Three Village Inn Wedding Photography in Stony Brook
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kelly & derek’s Wedding
I’ve taken 25A heading west on Long Island countless times in my life. Grandma’s house, Smithaven Mall, Port Jefferson Ferry, baseball games in St. James--it’s the kind of road that I never needed to use a GPS for. But just like the rest of this summer, I turned off of 25A towards Three Village Inn for Kelly and Derek’s wedding and stumbled across beautiful places I’ve never been to before.
First, Heather and I grabbed a snack at a local cafe tucked into Old Stony Brook Village, a charming village center of storefronts and restaurants whose timeless facades have been preserved through time. Later in the day we visited Kelly and Derek’s old apartment on Setauket Harbor and captured romantics and bridal party photos to commemorate their relationship’s beginnings as the sun set in the background.
Heather and I love traveling to places where our couples formed core memories of their relationship. It doesn’t get much more romantic than watching a couple sit down in the exact place where they used to picnic, remembering favorite meals as their bodies gradually move closer to one another. I’ve noticed that the natural state of a relationship emerges when sharing a meal; a few pilfered fries here, a sip of a drink there, each partner knowing exactly what they can and can’t get away with--sharing food turns out to be a surprisingly intimate experience.
When Heather and I eat on the road it’s not pretty: gas station snacks, Clif Bars, Starbucks sandwiches, bags of chips or nuts we forgot were in the center console. But when we have time to make a home-cooked meal, or better yet, host a dinner party, there are few things we enjoy more. Our speciality has always been fresh cooked pasta but we love to explore different cuisines, test our skills, and expand our palates. Maybe it’s because we have a lot of experience in hospitality, but we don’t quite understand when people stress about hosting others for a meal. To us, as long as you greet your guests with a drink and have some snacks ready to go, the vibes will take care of themselves. We’re actually waaay overdue on hosting so once wedding season slows down a bit we will totally be busting out our dirty aprons!
When I think about it, the best part about this summer is a lot like entertaining guests in your home: striking up a conversation with a table full of people is all about uncovering beautiful things about your guests that you didn’t already know. Just like traveling is all about discovering places you’ve never been before. We will always feel more comfortable in the familiar, in places we love and with people we know, but real connections happen by taking that extra step and finding the beautiful in the unfamiliar. So turn off your GPS, throw your cookbook away, and invite some friends over for dinner!
Enjoy these photos from Derek & Kelly’s wedding:
vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Three Village Inn | Stony Brook, NY
Dress | Family Heirloom made by Great Grandmother
Videography | Violet and Iris Cinematography
Event Coordinator | One of a Kind Gatherings | Cynthia Lynn
Flowers | Wildflower Touch
Makeup & Hair | Beauty Marks Spa and Bridal Studio
DJ | Todd Barrie Music
Trolley | Hampton Jitney
Limo | LIE Lite Limo
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Prospect Park Engagement Photos
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Ashley and Andrew’s Engagement Photos
A steamy summer Saturday in Brooklyn has a particular vibe: fire hydrants spraying into the street, shirtless people riding Citi-bikes, local vendors selling sliced mangoes or papaya in ziploc bags, and an all-too-familiar New York City stench. Yet being outside is somehow preferable to staying within the comfort of an air conditioned living room. Whether it’s cozying up on a picnic blanket in the shade, catching a baseball game, or grabbing a margarita at a bar, the heat doesn’t scare New Yorkers into hermitude.
When we first met up with Ashley and Andrew for their engagement photos in Prospect Park, Ashley immediately asked if she could hold Capa. It was a trip to see someone I’ve known since my first day in kindergarten throw my eight-month-old baby on their hip. For as long as I can remember, Ashley has always had a maternal presence, caring for her friends as if they were family. Growing up, her mother always welcomed anyone to join their dinner table and it’s endearing to see Ashley embody their tradition of hospitality.
I met Andrew for the first time when I caught a performance of he and Ashley’s band, Moondrunk, at a bar in Brooklyn a few years back. As a hip-hop fan, I was blown away by Andrew’s ability to freestyle rap, a skill that both he and Ashley have shown off in their Broadway performances with Freestyle Love Supreme. From the outside looking in, freestyle rapping is terrifying--conjuring up punchlines seemingly out of thin air--but from a fellow freestyler (albeit a very amateur one), it is one of the most welcoming, loose, fun, and creative experiences I know. You should really try it sometime, or better yet, take a class!
Heather and I are similar to Ash and Andrew in that we are hustlers. While they try to plan things around a hectic performance and rehearsal schedule, we try to plan things around weddings and engagements. We both show up everyday, on time, ready to work, but behind the scenes we are trying to catch our breath (at least speaking for Heather and I). Yet every time Heather and I get a stretch of time at home we enjoy it for a few days then get a bit restless. I imagine it must be the same for Ashley and Andrew, who spend a lot of time in the spotlight.
In the end, it always feels better to push ourselves than to rest on our laurels. For years I allowed myself to stay inside, thinking too much, and not taking enough action. At some point I gave myself an ultimatum: either you put yourself out there or you tell yourself that you are okay never giving it a try. This black-and-white approach allowed me to simplify an otherwise convoluted emotional dilemma, and I began performing spoken word poetry in bars around Manhattan. Through that experience, I learned that I didn’t enjoy performing as much as I enjoyed creating and expressing myself with words and rhythm. I never knew it would lead to me telling couples love stories but here I am--I’ll leave the spotlight for the professionals like Ashley and Andrew.
Madison Beach Hotel Wedding in CT
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Laura & Zach’s Wedding
No matter how early I suggest leaving for a wedding, Heather always adds on extra time. I used to push back but it’s one of her things--and it is the correct logical and professional thing to do. We can’t afford to be even one minute late to a wedding. So when we were sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-95 on our way to Laura and Zach’s wedding at the Madison Beach Hotel in Madison, Connecticut, we weren’t sweating it. We still had enough time to stop for sandwiches at a local charcuterie and cheese shop before heading to the venue.
As soon as we arrived on location we made our way up to the bridal suite, where Laura and her bridesmaids were relaxing and getting ready. Zach and the groomsmen weren’t arriving for another hour and a half, so I headed back downstairs to get a lay of the land. The Madison Beach Hotel is located right next to the West Wharf, a local beach on the Long Island Sound. It’s not often that I look at the Sound from this angle, as I’ve spent most of my life on Long Island looking across at Connecticut wondering where I was looking at. This whole summer feels like I’m finally understanding the area I’m from by looking at it from different perspectives.
