FAQs

Question

So... Israel, huh? Is it safe there?

Answer

Short answer: Yes Long answer: Our wedding is being held in Jaffa, an Israeli-Arab beach town adjacent to Tel Aviv that is considered part of the same municipality. Tel-Aviv-Jaffa is the liberal center of Israel, in the center of the country, and far from the high-conflict areas. We are excited to share our upbringing with our friends from abroad in a setting of co-existence, hope and peace. While we don't anticipate any threats, the venue (like most in Israel) is equipped with a shelter and is secure. Safey of our guests and friends is a top priority for us.

Question

Are Israeli weddings just one day?

Answer

Yes, Israeli weddings are traditionally one evening long. We are starting ours in the early afternoon on Friday - to allow for a longer event including a welcome reception, a traditional Huppah, a full dinner, and a fun party until late at night. We are excited to have some friends coming from afar so we've added a special welcome event on Thursdsay night - to enjoy sunset together with a welcome drink, a day before our special reunion.

Question

Will you plan some trips in Israel around the wedding?

Answer

While we don't plan to guide trips around the country ourselves, we highly recommend, especially to those new to the region, frequenting magical spots like the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, and others. We have set our wedding the weekend after Memorial Day in the USA especially for our US-based friends to get to Israel early, enjoy the week (Saturday-Wednesday) touring around the country, join us for welcome drinks & enjoy the vibrant Thursday night in Tel Aviv on Thursday, attend all the events on Friday, and then use Saturday-Sunday to recover, enjoy more of Tel Aviv and Jaffa and head back. You can find some suggested spots here on the Travel page, and we're happy to help you connect with local guides. Whether it's history, religious tours, visit to sites of current events, or natural beauty - Israel is condensed and everything is within a short driving distance. Just let us know how we can help!

Question

Wait, a Friday night wedding? What about Shabbat?

Answer

Great question! Observant Jews usually keep Shabbat - which means no electricity/music and shananigans between sunset on Friday and sunset on Saturday. Our wedding is Jewish-Liberal; The reception and the ceremony will be held leading to the sunset hours and should conclude before Shabbat enters, while the dinner and party are to be carried into the Shabbat. The food will not all be kosher - but most of the dishes will be "kosher style" and vegetarian/Vegan options will be offered. For those looking for strictly kosher food - please kindly let us know and we will take care of it as we want all our guests to feel welcome (and full). For those keeping Shabbat and wanting to join us just for the early part of the welcome reception and ceremony, you're more than welcome to do so!

Question

Reception appears to be at 3:30pm - is that "American" 3:30 or "Israeli" 3:30?

Answer

Good question! As we have some religious guests, the main objective is to make sure our Huppa service starts at 5:30pm sharp to allow them to still participate before Shabbat; As such, the actual service will start strictly at 5:30pm. The venue will be open at 3:30pm, when the family pictures will also be taken, and we expect guests to arrive closer to 4pm to enjoy 90 minutes of reception prior to the ceremony. So: It's Israeli 3:30pm, ahead of an American, strict start for the ceremony at 5:30pm

Question

Will the service be conducted in Hebrew or English?

Answer

The Huppah ceremony will be conducted in Hebrew. Our many bilingual friends would be honored and happy to translate it for you and ensure you understand everything.

Question

Will there be an after party?

Answer

The Wedding day events will end around 11pm-midninght on Friday - and we might head out in Jaffa for another post-wedding drink or encourage our guests to enjoy the amazing nightlife scene of Tel Aviv that is very active on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (...and every other day too). so: Don't count on us necessarily, but do count on the city of Tel Aviv to give you its special "life's too short to NOT party 24/7" vibes :)

Question

We have children and they love to party, can we bring them alone?

Answer

We love your children too! With that said, our wedding is designed as a small wedding that is transitioning into a big party - so we'd love for you to stay with us and leave the little ones safe at home; If there's any specific situation - talk to us and we'd love to find a solution together! <3

Question

Do we need to get a hotel in Jaffa or is it OK to stay in Tel Aviv

Answer

Tel-Aviv-Jaffa is now considered one city - with Jaffa being a charming, authentic symbol of co-existence just south of the city madness. While mid-week transportation in Tel Aviv might be a hassle, Friday has much less traffic and a taxi ride from your Tel Aviv to the venue should not exceed 15-20m and in many cases - much shorter. Please note that bus and train schedules are very (very) limited on Friday after ~3pm due to Shabbat - we recommend using Moovit App to get up-to-date information on public transportation and use Gett taxi app for taxi hailing. We have also arranged parking spaces for our guests at the Flea Market Parking Lot right by the venue, for those of you renting a car. With that said, Jaffa offers some amazing, charming hotels in a historical setting - just a short walk from the venue after hours of open bar and open hearts.

Question

What's that Shabbat Hatan(im) event the weekend prior to the wedding?

Answer

It is customary in Jewish tradition for a groom to visit the synagogue the Shabbat before his wedding, to read the torah, obtain a blessing from the Rabbi and congregation... and be showered with toffee candy as they do so. We are proud to be the first (!) two-grooms to perform this customary thing together, hand in hand, in the biggest reofrm shul in Tel Aviv. This is a small gathering, as part of their usual Shabbat service on Friday night, which we will be joining with our close families, followed by a Kiddish (blessing of the Challah and wine) in the shul lobby. While this is not part of the wedding weekend - if you're already in town and want to experience this tradition with us - we'd love to have you!

Question

Is the welcome event part of the wedding? is this like a rehearsal dinner?

Answer

Israeli weddings are chill and informal - and so there is no rehearsal dinner, and the main wedding event is just a one-day ordeal; We know that some of our guests are traveling from far away and we want to show them the beauty of Tel Aviv especially on Thursday which is a popular "going out" night - and so we reserved part of the balcony of one of the leading bars in our favorite going-out street in the city to welcome our out-of-towners with a drink and a nosh, and set you up well for a fun night in town.

Question

Is there public transportation in Israel on the weekend? Can I use tap-to-ride technology?

Answer

Short answer: Yes, but... Israel's full transportation system halts on Friday afternoon and renews late Saturday night; Liberal towns, including Tel Aviv, operate free shuttle system of "weekend busses" between major attractions and centers. We recommend utilizing Moovit app to find out available routes and times. In non-weekend days, you can also use the app to scan a barcode and pay, with Tap-to-ride still not activated in the start-up nation, strangely.