Real Wedding - Baltimore, MD - Michael Temchine

Real Wedding Description

Every wedding is filled with emotion. Most weddings are a steady path ascending to greater heights of excitement and joy. My favorite weddings are those that rise and fall like mountain peaks, mimicing life. Orthodox Jewish weddings, whether they be modern, frum, chassidish, or some variety thereof are the latter kind. They start with solemnity and private prayer, the kallah (bride) and chosson (groom) are then welcomed to their respective sides as song, dance, and drink are enjoyed at the tish and kabbalat panim. The chosson is then danced in heart pumping excitement as he is led to his kallah and he places the veil over her (bedeken) and while the those in attendance are exuberant the couple and their family share quiet words. More dancing and singing lead to the  chuppah where, again, the energy changes leading into a quiet moment, of course they are danced on their way, yichud, where the couple get to be alone beofre the party really gets started.

This flow permeates the photos from Bari and Hillel's wedding at the Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, MD just north of Baltimore. Their friends and family erupted in joy at the bedeken, were solemn under the chuppah, and bursting blood vessels during the dancing. They took their charge to make the chosson and kallah happy on their wedding day to the extreme. Never for a moment letting them be anything but the King and Queen they are on their wedding day.