Ethereal-Meets-Industrial Wedding With Jewish Customs
“Plot twist: there are two Butlers in Williamsburg." Melissa Levin and Shneur Wolvovsky met on the dating app Bumble, agreeing to meet in person at a local cafe—they quickly learned of the two locales when each of them showed up at a different location. "Shneur ended up showing up at the wrong Butler," laughs Melissa. "He realized the mistake, and after laughing about it, we ended up meeting in the middle at a Devocion instead."
One year later, Shneur told his girlfriend he'd made dinner reservations within walking distance, but they'd have to make a quick pit-stop first. "We turned down the street that the correct 'Butler' is on—I looked up and saw that a violinist playing Taylor Swift (my favorite) was standing right outside of the cafe," the bride shares. "The cafe's chairs had been replaced with a huge balloon arch shaped like a heart." He popped the question right then and there, and the couple celebrated with an engagement party featuring all their friends and family.
Immediately, the bride and groom knew their wedding would revolve around deep and meaningful customs. "We put a great deal of thought into selecting Jewish traditions that spoke to us as a couple and paid homage to our two distinct upbringings (Chabad and Conservative Judaism)," notes Melissa. The couple and their vendor team designed an ethereal, romantic wedding aesthetic with fashion to match. "Given that our wedding was black tie optional, he didn't want to wear a black tuxedo like the guests. Instead, he went for a navy blue tuxedo with black lapel," tells the bride. "My ceremony gown was Vera Wang: I loved the mix of the lace bodice with the raw tulle skirt and train, and I worked with the Vera team to create the tulle-and-lace sleeves." Though she didn't plan on doing an outfit change, her second gown's sequins and feathers were calling her name.
On the wedding day, Melissa and Shneur began their event with a heartfelt custom. "Prior to the ceremony, we had the kabbalat panim (which means "receiving of faces")," describes the bride. "This Jewish wedding tradition allows guests to greet us before the wedding, setting a good mood for the big day. It was such a great way to make sure we got to see all our guests and spend quality time with each of them."
Gathering in the open-air ceremony space, guests took in the view from the rooftop overlooking Brooklyn and the verdant garden and decor surrounding them. The couple met under a lush chuppah featuring greenery, branches, wildflowers and roses to represent the groom's late mother—who was named Raizel, Yiddish for "Rose"—imagined (and sketched out) by the bride. Says Melissa, "We also choose to have a bedeken, which is the Jewish veiling ceremony. Shneur was escorted by both of our fathers with music and a parade of our guests, culminating in blessings by our parents and one another. Finally, Shneur placed the blusher of my veil over my face. I love the symbolism that the veiling ceremony represents: above physical appearance, the groom is drawn to his bride's inner beauty." The newlyweds ended their ceremony with personal vows. "It was seriously such a surreal moment to stand before one another and our closest friends and family and give everyone a glimpse not only into our relationship but also the real underlying emotion and bond."
Dinner was served at long tables with elegant white linens, low centerpieces and various candles, while greenery bouquets hung overheads, accented by string lights. The party itself was split in two. "While Element played secular music in the main ballroom, Shim Kramer and his team played more traditional Chabad music in the courtyard. So we essentially had two dance floors going simultaneously, and it was fun seeing guests hop between them," says Melissa.
The bride and groom were able to weave personal details throughout their nuptials, including personalized notes for each of their 200 guests, a postcard station in lieu of a guest book and an appetizer based on one of the late mother-of-the-groom's recipes. The new Mr. and Mrs. owe a lot of their wedding-day success to their team. "To other couples: surround yourself with an amazing team of vendors. Our planner helped us assemble not only the most talented team, but also, a group of super nice people. Their talents made our dream wedding possible, and their presence and personalities added to the joy of our big day."
