RF Wedding of the Week: Big-City Boston Milestone by Oriana Koren

Shooting a wedding in a big city can provide so many interesting backdrops—skyscrapers, urban art, the movement of cabs and mass transit systems. But it can also come with a fair share of drawbacks, particularly when said wedding is in Boston — just after the Red Sox won the World Series.

Such was the challenge for photographer Oriana Koren while shooting the wedding of Rebeka and Mason.

All images © Oriana Koren

Because of the foot traffic on the street (Fenway Park was five minutes away), Koren had to adjust her plan to get formal portraits close outside near the hotel.

“Confident that I could still make very personal images while documenting the unfolding history of the day, we instead took the metro, walked through the middle of the parade, with my camera in my hand shouting, ‘Whe’s getting married!'” the photographer says. “We had to push back group portraits to after the ceremony and I was able to document some really amazing documentary shots of the wedding against the backdrop of the World Series parade. The couple still says those are some of their favorite images from the day.”

“All of a sudden, [Rebeka and Mason] were sharing a very important day with a lot of other people, and that is enough to frazzle anyone’s nerves,” Koren says. “The entire day I saw them care for each other, Mason checking in with Rebeka, telling her jokes to make her smile and feel at ease, Rebeka holding Mason’s hand with such tenderness, seeing her eyes full of love whenever she caught a glimpse of him.

As for the ceremony, Koren shot it using the following gear: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 5D Classic, Canon 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro, Canon 20mm f/2.8, Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART series, two Canon 580 EX II Speedlites and Calumet Quad Plus 2.4GHz Wireless Trigger Kit.

The wedding was also special for Koren for another reason: “I pretty much grew up with Rebeka,” she says. “We went to high school together and she was one of the first people I ever photographed. Rebeka has remarkable patience and a huge heart; she’s one of the kindest people I know. Seeing Rebeka and Mason together on their wedding day was really wonderful. Their warmth for each other, the way they were able to protect each other’s solitude was contagious. They filled the room with love and genuine kindness — that stood out the most.”

To submit a Wedding of the Week, email Jessica Gordon.

Past Weddings of the Week: 

An Earthy California Event By Brett & Tori

A “Moving Image” Same-Sex Wedding by Kirra Cheers

Photographer/Editor Kristi Drago-Price Captures Autumn Love