LGBTQ Wedding Ideas with Rainbow Smoke Bombs
How To Pull Off A Rainbow Smoke Bomb at Your Wedding | LGBTQ Wedding Ideas | Victoria and Sarah’s Wedding at Perona Farms, Anderson NJ | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
As a photographer and artist, one of my favorite moments is when I look in the back of my camera and I just know I nailed the shot. Every wedding season, there are a handful of moments when everything falls into place and I’m able to really grab that “wow” moment. The rainbow smoke bomb photograph at this wedding was that shot for me.
Yes, there are years of honing your craft that give you—as the photographer—that sixth sense that allows you to dial in your settings in a split second moment, frame the image, direct the crowd, and make it happen. But there is also an element of luck and happenstance that cannot be denied. You have to have all the ingredients to make a truly epic photograph, and in this case, I was lucky to be a part of the scene.
I was shooting for A Sweet Focus and we were having an all around great wedding day. I don’t second shoot much anymore, but this one made me miss it actually. Both of the brides were dynamic, fun, sweet, and gorgeous. They had such an inspiring connection and their wedding parties brought all the energy to match! It was my first time at Perona Farms but barn weddings are basically my jam so I was so excited from the beginning. I also want to quick-plug this venue for the best golden hour light that absolutely floods the bottom floor of the barn, making for super dramatic lighting.
Anyway, back to HOW THE HECK DO YOU PULL OF THE RAINBOW SMOKE BOMB SHOT!? Well, first of all you obviously need to buy the smoke bombs. I recommend this wire pull smoke grenade if you’re getting them online because they are pretty reliable. You’ll obviously want the whole rainbow of colors but I also recommend buying one backup of each color because occasionally, one won’t go off.
You also need to check with the venue because smoke bombs are considered a firework and might be illegal to use at your wedding. In addition, they should only be used by adults because they can burn if used incorrectly. I’m a bit strict when it comes to this stuff so please don’t ask us (the photographers) to do something illegal or unsafe :)
But once you have the green light go, you should know that they don’t last long— about a minute on average so you need to have everything dialed in ahead of time, and prep the people who are detonating them so they don’t pull them too early or too late. Communication and coordination is key, because those 60-90 seconds GO FAST! And as you can tell in the photographs, once they hit their peak, they turn into a cloud of grey smoke— and be careful because they can stain clothes (and white wedding dresses) if you’re not careful.
But I’ll tell you what, when done correctly, smoke bombs are SUPER cool and dramatic. For Tori and Sarah, they were the perfect way to show off their pride for their LGBTQ wedding and have the perfect “Love Is Love” shot. That’s the best part for me, to be able to give such an epic shot that carries such a huge message of love, acceptance, pride, and community.
Shot for A Sweet Focus
Planning a Big Queer Wedding
Through Another Lens Guest Blog Series: Mercie & Dan’s Conscientious Decision to Plan a Big, Queer, Love-Forward Wedding:
So much more than “clients”, our couples are human beings that have a lifetime of stories to tell. We are happy to announce our new blog series aptly titled Through Another Lens, which captures the backstories of our most compelling couples, who voluntarily share their personal stories. From profound to mundane, silly to serious, and everything in between, please join us on these journeys as we experience life Through Another Lens.
– Mercie & Danika –
When chatting with this soulful, energetic, and beautiful couple about their wedding planning, they described how, “we considered eloping but decided that we could really make a statement with our unapologetic love for all friends and family that have supported us”.
The wedding industry is seeing a big shift in couples choosing to downsize their weddings in order to honor their love, but when Mercie told me about them upsizing their celebration as a platform to celebrate queer marriage, we couldn’t help but feel inspired and curious. But writing this simply from a straight person’s perspective felt like a disservice, so Mercie and Dan graciously jumped on a Q&A session with us, and just like that, Through Another Lens was born.
