We’re positively in love with the romantic rose-themed wedding of Israeli couple Shana, a lawyer, and Gil, an operations manager at a sourcing company!
The theme for their indoor/outdoor celebration at Maarava was inspired by the fact that the groom’s last name, Rosenkrantz, means “bouquet of roses,” and Shoshana (Shana) means “rose” in Hebrew – how adorable is that? Don’t miss Ran Bergman’s gorgeous photos of all the wonderful details!
Shana and Gil worked with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Yael Kfir Frumkis to make their wedding dreams a reality. In Shana’s words,
Yael was an absolute joy to work with. She truly understood us, always exhibited incredible patience, and gave us a sense of complete trust, which was well-placed. We didn’t feel the need to micromanage every decision or be control freaks. She perfectly captured our vibe and taste, ultimately choosing the theme of our wedding, which we adored. Her attention to detail and creativity were unparalleled. She thought of everything, down to the tiniest details.
Read on for the rest of the story in the bride’s own words…
How We Met
Shoshana, the bride: We met at the library in university.
An Indoor/Outdoor Wedding
We chose Maarava as the location for our wedding. We fell in love with the place for so many reasons – first of all, the combination of an indoor hall for holding the feast and the party, together with the possibility of holding a chuppah in the magical garden of Maarava.
We also knew without a shadow of a doubt that the cuisine would be exceptional, and every dish has a twist. It was also clear to us that the location would be convenient for our families and friends.
But the most decisive factor for choosing this place was the very fact that in its previous incarnation “Maarava” was a banquet hall where Gil’s bar mitzvah party was held several years ago (with a different name though). In fact, choosing this place was a super exciting and meaningful closure for him.
We had endless compliments on the food as well as on the service. Everything was impeccable and we loved it.
Romantic Garden
Our theme was a romantic garden, with roses as the centerpiece. This choice was especially meaningful since Gil’s last name, Rosenkrantz, means “bouquet of roses,” and Shoshana (Shana) literally means “rose” in Hebrew. It was only fitting that roses were a central element, beautifully reflected in so many aspects of our wedding.
Planner
The amazing Yael Kfir Frumkis, our wedding planner, made sure we had our dream wedding! Yael was an absolute joy to work with. She truly understood us, always exhibited incredible patience, and gave us a sense of complete trust, which was well-placed. We didn’t feel the need to micromanage every decision or be control freaks. She perfectly captured our vibe and taste, ultimately choosing the theme of our wedding, which we adored. Her attention to detail and creativity were unparalleled. She thought of everything, down to the tiniest details.
Since we are both busy people, it was crystal clear to us that we needed an event producer that we could trust blindfolded.
We chose Yael Kfir Frumkis based on past experience where she produced a very successful event for our family. Yael understood us and our desires already at the first meeting. She didn’t bother us and didn’t burden us, plus she carried out everything we asked for in the best possible way, mediated between us and the families when needed and actually did all the work for us after patiently explaining it to us.
On the one hand, she was guided by the goal to fulfill our dreams, and on the other hand, she knew that she had to stay within the budget. There is no doubt that the fact that she was there for us throughout the event made us simply enjoy the whole day, without any stress or thoughts about what will happen or how it will happen… We knew it would be perfect – just like we dreamed.
Yet another important issue was help us choose the right vendors that suit us and our character – this is undoubtedly a super important element in the success of our wedding. We felt that all our vendors understood us and were there for us a hundred percent.
Stationery
Since our names created our design concept, they reflected the entire style of the wedding. Hadar Gabizon, our talented graphic designer, combined our rose in so many elements – menus, table numbers, the entrance sign, small bottles of alcohol that were given during the party, gifts that we gave to the guests and of course the dance floor which was a super impressive element at the wedding.
Dress
Emanuel Brides in Jaffa. Style was clean and classic.
Ceremony & Chuppah
We had two ceremonies: a traditional Jewish one beforehand at the backyard of Shana’s parents , and another at the large event conducted by a professional chuppah mediator named Uri Shilo. We met with him beforehand to share our story and our vision. He crafted a unique chuppah-like ceremony that was deeply personal, reflecting our journey and how we met, while incorporating Jewish elements in a non-traditional way. His approach made the ceremony both emotional and tasteful, creating a truly memorable experience.
He also expressed our desire to emphasize the complex period in which we live in and together with all our guests we wished for the end of the war and the safe return of our hostages and soldiers home.
Our Music Choice
We chose Eran Barnea – from the first moment Eren gave us the feeling that he knew how to conduct himself with our diverse group of friends – secular, non-residents, religious… And he did an outstanding and much appreciated job. He picked up on our mindset and that of our guests and did an amazing job fitting in, raising and boosting the party’s energies.
We chose a stunning violinist and a saxophone player to intertwine with Eran. Both of them started playing simultaneously in front of Eran, as required, and added so much to the atmosphere that developed throughout the evening.
Flowers + Design
We chose DNA for the wedding design because we really liked their style – rich, classic and elegant.
Our design direction was not clear at all at the beginning. The only thing we knew was that we really like flower pots, so it was agreed that quite a few of them would be incorporated into the wedding design. To formulate the final design, Amarelle from DNA guided us with endless patience in regards to the color palette, the atmosphere and the style, while creating a gorgeous, warm and magical space, full of candles and flower pots.
Huge chandeliers were hung in the center of the plaza filled with greenery with crystal lampshades and ribbon circles, and on the tables were placed sets of light-colored dishes with white flowers and touches of pink with greenery. Benches with flower boxes of greenery and black bookcases with myriad candles were placed between the tables, giving an artistic touch to the hall.
Our rose really felt like a kind of unique “power center” in the venue and gave us a feeling of a deep connection to the venue that in one night became ours.
When we entered the hall, we could not believe how beautiful the place looked and how much magic was in the air. We never imagined in our wildest dreams that this is what the place would look like.
Photographer and videographer
Since our wedding was supposed to take place on 12th October (5 days after Black October ) and was cancelled, We made a small ceremony at Shana’s parents’ backyard with very few of our family and friends.
Ran Bergman and Nati Shoko came to the ceremony at minor extra cost and were so sensitive and caring to the complex situation. We totally appreciated it. On the day of the party – we had already a strong connection with both of them, and they made our day so fun, chill and easy.
It is crucial to have excellent and professional vendors with you on your wedding day – especially at time of the preparations as there is so much tension and stress. However Ran and Nati’s humanity and sensitivity was so important to us and we highly recommend both of them. We chose the most amazing photographer and videographer – personally and professionally. The photos and video were outstanding !
Entertainment
We had quite a few surprises at the wedding – our families and friends surprised us with a song about both of us while handing out shirts that all the guests wore along with the waiters. It was undoubtedly one of the most moving and funniest parts of the wedding, making us feel hugged and loved.
And the second surprise was a sudden show of a Brazilian band, Morango.
Although our families do not have Brazilian roots, Gil’s family has a kind of tradition, in which Brazilian dancers participate in every event. It was clear to us that they would appear at the wedding as well. The dancers literally took over our dance floor while wearing traditional costumes and totally kill the dance floor.
Gifts
It was very important to us to contribute to the community, therefore at the end of the evening we handed out jars of chocolates made by an association that supports teenagers with social difficulties. We also made sure to brand our jars according to our concept.
SHANA & GIL’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Ran Bergman
Planner – Yael Kfir Frumkis
Videography – Nati Shoko
Venue – Maarava
Bride’s dress – Emanuel Brides
Flowers + Design – DNA
DJ – Eran Barnea
Stationery/Invitation – Hadar Gabizon
Chuppah Mediator – Uri Shilo
Brazilian band – Morango
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.
