There’s nothing like an Israeli Jewish wedding – and we’re obsessed with the joyous union of Rebecca, a technical writer, and Nativ, a lawyer, at the stunning waterfront venue Bayit al Hayam. The whole wedding was an ode to Tel Aviv – the city where the couple met and fell in love – and everything about the day really showcased what a very special place it is.
This wedding really has it all – Mediterranean views, fabulous golden light, delectable food, the kind of child party Israeli weddings are known for, and, of course, tons and tons of Jewish joy!
It was all captured so perfectly by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ori Carmi Photography. In Rebecca’s words, “The photos he captured from our wedding are pure magic; I can’t put into words how happy we are with them. He photographed the feeling and the true essence of the moment; each time I look at the photos I’m transported back to that bliss.”
Read on for the full story…
How we met
Rebecca, the bride: We actually met exactly three years ago this April, during the first week of the COVID lockdowns! It’s a crazy story. The lockdowns in Israel were really strict at the beginning, and it was illegal to leave your house to go more than 100 meters. We matched on Tinder, and I (Rebecca) was curious about where Nativ lived because you never know right? So I asked him by chance to drop a pin of his location, just for laughs.
I remember being stunned to see that his location was 90 meters away. Basically next door neighbors! We met that night for a “social distance walk” and then every day after that. We decided if we went 30 days of seeing each other every day, that was it.
Don’t forget, the world was at a complete standstill at this point, so we were spending every moment together, and it was the most fun we ever had. I always say it was like a “pre” honeymoon where we got to enjoy each other’s company. I moved in after two months and the rest is history. 🙂
A Venue by the Sea
We got married at a breathtaking venue, Bayit al Hayam in Yafo, Israel. I know it sounds crazy but this was the only wedding hall we looked at. I knew immediately it was the place. First of all, the location. I knew we wanted Tel Aviv (Yafo is even better) or somewhere central, as that’s where most of my husband’s family lives. Since my family had to fly in from America, I knew they also would be staying in Tel Aviv, and I wanted it to be as comfortable as possible for them.
Then there’s the fact that this venue is literally on the Mediterranean sea. It’s in the name of the place; Bayit al Hayam- House on the sea. We both love the sea and this location felt like a special place to get married.
We knew that the quality of the staff and food there was also as good as it gets, and we registered for a date soon after. The luckiest part was, the date we registered for ended up being Israeli election day, so everyone could come to our wedding after a nice relaxing day off!
Tel Aviv
We didn’t really have a specific theme, but I wanted our wedding to capture us and our love in any case. That’s why we chose our venue – Bayit al Hayam, with a full panoramic view of Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean. We met and fell in love in Tel Aviv and we have had such a special time starting our lives here. The venue’s location itself captured this so no need to go overboard with a theme.
We also didn’t take a wedding planner in the end. I wavered back and forth A LOT about getting a wedding coordinator for the day of, just to feel like there was someone to orchestrate. But in the end, my venue explained that they have a producer running the show that day, and it wasn’t necessary to hire another planner or coordinator, so I was glad I saved the money and did most of the planning myself. I will say, starting SOONER rather than later really helped me to plan comfortably.
Hair + Make-up
Breanna from Oh Curl Salon in Tel Aviv is my curl guru. I only wanted her to do my hair as I’ve been working with her for a couple of years now and she is the expert on curly hair. We needed to do an updo since my dress had a high neckline, and I wanted to make my hair look as long as thick as possible.
Breanna was able to do this tiered ponytail look that made my hair look so long and perfect, and she touched up my hair all evening. She is THE BEST. (She even gave my 87-year-old grandmother the best haircut she ever had, her words, not mine).
My makeup was done by Talia from Makeup by Talia and she was able to give me the perfect natural and flawless look. She is such a pleasure to work with. She was so patient and fixed my makeup three times after I kept happy-crying it off LOL.
A Mirror Mirror Dress
My dress is by ÉLYSÉE as part of the Etoile collection and I bought it at Mariella’s in Connecticut. This dress was a combo of sweet, sexy, and comfortable. I knew I didn’t want an open neck or shoulder and this dress had the perfect solution. Bear in mind I was shopping for this dress in America for a wedding in Israel in a short timeframe, and I knew I needed to be able to fly it home with me to Israel. So I only tried on dresses that they had in stock and could come home with me the same day.
My parents and grandmother came dress shopping with me and when I tried it on we all knew, it was the one. It was comfortable and the neckline was just right. I loved that the top was intricate beadwork and that the skirt was plain and cascading, and that there were buttons running along the back instead of a zipper to close it. I felt so classic and elegant. There was also this long lace veil that came with it and when I tried the whole look it was perfect.