Here’s what it is like to plan a big, queer, loving wedding from two of the most qualified people we know:
“The legalization of gay marriage in the United States is so meaningful to us. Not because it’s a huge statement of equality for all, or because we have to have the right to marry to know that our love is true. It means that the sacrifices of the people that came before us and paved the way were not for nothing. It means that we will respect and honor their legacy by exercising our right to marry. It is a statement of perseverance for our community.”
It is funny how quickly a wedding can become less about the couple and more about those in attendance. We have seen it a million times. Whether it’s the parents who are paying for the celebration that want to call the shots, the internal family quibbles, the I’m not sitting at the same table as so-and-so, or the religious dogmatist that insists on lengthy ceremonial traditions. We’ve seen it all.
What we haven’t seen is a couple who has looked back at their relationship and decided that they are going to host a big wedding rather than an intimate elopement because of what it means to posterity and gay rights; that they are going to celebrate their love not only because it’s real—but because the celebration itself has a greater purpose.
We first got to know Mercie and Dan at their sunrise engagement session in Nederland, CO, learning about the origin of their relationship while marveling at their perceptive, bubbly, and unwavering connection. Between the bouts of early-morning-induced delirium and laughter, we stumbled across big topics like same-sex and interracial marriage and Mercie and Dan handled the questions with ease.
“We were never huge wedding people. Neither of us were the type of little girls that dreamed hard about the perfect day and what it would look like.” Actually, Mercie and Dan originally planned to elope, thinking that a small intimate setting was more appropriate to celebrate their love than a huge wedding, but then they got to thinking what their same-sex marriage celebration could mean to their families and communities.
They eventually came to the conclusion that the most important thing was “the impact that we could have on our friends/family/supporters by including them in the celebration of our love. We realized how neither of us had ever been to a queer wedding and likely many of our friends and family hadn’t either.”
Q:
This will be the first queer wedding that many of your guests will be attending. What are your hopes for these guests?
A: One of our greatest focuses in most aspects of life is the next generation. This is also true for our wedding day. For them, we hope they will be inspired to love whomever they see fit in their future and to know that they can find love and support and resources to live their best, most authentic life.
For the adults, we hope to instill a feeling of hope, inspiration, and pride. We hope they can also take a few moments to reflect on the sacrifices and time it took to be where we are today.
Just like so many of their LGBTQ+ allies, Mercie and Dan fought through their childhoods against imposed familial, religious, and social values, fighting a war on so many external fronts, realizing that their internal psychological warfare was like “[a] fight against the human brain. For hundreds and hundreds of years we have been conditioned to believe that gay people are the enemy; that we are sick.” It will never cease to impress me; the bravery and self-analyzation that the members of the queer community have had to possess to overcome such a multi-faceted adversity at such formative times in their lives.
“Coming out can mean so many different things for so many different people,” Mercie said. Dan (and to some extent Mercie), like so many others, “had to sacrifice communication with her whole family,” and it took awhile to get there because there is “never a “right” time to do it. For some it is fear of losing everything they know, for others it is a fear of the unknown, or changes in how you are perceived by the world and more importantly by yourself.” Thus, rather than privately celebrate their love in an intimate group, Mercie and Dan are planning to show the world the values they’ve come to be so proud of.
By enthusiastically having a large queer wedding, Mercie and Dan are showing that “[We] have made a decision to be aware rather than ignorant...coming to an understanding that we’ve learned more from the tough times than the privileges we weren’t always aware of.”
Mercie and Dan’s wedding is more than a celebration of love– it is an authentic experience of life set to show the next generation a symbol of hope, inspiration and pride, liberating everyone in attendance to promote an atmosphere of consistent support to all of those that need it. In a coincidental way, Mercie and Dan’s wedding is less about them and more about someone something else—posterity—but we know that they will cherish the memory anyway, because they “are grateful for every experience.”
“We absolutely love our love, and are pretty obsessed with each other, but in our day to day some things that are more apparent than our queerness include:
– Dan’s passion for creating, admiring, and being inspired by art in all forms.
