The latest such event occurred in Phnom Penh, the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
From Chabad.org: 

As the sun set over Phnom Penh, locals, tourists and guests from all over the world gathered for the first Jewish wedding known to be celebrated in the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The bride, Shlomit (Irina), had met Rabbi Bentzion and Mashie Butman, co-directors of Chabad Jewish Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, several years ago and begun her journey to Torah observance.

The groom, Vadim Mitropolitansky, is an Israeli who now lives in Bangkok, Thailand. When the two decided to tie the knot, they chose to do so at the Chabad center in Phnom Penh.
The groom, Vadim Mitropolitansky, is an Israeli who now lives in Bangkok, Thailand. When the two decided to tie the knot, they chose to do so at the Chabad center in Phnom Penh.

The rooftop ceremony was followed by a festive dinner in the newly finished event hall on the Chabad center’s second floor.
Local Cambodians, friends, relatives and Chabad families from both countries swirled in dizzying circles, following the lively music supplied by the keyboardist who had flown in from Israel for the occasion.

“In times of joy, as well as sadness, community takes the place of family in this part of the world, where most Jews are here without family,” says Rabbi Butman.

Read more at Chabad.org

Real wedding gallery and words by: Misha Fine Art Wedding Photography

Galya and Steve: one may call them architects or bridge-builders. When you meet them, it’s such an inspiration to watch them connect people. Able to bridge crowds, seemingly from opposite spectrums of the world.. yet they do it with natural finesse.

Having met on SawYouAtSinai, Galya and Steve dated for a few months prior to getting married. But speaking with them, you’d think they’ve known each other for years. Steve, with his attentiveness to Galya’s every word. Galya, knowing exactly when and how to make Steve smile.

Consequently, the Venderbilt, overlooking the ocean and Verrazano bridge, was a perfect venue to host their first day as married couple. Stepping over into this new chapter of their life, Galya and Steve brought together people from various parts of their lives. From various walks of life. Various countries. As baalei teshuvah, this is a skill that not many are able to master, even with years of practice. Yet, on their wedding day, Galya and Steve beautifully united all of their worlds… inspiring all those present.

And there was nothing but joy.

WEDDING TEAM:

Here are some ways that Instagram changed the wedding planning process as well as the wedding planning business. We’ll also include a recent collage of Instagrabs from some of the wedding professional that we follow.

Keeping up with the Joneses

Well, I guess it depends how you look at it. Yes, it can put more pressure on a couple to step up their wedding planning efforts. And yes, that can be unhealthy. But, you could also say, it gives couples access to more choices and wedding ideas. (Perhaps, too many choices?) It probably does all of those things. Without a doubt, for many many brides to be, scrolling through Instagram is now part of the wedding planning process. Double tap this, double tap that and then review the photos you liked in your account profile. You can tag your friends and get their input right on the spot too.

{Florists, Caterers, Party planners, Party Rentals.}

Included in the collage:

Hostess International – @hostessinternational
Michicas Celebrations – @michicascelebrations
Renee S. Erreich Events – @rsevents
Chani Greenbaum Events – @chanigreenbaumevents
Rentastic Party – @rentasticparty
Kosher Party Planner – @kosherpartyplanner
New York Kosher Caterers – @nykcaterers
Papaya Events – @papayaevents
Shevy Weiss Party Planner – @shevy_weiss_party_planner
Frumi Metz Event Planning – @fmeventplanning
Shaikes Catering – @shaikescatering
Birch Event Design – @bircheventdesign
Devorah Deutch – @devorah.deutch
Mimulo – @mimulo
Creations Catering by Nosson Schultz – @creationscatering

More Exposure for Small Business

Instagram is open for all. It doesn’t (yet) have a firewall that keeps commercial pages away from non-commercial ones like Facebook does. This makes it an incredible tool for businesses to reach their customers. It also levels the playing field for big and small businesses. Small businesses, like make-up professionals or starting out photographers, can quickly grow their fan base if they have some Instagram prowess. Or if they can at least plaster each post with a bunch of #hashtags. Of course, this also means that wedding professionals are also their own PR people, and that can be quite overwhelming at times.

{Make Up}

Included in the collage:

Miriam Follman – @makeupbymiriamfollman
Periva Charach – @makeupbypriva
Racheli Shagalov – @racheli_makeup
Gitty Berger – @gittyberger
Abigail Kolb – @missabby_mua
Chava Farkash – @makeupbychava
Ahuva (Sanik) Itzkowitz – @ahuvasanik
Chana Hertz –@chanahertzmakeup
Batya Hess – @makeupbybatya
Miriam Sokol – @miriamsokolmakeup

Business Website, That’s So Yesterday

There’s so much that a small business can do via social media these days, that many wedding professionals have no permanent website at all. Who needs the headache and the costs of constant website maintenance, web security worries, etc, when one can have up to date information, real client engagement, instant exposure, and all absolutely free. Everything a wedding business needs is right in the palm of their hand.

{Photographers}

Included in the collage:

Koby Yedgar – @koby_yedgar_photography
Mendel Meyers (Monsey) – @mendelmeyersmonsey
Nir’s Expressions – @nirs_expressions
Simchavision – @simchavision
Benjamin Kohen – @benjaminkohenphotography
CJ Studios – @cjstudiosphotos
Andre Reichmann – @andrereichmannphotography
Chana Blumes – @chanablumesphoto
Ulrich Studios – @ulrichstudios
Eli Robinson – @elirobinsonphotography
Laibel & Chana Schwartz – @laibelschwartzphotography
Jerry Meyer – @jerrymeyerstudio
Eliau Piha – @eliaupihastudio

Remember OnlySimchas?

Once it was all the rage. A couple would post their wedding picture on OnlySimchas, and let the Mazel Tovs roll in. It was a great way to share a simchah and the only way for out of town relatives and friends to be a part of it. (In a way it was ahead of its time.) Social media changed all that. Wedding pictures hit Facebook, Instagram, well, instantly, and everyone near and far can shower their emoji filled Mazel Tovs to the happy couple. Now, OnlySimchas is a Jewish news website. However, it’s reclaiming its old role via Instagram (@onlysimchas), together with a newer kid on the simcha sharing block – @SimchaSpot.

