I was honoured to be asked to photograph a family’s first communion ceremony in Horsham’s Catholic church of StJohn the evangelist. Although photography was barred during the ceremony itself there were plenty of photos to be taken of Amalia, the young lady taking her first communion, and her family as well as the many guests attending the great reception event held at the Ramada Plaza in Crawley.
Amalia getting ready for her first Communion.
I’ve only ever experienced Arabic celebrations from a distance, and so knew that they were loud, and with Amalia’s family being of Iraqi decent I knew what to expect. It was fantastic to be in the centre of the festivities, with everyone dancing and enjoying themselves (putting even most English wedding receptions to shame) I felt sorry for the DJ who didn’t know the music and so found it hard to mix, but he did the best possible and everyone enjoyed themselves.
Family events call for all the family to be there
All in all the day felt more like a wedding than a straight forward family celebration. The only difference being that there wasn’t a bride and groom. Either way, photographing it was a great privilege and a fantastic experience.
When I say it felt like a wedding…they even went as far as having a wedding cake!
Amalia and her family
