Aaden and Sam celebrated their rustic ranch wedding in east Orange County, outdoors, under beautiful oak trees! This wedding was so special for a number of reasons, one being that the groom is my brother-in-law. I felt honored that they asked me to photograph their wedding while also taking part in all the beautiful family events over the weekend. 

From Summer Camp to Engagement 

Individually, Aaden and Sam are both extremely adventurous and outdoorsy, so it is certainly no surprise to family and friends that they met while working at an outdoor summer camp. Aaden immediately felt a spark with Sam and asked her out. It’s actually pretty funny, Sam was thinking of moving to Montana during that same summer but had this urge to stick around for her love story to unfold with Aaden. They are very salt of the earth kind of people, and we are all so happy that they found each other! The couple got engaged on a family ski trip to Colorado in December 2022, and then headed back to Orange County to have their wedding in August 2023. With the help of Fetelle Designs, the couple was able to make their quick engagement to be married happen! 

Wedding Under Oak Trees

Aaden and Sam’s wedding weekend was a laid-back, family-oriented event in Orange County. They chose a beautiful outdoor setting under oak trees, creating a cozy atmosphere for the weekend. While still having that outdoor-adventure element that speaks to them as a couple. Friends and family came together for days filled with fun and closeness, enjoying an evening around a bonfire, cooking meals together and more. 

Labor of Love

Leading into the wedding, family and friends were also super hands on which I loved being part of.  Sam’s sister, who is a fashion designer, helped design her dress pattern then they worked together with a seamstress to create her wedding gown. They had their favorite carrot cake, handmade by Aaden’s mom (my mother-in-law!), and it was so special! They even had a close family friend who is a musician, Happy Rabbit, bring the fun vibes to the party. It was a labor of love, with the communal efforts making the day all the more special. They even had their family dog, Tucker, there to add a cute touch to the relaxed and homey celebration!

Capturing the Moments

Being both family and the photographer, I got to capture all the quirky, fun candid moments that made Aaden and Sam’s wedding uniquely theirs. This wasn’t just any rustic ranch wedding in Orange County. It was a celebration that screamed Aaden and Sam – adventurous, full of life, and unapologetically fun! Every moment was a blast, and I’m so happy I got to be a part of it.

Photographing a family wedding was an entirely new experience for me, and a deeply meaningful one. As I documented this day, I thought about the kinds of photos that I would want to remember it by, because I was the creator behind the pictures. Really made the moments stand out anew and capturing the emotions in front of me was essential to the story.

In The Couples Words

Via Yelp: “Erin photographed our wedding in the summer in Southern California and she was absolutely amazing, not just through her photos, but through her beautiful and comforting personality too. She photographed our day through documentary style wedding photos which brought to life our night and allowed my husband and I to recount and see our wedding through the eyes of our guests. She captured each and every moment, taking time to shoot not only digital, but film as well, keeping those extra special moments timeless. Her photographs have turned into pictures that we will hold on to and cherish for a lifetime to come and we will forever be grateful for all the memories that were preserved for us through her work :)” – Sam and Aaden

Loving these photos from their Rustic Ranch Wedding in Orange County? Check out their engagement photos here: Motorcycle Engagement Photos in San Clemente. Feel free to reach out anytime to see the full galleries or inquire about your own wedding!