One of my favorite things we do to get to know our couples better is ask them to fill out a questionnaire. The questions range from “How did you first meet?” to “Tell us an embarrassing story about your partner,” and we see all kinds of answers. Well Laura and Zach each gave us an all-time great answer when responding to: “Describe your partner as a scene, song, animal, or inanimate object. Be as descript or simple as necessary.” Zach said, “Laura is a toad. We joke, whenever her mood is "off" she is a toad on a log. Just sitting there not doing anything except making a lot of noise.” LOL. Laura replied, “Zachary is a lake house. Mostly calm and tranquil; simple - what you see is what you get - but can host a rockin' party, family reunion or romantic getaway.” Take notes, people. This goofiness is how you know: 1, that they really love each other, and; 2, that they know each other well.
Heather and I love when our couples don’t take themselves too seriously--it means that they’re really comfortable with one another. That they’ve stayed up late, laughing and asking those questions that always push the next one a little further. Early on in Heather and I’s relationship we skipped town (NYC) every couple weeks to explore a place we hadn’t been before. We camped near Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, caught the Perseid Meteor Shower at Sharp Top Mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, and endured a torrential storm inside a leaky tent in West Virginia. We’ve been logging hours on road trips ever since and we still have a great time goofing around and asking each other stupid questions.
So when Heather asks me to leave two and a half hours early to get to a wedding 30 minutes away I don’t push back anymore. I just think of all the silly questions I can ask her when we’re sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic or scarfing down another meal on the road. There will always be more places to discover and new things to learn about your partner.
Enjoy these photos from Zach & Laura’s wedding at the Madison Beach Hotel:
vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Madison Beach Hotel
Floral | Candi’s Floral Creations
Suit | Ted Baker
Dress | BHLDN | Amsale
Rings | Tower Square Jewelers
Makeup and Bride’s Hair | Emily Nantucket | Blow Dry at the Beach
Signage | Fonts and Flourishes
Invitations | Minted
Cake | JCakes
DJ | Powerstation Events | Kevin Williams
Hey hey!
It’s us with Zach and Laura for our ‘last photo’ of the night!
Hamilton Hall Wedding in NYC
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Carly & Mike’s Wedding
Walking through Harlem with eight-month-old baby Capa strapped to my chest felt like a bridge between two versions of myself: the mid-twenties, student/martini-mixer and the early-thirties small business owner/infant entertainer extraordinaire. The former stayed up until six a.m. drinking and the latter currently wakes at six a.m. to help another person drink. Sleep is seldom in both versions but the idea of it is much sexier now. The link between the two is my wife, Heather, who helped elevate my life from those romantically late New York City nights to my current state of blissful, overworked, exhaustion.
I first met Carly when she was a bartender at my favorite late night jaunt, a bar fondly remembered as AmTav (Amsterdam Tavern) at 106th and Broadway. I’d walk in with my tie undone and saddle up to the bar next to other industry folk with empty shot glasses in front of them. Carly would always be finishing a story or giving somebody the business over what an idiot they were. She embodied the kind of take-no-shit NYC bartender that I always wanted to be but never had the stomach for. I met her partner, Mike, there a number of nights after he finished his shift down at St. Marks that all seem to blend together now. He was (and is) always so kind, charming, and welcoming. They really make a great pair.
Carly and Mike love hosting for all the same reasons Heather and I love hosting: fresh food, strong, well-made drinks, and gathering people around a table to share stories and laugh. They know not to freak out when guests start arriving because they know things always will come together. Just throw a drink in their hands, keep doing what you’re doing, or ask them to help. The true beauty of having good friends is that you can rely on them—the frivolous, irresponsible, and selfish ones were cut before last call.
Carly and Mike replanned their wedding more times than an Upper West Sider sends back a bone dry martini. Yet they still held an incredibly authentic celebration of their love at The Hamilton Hall in Harlem. Carly and Mike’s guests first walked into the space to find handmade seating cards made by Carly herself. Then, as they made their way past the long, wooden bar, more personalized details adorned the tables and walls: wildflower arrangements, specialized bitters from TNT Bitters (a company that Mike runs with his business partner, Anna), and printed itineraries of what to expect the rest of the evening. They held their ceremony down on a secluded outdoor patio and they entered together to the biggest ovation I have heard for a bride and groom to date.
There is absolutely a community in the late night bar scene in New York City. We grew closer as the morning grew nearer and we never seemed to care. We learned that you leave some friends at the service bar because you want something more. And there was always some epiphanic revelation about life that turned out to be nonsense in the morning. But maybe those late nights and early mornings were training us to operate on short sleep to have a family one day. Or maybe we were just rounding up a crew of misfits that we were just beginning to consider family. Either way, food and drink did bring us together.
Enjoy these photos from Mike & Car’s NYC Wedding:
vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Hamilton Hall
Seating Cards | Crafted by the bride, Carly
Floral | Crafted by the bride, Carly
Day-Of Coordinator | Sophie Russek
Coming Atcha
Team Apollo with some of our faves!!
Pastures of Plenty Wedding in Boulder, CO
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Mercie and Dan’s Wedding
Coasting down route 36, the Flatirons of Boulder, Colorado, grew larger by the minute. Memories flashed like road signs in the side-view mirror: like the time Heather accidentally sat on a fire ant hill on the side of the road; or the time I biked from Arvada to Boulder and flew down this decline like the red baron in an old Charlie Brown segment; or the many trips coming back from the hospital as we endured our experience with an ectopic pregnancy in 2019. Capa riding with us in the back seat to Mercie and Dan’s wedding at Pastures of Plenty has proverbially turned this sloped road into a rotary, and as we came full circle we turned to look at him and smile.
We first met Mercie when we were living in Arvada and she was working as a hostess at the same restaurant Heather was working at. Mercie always welcomed me into the foyer with the same bright smile, full of a genuine enthusiasm that most hostesses do their best to feign. Heather and I got to know Mercie and Dan as a couple when we took their engagement photos at Rollins Pass in Nederland a couple years later. It was quickly apparent that they share a wavelength--understanding each other through an invisible yet palpable electromagnetism--as after every photo they seemed to draw closer and closer together.
