fused with her passion for story telling, so I turned to her for the answer to this question:
How can you photographically tell the story of your wedding day to authentically reveal your style, personality and love?
China has a long history of story telling. "My parents were both documentary photographers," she explains in her gentle voice. "My father was taking photos of Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary in the 60's. Mom was an amazing woman! She traveled as a writer, photographer and photo editor for the United Nations."
So it seems documentary photography is in your blood?
"Oh, yes! And so is travel." China laughs. "I graduated from Bard with a major in film, worked in the NYC film world for a while. I lived in California, worked on a whale watching boat in Provincetown, lived in Paris, taught English in Prague, before coming back to New York."
"My background in story-telling, travel and teaching really helps me feel comfortable in situations I don't know, so it helps me observe and document everything as it unfolds," she says.
What do I do to tell the story of my wedding day in a way that really fits me? How do I find the right photographer to help me 
do it?
Meet with the photographer if possible and make sure you feel comfortable with them. "They're going to be with you in very intimate situations on a big day in your life, so make sure you enjoy them," she says.
Before the wedding, China recommends doing an engagement shoot with the photographer. It's a great way to get to know them and make sure you feel comfortable working together. Asking your photographer to shoot the rehearsal dinner as well develops a familiarity that leads to comfortable, fun to take photos on your wedding day.
Ask to see the FULL wedding album shot by the photographer. "Some photographers take beautiful images and you'll see snippets of many weddings. But make sure you look at an entire wedding so you'll know how they see it and if that style matches what you want for your wedding," China says.
"Plus," she adds, "it's so much fun to look at flowers and dresses, the tables, all those details that will give you ideas for your own wedding!"
Let the photographer know if anything special is going to happen on the day of your wedding. "For example, at one of my weddings the groom's parents were celebrating their anniversary that day and had a special cake. If I know the importance of these events, it helps me capture those memories and give them a special place in the story of your day."
Provide your photographer with your wedding invitation. This way he or she can include it in your album as a part of your wedding story.
On the day of your wedding, forget about your photographer. "Don't be self-conscious," China advises. "At a certain point there is so much going on that you will just forget about me." 
That's how you get the most natural, authentic photos.
Make sure you feel comfortable with the things you do on your wedding day. "I recommend limiting the amount of portraits to 15. It takes 2-4 minutes for each portrait, so 15 of them add up to 45 minutes!" China says. "People get tired of standing and smiling."
If possible, take portraits before the ceremony. This way you can get it out of the way early so that you can relax and enjoy your cocktail hour.
Everything takes longer than you think; allow LOTS of extra time. "Try to realize the timing of things," China says. "If your day is well-organized it goes more smoothly."
What is the most unusual wedding you've ever done?
"It would have to be the wedding in New Orleans." China's voice is dreamy, remembering. "It was a two day event. On the first day we did the second line walk with the band through the French Quarter. On the second day we took a bus to an old mansion where the bride wore a red dress and danced to a Zydeco band. I got to tell the story of that whole weekend."
"I also photographed an amazing wedding last year at Rokeby Farm," China says. "An old-time band led square dancing in front of the mansion and there were old-fashioned candle lantern balloons released at the end of the night."
What is something no one knows about you?
"I love playing the harmonica!" China laughs softly. "I have six harmonicas in different keys. I jam out at home with my partner to Johnny Cash."
China sums up her love of wedding photography. "I love to shoot the WHOLE DAY, starting with getting ready. The characters of your story, those key people, really come out and your wedding story unfolds."
*All photos in this blog post courtesy of China Jorrin Photography.
China Jorrin brings her experience as documentary, portrait and fine art photographer to her Hudson Valley wedding photography. While remaining unobtrusive, she captures the candid moments to create an intimate, beautiful record of the day.