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A Winter Jewish Wedding Planned in 80 Days at Grace Events, Rishon Lezion, Israel

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Elsie and Yonatan, Grace Events, Rishon Lezion, Israel

You’d never believe it to scroll through their stunning photos, but Elsie and Yonatan planned their fabulous Jewish wedding from start to finish in just 80 days!

The couple, both olim looking to celebrate their love not only for each other but for their home in Israel too, found the perfect team of vendors to make the day of their dreams come true on a tight timeline – in Elsie’s words, “This country is full of people who want to make a simcha happen, and I got so much help from every vendor who was excited to be a part of our day.”

Grace Events – Event Hall in Rishon Lezion provided the perfect setting for the big day – beautiful nature, close enough to Tel Aviv to be convenient for guests flying in from abroad, perfectly sized for the couple’s smaller (by Israeli standards) guest list, and, last but not least, boasting great food!

Elsie and Yonatan knew they wanted Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman to capture their special day. In Elsie’s words, “Herschel is the most recommended photographer in every bridal group I joined!. His lighting and framing made every photo seem so naturally perfect without the need to retouch or edit them barely at all. He also accommodated our desire to have pictures taken in Jerusalem and meet us at our venue across the entire country in Rishon later that day!” It doesn’t get much better than that!

Read on for the rest of the story in Elsie’s own words…

Elsie and Yonatan, Grace Events, Rishon Lezion, Israel Elsie and Yonatan, Grace Events, Rishon Lezion, Israel Elsie and Yonatan, Grace Events, Rishon Lezion, Israel Elsie and Yonatan, Grace Events, Rishon Lezion, Israel

How We Met

Elsie, the bride: We both got hired to work at Mikes Place, a bar on the beach in TLV, for the summer. I had just made Aliyah and moved into an apartment in Yafo, and while I was getting introduced to the staff, my wallet was stolen. I lost all my American and Israeli IDs and cards and I was so saddened.

Yoni went up and down the tayelet looking to see if it had been dropped – he even pulled up security camera footage at the bar to see if he could spot the person who took it. He instantly became my first real friend in Israel and we’ve been inseparable ever since.

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The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Destination Wedding in Israel

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Laura and Elad‘s Jewish wedding in Tel Aviv | Photo by Ronen Boidek

Some of my very favorite Smashing The Glass real weddings have taken place in Israel. I always dreamed of getting married there myself, and even though in the end we decided to get married in our hometown so that my husband’s 97-year-old grandmother could be at the center of our celebration, I love living vicariously through all our gorgeous Israel brides.

In addition to being such a meaningful place to hold a Jewish wedding, Israel also happens to be pretty unbeatable when it comes to sunny weather, unbeatable food, great views – from lush green forests to pristine beaches, vast deserts to stunning mountain – and the best parties I’ve ever been to. Just check out our real Israeli weddings section if you need any more proof!

Photo by Valeri Prochin

The downside? It can be more than a little overwhelming to plan a wedding long distance, in a country whose language you might not even speak, and with somewhat different cultural norms than the US or UK. There’s also some tricky bureaucracy to contend with. But never fear! I sat down with Gev Rotem of Bebke, one of the very best Israeli destination wedding planners around, to demystify the process of planning the Israeli destination wedding of your dreams, one step at a time.

Bebke are known for planning some of the most creative, vibrant Israeli destination weddings around – you can see some we’ve featured on Smashing The Glass here – and there’s no one I trust more than Gev to be on top of all the up-to-the-minute ins and outs of crafting your perfect wedding in Israel from abroad. 

Photo by Moran Mayan

How Do You Find Vendors?

It can be really daunting trying to find vendors overseas, especially when there are language/cultural barriers, although most Israelis do speak good English. When you’re less familiar with the landscape, it can also be trickier to make sure you end up with a trustworthy team you can depend on to bring your wedding dreams to life. 

Recommendations from friends and family can certainly be helpful, but we also have a handy list of Israeli Recommended Vendors, carefully vetted to get you started, and, again, our past Israeli real weddings come with a vendor list at the end of each post, so if you see something you like, you can get in touch.

Even better is working with a trusted planner like Gev, who can not only source fantastic vendors you can trust who’ll be the perfect fit for your version, but will also make sure you get the best rates possible. 

Photo by Jen Sladkov

How About a Venue?

When it comes to nailing down that perfect venue, Gev shared some great insights – including one reason for working with a planner that you may not have considered: “There are lots of great villas and private properties open to hiring themselves out for weddings, but the problem with these tends to be that after a couple of events, their neighbors start complaining and they end up needing to shut down. For this reason, we hold lots of weddings at one-off locations where we can fly under the radar – and we have a team constantly looking for new options.”

Photo by Jen Sladkov

While there are also plenty of gorgeous established venues in Israel, Gev notes that your typical Israeli venue holds an average of 250(!) events per year – which means they tend to offer only set packages geared toward Israelis, leading to cookie-cutter events  which may not be quite in line with what couples from abroad are looking for. These venues often aren’t open to the kinds of bespoke touches those of us coming from the US and UK might want to include to craft a wedding that truly reflects them as a couple. 

