We are Charleston wedding photographers who regularly photograph weddings all over the United States. This wedding took us to Miami Beach, Florida, for two days of celebration at the New World Center and Loews Hotel.
You never know what it will be that makes a bride or groom emotional on their wedding day. Often, it’s not what they expect. For Olivia, it happened when her planner and designer invited her into the ceremony area to see the chuppah design for her Miami Beach wedding at the New World Center. Her hands immediately went to her heart, and she said, “I love it so much! I’m actually getting emotional.” I could tell it surprised her, the feelings that came up upon seeing the place where she would marry Aaron, in just a few moments.
Traditional Jewish Wedding
Jewish wedding traditions are some of the most impactful, meaningful ones that we’ve had the honor to photograph. I think about them often. I can’t imagine the feelings a bride and groom must feel upon walking up to the chuppah, which represents their home, and seeing the faces of their parents waiting for them. They see where they started, and they see where they are going. They see the family from which they came, and they see the beginnings of the family they will create together. I can’t imagine more love and more support being in one place!
Speaking of Home
The subject of home came up a lot during this wedding. Olivia’s job as a political communications director has taken her all over the country and will probably continue to. In her toast to her groom at the reception, Olivia said, “I can’t promise you that I know where we will live, but I can promise you that you will always have a home with me.” Olivia and Aaron have been together nine years, having met in college at Georgetown University. They’ve had a front-row seat to watching each other grow from young 20-somethings into impressive 30-somethings, both with ambitious and successful careers. For now at least, their physical home is New York, where Olivia has an office. Aaron works in finance for a company based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Miami Beach Wedding at New World Center
Their Miami Beach wedding spanned several days. The first night was a family dinner. Day two was the welcome party at Loews Hotel. Then, there was the wedding day which extended into an after-party ending at 3 a.m. And, finally, a casual Sunday brunch at Olivia’s childhood home on Biscayne Bay on Sunday. It was amazing to see Olivia and Aaron surrounded by their loyal, loving friends, some dating back to childhood, and their families who are remarkably tight. There was a lot of love on this weekend, which left us with full hearts and excitement to see where this power couple will go in the course of their lives. They’ve already accepted that “home” might mean bouncing around the country as their jobs evolve. And that’s OK. Because the home they have with each other is clearly a stable, time-tested place that only grows stronger with each new shape it takes.
Our filmmaker Vlad was with us for this one! See his teaser film here: Miami Wedding Video at New World Center
Olivia and Aaron’s wedding was the second wedding we photographed from Olivia’s family. Check out her sister Alex and Tony’s Miami wedding at the EDITION hotel from just last year.
