Jewish Wedding Photographer London
The bedeken, the ketubah, the chuppah, the glass and the chairs. I know the order of a Jewish wedding day, and where I need to be for each part of it.
A Jewish wedding has a running order all of its own, and most of the best photographs depend on knowing it.
The bedeken happens before most guests have sat down. The ketubah signing is over in minutes. The glass breaks once. I ask for your timings early, talk to your rabbi or the venue if it helps, and make sure I'm in the right place before each moment rather than chasing it.
Photographing a Jewish wedding
The ketubah signing
Signed before the ceremony, often at the tisch with close family and the witnesses. I photograph the signing, the faces round the table, and the ketubah itself, which is usually worth a picture on its own.
The bedeken
The groom veils the bride, usually with both families crowded round. It's quick and emotional, and it's one of the moments couples tell me they didn't expect to love as much as they do.
Under the chuppah
The circling, the rings, the seven blessings and the breaking of the glass. I work quietly from the side and the back, and agree beforehand with the rabbi where I can and can't stand.
Yichud and the hora
A few minutes alone together after the ceremony. Then the hora, the chairs and a dance floor that rarely empties. I stay close for the lifts, which move fast and don't happen twice.
Portraits without missing the party
Editorial for the portraits, documentary for everything else. At a Jewish wedding the portraits usually fit best just before the ceremony, if you're happy to see each other first, or straight after the yichud, when you're already away from your guests. Fifteen or twenty minutes, then you're back.
Jewish weddings tend to have big families on both sides. Send me the list of groups beforehand and pick someone from each side who knows everyone. Allow about five minutes a group.
If your rabbi or synagogue has rules about photography during the service, I'll check them in advance and work to them. Nobody should have to explain them to me on the day.
Where I've photographed Jewish weddings
I've photographed Jewish weddings at Claridge's, The Mandarin Oriental and The Ritz, and abroad at the James Burden Mansion in New York. These are the London hotels couples ask me about most.
- Claridge'sArt Deco and very Mayfair. My Claridge's guide covers the rooms and the light.
- The Mandarin Oriental Hyde ParkUsed to long days with several parts, and menus can be kosher. See my Mandarin Oriental guide.
- The RitzSmall, formal and gilded. My Ritz guide has the rooms.
- The Landmark LondonOffers kosher menus, with the eight-storey Winter Garden at its centre. More on my Landmark page.
What Jewish wedding photography costs
The same collections I offer for every London wedding, priced by the hours you actually need.
Ceremony through to the speeches.
- For smaller weddings and daytime receptions
- Ketubah signing and bedeken
- The chuppah
- Drinks and family groups
- Dinner and speeches
Preparations through to the first dance.
- The standard full London wedding day
- Getting ready
- Tisch, ketubah and bedeken
- The chuppah and yichud portraits
- Dinner, first dance and the hora
Preparations through to the last dance.
- For big celebrations where nothing gets missed
- Everything in Classic
- The chairs and the full dance floor
- The evening party
- An unhurried pace all day
A second photographer is £1,250, and worth thinking about for a big Jewish wedding with both families getting ready in different places. Albums are quoted separately. The full breakdown is on my London wedding photography prices page. I also photograph Persian and Asian weddings, and civil ceremonies at Old Marylebone Town Hall for couples who do the legal part first. More venues are on my London wedding venues page.
Jewish wedding questions
Do you know the order of a Jewish wedding day?
Yes. I've photographed Jewish weddings in London and abroad. Send me your running order early and I'll plan where I need to be for the tisch, the ketubah signing, the bedeken, the chuppah and the dancing.
Can you photograph during the ceremony under the chuppah?
Usually, yes, but it's up to your rabbi and, for a synagogue wedding, the synagogue. Some ask for no photography during parts of the service, or only from the back. I check with them beforehand and work to whatever they ask.
When do we take our couple portraits?
Either before the ceremony, if you're happy to see each other first, or straight after the yichud, when the two of you are already away from your guests. Fifteen or twenty minutes is enough.
Will you photograph the hora and the chair lift?
Yes. It's one of the best parts of the day to photograph. I stay close and keep shooting, because the lifts are quick and they don't happen twice.
How much does a Jewish wedding photographer in London cost?
My London collections are £1,350 for five hours, £1,800 for eight and £2,200 for eleven. A second photographer is £1,250, and worth it for a big Jewish wedding when both families are getting ready in different places.
How quickly do we get our photos?
Weddings of up to five hours within 24 hours, and seven hours or more within a week, in a private online gallery with high-resolution downloads and no watermarks.
Planning a Jewish wedding in London?
Send me your date, and your running order if you have one. I read every enquiry myself and I'll let you know straight away whether I'm free.
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