Today’s destination Jewish wedding is serious #chuppahgoals. UK couple Natasha, who is a head of sales, and Adam, an investment banker, opted for a destination wedding at gorgeous Al Hayam in Caesarea, Israel.
The pair wanted a statement chuppah, but at the same time didn’t want anything to overshadow the jaw-dropping ocean view from their venue — take a look through their photos by STG Fave Ronen Boidek and you’ll see why!
What they ended up with hits just the right balance between luxe and simple: four narrow poles covered in greenery and white and cream flowers, all under a canopy of delicate lace. It’s just so elegant, yet exquisitely delicate at the same time.
Bride Natasha said she wanted flowers on her chuppah (not only because, well, why would you not?) but also because of all the beautiful things they represent: “life, a new start, and all things alive and living” — all the right notes to hit at the start of your marriage.
Though Natasha and Adam went for an elegant classic style, they did bring some quirky touches to their day. Our favorite: a Scottish whisky bar, in honor of the groom’s Scottish origins, with different types of whisky for guests to sample. Oh yeah, and there was also a bagpiper in attendance too!
Speaking of music, these two picked our latest and greatest STG Recommended Vendor, Teta Band to set their wedding atmosphere on fire! Teta played live all night, from jazz to pop to Israeli to even French, Portuguese, and Motown live music all night, and in Natasha’s words, “phenomenal doesn’t even describe it… Teta had the guests all up on their feet all night long!”
Beautiful Natasha, looking absolutely radiant in her ivory lace gown from Paloma Blanca, will fill you in on all the rest of the juicy details… Happy Fri-yay!
A Venue with an Ocean View
Natasha, the bride: We got married at Al Hayam, Caesarea, Israel. We picked this venue due to the open nature of the venue, yet somehow it felt like there was a sense of intimacy. The gorgeous view overlooking the ocean was the winner for us!
An Israeli Wedding
We used Adi Porat as our wedding planner, whom we absolutely adore. From day one she was extremely supportive, and we felt in safe hands knowing she was on top of everything. My sense of style is very classic, simple, and natural, and therefore we wanted the environment/scenery to be the main focus of the event and not take away from it by overdoing the venue.
There were so many people who attended the wedding who had never been to Israel before, or attended a Jewish wedding before, so we wanted to make it as inclusive as possible. We made sure to explain everything very clearly, but also we wanted to get everyone as involved as possible. The girls threw me up in the air during the Israeli dancing (like the boys do for the groom) just because they saw it happen on the boys side!
Rose Gold Invitations
We used Darren Gale of Invitation London, who was fantastic. Our designs again were very classic/elegant, with an ivory/cream background, rose gold foil writing, and a rose gold foil border.
Hair + Makeup
Hair was done by Yonatan Yaesh, who I’d highly recommend! I went for a half up half down look, with a natural swirl running through. I’m not a “hair up” type of person, so having the majority of my hair down over my shoulders, while pulling up the sides into a mini hive, worked perfectly for a venue that can be quite windy!
Make up was by the fantastic Mel Atias Bueno, who was born in London but now lives in Tel Aviv. Being someone who doesn’t wear a lot of makeup normally, Mel made sure that the makeup on the day was extremely classic and simple, yet by adding a gold finish she gave my eyes that extra shimmer. Natural lips topped the look off, which was perfect.
A Paloma Blanca Dress
My dress was from London Bridal Couture, and it was by Canadian designer Paloma Blanca. It was a chantilly lace wedding dress in ivory, with a sweetheart neckline. I loved the elegant, simple nature of the dress combined with the impeccable attention to detail, down to the additional appliques we had added onto the dress itself. It was light and fitted the ocean scenery perfectly.
Jimmy Choo’s
Jimmy Choo – Romy 85. These were gorgeous and not too high, as I’m not one for high heels at the best of times! The ivory lace was the essence of classic elegance for me. Leather lined with a leather sole – they were incredibly comfortable too, which surprised me!
The handsome groom
The handsome groom had a custom-made suit made by Taliare in Marylebone. The suit itself was navy blue, with light blue lining. He had some special words engraved into the lining too, which I won’t disclose 🙂 Shoes were black brogues with leather tassels from Russell and Bromley.
