This beautiful engagement party took place in a cozy East Village apartment, celebrating the upcoming nuptials of the host’s brother and his fiancé. One of the most intriguing aspects of this engagement party was the strict adherence to Orthodox Jewish customs: the couple, filled with joy, were careful not to touch each other, following the tradition of not having physical contact until their wedding day. This presented a unique challenge for me as a photographer, as I had to capture their love and happiness without the typical poses of an engaged couple.

Throughout the evening, I was able to witness and document various traditional customs and rituals; the party began with the men and women separating into different rooms, where they danced with exuberance and joy. One of the most significant moments of the evening was the "Tenaim" ceremony, where the couple's parents formally gave their consent to the marriage; this heartfelt tradition involves the parents holding a plate together, symbolizing their agreement to the union.

The engagement party was a testament to the couple's commitment to their faith and traditions, and it was a beautiful reminder of the power of love to bring people together. As a photographer, I cherish these opportunities to capture the richness of culture and the genuine moments of happiness.

Here are some of my favorite images from this shoot (click/tap to view full size and un-cropped):

To see more examples of this style of photography, visit my parties and celebrations gallery >>

All images in this blog post were shot on a Nikon D850 using a 24-85mm zoom lens, and all individually post-processed in Adobe Lightroom using custom-built presets.

Jinnifer Douglass is a full-time freelance photographer based in NYC, shooting for both individuals and brands such as Google, Sotheby’s, Uber, Make Up For Ever, Squarespace, and more! Specializing in portraits, food, and special events, she works to make every piece of your social and website content ‘Insta-worthy’ with high resolution, full-frame DSLR photography and expert Lightroom editing. Interested in chatting? Leave a comment below, or send an email to hello@jinyc-photo.com!