A different kind of wedding - Original photo series by Shlomit Schatzmayr

All images are clickable for a larger view

My little sister got married 2 weeks ago and that is the reason why I went to visit the Motherland for a few days.
Of course, I had to do her make-up (no way I would let anybody else do that :D ) and I spent the whole day together with her.
I was not there as the photographer, only as her sister, but I did bring my camera as I wanted to capture those precious moments in her life. And so I was standing mainly behind the wedding photographer, taking photos throughout the day.

After the preperations were done, we went out for a little photoshoot at the Marina near by.

Normaly, this would be the time to make a "couple shooting", however, my sister became religious this past year. She and her partner were not allowed to touch each other until they were already married and they did not see each other, nor speak to each other, for a whole week prior. So she did this photoshoot on her own.

After the photoshoot, she had some time left to go to the salon and relax, eat, touch-up and drink loads of coffe and smoke loads of cigarettes ;D

At the wedding hall, waiting for the ceremony to begin, the bride has her "bridal chair" in the women's area (this was a seperated wedding, as often religious Jewish weddings are, with seperate areas for men and women). She sits and greets the women, blessing the single girls for a good matching and prompt marriage.

Veiled by her man-to-be, she is reading the bridal prayer, the moments before walking down the isle towards the ceremony.
This was the moment when I started crying.

After the ceremony, the party began, mixing different cultures & traditions, local Israeli, Ethiopian and religious-Jewish.
Dancing inside a huge fabric circle, sticking money bills on the bride's forehead and dancing with decorated white umbrellas. It was a great, joyful, party, where the bride was surrounded by her close group of women, dancing the night away.

We are not the "traditional" form of sisters, but she has been my little sister for the past 20 years now and even though we chose such different paths in our lives, she forever will be- my little sister.
I am so happy I got to be there for her in this important stage in her life and I hope that her path will lead her towards eternal happiness and love.

Thank you for reading <3
Happily yours,
Shlomit

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