Today’s Jewish wedding has got to be one of the most purely fun we’ve blogged. Rita (@ritalove14), a physiology student who works with high school students with special needs, and Tal, who works in media marketing, adore the Marvel Universe. How much, exactly? So much that they chose to theme their wedding around their love of superheroes!
And they really went all out! Their invitations featured a custom drawing of the pair as superheroes, the rest of their stationery cleverly carried on the theme, and at their reception they had all kinds of superhero props, from masks to balloons to Captain America armor!
As if that weren’t fun enough, Rita and Tal also had a balloon artist making glow-in-the-dark balloon sculptures and hats for their guests on the dancefloor! Plus, they made their two dogs (decked out in little bride and groom costumes!) part of the action. Photographer Yarin Taranos and videographers Aviv & Tali really captured the spirit of the day.
The pair chose to get married on the first night of Hanukkah, considered an auspicious time to wed in Jewish tradition. This gave Rita and Tal an opportunity to work the holiday into their wedding in some memorable ways: during the ceremony, Rita’s grandfather lit the menorah, and then their rabbi led the whole crowd in songs! And as favors, they gave out glittery boxes shaped like candles that were stuffed with chocolate gelt–as well as a tiny superhero figure, naturally!
Rita was the absolute MOST laidback bride: her primary objective in choosing a dress was to find something comfortable she could dance in, her shoes–glittery VANS–were chosen for the same reason, and she wasn’t even planning to hold a bouquet, until at the very last minute, on the day, she asked her driver to pick one up! She’ll fill you in on the details of her totally super day.
A Brand New Venue
Rita, the bride: We got married at Grace. It’s a new, urban venue, and we were one of the first couples who to book our wedding there! The newness was a bit scary, but we were so impressed with the staff and the appearance that we decided to book.
A Superhero-Themed Wedding
We had a superhero theme!
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to find a planner to help us manage all of our supplier and oversee the event to the end. I think it’s super important for the bride and groom to be focused only on the wedding day and to be happy, and not to worry about money and time.
We went with Nir Kontur of AK Weddings; he made sure we were happy and not hungry throughout the day and, most important, made sure that the evening ran on time!
We wanted to let our friends drink and party without having to worry about transportation to and from the venue, so we booked a bus that took all of our friends home at the end of the night, and for ourselves we got a cool car! Our driver was Ran; he is the owner of a small buisness that provides nice cars for events! He was amazing and funny and very professional, and even bought us a bottle of wine and chocolates for the ride!
Custom Superhero Invitations
We did our invitation through a cool vendor we found on Fiver. The process took a while because of our needing it written in Hebrew, but we sent him pics and he drew us as superman and wife! We were very pleased; he also did our napkin holders and welcome cards for the guests.
I teamed up with my dear friend Natalia who just opened up an event planning and design business with her friend, Fairy Talk! So they helped me work on a menu for the guests, so the guests could see what the venue had on offer.
In the bathroom I made a basket with deodorant, mouth wash, wipes, and stuff like that!
Natural Glamor
I wanted to look glamorous but natural. My makeup artist was the first and the last I went to. I love her. I think it’s very important to surround yourself with fun-loving, funny people with great energy, especially on your wedding day! Sivan Rotman not only did my hair and makeup; she also did all of my bridesmaids’ hair!
A Dress to Dance In
I wanted a comfortable dress that I could dance in! But I didn’t want something fluffy or with lace, so I had a beaded neckline with a simple satin skirt!
A Cool Princess
I ordered a jeweled hairband from Ali Express. I felt like a cool princess wearing it! And, most important, I received a very unique wedding present from my dear brother: a real gold and silver neckles and earrings!
Glittery VANS
I bought simple white heels for the ceremony, but my main shoes were glittery metallic VANS that my dear brother gave me. They were a lifesaver!
The handsome groom
All I wanted for Tal was a blue suit and superman cufflinks! And that’s what I got it!
Colorful Bridesmaids
I had four of my closest friends as bridesmaids, plus one maid of honor – she is marrying Tal’s best friend from when they were kids on November 18, 2018. So happy for them!
