A Wedding Day is the culmination of so many moving parts that a couple works to plan out succinctly to ensure that their special day comes off without a hitch and becomes a memory that they and their guests will remember and treasure. Such is the case with this lovely couple. Let’s share the highlights of Sarah and Alex’s Hilton Wedding.

The flow of this eventful day should be natural and enjoyable. But for those of you who have gone through your own wedding planning process you know it takes great pains to ensure how things will play out. While the phrase “the best laid plans….” comes to mind immediately, this couple engaged a number of professionals to assist them and to lend their expertise to bring all the aspects of their special day to light. One such professional is the award-winning photographer, John Ryan of J&J Studios. John is one of the most respected and sought-after wedding photographers in the Philadelphia area, but more about John a bit later. For now let’s take a peek into this wonderful day of Sarah and Alex’s Hilton Wedding.

The Bride’s Preparation

The easiest way to do justice to this exceptional day is to break the day down in sections. While the day belongs to both Sarah and Alex, it is understandable that the Bride can be considered one of the main points of focus. There are so many choices that can be made when it comes to how the Bride wishes to convey her feelings for how she wishes to be presented. Here are some glimpses of Sarah captured by John Ryan as she prepares for her day.

 

I think you’ll agree that these pictures capture some lovely moments as Sarah prepares for the day’s festivities, right down from her impressive jewelry and capped off with her gorgeous wedding dress. It speaks to the time and effort that Sarah extended to making these selections in order to that they would best reflect her taste and present herself in such an impressive manner.

The Groom Gets Ready

Now that we’ve had a peak at Sarah as she readies herself for what is coming ahead, there of course is another participant who shares the spotlight of this special day – the Groom! Let’s take a look as Alex prepares for his wedding day.

 

Alex cuts quite a figure along with his Groomsmen as they formalize their attire in their blue tint tuxedos! They all were helpful to help Alex get ready by providing their friendship and support and engaging is some fun conversation to help ease any tension Alex may be feeling as he gets ready for the next phase of the day to begin. It’s totally understandable, as he along with his Bride are full of anticipation as they begin to undertake the more formal events of the day they have so dutifully planned.

The Ketubah Signing

In the Jewish faith, there is a special ceremony that a Bride and Groom may decide to include as part of their wedding. It is called the Ketubah Signing.  wedding, the signing of the ketubah is an important ritual. It takes place before the actual wedding, usually on the same day. The bridal couple, officiant, witnesses, and a few close family and friends gather in a room to witness the act. The ketubah signing is all about business. The exact rules about what should be written in a ketubah and who should sign it vary depending on if the wedding is Orthodox or modern. In all instances, witnesses are required to read and sign the document. Once it is signed the ketubah is read out loud at the ceremony, and then it is usually displayed in the bride and groom’s new home.

The ketubah or marital contract has been an essential part of Jewish weddings for thousands of years. There are mentions of the contract in the bible, specifically stipulating how much a groom’s family would have to pay the bride’s family upon a union. The earliest surviving ketubah is from 440 B.C.E and written in Aramaic. In some Orthodox communities, the text hasn’t changed in modern times, and it’s still published in Aramaic. Much like a prenuptial agreement, it lays out details such as what a wife gets if there is a divorce or untimely death and what the husband promises to his wife. “It outlines a husband’s marital obligations to his wife,” said expert Aliyah Guttmann. “How he must provide for her with clothing, food, a roof, and please her all the days of his life.”

What an interesting and lovely tradition that Sarah and Alex’s Hilton Wedding has included to celebrate!

Now that the Bride and Groom are ready, the Ketubah has been signed, the couple are now ready to move on to the pinnacle of the day – the ceremony.

The Ceremony

The ceremony is the time for all of Sarah and Alex’s friends and family to witness the union of these two special people. It exemplifies the commitment this couple has made to each other and they are joined as husband and life and begin their journey onward to a new life together. There are many aspects to consider when piecing together the tapestry of the ceremony. Tradition, religious beliefs, comfort, participants are just a few of the facets that make up the final event. All must evenly blend in order to make the ceremony memorable, sincere, and something both Sarah and Alex will be proud to have produced.

Below are the beautiful moments that photographer John Ryan has captured at the ceremony, displaying the combination of tradition along with a modern approach that encompasses the couples beliefs and desire to express their love and commitment to each other.

Such beautiful pictures that photographer John Ryan has captured. It will provide Sarah and Alex a lasting memory via these photographs of the various wonderful aspects of this special day, from beginning to end.

Now that the ceremony has taken place and the Bride and Groom are officially man and wife, what better way to bring things to a culmination than to celebrate celebrate celebrate! And what better way than entertaining the family and friends that have been invited to join their celebration than to move on to the ballroom of the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue. This lovely venue offers the perfect setting for the couple and their family and friends to acknowledge the day’s events, and to toast the new married couple! Let’s see how everyone enjoys themselves!

 

 

All of the above pictures capture all the possible emotions evident that day – anticipation, excitement, fun, nervousness, joy – just to name a few. Sarah and Alex’s planning and execution provided a joyful event for them and those lucky enough to share the joy. You can see it in the faces of all the participants. They have had the privilege of witnessing the fruits of all the efforts that Sarah and Alex have undertaken so they could bring this gathering to them. Sarah and Alex’s Hilton Wedding has surely been a huge success and something that will not be soon forgotten.

As mentioned earlier one key component of the wedding planning process is the selection of a talented and experience professional to capture all of the key moments of the day’s events to memorialize all the things that occurred. Once such photographer is John Ryan of J&J Studios. John is very well known in the Philadelphia circle, as well as most of the state of Pennsylvania. But his reputation goes well beyond that, stretching beyond the Pennsylvania borders to Delaware, New Jersey, New York, as well as farther destinations. John unique gifts lie in the talent he extends in making the selections and choices through his eye’s lens to produce the resulting photographs that you see here. The subject, the lighting, the mood, the action, the setting and backdrop are just a few of his arsenal of instincts that allows him to be one of the leading wedding photographers in the area. And his talents don’t stop as weddings! John is equally known for his photographic abilities when engaged for events such as Christenings, Engagements, Sports & Corporate Events, Birthdays, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, as well as professional and family portraits.

John cuts quite a figure himself as he works with his subjects, in this case, a Bride and Groom, as he gets to know them and understand what they are about and what they are looking to achieve. This is integral as their input and John’s understanding of their desired results only help to provide the finished product that all involved will be proud of.

If you are interested in learning more about John and J&J Studios please go to John’s website for more information – you’ll be glad you did!