HOW magical is the Israeli Jewish wedding of Andrea, a medical massage therapist, and Yehoshua, who works in sales?! Their gorgeous Jerusalem Hills venue, Ein Hemed, looks like an absolute fairy tale wonderland – all trees and twinkly lights – the perfect choice for two nature lovers!
Picking a venue that was totally stunning all on its own also helped the couple stay on budget – not much was needed to make Ein Hemed shine. With just a simple chuppah, lanterns and flower petals lining the aisle, and pinecones and herbs on the tables instead of flowers, Andrea and Yehoshua created the ultimate rustic vibes without breaking the bank.
Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman Photography (whose team also handled videography) captured not only the marvelous aesthetics of the day, but – in his trademark style – the couple’s story too.
We also love how the pair – both of whom made Aliyah on their own – took the wedding as an opportunity for their friends and family to get to see Israel and the lives they’ve built in the country. There’s so much more to say, but we’ll let Andrea take it from here…
How We Met
Andrea, the bride: We like to say that we met at the party we didn’t want to be at. It was a very cold and stormy February night. It was a night that no one would have wanted to leave their homes, yet thankfully we both did. A mutual friend was having a party to celebrate his birthday. I debated whether to go or not thinking that perhaps many friends would not show to the party because of the horrible weather.
In the meantime, Yehoshua was already out due to the fact that he was going to the kotel for 40 days straight in the merit that his bashert would be revealed. That night he even struggled to find a minyan (10 men) because of the torrential downpour. Nonetheless we both ended up at that party, however, he showed up shortly before I was planning on leaving. We spoke very briefly and then said our goodbyes- no numbers exchanged.
Almost one month later we both attended a wedding that I, Andrea, did not plan on attending. A friend’s husband was unavailable and she convinced me to come take his place. Thankfully I agreed because I turned around during the ceremony, and there I saw the brightest smile 🙂 Yehoshua and I got a ride home together, this time, exchanging numbers. 6 months later we were engaged and another two and a half months we were married! God was our clear matchmaker and we are forever grateful!
Nature Vibes
We got married at a place called Ein Hemed. It’s in the Jerusalem hills. Ein Hemed is a nature park and we both really love the outdoors and wanted a rustic nature vibe. Surrounded only by nature, it was beautiful!!
Keeping it Simple
We didn’t have a theme. We are very simple and felt that Ein Chemed is beautiful enough to with go a theme.
Invitation
Yehoshua designed our invitation on his own! with the help from a guy on fiver!
Hair + Makeup
Two of my very talented friends did my hair and makeup. I am a very simple person who does not wear makeup at all and I wanted to feel as much as myself on my special day. They helped me elevate my look and still feel beautiful as myself.
A Rented Dress
As already noted I am very simple and didnt want to overdo anything with my look. I found a beautiful dress at a little shop where brides rent out their dresses. This makes it more affordable and practical to those brides who dont plan on keeping their dresses. The shop is called Matriushka Studio.
Accessories
My mother in law and grandmother in law picked out my veil (it was the week before my wedding and I thought it would be a nice way to bond and include them being that they live in America and I in Israel.) I wore beautiful diamond flower earrings that belonged to my grandmother who I was very close to. It was a way to feel like she was apart of me on our specail day.
Shoes
I wore basic nude to light pink small heels.
The handsome groom
Yehoshua wore a three piece navy blue tuxedo with a white bow tie. He looked SO handsome!
Bridesmaids
I didn’t have official bridesmaids. I just had my closest friends around me and told them they could wear whatever they like
Ceremony
We had an incredible ceremony. We were married by a very special and musical rabbi, Shlomo Katz. Not only did he make our ceremony spiritual, happy, and authentic, he is a very close friend and mentor to Yehoshua and it meant the world to us that he elevated our ceremony beyond this world.
