Alexandra will be marrying Ian on 10th May 2020 at La Corte Dei Messapi in Ostuni, Puglia, Italy. Click here to read all Alexandra’s planning posts to date.
THREE FACTS: THREE FACTS: (1) Alexandra and Ian are planning an intimate black-tie destination wedding for 60 of their nearest and dearest in Puglia, Italy. (2) Alexandra is Jewish, and Ian is in the process of converting to Judaism. (3) Alexandra is a member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club!
My fiance and I are pretty up on the major Jewish holidays. When we scheduled our wedding on May 10th, 2020 in Ostuni, Italy, we thought it would be the perfect time to find an officiant; we were wrong. Most rabbis in Italy are Orthodox and we are getting married during the counting of the Omer when weddings aren’t conducted.
If you are like me, you may not know what the forty-nine day period that constitutes the counting of the Omer is all about. It begins on Passover and ends on Shavuot and we are getting married in the middle of it. The idea of counting each day between the two holidays represents spiritual preparation and anticipation for the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai.
It is considered a time of semi-mourning. During this period, Orthodox Jews are forbidden from getting haircuts, shaving, listening to instrumental music, or conducting weddings, parties, and dinners with dancing.
