Gorgeous chuppah alert! We’re obsessed with the way Nicki, head of trust fundraising at a national charity, and Andrew, who runs his own business as in commercial energy surveying and is a qualified pilot on the side, worked with their venue’s already stunning in situ outdoor foliage-laden chuppah, by adorning it with white roses and marking the path down the aisle with pillar candles and eucalyptus leaves. Pure perfection!
This was a second marriage for both members of the UK-based couple, and we love how they kept things intimate and family-focused, with a clear understanding of what mattered – celebrating with their nearest and dearest – and what didn’t. This was really a day all about love, and that comes through so clearly in the wonderful, natural photos from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman.
With a tightknit guest list of just 50 people and a commitment to spending sensibly, Nicki and Andrew made sure to involve their families in the big day – their four children participated in the ceremony, and other relatives read the Sheva Brachot.
There’s so much more to say, but we’ll leave the rest to Nicki, who looked stunning in her off-the-shelf (and affordable!) Heidi Hudson gown (chosen with the help of her 16-year-old daughter/bridal stylist!)…
How we met
Nicki, the bride: We met on JDATE!
A Jerusalem Wedding
We married at the Mount Zion Boutique Hotel, Jerusalem. We both have close family living in Israel and we wanted to be in the most cultural historic place, which we love. The drier slightly cooler climate in Jerusalem was appealing for a July wedding. We fell in love with romantic rooms, the beautiful gardens, the proximity to the old city, and the intimacy that it would provide us with.
A Fab Planner
We found event planner Risa Goldstein who runs her event business Fab Events Israel through the Secret Jerusalem Facebook group. We had a moderate budget in mind and Risa understood this as she is familiar with managing smaller events.
Our wedding party was under 50 people (which is very small!). Risa provided a consultative approach, sourced suppliers and set up meetings for us, when we came to visit six months prior to the wedding. She is American so speaking both English and Ivrit helped us. We wanted a simple function, elegant and beautiful.
Email Invitations
We used paperless post, and sent email invitations using Greenvelope. This worked really well for us and is simple to use.
Hair + Makeup
Risa sourced two incredible women for hair and makeup. We didn’t even get a chance for trials, and I was so anxious that the trial would be the day of the wedding. But I needn’t have worried as they were so professional and knew exactly how to get the best look for me. They also did my daughter’s hair and makeup.
A Heidi Hudson Dress
My dress was purchased in Baker Street from an off the shelf wedding shop called Wed2B.
My 16 year old daughter was my chief dress supervisor. The dress I chose was the 3rd dress I tried on and we both loved it straight away. It was the Heidi Hudson ‘Blair’ in ivory, made from chiffon and lace with delicate sequins in the bodice. Perfect for the Israeli climate, fitted to the waist and a not too horrendous price tag compared to bespoke dresses.
I should add that this is a second wedding for both myself and my fiance and we wanted to be sensible with regards to the expenditure. The dress was a perfect fit and only needed shortening.
Kurt Geiger Shoes
I was adamant that I would not wear sky scrapers and opted for Kurt Geiger pale pink 2 inch heels, which were replaced by a pair of wedge heels before the dancing.
The handsome groom
Andrew wore a blue linen suit, we had chosen together.
Maid of Honour in Ted Baker
My maid of honour, my daughter wore a pale pink Ted Baker dress.
Chuppah
The Mount Zion has the most beautiful chuppah in situ all year round. We chose creative florist Sara Winter to adorn the already green foliage with stunning roses. Instead of the usual cloth white runway, she suggested we have eucalyptus leave to mark the route up the chuppah with pillar candles lighting the way. It was so beautiful.
Ceremony
Our rabbi, Rabbi Elan Adler from the USA who now lives in Jerusalem, met us six months before the wedding and took us through every step of the ceremony. We appreciated his attention to detail in explaining everything. We included our 4 children in the ceremony (they range from age 16 to age 25!) and other family members in the Sheva Brachot. Our brother in law accidentally tripped up the stairs to the chuppah which added a special humorous touch to the event!
Our music choice
We had a live singer for the pre wedding and walking up the aisle to the chuppah. Qerenne was recommended by our DJ and she was perfect. We found DJ Naor M for the party music and post wedding from a recommendation, on Smashing the Glass, from another DJ who couldn’t make our date!
Flowers
We had an elegant golden urn of purple hydrageas and ivory roses with greenery for the table centres.
Photographer
Award winning photographer, Herschel Gutman was our preferred photographer. We found him ourselves using the Secret Tel Aviv Facebook group. Although our wedding planner had given us several other suppliers, we loved Herschel’s photographs the best for capturing the naturalness between couples, and for their romantic nature. We met Herschel in Hertzlya, and he spent some time with us, discussing what we were looking for. We liked his calm, relaxed approach, his confidence in his ability and the pictures speak for themselves!
Food
The Mount Zion hotel did all the catering. The food was incredible! Everyone raved about it.
Honeymoon
Straight after the wedding we had a minimoon. We drove up to Cnaan Village Spa in the Golan Heights for 3 days. It was pure rest and luxury. Massages, swimming, horse riding at sunset, dining out… After a quick stop back in London, we flew to Sicily for a week, staying in Taormina, visited volcanic Mount Etna, swam, ate and toured the island. It was a wonderful end to an exciting few weeks.
Nicki & Andrew’s little white book
Photography – Herschel Gutman {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Wedding planner – Fab Events Israel
Venue – Mount Zion Boutique Hotel
Bride’s dress – Heidi Hudson purchased at Wed2B
Bride’s shoes – Kurt Geiger
Bridesmaid – Ted Baker
Hair + Makeup – Sara and Rivka
Flowers – Sara Winter
Singer – Qerenne
DJ – DJ Naor M
Invitation – Greenvelope