We are very connected to the music and teachings of Shlomo Carlebach. He was a very special rabbi known for his teachings, his music, his stories, and his ability to bring people close to G-d. We had many of his songs at our wedding. It was awesome.
Ketubah
Our Ketubah was from Tzohar, an organization in Israel that aids in the process of marriage.
Chuppah
Being on a budget and picking a venue surrounded by nature we didn’t add much additional design. We had lanterns and flower pedals added to the aisle as a small gesture with a big impact!
Music Choice
We had The Solomon Brothers play our wedding and they were amazing!! They are a local band and their style is country/folk. They are born and raised in Israel so they play a lot of Jewish songs as well. They were the perfect blend for us. Nachman Solomon, the lead singer, is a very close friend and also played our proposal, so it was an obvious choice and a complete full circle.
Flowers
We didnt have flowers on the tables, we went with a rustic feel of lanterns, pinecones, and some herbs! ( we still have some of the herbs leftover that now flourish in our home garden!) My mom bought my bouquet the day of the wedding from a local store.
Photographer and videographer
We used Herschel Gutman Photography and used his videographer as well! They were absolutely amazing!! We have some friends who used Herschel in the past and were very happy. I looked through a lot of photographers’ pages and Herschel’s stood out to me. I felt that besides his creative and clear talent, his pictures felt special and authentic. I felt that his pictures told stories, and that is what I wanted to be able to look back on. It was one of our easiest choices and we couldn’t be happier.
Food and Cake
We used the Ein Hemed‘s caterer. We chose to do buffet style which is not always typical here but the menu looked amazing and we wanted to create an easy open feel. It was a great choice because to this day everyone RAVES about how good the food was!
Entertainment
We had amazing “shtick” organized by friends and family. A lot of which was captured in our highlight video!
Extra details
Every moment of our wedding was truly special. Yehosha and I both made Aliyah to Israel independently and left our families behind. Many of our family members had not had the chance to see the lives that we created for ourselves here; to meet our friends, to see our homes, our jobs, etc. Many of our family members had never been to Israel prior!
Aside from the wedding day, our family and friends were able to travel the country, experience new culture, try new foods, and feel the wonders that are Israel! The energy that surrounded our special day was unexplainable. To be able to have our nearest and dearest fly from all over the world to celebrate our love was all of the “extra touches” we could have ever asked for!
Honeymoon
We had the amazing privilege to travel to South Africa for our honeymoon!! I say privilege because besides for the amazing experience we returned about a month or so prior to the lockdowns of COVID. Originally we had no plans of traveling so soon after our wedding, but Yehoshua is always on the lookout for a good deal and he found one and said lets just do it! We had the most unbelievable trip! We spent our first weekend in Johannesburg with new and old friends.
We had an incredible safari experience and we toured and enjoyed the beautiful city of Cape Town. It was definitely a trip we will remember for the rest of our lives!
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
I am a very lucky bride because I had the most amazing partner to plan this crazy once in a lifetime event with. Yehoshua really took the lead on our wedding planning as he has great management skills and knows how to get stuff done easily and efficiently.
My first advice would be to remember that this special day, which can sometimes be stereotyped as the “bride’s day,” is really a day to signify your love and unity. Plan it equally, reduce the stress, and enjoy the process! My second advice pertains to the actual wedding day. It FLIES by! Be present! Everything is done, let go, leave the details to the professionals. Focus on what this day really means, starting a life with the love of your life. Take mental pictures, and just have fun!
ANDREA & JOSHUA’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography and Videography – Herschel Gutman Photography {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Wedding planner – Elaine Beychok – Eventastic
Venue – Ein Hemed
Bride’s dress – Matriushka Studio
Hair + Makeup Elana Hochstadt, Sarah Wang
Band/DJ/Singer/Quartet – The Solomon Brothers
Catering – Ein Hemed
Ketubah – Tzohar
Invitation – Yehoshua Wajcman
Rabbi – Shlomo Katz
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.
