Shajar and Shore had a gorgeous Valley Terrace New York wedding. This wedding had a few firsts for me. It was my first Jewish Orthodox wedding and it was my first time working with family. I try to avoid family weddings, but Shore is my second cousin who I didn't even meet until they booked me, so I figured it was okay to make an exception for these two.

Leading up to the wedding day, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I tried to do my research in advance, so I really only knew two things before the day: there would be a lot of traditional elements and it would be a blast. I seriously have never seen a wedding with so much energy! Shajar and Shore along with their friends kept dancing all night long. It was an incredible experience to be part of.

At one point in the night, one of my relatives asks me how this compares to the traditional weddings I capture most often. My response was "All weddings are crazy, but this crazy is very controlled. Every part of the day has a purpose even if it doesn't look very organized from the outside." My response easily sums up the entire day. There was so much purpose in every word read and every song sung.

Thank you to my family for thinking of me! I had such a wonderful time. Book me for more Jewish Orthodox weddings please.

PS - I never post family formals to the blog, but considering this is my family, I'm going for it. I handed the wedding planner my camera so I could be included in the family formals. She said that was a first for her. Well, we all had a lot of firsts and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Moral to the story, when you are hiring a photographer, it doesn't necessarily matter if they aren't experienced in your particular style of weddings. As long as they know how to be a great wedding photographer, the rest is pretty easy to figure out.

Venue: Valley Terrace

Florist: Esther's Flowers

Makeup: Color Makeup Studio

Photography and Videography: E. Golden Moments

- Hear from the bride -

Share the inspiration and atmosphere you're creating for your wedding:

I want it to feel like you are at Cinderella's ball (if she were an Orthodox Jew). I want royalty and grandeur to radiate from every aspect of my wedding and want to live my childhood dream of being a princess.

Share how (or why) you chose your wedding venue(s):

It is a beautiful venue with a staff that knows what they are doing.

What is your most valuable piece of advice you can share with future couples planning their wedding?

Everyone will try to give you unsolicited advice. It is not about them. For one day, it is all about you and you should not feel guilty about putting your wants first.

What was your favorite part of the planning process?

Creating the Pinterest boards was the best part. The infinite possibilities, the inspiration, the creativity. There are so many things I loved and wanted to see myself doing, and I loved every part of that process.