Do It Yourself (DIY): Justification for not hiring a wedding planner

Many Israeli’s will say that you don’t need a wedding planner.  Which is sound advice if you:

1. Speak Hebrew
2. Have a Mother nearby
3. Have ample amounts of time.

If none of the above suit you, and you are having out of town guests flying in, then it couldn’t hurt, for the sake of your sanity to hire someone.  But for the sake, of this post – I am going to convince you NOT to hire a wedding planner.  The next post, will convince you to hire one, so you can choose.

The reason you can get away with no planner, is because many halls have a producer who will work with you to coordinate all the vendors on your wedding day.  The professional level of these producers can vary, so it’s important to try to find someone who was married in the same hall to find out the pros and cons.   For instance, at The Avenue, everything is done in house; you just bring a band/dj and the stylist.  Other than that, they take care of the rest.  But not all venues run this way or at this high of a level of professionalism.  Be Inquisitive and Ask Around!  

In addition to the producers who come with the hall, many caterers have an additional charge for a catering manager who will be in charge of your event.  This manager will coordinate with the producer to make sure that the hall can accommodate your caterers needs.

If a wedding planner is not in your budget, or you have the time and energy to go for it on your own, make sure that the night of the wedding there is someone…whether it’s a friend, a friend of a friend, or a removed family member…who is calling the shots and making sure that everything is running smoothly.  You do not want your parents worrying that Table 2 got their steaks, or that Mr. Cohen doesn’t have a seating card.  Your and your parents should be free to dance and enjoy.

Finally, if you decide to go at it on your own.  ASK FOR HELP!

Accommodation: Eli from Jerusalem’s First class can help your find good room rates in Hotels.  He speaks English and is great to work with.  Don’t try to call each hotel.  By the time you speak to reservations, get transferred to special events and then transferred back to a reservation specialist – you will understand that this is the best way to go.  His charge is built into the rate he will give you – which will be better than anything you can find yourself.  Eli; +972.50.766.3388 office@jerusalem1stclass.com

Gift Bags: Ask a few friends!  If you want to create fun gift bags for your guests to receive upon arrival, ask a friend to help.  Go shopping together, find amazing items, give her cash and ask her to organize the amount of bags you need.  Don’t drive yourself crazy and don’t try to do it all!  These gift bags take a ton of time, and it is must more fun for your friends than for you!

One more time, if you choose not to hire a planner – ask for help…if not…

 

‘Tis the season(al weather)

Despite the fact that most foreigners assume that Israel is a sweltering desert all year round.  There are many weather considerations before you book your venue.

Tel Aviv/Central Israel

Tel Aviv is definitely hot, and it is a great city for a wedding because your guests can relax and vacation the days before and after your event.  There is tons to do and see and enjoy, plus plenty of venues up and down the coast.

From May until September you can assume that your guests will not need an umbrella.  While the nights in May and September might cool down and a scarf might be necessary, no one is going to freeze and it is unlikely you will need a hall to keep out the cold.

From June until August, you might want to remind the male guests to bring a change of clothes – Israeli weddings are known to be a sweaty event.  Many people choose to use a hall in the peak summer months, in order to provide guests with an ample amount of AC.  The choice is yours.

October & April are two months that can either be wet and cold or 100 degrees and sunny.  Usually, it is on the warm side, but there can be unexpected rain that may be worth considering.

Finally November – March is central Israel’s mysterious winter.  Days can be warm and sunny, and crisp at night, or there can be monsoon sized downpours…make sure you have an indoor options.  Odds are your weather will be great, but you don’t want to get left out in the rain!

Jerusalem/Jerusalem Hills

Jerusalem is a likely wedding destination due to the holiness of the ancient city and abundance of wedding venues.  The summers can provide the perfect cool nights for an outdoor wedding, but the winters can become uncomfortably cold – so despite the view, you might want to stay indoors.

May – September is warm.  The nights are cool and the days are hot.  But it is unlikely that rain or cold will ruin an outdoor wedding.  This is by far the best time to get married in Jerusalem.

October & April can be fickle.  The end of October and Beginning of April are risky for an only outdoor option.  I would recommend having an indoor option in case you experience the first or last rain of the season or the sporadic cold nights.

November – May.  While in Tel Aviv these months can go both ways, in Jerusalem it is likely to be past the point of an outdoor affair.  Keep in mind that trying to add a tent to an outdoor venue could ruin the entire feel of the venue (ex. Har Zion Hotel).  The hotels in Jerusalem offer great service for around 300 people, and venues such as Kedma and Maale Hamisha will ensure your guests can enjoy an outdoor Chuppah if the weather permits, but with an indoor option in case it’s your lucky rainy day.

Checking the weather

While weather.com might provide you with weather information for the major cities.  Check out Weather it Is for temperatures in all Israeli cities leading up to the wedding

To Register or Not to Register?

For those of you living in America, clearly you will have a registry overflowing with sensible cuisinarts and an abundance of crystal….but what about those living in Israel?

Israeli’s like to give and receive money.  Checks and Cash are the most and only appropriate gift (a separate post on how much to give will follow).  But for the those of us who come from countries with bridal showers and bridal registries, you know that your guests want to give you a gift…so what are the options?

This is what I did…

I registered first in the US at Bloomingdales for items that are light weight and travel easily or are only found in America.  For example: Towels, Linens, hard to find kitchen supplies and of course Michael Aram essential items.  I did not register for items such as pots and pans, silverware, dishware, china and crystal as I could not imagine the final price of overweight luggage!

This being said, my friend Tali had each guest fill a carry on with her pots and pans, and she has the most AMAZING kitchen.

Then, in Israel I registered at 4U Gifts for heavier items.The websites is not easy to navigate, but for breakable and heavy items, it seemed to be the best option.

A few notes:

1. Big registery place in the US require an appointment prior to arrival

2. Most Israeli registries will not be able to set up without you visiting the shop.

3. Your Israeli guest will probably not buy you items off your registry.

Shalom Brides and Grooms!

Welcome to Marrying an Israeli, a tell all blog for planning your wedding in Israel.  Whether you fell in love on birthright, fell in love during your gap year, or simply want to tie the knot in the holy land – this site will be an English site  for all things wedding in Israel.

There will be names, prices, exposes and real life stories of recent brides.

I will tell you what you can bargain on and what to let be.   How you can deal with your guests complaints regarding airfare, long flights and the inconvenience of your decision for everyone aside from yourself.