Deborah and Sean were married in a beautiful Sephardic Orthodox Jewish wedding ceremony on a blustery winter’s day at the stunning Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, California.\u00a0I love\u00a0photographing\u00a0Jewish\u00a0weddings\u00a0because there are so many wonderful traditions involved with each and every event. Deborah chose a stunning yellow decor motif for her flowers and chuppah,\u00a0taking care to make sure that the yarmulkes were also a fun yellow hue. The end result with a beautiful complement to the azure blue waters\u00a0of the Laguna Niguel coastline.\u00a0One of my favorite parts of the wedding ceremony was when Sean\u00a0danced down the aisle to meet his bride and her parents. All the guests and family members were clapping\u00a0as Sean did his\u00a0traditional dance with great theatrical effect. I just loved it. He then danced for her again right before we went to the beach to do some after-ceremony portraits.<\/p>\n
The reception took place in the Ritz-Carlton Pacific Promenade Ballroom, which is a lovely room for a party\u00a0as it provides privacy and some wonderful ocean views just outside the building. The reception\u00a0was a lovely affair\u00a0with a fabulous Horah followed by a wedding feast, more dancing and then benching (a set of Hebrew blessings). The Horah is traditionally danced to Hava Nagila and can go on for an hour or more. I’ve always thought the key was to completely exhaust the bride and groom, but the endless dancing is\u00a0really just to celebrate the joy of the couple’s wedding. It’s every photographer for\u00a0herself (or himself) while trying to photograph a Horah, and most experienced Jewish wedding photographers agree that a perch atop a ladder\u00a0provides the best vantage point. I’ve included one of my favorite engagement photos of Deborah and Sean at the end of\u00a0this post. Sadly, that beautiful painting of textbooks is now gone, having been replaced by a sad shade of solid gray paint.<\/p>\n
With coordination by Lisa Simpson Weddings<\/a>, florals\u00a0by Events by\u00a0Sammy, videography by Yoni at Timeline Cinema<\/a>, rentals from Hollywood Event Rentals<\/a>, and hair and makeup by Natalie at Beach Bridal Beauty<\/a>. With second shooting by the wonderful Yoshi Morimoto<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t\t