Friday Weddings

If you’re imagining your dream wedding as an event full of natural sunlight and chill, laid back brunch vibes, then you’re not alone.

Friday daytime weddings are becoming an extremely popular choice for couples getting married in Israel.

Since weddings are not held on Saturday due to Shabbat, Friday morning/early afternoon is the only time that works for a daytime wedding in Israel.

A few important considerations for your potential Friday Israeli wedding:

Friday Weddings Are Pricier…But Cheaper

Because Friday morning weddings are so in-demand (and there’s a limited supply of Friday mornings in the year), you’ll pay your venue’s premium rates. Just like a Thursday night wedding, you can expect a Friday morning wedding to cost 10-15% more than other days of the week.

However, there is some wiggle room to cut your losses and bargain. One thing that should be cheaper on a Friday is the sound and lighting fee. (הגברה ותאורה)

Since you’ll have natural sunlight, and likely will be holding a significant portion of your event outside, you should be able to negotiate a discount for this venue charge.

Friday Weddings Must Be In The Summer

If you’re planning on having a Friday daytime wedding, it’s critical that you do plan for a summer wedding. Why? Most venues will start closing down and cleaning up about 2 hours before Shabbat begins – and in the wintertime, Shabbat begins as early as 4 in the afternoon (16:00).

This means there will be pressure for you to wrap up by 2 PM (14:00). During the summer months, Shabbat doesn’t start until around 7 in the evening (19:00).

So that you’re not forced to cut your party short just as things are heating up, make sure that your Friday wedding takes place during the summer months.

Friday Weddings End Early?

What time does a Friday wedding end in Israel? There’s a two part answer to this question. If you choose a Kosher venue (and the vast majority of venues in Israel are Kosher), the venue will shut down around 2 hours before Shabbat begins.

If you have guests who are Shomer Shabbat, they will probably leave the party at this time.

However, there are non-Kosher venues, mostly in Tel Aviv, that are willing to do weddings late Friday afternoon that go into the evening hours – but generally speaking, this is rare.

Another thing to keep in mind: if you are getting married through the Rabbinute, they will request the Kosher Certificate of your venue and may refuse to officiate if it is taking place at a non-kosher venue.

Another possibility is doing a sleep-away wedding weekend, where you and your guests arrive on Friday, camp out overnight, and eat a shared breakfast on Saturday morning. There are a few venues that accommodate this style of wedding, and nearly all of them are concentrated in the Sea of Galilee / Kinneret region.