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.
2021 Recap: Our Year in Review "What The Hell Just Happened!?"
Destination Wedding Photographer Based Out Of NY | Husband And Wife Wedding Photographers | Editorial Engagement and Wedding Photography NYC
2021 Recap: Our Year in Review "What The Hell Just Happened!?"
It is 9PM on a Tuesday and I am about six hours into editing a big job. The job is from our second-to-last wedding of the year and I’m only about 30% the way through the gallery when my mind begins to drift and reminisce on all the gigs we had this year: 54 weddings and at least as many other sessions, across thirteen different states. I look up from my monitor and think to myself, what the hell just happened??
What I mean by that is, what the hell was 2021!? What actually just happened??
This was bar none the craziest wedding season that I’ve seen in my seven-ish years of doing this, and that’s not even taking into consideration the fact that we had a tiny and completely dependent baby throughout the whole thing. It was the perfect storm, really– take all the covid rescheduled weddings (for us, approx 35) and then pile them on top of our organic biz, now funnel them down into the finite number of Saturdays in a year, and now hand pluck out all the vendors who peaced out of weddings after 2020, and you have yourself the 2021 wedding season.
Oh, and now add the baby back into the equation.
See our grand plan back in the beginning of 2020 was to go HAM on weddings while I was pregnant and then chillsies for 2021 when we had the baby. You know, take a *few* local weddings and some passion projects here and there, but sort of coast. Enjoy family life. Do newborn stuff, whatever that is.
Of course, the great cosmic joke was on us when the pandemic totally took us out at the knees. We were forced to halt everything, completely freeze, postpone, revise and re-plan everything. Not a single gig was unaffected and although we still managed to pull of 26 weddings in seven different states, I’d be remiss to act as if it wasn’t traumatic on both a personal and professional level. But we survived, and as we both will attest, even thrived in many ways. It was honestly… a great year… which feels like a weird thing to say given the complete dumpster fire that we were dealing with.
So when 2021 rolled around, things started really looking up.
Vaccines were a total game changer for large gatherings– in our case weddings, and you know, our entire livelihoods. We were just SO. DAMN. GRATEFUL. to have weddings actually happen on the dates they were scheduled for and in the locations they were contracted, that we sort of went blind. To say we had a whole new appreciation for the work we do is an understatement. And let’s be honest, it was also a lot easier on my body to work and travel without being hugely preggo lugging around a big belly and swollen feet for 15 hour long days.
But like I said, I think we sort of went blind. Like we were so grateful to be shooting and working and traveling that we didn’t even realize how bizarre the conditions still were.
We shot WAY heavier than ever before, out of complete necessity to our couples who have dealt with so many curveballs over the last two years.
We did weddings on Fridays and Sundays, which was becoming more normal anyway. But then there were Thursday weddings, a few Mondays, I think we even did a Tuesday. Double headers have always been my happy place but this year were triples and I even swung a quad in October. That’s four-in-a-row for those who aren’t in the know.
Capa, our sweet boy, bounced around strapped to our chests for twelve of our weddings and at least twice that amount of engagement and family sessions. God bless’em because he THRIVED on weddings. Thrived. We never imagined toting our kid around for more than one, maybe two, events but here we are now with a slightly quirky reputation as that husband and wife photographer team who worked with their baby in tow.
The pandemic loomed over every wedding this year and still continues to force us to adapt over and over again as we continue to navigate mask mandates, rapid testing, vax cards, and trying to avoid getting sick while also being completely swallowed by mobs of drunk people flailing to “Shout” like it’s the first time anyone has thought to lay down on a public floor in the name of dancing.
Guests went hard this year. For many couples, elopements and microweddings got all that pesky paperwork out of the way last year and so formalities be damned, they were just there to rage their faces off this time. We thought there would be a gentle transition back into cocktail hours and conga lines but pretty much once April hit, the floodgates opened and people were off to the races en masse. I’ll admit, it did make for good content, and I’ve never been one to turn down a sweet party, so I was more than happy to oblige.
In fact, we had some of our best couples of all time this year…
…and it’s truly impossible to narrow down even the top five. I could honestly go through each event and rave about our favorite parts of each wedding and couple, but I’ll try to keep it short and as unbiased as possible… My mind immediately jumps to Jess and Matt– who had an epic three-day celebration on the top of a mountain at Granite Ridge in Maine. We rented a cabin, brought my sister with us to babysit (unknowingly with a black bear hanging outside the house) and partied ALL night long with their sick wedding band. We still talk about their transition into Flashing Lights.
