Jewish Wedding Photography – When I am asked to be the wedding photographer for any couple, it is not only humbling for me to be present at what is arguably, the best day of their lives, but I also find it very moving to be offered a glimpse into their faith, beliefs and traditions.
When Jennifer and Andrew asked me to be their Jewish wedding photographer at Park Plaza Victoria I was both curious and excited. It is such an honour to be included in such an intimate religious ceremony. As a wedding photographer you are always aware that you are witness to something wonderful and that was very much apparent at Andrew and Jennifer’s wedding.
Wedding photography at the Park Plaza Victoria is always going to be special as it’s located in the beating heart of London, just minutes away from some of the most iconic London scenes which, as a London wedding photographer, I took full advantage of.
As it was a traditional Jewish wedding, there were a few wedding traditions I had to familiarise myself with such as the Groom’s Tisch. This is an informal reception for the groom where he is greeted by his male guests and then a toast or a l’chaim is drunk in his honour. It’s at this point that the groom signs the marriage contract.
After the Tisch is the Bedecken. This is the official veiling of the bride by the groom and as Jennifer put it, to check that he is marrying the right woman! The groom veils his bride in memory of Rebecca in the Bible when she veiled herself upon seeing her future husband. The bride is then given a special blessing and both prepare for the Chuppah.
The Chuppah is the service of marriage conducted by the rabbi and performed under a canopy which represents the first roof under which the bride and groom come together as one.
The Park Plaza Victoria had excelled themselves in creating wonderfully photogenic arrangements and the lighting was superb. I stayed as late as possible in order to photograph the dances and of course each of the guests sharing in the moment. Once it was dark I managed to grab the bride and groom for those wonderfully romantic London shots. It’s very hard in London wedding photography to capture the stillness of the city and have those iconic backgrounds all to ourselves, but we did manage it somehow and those night shots came out great, as you can see.
My utmost thanks to Jennifer and Andrew for inviting me to be their Victoria Plaza London wedding photographer and making me feel part of the extended family. I hope you enjoy my selection of a few favourite photos.
Finally, a big thanks to my assistant Oli Sandler and second photographer Soven Amatya for all their help on the day.
