jerusalem | One would think the actual marriage is more important than the wedding ceremony — but go tell that to the happy couple. With the wedding season in full bloom, it seems that the older the institution gets, the more inventive today’s brides and grooms become.
Take, for example, the couples who decide to take the plunge in a Jacuzzi. Several Israeli wedding halls have opted to upgrade their facilities especially for those who want to make a splash.
According to the manager of one such hall, the current fashion is for what is called — in Hebrew-accented English — an “after-party,” when 40 or 50 of the couple’s best friends stay on after the older folk retire at midnight, and carry on the celebrations to the wee hours of the morning. One hall offers four Jacuzzis and two massive beds — not for what you think: The beds are for parties, which include a massage.
And there’s more. Several couples getting married this summer with the help of events organizers Li Kal have raised their eyes to the skies for inspiration and hired a helicopter that can spray the guests after the chuppah with anything from petals and marshmallows to hats. “Nothing too heavy,” says veteran organizer Cora Schwartz.
The number of guests varies: Many couples opt for 350 to 400 people, while others honor just 50 to 150, but small does not necessarily mean low-budget.
Wedding organizer Tali Sabag, who deals with up-market nuptials, says an event in a private home or in small premises for 100 people can easily cost $5,000.
Other trends that would make the more conservative blanch: Forget the DJ. The latest thing is the VJ, who projects a video on the wedding hall walls of the couple’s trip to Thailand or some other prenuptial memory. Currently preferred seating arrangements are around large oval tables reminiscent of the round tables of the knights of yore. The celebrants seat all the singles around these meeting places and hope for the best.
The cuisine is at once traditional and modern — hummus, tehina and other Mediterranean dishes alongside more designer dishes.
The drinks are also traditional — traditionally Irish, that is. There is a fashion to establish a mock Irish bar at the wedding and to stock it with different brands of whiskey.
But some things never change. Well, almost never. Brides still prefer white dresses that make them look like princesses, but nowadays a change of clothes between ceremony, reception and meal is growing fashionable.
In fact, in today’s non-Orthodox weddings, almost anything goes. The main thing is that the bride and groom don’t come untied while tying the knot.