When this first picture (above) of Naama and Ezri landed in my inbox, I knew that this would be a brilliant wedding to blog on Smashing The Glass.
First off, I have a soft spot for any kind of unusual Jewish wedding venue, and their choice is certainly different: a beer factory (yes beer factory!) with the most gorgeous decor and an intimate, homely feel.
Second of all, will you just look at those two?! One of the best things about this job is how uplifting it is to look at images of people in love, and I think it’s fair to say that Naama and Ezri are truly, madly, deeply in love. Their deep affection for each other literally radiates from every one of the fashion magazine-worthy images by Simsisters.
Naama and Ezri two are free-spirited souls who incorporated all sorts of personal touches into their big day, and it must be said that this is also the first W-Day I’ve ever blogged that includes a ‘spoken word’ session!
Let me hand you over to Naama, to tell you all about her and Ezri’s story… Have a great weekend everyone!
how we met
We met through mutual friends who are husband and wife. The wife and I traveled together in India, and her hubby is a chef who used to work with Ezri in Jerusalem. When I moved to Tel Aviv and moaned to her that I didn’t know anybody in the city yet, they both decided to introduce us to each other for “friendship purposes” (Ezri claims he never heard that part) because we both love to frequent the beach (my friends’ words, I swear!).
Ezri invited me over for brunch, and, not knowing I was actually on a date, I kind of hogged the food, but really badly… it was soooo delicious! He thought it was charming, though And the rest is history!
what we wanted from our wedding
Naama, the Bride: We knew we wanted something different. Not the ordinary garden style venue with a 3 course meal, pop music and fireworks that is so popular here in Israel on the one hand; yet not the oh-so trendy-let’s-skip-the-Rabbi-exchange-vows-in-a-fancy-restaurant-or-an organic-farm-in-Tel Aviv-style either. We wanted an event that would combine old with new, that would be both traditional and innovative.
a wedding in a beer factory!
We were looking for a small venue that would fit our budget and went to see several places- some were recommended by a wedding planner we considered working with, and some we found online. Finally, we decided on Jem’s Beer Factory. I saw an article about it in a magazine and it was actually the first place we went to see. So after comparing it with the other places we saw, we realised it was just what we wanted — dark and sexy…it really is something else!
On the day the venue was just perfect — great homemade beer was poured like water, and the atmosphere was sensational.
A wedding invitation with a comic strip
Our invitation was very unique. It was a comic strip, by the marvellous Maya Zax, that depicted how we met. It was a gift from a Maya who is a great friend.
the dress
I saw my dress (designed by Noa & Ayelet from Jerusalem) in the same magazine where I found the venue. I knew it was the one, but looked at other dresses just to be sure. I gave in.. eventually!
accessories
I had a veil for the chuppah ceremony which I also purchased from Noa & Ayelet, my dress designers. I also had a hair piece made from a golden bird I found at a flea market in Paris. I turned it into a hair comb, and additionally, I wore a gold nose pin that I bought in India. To complete the look, I wanted something very delicate that wouldn’t steal attention from the pieces I wanted to emphasise ie. the dress, the nose pin and the comb. so I simply wore pearl earrings and a pearl necklace wrapped around my wrist.
shoes
I don’t like wearing high heels, and my motto is comfort, so I wore beautiful kitten heel shoes in champagne pink with a golden lining. It went really well with my vintage-style dress.
the handsome groom
We went shopping together looking for something not too formal… We definitely didn’t want a tux! In Israel, dress codes are very flexible, if they exist at all.
We found a gorgeous linen jacket designed by Yukio Mishiba, a white collar shirt and navy blue trousers. But the real treat were the shoes —beautiful NoBrand boots in blueish black.
flowers
The fabulous florist was my sister in law, Gaya Masad-Lupo. She used orchids, daffodils and cyclamens.
A Spoken Word show
I’m a Spoken Word artist and a singer-songwriter, so I planned a mini Spoken Word session right after the main course. Two of my friends, who are also among the best artists in the local scene, performed a piece from their repertoire. I finished with a piece of my own, which I dedicated to Ezri, and ended it by singing For All We Know by the Carpenters. That was undoubtedly the favourite part of the wedding for me. I was deeply moved and excited, and for me it was also the “secret spice” that made our wedding a truly unforgettable night.
party music
At the reception we played Funk, R&B and some Country music, and we danced to Disco, Funk and Hip Hop. We basically told our DJ (DJ Tal Pinhasi) what we liked, but asked him to play whatever he felt went well with the atmosphere of the place. No specifics. It was great!
our fabulous photographers
We chose the amazing Simsisters to be our photographers. I modelled for a fashion production they led a few years ago, and I remembered how I liked the way they captured me and their styling in general, and also how fun they were to work with. We are thrilled with the images!
advice to other brides and grooms
My best piece of advice for future brides is to choose carefully who you want to work with, and then let those suppliers do their job! You chose a DJ you liked? A recommended hairstylist? This is where your job ends. Now just relax, enjoy your day, and let them do what they know best!
Naama & Ezri’s little white book
Photography — Simsisters
Venue — Jem’s Beer Factory
Dress and veil — Noa & Ayelet
Groom — Yukio Mishiba and NoBrand
Stationery — Maya Zax
Perfect!