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A Pronovias Bride for a Jewish Wedding with an Unforgettable Chuppah at Ahuza Beit Hanan, Israel

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London couple Olivia, a perfumer, and Sam, a software engineer, always knew they wanted to hold their Jewish wedding in Israel. When the war broke out shortly before their original wedding date of October 24, 2023, a lot of people encouraged them to rethink their plans – but the couple stuck it out, and, with the help of their wedding planner, Victoria Rosen Events (who they found right here on STG!), were able to hold their dream wedding in their favorite place – albeit 8 months later than originally planned.

Olivia and Sam dreamed of getting married surrounded by nature, and Ahuza Beit Hanan was the perfect spot. The duo fell in love with the venue’s chuppah – covered in grapevines and big enough to fit the crowd of 27 who gathered under it! – and opted to embellish it with delicate hanging crystals with roses attached and sheets of white fabric which blew delicately in the wind.

When it came time to choose a photographer, only one person would do:

the absolutely incredible Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ronen Boidek. Ronen not only brings his professionalism but also his warmth and joy to every occasion. He is known for his artistic shots but also for his amazing candids that make you feel like you’re really back in the moment. His style is sharp and clean but completely authentic at the same time.

Olivia and Sam couldn’t be any more glad they forged ahead with their wedding in Israel, despite all the uncertainty. In Olivia’s words, “Being in Israel and having our wedding there will always be the best decision we ever made.” We’ll let her fill you in on the rest!

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How We Met

Olivia, the bride: We met at secondary school in English class, and after a few years of close friendship we developed feelings for each other and started dating! After 8 years together, Sam surprised me on the beach in Tobago with my whole family there and proposed… definitely worth the wait! Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Martina Liana Bride for a Jewish Wedding at Caesar Yam, Caesarea, Israel

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Sydney and Jared, Caesar Yam, Caesarea, Israel

There’s no place like Israel. And Toronto couple Sydney, a teacher at a Hebrew day school, and Jared, who works in banking, knew from the start it was the only place that would do for their Jewish wedding post-October 7.

Caesar Yam in Caesarea, located right off the beach, was the most magnificent spot for the festivities – and it doesn’t hurt that Israel is the place where the pair started dating! With the most gorgeous floral chuppah, dreamy ocean views, and a beautiful ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor ketubah.com gifted by the groom’s parents, this was one incredibly special day.

Sydney and Jared chose Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman to photograph their big day, and they couldn’t be any more thrilled with their decision. In Sydney’s words,

Herschel is one of the warmest and most fun photographers to work with. We felt we could completely be ourselves and just go with anything he was telling us to do. He got our vision quickly and just knew what to do without having to say. What was also so nice and our guests really appreciated was the fact that they captured us but also everyone at the wedding. He captured our wedding perfectly, we wish he lived in Toronto so we could have him at future events!

Read on for the full story in the bride’s own words… 

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How We Met

Sydney, the bride: 11 years ago we met at high school, where we become friends. We then went on a summer trip through NCSY, called TJJ where we get to tour Israel from top to bottom for a month. That trip is where we everything started for us.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

An Adili Studio Bride for an Enchanting Outdoor Jewish Wedding at Habustan, Gan Iruim Bcfar, Israel

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We’re in love with the magical garden wedding of Ellie and David, both Australian olim in Israel. Filled with greenery, sparkling fairy lights, and sweet rustic touches, this outdoor wedding was nothing short of enchanting.

Ellie and David opted to DIY their stationery – which they loved working on together in the leadup to their Jewish wedding – and we’re obsessed with Ellie’s super cool dress by Adi Hirsch of Adili Studio in Modiin, Israel. The couple’s photographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman, captured the day so beautifully – and we’re not at all surprised to hear that he was a joy to work with from start to finish.

With both the bride and groom being from Australia, lots of friends and family members couldn’t make it to Israel to celebrate in person – and we love the duo’s clever workaround, in the form of a Whatsapp group! Ellie and David sent the link around to those who were unable to attend the wedding, and then on the day they had QR codes that guests could scan to join the group – along with instructions to record, film and photograph parts of the wedding to share to the group!

