The Chautauqua Dining Hall Wedding in Boulder, Colorado
Alli & Dylan | Chautauqua Dining Hall Wedding | Boulder Colorado | Mountain Wedding Photographer | Wedding Writer | Apollo Photojournalism
Kintish - Est. 2017
On a cloudless Colorado summer day, the Flatirons at Chautauqua Park in Boulder play second fiddle to no one. The greens and grays of the slanted rock faces humble all that meander along its worn dirt paths, but when Alli and Dylan danced as dinosaurs before the cliffs, the mountains knew there was something familiar yet admirable and new about them.
In the beginning, Alli and Dylan’s love was forbidden, a sacrifice to the bureaucracy of Americorps where greens and grays were not to date. It didn’t matter at first because Alli found Dylan repulsive, but eventually he won her over with snacks, silliness, and his patented pose for photographs. After a couple of years of hidden romance, Dylan literally yelled his love for Alli from the mountaintops of Big Bend, Texas, where they met for the first time.
Their lives in service to others was to continue in the Peace Corps in Paraguay after their celebration in Boulder, but for those few days they allowed their love to point inwards towards their own hearts.
Surrounded by sunshine, the hand-stitched chuppah provided the only shade for Alli and Dylan and her snacks as notes from Nathan’s guitar gently danced upon the breeze. By the time that golden hour struck and the sun tucked itself behind the mountains, they gazed upon one another with honeymoon eyes, kissing, just like they accidentally did when Alli arrived at the altar, forgetting tradition in a showcase of their genuinely awkward love.
From amateur poetry to Irish quotes and Jewish rites, all who spoke over glasses bubbling with champagne honored tradition in their own language. Alli and Dylan listened, laughed and cried, dancing through the night in their own way, whether it was a routine to Backstreet Boys and MMMBop, or inch-worming in a wedding dress, they never lost their balance with a reverence to the past as their hearts danced towards the future.
Outdoor Mountain Wedding | Boulder, Colorado | Chautauqua Dining Hall & Erny Photo CO Wedding Photographer
Smiling from ear-to-ear, Dylan Kintish and Alli Bell Kintish said goodbye to their guests as they filed out of their wedding venue, making their way down the stairs as a gentle rain began to fall in Chautauqua Park in Boulder, CO in August 2017. They only had seven months to plan this day and there was little flexibility as they were set to leave for Paraguay just a month later on a 2-year mission for the Peace Corps. This didn’t stop them from having a wedding that Alli’s dad would later call, “rough around the edges, but straight from the heart.”
From the get-go, Alli and Dylan knew that they wanted to focus on making their wedding day their own, knowing that would be a key to the happiness of everyone involved. “Don’t try to fit your wedding into someone else’s box. It should be a day that fits your personality and who you are, not the other way around,” Alli and Dylan wrote after their wedding.
I couldn’t think of a better way to word the day partners celebrate their love. It’s so easy to get lost in the planning of the ‘most important day in your life,’ shuffling through vendors, table settings, venues, DJ’s and travel arrangements.
Alli and Dylan set a great example of how they made the whole experience their own, letting all the conventional stresses of wedding planning fall to the green grass of Chautauqua Park like flower petals from the fingers of a smiling flower girl. To understand just how much they made this process their own, know that they got their engagement photos done in dinosaur onesies. (Who does that?! We loved it!)
Before the wedding we asked them, “What are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?” A lot of couples would say ‘to enjoy the most important day in their lives,’ or to ‘finally make their love official’ but Alli and Dylan selflessly responded, “[to have] all of our loved ones in one place!” Collecting loved ones under one roof is perhaps the most underappreciated aspect when stressing about planning a wedding because those in attendance will not remember the place settings, the food, or the angle that the tent was set up; they will remember the people tucked into their button-down shirts, the smiling faces shining more than the veneer of any gorgeous dress, and the couple that brought them all together.
Alli and Dylan enjoyed every moment of their outdoor Colorado wedding because they made it their own and they focused on the love in their lives and the love of the day. Now when they look back on their photos, they see no trace of the day that was ‘rough around the edges,’ and only see the moments that came “straight from the heart.
About Alli and Dylan
Alli and Dylan dated for four years before getting engaged at Big Bend National Park in Texas. They had recently both signed up for the Peace Corps and decided that they wanted to be married before they started their new adventure.
They believe that marriage means both loving and liking someone.When asked, they said that it is a mutual understanding that two people realize that they are stronger together as one, than they are apart.
I couldn't agree more.
Alli and Dylan's, your summer wedding was one of my favorites to date. Your zest for life is contagious and your love for one another is absolutely incredible to see. We love following your Pair-In-Guay Blog and we can't wait to hear about your next adventures!
