Rebecca, an art historian, and Gali, a paediatric cardiologist, had a lot on their plates while planning their stunner of a Jewish wedding: they not only planned their big day in Israeli from abroad, they also did it while caring for their newborn baby (who turned one just before the wedding)!
Not that you’d know any of this from looking at the gorgeous photos by Tzachi Shemesh. The secret to the couple’s success? A great wedding planner. Yael Kfir Frumkes helped Rebecca and Gali bring their vision to life from afar, pulling together the colorful, vibrant, and warm celebration of their dreams.
We’re also obsessed with the way the couple drew on their mega-talented friends and family to make their day not only stunning but ultra-personal as well: Rebecca’s gown was crafted by a close friend who happens to be a designer, and the ketubah was designed by the bride’s brother! And we love that Rebecca went for a gold gown – proof that gorgeous wedding dresses don’t need to be white or ivory!
Now over to Rebecca, who’ll fill you in on the details…
A Tel Aviv Wedding
Rebecca, the bride: Our venue was The Lawrence in Tel Aviv – Yafo. We saw it online and fell in love with it. Enormous arches and high ceilings, as well as the outdoor rooftop area were highlights. As soon as we saw it in person we knew it was the right space for us.
Vibrant Colours
We had a wedding planner, Yael Kfir Frumkes. She helped us bring our ideas to life. We wanted colourful and bright flowers, and wanted to make sure there was a warm and vibrant atmosphere, which the flowers and decor helped create. I also wanted to make sure the colours would work well with our colouring for the photos, and with my gold wedding dress.
Hair + Makeup
I wanted to go for a messy bun, and natural makeup. Nurit Pilchin was like a magician in making me look like myself but the best of myself.
A Gold Dress
As we wanted to include as many personal elements as possible, I asked my close friend and young designer to please make my dress for me. We quickly settled on a gold fabric, and she and her team created my dream dress and veil. It was wonderful wearing a dress made just for me by someone who knows me well. I changed into a fun party dress for after the dinner, which was from Rixo Bridal.
Accessories
I had a veil made by Itiya Studio, and a tiara made by British jewellery designer Hermione Harbutt. I wore a watch that belonged to my grandmother.
Ceremony & Chuppah
The chuppah design (by Galita Studios, who did all the flowers and graphics) was inspired by the same colours we used throughout, green, blue, and orange.
Ketubah
Our ketubah was designed by one of my brothers, Benjamin van Enter. He has always enjoyed painting and drawing, and we wanted to include him in this way. We wanted illustrations which included imagery of nature.
Our music choice
We had a band called Ritalin, who performed during the chuppah ceremony as well as the Jewish dancing and some of the mainstream dancing. We also had a wonderful DJ, called Roi Tuchner, who kept the party going until 5 in the morning!
Flowers
Galita Studios was the florist who brought it all to life. She knew that our main priority was colour, warmth, brightness and we didn’t want it to look too ‘organised.’ The table centres were gorgeous in beautiful vases, with tablecloths we chose, and the bridal bouquet was perfect, with blues, greens and oranges.
Photographer and videographer
Our photographer was Tzachi Shemesh, and our videographer was Nati Shoko. We chose Tzachi because we felt like he had an eye for capturing moments and emotions in a way that suited us. It wasn’t too curated and posed, and throughout the day he was a fun and light presence who made us feel at ease and comfortable. Nati also was able to convey the emotions of the day, and the fun of the party.
Food and cake
The catering was done in-house by the Lawrence. We received many comments that it was the best wedding food people had ever had. There was a ceviche and sashimi bar on the rooftop, and a bar with bread baked in front of the guests. The main food was a Middle Eastern fusion theme, it was absolutely divine.
Extra Details
Both bride and groom made a speech, with many tears in the audience. Then the bride’s family wrote some songs that everyone sang along to, and the bride’s brothers, cousins and uncle did a rendition of Abba ‘Gali Gali Gali my mensch after midnight’ to much laughter delight and singing along.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Having a wedding planner was an excellent choice we made. Planning a wedding from abroad with a newborn baby (he just turned one before our big day!) would have been impossible without Yael’s help. Remember that you can’t plan every second and every detail, and just go with the flow on the day.
REBECCA & GALI’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Tzachi Shemesh
Wedding planner – Yael Kfir Frumkes
Videographer – Nati Shoko
Venue – The Lawrence
Bride’s gold dress – Itiya Studio
Bride’s evening dress – Rixo Bridal
Bride’s accessories – Itiya Studio, Hermione Harbutt
Hair + Makeup – Nurit Pilchin
Flowers – Galita Studios
Band – Ritalin
DJ – Roi Tuchner
Catering – The Lawrence
Details photographer – Ori Carmi
Magnets – Mini Me
Smash The Glass Pouch – Smashing The Glass Etsy Shop {or join Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club and get one for free!}
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