– Merc’s love for music, learning, and aiding in growth. – Dan’s uncontainable love for all things Star Wars. (When she was 10 years old she wanted to be a boy for the sole purpose of marrying Padme Amidala. News Flash: you can be a girl and still do that!)
– We both have an immense amount of love for our jobs as nannies, which includes impromptu dance parties, reading allll the children’s books, and transforming into dozens of fictional characters every day.
– And we love love love our friends and families that have chosen to love and support us as we grow. (and yoga. We love yoga.)”
Wolf Lake Wedding in Wurtsboro, NY
Emma & Jes | Wolf Lake, Wurtsboro NY | Upstate New York Wedding Photography | Apollo Fields Wedding Photographer
There are certain weddings — certain couples — that I just feel called to. I can’t always explain it but things will fall into place exactly the way that they are meant to and this wedding was a perfect example of that. My sister went to elementary school with Emma’s brother and those couple degrees of separation were enough for our paths to cross at the right place and right time.
Call it a little slice of fate, or perhaps even faith, considering that one of the ways that Jes reconciles decisions is to pray to her father in heaven, flip a coin, and let destiny do the work. This is ultimately what led Jes and Emma to connecting, when a flip of a coin swayed Jes into taking a night shift (they are both nurses) and they were able to get to know one another and exchange numbers. Fast forward to wedding planning and Jes also flipped a coin to help them decide whether or not to get married in March or June, and it landed on March (which was great for me since my Junes are usually booked solid).
They decided to have an intimate wedding at Emma’s mothers lake house, “Moondance”, which is an adorable and eclectic little home tucked into the woods of Wolf Lake with beautiful water views. Her mom, Sandy, was such a gracious host and her hospitality was tangible. The home was buzzing with everyone getting ready when I walked in and it was such a warm welcome.
Being back up in Wurtsboro was trippy— it’s where my family lived for years when we were younger and driving those same roads, past our old house, and walking through the same woods brings up memories that have faded so far into the back of my mind that even I forgot they were there. I walked around the Bashakill to get “into my zone”, a little pre-wedding day ritual that I always do, and just breathed in the experience of working and creating art in places that I thought were left in childhood.
The timing of Jes and Emma’s wedding couldn’t have been better and I loved getting to know this awesome couple. One of my favorite sentiments from Emma was when she told me that, “Jes says she fell in love with me the minute she saw me. Walking down the hall at work, just being a nurse. . We have so much fun together, she really is my best friend”. Their first formal date was when they got dressed up and went to see the Polar Express in IMAX and went for all-you-can-eat-sushi afterwards.
Their engagement also gave me all the feels. First of all, Jes made their rings. FROM SCRATCH. As in, she took a jewelry making class and then spent twelve hours perfecting Emma’s engagement ring six months before proposing. Out of all of the weddings I’ve ever shot, this was a first for me. And they weren’t rinky dinky DIY rings, these were the real deal (see pics, they are stunning). Jes is clearly the kind of person that goes the mile and does things right.
When I was chatting with them about the proposal, Emma said the sweetest thing. She was talking about how she had no idea that it was happening until halfway through the video Jes made and had an OMG-this-is-really-happening epiphany! But in the most raw and honest way, Emma said to me, “We didn’t need forever to figure out this was the real deal. This was it, Jes was it”.
I love how Emma describes Jes: “Anything you can do I can do better” should be Jes’s theme song. She has high standards for herself, and is constantly trying to be better especially as things that may usually be considered masculine- firefighting, fixing cars, Jes takes a lot of pride in being a woman who can keep up with the men. I also loved photographing Jes for this same reason, she exudes a lot of masculine strength but has a soft and feminine gaze behind her eyes. It makes for very powerful photographs and I love when my couples are so uniquely themselves that they can pull qualities from both genders and just totally be themselves.