{OnlySimchas.com from 8 years ago.}

Can you add something to this list?

Plan on attending your cousin’s Bar Mitzvah party next week? Or your neighbor’s daughter’s wedding next month? As an increasing number of semachot are catered at non-kosher hotels, it is important for the kosher consumer to be aware of what takes place in hotel kitchens. Indeed, oftentimes guests enjoy a lavish smorgasbord (replete with roast rack of lamb and endive and radicchio salad) at a catered hotel affair but have little idea of what, from a kashrut perspective, goes on behind the scenes.

It is important to keep in mind that as a guest at a kosher affair you should never hesitate to question the mashgiach. It is your right to know the standards of the kashrut organization and to feel confident that the mashgiach is doing everything necessary to adhere to the highest kashrut standards.

To better understand the world of kosher catering, let’s take a look at a fictitious evening wedding held at the Sharriot Hotel in New York City.

6 AM: Two mashgichim enter the hotel kitchen to begin preparations. Depending on the size of the event, sometimes as many as three or four mashgichim are needed.

Read more here: OU Kosher

Gavriel & Miriam | Wedding Videography from Laibel & Chana Schwartz on Vimeo.

Gavriel & Miriam | Wedding Videography from Laibel & Chana Schwartz on Vimeo.

We just received word that the wedding hall at the Manhattan Beach Jewish Center, which was just acquired by a new owner, is undergoing complete renovations, inside and out, and will reopen for simchas  on June 1st, 2016.

We can even share the architect’s renditions of the exterior:

Not so long ago, this wedding hall, which was under New Star Caterers, was a wedding venue that appealed to a variety of families from a variety of backgrounds with a variety of tastes. From barely traditional to modern orthodox to yeshivish, sefardi, ashkenazi, Russian, Syrian, Israeli – somehow they all appreciated this wedding hall. The large space is extremely versatile. The separate hall for the shmorg / cocktail hour is stylish and grand, 5,000 sq. ft. in size with high 20 ft. ceilings. The 8,000 sq.ft. ballroom accommodates up to 650 sitdown guests. And the large synagogue, which is also being renovated, provides a perfect setting for the chuppah.

The new caterers at the Manhattan Beach Jewish Center Hall are also the caterers at the Shaare Zion Synagogue, so you can be sure that the food and the service will be superb. The new hall, according to Benny, the principal of the catering firm at Congregation Shaare Zion, Beth Torah, and now Manhattan Beach Jewish Center, will not only cater to a variety of couples but to a broader spectrum of budgets as well.

If you’d like more information about the new hall, feel free to contact Shaare Zion Caterers: (718) 975 – 4880

You may say: “well, I never cared about what’s popular anyways.” Not so fast. Fashion trends affect us all. Whether we like it or not, they define, or at the very least strongly influence, our perception of beauty. Just think, what looked good in the 80s or 90s, looks incredibly awkward now

(Here’s an 80’s wedding dress flashback to refresh your memory).

Oh, those puffed shoulders!

In the era of the strapless wedding gown, tznius wedding dresses often looked top-heavy and somehow less elegant. It was significantly more difficult for a frum bride to alter a non-tznius dress without significantly decreasing its appeal. Recent trends in wedding gowns, however, make building up a non-tznius dress a lot easier. Not only because higher necklines such as the jewel, the bateau, the v-neck are coming in, but also because the fabrics are changing as well. More of the wedding dress is made from tulle and lace.  Using these fabrics, designers are adding more airiness and lightness to their wedding gowns.  3-d appliqués and feather adornments over the tulle that are in style further accentuate the airiness of the fabric.

Gown by Israeli Designer Chana Marelus

The lighter fabrics work better with gowns that cover arms and shoulders and make them more pleasing to the eye. Tznius gowns look as elegant and as stylish as the non-tznius ones. Many dresses that are sold in regular bridal stores are easily made tznius by adding sleeves without any additional adjustments. On the downside, large princess ball gowns, which our kallahs like so much, are less common as a result, but that’s a trend we’re prepared to accept. A-lines, sheath, and mermaid (the latter ranking lower on the tznius spectrum) silhouettes are more common.

Perla gown by BHLDN – $1,800

Mary by Illume Gowns

Beaded Lace Gown by Oleg Cassini – $1,250

Gown by Chana Marelus

Trends will surely swing back, but for now let us appreciate the additional options available to the frum bride.

This gown is by Illume Gowns which specializes in modest wedding gowns.

They also should have included gowns from Chana Marelus – an Israeli designer whose dresses are redefining Tznius bridal and evening wear.

Photo by Zalmy B

Wedding photography has changed over the past number of years. This is true for the wedding world at large as well as the frum wedding world. Not in such distant past, the wedding photography industry was run by a relatively small number of full service wedding studios. These were professionally run businesses with a rotating team of photographers and a team of in-studio personnel who took care of logistics, proofs, albums, etc. But a couple could not always be certain which photographer will be there to capture their most important day. So new photographers appeared on the scene. The new photographers were a one man show – they had  their own unique style, their commitment to creativity, and if a couple was captivated by the photographer’s images, they knew who and what they were getting.

Photo by Three Star Photography

At about this time the focus of wedding photos shifted from formal portraits to photojournalistic, in-the-moment candids. Couples wanted photographers to document the euphoria, the frenzy, the joy, the excitement, in other words all the emotion of this so completely emotion-drenched event. The relationship between the couple and their photographer became much more personal.

