We couldn’t be more thrilled to be featuring STG’s very first Jewish wedding in Japan today! Ariella and Ben live in LA, but they dreamed of making things official against the majestic backdrop of Mount Fuji – and that’s exactly what they did.
Though it’s often difficult to see Mount Fuji in the distance, the couple lucked out and got a clear, sunny day – the absolute dreamiest setting for their cherry blossom- and rose-covered chuppah.
This day was so dreamy, it’s hard to believe Ariella and Ben planned it in just three months – and they did it all themselves too, with some help from an English-speaking coordinator from their resort who pitched in with translation.
Read on for the rest of the story in the couple’s own words…
How We Met
Ariella, the bride and Ben, the groom: We met at a mutual friend’s Friday night Shabbat get-together in West Hollywood, Los Angeles in November 2020. Ariella had moved to LA three months prior to meeting Ben.
A Wedding in Japan
We got married in Lake Kawaguchi near Mount Fuji, in Japan. We picked this venue, Glamping Villa Hanz, because we wanted Mount Fuji in the background of our chuppah.
Mount Fuji Views
We planned everything ourselves! However, we did have an English speaking coordinator from the resort we stayed at that helped us put everything together and translated everything for us.
One really special thing that happened is that it’s often difficult to see Mount Fuji in the distance due to fog. We were keeping an eye on what the weather was supposed to be the day of our ceremony. A week before, it said it was going to be raining, foggy, and cold. As the week went on, the weather slowly kept changing from full on rain, to showers, to cloudy, until the day before it said – clear, sunny, and 70 degrees. We got so lucky, and we were ecstatic about it!
Hair + Makeup
Ariella hired a local hairstylist to do her hair, but she did her own makeup.
A Rachel & Rose Bridal Dress
Ariella’s dress was from Rachel & Rose Bridal in Los Angeles. The style was Mermaid. Since we planned our wedding in less than three months, she didn’t have much time to pick out a dress. She saw the dress in the window of the boutique and knew immediately that it was the one!
Ceremony & Chuppah
Honestly, everything about the ceremony was our favorite. The ceremony was so intimate, magical, special, so touching, and just perfect. Our Rabbi, Rabbi Mendi Sudakevich, also made our ceremony so special by truly walking us through everything and by being so present with us. We wish we could relive it over and over again! For the chuppah design, we wanted it to be covered in cherry blossoms (and roses) that were currently in season in Japan.
Flowers
Cherry blossoms and pink and white roses. The Japanese florist did a beautiful job!
Photographer and videographer
For the photographer, it was important for us to choose a professional and local photographer who knows all of the best locations for photo opportunities in the area. La Rive brought us around to amazing locations in the area to capture great shots of us with Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms in the background.
For the videographers, we flew in Filomena, a team of two men from Indonesia to follow us around for three/four days (the wedding weekend) and to capture a ton of content.
Honeymoon
We did a mini moon in Japan with our families for two weeks. Then, a few months later, we did our actual honeymoon in Africa for 4 weeks. Tanzania first for an incredible Safari trip. Then, Cape Town, The Cape Winelands, and The Garden Route. Then, Mauritius. Africa was a dream trip for both of us!
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Live in the moment, and don’t let anything/anyone get in the way of you enjoying your special day. This is YOUR day. You only get to live this day once and it goes by so fast. Once you arrive to your wedding venue/destination for the big day – that’s it, nothing matters anymore. The planning and trying to control the situation is over. Whatever happens is what was meant to happen. The rest is up to Gd, so you might as well relax and enjoy it!
BEN & ARIELLA’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – La Rive
Videography – Filomena
Venue – Glamping Villa Hanz
Bride’s dress – Rachel & Rose Bridal
Rabbi – Rabbi Mendi Sudakevich
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