I’m starting off the new year with one of my favorite fall weddings. This was a hard one to blog only because I had so many favorites that I could have blogged everything. I can remember when Meghan and Ethan first contacted me about their wedding at Merriweather Manor. Meghan mentioned that they were doing a Jewish ceremony. I was so excited because I absolutely love Jewish ceremonies and I knew that capturing one would be different than my standard wedding. Jewish ceremonies incorporate a lot of well, ceremony and tradition. There’s the Kabbalat Panim, where the bride greets her female guests and the groom toasts with the male guests. It’s also a nice time to catch a moment to refresh and relax before the ceremony. I love this idea! Then there’s the Badeken, or “veiling” where the groom places the veil over his bride’s head which symbolizes modesty and a commitment to protect his wife. The signing of the Ketubah or marriage license, is the formal agreement to marriage and is done in the presence of the Rabbi and witnesses. I loved how excited Meghan was when it became official, she clapped her hands! The ceremony itself takes place under the Chuppah and theirs was made by Meghan’s father. The Chuppah represents the new home that the couple will make together and is open all around to symbolize a welcome home to all. The Chuppah was extra special because the cloth of the Chuppah was made by Meghan’s mom Judith, and her dad constructed the Chuppah. During the ceremony the rings are exchanged as a traditional ceremony would but there are also other elements to the ceremony that are part of the marriage tradition like the recitation of The Seven Blessings over wine which is then given to the bride and groom. The most common element to a Jewish ceremony that you all probably think of is the breaking of the glass at the end of the ceremony. I have always wondered what this symbolizes. The breaking of the glass hearkens back to the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem and is a final reminder to them to always remember Jerusalem. When Ethan stepped on the glass you could actually see the little pieces flying out of the velvet bag. At this point, shouts of “Mazel Tov” greeted Meghan and Ethan as they came down the aisle together as a couple.
Capturing their day was everything I had hoped for and more. Congratulations Meghan and Ethan!
xo,
Shauna
You can’t go wrong with blue Kate Spade shoes. 
Thank you Shauna for making Meghan’s day such a wonderful one and capturing all our family memories!