All of the girls dressed colorfully; I wanted it to be exuberant and fun, and also for each of them to choose something they’d actually want to wear again!
A Chuppah with Fairy Lights
I wanted bright colors with fairy lights. The venue designer Dudu made what I requested!
Far-Flung Family
Because it was the first day of Hanukkah, my grandfather lit the first candle, and then the rabbi sang and our guest sang along. All of our guest took part in the ceremony rather than just watching; it was a beautiful memory that we will always cherish.
I wanted my stepfather, who raised me, and my grandfather to walk me down the aisle.
Tal’s mom and sister live in Los Angeles and they flew out for the wedding (we hadn’t seen his sister and niece for 4 years!).
My half-brother (from my father who I haven’t met) came to Israel for first time (from San Francisco) for my wedding, and my sister and I got a chance to spend time with him!
At Last
For our entrance to the wedding, we had Stand by Me by Florence + The Machine. Our breaking the glass song was You Make Me Wanna Shout by the Isley Brothers (from Wedding Crashers the movie, my favorite movie!!!).
Our first dance was to At Last by Etta James. You can’t go wrong with Etta!
A Last-Minute Bouquet
My bouquet was made by a local florist. At first I wasn’t thinking about having one, but then I decided it would be nice. I asked our car driver if he could arrange something, and he did! It was very spontaneous, and I ended up being really happy about this decision.
Our fabulous videographer
We wanted a fun docu-wedding film. We looked at a lot of videographers, but all of their work looked the same: fun-loving music and romantic clips, while we wanted something more real and funny! From the first clip we saw of Aviv & Tali‘s work, we fell in love with them. They gave our family and friends a chance to speak and say funny/nostalgic things, and it will make the wedding video even more special to watch after a couple of years! We are looking forward to seeing the highlights!
A Candy Cake!
We had an open dessert bar; it was part of the venue catering! Also my dear friend who couldn’t make it to the wedding surprised me by sending us a huge candy cake! The delivery man brought it right to the dance floor! It was amazing!
A Joyful Party
We decided to simplify everything and do only what we like most and find the most joyful.
Yalihafakot were amazing; they made us a great party with the awesome glow-in-the-dark balloon sculptures they made during the reception, and magnets for the guests.
Superhero Favors
My mom ordered small glitter boxes that looked like candles, because it was Hanukkah. Inside the boxes we added non-diary (because of kashrut) chocolate coins.
The main attraction that thrilled all the guests and kids, though, was the tiny superhero figures from Ali Express that we put in each box!
After the wedding, our friends and family sent us photos of all the figures they had taken! I heard that the kids went from table to table and tried to get them all.
We really wanted to make the most of our theme, because we love the Marvel world and superheroes. We wanted its to be a fun wedding for our guests. We had all kinds of superhero props, like masks, Captain America armor, and balloons.
We had gummy bears and other candy at the bar to satisfy our guests with a sweet tooth.
A Heartfelt Speech
As a surprise for us, Tal’s mom made a short speech thanking all of our family and friends. This was an amazing thing because it was the first time in 10 years that almost all of her sisters (she has 9 siblings!) and their families were all gathered together.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
My advice is to relax, pat yourself on the back, and say “I did it”! It’s a super stressful time and there’s always going to be space for thoughts about how you could do it better, SO DON’T GO THERE!
Every wedding has its own magic in the air; every wedding gathers your loved ones and friends and family. It’s the day when you become one family, and I recommend trying not to be stressed on the day. Don’t feel bad asking for help from friends and family!
Rita & Tal’s little white book
Photography – Yarin Taranos
Videography – Aviv & Tali
Venue – Grace
Wedding planner – AK Weddings
Bride’s hair piece – Ali Express
Bride’s shoes – VANS
Hair + Makeup – Sivan Rotman
Entertainment – Yalihafakot
DJ – Moshiko Stern
Invitation – Fiverr and Fairy Talk
Bus – Ran
Amazing!! Thank you!