Orange County Wedding Photographer | An LGBTQ+ Love Story Among the Redwoods
- Aug 12
- 5 min read
There are some couples who make you understand, almost immediately, what it means to feel at home with another person.
Meg and Sammy are one of those couples.
There are certain things couples say that stay with you. When I asked Meg and Sammy to describe each other in one word, they both gave me the same answer: home.
When I sent Meg and Sammy my client questionnaire, I asked them: “What’s one word you would use to describe each other, and why?”
Meg's answer for Sammy was “home.”
She explained that Sammy is everything that word means to her: stable, comfortable, warm, and welcoming.
Then Sammy gave the same answer for Meg: “home.”
She described Meg as feeling like coming inside from a snow day with the fireplace going and fresh-baked cookies on the counter.
I mean… come on.
If that isn't one of the most beautiful descriptions of what it feels like to find your person, I don't know what is.
An LGBTQ+ Love Story in the Redwoods
For their day-after session, we headed to Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea, one of my favorite places in Orange County for couples who want something a little different from the typical Southern California beach photos.
The park is home to Orange County's only grove of redwoods — a three-acre grove of coastal redwoods tucked away in the hills of Brea. Standing underneath those enormous trees with Meg and Sammy felt like the perfect setting for their story.
The Kind of Love I Want to Photograph
As an LGBTQ+ wedding photographer in Orange County, inclusivity isn't something I want to simply put in a sentence on my website. It's something I want couples to actually feel when they work with me.
Your relationship doesn't need to fit a certain mold for your love story to deserve beautiful photographs.
Whether you're two brides, two grooms, or a couple whose relationship doesn't fit neatly into traditional wedding expectations, I want you to feel completely comfortable being yourselves in front of my camera.
Because at the end of the day, I'm not interested in photographing what a wedding is supposed to look like.
I'm interested in photographing you.
The way she looks at you when you aren't paying attention.
The way you instinctively reach for each other's hand.
The ridiculous little things that make you laugh.
The quiet moments when you realize, oh, this is my person.
The kind of moments that make a photograph feel like more than a photograph.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carbon Canyon Regional Park a good location for engagement photos?
Yes—Carbon Canyon Regional Park is one of my favorite Orange County locations for couples who want something a little different from the beach. The park's Redwood Grove is home to approximately three acres of coastal redwoods, creating a beautiful, forested setting for engagement photos, couples sessions, and wedding portraits.
I especially love the rich greens and filtered light here. It gives the whole session a moodier, more intimate feeling and creates a really beautiful contrast to the openness of Orange County's coastal locations.
If you love the idea of your photos feeling a little more intimate, quiet, and almost like you've escaped Southern California for a few hours, Carbon Canyon is such a beautiful option.
Can you take wedding photos at Carbon Canyon Regional Park?
Yes, you can take wedding portraits at Carbon Canyon Regional Park in designated areas of the Redwood Grove. The park is a great option for engagement sessions, couples sessions, and wedding portraits, but wedding ceremonies are not permitted in the Redwood Grove.
That makes it especially fun if you're getting married somewhere else in Orange County but want your portraits to have a completely different look. You can build a separate portrait session around the redwoods without having to make your entire wedding day revolve around the location.
Do you need a permit to take professional photos at Carbon Canyon Regional Park?
Yes. Professional photography at Carbon Canyon Regional Park requires a permit through OC Parks. The permit application is submitted online through the OC Parks Permits Unit, and the current photography permit fee is $150.
If you're planning an engagement session or wedding portrait session at Carbon Canyon, I take care of making sure we're following the park's photography requirements so you don't have to figure it all out on your own.
Note: Permit requirements and fees can change, so always check the current OC Parks information when planning your session.
Do you photograph LGBTQ+ weddings throughout Orange County?
Absolutely. I photograph LGBTQ+ weddings, elopements, engagement sessions, and couples throughout Orange County, Southern California, and anywhere in the world.
And honestly, this is something that means a lot to me.
I don't want LGBTQ+ couples to have to wonder whether their photographer is going to understand their relationship, make assumptions about their roles or relationship dynamics, or make them feel like they're the “different” couple in the room.
You shouldn't have to explain why your relationship is worthy of being photographed. You shouldn't have to wonder whether you'll be treated with the same excitement and care as every other couple. And you definitely shouldn't have to shrink or edit yourselves to fit into someone else's idea of what a wedding is supposed to look like.
Your love is your love. Whether you're two brides, two grooms, or simply a couple who doesn't see yourselves reflected in traditional wedding culture, you deserve a photographer who sees you, respects you, and is genuinely excited to tell your story.
My approach is less about creating the “perfect” wedding photograph and more about creating photographs that feel like you.
So yes, I'm an LGBTQ+ wedding photographer. But more importantly, I'm a photographer who believes every kind of love story deserves to be celebrated fully and honestly.
What is a day-after wedding photography session?
A day-after session is a relaxed portrait session held sometime after your wedding, where you get to put your wedding attire back on and spend some intentional time together without the time constraints of your wedding day. And despite the name, it doesn't have to happen literally the day after your wedding. We can schedule it whenever makes the most sense for you.
One of my favorite things about day-after sessions is that they take away so much of the pressure from the wedding day.
Your wedding day is busy. There are people to greet, hugs to give, timelines to follow, family photos to get through, food to eat, dances to dance, and approximately a million little things happening around you. Trying to squeeze meaningful couple portraits into all of that can sometimes feel like one more thing you have to accomplish.
A day-after session gives you permission to slow down.
You can put your wedding clothes back on, take a breath, and spend some time together without a room full of people waiting for you.
It also means we're not limited to your wedding venue. We can choose a location that feels completely different from your wedding day — like the redwoods at Carbon Canyon, the beach, the mountains, or somewhere that has personal meaning to the two of you.
There's no rushing back to your reception. No watching the clock. No worrying about whether your guests are waiting for you.
Just the two of you, still riding the high of being newly married, with a little more time to actually take it all in.
And selfishly? I love these sessions because they often produce some of my favorite photographs. There's a different kind of intimacy when the wedding-day rush is over and a couple can simply settle into each other.
Sometimes the best wedding portraits aren't the ones we manage to squeeze into the wedding day. Sometimes they're the ones we give ourselves permission to slow down for.
Looking for an Inclusive Orange County Wedding Photographer?
If you're planning an LGBTQ+ wedding, elopement, or engagement session in Orange County and want photographs that feel candid, cinematic, and genuinely you, I'd love to hear what you're planning. Get in touch here!