Laura and Elad‘s Jewish wedding in Tel Aviv | Photo by Ronen Boidek

What Kinds of Unique Venues Can I Find in Israel?

Gev loves to help connect his couples with unique, only-in-Israel venues like olive and pecan groves, open fields, glamorous villas, old houses in Jaffa or ancient structures in Jerusalem, and locations amidst atmospheric archeological ruins. Israel’s got so many fabulous spots so full of character that are unlike anything you’d find at home, and Gev strongly believes that if you decide to get married there you should take advantage, rather than try to find a venue that imitates a New York club or an English garden.

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A Needle and Thread Bride for a Backyard Jewish Wedding in Kfar Chabad, Israel

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Libby-and-Yankee-Israel

How gorgeous is the intimate backyard Jewish wedding of Israeli couple Libby, who  has recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in bioinformatics, and Yanki, a product designer for a start-up?!

By the time these two got engaged, COVID had already hit – so they knew from the start that they’d need to keep their affair on the smaller side. This was just fine with the bride, who’d always dreamed of a cozy, intimate wedding – and if we had a backyard like her parents’, we’re sure we’d feel the same! The whole space was transformed into an absolute floral fantasia, and we just can’t get enough of it.

Libby and Yanki wanted to make sure they found photographers who’d really get the vibe they were going for on the day, and sure enough their choice to work with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Luz Weddings did not disappoint. We’re in love with their stylish images capturing everything from the gorgeous design details to the couple’s happiness.

Being a designer, Yanki took charge of the couple’s invitations, creating a logo using the pair’s initials that ended up featuring on all of the wedding stationery. Yanki even designed the ketubah, which came out so beautifully! Another thing that came out beautifully? Libby’s stunning gown, which she ordered online from Needle and Thread – obsessed with the delicate embroidery and sweet pink flowers!

Now over to the bride…

Libby-and-Yankee-Israel Libby-and-Yankee-Israel
How we met

Libby, the bride: I spotted Yanki at my cousin’s son’s bris, about a year ago. We met there and the rest is history 🙂Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Sveta Swan Bride for a Summer Jewish Wedding Full of Flowers, Smoothies, and Balloons at Kedma Garden, Neve Ilan, Israel

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Shira and Ofek, Kedma Hall, Israel
We’re obsessed with the epic summer vibes of the Jewish wedding of Shira and Ofek, both students. Opting to make the most of the season, these two chose a stunning outdoor venue, opted for fun touches like a flower booth and a smoothie bar!), and a simple white chuppah studded with color-coordinated blooms. Photographer Lior Moshe did SUCH an incredible job capturing all the love and joy between Shira and Ofek on their big day.

We’re also incredibly touched by all the ways the couple included Ofek’s late brother, who tragically passed away from cancer, into their day. First, at the chuppah they gave each guest a white balloon in his memory, which the guests all released into the sky at once. The pair also used a kiddush cup inscribed with Ofek’s brother’s name, which Ofek’s mother had made so that he could be a part of all the family simchas. And Shira and Ofek also made a donation to a cancer charity in honor of each of their guests – all such beautiful ways to remember a loved one.

Now over to the bride, who looked so boho chic in her summery gown from Sveta Swan Bridal…

Shira and Ofek, Kedma Hall, Israel Shira and Ofek, Kedma Hall, Israel Shira and Ofek, Kedma Hall, Israel Shira and Ofek, Kedma Hall, Israel
How we met

Shira, the bride: We met at school at the age of 16, and have been together ever since.

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A Jesus Peiro Bride for an Oceanside Destination Jewish Wedding with a Carrot Bouquet at Cochav Ha Yam, Caesarea Israel

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Jenna-and-Adrian-Cochav-Ha-Yam-Israel

Here at Team STG, we’re no strangers to cool and unusual bridal bouquets. But just when we think we’ve seen it all, something totally new comes along. Like beautiful London-based bride Jenna’s carrot bouquet in today’s gorgeous Jewish wedding. Jenna’s a nutritionist, so it’s only fitting that she’d want to incorporate some fruit and veg into her breathtaking destination wedding to Adrian, a management consultant.

Although Jenna had planned on including some edible florals into her day – the table decorations included lemons and limes – the carrot bouquet started out as a jokey surprise from the bride’s mother, who figured she’d take a few pictures and be done with it. But turns out Jenna loved it so much she opted to carry it down the aisle – and we are so glad she did! You’ve GOT to check it out in Ronen Boidek’s exquisite photos.

And speaking of exquisite – how much do we love Jenna’s Jesus Peiro gown, which she found at beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Morgan Davies Bridal in Farringdon, London. Jenna knew she wanted to wear something ultra-memorable for her big day, and for that you can’t do much better than Jesus Peiro’s statement-making modern styles.

Take it away, Jenna!

Jenna-and-Adrian-Cochav-Ha-Yam-Israel Jenna-and-Adrian-Cochav-Ha-Yam-Israel Jenna-and-Adrian-Cochav-Ha-Yam-Israel Jenna-and-Adrian-Cochav-Ha-Yam-Israel
How we Met

Jenna, the bride: We met at university. We ended up living together with a group of our friends and things began to blossom. We were actually friends for about 3 years before that though!

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