Then there was Mercie and Dan, our sweet friends who made actual magic on their wedding day by appointing their closest kiddo friends and family to take over traditionally adult duties. Their officiants and their MC and wedding party and speeches and everything were executed by munchkins. And you know what, they all CRUSHED it. These little beautiful humans who poured their whole souls into this heartfelt celebration. I can still hear Merc and Dan singing to one another before their ceremony, holding hands and grounding one another, with their voices almost swirling in harmony over the ceramic tiles in the bathroom they were getting ready in. I will admit that I cried a little behind my camera but I won’t ever forget that moment.
But then jump to August when we got to go back to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone to capture Ross and Michelle’s wedding. A literal dream come true. We were lucky enough to be out there last year for a wedding and vowed to return, which I think is a common thing to do when leaving a destination after a vacation, but getting to be back in those mountains again was another *pinch me* moment. And getting to show Capa one of our favorite places was priceless. I’ll always remember how much fun we were all having blasting music in our rental car, driving through the mountains chasing the light, trying to pierce through the haze and smoke to get the infamous views. And then when we finally found the spot to pull off of as the sun was setting over the plains, Ross and Michelle jumping out to go exchange their vows privately against the mountains made it all worth it.
Then there was Chris and Kristen’s amazing Hamptons wedding which pretty much left us speechless. The whole thing was set up on their family property on the highest point of Montauk with 360 degree views that did not disappoint. There were charcuterie boards that put anything on pinterest to shame. I stuffed my face with oysters. Life was good. But most memorable was their dance party– people went fucking nuts. Over the years we have learned that there is a delicate balance to a good party: a sweet spot for the number of wedding guests, the amount of space that they have to dance, the amount of intoxicants available, the quality of music, energy of the band, and overall cohesiveness to the party. Getting all the ingredients *just so* is a rarity, but when all these conditions are met, fun will be had. And Kristen and Chris certainly had fun.
Speaking of these kinds of nights, Lia and Brendan also top out at our favorite tent set up of all time. Two epic sperry tents, immaculate decor, another freaking gorgeous private residence with views that you can only dream of. And then their golden hour. Stealing a couple for these shots isn’t easy sometimes, but always worth it, and the ten minutes that we pulled these two onto the golf course next door was a dream. Lia was beaming, legitimately smiling from ear to ear. Her dress was off the charts gorgeous. Cotton candy clouds billowed in the sky behind them as they sprinted off the green together. The pictures are epic, but the image in my mind is honestly just as good.
Heather and Chase are our most recent holy-amaze-balls wedding and deserve all the shoutouts for their stunner of a Palm Beach wedding. While our dreams of escaping the cold north in exchange for sunny Florida didn’t happen until the last of our four days there (it POURED rain for most of the weekend, like legitimately dumped on us nonstop), they still managed to have a jaw dropping three days worth of celebrating. It’s hard to argue with chillin’ on the rooftop of the Ben hotel with a cold beer, sweet views, and our giggly pool-loving baby on a work trip.
In fact, many of our work trips look like this on the bookends of our trips. One thing that bringing Capa along with us has really forced me to do is slow down a bit, despite still having our busiest year to date. Slowing down might only be for an hour or two at a time, but sometimes that’s all you really need to cue in and appreciate how cool life can be. We set out to be busy, and none of this was an accident.
So yeah, what the hell happened totally rings true for 2021. Heck, we’re not even done as I write this– we’re about to get on another plane to Nashville to close out our season at a New Years Eve wedding. It’s going to be a banger, and we can’t wait. Midnight on Dec 31 will officially close out our work year, and I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. Our lives are sort of wild but also beautiful and as I just begin to process what this whole season has meant to us personally and professionally, I can’t help but be left in awe at how full and inspiring it all is.
– xo, Heather
Enjoy some snapshots from this year:
Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium Intimate Wedding
Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium Intimate Wedding | Centerport, New York Weddings | Long Island Microwedding Photography | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
Meghan & Samuel
Like many other industries, photographing fellow wedding industry pros can go one way or another— either it is a total dream or the experience backfires and you end up with a micromanaging know-it-tall. Luckily for me, Meghan and Sam’s wedding was the former!! It was exactly that: a total dream!
This sweet couple unfortunately had their original wedding plans totally derailed by COVID but still wanted to honor their love by getting married this year. The plan was to postpone the big wedding to 2021, but as the year continued on, they ultimately decided that this wedding would be the wedding— and honestly, I can relate so hard to this! Planning any wedding celebration is a lot of moving parts even in non-pandemic times, and I cannot imagine how tough it must be to have everything turned upside down and then trying to reconfigure multiple weddings.
