A Dreamy Jewish Wedding Weekend by the Sea at Nikki Beach Porto Heli, Greece

How We Met

Adi, the bride: We met through a mutual friend about ten years ago, and we got engaged about a year ago.

Venue

We got married at Nikki Beach Porto Heli in Greece.

Theme

From the first moment we got engaged, we had two key elements in mind for our event:

1. An event that lasts more than one evening, where we could celebrate our joy with those closest to us across several mini-events.
2. An event that includes only our most important and closest guests—family and friends alike—in an attempt to keep the event as intimate as possible without inviting distant acquaintances.

When we weighed these two factors against our viable options, we immediately realized that Greece was the place for us! It’s a short flight from Israel, has excellent weather most of the year, proximity to the sea, and good people with great energy—and that is exactly how it turned out!

Planning a destination wedding is naturally more complex in terms of logistics and organization, but it is undoubtedly worth every moment of the process. Ultimately, the most important piece of advice we can give other couples is to enjoy the journey!

Even when a wedding is slightly longer than others, it’s still only three days, while the preparations take nearly a year. The shared path you walk leading up to the wedding days is what is truly important and meaningful. It’s vital to focus on the details that matter to you personally, let go of the things that don’t, and above all, find common ground between yourselves, your planners, and your vendors. When the planning is done with joy, the wedding itself immediately becomes more successful.

We met Anat and Yonathan at the very beginning of our journey, searching for the right place to make our dreams come true. In fact, we very quickly discovered that they and their production team were the fulfillment of our dreams themselves.

The Sirtaki Events team made us realize from the first moment: everything is possible! Anat and Yonathan accompanied us every step of the way, making us feel at home away from home. With their rich experience and great sensitivity, they led us down the magical path we walked in the year before our wedding. This included meticulous, detailed planning of every aspect while—no less importantly—staying strictly within our defined budget. Through their extensive connections in the production industry, they matched us with the best vendors who built the wedding exactly (!!!!) as we dreamed.

We enjoyed most the pre-wedding preparation visit. A few months before the wedding, we visited the hotel with Anat and Yonathan. We conducted a full review of the wedding flow, met the required vendors, and coordinated all relevant details. The process was managed by Anat and Yonathan with precision and care, and more than anything, it allowed us to start getting excited and look forward to our big moment!

The most important part for us was choosing the right vendors. First and foremost—the production team. They are the most critical team, entrusted with the entire massive project from A to Z. Without the experienced Sirtaki team and their wealth of experience in these types of productions, we could not have realized our dream in the way that was best for us.

After choosing the production team, you need to select the rest of the vendors—and in this type of wedding, there are many. The Sirtaki team made sure to present us with all possible alternatives for every single vendor. Furthermore, they coordinated face-to-face and virtual meetings so we could form a personal impression of each one, without being “dependent” on any single factor.

Dress

The dresses were designed by the bridal gown designer Dana Ivinski.

Ceremony & Chuppah

From the very first moment of planning, we informed Anat and Yonathan that our wedding would be held according to Jewish law (Kedat Ve’Din). Accordingly, it was important to us to fly in a Rabbi from Israel to conduct the ceremony as we expected.

This added significant logistical complexity to the preparations. The Rabbi arrived at the hotel from the airport exactly in time for the Chuppah. Anat and the entire team took care of everything required to hold a proper ceremony—poles for the Chuppah, Kosher wine, the Chuppah fabric, the glass to break, and everything else needed.

Additionally, Anat and Yonathan arranged a close and comfortable hotel for the Rabbi and his wife so they could stay undisturbed, as well as Kosher meals brought specifically to the hotel from the Chabad House—there wasn’t a single detail they didn’t think of! The design of the Chuppah was done exactly according to our wishes, based on photos we showed Anat and the team; they truly turned the dream into reality.

During the prep visit, Anat and Yonathan coordinated meetings with several decor vendors so we could see and feel how the events would look. Together with Anat, we chose the vendor we connected with most and began building the design for every stage: the welcome for guests arriving at the hotel, the pool party, the Taverna night, the breakfasts, the wedding reception, the Chuppah design and aisle, the guest tables, and the dance floor—not a single detail was missed! The combination of flowers—their color, size, and type—with the design elements, coordinated with the plates, napkins, and the overall atmosphere of each event, was stunningly accurate.

Every single minute was meticulously planned by Anat and Yonathan. From guest arrivals and room check-ins to the fuel levels in the car taking us for photos—every detail was accounted for. Upon arrival, every relevant hotel employee and production staff member received a detailed production book with a minute-by-minute schedule. Anat and her team conducted the entire “orchestra” with a high hand. Looking back, we can say honestly: there was not a single unplanned event that disrupted the schedule!

Ketubah

We brought the ketubah from Israel, which we received during our registration process with the Chief Rabbinate.

Our music choice

We used DJ Dor Dekel.

Flowers

We used Terra Alba.

Photographer and videographer

Our photographer was Brendo Photography, and our videographer was Niv Shaul Films.

Food and cake

During our tasting meal at the hotel, we initially didn’t connect with the proposed style. From that moment, Anat sat for hours with the hotel staff to fully adapt the menu to our expectations (including kosher adjustments). Every dish was tailored until it was perfect, and Anat even conducted an additional tasting tour on her own to personally verify that every dish met our requirements.

Extra Details

From the moment we first landed in Greece for the scouting trip until we left after the celebrations ended, the entire Sirtaki team made us feel at home away from home. There was not a single detail we wanted to happen that didn’t come to fruition.

During the preparation tour (which we highly recommend to all couples), Anat and Yonathan invited all the vendors to the hotel so we could meet them face-to-face. Additionally, Anat—who comes from a culinary background—took care of adjusting the hotel’s menu to fit the Israeli palate and our expectations perfectly. She stayed with the vendors and hotel staff until the early hours of the morning to handle everything.

Knowing all the vendors and confirming the schedule in person gave us peace of mind. We felt how important it was to the Sirtaki team that the event run perfectly; they weren’t satisfied with just one visit and went on several additional scouting trips without us just to ensure we had total confidence that we were in the best possible hands.

The moment we will never forget happened two days before the wedding, when we decided we wanted fireworks for our Taverna celebration :-). As always, we dreamed and Anat executed. One phone call to Anat—and it was settled.

At the peak of the dance party on the first night, Anat ensured that exactly at the right moment, a spectacular fireworks display began! It exceeded all our expectations and imagination, and absolutely thrilled all the guests.

Advice to couples currently planning their wedding

The most important thing we recommend: Enjoy the journey!!!!! Understand that even in this type of event, where celebrations last several days, time still passes faster than you can imagine. All the small planning details eventually pale in comparison to the big moment when you and your closest people enter a 3-day experience where everyone disconnects from their personal lives to fully surrender to your joy. That is what truly matters. So, let professionals like Anat and Yonathan do what they do best, lean back, and enjoy the ride.

ADI & AMIT’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK

Photography – Brendo Photography
Videography – Niv Shaul Films
Venue & catering – Nikki Beach Porto Heli
Planner – Sirtaki Events
Bride’s dresses – Dana Ivinski
Flowers – Terra Alba
DJ – DJ Dor Dekel

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