Bridesmaids in Pale Blue
I had 5 bridesmaids, all in a very pale blue to match with the ocean. Their dresses were made by Dessy, and there were 3 different styles between the 5 of them.
A Floral Chuppah
The chuppah was the one element of the ceremony where I wanted flowers, and LOTS of them. To me flowers represent life, a new start, and all things alive and living, which is exactly what I wanted our marriage to start with and continue with.
Unity
My favorite part of the ceremony is the understanding of the ketubah and what marriage means, a unity.
Came Here for Love
First dance was Latch, Sam Smith – one of my favorite songs of all time and so appropriate. We entered onto the dance floor as a newly wed couple to Sigala, Ella Eyre – Came Here for Love. This screams fun, happiness, love, and pure joy. It’s also an absolute cracker to dance to!
Processional dances were Mehera (groom/parents/bridesmaids) and Boi Kala (Hallelujah) for the bride entrance.
Beautiful Flowers
The incredibly talented Olla Daggan was the person who designed the whole day, from the flowers, lights to the table settings.
Our fabulous Photographer
Ronen Boidek was the photographer. We were recommended Ronen by practically everyone we spoke to. When we first met him in Israel before our wedding, he oozed professionalism and expertise.
Ronen was an absolute pleasure to work with throughout the wedding, and the end result can only be described as a pure piece of art, capturing moments I didn’t even notice myself on the wedding day! He captured the spirit and the ambience of the day perfectly, while at the same time being very discreet and respectful!
…and videographer
Videographer was Nir Saldinger, again who was exceptional. Watching the video back brings us all pure joy, mixing elements of spirituality, moments of thought, laughter, dancing, and speeches perfectly.
Food
No cake – there was too much food! Catering was done in house by Al Hayam – the food was absolutely delicious and came in abundance.
A Live Band, and Bagpipes
Teta Band – we had the 14 piece band, and phenomenal doesn’t quite describe it. They were a team of 14 exceptional talents, delivering jazz, pop, Israeli, French, Portuguese, and Motown music throughout the evening.
When we first met Teta before our wedding, their spirit and unique sound shone for us and it was a no brainer to use them. On the night, they did not fail to impress and had the guests all up on the feet all night!
Being a Scottish/English wedding, guests were welcomed by an Israeli/Scottish kilt-wearing chap playing the bagpipes – had to be done!
Favors Galore
Favors were in abundance, courtesy of our lovely wedding planner, Adi. We had flip flops for the ladies when their feet couldn’t take heels any longer, neon glasses and flashing lights for guests to wear around their necks when the true party started, ice lollies coming onto the dance floor to cool everyone down after a round of Israeli dancing, a sweet booth for guests to pass by before getting on the coach to go home… to name a few!
Scottish Whisky Bar
We wanted to bring a touch of Scotland to Israel, considering the groom is Scottish. We had a “Scottish Whisky Bar” where we had lots of different types of whisky for the guests to enjoy, and a barrel was there for decoration to signify the barrels in Scotland.
Family Helpers
Family and friends were involved throughout the evening by being given different roles – my brother was chairman, parents’ friends were given toasts to the state of Israel/Her Majesty the Queen etc…
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
I am an extremely relaxed person, so it wasn’t hard for me not to stress on the day, but I would say this is the one time in your life everyone you love and care for is in the same space, celebrating the love, joy, and happiness you’ve found.
Don’t take that for granted and don’t spend your day worrying about what may or may not have gone wrong; it doesn’t matter and you can’t change it! Just enjoy the moment, because before you know it, it’s all over.
Natasha & Adam’s little white book
Photography – Ronen Boidek
Wedding Planner – Adi Porat
Band – Teta Band
Venue – Al Hayam
Bride’s dress – Paloma Blanca purchased at London Bridal Couture
Bride’s shoes – Jimmy Choo
Groom’s attire – Taliare and Russell and Bromley
Bridesmaids – Dessy
Makeup – Mel Atias Bueno
Flowers – Olla Daggan
Invitation – Invitation London
Videography — Nir Saldinger
