October came and we thought things were going back to “normal”. Parties were happening again and Drew had a super fun Caddyshack themed Bar Mitzvah. We also did a pre-bar mitzvah shoot with some Caddyshack themed images that were incorporated into his décor. I photographed his rehearsal at Temple Emanu-El and his party was at the Dunwoody Country Club. Everything went wonderfully and he did a great job with his Bar Mitzvah. His theme was a hit and Marci Miller of The Perfect Party Atlanta thought of all the little details. As a professional photographer, I have shot hundreds of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and helped capture those special moments for my clients. But getting the right pictures to truly capture the essence and feel of these events isn’t easy.

What are some important things to consider when photographing a Mitzvah?

What is the timing of the rehearsal?

The timing of the rehearsal is important to make sure that everyone knows where they are supposed to be at a given time. This allows the photographer to be able to capture each important person of the Mitzvah party and make sure no one is left out when looking back on your special day.

2. Is your Mitzvah being shared with another family?

If you’re sharing your Mitzvah with another family, be sure to delegate who belongs to which party. We also want to be sure to schedule which family goes first. While we are going to be capturing pictures of the event as a whole, we want to make sure that each party has important shots with the right people too.

3. Does the synagogue allow me to shoot on Shabbat? Or.. do we have to do everything at the rehearsal.

Understanding the policies set in place by the synagogue allows you to have a better understanding of how your event will take place and where you can and can’t have photos taken. If the synagogue doesn’t allow me to shoot on Shabbat, this will change the timing as to how I capture your Mitzvah. Be sure to confirm all details with the synagogue planner.

4. How many guests will be attending the reception?

For the sake of being able to capture every detail (big and small), it’s important to know just how big the event is going to be. Knowing how many guests will be at the reception will allow me ample time to plan the best way of capturing the celebration of your Mitzvah.

5. Do we have time before the reception to do the additional family portraits? Or.. will the service be a Havdalah service which means going straight into the party afterwards.

This is important for me to know so I can plan the best way of getting every shot we need for the Mitzvah event.

6. Can the family attend the rehearsal to allow for more portraits if the Mitzvah Service is a Havdalah service?

If the service is a Havdalah service, we want to make sure that important family members are at the rehearsal so we can get all of the shots we need. These are important images to have and you’ll want to have this as a way to look back on your special day.

7. What is the schedule for the party and who are the vendors? This allows for me to know when everything is going to happen and be ready for the planned events like the Hora. Knowing who the vendors are allows me to share images with everyone.

This allows me to know when everything is going to happen and be ready for the planned events like the Hora. Knowing who the vendors are allows me to share images with everyone.

8. Who are the most important people you would like to have on your portrait shot list.

We want to make sure that we get portrait shots of everyone who is important to you at your Mitzvah event.

9. Is there anything else you would like to have covered that I wouldn’t know about?

Each Mitzvah event is specific and unique to the family that is celebrating so there may be things you want covered that I wouldn’t know about. If so, please share so I can make sure to incorporate this into the shot list.

The main goal of the photographer is to tell the story of the event. Making sure everything is done seamlessly in the timeframe necessary.

I hope this helps when you are planning your Mitzvah.