Alli and Dylan's Boulder Wedding at the Chautauqua Dining Hall
Alli and Dylan's Awesome Vendor Team:
Wedding Photography: Heather Huie for Apollo Fields
Boulder Wedding Venue: Chautauqua Dining Hall
Wedding DJ: DJ Drake
Alli and Dylans wedding cake and flowers were DIY.
Colorado Wedding Venue: Chautauqua Dining Hall, Boulder CO
Journalism: Apollo Journalism
Heather is a Colorado wedding photographer! Contact her today!
Andrea & Arash's Destination Wedding in Punta Cana, DR
Andrea & Arash | A Story of Connection and A Relaxed Destination Wedding in the Dominican Republic
The first time you meet someone you have no idea how big a role (if any) they are going to play in your life. When I met my friend Mitch at SUNY Cortland, a state college in upstate New York, who would’ve guessed that several years later my fiancé and I would be the photographers for his wife’s sister’s wedding in the Dominican Republic—but as Kurt Vonnegut would’ve said about life’s unpredictability, “and so it goes.”
In February 2017 Heather and I stepped off a plane into an overcast, muggy day in Punta Cana to head towards a resort complete with the canopied huts and aquamarine waters that define vacation prizes on game shows. Eager to dip our toes into the warm water, we made it to our air-conditioned room, dropped off our stuff, threw on some flip-flops and swimming trunks and headed to the beach. As we approached, Andrea and Arash were standing among family and friends, laughing and smiling in a relaxed circle of reclined beach chairs.
Between the telling of stories, their eyes lifted to meet ours and they gently drifted towards us with open arms. I remember their skin being sandy and a little sticky but when you meet someone for the first time and their first move is to hug you rather than shake hands—you know you’re in good company. We grabbed a couple of drinks from the poolside cabana and joined the circle as we quickly felt like part of the family.
We captured Andrea and Arash’s first look beneath an opal dome made of stone, it’s curves and edges as clean and crisp as the vest hugging Arash’s body. Andrea’s smile shone like the bright glare reflecting off of the white granite floor—almost too beautiful and overwhelming to look at directly. When they embraced and his arms wrapped around her lower back they whispered into each other’s ears the words reserved for lovers and their eyes slowly drew closed as their smiles pushed their eyelids into a happy recession.
Andrea and Arash carried this intimate gentle air all around the resort, strolling on scorching hot stones with the lightness of a breeze flowing across a rippling pool of water. When they stood at the altar during their ceremony, the guitar strums of Somewhere Over the Rainbow followed suit and the stride of passersby slowed in relaxed admiration of a scene so serene.
To think that we would’ve never been in attendance of such an occasion without the meeting of two 18-year-old college kids in upstate New York over ten years ago is an idea that’s hard to wrap your head around. It shows that life can bring you all sorts of places if you are mindful about the connections you make and the people you decide to keep in your life.
Dedicated to Andrea, Arash, and Kayla; Mitch, Diana and Maya.
We love you all.
Caribbean Destination Weddings | Andrea and Arash have their winter wedding in the Dominican Republic
I'm always up for a good destination wedding, but *especially* one in the Dominican Republic during the winter! The weather was perfection and the company even better. No better way to break up the cold months than a trip to the islands.
The best part about a destination wedding is that you are surrounded with the friends and family that you will probably have for life. People make that extra effort to be there, and literally go the distance with you. Plus you get multiple days with the people you are closest to, rather than just one day with everything packed into the course of a few hours.
Planning a destination wedding can be surprisingly easy! Andrea and Arash had an intimate wedding with small wedding parties. The resort took care of a lot of the moving parts that usually weigh down the planning process. Catering, cake, decor, room rentals, hotel blocks, DJ, and other vendors were essentially taken care of.
Hiring their wedding photographer was one of the few vendors that they did not want to use the venue for, however. It was really important to them to have timeless wedding photography and beautiful albums to look back on, and this was not one of the areas that they wanted to compromise on! I couldn't agree more.
Terrence and I flew down a few days early to ensure that we wouldn't have any problems with travel since international flights in the winter can sometimes get a little tricky. Lucky for us because that is exactly what happened to a few traveling guests. We flew from Denver International Airport to JFK to Punta Cana. Little did we know, we just missed the big snow storm in New York! Unfortunately, a few guests did get stuck in NYC airports and missed the ceremony.
PLANNING AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION WEDDING?
Always leave extra time for travel! Flight delays, rental cars, all of these moving parts can go wrong. We were so glad that we got down there early! And it meant that we got extra time hanging on the beach and going snorkeling so that was also a bonus!
Enjoy some of our favorite shots from the day!