At the end of the day, the most important part of a wedding– whether it is just two people or two hundred people–is the love between the couple and their commitment to one another. Meghan summed it up best when she said, “ I work in the wedding industry and love attention to details” she started, “But for myself, I would say to ignore any pressures to deliver anything perfect! If there is anything that 2020 has taught us, it is the importance of family and health and spending it with the ones you love most”.
That is exactly how their wedding felt, too! Meghan and Samuel exchanged their vows in front of six guests at the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium in Centerport, NY. The venue is stunning and sits right up against the water. We were lucky to have a perfect autumn morning and were able to have the ceremony at the fountain in the back of the courtyard. Their ceremony was personalized and so sentimental, and I think that because it was so intimate, their promises were that much more special.
After they exchanged the vows, rings, and “I do’s”, Meghan and Sam had their first dance in the courtyard followed by parent dances. You could just feel how light and easy the day was flowing without all the chaos of hundreds of guests and tight timelines to stick to, and I admit that it makes a big difference as a photographer, too, to be able to lean into my creativity instead of worrying about huge shot lists and complicated moving parts.
We were able to do family photos without needing a party planner, an ambassador, and an assistant all coordinating people and then I was able to steal the couple for some romantics of just the two of them without having to rush them back to cocktail hour in five minutes. Such a luxury! We wrapped up the morning with a sweet cake cutting and a quick toast before heading out and I left the venue just beaming with happiness for this amazing couple!
Enjoy these sneaks from Meghan & Samuel’s intimate wedding:
Vendors:
Photography: Apollo Fields
Venue: The Vanderbilt Museum
Rentals: Elite Party Rentals
HMUA: Hair Salon of Centerport / Genna Makeup
Florals: Cold Spring Harbor Flowers
Officiant: Michele LaRosa- LI Officiant
Videography: Purroy Video
Dress: BHLDN
Bakery: Blondies Bake Shop
Autumn Foliage Engagement Photos in Connecticut
Autumn Foliage Engagement Photos in Connecticut | West Hartford CT Photography | Fall Leaves for Engagement Pics
Ashleigh & Joe
It was 6:30AM when I pulled up to the parking lot at the reservoir near Hartford, CT where I was going to meet up with Ashleigh and Joe for their engagement session. I was relieved that these two were all aboard for the idea of a sunrise sesh (turns out they are early risers anyway!) because the light is just SO worth it, and this morning did not disappoint.
The parking lot was totally empty and only a little bit of light had begun to break at that point. The morning chill was pretty real and wasn’t promising to warm up any time soon, but I was walking around by the reservoir watching the fog rising up gave me a real sense that I was happy to be out in nature, despite the early wake up. I sipped on my coffee and waited for the dawn to break and Ashleigh and Joe to arrive.
When they pulled up, I could just tell that we were about to have a great morning. Ashleigh and I both went to The Ethel Walker School and it was fun to have that common ground while also catching up on life post-high school. It has been twelve years since I graduated from Walkers, and it was there where I discovered photography for the first real time in the darkroom. My graduating class was only 36 to paint a picture of how small our school was, so even though Ashleigh was in a younger class, we were such a tight knit community that everyone knew everyone. I’m so lucky to get to revisit many of these friendships now as a lot of my old classmates are getting married and we have the privilege of shooting their weddings!
I also loved getting to know Joe a bit, too. They have such a fun and whimsical energy between them, but you can also tell that their relationship has a super solid foundation. I think my favorite takeaway from our morning together was when we were chatting and I asked them how quarantine has been for both of them. I got a surprisingly positive response from Joe, “It' has been amazing for us!” he started, “It sort of fast-tracked our relationship, actually”. COVID was the reason that Joe was able to move up to Ashleigh and brought them closer both literally and figuratively. A silver lining for an otherwise crazy year, indeed!
Enjoy these pics from Joe & Ashleigh’s sunrise engagement session in CT:
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:
NYC City Hall Elopement Photographer
Nikolaos and Maria's NYC City Hall Elopement | DUMBO Brooklyn Eloping Portraits | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
Like many creatives, I have to get into a certain zone to make art. Shooting weddings for me is my livelihood but it’s not my work. Replying to emails is work. Scanning receipts is work. Being in the nucleus of a crowded dance floor full is strangers with a camera is art.
I’m usually up before my alarm on wedding mornings. I’m jittery, my mind is swirling with visuals of what I want to uncover for the day. Sometimes I want to go wider, get more environment. Sometimes I want to get close, close, closer to my subject. It’s light and its energy and I’m such a visual person that if I don’t manifest it beforehand then I struggle.
I get a little freaky about my batteries, shot lists, leaving early, and every other Type A habit comes to the surface (shoutout to Terrence for keeping my head glued on because I know I’m not cute or fun on my wedding mornings).