Ceremony and Chuppah
We kept our ceremony simple; especially since we’re a couple coming from two different countries, we didn’t want to overcomplicate things. I love that after the ceremony when the groom smashes the glass, in Israel, it’s traditional for the guests to swarm the couples with love and hugs to congratulate them. This was such a moment of bliss and relief.
I chose my chuppah design with our very talented floral designer, Yossi. I wanted something to frame us in a gentle way, and in the end, we went for a combination of purple flowers and eucalyptus woven together. It was a stunning chuppah without being too distracting or gaudy; it blended into the ambiance with the city skyline peeking through the floor-length windows of the hall.
Our Music Choice
Processional: ‘Modeh ani’ by Meir Ariel. This song is in Hebrew but I printed a copy of the lyrics for my American family to follow along. It’s a beautiful love song about being grateful and loving through the little moments. I cry every time I hear it, and our wedding was no exception.
Recessional: ‘Touch me’ by the Doors – It was the perfect song to break the glass–my husband’s choice. It’s very upbeat and fun – and it’s classic. The lyrics match the moment and it was so much fun.
We did a final dance and the song we chose was ‘Dancing Queen’. It’s a song my husband and I both always sing to each other, and we felt that even though our wedding ending was like, the most bittersweet moment ever, this was a chance to just lose ourselves in the moment and fully enjoy every second, right until the end. Plus everyone can sing along 🙂 important!
Flowers
Yossi is one of the most special people I’ve met in my life. When I spoke to him on the phone about what I wanted for flowers, at first I went the safe route, the style I expected everyone to want – I classic flowers, white roses, that sort of thing.
But after explaining myself, my vibe, style, and color preferences to Yossi, he was like…I feel like you want more. And the truth was, I wanted a splash of wildflowers and color and life on the tables! I wanted people to come in and feel energized and ready to celebrate with us. I always call what Yossi did “flower therapy” – he was able to truly sense something about me and create that in the bouquets. We went for English garden-style arrangements with a little bit of a wildflower twist, and there was such life and movement to them. It was pure magic.
Photographer and videographer
Our photographer was Ori Carmi Photography. I found his work on Instagram and loved his style. I could tell he saw things from a different angle and was extremely talented. The photos he captured from our wedding are pure magic; I can’t put into words how happy we are with them. He photographed the feeling and the true essence of the moment; each time I look at the photos I’m transported back to that bliss. I think this is an indication of a very gifted photographer.
Our videographer was Adam Shimshi, recommended to me by Ori as they had worked together in the past. Sure enough, Adam was just as much of a genius in capturing the moment as Ori. Our wedding video is a perfect mashup of the evening, and he got some incredible shots of the decor and the city. He also live-streamed the chuppah ceremony so our guests could watch along in high quality. I’m really glad we chose to do this, as anyone who missed it could view the recording afterward.
And I can’t leave out Pini our magnet photographer, who quietly captured hundreds of photos at our wedding, printed immediately on magnets for our guests (and ourselves) to take home.
I was in shock at how many photos Pini was able to take and print and at just how high quality they were. Seeing photos from our wedding the same day was priceless, as it really is an out of body experience, and it flies by.
Wedding List Registry
In Israel, there are way fewer options for registries. That being said, we worked with La Bayit gifts and it was a fantastic experience. The site has everything you could dream of for starting a life together – all kitchen appliances, beautiful dishware, linens, handmade ceramicware, Judaica, and more. It was easy for our guests to purchase gifts through the link and then for us to get them delivered right to our apartment. The customer service is also phenomenal; she answers right away and sorts out any sort of issue you might have.
Advice to other couples planning their wedding
Enjoy EVERY little moment leading up to the wedding. It’s a really special time to bond with your partner, and though it can be stressful, there are still so many fun moments. Choosing the venue and dress, going to tastings, building the invite list – anything can be a fun date if you make it fun!
WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES!! Seriously. You don’t want to be in pain on the most important day of your life. You can still get cute ones that are very comfortable; this is one thing worth investing in.
Remember, everyone will have a million suggestions of how to do this “right.” Only you know what will make your wedding perfect for you and your partner. Keep boundaries; don’t be afraid to say no; don’t be afraid to truly ask for what you want 🙂
And most of all, ENJOY! Be in the moment, eat your wedding food, stop to take pictures with guests if you can. It goes by soo fast and it is so precious!
LEANNE & NATIV’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Ori Carmi Photography {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Videography – Adam Shimshi
Bride’s Dress – ÉLYSÉE found at Mariella’s
Venue – Bayit al Hayam
Hair + Makeup – Oh Curl Salon, Makeup by Talia
Flowers – Yossi Agababa
DJ – DJ Alpha
Wedding Registry – La Bayit gifts
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.
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