Based in New York City, Roey Yohai has been shooting weddings for over 10 years. An award-winning photojournalist who has worked all over the United States, Europe and the Caribbean, Roey delivers a visual diary of the day in all its magic, detail, spirit and emotion, joy and spontaneity. We’re so inspired by his work that we asked him a few questions about his approach to wedding photography…

{THE BRIDAL CIRCLE}  What inspired you to get into photography?

{ROEY YOHAI}  My dad was an amateur photographer, and got me my first camera when I was 11.  I was hooked ever since.  I loved the intimacy of it, and the access it afforded me.  I still feel the same way.

{THE BRIDAL CIRCLE}  What can a couple expect when working with you?

{ROEY YOHAI}  First, that they will be well taken care of.  And they’ll have an easygoing, fun experience.  I strongly believe that the photographer’s personality has a lot to do with the success of his images, and a shooter that can put his couples at ease, make them laugh, make them enjoy each other in a real, spontaneous way, can get wonderful photos.  I also think that a shooter needs to be constantly watching, looking, waiting to capture those moments of grace, elegance, beauty that are constantly happening at a wedding, and I think my couples sense that watchfulness, which gives them one less thing to worry about.

{THE BRIDAL CIRCLE}  What is your photography process?

{ROEY YOHAI}  I was a newspaper photographer for several years before becoming a wedding photographer, and that experience still informs how I work at weddings.  Namely: do not become the story.  Just cover the story.  Be discreet, be inconspicuous, document what you see.  We try very hard, for example, to not block guests’ views of the ceremony or speeches; and to capture real moments of emotion and enjoyment, often times without the subject realizing we are there.

{THE BRIDAL CIRCLE}  What lessons did you learn along the way during this process?

{ROEY YOHAI}  That a happy bride is a beautiful bride; that you can really get a measure of the couple’s love for one another in the way they look at each other during the toasts; that I hope my second child is a daughter so I can dance with her at her wedding.  The parent dances are always so so touching!

{THE BRIDAL CIRCLE}  Describe your photography style in three words.

{ROEY YOHAI}  Elegant, documentary, vibrant.

{THE BRIDAL CIRCLE}  What is your greatest joy?

{ROEY YOHAI}  Rolling around in bed with my 2 year old son and my wife.  Together or separately!

{THE BRIDAL CIRCLE}  When you travel, what are your favorite things to take with you?

{ROEY YOHAI}  My medium format Mamiya film camera, for the meditative photography it affords me; a good book; a red shirt that has accompanied me on all my trips since college; and the iPad, to distract our son so we can have some quiet, relaxing moments.

{THE BRIDAL CIRCLE}  What’s next for you, your company and your artistry?

{ROEY YOHAI}  We’re working on adding a couple of photographers to our team, people with a like-minded vision and philosophy, and continuing to produce photography that makes us happy.  And also setting up a satellite office on a Greek island.

{THE BRIDAL CIRCLE}  What is your favorite quote?

{ROEY YOHAI}  I’m taking this from one of my favorite photography books, Sam Abell’s “Stay This Moment,” it’s a quote from Virginia Wolfe’s diary:  If one does not lie back / & sum up & say to the moment, / this very moment, stay you are so fair, / what will be one’s gain, dying?  / No: stay, this moment. / No one ever says that enough.

Read More About Roey Yohai:

Born in Israel and raised in NYC, Roey Yohai brings his international sensibilities to every celebration that he and his shooters cover. “Since I was very young I knew I would be a photographer. There was never any doubt.” He developed his photojournalistic style at the Rochester Institute of Technology and after that at various newspapers around the States. He was sent around the globe to document stories from nightlife and missionaries to the hosting of the Olympic games in Athens. He found true inspiration following the Slow Food movement, documenting traditional farming methods in danger of extinction, and has supported local farming movements in Europe and the States.

Life organically led Roey to find his true fit documenting weddings and celebrations. His fresh, elegant, documentary style became his trademark right from the beginning. “I have the best job in the world – the challenges a wedding presents are fun and intriguing, and I enjoy the level of trust involved. There are so many beautiful emotional moments being shared at every event and conveying that beauty is paramount in my photography. At the end, I love how excited my couples get when I deliver them their photos! ”

Apart from weddings, Roey also photographs international political dignitaries including presidents, ministers, and ambassadors in collaboration with the Council of the Americas, and covered Obama’s inauguration while working in the nation’s capital.