I used to try to control this and I thought that the more I shot, the more this would go away. I’ve shot well over 100 weddings now and it’s the same story. But I’ve come to peace with this because it’s my creative muse. It means I care and I’m actually scared for the day I wake up and don’t feel this.
So I triple check my equipment and get on the road. My guilty pleasure is listening to @kendricklamar’s DAMN cover-to-cover as loud as my car can handle it (I could talk about this album for days if anyone wants to poke the bear) and then the minute I’m on location and begin shooting, it all dissipates. It’s gone- the anxiety, the jitters, the build up, the whole thing just lifts and I sink into my creative space.
So maybe this sounds a little insane and maybe it is, but it’s a little insight into my behind the scenes reality. Fellow creatives, who can relate?
Photography: Apollo Fields
Venue: City Clerk NYC
Portrait Location: DUMBO Brooklyn
Lifestyle Engagement Session Photography
Edie and Christopher's Lifestyle Engagement Photos in Their Home in PA | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
When Edie first called me, I almost didn’t answer the call. Not because I don’t love inquiries (duh) but because my cell number has apparently been sold to every telemarketer on Google, Yelp, Healthcare provider, and credit card company. It is almost unbelievable the amount of blocked calls and no-spam lists I have, but nothing seems to work. Sadly, as a result, I often let unknown numbers go to voicemail.
But for some reason when Edie called, I actually picked up and it was the best surprise! She is a close friend of my best friend’s mom, and it was her turn to get married!
We immediately clicked over our love of animals and spent most of our call chatting about our fur-families, so it only made sense to do their engagement session at their home with their four legged loves. They have two stunning black labs who compete in dog shows which also brought me back to my own childhood of being toted all over the country when my family showed Dobes.
They also have two cats (one indoor cat who is BEAUTIFUL, and one indoor/outdoor cat who is scrappy but adorable), and while I’m definitely #teamdog, both of these kitties were pretty awesome! It was so much fun to hang at their home in Pennsylvania, especially because they are located in one of the prospective areas that we’re looking in for our own farm.
In-home engagement sessions hold a special place in my heart. There’s something so unique about being in a shared space that holds so much meaning to a couple. Some of my favorite pictures of us were in our little cottage in CO because we put so much heart into that space. When I look back on those pics, it brings me to such a wonderful chapter in our lives.
We are so excited to shoot Edie and Christopher’s wedding in Blue Bell, PA next month! Enjoy these pics from their lifestyle in-home engagement session:
Montauk NY Engagement Photographers
Bri & Tyler’s Engagement Session | Montauk NY | The Hamptons Destination Weddings | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographers
An early evening summer breeze coming off the Atlantic reminds the Montauk locals of the sun and the salt on their skin, but that same breeze that warms a beach bum’s heart can chill a Texan to the bone. A kind memory of home to Bri is a reminder to Tyler just how far he is from his, but come October 2020 their families will join to celebrate their love in a half-homegrown, half-destination wedding.
Many would consider it a luxury to grow up in a destination wedding town, embracing the lifestyle and culture that seems as light as a day on the beach. Others might say that the summer months that bring tourists and city slickers who clog the one road, two-lane streets like the sidewalks in Manhattan are killing their vibes. The reality is that the sun shines no matter what and despite the traffic we are all going to enjoy our drink of choice on the beach for one reason or another.
For Bri, hosting her wedding in Montauk will be like having her own personal welcoming parade of family and neighbors, smiling faces lining either side of the aisle like a beach version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. While Tyler and his family, although no strangers to coastal waters, will mostly likely be dipping their toes into the Atlantic a bit more timidly than they do in the Gulf of Mexico. The thing about the locations of weddings is—whether a new or familiar experience—the love in the room is all the same.
Weddings offer us wonderful opportunities to connect with groups of people we might not speak to in our daily lives. Too often our occupations and locations restrict us to familiar routines that can limit our world experience, but when love is the accepted common ground all conversations and connections are possible. There is simply no space for judgment when love is in the air. Breathe it in, take it in, and clink glasses with someone you might otherwise not meet.
Heather and I are so lucky to share these spaces in places all over the world, snapping photos and writing down all of the emotions that we see. I’ve said before that our emotions are our secrets until we share them with someone, but on wedding days most people wear them as proudly as their finest suit or most elegant dress. Restraining the contents of our hearts would be like putting those garments back in the closet and throwing on the wrinkled clothes that adorn the floor. Instead we see tears trickle down cheeks like rain down window panes and eyes well up like dams that are about to burst.
