I haven’t proposed yet but we discussed it and she will say yes. I am fortunate that my mother is giving us the basis for the ring by sacrificing the diamond from her engagement ring so we can make our ring.
Last night we booked the hall and chose the date. I spoke to a DJ that has done events for friends and we have booked him.
Now we need to get flowers, a photographer and videographer plus everything else we need. Oh and I need to propose once I have the ring.
The menu will be challenging because we have guests who keep kosher, vegetarians, kosher vegetarians (the bride), omnivores (the groom).
We have chosen the song for our first dance for now and are looking forward to our future together. We have many months to work on a playlist that will be acceptable to all.
Thanks for all the comments and moving to the right forum.
I want to propose where we had our first date. I also want to have the proposal recorded so we can send it to her relatives out of the country.
I think the biggest problem will be finding a Rabbi for the ceremony. I am reform and she wants an Orthodox Rabbi to perform the ceremony. She isn’t orthodox but is much more religious than I am.
My mother already is adding things to the reception but she added to pay for anything she adds.
Congratulations and stuff, and you may not have gone down on one knee but yes you have proposed and she has accepted. What you’re calling the proposal is just glitter.
Thanks for that suggestion. If the Orthodox Rabbis she talks to says no I will mention that to her. She has given up on a large portion of what she wanted to give me what I want, and I want her to have everything she can.
Mazel tov! Get ready for loads of unsolicited wedding-planning advice from everyone and their uncle, starting right now:
Unless you particularly want menu items that just can’t be made in a kosher way (like pork or shellfish), it might be easier to just have a kosher caterer do the whole thing (with a good vegetarian option) than to have to get two different caterers involved with multiple menus for each. However, not all kosher caterers will work with every venue, so your choices in that regard may be limited.
You say your wife want an Orthodox rabbi to officiate, but does she want an Orthodox ceremony? Because most Orthodox rabbis will only perform an Orthodox ceremony. You might try to see if there are any graduates from this rabbinical school in your area. It is an Orthodox institution, but from what I understand, they place a lot of emphasis on working with the broader Jewish community. You might also want to check with local Conservative synagogues, if there are any near you, because they sometimes have rabbis that self-identify as Orthodox.
Again, congratulations, and may you and your future wife have a long life together of health and happiness!
The venue has an on site kitchen that we have to use except for the Glatt Kosher meals the venue will outsource.
I have to ask her what kind of ceremony she wants. The reason we can’t have it in an Orthodox hall is because my mother who is paying for most of the wedding and I too want mixed dancing.
I’ve been to Orthodox wedding with mixed dancing. Some were in regular halls, but some were definitely in halls that strictly do Orthodox weddings. However, if you’ve already secured a venue that you like, that information is somewhat irrelevant.
Does the venue have experience outsourcing glatt kosher meals? If not, you might want to find out where they plan to get the meals from, or at least find out exactly what they’re going to be, so you can make sure it’s the quality that you want at your wedding.
Also, I don’t know how strictly your wife keeps kosher, but if she or any other guest don’t want to use the hall’s dishes, make sure to find out if the kosher food place is also providing dishes. Also, make sure the kitchen has someone who knows how to treat them, like keeping the meals wrapped and sealed while they’re heating them.
If you guys are brave, you can look at Pinterest for ideas and advice about decor and centerpieces and all that stuff. Brace yourselves, because you will see some crazy awesome stuff that no sane person will ever be able to pull off because it requires individually hot-glueing bits of hand-made lace to laser-cut wood bits with people’s names that were carved by pixies and sprinkled with organic free-range fairy dust. It’s fun to look at, though!
My future fiance said none of the Orthodox halls in Lakewood will allow mixed dancing. The venue we are using has an off site Glatt Kosher caterer that they week for events and that’s where they will get meals from. The dining utensils and plates those meals come with will not mingle with the venues utensils and plates. The people the Kosher meals are for will all be sitting at the same table.
The venue is providing the centerpieces and lighting so we don’t have to worry about that.
The bakery the venue uses will make a dairy free cake. I don’t know what we will do for the Kosher people as far as cake because I have a feeling the bakery the venue uses is not a kosher bakery.
My bride to be is acceptable to eating at non kosher restaurants because she is vegetarian so for her point of view there is no chance of her mixing meat and milk.
(I refrain from saying the plates used In the non kosher restaurants have had meat and milk on them and that I don’t believe the dishwashers in the restaurants kasher them.)
Yeah, I’m not surprised to hear that about the Lakewood halls. They have enough Orthodox clientele that they can afford to make rules like that.
Anyway, it sounds like you have everything figured out regarding the kosher meals, which is impressive at this early stage! Honestly, you seem really on top of everything. Your wife-to-be must be a lucky lady! Good luck with the rest of the planning!