It’s no secret that we LOVE an Israeli wedding – but there’s something about a wedding in Jerusalem that is particularly spine tingling. Jerusalem is the beating, living, bustling heart of the country, and means so much to so many religions and cultures. It’s also absolutely divine, with an energy like nowhere else, and a beauty that is really hard to describe in words – to get married there is something truly special.
Ronee and Lior’s Jewish wedding took place at St Andrew’s Scottish Guesthouse. There’s something really brilliant about the idea of a little slice of Scotland in the Middle East, and for bride, Ronee, it was the perfect little nod to her British background.
We were bowled over by the happy couple’s self-made chuppah. Every element of it had deep, personal meaning, including groom Lior’s family crest in the center, and friends and family were also involved in contributing squares with their own symbol for the bride and groom. This is such a gorgeous idea, and they pulled it off magnificently.
Bride Ronee looked absolutely beautiful in her two wedding dresses, and stunning braided up ‘do – simply breathtaking – we’re sure there will be a fair few brides Pinning her style!
We’re also pretty sure you’re going to want to steal the couple’s unique mirror ‘reveal’, a great idea for personalizing for the traditional badeken, and the brainchild of fabulous photographer, Larry Brandt Photography who expertly captured the gorgeous big day.
Hannah Larkin Photography was also on hand to capture some truly sensational images, and there were also SO many unique touches and flourishes – the very Israeli flower station trend juxtaposed with a fantastically fun, and very British, game of wedding bingo, that really made the night – oh and illuminated balloons on the dance floor! Fantastic!
Groom Lior was so instrumental in the wedding planning that friends joked he should be on Don’t Tell the Bride, while bride Ronee made a speech. This gets ALL the thumbs up from us!
It’s Ronee’s turn as our latest STG bride to take over the blog for a post, so we’ll leave you in her capable hands. Take it away, Ronee!
A venue reflecting both backgrounds
Ronee, the bride: We got married in the grounds of the St Andrew’s Scottish Guesthouse in Jerusalem, on the top of what is known as the ‘Bible Hill’. We wanted a wedding venue which reflected our geographical backgrounds (I’m from the UK; Lior is from Israel). My favorite place in the UK is the quiet, beautiful and historical land of Scotland. The Scottish Guesthouse therefore seemed a fitting place to get married!
There were also some practical considerations – we got married in July and wanted the wedding outdoors and we didn’t want to risk the humidity and heat of Tel Aviv. This decision was the right one, as there was a heatwave in early July, so we were very happy to be in Jerusalem!
The Guesthouse is a mini castle in Jerusalem with a beautiful terrace with a stunning view over the old city. We had the chuppah on the terrace overlooking the walls of the old city.
Our fantastic lighting supplier, Ofer, made the castle and garden look beautiful in the night with romantic and atmospheric lighting; each light was perfectly colored and positioned to create a unique atmosphere. This worked brilliantly!
We were very lucky, as on the evening of our wedding there was a light show on the walls of the old city, which was part of the light festival of Jerusalem. We also managed to accommodate our 60 foreign guests at the Guesthouse, so they didn’t have to go far after the wedding! Everyone loved staying at the Guesthouse (including us!). It was immaculately clean and comfortable. The staff were all so friendly and accommodating and we look forward to returning next year for a holiday.
