A wedding in Israel with guests flying in brings two families and two friend groups together who may never have met, in a country half of them are visiting for the first time. On the wedding day there is no time for introductions. A welcome party a couple of days earlier solves that, and it gives the people who took a long flight a proper first night.
The wedding itself happens at its own venue. Ezra does not host weddings, ceremonies or a chuppah. Ezra hosts the welcome party in the days before.
The rehearsal dinner, and how it maps here
The custom abroad
In the US, the rehearsal dinner is a dinner the night before the wedding for the wedding party and close family, often hosted by the groom's parents. In the UK and elsewhere, a welcome drinks evening for out-of-town guests plays a similar role.
What changes in Israel
Israeli weddings rarely have a rehearsal, and many guests from abroad will be the ones who need welcoming. So the evening tends to become a welcome party for everyone travelling, plus both families, rather than a small dinner for the wedding party.
Who hosts
Either set of parents, both together, or the couple. Decide early, because it decides the guest list and who gives the welcome.
Timing: 2 days before, not the night before
Why not the night before
The couple needs an early night, the families have last-minute errands, and nobody wants to arrive at the wedding tired. A party the night before also tends to run late.
Why 2 days before works
Most overseas guests have landed by then and slept off the first night. There is a full day of rest between the party and the wedding.
Watch for Shabbat
If the wedding is on a Sunday, 2 days before is Friday. A Friday noon party, shishi tzohorayim, from 12:00 or 13:00 to 17:00 is a real party slot in Israel and ends before Shabbat. If the wedding is on a Thursday, a Tuesday evening works.
A schedule for 3 to 4 hours
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 19:30 | Guests arrive, drinks and food from the start |
| 20:15 | Welcome from both families, 2 to 3 minutes each |
| 20:25 | Slideshow of the couple, about 4 minutes |
| 20:30 | The survival toast, then the couple speaks |
| 20:45 | Mingling, music up |
| 23:00 | Close, everyone heads home with a day to rest |
6 ideas for the welcome party
1. A short welcome from both families
One parent from each side, 2 to 3 minutes each, on the microphone. Say who you are, where you came from, and how glad you are the other family is here. Most guests remember this more than any speech at the wedding.
2. A "how to survive an Israeli wedding" toast
An Israeli friend explains, with affection, what overseas guests should expect: guests often arrive later than the time on the invitation, the dancing is loud and long, and the food keeps coming. Two to three minutes, and the visitors walk into the wedding prepared.
3. A slideshow of the couple
40 to 60 photos on the projector, 5 seconds each: childhood on both sides, then how they met, then the two of them together. Collect photos from both families 3 weeks before.
4. Name tags that say where people are from
A first name, a city, and which side. Two friend groups from two countries find each other fast when they can see it.
5. A playlist from both sides
Each family sends 10 songs. Alternate them, and save the Israeli dancing songs for the wedding itself.
6. A table for the guests flying in
A small table with a printed sheet for the wedding day: when to leave, how long the drive takes, what to wear, and a phone number for the person who answers questions.
What to send ahead
- The slideshow file, a week before
- Both families' playlists
- The order of the welcome and toasts
- The final headcount, a few days before
- Name tags, printed
- The wedding-day info sheet for overseas guests
- A laptop with the files as a backup
Ezra for a pre-wedding welcome party
The welcome party, not the wedding
Ezra is a private event space in Tel Aviv that hosts the evening before, not the wedding or the ceremony. One group per event, the whole place closed for your guests.
Most groups 20 to 50 guests, up to 60
Enough room for both families, both friend groups and everyone flying in, in a standing cocktail format or a mix of seated and standing.
Projector, fold-out screen and two microphones
The slideshow and the welcomes run on the room's projector, fold-out screen and two microphones. The PA has two main speakers, a subwoofer, four monitors and a mixer.
A dairy-vegetarian menu and a bar
A sharing menu from the taboon oven with no meat, fish or seafood, and a bar with cocktails, wine and beer. Ezra has no kashrut certificate, so tell kosher-keeping guests early.
Planned in English
The team answers in English, the plan works over WhatsApp from abroad, and a proposal arrives within 24 hours. The format sits close to an engagement party at Ezra, and if the engagement party is still ahead of you, read the guide to an engagement party with family abroad.
The bottom line
For a wedding in Israel with guests flying in, hold a welcome party 2 days before the wedding, not the night before. Keep it to 3 to 4 hours, standing, for both families and both friend groups. A welcome from each family, a slideshow of the couple and a toast on surviving an Israeli wedding do most of the work. The wedding happens at its own venue; the welcome party is where everyone meets first.
A welcome party before the wedding, for 20 to 50 guests
Projector for the slideshow, two microphones for the welcomes, food and a bar, and a team that plans with you in English. A proposal within 24 hours.
See engagement and pre-wedding parties Ask on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
Does Ezra host weddings?
No. Ezra does not host weddings, ceremonies or a chuppah. Ezra hosts the welcome party or welcome drinks in the days before a wedding, for guests flying in and both families.
When should a pre-wedding welcome party be?
2 days before the wedding, not the night before. Most overseas guests have landed and rested, and there is a full day of rest before the wedding.
Do Israeli weddings have a rehearsal dinner?
Rarely. Israeli weddings seldom have a rehearsal, so couples with guests from abroad usually hold a welcome party for everyone travelling and both families instead.
How long should a wedding welcome party last?
3 to 4 hours, for example 19:30 to 23:00. Long enough for both families to meet, short enough that nobody is tired for the wedding.
What do you say at a wedding welcome party?
One parent from each family speaks for 2 to 3 minutes, then a friend gives a short toast on what to expect at an Israeli wedding, then the couple says a few words.