
Igor and Michelle’s Engagement Photos in New York City | Estancia 460 NYC | Destination Wedding Photographers
There’s something so exciting about moving to a new city that makes you feel like everything is possible. Somehow all of the stresses, restraints, or regrets from the past are quickly forgotten and your new surroundings shine in the sunlight. Igor and Michelle just moved to New York from Los Angeles and before this engagement shoot had never even been to Central Park. I get giddy just thinking about them walking around on the winding paths I love so much. There’s something special about sharing something dear to your heart with others, and Igor and Michelle have an endless amount of avenues and streets and paths to explore. Everything is possible to them.
Igor and Michelle moved to New York with 4-year-old Harrison because Igor was offered the executive chef position at The Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan. Foodies through and through, they can’t wait to share delicious meals in one of the toughest cities to run a successful restaurant. Partly because rent is so damn high and partly because competition exists on every corner and down every alley—if you’re running a restaurant in New York City you have to be consistent and service-forward. With Igor’s experience at Intercontinental Hotel Downtown Los Angeles you better believe he can bring it.
The other aspect of New York that really excites Igor and Michelle is the architecture. They particularly love to go on architectural boat tours that showcase the history of Manhattan. From the quirky, cobblestone streets of the Financial District to the iconic buildings like the Flatiron or the Chrysler, the structures are almost as unique as the people. Almost.
Igor and Michelle will be getting married in Los Angeles in 2020 and we look forward to getting to know their former hometown. Heather and I love the beach almost as much as we love the mountains, as they provide us the natural sounds that we long for. These are a far cry from the horns and sirens of big cities, and give us an energy that only the natural world possesses. That was a huge reason why we moved to Denver and plan to return one day. I imagine Igor and Michelle will head out to the beaches of Long Island come summer time to fill the void of the west coast.
Everything seems possible when you move to a new place because everything is. Sometimes we forget that when we’ve been in one place for too long, but if you always welcome change you will always be allowing new possibilities. Cheers to Igor and Michelle starting the next chapter of their lives.
As seen in: Popped! Mag
The Art Factory Wedding Photographers
Kelli & JP’s Wedding | Dawn of the Dead Themed Wedding | The Art Factory Venue | Paterson, NJ Weddings | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
We typically like to meet our couples before their wedding to strategize day-of timelines. This meeting allows us to prioritize shot lists, identify venue logistics, and gives us an opportunity to get to know each other better over a beer. Yet a couple weeks ago because of scheduling difficulties, we defied this practice for Kelli and John Paul’s wedding at The Art Factory in Paterson, NJ. Despite the beautiful “industrial chic” labyrinth that is The Art Factory, the playfully enigmatic couple of Kelli and John Paul showed us that spontaneity really is the spice of life.
For those unfamiliar with The Art Factory, it is a 170-year-old group of warehouse-like buildings sitting on 5 acres in the crime-ridden city of Paterson, NJ. There are 21 multi-use buildings that contain 280,000 square feet that currently function as local artisan shops, photo and video studios, office space, and a wedding venue. It is Brooklyn caught between the gun-toting era of Biggie and mustache-wax-wielding hipster. The one-of-a-kind space offers a canvas for any creative mind and any creative vision. Get in before the first Whole Foods opens around the corner.
Kelli and John Paul’s aesthetic spun the Art Factory’s labyrinth of studios and corridors into a mixture of dark moodiness and playful light. Upon every warehouse window sill or broken brick wall sat a framed picture or memento of their relationship. Edison lights lit the path to the next room or memory. Kelli wore white while her bridesmaids donned black dresses with red roses. John Paul wore a custom-made old fashioned tux with long, rounded flaps, while his groomsmen boasted a classic look with red bow ties. The entire space felt uniquely them, as the bright colors of their attire and tattoos on their skin blended with the darkness and burst in the light.
The ceremony took place in a wide open room with high ceilings, brick walls, and white curtains. Exposed steel beams gave the space an industrial feel, but the wooden pews and handmade aspen tree altar rooted Kelli and John Paul’s marriage right back to earth. They welcomed many words from close friends and symbolized the union of their families as their respective mothers lit a single flame. Their guests laughed at unsuspected analogies for love and teared up during the vows. In a large room with tons of space, eyes were fixed upon the love that filled the air.
With all of the options what a wedding could be, I never imagined a couple walking into their reception to blaring heavy metal and sparklers. I never would’ve guessed that the groom’s garter belt dance would be modeled off this scene in Reservoir Dogs. I never pictured a realistic interpretation of two hearts resting upon the top of an immaculate cake instead of the plastic cookie-cutter bride-and-groom. There were so many aspects about Kelli and John Paul’s wedding that I didn’t expect and would’ve loved to plan for—but perhaps the lesson here—is that no amount of time or planning could’ve prepared me for the wedding I was lucky to experience.
Enjoy the pics from Kelli & JP’s Wedding:
Vendors:
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | The Art Factory, Paterson NJ
Reception Band | The Randy Haze Trio
Cocktail Band | Shawn and Big Al
DJ | Tony Saxon MC
Cake | Meredith Robinson
All Masked Up!
It’s us having a blast at Kelli & JP’s themed wedding.
Great Falls Washington DC Engagement Photography
Allison & Jamie’s Engagement photos in Washington DC | Washington DC Engagements | Great Falls Potomac River | H Street Corridor | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
You know how the Best Man and Maid of Honor are supposed to hook up at a wedding? Well, that’s sort of the case with Allison and Jamie— except there was a couple of years before they actually got together! It’s hard to believe that in 2016, we were all up in Quebec for Jen & Jon’s wedding where Allison and Jamie stood up at the altar as the wedding party. Fast forward a couple of years and now they are planning their OWN wedding for June 20, 2020!
We’ve been lucky to get to know them as friends since then and I cannot wait to shoot their Brooklyn wedding at St. John St. Matthew Emmanuel Lutheran Church next year. This church also has a special meaning for them, as it is where they officially met as witnesses for Jen and Jon’s US Marriage certificate signing and is where Allison has been a member for many years since she lives close by in Park Slope. It was fitting then that Jamie asked Allison to marry him at this church and proposed with a custom ring made from two separate family rings (one from each side of their families).
They are both sentimental people who really value their family, friends, and faith but also love to explore and adventure together. Allison and Jamie have been killing the long distance relationship game, alternating weekends between NYC and DC, so it only seemed fitting to do their engagement photos down by Jamie to really round off the story of their relationship.
We started the day down in the H Street Corridor which is an energetic and artsy part of the city. I wanted to shoot in places that felt more local and less touristy, so this was the perfect urban start to the day. We detoured for a quick happy hour drink and then went to the Great Falls for a short hike. We got super lucky with the foliage and weather and were able to get some great shots down by the water. Jamie and Allison even climbed up to the top of the falls which looked way easier from the bottom (AKA where I was standing) but they were champs and it made for some epic pics! We closed out our afternoon in the theater at the school where Jamie works for a few pics that show their theater-y side.
Enjoy these photos from Allison & Jamie’s DC Engagement:
Photography: Apollo Fields
We love to travel for shoots!
We don’t just travel for weddings! We love exploring new places and cities for engagements, too.