Jewish Wedding in Sitges: Interview with our Bride

Right from the moment when Leah and her bride squad came to visit to see us and see the venue we knew that their wedding would be special. Leah was very clear about what she wanted; A non-traditional Jewish Wedding. She loved romantic, elegant styling with simple greenery and lush white blooms, but most of all she wanted fun and memories that would be cherished for ever. 

To this day (8 months after the wedding) I still class Leah and her bridesmaids as true friends and keep in contact with them, simply because they were so much fun.

Although Leah was a Jewish American Bride with Jamaican Heritage and roots in Florida, we found we had a lot in common. Thanks to Leah we were able to learn about different Jewish wedding traditions and see how they can be adapted in different ways. It was important for us to listen carefully and not assume that everything would be 100% traditional. We even had our musicians, 22duo, sing in Hebrew for their ceremony!

The details

Traditionally all Jewish weddings take places under a Chuppah (a four legged structure which symbolises the home). Leah used her late grandmother’s tablecloth for the roof of the Chuppah. It looked beautiful and it was very special for everyone in the family to have their grandmother with them in spirit on the day.

We incorporated gold and marble into all of the table and seating chart details to add an elegant touch to this beautiful venue.

The interview

Today we are bringing you an interview with our Barcelona Bride, Leah, who also blogs for the biggest Jewish Wedding Blog, Smashing the Glass (if you haven’t checked it out you should, it’s full of inspiration for Jewish and Jew-ish weddings).

How did he propose?

During sunrise at the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Tell us a little about your wedding dress? What did you love most about it?

My dress was the Drafne by Pronovias. The moment I saw it, I knew it was the one and I hadn’t even tried it on yet! I loved the many layers of lace, the long sleeves that leant a more traditional aspect to the dress, yet the open back that was definitely more modern. I felt it really fit my personality. I also loved that my dress was made by Pronovias since they are based in Barcelona.

What is your favourite memory from your wedding?

There are so many that stick out in my mind but I’d say my favourite memory is our dinner. Looking out from our seats at the head table and seeing all of our friends and family, dressed to the nines, and gathered in a beautiful room thousands of miles away from home to celebrate us, made every bit of planning worthwhile. We also loved cava tour and rehearsal dinner (complete with paella, sangria, and a Spanish guitarist) the night before. It really set the tone for the day to follow and gave our guests an additional cultural experience.

Why did you chose Spain as you wedding destination?

At 14, I did a ‘study abroad’ in Spain and fell in love with the region and its people. I wanted our guests, who had never travelled before, to get out of their comfort zone and appreciate other cultures and hoped they would use our wedding as an excuse to travel more (most of them did)!

What inspired your Jewish wedding vision?

I’d say my taste is more classic and timeless. I tend not to care much about trends. The room for our reception dinner was beautiful and it was built in the 15th century. I wanted that to be the star of our wedding and didn’t want flowers to overwhelm it. I also wanted people to feel they could talk easily and I wanted to keep the flowers low for that reason. I also very much love white flowers and the smell of eucalyptus and I loved having that relaxing scent incorporated into our wedding.

What cultural aspects did you include in your big day?

We had a Jewish wedding and were married under a beautiful chuppah (designed by Lilart florists) which was covered with my grandmother’s tablecloth. We kept many traditional Jewish aspects such as the bride circling the groom 7 times, the reading of the 7 Jewish wedding blessings, and the breaking of the glass. One of my favourite moments was our yichud, where the new bride and groom spend a few moments in solitude right after the ceremony. It was the one time we were alone that day and it was truly special to sit and talk about how lucky we were to be sitting in Spain, with 63 members of our family and friends.

We also had the night broken up in a more Spanish style with dinner followed by dancing. American weddings tend to merge the two and we relished the idea of not rushing dinner and letting everyone truly relax and enjoy the time.

What is your advice for other couples?

Pick a good planner! I couldn’t have stayed sane without Becky sending me lists and keeping me on top of everything as we led up to the wedding day. It was also so nice not to have to stress about details on the day of as Becky had taken care of everything. I’d also say, don’t stress the small stuff. There are so many aspects of the wedding that only the bride, the groom, and the planner know about. If it doesn’t happen or go according to plan, most won’t know, so don’t stress ahead of time and let it ruin your day.

How about your wedding cake?

People still talk about meal and our cake as one of the best wedding dinners and cakes they’ve ever had! We chose flavours we love (chocolate for Zak and hazelnut for me) and the cake itself was so moist and delicious. I also don’t care much for fondant, so we skipped the “traditional wedding cake look” for something a little more simple and rustic like our venue. Sibarum did such an incredible job with the cake and the meal. Even our dinner was a departure from normal American weddings of chicken, steak or fish. We served goat and steak and so lots of people tried the goat since they had never had it before. It was a hit!

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