Fast-forward to 2021 and Mercie and Dan had a water slide at their wedding (in case it was too hot). And also appointed their young siblings as their officiants, DJs, emcees, and baby caretakers (For real, one of them took Capa mid-ceremony so I could take pictures). Everywhere you turned there was a role that Mercie and Dan empowered one of their siblings with. Where most couples cater their event to themselves--Mercie and Dan catered it to their family. A Captain Hook shy of Neverland and a religious scripture short of the Garden of Eden, Mercie and Dan’s wedding was a beautiful fantasy of love, support, and purpose. And they all made it a reality.
There were several moments at Mercie and Dan’s wedding where I had to stand back and ask, “is this really happening?” It got to the point where if one of the bubbles floating in the air turned into a glowing fairy I wouldn’t have batted an eye. I am apt to refrain from using words like ‘magic’ or ‘miracle’ when describing a wedding, couple, or family, but Mercie, Dan, and company made it really hard to describe it as anything else. The way that they spoke to all of their various members of their extended family: in soft affirmations, playful directions, and empowering words of encouragement, they reminded me of the way that Snow White spoke to her woodland friends. The exception, of course, is that Disney is a contrived monolith and Mercie and Dan are living, breathing, beautiful humans of sensitivity and intention.
As each of our families evolve and grow I can only hope to embody the acceptance and trust that Mercie and Dan cultivate on an everyday basis. It takes great patience, an even better understanding, and a dedication to emotional communication. While Heather and I already valued each of these attributes we were and are in complete admiration of Mercie and Dan’s intention and execution. It isn’t fairy dust that creates the magic in our reality, it is our thoughts converted into action.
Enjoy these photos from Merc & Dan’s Pasture of Plenty Wedding in Boulder, Colorado:
As seen in: Couture Colorado Magazine
vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Videography | Glasshouse Wedding Films
Venue | Pastures of Plenty
Invitations | Minted
Dresses | Galina
This was a special one for us…
…we have SO enjoyed our friendship with Merc and Dan and feel absolutely honored to have captured their joyful day!
Sound Beach Engagement Photos
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Krista & Matt’s Engagement Photos
Driving through the meandering roads of Sound Beach, Long Island, past the cottages and wooden fences, childhood memories of grandma’s house crept into my mind. This area on the north shore of Long Island, not quite “out east” and not quite “down port” [Port Jefferson], as Krista and Matt referred to it, is a mix of the beachy charm from Cape Cod combined with the vestiges of a simpler time. The chaotic network of the streets bend and shoot in all directions like the strings of a spider’s web as families wearing flip-flops with towels tossed over their shoulders casually make their way to the beach.
When Heather, Capa, and I arrived a little early for our engagement session, Krista and Matt invited us into their home. I immediately noticed a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf packed with titles ranging from classics to postmodernist and felt the nerdy bookworm in me bubbling to the surface. I couldn’t help mentioning a collection of David Foster Wallace’s non-fiction work, A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments, because it means that either Matt or Krista took a deeper interest in the author of the infamously laborious work, Infinite Jest. It turns out Matt is an english teacher and we were off to a splendid start.
We piled into our respective cars as Matt and Krista led us to a private beach a few minutes away from their house. After descending a flight of steps that would make a stairmaster blush, we kicked off our shoes and walked onto the rocky and shell-laden beach. Krista and Matt moved with each other effortlessly, stopping every so often to bend down and pick up a piece of beach glass to add to Krista’s collection. They then busted out a wicker picnic basket complete with champagne and stemless flutes (with two for us!), and settled onto a blanket. They told us about their relationship’s beginning, a friendship turned romance, but got a little distracted when they remembered they also packed sparklers for the engagement shoot!
We love when our couples come prepared like Krista and Matt--props, champagne, beer, wine, picnic blankets--whatever makes you feel comfortable! Whatever makes you feel you. It’s easy to retreat back into your shell when the camera comes out, but this is why engagement sessions are so great: they give us a chance to get to know who you are before your wedding day. So by the time the big day arrives, when your family descends upon your location ready to test your patience, we know when to let you soak in those beautiful moments and when to pull you away for a breath of fresh air.
After taking their engagement photos in Sound Beach, we got to enjoy a nice dinner with Krista and Matt at one of their favorite local spots. We got to talking about Matt’s favorite book to teach (Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury!) and growing up on this part of the island with most of their family close by. Turns out Heather and I moved back to Northport for the same reason Matt and Krista see themselves staying around Sound Beach. Family visits become less of an obligation (in our case) and more of a welcome trip down memory lane.
Crescent Beach Club Wedding Photos
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Alex & Kim’s Wedding
Palm trees, a blaring midday summer sun, and steel drums ringing in the distance. Fresh seafood, a tiki bar, and smooth sand disappearing into a gentle tide. At a glance you would think we were at a resort in the Caribbean, a place where shirts and shoes were optional. Instead, Alex and Kim’s family and friends bounced around cocktail hour in gorgeous dresses and tailored suits, plucking hor d'oeuvres from trays like berries from a wild bush. Far from the Caribbean and close to our home, Heather and I were soaking in the experience at the Crescent Beach Club in Bayville, Long Island.
We first met Kim and Alex at a brewery in Huntington to talk over their wedding details over a couple beers. I remember how quickly we got to sharing stories and laughing, enjoying a comfortable conversation that usually takes a glass of wine or two to get to at a dinner party. As a couple, they just kind of get it. They are consummate professionals, thoroughly enjoy one another’s company, and ask the right questions. They are no bullshit in the best way possible--meaning--they like to have fun but they get shit done.
Kim and Alex aptly met at a quintessential Halloween dance party sponsored by the student bar association while studying at Villanova Law School. It still surprises me how fickle romantic beginnings can be. Kim and Alex, like Heather and I, so easily could’ve never been a thing if Alex and I hadn’t taken our respective relationship initiatives. “Kim did the mature thing that any self-respecting, young 20-something does the next day in class: ignored Alex and pretended she had never seen him before in her life. Luckily Alex had more maturity (or less self-respect) and immediately approached Kim to ask her to go out to dinner a few nights later.” Moral of the story? Shoot your shot and go to professional parties that serve free booze.