These photographers are also social media savvy, which means that a couple’s wedding pictures are likely to hit the photographers’ Facebook pages, Instagram feeds, Pinterest boards or their personal blogs. For many couples this is an added bonus so to speak, a way to share their greatest joy with their friends, and perhaps a chance to show off a little (after all they just spent the last couple of months making sure that everything about this wedding is just perfect!). For others this was a nuisance. Many frum couples would rather not share the images from their wedding with the world. But this is not a big deal. Photographers in the frum world understand this, and will accommodate if requested.

The problems that many couples and families do experience is in post production. The one-man-(or one-woman)-show photographer does not usually have back office staff to deal with clients regarding their albums, portraits, or whatever post wedding issues the families might have. He or she are responsible for shooting the event (which means getting home most nights at 2 AM), for uploading the images to the computer, retouching them (which is hours and hours of work), organizing them, communicating with their clients, designing the albums, dealing with printing studios, etc etc etc. And so we hear many complaints from married couples with children who are still chasing after their very creative photographer, who did an amazing job at the wedding, but has since disappeared, and has yet to provide the wedding album. Many go as far as accusing the photographer of being a liar and a ganef, when in reality the guy is just overwhelmed, way over extended, and just doesn’t know who to deal with first.

How does one prevent this scenario? There are two things you must do: you must communicate with your photographer as much as you can. Before committing to a photographer, inquire about his or her process of album making – who does it? how long does it take? Secondly, even though many photographers ask for all the money up front (and they do this with good reason – they have to pay the printer and the binder in advance), you, as a client, have to make sure that a portion of the bill is only paid upon delivery of the albums. How to break it down will often vary, but 50% up front, 25% after delivery of proofs and the rest after albums is not unreasonable. Many photographers themselves offer similar terms.

Overall, the changes in the wedding photography industry have worked out to the couples’ benefit – they have more options, greater ability to find the photographer that matches their style. But as with any progress, there are always some growing pains. The best that you can do is be an educated consumer.

{Note: The beautiful images used in this post are there for visual enhancement only, and have no relation to the content.}

Video: CJ Studios
Venue: Congregation Keter Torah, Teaneck, NJ
Music: Eitan Katz

The text of the Ketubah has remained much the same throughout the ages, but the script and the decorative elements have change with the times and the locations.

Browsing the site, the ketubahs of Amsterdam caught our attention. The Jewish community of Amsterdam has a fascinating history. In the 1600s, after the Dutch won their independence from Spain, Amsterdam quickly became an important European economic center. This was in part to their policy of religious toleration. Sephardic and Portuguese Jews had found a community there – a refuge from the expulsion from Spain; Ahkenazi Jews started to arrive to escape the Chmielnitzki massacres and the horrors of the Thirty Years War.

Seventeenth century Amsterdam is famous for the Amsterdam Stock Exchange – the first of its kind, the Dutch East India Company, and the artist Rembrandt van Rijn, who resided in the Jewish quarter of the city for a number of years, as well as Menashe Ben Israel whose efforts helped Jews gain permission to resettle the UK.

The collection shows that Ketubahs in Amsterdam were of two kinds – the fancy, custom-made kind and the cheaper template kind.

Amsterdam at this time is also a place where contradictory artistic tastes are present in the city. The Protestant north tends to favor simpler, more subdued art, while the south prefers baroque – an over-the-top, dramatic style of art.

Here are two colorful ketubahs from the period of the first kind:

1617

1671

Most of the ketubahs in the collection were using one of the following two printed templates:

Blank Ketubah – 5500s or 1740-1839

This one seems like the no frills, budget option. The one below seems to have been the next step up.

1809

This ketubah template appears often at this time not only in Amsterdam but in the nearby countries as well. And apparently is can be upgraded to a color version.

I’ll end off this post with two photographs by Leonard Freed – a Brooklyn photographer, who spent the late 50s and 60s (that’s 1950s and 1960s) photographing Amsterdam and  the Jewish community there.

Succoss, Amsterdam 1958

Jewish Wedding, Amsterdam 1958

We enjoy providing some apt words to accompany our images when it comes to sharing the events we are privileged to photograph. However, in this instance it’s practically impossible to describe the feelings, the energy, and the immense spirit of this wedding in words. Indeed, we can only hope our images come close! Kinloss in north […]

01.11.2015
Images from Anna and James
© Blake Ezra Photography 2015
www.blakeezraphotography.com

See the rest of the beautiful gallery here:
http://blakeezrablog.com/2015/12/18/heart-and-soul-ashira-and-yosefs-breathtaking-wedding/

Yardena & Aaron / Montreal Jewish Wedding from Focus Video on Vimeo.

Yardena and Aaron’s wedding was a mixture of modern and traditional. The weeding took place in the Chevra Kadisha in Montreal Canada this September. Catering provided by Traiteur Renaissance. Video by Focus Video Productions.

The new store, located on avenue J off Nostrand Avenue, is beautifully designed with a fashionable boutique store feel. With a recent relocation of Bencraft Hatters to “Flatbush”, in addition to The Hat Box and Hats Plus which have been around for years, there are more options than ever for your hat shopping convenience.

Contact Info: Borsalino Brand Store

We continue our analysis of the survey responses with question 5, namely who paid for what.

FLOP, what’s that?

Only 16% of respondents split the wedding bill using the FLOP system. In case you belong to the 84% of people who did not use FLOP, let me fill you in. FLOP stands for Flowers, Liquor, Orchestra, and Photography. It is one way to divide the wedding bill between the two parties: the groom’s side pays for FLOP, while the kallah’ side pays for the rest (which is mainly the Hall and the Catering). This system is (or perhaps was) popular with a more “yeshivish” crowd, but only 16% of this blog’s readers used this approach. The most popular way to divide the chassanah expenses, used by almost 50% of couples and families, is the 50/50 split.

There were many instances (these were mentioned in survey comments) where one side paid for 100% of the wedding bill. The bride’s side was the paying side more often than the groom’s, but the occurrence was frequent enough to be significant. When does one side pay for the entire wedding? Does this happen when one side is significantly less advantaged than the other? Or when one side wants a lavish wedding reception, while the other is looking for a budget approach?

We also wanted to know if parents still foot the wedding bill like they did back in the day.

And the answer is yes, in 56% of cases, the parents paid for the whole thing. Baruch Hashem for mom and dad (or abba and ima or mommy and totty)! That’s not to say that many brides and grooms do not contribute. In the rest of the couple contributed or paid for the whole thing themselves in the rest of the weddings (besides the three percent of weddings where a sponsor paid for it).

What about borrowing? With wedding expenses being what they are, are families forced to borrow to make it happen?

We found it pleasantly surprising that 65% of respondents said that they did not need to borrow to cover the wedding costs. Out of the 35% of couples that did borrow to afford their wedding, 17% borrowed upwards of $20,000.

This is worth contemplating. In question 10, where we asked for the total wedding cost, almost a quarter of respondents said that they managed to make a wedding for less than $15K. Which means, that the couples borrowing more than $20K for their wedding either were not blessed with this magical ability of squeezing the giant of an affair as a wedding into a $15,000 box or they preferred debt to going skimpy on this once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Of course, it is also possible that they had a larger guest list. But this also raises that question if one is really obligated to invite that many people. Who are we to judge people for the voices they make? A lavish wedding reception is certainly alluring, and it’s been that way for as long as there have been weddings. There’s just something special, almost supernatural about the grandest of all life-cycle events that is a wedding that elicits such feelings.

Now let’s get into the more sensitive aspects of paying for the wedding. We asked: Did conversations about wedding finances result in tensions between the couple or between the two families.

The Gemara in Shabbos says that “there are no Ketubah [discussions] that do not result in a fight”. This, of course, is not be taken literally.  As we see from our survey, in overwhelming majority of weddings tensions were almost non-existent. In only 12% of weddings, did conversations about money result in serious problems, and that’s good news.

Zevi & Batsheva Weisinger | Jewish Wedding Photography from Laibel & Chana Schwartz on Vimeo.

{Perhaps it is necessary to point out the obvious. This survey is in no way scientific. It is an open, voluntary survey of visitors of this website. We don’t know much about the respondents nor about the truthfulness of their responses. Still the results are certainly interesting and worth a discussion.}

Let’s begin with end, with the last question of the survey: “How much did your wedding cost?”

There were 7 possible categories to choose from: from below $15,000 to above $75,000. Interestingly enough, the two categories that got the most responses were these two extremes. Almost 26% – more than 1 in 4 – of respondents kept their wedding costs down to below $15,000 and almost 20% shelled out more than $75,000.

Do you think $15,000 gives too broad of a range? Is it that easy to pull off a Jewish wedding for under 15 grand? We certainly didn’t think so when we drafted the survey and don’t think so still. Between the hall, catering, music, flowers, photography, videography etc. it seems nearly impossible to put together a wedding under $15,000. But, to our great surprise, more than a quarter of the survey participants managed it. What do you think?

The smallest response was given to the $65,000-$75,000 range. Could that indicate that if one spends one really spends? Perhaps. Although, with more kallahs filling out the survey, things may even out.

Now let us take a look at the survey’s first question: “Did you budget plan for your wedding?”

Yes, we know proper English would be: “Did you set a budget for your wedding?” But we felt that this version was more appropriate, more closely descriptive of the process of trying to set a budget for something that really requires professional and experienced planners. Whilst most people sort of learn the trade of figuring out the various options and their costs as they go along not unpleasantly overwhelmed.

As you can see from the chart, almost half the survey participants took their budget quite seriously. Only 20% of respondents did not set a budget at all. Wait, are those the same 20% with wedding costs exceeding the $75,000 mark?

In the next question the survey wants to know: “How successful were you in setting a budget?”

Here again 26% answered – making it the most frequent response – that they managed to fit into their budget. Whoever heard of fitting into a wedding budget??? Who are these people? Wait, are these the same 26% that managed to pull of a whole wedding under $15,000? Hmm, there does seem to be a pattern of sorts.

This next question is a personal favorite: “The price tag of which wedding service surprise you the most?”

I was rooting for photography, but it only came in third. The winner is “Flowers”, with almost 32% percent of people surprised by the cost of wedding florals. Isn’t it a wonder that one can get a beautiful, large bouquet for about $50, but if it’s a bridal bouquet, well that’s $150-$250?

Many (almost 28%) were also surprised by the price tag of food. It’s generally the biggest of all wedding expenses. Prices for catering (which sometimes include the venue and sometimes are in addition to the cost of the wedding hall) can range from $25 per person to $200 per person. The total cost here is dependent, in large, on the amount of guests you are expecting at your affair. To set table at a large frum wedding with 500 guests or more even at $50 per person adds up to a hefty $25,000.

Now we wanted to know if you think your wedding is costing too much. Duh, of course it is! Well, as you can see from the chart below, about 12% of people answered that they kept wedding costs to a minimum. Most respondents, however, indicated that their wedding expenses are high – some are just more OK with it than others; after all it is a wedding!

The second half of the survey we shall discuss in Part 2 of this article. Stay tuned, but add your two cents to the topic of wedding costs in the comments.

This event will be held at the Milano Brooklyn Showroom on Coney Island between 7:00 an 8:00 PM.

Take a look:

Esti + Eli from Expressions Cinema on Vimeo.

Milano Collection is having their annual Mid Summer Sale.

Can you believe it? It’s Mid Summer already!

Brooklyn: Sunday, July 21 and Monday, July 22 – 10 AM – 6 PM
Los Angeles: Sunday, July 21 – 10 AM – 7 PM
Monsey: Tuesday, July 23 – 3 PM – 9 PM

And all day online: Sunday, July 21 and Monday, July 22.

The Wedding Treasury is a new illuminated coffee-table style book by Rabbi and artist Yonah Weinreb. The 240 page book offers a mix of inspirational essays, relevant customs and laws with his unmistakable style of illustrations. Originally priced at $60, now available at Artscroll.com for $47.99.

