For many couples living abroad, getting married in Israel is simply a dream come true. Apart from the religious roots and the deep traditional connection that some couples may have or feel, there is just something magical about our small country that draws many people from all over the world to leave the comfort of planning a wedding and getting married at their home country and come to tie the knot in Israel. Furthermore, the journey of your wedding in Israel starts way before you physically arrive to the country, in fact it involves so many details and preparations that it is almost impossible to do so without an experienced event planning team or person: from planning all of the pre-wedding parties such as Shabat Hatan or Haina, taking care of accommodation for you and your guests, choosing a venue on all its hitches, defining a concept that suits the location, the weather and the couple's wishes, booking flights and many more operative tasks. When you decide to hire the services of an event planner, all of these tasks come off your back and you can really focus on the fun and more exciting parts of the wedding planning such as choosing your dream dress or deciding on the ceremony's look and feel.

As a wedding blog in Israel which works with the best professionals in the business, we understand the need of having trustworthy experts to work with, and therefore the link to R&S Eventime was only natural due to their vast experience and connections, their pleasant and warm approach and their endless ideas and proposals. The girls behind the production team of R&S are Ravit, who was born and bred in Israel and has built strong relationships with key players in the wedding industry and Sophie, a French and Israeli lawyer who adopted the city of Tel Aviv a few years ago and has learned about the hippest corners and local scene. Their pairing creates a perfect team that knows how to balance both cultural aspects and eventually create a memorable event for their couples.

Most of Ravit & Sophie's events are thrown for couples living abroad and they are familiar with all the cultural codes that are part of planning a custom made wedding party in Israel from A to Z. In order to get a better insight of the specifics and needs of what it takes to plan a dream wedding in Israel, we turned to the R&S team for some helpful and insightful tips:

First and most importantly choose a planner that you have a good chemistry with, someone who would make you feel secured and that everything is under control, after all they will be in contact not just with you, but with the rest of your closest friends and family.

Understanding the mentality differences between Israelis and people from abroad is crucial when it comes to planning a wedding here, and therefore having a professional that will close the final deals and that will go over your contracts in your own language is fundamental.

Having a prepared lineup for the events leading up to the wedding day is very important not only for your guests to feel welcomed, but also to have a full Israeli experience that is beyond the event, for example having a weekly plan that includes restaurants for each night, a spa, trips around the city or country, shopping sprees and more.

Arrive at least one week before the wedding date as you will probably have other wedding related events as mentioned above. It's also a good opportunity to enjoy the weather, the beach, the Tel Aviv scene and to absorb the atmosphere - these are the rare moments that you will remember for a lifetime.

Keep an open mind during the process when it comes to out of the box ideas and concepts. In addition, be prepared to some 'last minute' changes, however with the right professionals, these changes will be significantly reduced as they will orchestrate the big picture with the budget in mind.

There is no doubt that choosing Israel as your wedding destination can be dream come true on one hand but may also become a complex operation if not handled by the right people, and therefore choosing a professional team that will execute your vision in the best and most comforting way will not only save you time but also money and a lot of planning that you may not even have thought of.

Photo by Liron Erel, Design by Mint Design