At the end of the night Heather and I first met, I walked her home to her apartment on West 105th street. When we stopped at the corner and she said, “well, this is me,” I told her how nice it was to meet her and that I would love to see her again. She quickly replied, “me too,” before nervously doing a 180 and began to walk away. Now, if I hadn’t been a little tipsy and characteristically overconfident, I would’ve just taken that gesture as a rejection. Instead, I blurted out, “hey, you know, your phone number would be great for something like that,” and lucky for me, she turned around as I handed her my phone.
That one line was the difference between going our separate routes in life and winding up in Jamaica together on our honeymoon. I still remember that feeling of limbo--those uncertain moments when you’ve shot your shot and the ball is up there rattling on the rim. But in my experience, and I’m sure Kim and Alex would agree--we would all prefer sitting on a lounge chair on a beach, sipping on a cold beer while reading a book as steel drums ping-and-pang as leaves of palm trees sway in the wind--rather than not shoot at all, doing the 1-2 step at a law school Halloween party waiting for someone to ask me out to dinner.
Vendors:
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Crescent Beach Club | Bayville, NY
Floral | Lindenhurst Village Florist
DJ | Variety Music
Dress | Stella York | Max Bridal
Suit | Joseph A. Bank
Rings | Brilliant Earth
Hair | GetxGlamorous
Makeup | Christy Ann Cosmetics
Invitations | Etsy | Magnet Street
Transportation | Mark of Elegance
Say hey!
Reach out for any photography you might need!
Riviera Waterfront Mansion Wedding Photos
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Kristen & Mike
Fall colors, a stiff but gentle breeze, your significant other nestling onto the shoulder of your flannel shirt. Genuine laughter, a pause, and the click of the shutter from Heather’s camera. Heather, Mike, Kristen, and I marched forward, brittle leaves crackling beneath our feet as we circled Stump Pond in Blydenburgh Park in Smithtown in fall 2019. Pre-Covid memories like these seem more like a dream, reminiscent of the pristine moments from Heather and I’s honeymoon in Jamaica. They manifest a clear division of before and after [quarantine] in my mind, where our relationships with our couples represent the light at both ends of a dark tunnel.
Kristen and Mike held their ceremony last year in East Northport, stopping in Heckscher Park in Huntington afterwards for family formals and romantics. They turned it up this year for their reception at the Riviera Waterfront Mansion in Massapequa and it did not disappoint! Although it rained, the beautifully renovated property right on South Oyster Bay allowed Kristen and Mike’s family and friends to mingle and explore, especially when the clouds let up for a short while.
Kristen and Mike took it all in stride, allowing themselves to enjoy the celebration that they waited so long for. When cocktail hour gave way to the reception, the grand entrances of the wedding party officially kick started the day. With a camera on one hip and a stuffed octopus on the other, Heather, Capa (with protective headphones) and I danced and documented these priceless moments. Seeing all of Kristen and Mike’s closest family and friends that we’d met the year before reminded us how grateful we are for being, albeit briefly, allowed into these intimate circles of our couple’s lives. Occasionally we’re even lucky enough to be invited to photograph one of their siblings or relative’s weddings!
Such is the case with Kristen’s brother, Mike, and his fiance, Caity. We’ll be photographing their wedding at Sunken Meadow State Park in August 2022 and we’re already pumped. Caity and Mike, like Kristen and Mike, are fun loving, salt-of-the-earth type people. They’re the kind of people you want to sit around a bonfire with, sharing stories, ‘smores, and a drink or two. They’re the kind of people you can count on.
And in this last year I think we’ve all needed and found the people in our lives that we can count on. I was surprised that my five siblings and I kept a weekly Zoom chat going all year. It culminated into our first family vacation together with all of our partners and children. For all of the turmoil that each one of us have been through, having a friend or family member you can count on is one of the most valuable assets you can have in life. Lucky for Mike and Kristen, Caity and Mike, and Heather and I, we all have our partners, and now we all have each other to follow the light outside the tunnel.
Enjoy these photos from Kristen & Mike’s Riviera Waterfront wedding reception:
Vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Riviera Waterfront Mansion | Massapequa, NY
Videography | Chris Lobello Productions
Suits | Karako
Dress | Madi Lane Bridal
Hair Vine | Green Alaska
Shoes | Betsey Johnson
Floral | Tim’s Florist | Massapequa, NY
Having the best time!
With Kristen & Mike ANDDDD one of our couples for next year, Caity & Mike!!
Waterside Restaurant Weddings New Jersey
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Heather and Scott’s Wedding
“This is actually the park where Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton,” Scott told me, his eyebrows raised with the enthusiasm that comes with sharing a juicy factoid. Heather (my wife), Heather (the bride-to-be), Scott, Capa, and I were walking through Hamilton Park in Weehawken, New Jersey, just on the other side of the Hudson from Manhattan, snapping some pre-wedding celebration photos before we made our way up to their venue. I have to say, the view of the skyline from Hamilton Park is unparalleled--and I do love me some views from Brooklyn Bridge Park, The Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Liberty State Park (NJ), and Gantry Plaza--but the combination of the elevation and the location of the park (across from ~ 48th Street in NYC) truly takes the cake.
I met Heather and Scott about seven years ago in my favorite community that I’ve ever been a part of in New York--Sheep’s Meadow Ultimate [Frisbee]. Led by a dear friend, Ben, Sheep’s Meadow Ultimate is an ever-increasing group of performers, hospitality professionals, tourists, and pretty much anyone who ever wanted to join in on our ultimate frisbee game. We spent so many hot summer days out there, sweating, laughing, and trying not to get kicked out by the park rangers. I knew Heather and Scott before they were Heather and Scott--and it’s amazing that our frisbee community led to Heather and I being their wedding photographers.
Heather and Scott are performers through-and-through. They’ve both been on Broadway and it had me wondering how people who love the spotlight fared through quarantine. They said that they both found ways to redirect their unspent energy: exercising, eating healthy, exploring career options that don’t rely on rooms filled with hundreds of people. They’ve fallen in love with biking up and down the coast of New Jersey, staring across the Hudson at the city that brought them together. “We love it here,” Scott said.
