The November 6th wedding of Marina and Alex at the Jewish Center of Manhattan Beach may have seemed like an ordinary Orthodox wedding, but in truth was anything but that.

The two met in February of this year at a Shabbaton for Russian speaking Jews, an annual event jointly organized by Chamah Organization, Lubavitch Youth Organization, and Bris Avrohom. The 2011 Shabbaton, which attracted 700 people at various stages of observance, was an inspiring event permeated with warmth and emotion. Numerous guest lecturers from around the country shared their Divrei Torah and Chizuk; many of the attendants were moved to tears. A special performance by Avrohom Fried electrified the audience.

A few years prior, Marina, who lives in Staten Island, got involved with a local Jewish-Russian Learning Center, run by Rabbi Eli Kogan, while Alex, who resides in New Jersey, traveled to Israel to study in the Mayanot Yeshiva in Jerusalem and later attended Bris Avrohom. Judaism was continuously playing a more central role in their lives. It was at the Chamah Shabbaton that their indivdual paths crossed and since then became permanently intertwined.

Venue: Manhattan Beach Jewish Center
Catering: New York Kosher Caterers
Photography: Glatt & Art
Music: Rambam Orchestra

The wedding of Bluma Lazar, daughter of Rabbi Berel Lazar, Chief Rabbi of Russia, and Isaac Rosenfeld, son of Rabbi Yehoshua Rosenfeld – a shliach in Bogota, Colombia’s capital was an event that was significant beyond the family circles of the new couple. A wedding of such distinctly orthodox nature – a sea of black hats and kapotas, Jewish music and dance, and even government provided security, in Russia’s capital, which, being outside the Pale of Settlement, was a place basically off-limits to Jews until a little over one hundred years ago, would be unimaginable even twenty years ago.

The wedding celebrations were attended by almost two thousand guests from around the world – Russian dignitaries and oligarchs, such as Acting Chairman of the Federation Council Alexander Torshin, big-name philanthropists like George Rohr, Lev Leviev and Eduardo Elstein, hundreds of Chabad shluchim, and many others. Masterfully orchestrated by Fleischman Productions, a Kfar Chabad based event planning company, the wedding chuppah and reception was held in the Sokolniki Convention center. Music entertainment was provided by Israeli musician Yishai Lapidot and a French musician Yoni Shlomo.

Thanks to Israel Bardugo – a photographer whose camera has captured a wide variety of themes and numerous events around the world, we can share with you visual highlights from this unique simchah.

The dancing at Saadya and Mushky’s seems to have had a lot of flips and tabletop dancing – a leibebidig atmosphere.

Ordinarily, I would now tell you something about the chosson and the kallah and their wedding day, but instead I’ll share with you Shira’s words and her impressions from the wedding shoot:

On the day of  Mushky and Saadya’s wedding, I awoke with a smile on my face.  Three years ago, I shot Mimi’s (Saadya’s sister) wedding, so I was already familiar with a large part of the family and was very anxious to see everyone again.  I had also met Saadya three months before at Shloimy and Marcy’s wedding (again a referral thanks to Mimi).

Saadya travels all over the world as a Chabad Rabbi to places far afield like  Cambodia and Nepal.  On the wedding day, he had just returned from Israel, where he was taking part in Taglit (Birthright),  a program that sponsors trips for young Jewish people from all over to visit Israel.   He was so enthusiastic about Israel and I felt great joy to see how much love he holds towards my people and country.   It was also so much fun to talk to him in Hebrew (I was so impressed by his fluent Hebrew.)  Saadya is one of the rabbis of the  Chabad-Lubavitch community, and as such, the wedding took place in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the official headquarters of the Chabad movement worldwide.