Jes described Emma in such a great way, too: Emma would be Evelyn Johnson McCawley from the movie Pearl Harbor. A nurse, someone with a lot of love to give, fierce loyalty, beautiful, and when shit gets real she knows how to buckle down and get the job done, especially if the job at hand involves serving and taking care of others. This I can promise you, is true, because when the day was winding down I was able to join them for dinner, an amazing spread of homemade food with some of Jes’ mother Rosie’s DELICIOUS Mexican cuisine. I wanted to drink the green sauce, and in fact I think I might have. If I remember correctly it was tomatillo and I want to do shots of this stuff (I wouldn’t be mad if a jar of it randomly got sent to my house, wink wink).
Jes and Emma have dreams of building a tiny house on top of a mountain or on a body of water and I have no doubt that this badass duo will. “We want to travel the world as much as possible. Eventually we want to become as self sufficient as possible and to decrease our carbon foot print- growing our own food, solar panels, and just doing more with less in general”. I’m so excited to share these sneak peeks and some of their story and cannot wait to see what these awesome women do next!
Jes & Emma’s Intimate Wedding Highlight Photos:
AS SEEN IN: LOVE INC MAGAZINE
Heather loves photographing intimate weddings, please reach out to see if she is available on your date!
Photography: Heather Huie for Apollo Fields
Location: Wolf Lake, Wurtsboro NY
LGBTQ Wedding Planning in Colorado Springs
Jenny & Tara's Colorado Springs Wedding | LGBTQ Weddings | CO Wedding Photographer | Same Sex Weddings | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
Jenny and Tara are an adventurous, loving Colorado couple who are so much fun to work with! I just have a blast with this dynamic couple and their awesome kiddos and super-cute pup. They first got in front of my camera at their epic engagement session at Pikes Peak and I was so excited to shoot their wedding!
I met this cool couple after Jenny reached out when she saw her friend, Lindsey’s wedding pics. They went to nursing school together and she got in contact with me when she was looking for a wedding photographer. We immediately clicked and after a fun coffee date with the two of them, I knew we’d have a blast. My favorite part about their relationship is how Tara is straightforward and witty and Jenny is upbeat and warm, it’s a great combination! When we first met up, I remember saying to them, “So tell me a little about your relationship!” And Tara squarely replied, “How do we book you?” Haha! It was great.
Their wedding was a perfect combination of their personalities— lots of fun, goofing around, being silly, but also some serious heartfelt moments and a few tears. I love this about weddings, we can have fun and still honor the gravity of what it means to commit your life to your partner. Good stuff :)
La Floret is a great venue with SO MUCH GOOD LIGHT! The dramatic trees make such a great forest setting and it really does feel like a retreat. There is some cool architecture including an old Santa Fe styled chapel that is almost hidden in the back of the property. It was a total dream to photograph in because it was a great chance to get some quality private moments with Jenny and Tara without all of the hussle of cocktail hour. They were even down to do a little off roading through this valley in the back when the sun was beginning to set.
I’m so stoked about this wedding and this awesome couple! I love how much fun they had celebrating their relationship and balancing having their kids being a part of the day. One of my favorite parts was when their daughter began to tear up in the ceremony, it was such a heartfelt moment as she watched the union of her mothers become official. Gosh, I could tear up now thinking about it! Anyway, big hugs to this epic couple and thanks for having us there to capture your love.
As seen in Love Inc Magazine
Colorado Wedding Photography: Heather Huie for Apollo Fields
CO Springs Wedding Venue: La Floret Conference & Retreat
Food Truck: Rocky Mountain BBQ and Catering
The Riverview Weddings in Simsbury CT Photography
Michelle & Sarah’s Wedding at The Riverview | Simsbury, CT | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography | New England Weddings | LBGTQ Wedding | Love Is Love
Coster
Est. 2018
Droplets of rain fell upon Farmington River
Creating a myriad pattern of circles
That extended towards the riverbanks.
The tall trees that lined the shores
Leaned away from The Riverview in Simsbury, Connecticut,
Almost seeming to listen to the trickle of water
With their long, looming branches.