I was so excited to see Heather and Scott dance together because I know the energy and skill that each of them bring to the table. So when the music started and the smoke machine started pumping I put headphones on Capa and Heather and I started snapping away. Heather and Scott immediately locked right in, synchronizing steps, movements, and looks toward the crowd, baiting their guests with confident stares that said, I know you want more. Things started getting really spicy when Scott heard Michael Jackson come on. I’m so jealous of performers like Heather and Scott who can own a stage like that--Heather and I talk a big game--but when all the lights are on us we pick up a camera, pen, or meet for a beer at the bar.
When you make a connection with someone you never know how long it’s going to last. I’ve seen so many friends disappear over the years, and sadly enough, most of the time it’s for the better. Yet the ones that come back, the ones that reach out, and say, “hey, heard you were in town, want to grab a beer?” Are the ones who are growing right along with you; the ones who aren’t just living life but taking center stage.
Enjoy Scott & Heather’s Wedding Reception Photos:
vendors
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Waterside Weddings
Team Apollo!
Having a blast, as usual, with baby Capa in tow!
Montauk Beach Engagement Photography
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Kristen & Chris
Maine Barn Wedding Photos at Granite Ridge Estate
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Jessica & Matthew’s Wedding
Jumping into Lake Pennesseewassee in Norway, Maine, in those last few moments before I broke the surface of the water, I realized this was the third lake I’d been jumping into in as many days. Heather and I spent the previous week in upstate New York and I plunged into Lake Sunnyside and Lake George with the same childlike enthusiasm. As reckless or juvenile as the act of jumping into a body of water can be, anyone who knew me before my trip to Bermuda in 2010 knows that my leap into the Atlantic Ocean from a rock in Horseshoe Bay truly changed my approach to life. That all-too-literal coming of age story was when I gave myself permission to be who I was rather than who I thought everyone wanted me to be.
Last year in August, Heather and I met up with Jessica and Matt in the North End district of Boston for their engagement photos at Long Wharf and Somerville. We knew immediately as we stumbled upon the first photo location that Jessica and Matt were one of those couples that have it. It is something that can’t be taught, learned, or fabricated. It is when two people meet each other at the perfect time in their lives, develop alongside and with one other, and are able to both enjoy and plan the trajectory of their relationship. Some people might call it falling in love—but I think that sounds too passive or reactive—and doesn’t quite capture the active role that partners play in realizing, deciding, and building a meaningful life with someone else.
Jessica and Matt, with the help of Liz, their amazing planner, and Jessica’s father, John, and Matt’s mother, Kathy, threw a wedding for the ages at Granite Ridge Estate and Barn in Maine. From the rehearsal dinner at Oxbow Beer Garden, to the New England church ceremony, vintage gold Bentley, delicious food, overflowing florals, panoramic views, and the best goddamn wedding band we’ve ever danced to—Matt and Jessica’s celebration of it was want for nothing. Jessica even braved the weeds going barefoot (!!) in her wedding dress to get those iconic shots during golden hour. One time for all the brides out there who throw down like that!
Those are the kind of photos and memories that you have to take the leap for like I did in Horseshoe Bay. Jess, Matt, Heather and I know that you can live your whole life in those tense moments of contemplation, frustration, and regret or you can kick off your damned shoes and jump in! Before Bermuda I introduced myself as Terry to anyone I met, but afterwards, I started going by Terrence. I was sick of the half-confident way I used to say it when people would respond, “what, who?” I was sick of that feeling after I left a party when I didn’t go say hi to my crush. I finally had enough and it was then that I decided to start tipping the scale in those moments of uncertainty into a more certain direction.
So in those last few seconds before I broke the surface of Lake Pennesseewassee I wasn’t thinking about how cold it was going to be, or what kind of critters were in the lake, all I could think about was how easy it was to make that decision—to just kick off my shoes, take off my shirt, be who I wanted to be, and jump on in.
Owbow Brewing Company Rehearsal Dinner / Welcome Drinks:
Granite Ridge Estate & Barn Wedding:
vendors:
Photography | Apollo Fields
Venue | Granite Ridge Estate | Norway, ME
Catering | Essential Chefs | John Martin
Planner | Elegant Aura
Staffing | Strange Events
Floral | Kathy | Mother of Groom
Cake | Bear Brook Bakery
Band | Soul of Boston
Videographer | Toast Wedding Films
Rentals | Affordable Events | Scott
Drapery | Maine Event Decor
Hair & Makeup | Her. A Bridal Beauty Company
Say Hey
Our classic end-of-night pic! Except we put down our cameras and closed down this shindig with Jess & Matt because their band was THAT good!!!
Capa Six Months
Driving through downtown Woodstock, Vermont, past the colonial-style homes and quaint local storefronts, I glanced in the rearview mirror to check on our now six-month-old baby, Capa. Eyes closed, head leaning to one side, Capa smushed his cute chubby cheeks against the strap of the car seat--which always makes me wonder--why is it cute when a baby smushes their face when they’re asleep, but not when an adult does it? It made me realize that having a child begs so many questions; from introspective ones like: “how did my parents treat me as a baby?” To borderline rhetorical dilemmas like, “if your baby is asleep but you know they have a dirty diaper, do you change it?”
In his first six months, Capa has been to more states (nine) than months he’s been alive. I’m writing this from the porch of our AirBnB in Norway, Maine, where we will be shooting a wedding, and spending an extra day in Portland for my first father’s day. Heather and I always said that our children were never going to slow us or our business down, and it’s so satisfying to see it happen in real time. In fact, we’re finding that Capa already loves to travel, preferring new scenery to mom and dad’s budget circus act in the living room.
Having Capa along for our road trips has surprisingly enriched our experiences more than he has encumbered them. Of course there are impromptu diaper changes and hunger pangs, but by and large Capa is a great traveler and an absolute trooper. I’d 100% bet good beer money that Capa keeps up with our erratic schedule better than the average nine-to-fiver! I do wonder if we are creating a monster by introducing him to the rigors of being a traveling wedding photographer, but there’s no looking back now.
The truth is you are never really ready to have a child. You can set up all sorts of goal posts: have ‘x’ amount of money saved, own a house, have a beautiful nursery, etc. But it will always be trial by fire. It will always come down to the partnership you have and the relationship you have established. Fortunately for us, we literally have made a business of being over-extended and overtired, seasoned in the gauntlet of red-eye flights and overnight drives, gas station meals and hotel stays. Hell, you can even trace our ability to work through exhaustion back to our bartender days of pulling the Sunday brunch shift following a Saturday close (The infamous “clopen” as industry professionals are apt to call it). And just like two hungover bartenders slinging bloody marys and mimosas to a bar full of groaning guests, Heather and I can’t help but stop and mouth something to each other and smile.
I’m not saying that every jaded bartender out there is ready for parenthood, but the analogy does have its parallels. In fact the whole operation of getting a team of line cooks, expediters, bussers, runners, managers, and servers together to spin around with trays of hot coffee and chilled booze, as plates of sunny side-up eggs, crispy bacon, and buttered toast hit checkered tablecloths and wooden bar tops is pretty on point. At this moment in time Capa has us running around in the weeds but I know at the end of the shift I’m going to have a pocket full of memories. The dirty joke, shared smile, lukewarm coffee, and one bite of blueberry muffin will just have to be enough to get us through.
Candlelight Farms Inn Wedding in CT
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Joe + Ashleigh
An empty back seat is a strange feeling as a new parent. No rustling or jangling of a toy, no chirps or squeals, no eyes peering back at you through the rearview mirror. It’s a very real void that manifests itself when you leave your baby under another person’s care--like the feeling you get when you forget something at home on a road trip--except that thing you forgot is a living, breathing, human. Heather and I joke that having Capa is like having a regular at your bar 24/7 who always needs something. “You think this milk is warm enough!? Warm it up again!!”
We were just pulling out of Aunt Pam and Uncle Rick’s farm in Ramsey, New Jersey, en route to Ashleigh and Joe’s wedding at Candlelight Farms Inn in New Milford, Connecticut. Heather and Ashleigh know each other from back in the day when they went to The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut, an established private school with a great equestrian program. Ashleigh’s mom, Dee, was actually the athletic director of the school at the time and her competitive spirit can be traced through the tightly knit relationship between Ashleigh and her other three siblings.
Two of Ashleigh’s sisters, Lexi and Sandra, gave a joint-maid-of-honor speech that spoke to just how close they’ve all become. Lexi and Sandra regaled with stories from childhood and during quarantine, and extended the same love that they have for Ashleigh to Joe. “In my eyes, I was pretty sure no one was quite good enough for my sister--but then you met Joe. Joe, to be honest, I don’t even remember the beginning of your relationship because it feels like you’ve always been a part of the fam,” Sandra read through teary eyes and trembling lips. Lexi added how much Joe has challenged her in the last year, both in the gym and intellectually, and how he’s become one of her best friends. Behind the delivery of every one of Lexi and Sandra’s words was the bittersweet knowledge that Ashleigh and Joe would soon be moving down to North Carolina.
After trying to discreetly wipe the tears from the viewfinder of my camera one of the bridesmaids called me out and yelled, “even the photographer is crying!” No shame, I replied, “how could you not?” Heather and I document speeches all of the time and few are as raw, honest, and real as the ones that Lexi and Sandra delivered. Plus, it brought back memories of when Heather and I first moved to Colorado from NYC and the blubbering messes we were at our going away parties. We admire Joe and Ashleigh for pursuing their careers and taking on a new adventure, knowing the amazing friends and experiences we accrued in our little cozy cottage in Arvada, CO.
Over the course of Ashleigh and Joe’s wedding day we barely had to give them any direction for photos. It is a wedding photographer’s dream to be able to move through the logistics seamlessly, to pull the couple aside and merely snap away as they do their thing. This wedding season I’m trying to invent a word or term or pinpoint exactly what it is when two people are so obviously in love. I can safely say that being able to be part of Ashleigh and Joe’s wedding in Connecticut got me one giant step closer.
vendors:
Venue | Candlelight Farms Inn
Photography | Apollo Fields
Dress | Jenny Yoo; The White Dress by the Shore
Shoes | Jack Rogers
Suit | Joseph A. Bank
DJ | Troy Ramcharran
Rings | Michael’s Jewelers
Hair & Make Up | Beauty Entourage
Invitations | Minted
Decor/Party Rentals | All Seasons Party Rentals
Wassup
It’s team Apollo loving what we do!! Want to inquire for your own shoot? Click on the button below:
As seen in B’Loved Magazine
This was such a fun publication for us to see Ashleigh and Joe in this mag :)
Wedding at Danfords in Port Jefferson
Apollo Fields | long island wedding photography | danfords wedding photos | wedding photos at danfords | port jefferson wedding photographer | nyc wedding photos | nyc wedding photographer
Luz & Britt
Driving through New York City, blasting a classic from Jay-Z or Biggie will always be one of my favorite things to do. I’m not sure if it’s because it makes me feel cool, or that it puts me in an aggressive-yet-somehow-zen-like-state of hyper awareness—but I will 100% be teaching Capa the right songs to play. On this particular drive, “Gimme the Loot” by Biggie was playing as I dropped Heather off in front of the Essex House on a sunny day on Central Park South.
We first met Luz and Britt in a meeting over Zoom in 2020 and were completely enamored by their chemistry and thoughtfulness. They are both scholars by profession and at heart, and we had a refreshingly in-depth conversation about the current state of affairs before moving on to the details of their wedding. By getting married at the Church of Notre Dame in Morningside Heights, Luz and Britt were able to celebrate personal and family-held values while at the same time creating space from archaic traditions.
In a year where the personal feels more political than it ever was, Luz and Britt made sure to leave their stamp on the celebration of their marriage. Whether that was something simple yet powerful like Luz leading the toast to their guests rather than Britt, or Britt’s elocution on beauty as a concept of aesthetic philosophy rather than physical appearance. Heather and I cannot get enough of couples like Luz and Britt who decide to use the celebration of their marriage as a platform to speak about their values and not only what makes them who they are, but also what we can learn from them.
