Selecting a wedding venue was an easy decision. Temple Emanu-El has always been a special place to me as I grew up attending Hebrew School and services there with my family. It is truly beautiful, with an awe-inspiring Sanctuary. Les Friedman, the owner, and Marty Maged, the general manager, went above and beyond to ensure our wedding was magical. For our tasting, they provided everything on the menu plus additional items they whipped up. They were always helpful, creative, and accommodating. I loved their flexibility with how things could be laid out, the different stations and bars, and how unique everything ended up. It was simple, straightforward, and went off without a hitch!
Coming from different levels of observance, we incorporated traditions from both our families into our wedding. Instead of a traditional Tisch and Bedeken, we had a mixed Tisch. Our closest family and friends joined together to sing Hebrew and English songs, including the Michigan fight song, sign the ketubah, witness the veiling ceremony, and dance ahead of the ceremony. At the ceremony, rather than circling Jon seven times, I circled him three, he circled me three, and we circled together once to show the equality in our relationship and the space for Judaism and family.
For cocktail hour, Les and Marty again went above and beyond. We had a caviar station, a south of the border station, a sushi bar, and one of my favorite passed hors d’oeuvres, the mini ceviche taco accompanied by a tequila shot served in a scooped-out lime. The weather was beautiful and we had a tent over the courtyard with the sides rolled up and a clear roof, so we could still be outside if it were raining. Later, for our after-party, we came back outside and the tent was transformed with lounge chairs and fire pits, all of which they provided!