The next wedding of the summer came on the first of August. Lauren, a friend from my time in the art department at Bellarmine, reached out a while before and asked if i'd be the photographer at her wedding. I was honored and thrilled to accept. Lauren and Jose were married at Duncan Memorial Chapel. I asked Emily Strobel to assist me during the ceremony. Together we carried in our gear and got things set up as guests began to arrive. 

This wedding was different than ones I've shot in the past for many different reasons, one of which being that I did not see Lauren before the ceremony began, and only briefly met Jose before hand, introducing myself as I snapped a photo of him greeting guests at the door of the chapel. His nervous excitement was visible on his face as he waited for the ceremony to begin.

In the days leading up to her wedding, Lauren asked me to take two particular photos day of. She asked that I please capture the two of them hugging their parents at the bingeing of the ceremony, and that I get a photo of Jose's face when he saw her walking down the aisle. I was nervous about the latter, because in all the years I've been shooting weddings, I've only seen the groom visibly react a handful of times. I had Emily S. shooting from the back of the chapel while I stood at the other end of the aisle (popping shots of the guests and the wedding party as they entered) so I told her that it was crucial we get Jose's face as he saw his bride for the first time. She did not disappoint. That photo is one of my favorites from the day. 

So many things about Lauren and Jose's day were unique - their programs, titled "How to Enjoy a Judaic-Cuban Wedding : A Beginners Guide", the Chuppah, a canopy carried in and held by the four members of their bridal party, greeting their parents at the end of the aisle, and (possibly my favorite) breaking a glass together at the end of the ceremony. Every aspect of the ceremony was special, and a joy to document.