When Heather and I got married on her Aunt Pam and Uncle Rick’s hobby farm in Ramsey, NJ, in October 2018 we did something similar to Luz and Britt. We treated our wedding as an opportunity to express ourselves to our family and friends rather than make it an elaborate affair. We made mounds of fresh pasta to feed our guests, invited them into one of our family’s most welcome places, and danced and sang in a barn/garage with farm animals and family heirloom antique tools adorning the walls. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
I’m sure It’s strange for some to think that the progress of our society is connected to the way we celebrate weddings but it is absolutely true. Just like in many other spheres of our lives, it is up to us as individuals and partners in all types of relationships to promote the evolution of values rather than the persistence of archaic traditions. It is not always easy to distinguish what helps one person while it hurts another, but with couples like Luz and Britt pouring over the pages of history for both their and our sakes—I’m increasingly confident in realizing a more equitable future.
vendors:
Photography | Apollo Fields
Ceremony | Church of Notre Dame | NYC
Reception | Danfords Hotel & Marina
Cocktail Hour | Belle Harlem
Planner | BLB Events | Brittney Bartling
Makeup | MG Hair & Makeup | Alicia
Hair | Yeluchi | Erica
Getting Ready Location | Essex House | NYC
Transportation | M&V Transportation
We love our couples!
And especially when Capa comes in tow, there’s always fun to be had!
The Maker Hotel Wedding Photography and Proposal
Apollo Fields | NY Wedding Photographer | Upstate NY Wedding Photos | The Maker Wedding Photos | Hudson Wedding Photographer | Hudson NY Wedding Photos | The Maker Hotel
Ricardo’s Proposal and Wedding at The Maker Hotel in Hudson, NY
After wrapping a wedding reception in Port Jefferson on Long Island, Capa and I made our way back home to Northport on a humid sunny afternoon. Heather, however, pressed on past our exit off the LIE en route to a surprise proposal at The Maker Hotel in Hudson, NY. I’m not sure if she listened to DMX, DMB, or podcasts but I’m sure that she was feeling a mixture of fatigue and excitement on the three-hour drive. That’s because The Maker Hotel isn’t just any hotel; and Ricardo and Michael aren’t just any couple.
The Maker Hotel was co-founded by Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, the creative minds behind the global beauty brand, Fresh, and nearby cafe and bakery, Bartlett House in Ghent, NY. A personalized aesthetic can be traced through all of their brands and nowhere is it more tangible than in the unique and authentic decor between the cozy walls of The Maker. Glazman and Roytberg’s hospitality expert, Damien Janowicz, was pivotal in the execution of the old-world-meets-new-world-vibe, providing both comfort and intrigue to restaurant diners and hotel guests alike.
Ricardo and Michael’s proposal and wedding seamlessly transitioned from a dimly-lit intimate dinner party to a beautifully sexy burlesque on Broadway show between toasts of champagne. Ricardo has a gentle, caring tone that makes him a warm and generous host. You could tell by the look on Michael’s face when Ricardo spoke just how deep their connection ran. By choosing The Maker Ricardo and Michael were able to share their story with their guests in a space that felt like home with a splash of the old world and a dash of bright lights.
Heather and I got to talking and realized that Apollo Fields is based on a lot of the same principles as The Maker and Ricardo and Michael’s relationship. At one point we even said that our motto should be “an old way to look at the new world” in regards to the artistic style we implement when we document weddings. Heather and I have an adoration for history and want to lift the best parts of it into the 21st century. We aim to build a future that celebrates humans in all of their many beautiful forms, and are always on the lookout for honest artistic expression. We appreciate style but don’t want to sacrifice comfort; we want to travel the world without leaving home.
A great relationship is like a great hotel, you feel comfortable anywhere you are. You want for nothing, you’re in great company, and all of your needs are met. You sink into the couch a little bit deeper, sip that hot coffee a little longer, and maybe even drift off into a daydream. You look over at your partner and lock eyes--oh how love can be so light in those beautiful moments. That is what we are all after--what a great partner, hotel, or brand can bring--those moments of deep love that somehow come so easy.
Vendors:
Venue: The Maker Hotel | Hudson NY
Photography: Apollo Fields
Central Park Wedding in Shakespeare's Garden
Apollo Fields | New York Wedding Photographers | Central Park Wedding | Wedding Photos in Central Park | Shakespeare's Garden Wedding Photos | Belvedere’s Castle Wedding | Best Wedding Photos | New York Wedding Photographer | NYC Wedding Photographer
Emily + David
Damn it feels good to be back! I’m finally beginning to feel like myself again after such a tumultuous year. With every conversation my mind is making new connections to old memories like fresh breaths of spring air. Heather and I are back on the road, this time with Capa’s squishy napping face in the seatback mirror. First stop, Emily and David’s intimate wedding at Shakespeare’s Garden in Central Park!
Like many other couples, Emily and David’s wedding plans changed several times, but their pivot to an intimate ceremony near Shakespeare’s Garden in Central Park struck all of the right chords. Tucked into a small picnic area directly behind the steps of Belvedere’s Castle, Emily and David’s ceremony was light, heartfelt, and honest. Small drizzles of rain dropped upon our heads but the clouds held off, creating an almost fantasy-like novel atmosphere of refracted light.
We strolled through Shakespeare’s Garden, stopping to take a series of photos in front of the blossoming tulips that bursted with color. We turned a corner and stumbled across a couple of surprised locals when Heather was clicking away on her Nikon while at the same time nursing Capa. “You are my idol,” one woman shouted, “You go girl,” said another. Integrating the development of our son into our business will be a constant give-and-take relationship, but it is one that we find deeply important as parents and partners.
We continued on through the paths between the trees towards Bethesda Fountain, where Emily and David first wanted to have their ceremony. A nice group of teenagers moved when they saw us beginning to pose them in front of the fountain--an act of kindness that I will never forget. Just as we were about to wrap the close shots of them at the fountain a gust of wind swept through and drenched Emily and David like a log flume at Six Flags. They laughed it off and began to dance and share space with one another on the side.
Emily’s dress was the perfect combination of class and comfort, as she was able to navigate the park and look absolutely stunning. David’s great smile and fun personality popped from the lapels of his grey suit as we moved beneath the terrace where there were a couple of quintessential New York City buskers. Heather encouraged Emily and David to take a moment and enjoy a dance in the spot where they wanted to get married, when suddenly one of the buskers began tenderly singing Lean on Me by Bill Withers, and the entire moment came together so serendipitously. It was impossible not to become emotional in a beautiful happenstance like that given all that Emily, David and all of us have been through this last year.
Emily and David went on to have a small reception at a local Irish pub where they spent a lot of time early in their relationship. I think everyone who has spent a good amount of time in NYC has their own Irish pub; maybe a year from now we can all go back and celebrate the one year anniversary when the warm spring air begins to smell like tulips again.
