Norwegian bride & Jewish groom were married at Boatique Winery in Kelseyville California, https://www.boatiquewines.com . Photographing weddings is so wonderful and I have had the opportunity of experiencing so many different cultures. Its been about 27 years documenting love stories for my couples. The bride and groom decided to combine many traditions from both sides of their families, making their day rememberable and unique.
Kirsi the bride wanted to wear the traditional Norwegian wedding dress called a Brudekjole (wedding gown). She did not wear a veil but instead she chose to wear a traditional Norwegian bridal crown of silver. The crown had bangles hanging that clinked together when she walked and this was believed to be able to ward off evil spirits and meant to represent the Virgin Mary and the purity of a woman at her wedding. She was also adorned with a Solje which is a silver broach made of spoons that was a tradition to keep the bride safe so the mountain king didn’t kidnap her on the wedding day! Kirsi also wore a Knife on her side which is a special gift for couples in the Norwegian culture.
Traditional Norwegian wedding dress called a Brudekjole
Desmond the groom is Jewish, and of course he wore a Yamaka. A yamaka, also known as a kippah or yarmulke is a small brimless head covering worn by jewish people to show reverence to God. He also had on the traditional prayer shawl. This Shall is called a Tallit Gaol and he wears it under the Chuppah canopy and wrapped it around the bride during the ceremony.
The ceremony was a traditional Jewish ceremony under the Chuppah. The bride walks around the groom which is called Hakefot. Kirsi walked around Desmond seven times. The seven circuits represent the seven days of creation which also shows protection. The bride creates a protective “wall of love” around the couple. The best and most meaningful part of the dance is that the bride demonstrates the groom is the center of her world.
Traditional Jewish ceremony under the Chuppah
The ketubah is a public document that outlines the couple’s promises to each other and details the wedding’s specifics. The Ketubah is similar to vows and validates the couple’s marriage. At the end of the ceremony the groom breaks glass by smashing it under his feet. The fragility of glass suggests the frailty of human relationships. Since even the strongest love is subject to disintegration, the glass is broken as a kind of incantation: “As this glass shatters, so may our marriage never break.”
The reception had quite a few traditional customs too. Kirsi & Desmond danced to the Hora. The hora is a traditional dance performed at Jewish weddings where the newlyweds are lifted into the air while their family and friends dance in circles around them. During the hora, the couple each holds one end of a handkerchief or napkin to signify their union. Lastly, they also had a traditional Swedish cake called a Krokans. According to tradition, In Denmark and Norway, the bride and groom lift the top layer of the cake at their reception: The number of cake rings that stick to the top layer predicts the number of children they will have!
So as you can see this was a beautiful and exciting wedding, with Kirsi a traditional Norwegian bride and Desmond a Jewish groom they both brought their traditions together making it a fabulous celebration.
