RGNY Winery Wedding Photos on Long Island
Apollo Fields | RGNY Wedding Photographer | Long Island Wedding Photos | Vineyard Wedding | North Fork Wedding Photos | Riverhead Wedding Photographers | Best Wedding Photos
Stephanie + John
I’m beginning to fall in love with autumn skies. How the white wispy clouds seem to be suspended in the pale blue sea like stuffed toys spinning above a child’s crib. And how the chill in the air creates tears in the corners of my eyes but somehow the atmosphere appears more clear the longer that I hold them open. I love how the smoke from fireplaces in the distance smells totally different from the beach bonfires on those late summer nights. I can practically see the couple or the family cuddling around the couch and coffee table with the hooting and hollering and clicking and clacking of dice in a pair of hands. My nose begins to sniffle and I take one last inhale and exhale before I head inside to Heather, Capa, and the dogs to do something of the same.
A week before John and Stephanie’s wedding at RG|NY in Riverhead, NY, Heather, Capa, and I headed out to the north fork of Long Island to check out a ciderhouse and try to get lost in a corn maze. After laughing our way through the corn stalks and warming up with some great local cider, we decided to stop at the shopping outlets to pick up a couple outfits. We were in a store when I caught a very well-dressed, good looking guy looking at me like he had a question for someone who worked there--I was immediately confused because I was in a black sweatshirt with Capa’s drool stains all over it. He said, “I’m sorry,” and nodded over towards Heather with a smile that said, “I’m pretty sure we know each other.”
Funny enough it was John and Stephanie picking out an outfit for his son, Ryan, for the wedding! I was taken aback by their warmth and friendliness because I’m usually an overly friendly person. This was my first time meeting them but Heather had previously done their amazing engagement photos on Fire Island where they popped champagne and had a blast despite having a sketchy weather forecast. They were a little worried like most couples getting married about how the weather was going to be on their wedding day, but with their even-keeled demeanor I knew it was going to be a great wedding no matter what.
And it was. Stephanie and John got a beautiful, cool fall day and they both looked absolutely stunning. I learned of the stories of their relationship in its early stages and how they used to take the cross-sound ferry to each other. They both never wanted their dates to end and it reminded me of the romance of my first relationships ever. The feeling of how nothing else existed beyond the words and coy glances from the person you’re spending time with. Like being trapped in a bubble that you never want to pop. “There’s always the next ferry,” John and Stephanie would say to each other.
It’s hard to bottle up the idyllic images or experiences in our lives, harder still to even remember to recollect them. Days pass and we spend most of them with our eyes on the road, down at our phones, or working. Part of what makes my job great is that my mind is peppered with these idyllic images and experiences every year. I do my best to relive them through writing these words, and remembering to take in an extra deep breath or two when I smell a fire in the distance on a cold, autumn night.
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | RG|NY | Riverhead, New York
“There’s always the next ferry”
Enjoying the heck out of Stephanie and John’s wedding!
Round Peak Vineyards Wedding in Mt Airy, NC
Mike and Maddy’s Vineyard Wedding in North Carolina | Apollo Fields | Outdoor Wedding Photographer | Mountain Wedding Photography | Round Peak Vineyard Wedding Photos | Mt. Airy, NC
Ever since I first read The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo I have carried the theme of pursuing your “personal legend” with me wherever I go. It’s all about listening to and trusting your intuition in your life decisions. The famous line that resonates from the book is, “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it,” and after shooting Mike and Maddy’s engagement photos in NYC and vineyard wedding in North Carolina, it’s really hard not to believe it.
During Mike and Maddy’s engagement session, Heather got one of my favorite Apollo Fields photos of all time when we stumbled across a fire hydrant spraying into the street. Then after driving nine hours to Mt. Airy, North Carolina a few weeks later, the rapidly changing weather on their wedding day at Round Peak Vineyards helped them chart a few more. The rain started to fall immediately after we finished doing Mike and Maddy’s ceremony and family formals, and Heather seized the opportunity to grab some playfully dramatic shots of them carrying umbrellas. It poured for another hour or two only to give way to a milky golden sunset and a soaring rainbow! Mike and Maddy were all smiles as they adapted their day to Mother Nature’s beauty.
If Mike and Maddy had cancelled their wedding or engagement shoot; if they didn’t bring the celebration to Mike’s family in North Carolina; if they didn’t bring the energy despite all that they’ve been through in both of the events, if, if, if. So many conditions and variables changed the course of the celebration of their love but none of them changed the nature of it. Because Mike and Maddy knew what they wanted [to celebrate their love], the universe conspired in their favor.
Mike and Maddy had so many opportunities to fold and postpone their wedding altogether (There would’ve been no shame in taking this action). But instead they persevered and just worked harder to make it happen. Every one of their 20+ guests were tested for COVID in advance of their outdoor celebration. They focused less on what they were missing and more on what they could do. Their hard-nosed go-with-the-flow vibe created beautifully genuine moments around every corner.
On our drive down to North Carolina we got a flat tire when we were about an hour outside of the venue. We bought a patch kit at a gas station and I began to get to work in the parking lot so we could get back on the road. Heather was standing there with her hands on her hips, watching as her adorable baby bump protruded in the light of the sun, while I took off my shirt and wore only bright orange-ish pants--I can only imagine what the rural Virginians thought of us. Then, out of nowhere, two men, and then another came to our aid, and supplied us with a reamer that wasn’t included in the patch kit. We were done in a matter of minutes. We tried to offer them a drink, money, or anything we could give to show our gratitude but they refused it all. There were so many things that could go wrong in the planning of Mike and Maddy’s wedding, but because of their energy and effort, and our kind southern strangers, the universe wound up conspiring in all of our favor.
Enjoy these photos from Mike & Maddy’s Round Peak Vineyard Wedding:
vendors:
Apollo Fields | Photography
Round Peak Vineyards | Venue/Catering
Jenny Yoo Watters Bride | Dress
Indochino | Suit
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