Team Apollo
In our favorite park (Central Park, duh!) doing what we do best.
Barn Wedding in Lancaster at The Farm at Eagle's Ridge
Apollo Fields | Pennsylvania Wedding Photography | Farm Wedding Photographers in PA | Outdoor Wedding Photography | Lancaster Wedding Photographers | Wedding Photos at the Farm at Eagles Ridge
Kevin + Danielle
I’ve known Heather for seven years and I never knew she had a thing for the Amish. I’m not sure if it’s their tight community, hard work ethic, beautiful handmade furniture, or their simpler way of life, but I have to admit as we passed through Amish country I was pretty enamored as well. I couldn’t believe that people ride their horse-and-buggies right on the side of a highway with a 55mph speed limit but there they were, steadfast in their dedication to their way of life as cars and trucks zipped on by.
Heather, Capa, and I were on our way to Danielle and Kevin’s farm wedding in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, at The Farm at Eagle’s Ridge. We were charmed by the old architecture of Lancaster, which reminded us of a combination of some of our favorite neighborhoods in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. Just minutes outside the busy streets of the city we drove through rolling farmland and pulled into Kevin and Danielle’s gorgeous wedding venue.
The Farm at Eagle’s Ridge is a beautifully curated and cared for piece of property with a large barn, a spacious covered outdoor patio, a picturesque pond, and a 5+ bedroom updated and refurbished colonial home. Kevin and Danielle and their respective bridal parties lounged in the luxurious home, getting ready, playing games in the early afternoon. We eventually headed out to the lawn for Kevin and Danielle’s first look, followed by a few family formals and bridal shots. The mid-70’s overcast spring day was perfect for the outdoor ceremony by the dock at the pond as the live music floated in the air.
The proper planning combined with the design of the property and Kevin and Danielle’s laid-back vibe made the entire day a seamless experience. Nothing felt rushed, every detail was curated and executed to perfection, and Kevin and Danielle looked like a million bucks. I keep saying that I need to invent a word for when I see a couple look at each other and really mean it--the kind of look that speaks the words that your mouth can’t quite say--well whatever that word turns out to be--Kevin and Danielle embody it.
As day turned to night and cocktail hour gave way to the sit-down dinner, we stole Kevin and Danielle for some romantics around the property. We took them through the grass, around the pond, in front of a grove of beautiful cherry-blossom like blooming trees, and finally back to the stone wall that they walked by on their way to their ceremony site. Kevin and Danielle walked with an ease like they were combing back from a Sunday brunch and when we took a few individuals of each of them the other looked on with a sparkly-eyed admiration of their partner. At one point as Danielle was comfortably seated on the rock wall Kevin muttered under his breath, “wow.”
It’s this kind of admiration, this kind of connection that I’ve been missing during this past year. Documenting our couples connect this deeply is food for my soul and I’m growing more and more grateful with every wedding of 2021.
Enjoy these sneaks from Danielle and Kevin’s wedding:
The Vendor Team—
Photography: Apollo Fields
VENUE: The Farm at Eagles Ridge, Lancaster PA
PARTY PLANNER / DAY-OF COORDINATOR: Danielle Boyer at Planned Perfection
VIDEOGRAPHER: Cinema 440
OFFICIANT: Rachel Wade
FLORIST: JDK - Colton
DJ / BAND: Steve Johnson Band
CAKE / BAKERY: Cakes by Rosie
DECOR / PARTY RENTALS: Shumaker / Treasured
DRESS: Seng couture
SUIT: Black Tux
HAIR AND MAKEUP: Lea from Style Co
Hey! It’s us…
…team Apollo! Having a great time with Danielle & Kevin.
Best of 2020: Our Year in Pictures
Best of 2020: Our Year in Pics | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography | Destination Weddings During Quarantine
Apollo Fields 2020 Reflections
It will be impossible for us to ever look back on our business year of 2020 without thinking of COVID, but it is also important for us to acknowledge that in between all the quarantining and social distancing, there were a lot of celebrations and love that we were lucky to be a part of.
It’s easy to think of 2020 as a bust, but when I went back into each wedding, job, gig, etc and pulled one image from each one, I saw a year that was full of adventure and taking care of one another. It was a wild year, one with immense sentiment and adventure. We will never forget the ways in which our couples and families rallied to make their Plan B’s and even Plan C’s come to life.
So consider this complication mostly for funsies: a sweet throwback to a year that we will never forget. One where in the middle of a pandemic and my entire pregnancy, we still managed to capture 26 weddings and put almost 30k miles on our cars making it happen. A year where we said “yes” as much as we possibly could, despite all the curveballs and weird circumstances. Not a single one of our weddings was unaffected and I spent countless hours on the phone with couples who were devastated to leave their dream weddings behind, but through all the heartache, managed to find epic ways to celebrate nonetheless.
We will forever be grateful for everyone who cared for us last year— it was mostly the small things that carried our morale across the most unpredictable year of our lives. Kim and Alex sent us a package of specialty teas when they had to postpone their wedding, with a short and sweet note acknowledging the hardship of running a biz throughout the pandemic. Jackie and Eric handmade us an Apollo Fields Christmas tree ornament with our logo. My brother in law sewed us a blanket for our baby and stitched his name into the corner.
People sent us notes, gave us hand-me-downs, worked their reschedules around our calendars, and simply checked in when we needed it most. They offered to pay their balances early when they saw small businesses across the whole country hurting. We felt the reciprocity of real community in ways that we never could have imagined.
So year, 2020 was a bit of a trash year and we weren’t exactly sad to see it go. But looking back at these pictures, we have so much to be grateful for. Cheers to our Apollo Fields fam— the hodgepodge of beautiful souls that make up our livelihood and keep us hungry for more adventures.
Love,
Heather, Terrence, and Capa
Harbor Club at Prime Wedding Photography in Huntington, NY
Harbor Club at Prime Wedding Photography in Huntington, NY | Waterfront Weddings at Yacht Club on Long Island New York | Apollo Fields Photographers
Shannon & Eric
Photography: Apollo Fields
Venue: Harbor Club at Prime
Arvada CO Family Photography
Arvada CO Family Photography | Apollo Fields Family Photos | Standley Lake Colorado
