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
Non-Traditional Wedding Planning and Inspiration
DIY Wedding Ideas | Non-Traditional Wedding | Farm Wedding Photographers | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography | Ramsey, NJ
As wedding photojournalists we’ve had the privilege of documenting people on the best day of their lives. Surrounded by friends and family, our wedding couples celebrate their love with the traditions their families have taught them. But what happens if a couple doesn’t have any traditions? Or what if they do but they don’t have any connection to them? Please take these words as a license to create the wedding that best defines your relationship. Borrow from different traditions or create your own. There are no rules.
Heather and I chose to have our wedding at her aunt and uncle’s private farm in Ramsey, NJ, because: 1) they allowed us to, and 2) it was our closest connection to a meaningful tradition. The owners of Honeymoon Acres, Aunt Pam and Uncle Rick got married there in 1996 and we wanted to honor their union by following in their footsteps. Far from perfect, the farm is a haven for animals and family gatherings, treating four legged creatures with an equal-if-not-greater-hand than our relatives. There’s humility in recognizing the value of every animal on this earth and Pam and Rick never forget that and neither will we.
When you’re planning your wedding and getting caught up in the inevitable whirlwind of varying opinions remember this: you are the stewards of your own love. It is you and your significant other who are taking this expedition together — your brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, other relatives and friends can be safe places to stop along the way — but you two are the captains. It is you two who determine the course and to cede control of your wedding day is to allow others to briefly steer the ship. If you are okay with that, fine, but know that a ship with interim captains can wind up in uncharted waters. Please forgive the dramatic analogy but I cannot overemphasize the peace and fulfillment that comes with choosing the way you wish to celebrate your love.
Heather and I decided to celebrate ours by having our friend, David Miller, officiate our mala bead ceremony (see previous post). We took this route because of something that, ironically enough, a pastor said to us at a wedding: “it’s funny, I’m probably the person in this room who knows the least about the couple getting married, yet I’m the one speaking to their loved ones about their relationship.” It was all backwards for us, so picking a friend was a no-brainer. One of the other things that David did was pass our rings around to everyone in little nests, letting our guests cradle the symbols of our love in their trusted hands. We later tried to swap out the garter/bouquet toss for a stuffed animal toss to remind ourselves of our inner children — but just like children we somehow misplaced our stuffed animals. We ended the night with a Jewish tradition, the horah, because who doesn’t want to be lifted into the air to look upon the faces of your friends and family as they have the time of their lives?
Your wedding day can be many things. Why settle for traditions that are outdated and empty? Why not borrow the ones you like? Why not create something new? Why not take the opportunity to create a community that celebrates all the best things in your life. Your wedding doesn’t have to be lavish or expensive, all it has to be is you.
Photography: Alexis Cohen & Derek Morf for Apollo Fields
Farm Venue: Honeymoon Acres, Ramsey NJ
Danish Wedding Tradition Ideas
Don & Aliyah | Danish Wedding Traditions | Denver, Colorado Wedding Photographer | Wedgewood Brittany Hill | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
Don and Aliyah have such a great vibe with one another and their wedding day was such a perfect representation of them! I met Don a few years ago at School House in Arvada and when they got engaged, we immediately began chatting about doing engagement and wedding photos. I’m so glad that I got to work with these guys because we just had the best time shooting their wedding.
It was our last wedding before hitting the road (the next day!) for the east coast and our own wedding so we were both giddy with excitement already! We arrived at Wedgwood Brittany Hill and the guys and gals were already halfway ready for the big day. The energy was so good that I immediately fell into my routine. Don and Aliyah wanted to do a first look (which I love) so we had picked out a great outdoor spot where they would be out of sight of arriving guests. Their first look was so sweet that I rolled with their energy and got lots of great shots out back.
They decided to do the ceremony on the patio out back which boasts great views of both the rocky mountains as well as the Denver city skylines. It’s the best of both worlds! One fun thing that they did in their ceremony was the officiant told them to turn their backs together as a representation of the last time that they would turn their backs on one another. It was such a sentimental ceremony against the setting sun. I knew we wouldn’t have too much more sunlight left so we immediately jumped into cocktail hour and when golden hour hit, I brought them back out behind the venue to do some awesome romantics.
I just loved the energy that they brought to the whole day! They both have Danish backgrounds and it was really fun to see how their traditions were incorporated into their wedding reception. They had a little song/poem that Don’s mother did with a fun little paper mâché home and everyone sang it out together and clapped and laughed! Another fun tradition that they have is when they clink their glass, not only does the couple have to kiss, they have to stand on top of their chairs to do it! If the guests stop their feet, the bride and groom have to climb underneath the table to kiss. Such a fun and quirky tradition!
Another great Danish tradition is during the dancing, the groomsmen surprise-attack the groom, rip his shoe off and cut the tip off of his sock! I was happy that someone tipped me off on this one because I would have had NO idea otherwise what was going on. It is a fun old tradition that represents how now the groom can’t run away anymore ;)
The whole day was full of sentimental touches and fun traditions! I loved being a part of this day and just think the world of this great couple.
Photography: Apollo Fields
Wedding Venue: Wedgewood Brittany Hill, Thornton Colorado
Flowers: Flintwood Floral & Design