Inna + Alex | Osher Marin JCC Wedding

When a couple invites you to document their wedding, you have a choice to make. You can either be an outsider, a fly on the wall, and record the wedding day from its periphery; or, you can find creative ways to get closer to capturing the moments. It’s a balancing act to stay unobtrusive and yet to get close enough to the emotion and capture what it truly feels like. Leading up to their wedding day, Inna and Alex had passionately rehearsed their first dance (and continued to rehearse it beautifully on the day itself, before the reception). They seemed so connected, so effortless, so light on their feet. As I watched them, I immediately sensed the importance of this dance: much like the wedding itself, the couple’s first dance was the culmination of months of effort, and an occasion for their community to come together and admire the elegance, youth, vibrancy and physical connection that radiate from a man and his wife on their wedding day. That wedding day took place at the Osher Jewish Community Center in Marin, where over 200 guests gathered for the ceremony and celebration. Before the ceremony, we traveled to the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco to get some fun and beautiful footage. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin, and just a couple hours later, the couple were standing together beneath the beautiful chuppah, arranged by Jane’s Roses. Inna and Alex exchanged rings, symbolically setting one another aside from the rest of the world. The Rabbi reminded the guests that the breaking of the glass is a way of acknowledging sadness and injustice that existed in the world, despite the happiness of the day. After it passed from his brother, to his father, to him, Alex placed the glass under his foot and shattered it. After this moment, the couple sprinted together down the aisle, and an evening of revelry ensued. Being a Jewish-Russian wedding, the tables were packed full of food, vodka and cognac, and a master of ceremonies kept a lively atmosphere going all night. Numerous toasts were offered to the couple, and when the time came, the lights dimmed as Inna and Alex stepped onto the dance floor. It was a privilege to be there with them, literally dancing with the bride and groom. [Cake provided by Have Your Cake; Wedding Coordination by Miracle Events] Inna and Alex saw the film and said:

“We loved it so much!!! You really captured the feel of our day! We are so excited to share this with our family and friends.”