A forum to express the version of ourselves that is too often buttoned up and hidden away is one of the many reasons that make our jobs more than an occupation or service. According to our tax documents we are wedding photographers, but according to ourselves we are photojournalists who never settle for the surface, always scanning the room for people to show us the best version of themselves.
Enjoy these pics from Bri & Tyler’s Montauk Engagement Session:
Hi! We’re Terrence & Heather…
…we are the husband-and-wife duo of Apollo Fields! Thanks for checking out Bri & Tyler’s engagement photos. We are so stoked to shoot their 2020 Wedding at Gosman’s Dock in Montauk!
Hudson Valley NY Family Photographers
The Davin’s Family Photos | Blauvelt, NY Portraits | Piermont New York Photography | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographer
I had such a great time revisiting one of my favorite couples of 2016 to do their family photos this weekend in Blauvelt, NY! It has been over three years since they’ve been on the other side of my camera and it was so much reconnecting and catching up with this fun and dynamic family! I shot their wedding in Blauvelt, NY which is where Alex grew up. Rae is a dancer from Norway and they met on the basketball court, which is one of Alex’s passions as he used to be a pro basketball player. They own and run AD3 Fitness in NYC and are a total power couple.
They are also one of the sweetest — and obviously gorgeous — couples! They have two daughters, Denise and Jackie, who are both so outgoing and fun to be around. It is definitely a house full of strong women which I obviously love, and Alex is just so in love with his family that it is great to shoot! We met up at their house in Blauvelt and Jackie was just finishing up her nap. She was so sweet when Denise woke her up to do pics because she was obviously still half asleep, but the minute we got to Piermont in the park she immediately livened up!
The girls had a great time running around and playing with the snow, and it was quickly Jackie’s favorite thing to do. She would get quickly distracted (the woes of being 2!) so we eventually realized that the best way to get her attention, get her to hold still, and smile for a pic was to have big sis Denise pretend to fall! Something about that just made Jackie crack up and became our secret weapon. Luckily, Denise was a great spot and was totally game to keep pretend falling to get a reaction out of her little sister.
Denise is also full of beauty and attitude. I was telling Rae that I’ve never photographed a 13 year old kiddo who knows their angles better and can work a camera more. I remember her bringing the same energy at their wedding when she wasn’t even 10 yet, so it’s no surprise that she’s growing up to be such a confident and photogenic young lady.
I had a great time shooting this fun, athletic, and energetic family in NY this weekend and I can’t wait to do it again soon!
Photography: Heather Huie for Apollo Fields
Location: Piermont, NY
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
The Barn at Raccoon Creek Wedding Photography
Kate & Jeff’s Wedding | The Barn at Raccoon Creek | Colorado Wedding Photographers | December Weddings | Barn Wedding Photography
I first heard from Kate and Jeff when we were honeymooning in Jamaica. We were introduced via Frances, who is an amazing and badass photographer that I love to shoot with. Frances absolutely raved about Kate and would be a guest at the wedding, and knew that Kate and Jeff were looking for a photographer for their wedding that they were planning on a short timeline. They actually got engaged the same day that we got married (fun fact) and when we first started emailing, I knew we would be a great fit. Even though our wifi was spotty at best and we didn’t have an international cell plan in Jamaica, I remember walking around the house trying to find a connection with my phone hoping to get our emails through! I looked like a crazy person, waving my phone in the air in our villa, but I was just so excited even then to work with this awesome couple.
Then we met up for coffee in Denver in the beginning of December and immediately hit it off. I loved their vision for their wedding: sentimental, with a big focus on family, a lot of kiddos, and some rewriting of traditions. There were a lot of things that really resonated with me because just like us, they did a circle ceremony without a traditional wedding party. Kate’s brother, Andy, would be officiating and they were going to self-solemnize. The six munchins would be throwing paper airplanes instead of flowers as they walked down the aisle to celebrate Jeff’s job as a pilot. It all sounded great to me! I love when couples use their wedding as a platform to really showcase their relationship and values, and I knew from the beginning that this wedding would be exactly that.
We chatted and chatted over coffee just getting to know each other, and I could tell quickly that these two were just beaming together. They told me all about how they got engaged which basically made me melt—Jeff took Kate up for an airplane ride in a little Cessna and flew it over her house, where her closest friends and family were all cheering around a big poster that read, “Will You Marry Me?” How awesome is that!? I realized then that Jeff loves big, over the top grand gestures for all of the right reasons. There would be more of that to come on their wedding day…
But fast forward to Christmas morning at 4:00AM. I was in the hospital and my hemoglobin was dropping fast. The doctors suspected that I was rupturing, but we weren’t sure at the time. I had to make a decision right there and then whether to go into surgery. I remember asking the doctor if I would be able to shoot my weddings that weekend and she said that if we did surgery and as long as I was feeling up to it, there was no reason not to. If we decided not to do surgery, I could be in the same position a day or two later and might not be able to shoot. We weighed all of our pros and cons and ultimately, did the surgery. It ended up being the right decision for so many reasons, especially because once they opened me up, the doctors found that not only had I ruptured, but I had a lot of internal bleeding which was life-threatening.
