I met Delilah and Adam at a kosher vegetarian Chinese food restaurant in San Francisco, which seemed fitting given our combined heritages. From the moment I met them, I was intrigued by their connection to each other, their values, and their commitment to creating a traditional yet modern Jewish wedding, full of celebration, family, and love. Adam and Delilah wove in many traditional ceremonies that I had not seen before, going beyond the traditional chuppah, breaking of the glass, and chair dancing. They took those traditions and paid homage to them, yet modernized a few ever so slightly to fit their own progressive values. Never have I seen a bride and groom be so present at their own wedding. It seemed like they heard the usual advice about weddings going by too fast and took the time to have earnest conversations with their guests and to be present. It taught me a lot.
Delilah under deluge while getting ready.
The men and women were separated prior to the ceremony; the women giving blessings to Delilah while the men were giving roasts to Adam. A band of musicians then led the men to the women, singing and dancing, where Adam made his way over to Delilah to see her for the first time.
After the ceremony there was more singing and dancing and the traditional chair dance. The band was amazing and so joyful.
These next two photographs really made me blink away the tears:
Lastly, a huge thank you to photographer Rudi Halbright who referred me as he was an invited guest to the wedding. For many reasons, it made my day to see Rudi back in action. Here he is with Adam!
See their post-wedding wedding portraits in a future blog post!
