Coastal Maine Wedding with Jewish Traditions

I loved this wedding! Ben and Kalyn brought Jewish wedding traditions into their secular ceremony. Their fathers read the Seven Blessings; Kalyn’s dad read them in Hebrew (well done, Peter!) and Ben’s father read the English translation. Such a creative way to include the fathers in the ceremony. The bride and groom used local Maine beer for their “wine ceremony” and drank to the past, the present and the future of their love. They even included the breaking of the glass, a favorite tradition of mine.

One of the best parts of this ceremony was that it was unplugged. Ben and Kalyn asked their guests to turn off all devices during the ceremony, which meant when we looked out at the guests all we saw were smiling faces and attentive, happy, people who were totally present. It changed the entire mood of the ceremony making it feel like everyone was truly there as witnesses and not just as observers. If I wasn’t already convinced of the benefit of this concept (and I was) I am 100% on board with the trend of turning off phones and putting down cameras for the ceremony!

All photos by A Sweet Start.