Michelle & Sarah
Frolicked beneath those eavesdropping leaves
Sinking their shoes into the soft ground
Two synchronized steps at a time.
No amount of rain could mute the soundtrack of their love.
They each promised to listen,
Holding close to every word
Whether loud as a shout of faint as a whisper
They Knew
That love is a practice:
A discipline of communication
That embraces the ridiculousness
Tucked into the corners of their smirking lips.
They Knew
That love is as silent as a lip sync
& As deafening as a ballad at Cadillac Ranch.
Echoes of Jim Halpert emanated from Michelle’s room
While the twang of Ke$ha’s voice blared from Sarah’s.
Different approaches to a shared day
Showed the balance of a partnership as
Gay & Proud
As a rainbow cake both inside and out.
Jordans sparkled from beneath Sarah’s white dress
As she dipped Michelle just like they practiced.
Only this time was for real,
Only this time was forever.
Family is never perfect
&
Rarely is love,
But They Knew
They can always groove to the soundtrack
Playing between their ears.
They symphony of their hearts can never be silenced,
For they dance upon the notes of a song
Like raindrops upon a river during a gentle rain.
I met Michelle years and years ago at The Ethel Walker School and always loved her playful and witty personality. She was super outgoing, loved to joke around and would do just about anything to get a laugh out of someone. Sarah is the perfect compliment to her, she is equally as witty and just as sentimental, but she has a type of focus to her personality that seems to really work for their relationship.
Sarah loves to work a crowd and does DJ work herself, so she can absolutely command a microphone and loves to keep the party alive. It’s so much fun to watch a bride be so dynamic and full of life at her own wedding! Their wedding was a perfect mix of sentimentality and warmth, coupled with downright fun and silliness! Our favorite vibes. We also recognized a bunch of faces in the crowd, so it made the day just a little more special for us. It was fun to be back in Simsbury, CT where I spent four years while attending boarding school. It’s a quaint, very New-Englandy, little Connecticut town and The Riverview is nestled right down on the Farmington with a beautiful backdrop of lush woods and of course, the river.
Photography and Poetry: Apollo Fields
Venue: The Riverview | Simsbury, CT
Pikes Peak Engagement Session by Apollo Fields
Jenny & Tara's Epic Mountain Engagement Session | Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs | Denver Engagement Photographer | LGBQ Weddings
I was so excited when I first heard from Jenny. She is friends with Lindsey, one of my beautiful brides from 2017 and happened to be looking for a wedding photographer when I delivered Lindsey's photos. She loved them and immediately reached out to have me photographer her own wedding! So much of my business is word-of-mouth and I am so grateful for my awesome couples who refer me and connect me to their other awesome-couple-friends.
I met up with Jenny and Tara and immediately clicked with their fun personalities, and the sweet way in which they interact with each other. They have a great energy, and I knew right away that I wanted to be their photographer. They must have felt the same way, because I asked them at our meeting, "Do you ladies have any questions?" and they seamlessly responded with, "How do we book you now?" Love it!
They initially weren't looking for an engagement session, but I'm so glad that they decided to do one because look at how epic these mountain backdrops were! A photographer's dream. I had never been to Pikes Peak before, so I was just in awe of the landscape the whole time. We caught golden hour (my favorite!) just in time before the park closed. Literally, they were closing the whole roadway up for sunset and we were being swiftly shuffled out of the park by the time we had captured every last golden ray that we could!
They also brought their three children and new puppy along for the shoot. I have quite a few couples that have children and while it might not seem obvious at first to have them present for engagement photos, I feel contrary to that old-fashioned traditional expectation of what it means to be an engaged couple. Marriage is about partnership and family, and if kids are already part of that equation, I feel like they should be included in some of the pictures. Oh, and if you have a cute puppy too... that doesn't take any convincing! We are animal lovers to the core, and have an impossible time keeping our composure around tiny pups.
Colorado Adventure Photographer: Erny Photo CO | Apollo Photo
Location: Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs
