We absolutely love the approach London couple Jade and Adam took to planning their gorgeous Jewish wedding at Sopwell House: while there’s no question that this day was a stunner from start to finish, the pair went into it with a focus not so much on the aesthetics as on honoring the sacredness of a Jewish wedding and elevating the celebration – not only of their love for each other, but for all of the loved ones who helped make the day possible.
And we love the way the couple brought in their roots – Jade hails from South Africa, while Adam grew up in Plymouth, Devonshire – with fun touches ranging from mixing English roses and South African proteas together in the ketubah design to freshly baked scones in place of a traditional wedding cake – served with cream first, then jam, naturally!
Jade and Adam were married under the 300+ year old chuppah from Plymouth Synagogue, where Adam grew up (and under which many of his family members have wed), draped with the tallitot of Adam’s late father and Jade’s late grandfathers. Don’t miss it in the wonderful photos and video from Milda Vasile Photography!
Jade’s mom, Viv Weiner, a talented artist, hand-painted their invitations, benching cards, and table names – not to mention the ketubah and a bespoke Siddur and Tehillim book for Jade to daven with on her wedding day!
Now over to Jade, who looked like a fairy tale princess in her stunner of a Pronovias gown (which just happened to have pockets!)…
How We Met
Sometimes the most beautiful love stories begin with missed connections, forgotten conversations, and a wooden fish symbolising hope for finding one’s beshert. The journey from strangers to soulmates proves that timing truly is everything.
Adam first noticed Jade at the JLE during a particularly difficult time in his life; attending a talk for the Shloshim after his father’s passing. Despite his grief, he was struck by Jade’s warmth as she greeted Rabbi Dov Cowan, whom she’d known from a Jewish trip years earlier and, unknowingly at the time, Adam’s best friend. Their paths crossed again at a Friday Night Dinner, where Adam offered to walk Jade’s friend back to Golders Green. When he lost track of the friend, he reached out on Facebook to check if she was okay, but Jade barely remembered their conversation or even who he was.
From Jade’s perspective, Adam was simply “a sweet, quiet guy” who appeared at various community events and charity dinners. She admits she probably saw him as “the boring accountant type” without even knowing he is, in fact, (spoiler alert)… an accountant. Their interactions were sporadic and often forgettable – at least for Jade.
At a Jewish learning event, Adam, intrigued by Jade’s purple hiking boots paired with a smart work dress, discovered she was preparing to climb Kilimanjaro.
The next day, at a mutual friend’s engagement party, Jade tried to set him up with a friend, but this time they shared a meaningful moment: exchanging wooden fish decorations from the table as a symbol of hope that they would both soon find their soulmates.
When a mutual friend shared Jade’s charity fundraising link, Adam immediately donated – partly for the good cause, and partly hoping for a ‘thank you’ message. This simple act of generosity opened the door to real conversation. Jade discovered Adam had messaged her over a year earlier, and they had actually been Facebook friends since that first Shabbat dinner encounter.
What followed was a bonding conversation over favourite desserts, packing cubes and snacks that revealed Adam’s thoughtfulness, humour, and kindness. While Jade was climbing Kilimanjaro, Adam was in Malta with friends, eagerly waiting for her message. The moment she returned from the mountain (airport detention (a story for another day) and second Oxford graduation), they arranged their first date at Delicatessen (where they recently went back to for their 1-year date-anniversary on 8 July).
Their first date was beautifully ordinary – a walk to dinner where Jade brought snacks and Adam brought an umbrella. As Jade sat across from him, she wondered two things: why wasn’t he eating the hummus she’d ordered to share, and could this be someone she could fall in love with?
Over the following week, through sushi on park benches and Shabbat walks, Jade discovered something profound about love. As she puts it: “Love isn’t about falling, it’s about ‘climbing’ in safety, security, vulnerability, commitment, enduring and unexceptional kindness and respect.”
For Adam, the certainty came instantly. From their first date, he knew Jade was “the one” – someone with whom he could be completely himself, someone who radiated “loving, kindness, warmth, generosity and care.”
As Adam wrote in his wedding speech: “From our very first date, I knew that there was a special connection between us. I didn’t believe in soul mates until I met Jade. You are my beshert, and I really believe I was always holding a place in my heart for you. It has been a long time coming, but I kept the faith, and I am so glad we finally found each other.”
As Jade wrote in their wedding invitation: “Marrying Adam doesn’t even feel like a decision. It feels like acting out the ordinary course the way things are meant to be and the way they have always meant to be.”