The book was obviously created for gift giving. The embossed cover and its large size give it that “keep-sake” look. It would make a good engagement gift but would not be of much use as a wedding gift, since it describes the customs and traditions of the wedding ceremony.

TenYad is looking for extra help this summer wedding season. No Kallah Left Behind.

If you’re a fan of Anthropologie, then you’ll be excited about the Gown sale going on at BHLDN right now. Many accessories are on sale too.

Cassini’s Muse Gown Reg: $1,600 now $800

Quite often, weddings, which are planned months in advance, get caught up in some unpredictable nature event (like this Blizzard wedding in Chicago last year or the Blizzard of 2010 in NY). For Jewish families a wedding is more than a celebration with friends and family, more than a lifecycle milestone; a wedding is a beginning of fresh branch within the House of Israel. It takes more than gusty winds to put the brakes on this occasion. Mazel Tov to the new couple!

Contact the Daf Yomi Commission at (212) 797-9000 ext 267 at least two weeks before the wedding date.

You can see a preview of some of the dresses in the store here.

Lotus Bridal’s seamstress, with many years of experience at Kleinfeld’s, specializes in professional dress build-ups.

Date:
Thursday, August 9 – Monday, August 13

Location
Lotus Bridal
1822 Avenue U
Brooklyn, NY 11229

Tel: 718.332.4385

This dress is made by Vue Designs of Grand Rapids, MI and is available from her Etsy Shop. Here’s a picture of the dress from the seller. You can request the dress to be made in a variety of fabrics and colors.

A historic European hotel and a popular event and concert space, Grafenegg offered everything the couple was looking for and more. Inside and outside, the castle and the grounds make for a romantic wedding setting as well as a dramatic backdrop for Claire’s remarkable imagery.

Once they decided on the venue, Miriam and Michael took a personal approach to wedding planning, and as you can see from the photos here, they did a wonderful job at it too. The weather, thankfully, cooperated as well, and the wedding ceremony was conducted outdoors in the castle gardens on a sunny and breezy, perfect spring day.

Miriam’s bouquet was composed of a variety of flowers, all circling a central Protea flower. For table centerpieces, Miriam used blossoming branches surrounded by a mix of spring flowers which added natural freshness and liveliness to the affair.

The wedding cake was part whimsy part symbolism. Since the couple’s last name is to be Mandelbaum, which is “chestnut tree” in Yiddish, a decorative chestnut tree full of happy little blossoms topped their simple, ecru wedding cake which was surrounded by their favorite animals on all sides.

Wedding Vendors:

Hair and Make-up: Julia Hrdina
Bride’s shoes: Roberto Festa
Bride’s earrings: Neuner Schmuck
Band: Frejlech Klezmer
Catering: Joshua’s Foodart
Cake: Demel (Anika Post)
Location: Grafenegg
Ketubah: Ketubah.com
Wedding Dress: Kerstin Lehmann, Berlin
Veil: Zussa

Miriam, who a year before her engagement to Anshel ran a marathon to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, is a daughter of Rabbi Daniel and Susan Lapin of Mercer Island, WA. Miriam trained through the winter – six months of continuous running routines, through rain and snow – to partake in the marathon. {You can see a small diary of her efforts here.}

Miriam’s slender bouquet of Calla Lilies and roses of lavender and white and with its open-stem design is modern yet timeless. The curve of the Calla Lilie’s petal makes it a truly feminine flower.

We also heart the orchid flower clip – a simple, unpretentious, full of summer and very feminine hair accessory that is a rare diversion from the traditional sparkle and shine kallah crown.

Less common, but nevertheless not unusual, is the FLOPS option, where the chosson’s side also takes care of the Sheitel for the kallah.

If you decided to use FLOP, get this simple FLOP wedding checklist. If you are still not decided on how to split the expenses, read these notes on splitting your wedding costs. If you already made up your mind, feel free to speak it below, in the comments!

1. Benjamin Adams Renee at Bellissima Bridal
2. Touch Ups by Benjamin Walk – Shirley at Shoes.com
3. Keeden by Kate Spade at Bellissima Bridal
4. Hey Lady – Daddy’s Girl – Shopheylady.com
5. Gigiritz by Stuart Weitzman at Zappos
6. Flirt by Coloriffics at Zappos
7. Fifi Vanessa at Bellissima Bridal
8. Hey Lady Princess Buttercup at Shopheylady.com
9. Touch Ups by Benjamin Walk – Breeze at Shoes.com
10. Dyables – Isla at Zappos
11. Naughty by Stuart Weitzman at Zappos
12. Loeffler Randall Zuri Rosette
13. Evelixa by Nina at Zappos
14. Electra by Nina at Zappos
15. J.Crew – Valentina satin d’Orsay.

{The author of this blog post is in no way attesting the tznius factor of the shoes depicted above.}

Malka and Gershon were married in January of 2012, with their chuppah held, as tradition would have it, in front of “770”, and the reception at the elegant Razag Ballroom some few blocks away in Crown Heights.

I particularly like the old-world-inspired setup of the chosson/kallah table with the frames and a grandfather clock. It appeals to me so much more than the traditional glitz and tulle backdrop; it’s got personality.

You can enjoy a longer slide show of the wedding beautifully set to music, here.

The Wedding Team

Photography: White Rose Kallah
Wedding hall: Razag Ballroom
Catering: Razag
Flowers: Mimulo
Bridal gown: Bridal Secrets
Band: Choni Mileki
Jewelry: Gift from aunt Arlene
Videography: Shaul Lilove

Brooklyn’s Monica’s Bridal will hold its annual sample sale on February 14th and 15th. Up to 80% off on many dresses, shoes, veils, headpieces, and accessories. Only sale items will be shown on the sale dates.

When:
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
11 AM – 7 PM

Wednesday, February 15, 2012
11 AM – 7 PM

Where
Monica’s Bridal
1655 Sheepshead Bay Road
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 646-5400

Designers Include:

Allure, Allure Couture, Enzoani, Blue By Enzoani, YSA Makino, Pronovias, Elie Saab Bridal, Badgley Mischka Bridal, San
Patrick, Justin Alexander, Justin Alexander Couture, Casablanca, Casablanca Couture, Maggie Sotero, Avine Perucci, Stuart Weitzman, Mandalay, Marchessa Notte, Jovani and many more!!

The November 6th wedding of Marina and Alex at the Jewish Center of Manhattan Beach may have seemed like an ordinary Orthodox wedding, but in truth was anything but that.

The two met in February of this year at a Shabbaton for Russian speaking Jews, an annual event jointly organized by Chamah Organization, Lubavitch Youth Organization, and Bris Avrohom. The 2011 Shabbaton, which attracted 700 people at various stages of observance, was an inspiring event permeated with warmth and emotion. Numerous guest lecturers from around the country shared their Divrei Torah and Chizuk; many of the attendants were moved to tears. A special performance by Avrohom Fried electrified the audience.

A few years prior, Marina, who lives in Staten Island, got involved with a local Jewish-Russian Learning Center, run by Rabbi Eli Kogan, while Alex, who resides in New Jersey, traveled to Israel to study in the Mayanot Yeshiva in Jerusalem and later attended Bris Avrohom. Judaism was continuously playing a more central role in their lives. It was at the Chamah Shabbaton that their indivdual paths crossed and since then became permanently intertwined.

Venue: Manhattan Beach Jewish Center
Catering: New York Kosher Caterers
Photography: Glatt & Art
Music: Rambam Orchestra

image by M.Kruter

All eyes are on the bride during the wedding, but a bridal gown is more than just an outfit that the bride wears for a day; it becomes a part of the memories of one of the most special days in a couple’s life.

The first decision a bride and her family will have to make is their budget. While brides often end up going over their budget when they find a dress that suits them perfectly, it is still helpful to begin the search with at least some sort of budget in mind.

The price tag of a wedding dress may vary greatly. At Bridal Secrets of Cedarhurst – a popular destination for wedding gown shopping, dresses range from $599 – $2,500 and up. Many brides spend upwards of these amounts.

Ruth Jankowitz of Beauty and Beyond in Baltimore on the other hand, suggests spending as little as possible on the wedding dress since it will most likely be only worn once.

Another option that brides have is renting a wedding dress. Although it is tempting to buy a dress and keep it for the memories, it is not necessarily the most prudent decision. Rebecca, a recent bride we spoke to, encourages brides to rent a dress instead of purchasing one. “You don’t need it as a keepsake,” she said. “You have a million other wedding memories.”

Once a bride establishes her budget and decides whether to rent or to buy, the next step is to actually select a dress. One of the decisions the bride will have to make then is how much to follow the current trends. While it may be tempting to wear a gown that fits the current trends, it is important to also consider how a certain style will look a few years from now in wedding photos. Fortunately, selecting a gown that is both trendy and classic does not have to be a contradiction with the continued popularity of styles such as eye-catching ball gowns, regal A-line princess gowns, and vintage-looking slim gowns made of or embellished by lace.

image by SimchaVision

Brides are also finding ways of combining the classic and the trendy. Miriam, one of the brides we spoke to about the experience of selecting a wedding gown, bought one that she described as classic but with a “modern twist” which was added by its high collar.

“The bride’s choice of gown always projects her image on the day of her wedding,” – says Joy Lieber of Bridal Secrets – “That may be influenced by her age, her body type and her self confidence. She may want to look Sophisticated, Demure, Whimsical or Fashion Forward.”

Ultimately, choosing the wedding gown is up to the bride and should therefore reflect her own tastes and preferences instead of simply being an expression of the current trends.

{Stay tuned for Part 2 where we will discuss some of the current trends in more detail.}

Flowers die, and food spoils, invitations are thrown away and sometimes used as a great substitute dustpan, but pictures can last forever. I didn’t care much about the minute details of my wedding. All I wanted was gorgeous pictures, because pictures would be all I would have to remember my wedding day by.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get that. The photographer my in-laws hired, had done a beautiful job on a previous family wedding, but for my wedding they sent a crew member, not the head photographer – and he had no idea what he was doing. He was unenthusiastic (he didn’t even bother to ask my name, or anyone in the wedding party’s name), a little creepy, and had no imagination for posing. I actually told him to stop posing me (or whatever he was attempting to do) and I did my own thing. He got all excited and was like “Wow, this is great, like out of a bridal magazine” and I was thinking, what the heck, you’re a wedding photographer, you should know such posing cold!!

I also wanted a lot of candid shots to capture the essence of the wedding, I’m not so into stoic family portraits… didn’t get that either… It’s a good thing I looked that good by my wedding so a total fiasco was slightly averted.

I had several other issues with my pictures, and after a year of marriage I still have not selected photos for my official album, simply because I hate looking at my wedding pictures. When I got my proofs a month after blissful marital utopia (ye, it took that long to get them)  I had full-blown meltdown on my husband, his first time experiencing me sobbing uncontrollably… fun stuff to put it mildly. It’s a sad cautionary tale. The one thing I wanted for my wedding I didn’t get, but at least I can pass on a few tips for looking into photographers.

1. Know what type of pictures you want – artistic, classic, candid shots, and the like.
2. Ask for recommendation, look at other people’s proofs, note what you like and don’t like.
3. If there are certain pictures or poses you want taken , make a list so you don’t forget. (make that list even if you remember EVERYTHING)
4. Make sure you know which photographer you will be getting if there is a crew of photographers.
5. Know what’s included in your “package”: how many  hours of photography, what format you’ll receive the proofs in, how many photos allotted in the master album (photographers rake it in this area, so know what you’re getting for how much.
6. If you’re not comfortable with the photographer by the actual affair, pause a moment, evaluate what’s not going right and try to rectify the situation, talk to the photographer, don’t just let it pass by (like I did).

Here’s to you only reading this tale and never experiencing it. MAZAL TOV.

