“Have you ever shot an Orthodox Jewish Wedding before?” - Jennifer, the bride’s mother
”I haven’t….” - me

This was an opportunity. Not only an opportunity to capture the union of Jillian & Michael, but also to experience Jewish culture at a depth that I had never experienced before.

Tisch - Within Hasidic Judaism, a tische refers to any joyous public celebration or gathering or meal by Hasidim at a "table" of their Rebbe. Such a gathering is staged around the blessing of Melchizedek-themed "setting of the table" and so is often referred to in Hebrew as Arichat HaShulchan ( עריכת השולחן‎).

Bedeken - (Yiddish: באַדעקן‎ badekn, lit. covering), is the ceremony where the groom veils the bride in a Jewish wedding.

I was both anxious and excited. After shooting weddings for over 10 years, I had never captured Jewish tradition at such a level. On top of that, Jillian & Michael were the sweetest couple in the world. Jillian, excited and ambitious. Michael, cautiously reserved yet optimistic.

A few things struck me throughout the day. The level of excitement was through the roof between the bride and her mother. The anticipation was palpable. You see…..Jillian & Michael had chosen each other. They had never held hands, which was a testament to their faith and tradition. They were very intentional in getting to know each other during their courtship. They chose…..each other.

The 2nd thing that struck me was the amount of sheer celebration that occurred throughout the day. There was singing….raucous singing. The kind of singing that blows the roof off. There was dancing and chanting and bonding that was happening. There was a history of a people.

The 3rd thing that struck me was the amount of connecting prayer throughout the day. When I first saw Jillian, she was quiet, in the prep room, reading from the Tehillim (the book of psalms), and chanting to herself. Whenever she wanted that moment of connection, she would excuse herself and pray. The reception ended with a Sheva Brachot (the seven blessings), which was read by seven guests and family members, while guided by one of the two Rabbis.

Often times tradition can be seen as something morose. Something of the past that needs to be evolved or changed or modified. At the heart of Jillian & Michael’s tradition was a love and gratitude for God first & foremost, a love and gratitude for each other, and the wisdom granted to a young couple from centuries of history’s teachings.

Vendors: Planner - Erin Hagstrom, Venue - The Hamilton Club, Video - Garrity Powers, Livestream - Ben Reeder, Chuppa - Shumaker, Flowers - Petals w/ Style, Reception Draping - Stray Productions, Food - Boscov’s Catering