MJ & Rafael
If there's one thing I've noticed about weddings in 2025 so far, it's that they are a lot more low key and deeply personal than ever before. Halfway through the calendar year, I can count on one hand the number of “big wedding days” I've had as most have skewed closer to an elopement than the traditional country club/large venue weddings I'm used to.
But that doesn't mean they're any less special. No, in fact, what I love about this season so far is how couples are just laser focused on doing what they WANT to do and not want they're told they HAVE to do. Nowhere was that clearer that the afternoon Mary Jane and Rafael say “I do” back in July at Congregation Kehillath Israel in Brookline, Massachusetts.
MJ and Rafael had a traditional Ketubah signing ceremony, a full traditional wedding ceremony in their synagogue and not much else on the day they became husband and wife as they declined to have almost every other traditional aspect of an Americanized wedding day.
And, you know what? It worked for them. They were happy. They had an amazing time spending this day with those closest to them and me? All I had to do was make sure to be there to document the moments they cared about. And document I did.
My time with MJ & Rafael started with the easiest bride and groom prep sessions I've had this year. MJ and Raf asked for me to capture the tail end of their getting ready processes but I don't think I was really ready for how "tail end" it was as MJ was nearly done with her hair and makeup when I arrived and Raf was mostly dressed and ready to go.
I can't say I blame either one of them for starting the day ahead of schedule. It was clear from our conversations that the pair wanted as simple a wedding day as you can get and this certainly fit the bill.
In fact, MJ was such a chill bride that when I stepped out of the bridal prep suite to give her time to get in her dress — a moment every bride I've ever worked with has had — she didn't even worry about calling me back in to get the traditional "bride gets zipped up" photo.
Instead, we capped the little bit of MJ's prep with some photos of her and her friends and got ready to get this show on the road.
The first order of business on MJ and Rafael's wedding day was a traditional ketubah signing. I've said this a few times this year but the ketubah signing is one of my favorite traditions on a Jewish wedding day. There's something so raw and personal and intimate about this ceremony and that was certainly the case for MJ and Rafael who signed theirs in an office with just a handful of their closest friends and family members in attendance.
Following the ketubah signing ceremony, MJ and Rafael prepared for their traditional wedding ceremony. I've shot a lot of Jewish weddings over the law few years but, for whatever reason, most of them have been either outdoors or have had more American-style ceremonies with small elements of the Jewish faith intertwined in their day.
MJ and Rafael's ceremony was in a traditional synagogue and, if I'm being honest, it might be my favorite one I've photographed a wedding in.
Congregation Kehillath Israel in Brookline, Massachusetts is just such a beautiful room with great lighting and I could tell from the moment MJ and Raf walked down the aisle, and performed their circling ceremony, that this would be a beautiful celebration of their love and religion.
MJ and Raf's ceremony was incredibly touching and personal and you could tell they thought about which elements mattered most of them on their day. In addition, their rabbi was a delight and really hammered home how special this day was for the two of these soon-to-be newlyweds.
I, meanwhile, was especially pumped to have time to really explore the area in Congregation Kehillath Israel and find some lovely ways to photograph the special moments between this bride and groom.
After smashing the glass and sealing their love with a hug — I mean, how cute is that? — MJ and Raf headed out to Yichud and we prepared for their family photos when they returned.
This is another reason why I loved Congregation Kehillath Israel as the space they were married in had a lovely little stage that made for a great place to knock out their family photos and even to start their bride and groom portraits.
And, thanks to my lovely assistant Becky's creativity, we even took some fun and creative shots under the chuppah for these newlyweds.
MJ and Rafael were among my more conservative clients when it came to bride and groom formals but I'm so glad they gave me a decent amount of time to work with them as we were able to head outside for some nice shots of the two of them together.
We didn't stay outside too long — it was around 95 degrees out after all — but their outdoor formals were definitely some of my favorites of the whole day.
With their ceremony and photos in the books, it was time for MJ and Rafael to head to their reception and this is where their laidback approach to their wedding was most on display.
The pair held their reception at Branch Line restaurant in Watertown, Massachusetts but apart from a beautiful seating chart and wedding cake, you'd have no idea this was for a wedding as the newlyweds intentionally wanted a chill afternoon of celebration without all the bells and whistles or a traditional reception.
In fact, MJ and Rafael's wedding reception was SO casual that the pair had no first dance, no parent dances and no dance floor to speak of. Instead, they had three toasts and spent the rest of the day just enjoying the presence of their friends and family. I loved that for them.
As my time with MJ and Rafael came to an end, I was almost confused as to what to do with myself as I suddenly had an entire afternoon to myself. That doesn't happen often but, when it does, I know it's because that's exactly what the bride and groom wanted and I can't say I blame them.
MJ and Rafael wanted a simple, casual day to become husband and wife and that's exactly what they got and judging from my interactions with those in attendance, this was the absolute perfect fit for this bride and this groom as they start this new chapter of their lives.
So thank you MJ and Rafael for a lovely reminder of what really matters on a wedding day and why not every couple needs a stressful day of activities to successfully pledge their love to one another. I wish you all the best on this next part of your journey together. :)