So three days post-op, I pulled up to The Barn at Raccoon Creek at the same time at Kate, who looked so excited that it made me forget everything that we had just been through. She helped me get my equipment into the venue, which seems like a small thing but really isn’t. I couldn’t lift or carry anything because of the surgery, and it would have been so easy for a lot of other women to play the bride card and not want to help a vendor on their special day, but Kate was so kind and understanding that I knew the day would be amazing. With one arm holding her wedding dress and the other helped me get my camera bag out of the car, she gave me a warm smile that suggested I didn’t need to apologize. There was a sense of friendship there that means everything to vendors, and it really made me grateful for my clients and my job.
Shortly after, Katie rolled in to second shoot for me. I was originally going to fly solo for their wedding, but once I ended up in surgery, I decided that the most important thing was to get amazing photos whether or not we were budgeted for another shooter. Katie has worked with me before and I knew she would be a great addition to the day, so with almost no notice, she stepped up like a rockstar to help the team. Kate had a sense of calm to her as she was getting ready, and I think there is something really peaceful about not having swarms of bridesmaids buzzing around you before your wedding. She had music playing, was doing her own makeup, and casually sipping on some champagne. All was good, so we just started snapping away.
Kate and Jeff were earlyfor pictures, which basically never happens. The whole family was organized, and even the kiddos had their shit together. This was such a rarity, but couldn’t have come at a better time. Everything was so organized and we were able to have a really sentimental and private first look and then do family formals without any chaos or drama. Again, a real luxury for photographers! Guests began to trickle in and Kate and Jeff were able to have some quiet time before the ceremony.
The ceremony was cozy and sentimental, exactly as they had imagined it. Once they had exchanged their vows, everyone gathered outside for a big group photo before the guests went off for cocktail hour. The sun was inching towards the horizon line and I knew we didn’t have too much time before golden hour. We hopped in the golf cart and drove off to the most scenic place to do some photos of just the two of them, with the golden light pouring over the yellow grass, and I watched as Kate and Jeff just basked in the company of one another. They danced, they laughed, they cozied up in a blanket together, and I just snapped away.
The sun fell behind the mountains and we retreated into the cottage where Kate and Jeff were going to sign their marriage license and have some quiet time to themselves before the reception. I took some pictures of them signing and then they looked at me and asked me to be their witness. I was so humbled in this moment because they clearly had a ton of friends and family who adored them at this wedding, and yet here they were handing me the pen. Of course, I was honored to sign and then they offered me a taste of the special wine that they were sharing. I still get emotional (blame it on the hormones) thinking about their kindness on their own wedding day. I think that says so much about a couple, really.
The reception was fun, vibrant, energetic, and of course sentimental. I had been let in on a little secret that Jeff had up his sleeve, but wasn’t prepared for how amazing it actually would be. I mean, thinking back to his epic proposal, I should have known that he had a big surprise for Kate, but this was truly one of the best things I’ve been a part of at a wedding. They had planned their first dance to be a special song by Brendan James, one of their favorite musicians and had fond memories of listening to this song when their relationship first began. Jeff loves music but loves sharing this passion with Kate even more. So behind the scenes, he had flown Brendan James out himself all the way from Charleston and had him tucked away from all of the guests. Jeff took the microphone and surprised Kate while Brendan came out to perform their first dance song for them live.
After all of the applause settled down, the whole room got quiet, Brendan sat down at the piano and magic happened. I was so wrapped up in the moment, seeing how happy Jeff was to surprise his new wife, watching the gratitude sweep over Kate, and listening to the amazing sound of Brendan’s voice. I watched his hands floating effortlessly over the piano keys, and just kept shooting away, trying to focus on my job but unable to ignore the magnitude of the moment I was in. I remember looking over at Kate’s father and holding eye contact with him for a moment, I watched a small tear fall from his face and then I began to cry hard. After such a hard few weeks, I realized in that moment that life would go on and it would be beautiful.
