Last May, I went to NYC to photograph a wedding. It was not like any other wedding I had ever photographed before. There were a few factors which were new to me. First of all it was a deeply religious Jewish Orthodox wedding. Secondly, my approach for this wedding was pure photojournalistic style with minimum interaction with guests. and most importantly it was a my photo project I dreamed about for past few years. For this wedding I left my digital cameras at home and came prepared with over 40 rolls of 35mm and 120 film, 2 - 35mm cameras 1 loaded with color, the other with black and white film and medium format camera Hasselblad 503CX with 3 backs holding color negatives in different iso speeds as well as positive. The ceremony and reception were at the same place at the Ohel David & Shlomo Temple, Brooklyn, NY. The Bride and The Groom were preparing for the wedding in different parts of the building and could not see each other. After they put on their wedding attire, the ceremonies began at the same time in two different rooms. In the groom’s room the ceremonies of Tish, Tena’in and Kethuba signing took place while the bride was taken outside of her room to be greeted by all female family and friends and prepared for Bedeken. After Bedeken the Bride received blessings from her closest family and afterward the Wedding Ceremony began. At first the groom was escorted by his father and the father of the bride to the temple where he stayed under the Chuppah waiting for the bride who was being escorted by her mother and the mother of the groom. The Bride then circles the groom seven times as seven blessings are recited and at the end the groom brakes the glass. Right after that the newly weds go to separate rooms for The Yihud. After the Yihud, the Festivities begin, full of dancing and laughter. Men and women celebrate separately. The Bride and Groom and their closest family members are lifted in the chairs in to the air. After toasts the meal was served, followed by more dancing and by the very end of the evening by the ending prayers. Jewish Weddings are filled with lots of important ceremonies. My focus was not only on the bride and groom but also on their families and friends, capturing those reactions which surrounded them during the day. Being able to photograph this deeply spiritual wedding was an amazing experience, and I hope that if you look at my photographs you will need no explanation. The images speaks for themselves.
