Offering my wedding wares.

I was remembering my wedding – how long six months can feel, how quick six hours can pass… How I missed the people who weren’t there, but moreso, how I enjoyed the people who made it to be there…

It occurs to me, since I like giving advice – actually, passing on knowledge (maybe it’s an eldest child thing) – I should publish the information I collected over six months – research, essentially, for having a wedding in Jerusalem, and also, pieces of advice I was given or formed on my own.

Eliesheva’s Wedding in Israel guide.

General advice:

  • * Pack for the hotel the day before: water bottles, food, advil, a brush, etc.
  • * Hydrate the week before! Day before! But don’t overdo it day of; you’ll drink plenty while taking photographs (smiles hurt!).
  • * Bring socks, extra shoes.
  • * Have bandaids at the ready (oops).
  • * Sheva brachot cards! So easy. Photocopy-enlarge the brachot from a siddur and cut them up and laminate. Helps along the seven blessers.
  • * Make sure your ride has gas…
  • * Contacts? Bring extras and your glasses.
  • * Brides: Have something to hold on to (flowers) at the kabalat panim… You’re bound to be fidgety.
  • * Make sure someone is counting how many times the bride walks around the chatan… (oops).
  • * Let the adrenaline kick in and run with it. Love the adrenaline.
  • * Try not to spill anything on each other in the Yichud room (oops).
  • * Breathe when you’re dancing or suffer the wrath of side cramps or lost breath.
  • * There will always be silly mistakes; you probably won’t even notice. Get over that from the start (of wedding planning, if possible).
  • * Get into the calm mindset the week before; pump it up the day before.
  • * However you are is how the guests will react; stay fun and calm and that’s how the guests will feel…
  • * HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR!!!
  • * It’s just a party. A really big one. The marriage is going to last longer and be way more expensive.

Quick checklist (in not so much of a coherent order):

• Date selection (keep in mind shkiyah if you want a special Hebrew date)
• Venue selection
• Photography
• Videography
• Engagement party
• Engagement ring
• Guest list
• Flights for foreigners
• Décor design
• Music
• Dress
• Invitations
• Pre-invites for out of towners (advanced notice)
• Floral arrangements
• Make up/hair stylist
• Wedding ring
• Transportation to the wedding (for you and guests if it is far out of town)
• Hotel/apartment bookings (you and out of towner guests)
• Kalla/Chatan classes
• Rabbanut:

  • o 3 passport pics of each
  • o teudat zehut and sepach
  • o birth certificates
  • o ketubah of both sets of parents
  • o 600 NIS (40% discount if one is an oleh or student)
  • o 2 witnesses for each (who know you, male)
  • o a Rabbi conducting who is registered with the Rabbanut (or register yours)
  • o 02-621 4800/4811
  • o Rechov חובהצלת, #12, near Yaffo street
  • o Sun-Thurs 8:30-12:30/3-4:30

• Registry
• Birchonim
• Menu selection
• Appoint/hire someone a ‘wedding coordinator’ so your parents and friends can enjoy

I also highly recommend this website for wedding planning all over Israel.

Venues:

Beit Shmuel: 02 6200 3405, 02 620 3403 – view of Old City behind, it’s outdoors on the roof (or could be inside)
BibleLand Museum: 02 561 1066 contact@blmj.org (Caterer: Shlomo at שק אירועים 0505234220
Achuza: 02 538 7151 gorgeous set up, Ramat Rachel feeling, might be less money, .
Har Tzion: 02 568 9555 really really pretty, local, different set up options.
Mul HaHar: Ilan: 0504005401 tayelet set up, chupah can go however you want, no minimum, great view behind you.
Novotel: 02 5320000 Idit – 0524470165, swimming pool, porch
Shulchan David – right outside Old City. Yehuda 050 521 7325/026732770
Ein Yael – (by the Zoo) 02 645 1866, outdoors, hidden, quiet
Shoresh – outdoors, pretty, there’s a website

Photography & video:

Sass Video – excellently recommended, great service, great product.
Dov Yarden – great work, great custom albums. 02 676 4223, 0545691123
Itamar Ben Harav: 0546472656

Bands:

Ariel Goldsmith – 052 641 3326
Shlomo Katz – 02 570 9945, 054 316 9888 (Yedidyah, manager)
Adom Atik –
Inyan Acher –
Menachem Herman – mhmusic@netvision.net.il 02 991 8314, 0524704063

Wedding Planners:

Shmuel Bloom: 0547587089
Shani Falik: shoshanafalik@gmail.com
Adina Buchs – B’Rosh Shaket – 0523803048

Dressmakers:

Tamar: 02.538.8558
Elise: 054.498.4540
Aviva: 052.545.5895 or 02.654.1697
Chagit: 054.533.9051 or 02.561.7316
Esti: 054.747.1778 or 02.571.0777
Malka: 02.540.1745
Nora: 052.848.9964 or 02.624.6963
Dorit: 02.651.4840

Tel Aviv bridal:

*It’s all over Dizengoff street, starting from around the 190s. Hard to find classy + modest dresses though. Also a bit more $$.
*Veronic: www.Veronic.co.il – very talented, she can do chic modest dresses

Gmachs:

* Shalshelet/Chasdei Yaela
King George St. They have more than 200 dresses that the bride can use for the minimal price of 400 -800 NIS + dry cleaning. Call for appointment: Racheli: 054-647-2611 or Naomi: 054-630-1189

* Gemach Shoshana
— established in memory of 19 year old Shoshana Zaguri z’l killed in a bus bombing
— to ease some of the financial pressures of making a wedding
— MODEST bridal gowns available
–located in Bayit Vagan
–Please call Paula Mazal Zaguri at 02-6411-795 or 0544-781-293 to schedule an appointment

* Gmach
Rechov Shmuel HaNavi.
For an appointment please call: Pesha Rosenson- 02 582 7936 / 052 478 3675
You may also call Rachel for an appointment: 625-7936 or 0546-472-611

* Wedding dress g’mach
With hundreds of beautiful wedding dresses to choose from. Call Tehilla at 0506 343942 or (02) 625 2924 or e-mail: tiftufya@walla.com


You can always email me for more or to get this in a readable format.

Comments

6 responses to “Offering my wedding wares.”

  1. gabbiandaviad Avatar
    gabbiandaviad

    wow. awesome. thanks. gilah put me onto you. feel better im on the right track… gabbi (wedding rosh hodesh elul)

  2. sara Avatar
    sara

    wow awsome lady thank you soo much mizvahhh girll<33333333333 life savorr

  3. janet Avatar
    janet

    thank you so much for this! much appreciated. shabbat shalom, janet

  4. Liora Schwartz Avatar
    Liora Schwartz

    I will be having my wedding at the end of the year in Jerusalem. I need to hire an appropriate wedding dress. Have you any contact details?

  5. Debra Avatar
    Debra

    Thanx a million for your advice!!! you are the only access to Shulchan david’s phone number. I’ve been searching trying to reach them for photos and now through you i am able to do that. Thank you

  6. sara Avatar
    sara

    debra a year ago i got married in shulcan david it is very hard to contact them but there food is amazing and they very sweet people its hard to set up the place but if u thiink hard u can do a great job there i dont regret my wedding being there gl

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