This extra special elopement and rehearsal dinner in May of 2022 for Grace and Johnny was such an honor to photograph. Not only was the intimate elopement with family beautiful, but one of my favorite moments from the weekend was the beautiful rehearsal dinner capturing such personal moments between these two families becoming one. Keep on scrollin’ to get a closer look at why this rehearsal dinner and elopement was one of my favs from 2022!
A Noteworthy Rehearsal Dinner With Significant Moments
Grace and Johnny opted to have photos at their rehearsal dinner instead of engagement photos. This rehearsal dinner was very significant to them because this was the first time their families were meeting. Yep, you heard that right! They hired a private chef to cook for them in their home so their families could really focus on getting to know one another and bond before their elopement the next day.
We headed to their community park to capture this moment for them to look back on and it was such a fun time. Watching these two families bond before my eyes was so special for me. I also loved the whole experience Grace and Johnny created for their families. Instead of having a large rehearsal dinner or a big wedding, they chose to really create a family focused experience for their wedding weekend!
An Intimate Elopement With Cherished Family
The next morning I met up with Grace and Johnny at St. Thomas Korean Catholic Center in Anaheim for their elopement. It was great to have seen them the night before and the whole family was already so comfortable around me, which makes for the most authentic and memorable photos!
I Do’s At St Thomas Korean Catholic Center in Anaheim, California
This elopement was very small and intimate with just their immediate family supporting them. St Thomas Korean Catholic Center was absolutely gorgeous with classic wood pews and romantic moody lighting shining through the small windows. There is something about small weddings like this that makes the ceremony so profound. Starting your new life with your partner surrounded solely by those who love you most.
Grace & Johnny’s Love Story
Grace & Johnny’s love story is a funny start but a gift from the universe for one another, let me have Grace tell the story…
“We met through Craigslist…not through the classified lol. I was a real estate agent that listed couple of rentals and Johnny inquired about them as he was looking for rentals for him and his aunt. Couple months later, he asked me to go to his birthday shindig at a club. I brought a couple of my friends, tried to actually hook one of my friends up with him. My friend came back and told me she was not interested because Johnny spent the night talking about me. 1st date was 07/29/2011 at OC Fair. Afterwards we went to Newport Beach and sat and chatted on the swings. Little did we both know, we both got motion sickness from rocking back and forth. Neither of us said anything until we got to the car. We used this date as our anniversary. He told me that just before he met me, he asked God to bring him someone to settle down with and I showed up. Grace means a gift from God which he pointed out to me. For me, I’ve had dreams about a faceless man since I was in high school and when I met this faceless man, all I knew was that I loved him. When Johnny entered my life, the next couple of months, no matter how many times I saw him, when I tried to remember his face when I was not with him, he was faceless. A little over 10 years later, he proposed. We have a dog together named Riley. She just turned 2 on 11/1. We love to travel and wherever we travel to, we love to kick off the vacation with a hike. Our favorite spot so far is Zion. Johnny is a foodie so he has opened my eyes and stomach to a lot of great eats. Sushi is our favorite but our go-to default when we can’t decide is In-N-Out.” - Grace
How Romantic is that!?
Southern California Elopement Photographer
This wedding really stands out to me because the overall experience they created was exactly what they dreamed of, not what they thought a wedding needed to look like. If you are dreaming up your dream wedding day, always do what you and your partner dream of, not what others are telling you! If you just want it to be only close family or even just you two, DO IT!
Head over to check out my pricing here and inquire here when you are ready to capture your real and raw moments!
