A Beautiful Wedding Celebration: Jorieden + Mitch

Couples, Love, Wedding

September 22, 2021

I must be so incredibly lucky because I was the photographer for Jorieden and Mitch for their engagement session, but also their wedding in January of 2021 and their reception in June later that year! I am intentional about how many weddings I shoot a year because booking and serving clients who align with my values and vibe make the photos more connected and meaningful. Exhibit A: the totally awesome chemistry Jorieden, Mitch, and I had when we did their initial consult made shooting their engagement and two weddings an immediate YES! I have totally loved being their wedding photographer.

If you haven’t read the beginning of my journey with Jorieden + Mitch, go ahead and take a peek at it here! I promise it is well worth the click. 😉

An Emotional COVID Micro-Wedding

After working together on their engagement session in June of 2020, Jorieden, Mitch, and I had to take a pause on working together for everyone’s safety. We knew that there would be a beautiful wedding to shoot… eventually. We just weren’t sure when exactly it was going to be yet.

In January of 2021, they decided they couldn’t wait any longer to get married. The couple scheduled a very small ceremony with family and Zoom access for friends. To be honest, this is one of my most favorite events I have ever captured. I absolutely loved being their wedding photographer. The ceremony took place in Mitch’s family’s backyard. We took romantic portraits in the yard, cried during the vow exchange with the officiant, and then hung out and celebrated with family. There’s something special about bearing witness to a family home. In this past year, many couples were married in settings like this — emotions on their sleeve and focused on what matters.

A photo of a groom kissing a bride's hand.

A bride and groom participating in a ceremony to get married during their micro-wedding.

A bride and groom holding hands after leaving their ceremony. The bride is smiling right at the photographer and holding up her ring.

And this certainly was a family affair — both for Jorieden and Mitch, but also me! LOL. My wife R coordinated the zoom, I took the wedding photos, and my mom cooked some of the reception food. And let me tell ya, we did a damn good job. (R’s been trying to convince me to let her be my second shooter for years, but I think she’d be a stellar DJ and emcee…)

My favorite moment of this event was definitely the ceremony. The ceremony was all about the journey that Jorieden and Mitch have been on together with their families. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the whole space.

Mini bottles of champagne for a micro-wedding in Southern California.

A small naked cake with a candle and a topper for a micro-wedding in Southern California.

The bride and groom showing their wedding bands to their family over zoom.

A bride and groom cutting their cake during their micro-wedding in Southern California.

A bride and groom sharing a toast at their micro-wedding in Southern California.

A bride and groom kissing at their micr-wedding in Southern California.

A photo of a bride's bouquet during her micro-wedding.

A photo a bride during her micro-wedding.

A photo of a family during a backyard micro COVID wedding.

A Celebratory Family-Focused Wedding Reception

And when COVID took a small break and Jorieden and Mitch’s family were vaccinated, the couple felt confident in hosting a beautiful reception at the Turnip Rose in Costa Mesa. This event was ALL about celebrating their family and community, who supported them throughout their whole relationship. It was a blast to honor their relationships and be their wedding photographer once again.

A groom and his groomsmen having a final toast before joining the wedding reception.

The bride and groom holding each other next to greenery. Their foreheads are touching.

The bridesmaids posing with their bride.

An entire wedding party hugging and cheering on the bride and groom.

While there are so many incredibly joyful moments to choose from, I would have to say that my favorite was definitely their vow exchange and private first look. In lieu of having another ceremony, they chose to write their own vows to be exchanged after their first look. This was a STAND OUT moment, and the photos turned out so beautiful. I truly believe that because Jorieden and Mitch took the time and space to be just with each other, they were able to relax and enjoy the rest of the celebration.

The couple’s main goal during their reception was to celebrate their community and get fantastic wedding photos of their friends and family to look back on. It was so great to be able to watch them interact with all of the people that they love so much. Everything they did that day was about how they took care of each other, family members, cousins, and friends.

The bride and groom holding each other after a private vow exchange before their wedding.

Floral details of the wedding day that the photographer captured.

Glass details of the wedding day that the photographer captured.

Cake details of the wedding day that the photographer captured.

Decor details of the wedding day that the photographer captured.

Cake serving ware details of the wedding day that the photographer captured.

A bride and groom walking into their wedding in Costa Mesa.

A crowd of guests raising their glasses to cheer the bride and groom of the wedding.

A bride and groom dancing and laughing during their wedding in Costa Mesa.

The father-daughter dance during a wedding in Costa Mesa.

The mother-son dance during a wedding in Costa Mesa.

A photo of two women hugging and crying at a wedding.

Jorieden and Mitch are one of my favorite couples to have ever worked with. Witnessing their journey together to marriage was an honor. If you are a couple interested in my photography services for your wedding, click the button below! Note that I only take a few weddings a year because this process means a lot to me. I’m not a photo factory that just slips my couples into cookie cutter poses, vibes, and templates. I’m passionate about telling stories of intersecting identities and true love.