This morning lovelies we’re jetting off to the land of milk and honey for Tslil and Maor’s riotous Purim inspired fancy dress affair. For those that don’t know, Purim is a jolly carnival-like Jewish holiday marked by parades and costume parties involving everyone dressing up to the max in masks and fancy dress outfits.
So any wedding that happens around Purim soaks up some of this merriment, and obviously that means extra drinking, extra fun, and of course, lots of dressing up! With Tslil and Maor’s entertaining fancy dress theme and a great wedding mindset (read their advice to others at the bottom of the piece to see what I mean) they created an effortlessly cool wedding with a very warm vibe. Yes, the two CAN go together.
You also need to know that Tslil wore not one but TWO sensational dresses! What’s more she designed them both herself! How immense is that?
Check out this joyous day for yourselves that was captured in all its glory by Barak Aharon. And if you love couple shots in the wilds of nature then you are in for a treat!
VENUE
We got married in Bikta B’Yaar in a place called Beit Oren near Haifa. We wanted a location surrounded by nature, but because the wedding was scheduled for winter we had to go with the inside option. Even though winter in Israel is known to have its warm days, we didn’t want to take a chance and planned an indoor event right from the beginning.
A FANCY DRESS ‘PURIM’ THEME!
Tslil, the Bride and Maor, the Groom: We’ve both been part of alternative Purim parties over the years, and we have always loved to dress up together. From Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, to Alice and the Mad Hatter, to Pulp Fiction. We love it all and really connect to Purim and all the craziness that goes along with it, so it was natural to want to infuse our wedding with that same party spirit.
We asked our friends to dress up, and we hinted to the guests that costumes were welcome. Happily, people went with theme for the most part, came dressed up, and really added that dose of Purim festiveness that we wanted to have on our big day!
We also brought a makeup artist, Danny Ly-Ziser, who helped everyone who hadn’t come in Purim make up to get in the spirit with a little bit of colour!
INVITATIONS DESIGNED BY A FRIEND
Tslil’s friend is a graphic designer, and she volunteered to do our invitation. We had a picture of what we wanted, and we knew it had to include a bird and a porcupine because these are our nicknames for each other. Tslil’s friend created something really fantastic and we had a beautiful invitation that we loved from the get-go.
TWO BESPOKE WEDDING DRESSES!
Tslil was a bit concerned about the white dress, but in the end she went to WHITE Studio which is totally different than her usual style. She tried on quite a few dresses and almost all of them made her feel “princessy” and not much like herself. In the end, Tslil opted to design her own dress with the help of Moriel from WHITE. Together, they chose two different looks: the first was classic with a light, cascading fabric for the reception and chuppah, and the other, a spicy asymmetrical short skirt for the dance party. They are two totally different outfits, but they both managed to fit into one wedding thanks to Moriel.
VICTORIAN STYLE PUFFED SLEEVES!
Since it is still cold in Israel in March, Tslil wanted to be sure that there would be something to wear over the dress. She asked Moriel to put together long, puffy Victorian-style sleeves. Honestly, the whole dress got a different vibe just from those sleeves that also ended up fitting the “Middle Ages” style you see in the venue. Some of the guests asked in jest if Tslil made the dress to fit “Bikta B’Yaar”! While the sleeves became the subject of much conversation and speculation, Tslil also carefully selected the pearl earrings she wore to match the pearls on the dress.
‘BAD GIRL’ RED SHOES!
Tslil wore red “peep-toe” heels–that are actually comfortable! (Yes, such a thing exists.) Her shoes were bold yet tasteful without stealing the show from the dress which was undoubtedly meant to be the main event. Tslil is used to dressing in a unique style so she had to add an element that would hint at her “bad girl” streak –just to make sure it didn’t all get washed out by the white!
HAIR + MAKE-UP
Even though it was a Purim wedding, Tslil didn’t want to feel too “made up” in a way that was so out of touch with her day-to-day look. Tslil heeded the advice of a friend who told her to do her hair and makeup as if she were going out (to stay in the range of something that would be comfortable while at the same time feel special). Tslil’s usual style is light but smoky make up and a messy up do, and that’s exactly what she asked for on the big day! The result was a beautiful enhancement of her everyday style, and she felt at home in her own skin the entire night.
THE HANDSOME GROOM
Maor didn’t have nearly as elaborate a plan as Tslil when it came to the clothes, but his mum said she just couldn’t imagine him in a suit, and we all agreed! We hit the mall and put together a clean white shirt, khaki pants, dark blue tie and matching blazer from Zara, and called it a day when we saw he looked like himself—young, fresh, and relaxed.
AN EGALITARIAN CEREMONY
We were adamant that Tslil was to be an active participant in the ceremony. We talked to the rabbi beforehand about having Tslil put the ring on Maor’s finger and saying a few words as well. Tslil did the ring part and read a short passage from the Bible that she a connection with.
CHUPPAH
The option offered by the venue for an inside chuppah consisting of four poles and a covering stretched between them, but we loved it since we didn’t want something overly complicated, and chose four good friends to hold up the chuppah.
MUSIC FOR THE CEREMONY
We were driving in our car and talking about what song wanted for the grand entrance, so there were apparently no doubts on the subject. But as we were talking, a totally different song by the band, OMNIA, came on and Tslili said, “Maybe this is this song?” And it was! It is a really unique song, and people really got into it even though they didn’t know it.
OUR FABULOUS PHOTOGRAPHER
Maor himself has worked in weddings for many years as a videographer, and he knows a few photographers whom he respects. Maor is really a perfectionist in everything relating to photography and video, so it was important for him not to comprise on the quality and to work with people who don’t over direct–just let the event unfold without interfering. We knew that this was Barak’s style all the way. In addition, we brought another photographer friend for the night shift as an extra set of eyes. We were really happy with the outcome, and the photographer and videographers were an integral and not interfering part of the event!
AN AMAZING DJ
Ilay Golan, our DJ, is one of the most successful DJs in the North. We got to know his work through the parties we would go to when we lived there, and after exchanging just a few words we knew it was a done deal. He made the party really special, and everyone at the wedding really enjoyed themselves. Lots of people commented on how great it was to be at a wedding where you hear something different. Although this type of music was new for most people, Ilay took care to not push the audience too far. After all, not everyone comes from the heavy rock and metal scene that we know and love, and we think he surprised people with just how fun this music can be. Even though not everything went as planned (probably to be expected at any wedding), Ilay navigated the ups and downs and changes effortlessly and created an excellent party until the last guest went home.
A WONDERFUL GUITAR PLAYER
We have another friend, Yohai Portal, who plays guitar professionally, and he offered his services right away when he heard we were getting married. We were so happy that he took part in our wedding, and the guests really enjoyed his performance!
ADVICE TO OTHER BRIDES
Our number 1 pearl of wisdom is only to work with vendors you would want to sit down and have a cup of coffee with. It is really important that vendors see you and your needs first and that they aren’t agenda-pushers, even if you change your mind at the last minute. It’s your wedding, after all! It was so important for us to feel that we were in good hands, that people could manage the event, and that they would be able to handle the unexpected so that we could be free to enjoy ourselves. Your wedding is such a special day that goes by so fast, so be present and to make it great!
TSLIL + MAOR’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Barak Aharon
Venue – Bikta B’Yaar
Bride’s dress – WHITE Studio
Groom’s attire – Zara
DJ – Ilay Golan
Guitar – Yohai Portal
> VIEW MORE REAL JEWISH WEDDINGS ON SMASHING THE GLASS
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