There’s so much more to say about this very special day – read on for the full story in Ellie’s own words…

 

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How We Met

Ellie, the bride: David and I are currently both students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. We went to the same school in Sydney, Australia, and in high school we were part of the same friend group, we became good friends and enjoyed hanging out together on school camps and at social events. In year 12 we started dating and soon after finishing school we went on the same gap year program to Israel with Bnei Akiva.

After outlasting all the relationships on our program, we both independently decided to make aliya and join the army. David served in Tzanchanim and I served in Search and Rescue. Despite the ongoing long distance when our off weekends weren’t in sync and when David returned to Australia to work, we managed to make it work. It only took us 5 years to understand that were made for each other and on a trip together to Australia in 2023, David proposed and the rest is history. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

An Eisen Stein Bride for a Jewish Wedding with Italian Vibes at Idit Winery, Israel

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We are absolutely in love with the gorgeous Jewish wedding of Melissa, who works in social media, and Lavy, a data scientist. Their outdoor celebration at Israel’s Idit Winery drew inspiration from Sorrento, Italy, with lots of blues and yellows, and naturally tons of lemons!

This wedding was so full of special touches – from the “shop” Melissa and Lavy set up, full of fun items for their guests like sweets and personalized t-shirts, and an emotional first look  under the chuppah. The couple’s photographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Jossef Si, captured everything exquisitely. In Melissa’s words,

What I liked about his photography was that his photos felt really romantic but with an artistic edge. I loved the colors of the photos and how they were edited, as well as the range of compositions he used. And about Jossef – he was an absolute pleasure and so calming to be around which is exactly what we needed! As well as that, his pictures say it all. Just gorgeous.

Read on for more from the bride – who looked so chic in her gown from Israeli designer Eisen Stein…


How We Met

Melissa, the bride: We met on Tinder and our first date was in Independence Park in Tel Aviv.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Miri Couture Bride for an Ultra-Moving Jewish Wedding Bringing Light to Dark Times at Gioia Mia, Kibbutz Nachshonim, Israel

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Amidst the sorrow, anger, and heartbreak, we will never stop celebrating Jewish continuity because that is exactly what we are fighting for. Today’s real wedding is all about bringing Jewish joy into a dark time – something we could all use more than ever this week. 

Israeli couple Dalya, a data analyst, and Zach, a student and sales advisor, were originally scheduled to make things official on October 22, 2023. After October 7, they knew they had to postpone – but when their new Jewish wedding date rolled around in January, they were more focused than ever on bringing the light.

Dalya and Zach’s wedding was an emotional reunion with loved ones from abroad and friends serving in the army who got the night off to join their celebration. A highlight of the chuppah was a special prayer for the protection of the state of Israel and IDF soldiers – including Zach’s beloved brother.

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman photographed the day and captured every moment of joy so perfectly. In Dalya’s words, “Herschel delivered on all fronts, capturing candid, dramatic, fun, and natural shots. He was also fantastic at improvising. On the day of our wedding, it was pouring rain, and he creatively used umbrellas to give us some of our favorite shots. He made sure the photos looked stunning despite the weather, capturing the moment and the beauty of the hall perfectly.”

This was such an incredibly special and meaningful day – in the bride’s own words,  “Being able to have a wedding during some dark times in Israel was the greatest way to show our enemies that we will always win and overcome anything they want to challenge us with.” Now over to Dalya…

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How We Met

Dalya, the bride: I moved to Herzliya, Israel on October 22, 2022. During my first weeks in Herzliya, Zach would come up and make small talk. When Chanukah arrived, Zach and his roommates hosted a community event. My roommate messaged me, asking if I was coming. I decided to join my friends at the event. There, Zach approached me, we started talking, and the rest is history. About a week into dating, Zach told me he would marry me, and little did I know that a month into our relationship, we would already be meeting each other’s parents.Continue ReadingContinue Reading