We can spot a Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Luz Weddings Photography Jewish wedding a mile away. Their trademark combination of architectual urban shots with emotion and romance is unmistakable — and we can’t get enough of it.
Neither could Mayan, a lawyer, and Dan, a construction engineer, who can’t stop raving about their photographers — in addition to being mega talented at capturing artsy shots, the couple report they were a dream to work with on the day and couldn’t have made even the photo-hating groom more comfortable.
There was certainly plenty to capture, what with the stunning Ronit Farm setting and an unbelievable floral chuppah. And we love how the couple opted to get married at the unconventional-for-Israel hour of noon, allowing them to make the most of that amazing Israeli sunshine.
They also opted for a Friday date, which meant they could throw in some fun pre-Shabbat touches, like their Shabbat flower bouquet favors that each guest picked up from a “flower shop” they had set up!
Over to Mayan, who lived out all her princess dreams in Monique Lhuillier…
How we met
Mayan, the bride: We met in the army, where we both served in intelligence. When I got to the office on the first day he came to sit next to me and started talking to me.
Soon we kissed but because Dan is from Eilat and I am from Jerusalem (a 4 hour drive) he wasn’t sure he wanted to be my boyfriend! So I made him jealous a little bit and soon we fell in love.
We’ve been together for 7.5 years already and I can’t remember my life without him anymore. He is my best friend and we have so much in common, like our love of travelling around the world.
Ronit Farm
We got married at Ronit Farm. We were looking for a venue that combined the best of both worlds: magical nature close to Tel Aviv.
When Dan proposed to me I know this was the place I wanted to say “I do”. We also wanted an unusual wedding so we decided to get married on Friday at noon, something not so common in Israel.
When we saw Ronit Farm, the amazing lake there and the amphitheater for the after party we fell in love. Also, the top quality of the food and professional service made the decision easy.
A Fab Planner
The moment I found Yahav Green on Instagram, I knew he was the one to design my wedding.
We met, and I fell in love with his energy and talent. I told him I wanted an elegant and chic wedding, and that I trusted him 100%, and didn’t need to know all the details of what he had planned.
Minimalist Invitations
Yahav designed the invitations. I wanted something clean and minimalist, and that’s exactly what we got.
A Monique Lhuillier Dress
I dreamed of getting married in Monique Lhuillier, so my mom and I travelled to Milan to shop. We had the most exciting and special trip ever! I bought the dress at Rebecca La Sposa, an intimate, beautiful, and professional boutique.
It was the first wedding dress boutique I set foot in, and the dress I bought was the second one I tried on! I just knew it was the one from the moment I saw it. I tried it on and immediately felt like a princess. All the ladies at the boutique were extremely professional and in the end they created me a new corset special for my size and a matching 3 metre veil.
We came back to Milan twice more for fittings and took the dress to Israel 5 days before the wedding. Buying my dream wedding dress in Milan and taking 3 trips there made my experience even more special.
I also wanted a lighter dress for the reception, so my mom and I started looking at Israeli designers. The dress I found at Eisan Stain reflected everything I was looking for, a little bit boho but romantic and soft. Raheli, the designer, was super professional and handled my big breasts better than my I could have imagined.
I felt like the dress highlighted my plus points and hid all my flaws. In the end, although I had another mini dress for the dancing, I liked the Eisan Stain dress so much, and it was so comfortable, I stayed in it at the reception and throughout the dancing!
A Lace Veil
I had a 3-metre made-to-order veil from Rebecca La Sposa, sewn from Monique Lhuillier lace matched to my dress. For the jewelry I wanted to have a clean look so I just wore my H.Stern jewelry.
Miu Miu and Rene Caovilla Shoes
I’m a shoes lover, and generally buy only designers shoes, but because I knew the wedding was going to be in a garden, I wanted a wide heel. So I ordered Miu Miu shoes from Net A Porter and they were comfortable and very bridal feeling, although they were not white.
For the party, I knew I’d have more fun in flats, so on one of our trips to Milan, I bought Rene Caovilla sandals. Those shoes are handcrafted and it takes 48 hours to create one shoe! All covered with Swarovski crystals. That was one of my best decisions, and at the first moment my feet hurt I just put on those flat sandals and still felt like a princess.
Hair + Makeup
I used Miki Buganim. I think he is THE best! My mom (I think you all understand already she is my closest and best friend, except for my husband) and I are longtime customers of Miki and will only dye our hair in his salon.
I always knew not only that he is the best, but I wanted someone who feels like family to do my hair and makeup. Miki is so talented and professional! He did exactly what I asked: natural but glamorous. Max, one of his hairdressers, came to help and also stayed for the wedding to fix my hair and makeup every time I needed it.
The handsome groom
The groom, who wore a Dolce Gabbana suit and Valentino shoes, is the love of my life!