Photo credit: DeusXFlorida

In case you’re experiencing the symptoms related by this courageous woman, consult your Ob Gyn-NY, Ob Gyn-NJ. In Long Island, The Women’s Therapy Center deals specifically with these issues.

The wedding of Bluma Lazar, daughter of Rabbi Berel Lazar, Chief Rabbi of Russia, and Isaac Rosenfeld, son of Rabbi Yehoshua Rosenfeld – a shliach in Bogota, Colombia’s capital was an event that was significant beyond the family circles of the new couple. A wedding of such distinctly orthodox nature – a sea of black hats and kapotas, Jewish music and dance, and even government provided security, in Russia’s capital, which, being outside the Pale of Settlement, was a place basically off-limits to Jews until a little over one hundred years ago, would be unimaginable even twenty years ago.

The wedding celebrations were attended by almost two thousand guests from around the world – Russian dignitaries and oligarchs, such as Acting Chairman of the Federation Council Alexander Torshin, big-name philanthropists like George Rohr, Lev Leviev and Eduardo Elstein, hundreds of Chabad shluchim, and many others. Masterfully orchestrated by Fleischman Productions, a Kfar Chabad based event planning company, the wedding chuppah and reception was held in the Sokolniki Convention center. Music entertainment was provided by Israeli musician Yishai Lapidot and a French musician Yoni Shlomo.

Thanks to Israel Bardugo – a photographer whose camera has captured a wide variety of themes and numerous events around the world, we can share with you visual highlights from this unique simchah.

Do you find letterpress as enchanting as I do? There’s something about the simplicity of colors, the rustic feel, and the spirit of tradition and old-time craftsmanship that makes letterpress prints absolutely delightful. Letterpress wedding invitations have become very popular in recent years with trendy brides, but I haven’t seen it catch on as much within Jewish orthodox or modern orthodox circles. You’ll find plenty of printers in your area that now offer letterpress printing if you’ll do a simple web search, but I would like to tell you about a kind of do it yourself option.

There are printing studios that offer their customers printing press time for rent. (One such studio is The Arm in Brooklyn, NY, where you can rent a press for $20 per hour.) These printing shops also offer classes for beginners. These classes will guide you through the basics of letterpress printing and the various materials that can be implemented for a desired result.

One can also take a slight shortcut with the help of Boxcarpress.com which will make photopolymer plate based on your image file. Together with a base which will hold your plate and inks of your choice you’ll be able to print just like a pro when you’ll go to a rentable press near you.

To discover the world of letterpress printing, visit briarpress.org.

Below you will find some books which will guide you through your engagement, answer a variety of halachic questions and help you be prepared for your wedding and thereafter.

1. Made In Heaven

A Jewish Wedding Guide by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

Inside you will find very well organized and detailed descriptions and explanations of laws, traditions and customs between the engagement and until after the chuppah. The author brings multiple opinions and sources and discusses varying traditions in different communities. There’s also plenty of practical advice and suggestions for the preparations and the arrangement of the wedding.
Hardcover: 234 pages
Publisher: Moznaim Pub Corp
ISBN-10: 0940118114
ISBN-13: 978-0940118119
Buy at: Amazon | Eichlers | Judaism.com

2. Choson and Kallah during their Engagement

by Rabbi Pesach Eliyahu Falk

This book concentrates mostly on the laws of tznius, yichud, negiah, and proper behavior during the engagement period and looks for solutions in questionable situations. This comprehensive work discusses all the practical applications of the halachos, in a clear and sensitive way.
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Feldheim
ISBN-10: 1583304711
ISBN-13: 978-1583304716
Buy at: Amazon | Eichlers | Feldheim | Judaism.com

3. The First Year of Marriage

Enhancing the Success of Your Marriage Right from the Start – And Even Before It Begins by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski

Shanah Rishonah is a very important period in the lives of newlyweds. The first year builds the future family’s foundation. It’s like a mold that can be shaped, fixed and reshaped while it’s still fresh. As soon as it dries up, any changes to it are more difficult. In this book, Rabbi Twerski explains at the outset that every couple needs to understand the mechanisms of adjustment and change; that they must be aware of the differences in their upbringings and expectations. These life experiences are neither “right” nor “wrong,” but require honest discussion as the marriage takes root and differences surface. Rabbi Twerski’s insightful portrayals of everyday situations will make you say, “That’s us! How did he know?” He knows because he has counseled thousands of people and he knows the value of advance awareness and solid advice. This is a book that should be read by engaged couples, newly married couples, and their parents.
Hardcover: 211 pages
Publisher: Mesorah Pubns Ltd
ISBN-10: 1578194326
ISBN-13: 978-1578194322
Buy at: Amazon | Artscroll | Eichlers | Judaism.com

4. Head to Heart

What to Know Before Dating and Marriage by Gila Manolson

This book should preferably be read before you start dating, but it’s not too late to read even after you got married. The book goes over many topics where you have to find a distinct view on what you want to achieve by becoming a partner in life with someone else. It reminds you that before expecting the other person to change to fit you better, it’s you who should change first. This is a guidebook with checklists, a manual that looks at dating, love, and marriage from a Torah perspective and comes up with some surprising, and important, conclusions.
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Targum
ISBN-10: 1568719973
ISBN-13: 978-1568719979
Buy at: Amazon | Eichlers | Feldheim | Judaism.com

5. Two Halves of a Whole

Torah Guidelines for Marriage by Tehilla Abramov and Rabbi Yirmiyohu Abramov

Written by the author of The Secret of Jewish Femininity, and her husband, a rabbi and noted educator, Two Halves of a Whole aims to help couples understand each other better and promote shalom bayis (marital harmony).  It provides insightful and down-to-earth Torah guidelines for enhancing one’s marriage based on the authors’ years of experience teaching and counseling engaged and married couples. This book is especially unique in that it takes into account that shalom bayis is made by two people and is written for both husband and wife. The first section for wives, presented by a woman for women, and the second from a man to the men.
Hardcover: 210 pages
Publisher: Targum
ISBN-10: 1568710682
ISBN-13: 978-1568710686
Buy at: Amazon | Eichlers | Judaism.com