I heard a Rabbi once half-jokingly declare that one should never marry for love.  Of course, we all marry for love, but what he meant was that we should not marry for the type of  love or infatuation that is at its height at the wedding day.  We should marry instead for the type of love that will build over the years, and so on the wedding day, it will be in fact at its starting point.   I was reminded of this because   Saadya met Mushy only three months before the wedding,  after Mushky’s roommate introduced them .  Of course, their love for each-other was clear and abiding, but at the same time I could see that it will be a love that will deepen with each passing day as they build their lives and families together. It is that innocence and purity that I found undeniably inspiring- that need to capture not only what lay before my lens, but also a hint of the depths that will be.

To see more of Shira Weinbereger’s photographs, do check out her blog.

Wedding Details:

Venue: Razag Ballroom
Flowers: Mimulo
Music: Nagila Orchestra with Eli Marcus.
Make Up: Susan Horowitz
Hair: Daniela Chayo
Dress: Custom made in Italy
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Groom’s Attire: AM Bespoke

Kimber & Mitch from Famedia / Daniel Jankovic on Vimeo.

Enjoy this wedding trailer by Daniel Jancovic of Famedia.
Event planning and design by Under The Chuppah.
Venue: Nessah Synagogue, Beverly Hills, CA.

Tony also took the newlyweds for a romantic outdoor photo-session about 2 weeks after they tied the knot, and we were privy to some of the images from that session. Here’s a small preview.

We dated in New York, and finally took the big plunge and got engaged in January. The next big thing was setting a wedding date. Here’s where another plus, in my opinion, comes in. Since I live out of town, there are only a few (try one or two) kosher wedding halls available, making my choices far easier. I simply called one up, found out that they would be available for X dates, and then spoke to all who were concerned. This included the rabbaim who would be coming in for the event, the parents on both sides, and of course, my then chassan. After about a week of deliberation, we set the date for Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the first day of the Jewish month of Nissan.

Getting married on Rosh Chodesh usually has many pluses to it. First of all, getting married on the first day of the month is a good omen–for a full and complete marriage, and a new beginning. Secondly, usually an Orthodox Jew who gets married on the first of the month does not have to fast prior to their wedding date. This applies for all months, except… you guessed it! Nissan. Why? Because that day was the day when the Mishkan (Tabernacle) was finally inaugurated, and on that day, the High Priest’s, Aharon, two sons Nadav and Avihu, brought a forbidden offering, and were killed. So, on that specific Rosh Chodesh, those who are getting married still fast.  Rosh Chodesh Nissan is also an auspicious day to get married, for there are those that say that that might have been the birthday of the world.

Out of town preparations for a wedding also constitute major pluses. There are a limited amount of choices, and this makes it rather easy. I got engaged at the end of a semester in college, making me available in my home town for ten days to get things organized. And so I did. I started ordering a shaitel, decided on a menu for the hall, booked a photographer, arranged the flowers and chupah, and set up a videographer. However, the minus to living out of town was that it was a lot harder to find a wedding dress there. So I elected to do that type of thing in New York.

I ended up renting my wedding dress from a rental place in Boro Park, due to the simple fact that I fell in love with it. My second shaitel came from a phenomenal shaitel macher there as well, and this became the shaitel that I would end up wearing to my own wedding.

For you see, there are those who say that since a Orthodox Jewish woman covers her hair after marriage, after the wedding ceremony takes place, one is considered to be married. And therefore, following that train of logic, the bride’s hair should be covered after the ceremony. Now, like any other bride, I was hesitant about that idea, since I loved my hair, and couldn’t picture wearing a wig on my most special of days, even if my chassan did ask me to. But the more I looked into it, and discussed it with my Rebbitzen, the more I came to the conclusion that I would wear a wig. I wore it throughout the pictures, and if I do say so myself, it looked stunning. Most people at the wedding did not know I was wearing one at all!

So, I got my happy ending, and a fabulous wedding, even if it was geographically undesirable!

Wishing you and all the rest of Klal Yisroel the same- happiness, joy, and all the blessings in the world!

NMF #7

NMF #7 is a newlywed, living in Israel, writing about her experiences there as an Orthodox Jewish girl. You can find her writings and perspectives about Israel, married life, and the world at large at her blog: Israel Chronicles.