Then came another surprise, and this time Jeff wouldn’t be in on it . Another awesome performer was stashed away and this time Bradley Rhodes came out to do another amazing live set. Everyone hugged and danced, and all came together to celebrate exactly as Jeff and Kate had imagined. Eventually, my coverage was long over but we got to spend some time with guests and get to know their families better. They had been so sweet to invite Terrence as a guest, and when we finally made it out to the dance floor, Frances stole my camera off my harness and took over shooting for a little while. The wedding was beautiful but it couldn’t have come at a better time. Some people think I’m an animal for working during a time that I could have very easily justified subbing in another photographer, but I really wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else. I want to extend a huge congrats to this amazing couple and a lifetime of love to both of them.
Wedding Photography: Apollo Fields
Venue: The Barn at Raccoon Creek | Littleton, Colorado
Music + Photo Booth: DJ Guy
Live Performances: Brendan James | Bradley Rhodes
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
Brookside Gardens Wedding in Berthoud, Colorado
Kathya & Levi’s Wedding | Brookside Gardens Event Center | Berthoud, CO | Colorado Wedding Photographer | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
Kathya and Levi had such a sweet and romantic wedding at Brookside Gardens in Berthoud, CO. I love this part of Colorado because the landscape is so beautiful with the Rockies in the background en route to Estes Park. It’s a quirky and cozy little part of Colorado near Lyons which is pretty artsy and filed with cafes and little shoppes.
I stopped for a nice working breakfast in town before heading over to the wedding. I love getting up to the towns early, stopping for coffee and a little power breakfast, plugging into my laptop with my headphones in and getting into my zone before a big wedding day. It’s a great routine for me to unwind and also rev up at the same time!
I arrived at Brookside Gardens and everyone was sort of quietly buzzing with wedding prep. I bounced back and forth between the guys and the girls while also snapping away some detail pics. They had such a sweet ceremony outside in the gardens and I could tell that they were super in tune with one another. They incorporated a few special readings, a tree planting ceremony, and even a dove release to make everything that much more special.
Afterwards, we went into cocktail hour with some family photos and wedding party pics. They decided not to do a first look so we were able to squeeze in everything after the ceremony when we still had good light. Then I snuck Kathya and Levi out to the field for golden hour to catch the dreamiest summer golden light! It’s like catnip for me when that beautiful dewy sun begins to set against the sun and I just get so excited when we get to have time for couples photos when the lighting is at its best.
I loved working with this sweet couple at this beautiful Colorado wedding venue!
Colorado Wedding Photography: Heather Huie for Apollo Fields
Colorado Wedding Venue: Brookside Gardens Event Center, Berthoud CO
Vail Chapel and Silverthorne Pavilion Wedding Photographer
John & Yahaira’s Wedding | Vail Chapel, Vail CO | Silverthorne Pavilion, Silverthorne Colorado | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
Mountain weddings are always epic and John and Yahaira’s beautiful Rocky Mountain wedding was no exception! There’s just something magical about the energy that the mountains bring, or maybe it’s just the altitude ;)
The day started calm, with the guys and girls getting ready in their AirBnb’s with their friends and family. Then everyone made their way over to the Vail Interfaith Chapel which is an adorable and iconic little church in the heart of Vail Village. I love this little ski town and have shots tons of weddings here so it’s a great excuse for a non-skier to hang in such a rad area. The village has tons of little shops, coffee spots, tasty food, and of course good beer! The chapel is a quaint little white church that sits right in the heart of town which makes it super easy to do pictures in the village itself.
The ceremony was sweet and sentimental, and afterwards we decided to do some romantics down by the river. The weather was starting to look like it was going to rain, so we were moving pretty quickly and then suddenly the skies broke and it began to downpour. Colorado weather can be erratic and unforgiving at times, so I wasn’t surprised at all about how it could be totally sunny and cloudless one minute and pouring the next. We sought shelter under the covered bridge which was a pretty cute photo-op. We’re all about making lemonade here!
Afterwards, we ran into our cars and made our way to the Silverthorne Pavilon which is a great wedding venue in Silverthorne, CO. It sits along the river there and has a great outdoor spot for cocktail hour. Everyone was enjoying the sun which came out shortly after the crazy rain (go figure) and having a few drinks along the patio. Then the reception began with grand entrances, speeches, special dances, and of course tons of dancing!
I loved working with this sweet couple because they had such a gentle and fun way of interacting. They loved being outdoors so I was so happy that they chose to celebrate their wedding in such a beautiful place!
Colorado Wedding Photography: Apollo Fields
Ceremony Venue: The Vail Interfaith Chapel, Vail CO
Reception Venue: Silverthorn Pavilion, Silverthorne CO
Evergreen Lake House Wedding in Colorado Photographers
Shannon & Frank’s Wedding | Evergreen Lake House | Colorado Wedding Venue | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
Shannon and Frank are a great upbeat Colorado couple and it was such a joy to work with them! I love working with Angie so I was stoked to be on board for this great mountain town wedding. I have shot a few weddings at the Evergreen Lake House and I really love this location! It is tucked into the rockies at the gorgeous Evergreen Lake. The venue is this big, magnificent log cabin style mountain building with huge windows and great 360 degree views.
