I met Robert a few months ago through the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) and we talked about doing a feature on him for my blog - he came up with a great idea of featuring all the different religious and ethnic weddings he's done in New York City. I immediately jumped at the chance to be a part of this because it's one of the reasons I love New York - there are so many different people and different places to get married, that you really can't repeat the same wedding twice. So without further adieu, I give to you Robert London of Robert London Wedding Photography.
These images illustrate why being a wedding photographer in NYC is so great, I receive emails all the time from people around the world who are coming to NYC to have a destination wedding. Also there is such a depth of religions and cultures of people who reside here there are literally thousands of places of worship, I believe unequal to any place elsewhere in the world. Wedding photographers in smaller towns go to the same houses of worship and the few wedding halls in the community - that would make me crazy; it would just become too formal after some time. Here in NYC staying fresh and experiencing new cultures and venues is just a way of life!
Candelabra headdress (Shamadan) Shamadan is traditionally performed at weddings in Egypt. The candles represent light, love and prosperity. The Egyptian phrase used to describe dancing with a candelabra is Raqs Al Shamadan, commonly referred to as Shamadan. The ancient Egyptians were the first civilization to regard marriage as a legal relationship.
Korean: Notice no one smiles, and I knew this Bride - she is one of the funniest people so it was odd to see her in this character. It was my first Korean wedding so during the formals I said “okay everyone smile” and she responded “just take the picture, Korean’s don’t smile!”
One interesting belief in Korea is that if the groom smiles a lot during the ceremony, the couple's first child will be a boy!
Classical Lebanese belly dancing will often be performed at the wedding reception, symbolizing the bride's transformation into a sensual woman. If the bride steps on a single girl's foot it is believed that it'll bring her luck and that she's going to marry soon.
The Lion dance originated in China close to a thousand years ago. There are different variations of the lion dance in other Asian cultures.
The Guan Gong (Cantonese: Kwan Kung) lion has a red based face, black fur, with a long black beard (as he was also known as the "Duke with the Beautiful Beard"). The tail is red with black trim. He is known as the second brother and sports two coins on the collar. This Lion is known as Hsing Shih (Shing Shi) or the Awakened Lion. This lion is generally used by most.
The southern lion exhibits a wide variety of colour and has a distinctive head with large eyes, a mirror on the forehead, and a single horn at center of the head.
The lion, a symbol of power, wisdom, and good fortune, chases away evil spirits and brings hapiness, longevity, and good luck.
The Taiwanese lion is less elaborate and can be roughly divided into two categories: open-mouth lion (開口獅) and closed-mouth lion (閉口)
Orthodox Jewish
I have done many Jewish weddings of all types but a real Hasidic wedding is very unusual for a non Jewish person to work at - women and men stay in separate rooms until after the ceremony.
Ketubah (Marriage Contract)
The ketubah outlines the chatan's various responsibilities - to provide his wife with food, shelter and clothing, and to be attentive to her emotional needs. Protecting the rights of a Jewish wife is so important that the marriage may not be solemnized until the contract has been completed.
Indian
This wedding was a mixed wedding, the Bride was not Hindu, however she and her whole family embraced the religion (at least for the day) and all dressed up in authentic Indian garments. This is a picture with her sister during the ceremony.
Sikh
A brightly colored red dress, called Ghaghra Choli, with a lot of Gold Ornaments is worn by the Bride. The Groom, on the other hand, wears the Sherwani - long designer shirt with trousers. He also wears a Pagdi (Cap) and Duppata with Sherwani. There are special shoes called Jootis/ Mojaris, which are worn along the Sherwani.
Persian
This was called 'sheerne khoran' (eating sweets) or shirin khori, Eating sweet food at celebratory events, such as an engagement ceremony, carries symbolism, such as wishing for sweetness in the couple's life.
Franciscan Friars
St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers follows the Capuchin Franciscan tradition, they have an extreme view of Christian values towards the poor, and a fashion sense also – notice the beards.
Unconventional
This wedding was in the east village in a nightclub, the couple combined some traditional wedding aspects (like a pro photographer) with their unconventional lifestyle.
English_Xmas
This was at the Waldorf Astoria, you would never know that is was not taken in England.
Scottish
I am not sure why, but I have done a ton of Scottish weddings. The men are always in kilts, and most say that it is the only time they ever wear them. Although unlike tuxedos here in the states, the Scots seem to always own their kilts, which makes sense since the patterns have associations to particular clans and families. (I do own my own tux)
Cuban
Not sure what the fire was about and I could not find any reference, but it was funny that even at a festive party they could not hold back, and they spoke frequently of Castro.
Celebrity_Sighting
Clinton Kelly, from What Not to Wear, was filming near by and was kind enough to come over and take some photos with the Bride. I mentioned to him that “you cannot tell the Bride that she wore the wrong dress”
Thank you, Robert, for the contribution! I feel like I learned so much about so many different types of wedding celebrations, so thank you for enlightening us with your extensive experience!
