Maple Shade 1785 Farm Wedding in Delhi, NY
Apollo Fields | Upstate NY Wedding Photographer | Best Wedding Photos | Maple Shade Farm Wedding Photos | Delhi, NY
Tamara + Ronan
Before Heather and I started Apollo Fields together, my professional mindset was totally different. I had gotten used to being told what to do; whether it was making a drink in a particular way as a bartender, or editing copy according to industry standards as a freelance copywriter, or organizing meetings as a political activist. But as our company has grown over the last four years I am no longer looking for the next task to complete, instead, I’m looking towards what the future holds for Apollo Fields and how Heather and I are going to bring it into fruition. Well visiting Abby and Jay’s idyllic Maple Shade Farm for Tamara and Ronan’s wedding in Delhi, NY, gave me inspiration for one vision of what our future might hold.
Maple Shade Farm Wedding Photos
Working with Abby and Jay on their beautiful upstate New York wedding venue/homestead felt reminiscent of what makes working with Heather so enjoyable. We all were willing to do whatever we needed to do to create the best possible wedding for Tamara and Ronan. There were no ifs-ands-or-buts—only sound decision-making and pleasant attitudes. Heather and I have known for a longtime that a venue of our own might be in our future, and working with Abby and Jay showed us just how possible it is.
NYC Engagement Photos / Upstate New York Barn Wedding
Heather originally met up with Tamara and Ronan in Long Island City in Queens for their engagement photos, but they knew they’d be getting married in a place with more natural surroundings. It’s one of our favorite things about our couples: a shared love of both city life and the natural world. In New York we are able to ride up the Hudson to the Adirondack or Catskill Mountains and we take any and every opportunity to do so. It reminds me of the beginning of Heather and I’s relationship when we were living in NYC but taking adventures all over the northeast.
Maple Shade Farm Wedding
Abby and Jay’s historic barn lies on the foothills of their property that reaches all the way up to the peak of a mountain. It is immaculately groomed, including a man made pond (with canoe upon request!) that serves as a perfect backdrop for an altar and ceremony. Just a quick ride up a hill on a golf cart and you have a beautiful view of the valley that they call home, and we were lucky enough to come at a time when a whole field of daisies were in full bloom. Photo opportunities abound at Maple Shade Farm, both inside and outside the beautifully renovated and repurposed historic barn.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Maple Shade Farm | Delhi, NY
DJ/Pianist | Westphal Music
Dress | BHLDN
Shoes | Loeffler Randall
Veil | Twigs & Honey
Earrings | Jennifer Behr
Rings | Kent Jewelers | NYC
Suits | Robbie and Co. | NYC
Cake | Holiday Farm Biscuit Co.
Catering | Chef Deanna
Invitations | Minted
Wedding Photographers in a Wedding Party
Wedding Photographers in a Wedding Party
The night before my little brother Matt’s wedding, Heather and I held the rehearsal dinner on the porch of the farm style home at Handsome Hollow in Long Eddy, NY. Hands reached across the table, snagging pieces of charred corn on the cob while friends and family snickered over stories and helpings of nostalgia. It was the first time Heather or I were in a wedding party and it was enlightening to view the wedding experience from the other side of the lens.
I never knew how it felt to stand at the altar during the ceremony, looking into a crowd of people as they stare intently, listening closely to a story of love, each person waiting for that one line to fall upon their ears and strike a chord inside their respective hearts – well now I know that it feels awkward. “Does the way I’m standing look weird?” “Should I put my hands behind my back or lock them in front?” “Who should I be looking at?” All of these thoughts prodded my mind, sending my body into an awkward shuffle in between the vows and traditions and it made me realize how all of our wedding parties must feel.
As wedding photojournalists:
...We see people in their most intimate moments, vulnerable and exposed, and it’s our job to bring their emotions to the surface and capture them as accurately and as beautifully as possible. Experiencing a wedding from our client’s perspectives helped us empathize with the subtly awkward moments of the day, whether it was standing at the altar or allowing someone to photograph you while you put your pants on. These funny memories will help us help our future clients navigate their own insecurities assuring that we will be snapping away when their souls start to smile.
As wedding guests
...We sought to make the jobs of the vendors as seamless as possible; rounding up wandering family members for formals, keeping track of the bride and groom, and worst of all trying to keep my father, Jim, our oblivious “Uncle Bob” from popping into all of the photographs. Lucky for us the photographer, Monika Eisenbart, was very go-with-the-flow, allowing my embarrassing father to double-click his time-stamped photographs in all his glory while she professionally snapped away. Many guests overlook the hospitable hand that wedding photography requires and we were happy to help the hosts and vendors in any way we could.
When it comes down to it, weddings are about vulnerability and accessing emotions that are typically dormant in our hearts. Whether you’re attending a wedding or photographing one, do your best to empathize with those around you and enjoy the awkward shuffles that happen on the dance floor, the altar, and everywhere in between. That’s what love is all about.