Shannon and Frank had a great first look out on the meadow and the sun was shining so perfectly. I love the way that the light moves around this venue and this was the perfect Colorado day. They decided to have their ceremony out on the dock on the water (which is amazing) and they had a great, upbeat vibe to the whole day. I loved shooting Shannon’s EPIC dress, too! Oh my gosh, the way the ruffles moved was to die for and I just couldn’t get enough of this boho gown.
They had a beautiful reception in the great room full of heartfelt toasts, speeches, and special dances. One of my other favorite details of the day was their dope naked wedding cake which was not only the stuff of dreams but also tasted AMAZING! I mean, I hate to see cake wasted so I’m always down to take a leftover slice at the end of the night ;) Haha! But this fun couple was such a dream to work with and we wish them nothing but the best!!
Destination Wedding Photography: Apollo Fields shot for Angie Guenther
Colorado Wedding Venue: Evergreen Lake House, Evergreen CO
Upstate NY Farm Wedding Photographer
Horse Farm Wedding | Upstate NY Weddings | Backyard Barn Wedding Photographer | Montgomery, New York | Apollo Fields Photography
Tori and Colin had an intimate wedding at their family farm in Montgomery, New York. The Riverview Farm is absolutely beautiful and holds a special place in my heart. I grew up riding horses and spent some time riding at this New York farm years ago and I can’t put into words how wonderful it felt to be back on my old stomping grounds. The farm itself is a 25 acre equine boarding and training facility located a little over an hour north of New York City.
Tori and Colin’s wedding included the perfect mix of rustic and modern details, as well as some intimate ones like photos of Colin’s father. I absolutely love when couples include special details like this to honor their loves ones that, for one reason or another, cannot attend their special day.
Tori and Colin also decided to include horses in their couple's photos, which made this the perfect equine wedding. They are both involved in the hunter jumper world and love horses just as much as I do. I have been riding my entire life and have a horse of my own, so photographing an authentic horse wedding like Tori and Colin’s was a dream come true.
Tori and Colin’s Equine Wedding at River View Farm
Tori & Colin | Farm Wedding on Equestrian Property | Upstate New York Weddings | Horse Wedding Photographer | Montgomery, NY | Apollo Photo
I was so excited when an old friend who I used to ride for reached out to ask about flying me out to their family farm to photograph her son's wedding! It had been years since I rode at their farm, but I always loved their property. The farm was always pristinely manicured with flowers, ponds, beautiful old trees, and perfect paths. Colin owns a landscaping business, so I was sure that they would be rolling out only the best for the wedding!
The barn houses a number of the family's horses as well as a few boarders that are part of Jenny's training business. She has been a highly successful and competitive hunter rider for years and I know her from the equestrian world and showjumping circuit. I was surprised when I still recognized a few of the four legged friends on the farm even after all of these years.
Tori was a stunning bride and I felt more like family than a photographer on the entire day of the wedding. Many wedding days begin hectic, with people running around last minute tacking on decorations and frantically calling vendors and friends. This wedding was the complete opposite.. everybody was calm, loving, and nostalgic. Friends and family were gathered around laughing, spending quality time together, and sharing memories. I truly felt like everyone was fully present in the moment. Wedding mornings like theirs remind me of why I love my job.
Tori and her bridesmaids got ready in the family farmhouse and I couldn't believe how much natural light there was! It was a photographer's dream: white walls, soft lighting, tall ceilings. If only all of my bridal suites were this aesthetically designed! One of my favorite in-between moments was when I went downstairs to find Tori tucked in a quiet corner painting her own nails. I just loved how modest she was in that moment, not obsessing over having her nails done at a salon or them being perfect. Instead, we just chatted together as if we were old friends. I love those moments on wedding days when I just put my camera down for a moment and lay down the foundation for a friendship.
The ceremony was sweet and heartfelt. Tori and Colin exchanged their vows, but it was the easy and adoring way that they looked at each other that said more than any words could. Afterwards, everyone celebrated with live music, champagne, family photos, and dancing. We even managed to squeeze in a portrait session with a few of the horses, which was one of my favorite parts of the day!
Tori and Colin's Wedding Vendors
Horse Wedding Photography: Apollo Fields
Wedding Venue: Riverview Farm, New York
Heather is a New York and Colorado based wedding photographer, but photographs weddings throughout the United States. If you’re interested in having her photograph your wedding, contact her today!