M+J’s Avidity Wines Micro Wedding

Some weddings steal a portion of my heart that makes it hard for me to write about them. This is one of those weddings, and I’m so incredibly excited to finally feature their micro wedding. M+J officially tied the knot at their Avidity Wines Micro Wedding in 2022, and then we partied it up in 2023 with the whole gang. You might remember these two from their Cannon Beach Engagement session where we gave nod to the classic Notebook kiss. Today we’re chatting about their noteworthy pivot to a micro wedding in 2022.

A False Start

2022 was the only year we ever tried to use associates as an option in our wedding packages and we’d been double booked for M+J’s original wedding date. Jake and our associate, Sophia, would be staying local to photograph Amanda + Mitchell’s wedding while the kids, my mom and I headed to Oregon to photograph M+J’s wedding (Emi was already a skilled second photographer at this time and we planned for her to accompany me). When we travel for weddings, we like to leave on Thursdays and this wedding was no different. However, as we were driving south, I received a phone call that was all too common between 2020 + 2023: the couple needed to postpone. 

Thankfully, we were able to pivot with M+J to their Avidity Wines Micro Wedding a few weeks later before Nana had to head home. (Note: Always make sure your VIPs are able to attend! Your wedding won’t be the same without them!) M+J planned a beautiful intimate micro wedding at a local winery and I couldn’t have dreamed of a more beautiful location for these two to tie the knot! 

Avidity Wines Micro Wedding

Arriving at Avidity Wines was an incredibly unique experience. I thought for sure that Jake got lost, as we toured the winding road through the trees. But as we crested to the top of Parrett Mountain in Newberg, we were able to see the reason they chose this place. The rolling vineyards gave way to spectacular views of the neighboring hillsides. It felt like you could see forever. 

Avidity Wines was gracious to allow the wedding to take place after hours, and the last of the winery guests were leaving as we arrived. Everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming, while the hustle of setting up the ceremony space ensued. Family members gathered together hauling chairs, securing the arbor, decorating and arranging the snacks and tables for the reception. The excited chatter and banter made us feel right at home while we set about photographing the details so meticulously arranged by the family members. 

Micro Weddings have a very unique feeling. The level of intimacy you’ll have with your vendors that day is nothing like when your wedding day is large. Without fail, there wasn’t a time I couldn’t capture M+J in my camera viewfinder, which means we were all basically joined at the hips. 

M+J kept their ceremony short and sweet, while the team at Avidity helped me get a really cool vantage point from top of a ladder. It’s become one of my favorite views to snag during wedding ceremonies, and I love being able to provide couple’s with those fun photos. 

Reception After Dark

M+J’s sunset wedding gave us an incredible opportunity to photograph all the things during that golden hour without interrupting the flow of the day. We started with their couple’s portraits then moved into their reception. But we found, even though their venue was placed on top of a hill, the sun quickly dipped and left us all in the dark. It was the prime test for my lighting kit and skill level when we needed to complete the family portraits in the dark. 

Their Avidity Wines Micro Wedding concluded sooner than we hoped (for we love this entire family), but it all led up to their incredible Albany Golf + Country Club wedding in 2023. It served to be proof that your day can be perfect, even if it’s not the wedding day you’d dreamed of.