6a. The Garden of Peace

A Marital Guide for Men Only by Rabbi Shalom Arush

This is the English-language version of B’Gan HaShalom, a book that has become an overnight best-seller in Israel. A priceless guide that will transform your marriage! Rabbi Arush’s reputation precedes him and many are familiar with his other inspirational books.  In the Garden of Peace you’re invited to take a stroll through a delightful and refreshing garden, where tranquil thoughts, soothing words, and brilliant insights abound. This eye-opening book, written for men only, is the first of its kind. Direct, honest, down-to-earth, and practical, it describes the true path to peace between a husband and wife. This is an amazingly enjoyable and practical guidebook for men that want to be winning husbands.
Paperback: 348 pages
Publisher: Diamond Press
ISBN-10: 5495321065
ISBN-13: 978-5495321069
Buy at: Amazon | Eichlers | Feldheim | Judaism.com

6b. Women’s Wisdom

The Garden of Peace for Women by Rabbi Shalom Arush

Women’s Wisdom is the long-awaited sequel to the Garden of Peace, now written for the woman of the household. It will show you how to create and preserve a happy, healthy marriage. How can a woman build up her marriage so that it is one of peace and tranquility? What is the real meaning of love? What is the role of the wife in the home? Not only does this book present a beautiful, time-tested perspective on marriage, it also offers wisdom and insight on parenting, prayer, and motherhood. A vital read for every Jewish woman!
Paperback: 414 pages
Publisher: Chut Shel Chesed Institutions
ASIN: B003EW0OF2
Buy at: Amazon | Eichlers | Feldheim | Judaism.com

7. A Woman’s Guide to the Laws of Niddah

by Rabbi Binyomin Forst

This is a complete nidah encyclopedia. This book covers laws, customs, traditions and multiple opinions on various nidah topics. It’s very organized and is optimized for common use, when one needs to quickly look up a specific question or need to clarify how to do things right. Kallos will find valuable advice and answers for many questions in the special Kallah section. Kallah teachers choose this book as a single complete guide for teaching. It is complete, yet not too technical, so that one will not be overwhelmed by the material. It is authoritative, but does not claim to replace a competent Rav. It will remove unnecessary doubt and insecurity from countless delicate family situations, and let conscientious people know what to do, when to do it, and how to ask questions.
Hardcover: 373 pages
Publisher: Mesorah Publications Ltd (Artscroll)
ISBN-10: 1578191386
ISBN-13: 978-1578191383

Buy at: Amazon | Artscroll | Eichlers

Kwiat, one of the most popular brands in engagement rings, has been run by the Kwiat family of jewelers and diamantaires for over 100 years. Now in its fourth generation, Kwiat continues to dazzle brides everywhere with their fashionable jewelry pieces and engagement rings. The images above are from their Vintage collection, and since we adore anything vintage we just had to share a few of these rings for your viewing pleasure. The detail and the craftsmanship of these rings evokes old world quality and European charm.

Outside of their vintage jewelry styles, Kwiat sticks to timeless and classic designs. Their engagement rings’ settings are never overdone, and the quality of the stones is always superb. To see more of the collections online, see Kwiat.com, or visit their Madison Avenue flagship boutique in person – 725 Madison Avenue.

Back to BHLDN. If you’re tired of the sleek, the modern, the square plates, the near neon colors, then you’ll love the BHLDN down-to-earth, some with a nature motif, some with a vintage feel, some americana-flavored but totally charming wedding provisions. To check out the new stuffs, click here.

Here are some of the things there that caught my attention:

The dancing at Saadya and Mushky’s seems to have had a lot of flips and tabletop dancing – a leibebidig atmosphere.

Ordinarily, I would now tell you something about the chosson and the kallah and their wedding day, but instead I’ll share with you Shira’s words and her impressions from the wedding shoot:

On the day of  Mushky and Saadya’s wedding, I awoke with a smile on my face.  Three years ago, I shot Mimi’s (Saadya’s sister) wedding, so I was already familiar with a large part of the family and was very anxious to see everyone again.  I had also met Saadya three months before at Shloimy and Marcy’s wedding (again a referral thanks to Mimi).

Saadya travels all over the world as a Chabad Rabbi to places far afield like  Cambodia and Nepal.  On the wedding day, he had just returned from Israel, where he was taking part in Taglit (Birthright),  a program that sponsors trips for young Jewish people from all over to visit Israel.   He was so enthusiastic about Israel and I felt great joy to see how much love he holds towards my people and country.   It was also so much fun to talk to him in Hebrew (I was so impressed by his fluent Hebrew.)  Saadya is one of the rabbis of the  Chabad-Lubavitch community, and as such, the wedding took place in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the official headquarters of the Chabad movement worldwide.

I heard a Rabbi once half-jokingly declare that one should never marry for love.  Of course, we all marry for love, but what he meant was that we should not marry for the type of  love or infatuation that is at its height at the wedding day.  We should marry instead for the type of love that will build over the years, and so on the wedding day, it will be in fact at its starting point.   I was reminded of this because   Saadya met Mushy only three months before the wedding,  after Mushky’s roommate introduced them .  Of course, their love for each-other was clear and abiding, but at the same time I could see that it will be a love that will deepen with each passing day as they build their lives and families together. It is that innocence and purity that I found undeniably inspiring- that need to capture not only what lay before my lens, but also a hint of the depths that will be.

To see more of Shira Weinbereger’s photographs, do check out her blog.

Wedding Details:

Venue: Razag Ballroom
Flowers: Mimulo
Music: Nagila Orchestra with Eli Marcus.
Make Up: Susan Horowitz
Hair: Daniela Chayo
Dress: Custom made in Italy
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Groom’s Attire: AM Bespoke