Lena & Asaf

I love seeing traditions come through on wedding days- Lena and Asaf celebrated their modern Jewish wedding (captured by Vanilla Images) by paying homage to the traditions that mean to something to them both, allowing friends and family to witness an traditional Jewish ceremony and then celebrated at a modern Melbourne venue.

Lena tells the story how they they met, and of how Asaf proposed! “Asaf and I met when he was 20 and I was 18. Asaf had just returned from a backpacking trip and I had recently broken up with my high school sweetheart of 3 years. We met through mutual friends at a bar in Greville St, Prahran. I was fascinated with his stories from overseas and he fell for my bubbly personality. We saw each other several times with other friends over the next couple of months before we started dating.

We had been dating for 7 years and both agreed that we were ready to progress to the next level in our relationship. We went looking for engagement rings and found a few that I liked. Two days later I flew to Sydney for a work conference and induction for a new job. Meanwhile, Asaf organised with my new boss to surprise me in Sydney. I was waiting at the airport ready to depart when a limo driver came with my name on a board and urged me to follow him. I was reluctant at first and had no idea what was going on, and it was only when my boss told me to go with the driver that I followed. Asaf was waiting in the limo with the ring in his hand when he asked me to marry him.”

The groom and groomsmen wore suits from Godwin Charli.

Gwendolynne dressed the bride, Lena choosing a gorgeous taupe, beaded gown.

Lena and Asaf chose The University of Melbourne, Old Quad for their ceremony, Lena telling, ” It is a stunning example of classical architecture and the photos were perfect. The groom’s sister surprised us with giant foam letter cut-outs Lena loves Asaf that were placed on the entrance steps to the University of Melbourne.”

For the processional, Lena remembers, “We chose a traditional Hebrew song, played by a guitarist.”

The couple held a traditional Jewish ceremony which Lena loved, she tells, “It was wonderful being able to celebrate a traditional Jewish wedding with friends and family who have never experienced anything similar – The dancing and energy that lasted all through the night.”

Of their photographer, Lena tells, “Our photographer was Karen Pike from Vanilla Images. She came recommended to us by a friend, and we couldn’t have been happier. Karen was able to capture our wedding without the photos looking overly posed or unnatural.”

Lena’s bridesmaids wore dresses in pale blue coral and cream from Willow. The bouquets and floral arrangements for the day were styled by Flowers From Ganeden 03 9527 2645.

“After the ceremony we decided on the Fitzroy Gardens for a second round of photos. The gardens provided an excellent green backdrop to the stark city skyline.”

Lena and Asaf chose modern venue Luminare for their wedding reception, Lena telling ,”Our reception was held in Luminare, South Melbourne. Quietly tucked away above the Spotlight building, the entrance alley way and goods lift do nothing to prepare you for the stunning view that greets you as you arrive on the top floor. With expansive city views and an elegant finish, the venue was simply perfect.”

Lena and Asaf kept their DIY simple and “Sweet”, Lena remembering, “We created a lolly table for the reception with jars and lollies purchased from various Melbourne suppliers. We had some chocolate bars wrapped in a covering that matched the theme from our invitations. We had some friends build and program a fully functional photo/video booth.”

The Big Group catered the reception and looked after the styling of the reception, Lena remarking, “The staff from The Big Group on the night made all the difference. Professional in every way, cool, calm and collected under pressure.”

Lena made sure there was plenty of dancing, including a dance with her mother (one of her highlights). For the first dance, she remembers, “Our first dance was to Fatboy Slim – It’s a Wonderful Night. We took about six dance lessons from a family friend, whose creativity and choreography made the dance a fun and memorable moment.”

Congratulations on your marriage Lena and Asaf! Thank you for sharing your day with us! Thank you also to Vanilla Images for sharing today’s wedding with us!