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…
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.
