Romantic Jewish Wedding

A Grace Loves Lace Bride for a Laid-Back Garden Jewish Wedding at Holly Farm in Carmel

Martina shares, “The spirit of our Jewish wedding was all about togetherness. We have an incredible love story that spans over a decade – we wanted our guests to get caught up in it and become a part of our story. We kept it light and fun and full of good humor and romance. Of course it didn’t hurt that we were surrounded by gorgeous flowers and scenery. It was impossible not to feel like something really special was happening.”

“Rob once gave me a necklace with a pineapple on it and the pineapple quickly became a symbol the two of us loved. When we started to plan our Havana Nights-themed rehearsal dinner we learned that the pineapple symbolizes warmth, welcome and friendship – things that most of us appreciate in a home and would want to experience as a guest at a wedding. The fruit is a symbol of welcome so naturally we displayed them as the centerpiece on every farm table.”

“I’m not actually the wedding dress type. I didn’t grow up thinking about what my wedding dress would be and, in fact, after Rob proposed I told him I wanted to wear a white jumpsuit, a “onesie” I called it. If nothing else, that comment was the spark for our first real argument. Fast forward a few months, I hated every dress I was looking at online. I refused to try any on in stores and I was actually beginning to think that my “onesie” dream might actually come true.

Then I discovered Grace Loves Lace. I liked the look of their designs, they felt very natural and true to me. I stumbled across what would become my dress on the site and it actually made me pause. I reached out to the GLL team and discovered it was a limited edition and that they only had one left, in stock sizing. I’m a firm believer in ‘going with your gut’ and in that moment my gut was screaming for me to buy it. So I did. I took a risk. And that was that.

If I had to describe the style of my dress I would say it’s half ethereal and half bohemian. A perfect complement to our venue and vibe.”

“We were lucky to find a venue so lush with greenery and flowers. The place is covered in tropical plants and orchids, which were Rob’s mother’s favorite flower. She passed away a few years ago but her spirit was there with us throughout the property. ”

“I’ve thought a lot about what made that day so special. Two things stand out to me that I think are worthy of sharing.

The first was that the ceremony started without me, the bride. There was a very chaotic few minutes when my bridesmaids and I heard the ceremony music start and then saw one of the property managers sprinting up a hill to come get us and bring us to where the ceremony was already taking place. I was too stunned to be upset and I can only imagine what the five of us looked like as we snatched up our bouquets and ran down that hill. Needless to say we made it – a little out of breath – but we made it.

The second was my big entrance. I had both of my parents walk me down the aisle. We rehearsed the day before and we were ready. The thing was, we had rehearsed without any of the chairs set up so the aisle was a lot more narrow than we had planned for. I didn’t have a long or fussy train but with three people walking arms-linked, the margin for error was high. My dad stepped on the back of my dress. Then he did it again. And again. The aisle got to a point that was so narrow that he eventually had to pick up my dress to make room for his feet. At some point I yelled out ‘We’re going to make it!’ Everybody laughed. A lot of brides would have been devastated by this but I thought it was hysterical. And so us!”

 

“As I look back on these moments I realize how lucky Rob and I were to be surrounded by so many people who love and support us. People who laugh with us in the funny moments and who cry with us in the not so funny moments. People who rally together no matter the circumstance and with no questions asked. I could feel them in these moments and I think Rob could too. The ceremony faux pas became some of the best and most talked-about moments over the course of the weekend and I could not be happier about it. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.”

 

Photography – One Love Photography
Venue –  Holly Farm
Bride’s dress and shoes – Grace Loves Lace
Groom’s attire – Todd Snyder
Hair + Makeup – Katrina Michelle Christensen
Flowers – Laughin’ Gal Floral
Cake – Buttercup Cakes & Farmhouse Frosting
Caterer – La Creme Catering
Ketubah – CaliKetubah
Jewelry – Michael Herman NY
Stationery – Things I Drew
Honeymoon – organised by Discovery 7 Travel