Jodi and Saul went to school together, but little did they know of the brilliant love story the future held for them. And when they got married, what a celebration it was! The amazing thing about culture is that each one is so wildly unique, but so special in its own way. Their Jewish wedding was one for the books, and we take a look into the traditions and customs that made their day extra special.
They didn’t see each other for 7 days before the wedding
For a full week before the day, the bride and groom don’t see each other or have any contact at all. 15 minutes before the wedding, they saw each other for the first time. “The most stressful time of the whole wedding is the week before. And when I finally saw him, it was so emotional, and totally worth it,” Jodi said.
The bedeken: Her husband veiled her
Dating back to a story in the Bible in which a man unknowingly wed his bride’s sister after her father tricked him, the bedeken is where the husband is brought in by both his father and hers, sees his lovely bride and then covers her face with the veil. “I was so overwhelmed with emotion,” Jodi says.
She walked around her husband 7 times
During the ceremony, the bride walks around the groom seven times to symbolise seven different blessings, the foundation of their new home and starting a full and complete life together.
Her husband smashed a glass
This tradition is to remind the couple and those celebrating of the destruction of the Jewish temples, symbolising that life is fragile, and even though they are celebrating their love, everything will not always be perfect and that there are struggles. The husband gets a glass or lightbulb wrapped in a cloth and steps on it with his foot, crushing it completely.
We also asked Jodi what advice she has for brides-to-be. “The best advice I can give anyone would simply be: Don’t sweat the small stuff. On the day, you’ll realise that they really don’t matter!” She also added a practical tip, saying that it’s important to stick with your partner on the day. “We went everywhere together. If you go get drinks, go together,” she adds. “If you chat to guests, go together. That way, you’ll remember the day as being spent with him. Otherwise you may look back and feel like you didn’t even spend any time together!”
For her wedding look, Jodi wore a stunning appliqué dress with detachable sleeves by designer Elbeth Gillis. The sleeves were on for the ceremony as a gesture of propriety and taken off for the reception. “I wanted something that would make me feel comfortable, something that’s me. And it was perfect.”
Take a look at their gorgeous day here:
Also read: Getting to know the culture: Traditional Jewish weddings
All images were beautifully captured by Dearheart Photos, visit their website here: www.dearheartphotos.com
Pictures: Supplied/Dearheart
Elegant and regal, the kimono has been a long-standing tradition in Japanese culture. One of the most recognisable pieces of Japanese clothing, the kimono is traditionally worn for…
Flowers have always been an important part of wedding décor, and we assume they will continue as such. From bouquets and boutonnières to centrepieces and decorations, the wedding flowers play a big role in creating an atmosphere.
The only problem is that flowers are quite pricey; they can extensively push up your expenses list. This is the opposite of the goal…right? We all want to save some money and bring that wedding expenses down as low as possible.
Here are a few ways you can save money on your wedding flowers:
– Keep it local and seasonal
Avoiding importing your flowers will save you big bucks. A local option is definitely the better choice for your budget. A similar principle applies to in-season blossoms. While you probably could find your desired out-of-season flower somewhere, it’ll be way more pricey than picking something in-season. The flowers will be fresher too!
– Go for greens
Adding some lush leaves and greenery can do wonders for your budget and your floral arrangements. They add a whimsical feel to your decor and fill up your arrangements in a stylish way, saving you from purchasing large quantities of flowers.
– Bigger blooms
This one is simple. The bigger the flower, the less you have to buy. Save yourself some cash and opt for a larger or statement bloom.
– Limit yourself to three flowers
In most cases, a florist will order the flowers in bulk, even if you don’t need too many of a specific one. If you keep the flower variations to three or less, it’ll save you some money because a bulk purchase will be necessary and none will go to waste.
– Mix and match decor elements
Add tea lights, fairy lights and candles or whatever trimming your heart desires to your venue. Opting for some different decor elements will cut your flower expenses drastically.
– Leave flowers out where you can
Perhaps you could skip the boutonnieres and corsages. While some people might want to keep them for tradition, they are not a necessity and can be replaced with alternatives if need be.
– Forget a February wedding
Valentine’s Day pushes up the price of flowers! You’re likely to pay much more than usual for whatever flower you want in February. Best avoid this month to keep the costs down.
Image: Pexels
Glowing skin is always a good thing. On your wedding day you’ll want to look your best, and one of the ways to achieve that is by treating…
Dubai based designer, Michael Cinco, took to Instagram on Monday to show off his latest creation. The dress, which is embedded with crystals from top to bottom and has a three-metre long train, is the picture of extravagance.
“The bride specifically asked me to create her dream wedding a 50’s inspired Dior gown… So I made her dream wedding gown with a couture M5 touch on it,” Cinco said,
The train is designed with intricate petal layers and holds about 200 000 Swarovski crystals. The Filipino designer said the out-of-this-world dress “takes a village to transport”. The dress is said to be for a bride in Abu Dhabi.
Cinco has dressed several celebrities including Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, and more. Just a quick scroll through his Instagram shows that he isn’t afraid to be bold and make risky fashion choices. His designs are truly something to behold. He definitely was the correct designer to approach for the task of a three-metre long train!
Have a look at the Swarovski covered wedding dress here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7gcPSslxYp/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7dK6EnlVGL/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7h6BYYF94c/
Image: Instagram / khaleejiweddings
It definitely makes things esier when your parents and parents-in-law get along, but what if they’re a bit too close? Unfortunately, one couple learnt the bad side of…
For all its faults and fears, social media gets one thing right: it brings us together. Yes, the internet is vast and scary but it can also be the site of true love and happiness. We’ve seen couples from different parts of the globe meet and fall in love all from behind a tiny phonescreen. It’s a truly modern world we live in, and Sandhya and Dylan’s love story exemplifies that.
Sandhya and Dylan’s worlds were brought together through online dating app Bumble. At the time, Sandhya was living in Australia but had come to South Africa to visit family. They met at the Fire and Ice bar in Melrose Arch for milkshakes and haven’t gone a day without speaking since. Living in different countries, Sandhya and Dylan agreed to remain friends but that didn’t last long.
“It was a spark like none I had previously experienced… it was a romance with a strong emotional and intellectual connection. We always felt like we were learning things from one another and it almost didn’t matter that we were physically apart.”
In August 2018, Sandhya and Dylan decided to close the gap when Sandhya moved to South Africa. It was a difficult decision: in Australia she was an ambitious career woman in a high-paced corporate field, one that was still in its infancy stages in South Africa. Meaningful advice from her mother, however, remedied her torn mind.
“If you miss out on your dream job, you’ll regret it for a couple of years… but if you miss out on your true love, you’ll regret it forever. Find your courage and go see.”
The move was worth it. The couple soon became engaged at Nambiti Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal whilst on a romantic private game drive at sunset.
“The ranger said Dylan had booked a romantic package that included private sunset drinks and photos in a romantic location. We hopped out and another ranger picked us up and drove us to a viewpoint overlooking the entire Nambiti reserve and valley. It was stunning… we could see elephants wandering below us and the Drakensburg mountain range in the distance… Our ranger started to take photos of us, and while I was busy posing, I turned around to find Dylan on one knee with a ring box in his hand!”
The engagement ring was in the shape of a Protea flower, so that Sandhya will always have a piece of Africa with her wherever they go next.
In December 2019, Sandhya and Dylan said ‘I do’ in a stunning ceremony fusing South African, Indian and Irish Catholic traditions, held at the Inanda Polo Club in Sandton.
With an an ‘enchanted garden’ feel, their decor was more focused on understated elegance over the traditional colourful Indian decor. Even the traditional Pandal, a canopy under which the ceremony is held, was draped in white chiffon fabric with rustic white flowers and greenery instead of the usual gold decor.
For their nuptials, Sandhya wore a beautiful bridal sari in burnt orange made from raw silk and embellished with gold thread, gifted to her from her aunt who had recently travelled to India. The sari even had to be draped by a professional dresser to ensure it was pleated correctly. She accessorised with ‘jimki’ earrings, a heavy choker and necklace, as well as a belt – all of which were gold with touches of cerise. Her hair was styled in a traditional South Indian plait decorated with jewels and lots of white flowers. She had a waist-length plait attached to her hair, and it was so heavy she has to take painkillers to offset the pain! Dylan impressed in a traditional cream military-style suit jacket and burgundy pants.
The wedding, however, did not go as smoothly as expected. First, the driver was late to pick Sandhya and her sister up due to a flat tire then when he did arrive, the car wouldn’t start! As the car was being fixed, Sandhya’s father called to say he had left the thali, a small golden necklace that the groom ties around the bride’s neck to conclude the wedding, at home. The tying of the thali is the most important and sacred part of a South Indian wedding, and without it there could be no wedding. Luckily the car was still stuck and Sandhya was able to get it.
In another crisis, Sandhya’s written vows, a tradition to honour Dylan’s Irish Catholic heritage, was literally gone with the wind.
“The priest announced “the bride and groom have written vows which they will read”, and I looked to my sister to pass them to me. She looked back at me wide-eyed and motioned to the very empty chair she was sitting on, before mouthing “the vows have flown away”. They unfortunately had to cut this part of the ceremony out, but everyone was able to laugh about it later.
Sandhya’s top advice for couples planning their wedding is to not sweat the small stuff, and that there is no need to break the bank. “At the end of it all, people come to your wedding to celebrate the love you have for each other, not to ogle the décor or to comment on the colour choice of your flowers. ”
Her final words of wisdom are “less stress, more champagne! If you are stressed, your guests will be stressed, and if you are worrying about things on your wedding day, your guests will also get that negative vibe. Have fun, drink some wine, dance a lot, and don’t get wound up about small things going wrong…Laugh it off and enjoy it! You’ll wake up the next day and it will seem like a dream.”
All images were amazingly captured by Margaux Cronje. You can view her website HERE.
Feature image: Margaux Cronje