Beth Emeth Toronto Wedding Photos – Tamara & Ilan

When Ilan proposed to Tamara, he decided to do so in their apartment. He sang to her a song that he wrote himself. “It was the most romantic day of my life,” she told me. They had a trip planned to Montreal that weekend and were able to celebrate with both of their families. Usually, as a photographer, I meet the families on the day of the wedding, but this wasn’t the case here. “My parents live nearby, and we can stop in between sites for a break and food!” Tamara wrote me in the emails we exchanged before their engagement photos. By food, she meant a table filled with all kinds of delicious homemade dishes! We sat down and ate, chatting with her parents, and I could tell right then how much family means to both Tamara and Ilan.

Describing themselves as “an Ashkenazi girl from Dundas, Hamilton, and a Sephardic Iraqi from Montreal,” it was important for them to incorporate all the traditions from both sides in their Beth Emeth, Toronto, wedding. They wanted all the customs to merge — from the ceremony that was performed by an Ashkenazi rabbi and a Sephardic cantor to the Mezinka (an old Jewish Ashkenazi tradition, celebration honouring the parents during a wedding when they are blessed to see their last child marry), Iraqi henna, and the overall atmosphere. “The most important aspect was to make each guest feel like they were a part of something special.”For their wedding portraits, we went to Centennial Park Conservatory, which was just the perfect spot for taking a break from the day, and let them have a quiet hour just for themselves. I love weddings where there is only one location for portraits. It allows the couple to slow down and just be with each other on their wedding day, and with Tamara and Ilan being so madly in love, they were making my job easy.