Unofficial Bridesmaids
I didn’t have bridesmaids, but I had my best friends, my mom, and my grandma with me to get ready and it was so calm and fun! I just wanted everyone to enjoy the day and not to force matching dresses or something like that. Don’t worry, my best friends made me the best bachelorette party ever in Mykonos!
A Surprise Chuppah
I didn’t even know what my chuppah design would be like until I got to the wedding! I just trusted Yahav so much and told him to do something around my main theme of a light, romantic, chic wedding, and he surprised me with the most amazing chuppah ever! I really don’t know what I would have done without him!
A Moving Ceremony
It was very important to me that all the family would feel part of the wedding. So, we decided everyone would have an entrance. First Dan’s sister with her little children throwing flowers, then my brothers and Dan’s brothers, then Dan with his parents, and then me with my parents. I was very excited, and to this day when one of us hears the song we entered to we start crying. And I cried throughout the whole ceremony from the excitement!
We choose Rabbi Ariel to officiate, he is very fun and laid-back. During our 7 Blessings (Sheva Brachot) he let every man at the chuppah make one wish, but only one sentence each, so it was very touching but not too long.
He also let my grandma say Amen and she was so excited, it was worth a lot to me. Dan’s friends were standing next to the chuppah and they shouted one of the wishes all together, which really made us feel everyone was part of our special moment.
Of course we also had the biggest miss in history when Dan missed the glass and didn’t smash it on the first try! But hey, this is what makes the wedding our wedding.
Stand By Me
For our first dance we had ‘Stand By Me’ by Florence and The Machine – it’s our song, and we always knew it would be our first dance. For our processional we had Idan Raichel – ‘Before It Ends’. When everyone entered the ceremony and when I entered and Dan came to put on my veil it was Amir Benauin – ‘You Win Everything With Me’, the most emotional song ever and a song we listened to a lot when we were in the army. For smashing the glass we had Coldplay and the Chainsmokers – ‘Something Like This’.
Shabbat Flowers
Again, Yahav, my very talented designer and florist, made our wedding a fairy tale, exactly as we dreamed. He choose soft, elegant roses and orchids that were a perfect match for the lake and garden.
As favours we had a flower bouquet for each guest. It was Friday and we wanted every guest to have flowers for Shabbat. Yahav had the idea and also created a “flower shop” where every guest could collect their bouquet.
Luz Love
We wanted all of the elements of our wedding to be special, and the photographer was no exception. After I saw Luz Weddings Photography and met them, I felt like their combination of very modern urban photos with softness and professionalism was the best choice for us.
Also, we had an amazing bond, so I knew that even though Dan isn’t a big fan of having his picture taken, they would catch us at our best, and that’s exactly how it went! They’re so talented and calming, they know exactly how to make you feel comfortable and beautiful!
Videography
We also had Avichai Wechsler as our videographer, because every video he makes looks like a fairy tale. I just had no doubts about going with him and didn’t even meet him before we decided to book him. In the end, he just knows how to make the most amazing videos!
Fantastic Food
We had an amazing chocolate sponge cake by Adi Barkan design! My mom was traumatized by someone stealing her bride and groom topper off the cake at her own wedding, so she really wanted me to have a nice cake and she took care of the cake as a surprise for me! The cake was so delicious and chic, exactly as I dreamed of.
Our catering was the amazing Ronit Farm catering, Local Kitchen. They made all my dreams come true – such as having a dessert table on the dance floor, and chefs making the desserts right on the dance floor like a show! And the food was like restaurant-level, with the best service ever!
DJ and Dancing
We just wanted the guests to enjoy the DJ, Eli Matana, and dance as much as they could.
Wedding Weekend
Dan is originally from Eilat and I am from Jerusalem, and we got married far from both our homes. So we stayed at the Ritz Carlton with all our families for two nights, before and after the wedding.
It was a very special feeling to have everyone together, and also we had Shabbat Hatan, when Dan was called up for the reading of the Torah in synagogue at the hotel. Then we all ate breakfast together and it was very special to us.
We had also had many of Dan’s friends from Eilat, which is 4 hours’ drive, so we rented a big villa with pool and had a big after party the day after the wedding.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
My advice for the day is: it happens so fast after you wait for it for so long! Have fun! Enjoy! Work with people you trust and let them lead on this day so you will be able to have fun! Things happen unexpectedly but it’s ok, every bride has her own thing.
And, walk around in your shoes before the wedding to break them in, it’s very important! Also, don’t leave the dance floor, because the bride determines the vibe of the party!
Mayan & Dan’s little white book
Photography – Luz Weddings {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Videography – Avichai Wechsler
Designer and flowers – Yahav Green
Venue – Ronit Farm
Bride’s dress and veil – Monique Lhuillier found and fitted at Rebecca La Sposa
Bride’s shoes – Miu Miu purchased at Net A Porter and Rene Caovilla
Groom’s attire – Dolce Gabbana and Valentino
Hair + Makeup – Miki Buganim
DJ – Eli Matana
Hotel – Ritz Carlton