Destination Wedding Photography: Erny Photo CO | Apollo Fields Photojournalism
Venue: Melia Caribe Tropical Resort | Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
AS SEEN IN THE BUDGET SAVVY BRIDE MAGAZINE:
Wes & Chelsea's Breckenridge Engagement Session in Colorado
Chelsea & Wes' Engagement Photography in Breckenridge | Colorado Engagement Photography | Mountain Wedding Photographer | Apollo Fields Weddings
What could be dreamier than a wintery snowy engagement session in the beautiful Rockies!? Breckenridge is best known for being a popular ski town in Colorado and gets a lot of tourism in the winter months. Chelsea and Wes were visiting from their hometown in Texas to celebrate and I was so excited to be able to shoot their engagements for them in this iconic ski town.
The town of Breckenridge is really settled around the slopes but makes it very easy to get around. There are cute little coffee shops, bars, and shopping stores to pop in and out of. We did our session down by the little river that runs through the town from all of the snow runoff. We were lucky to have a snowy day but nothing too severe.
I actually blew my tire out on the way to this session when a rockslide on i-70 came barreling down onto the highway. I was busy dodging the smaller rocks when I hit the mac-daddy of boulders and immediately popped the tire. I was stressing out because I knew I had to get up to this session and luckily, Terrence was able to throw the donut on the car and we drove to a little mechanic shop in Georgetown and the guy was able to hammer it out and refill the tire (he originally thought it wouldn’t be salvageable so you can imagine my excitement when we got back on the road for only $20)!
I was still able to get up to Breck on time (the benefit of leaving ridiculously early for shoots) and meet up with this fun loving couple. These two had such a great and easy chemistry with one another that made this wintery session a blast to photograph. It was chilly but they never once complained, and one of my favorite things about the dry cold in the mountains is that the snow doesn’t get heavy and soaked through your pants so it is easy to stay happy without needing a wardrobe change!
I can’t recommend this location more to anyone visiting Colorado and love to shoot in this cozy mountain town so please reach out to set up your own engagement and/or wedding in this great ski town!
Colorado Engagement Photographer: Erny Photo CO | Apollo Photojournalism
Jon & Jen's Destination Wedding at the Chateau De Frontenac in Quebec City
Heather and I love road trips. Being trapped in a car with someone for several hours is the ultimate make-it-or-break-it for a relationship and after the first one you pretty much know how the relationship is going to go. We like to fill ours with silly games to pass time with the occasional deep talk about various human rights issues or whether we’d prefer to be a reincarnated as a carrot or an apple. Our eight-plus hour drive from New York City to Quebec City was no different.
Jon & Jen's Destination Wedding | Chateau Fronenac | Old Quebec City, Canada | International Wedding Photography
Heather and I love road trips. Being trapped in a car with someone for several hours is the ultimate make-it-or-break-it for a relationship and after the first one you pretty much know how the relationship is going to go. We like to fill ours with silly games to pass time with the occasional deep talk about various human rights issues or whether we’d prefer to be a reincarnated as a carrot or an apple. Our eight-plus hour drive from New York City to Quebec City was no different.
We were originally going as guests for Heather’s friend, Jon, but wound up as on-call photographers for his French-inspired wedding in the Chateau de Frontenac overlooking the St. Lawrence River. I’ve never been to Europe or France but the rustic buildings that hug one another over the cobblestone streets of Old Quebec City had me saying “bonjour” in a dreadful attempt at honoring Quebecois culture between mouthfuls of savory and sweet crepes (we had them every morning we were there, no regrets).
The first time I met Jon and Jen was an annual old time Jazz celebration on Governor’s Island, a short Ferry ride away from New York City. They’re the kind of couple that is as artistic as they are lovingly humble, welcoming you into their lives with their eyes and smiles as well as their paintbrushes. Jon hand-painted their wedding invitations with a night portrait of the Chateau de Frontenac with scattered windows warmly lit up in a yellowish hue that cued that bedtime was nearing for each room’s lucky inhabitants. I remember picking up the card and feeling and knowing that it came from Jon’s home rather than some massive production facility.
Jon and Jen’s ceremony took place in the wine cellar of the chateau and I remember their officiant singing both the man and woman’s roles in various songs that they handpicked. The child in me thought it was hilarious and came close to laughing out loud but the adult in me knew better. You could tell that Jon and Jen had an intimate relationship with this man and have probably laughed harder together than I would’ve that day but I’m glad that my maturity won the battle for once.
For their first dance Jen choreographed a sequence that swept them from corner-to-corner of the lavish ballroom floor with swift dips, spins, and smiles in between. Jon had been excited to show us this number for months, sure that he would falter or stumble somewhere, but I’ve noticed that when love has the wheel the bumps in the road magically disappear one after the other in the rearview mirror. If I didn’t know them I would call their movements graceful because they are, but because I do [know them], I just see them as familiar actions of Jon and Jen.
Here’s to a couple that anyone would be lucky to call friends that just had their first child, Shea, who will carry on a tradition of artistic love and humility.
Venue: Chateau Frontenac | Old Quebec City, Canada
International Destination Photographer: Erny Photo CO | Apollo Photo