There’s something so special about getting married in Israel – and not just because of the sunny climate and stellar views. Cleveland couple Ophira, a therapist, and Jacob, a market research consultant decided to hold their Jewish wedding at Caesar Yam in honor of the couple’s strong collection to Israel, where Ophira grew up.
The whole day was a celebration of the couple’s blended American and Israeli roots, and the importance of Israel in their lives – how cool is it that Ophira and Jacob wrote their vows in both English and Hebrew?
We also love that Ophira wore her mom’s wedding dress from the ‘80s – and started a new tradition of family heirlooms too, with her multi-talented mom handcrafting her tiara and earrings!
The couple’s photographer, Yafit, and videographer, Dana of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Colorfool, captured this joyous day so exquisitely. In Ophira’s words,
They worked really well as a team. We decided to work with them because they are each artistic in her own way, and we knew they would capture the genuine and intimate moments of our wedding.
And we can’t hand you over to Ophira without sharing her words of wisdom to newly engaged couples: “Consider getting married in Israel–it’s way more chill than the States, and more affordable.” Ok, now over to the bride…
How We Met
Ophira, the bride and Jacob, the groom: We met through an online dating app–we both got struck by Cupid’s arrow and said “Ok!”. Our first date was at a local coffee shop, and we really hit it off.
Caesar Yam
We got married at Caesar Yam, right on the Mediterranean Sea surrounded by old ruins. This venue was significant to us both because of its location in Israel, which is where Ophira grew up, and because we could get married right by the water.
An Israeli-American Wedding
We blended our US and Israeli roots by writing (and reading!) our vows in both English and Hebrew, working with an Israeli-American Reform rabbi who incorporated our story into the ceremony, and emphasizing Ophira’s existing and Jacob’s growing connection to Israel. Ophira’s mom (the best planner) and Ophira coordinated everything–we chose a color palette of blues and whites, and went with a beachy/boho theme.
We are both singers, so we chose to share our love for music with our guests by playing a few songs (one in Hebrew) at the start of our reception! Also, we are planning on using the glasses we broke (one from Israel and one from the States) to make a mosaic on our first anniversary to symbolize our two weddings and cultures coming together.
Hair + Makeup
For hair, Ophira went to a local family friend’s salon in Zichron Ya’akov, where Suzi helped bring out Ophira’s natural curls. We highly recommend Suzi and Moris – they are the best hairstylists around!
An Heirloom Dress
Ophira’s dress was vintage–she wore her mom’s dress from the 80s, which her mom found through a vintage store at the time (so, doubly vintage!). This made the day even more special, and added a family heirloom to the celebration.
Accessories
Ophira’s mom (who is multitalented) made Ophira’s tiara and earrings to match the color palette! These will become another family heirloom.
Ceremony
Overall, our ceremony was secular and very personalized. We had a few special touches, including: most parts being done in both Hebrew and English (including our own vows), using bracelets instead of rings (since we had already gotten legally married with rings in the US just two weeks before), and using our values to shape the structure of our ceremony.
We had a ketubah for our States wedding, which was artfully and beautifully designed by Ophira’s mom. We found a Reform text online that we connected to, modified it, and then Ophira’s mom did the watercolor painting for the background.
Our music choice
We played a variety of styles at our wedding, representing both songs in English and in Hebrew. Our DJ, Guy Gutman, was absolutely amazing–the way he blended songs together and transitioned between them was seamless!
Flowers
We chose a blue and white color palette for our flowers (after all, we were getting married in Israel!). The blooms varied from roses, to delicate blue flowers, to dried grasses. Our florist was Orchedea. At the end of the event, the florist handed out mini bouquets to guests as a wedding favor, which such a special touch.
Photographer and videographer
We used a photographer, Yafit, and a videographer, Dana of Colorfool, and they were both awesome! They worked really well as a team. We decided to work with them because they are each artistic in her own way, and we knew they would capture the genuine and intimate moments of our wedding.
Honeymoon
We went to Greece on our honeymoon, and absolutely loved it. The proximity to Israel was a helpful deciding factor, but it was always a place we wanted to go together to experience the food and the views. We planned the trip ourselves, and focused it around island hopping!
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Consider getting married in Israel–it’s way more chill than the States, and more affordable. Also, don’t forget to eat before the ceremony (you will forget, so put someone in charge of getting you food). At Caesar Yam, the day of coordinator actually asked us if we wanted something to eat before the ceremony and brought us two full plates of dinner food, which was so delicious and so needed.
OPHIRA & JACOB’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Yafit Yoka
Videography – Colorfool {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Venue – Caesar Yam
Hair + Makeup – Suzi and Moris
Flowers – Orchedea
DJ – Guy Gutman
Smash The Glass Pouch – Smashing The Glass Etsy Shop {or join Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club and get one for free!}
If you’re a Jewish or Jew-ish bride-to-be, you’ll want to join Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club. Guided by the world’s number 1 Jewish wedding expert, Karen Cinnamon, Brides Club is the private community for Jewish and Jew-ish brides that removes wedstress and indecision and gives you what you need to plan with confidence during these uncertain times. Join our Brides Club here.
