Wedding at the Crowne Plaza in Paris

Two photographers meet

I met Jérémie at a photography workshop more than a year before his wedding. He shares my passion for photography and we attended the same funquatre natural portrait workshop together. A few months later, he contacted me and I was able to meet his future wife Laura during our interview. It's always particularly touching to be approached by a couple whose passion is photography, and Laura got back to me very quickly to ask for a family session with her and their little boy, a surprise for the groom.

Preparing the living room and apartment in Charenton-le-pont

Jewish weddings often take place over 2 days, one for the civil ceremony and the other for the religious ceremony at the synagogue and the evening, and this young couple's wedding was no exception. On Thursday, my camera crew and I headed to the nearby hair salon, then to the apartment for the bride's preparations. The civil union was celebrated at the Charenton-le-pont town hall in the Val de Marne by a mayor who knew the couple and their families inside out, so she was able to give a long and very personalized speech. We continued with a vin d'honneur dance near the town hall. This was just the start of the real festivities on Sunday.

La synaguogue du 11èeme for the religious ceremony

On the big day, we covered the couple's preparations once again, and then headed off to a synagogue in the 11th arrondissement. The rabbi was a woman, an important feature not least because at the time she was the first and only female rabbi in France. The liberal ceremony, however, remains highly structured and punctuated by very precise religious rituals, which also severely restrict the photographer's shooting space. It was all the more interesting for me as I had to get out of my comfort zone and change my habits to always deliver the most beautiful photos.

Love-session in Paris and the evening at the Crown Plazza

After the synagogue, we slipped away to Paris for the traditional D-day love session. The esplanade of the BNF and the Bercy district were the places chosen for this beautiful emotional sequence. While we were away, the guests made their way to the splendid Crowne Plaza Hotel on Place de la République in the heart of the capital. We joined them for the vin d'honneur and the incredibly orchestrated evening with several hundred guests. After the speeches, the weeping, the dancing, the meal and the video screenings, the musicians took over to musically enliven the dance floor.

Below is my selection of photos from this memorable wedding: