International tour of weddings – part 3

Getting to weddings in Israel it seems is somewhat of a mission, The Pamplemousse’s cousin’s wedding (number 3 in PATP’s world tour of weddings) was being held on a moshav about 45 minutes from Tel Aviv.  The place however was entirely inaccessible by public transport with the best options being a taxi (about 300 shekels each way) or a train, followed by a bus to the junction and walking a few kilometres to the moshav. Oh and the buses only run a couple of times a day! After much stress and even investigating car hire options, PATP were very relieved to be offered a ride with the bride’s aunt and uncle.

Pablo also had a relative getting married at exactly the same time as the Pamplemousse’s cousin. Since the Pamplemousse did kind of know her cousin somewhat, whilst Pablo’s relative was the daughter he’d never met of a distant relative he’d met once, several years ago, PATP decided to head to the the Pamplemousse’s cousin’s.  Also, the directions to Pablo’s relative’s wedding made it clear it was even less accessible too. Just get a taxi for an hour. Then walk through the village towards the highway. Then go for a wander through the orchards, and look for the party. Hmmm.

After lunch in Neve Shalom, PATP walked back to the apartment to change, before heading off to the wedding.  The wedding invitation stated that the reception was at 8pm with the ceremony starting at 9pm.  Despite PATP’s thinking this was perhaps a translation error, it seems this is how weddings are done in Israel as the guests arrive for a reception of cocktails and appetisers, followed by the formalities and then dinner and dancing.

PATP arrived at the wedding with the bride’s aunt and uncle as well as the Pamplemousse’s US cousin Rena who was on a 6 month program in Israel.  Making a beeline for the bar they enjoyed a few drinks and some ceviche (much to Pablo’s liking) before greeting the bride and groom, offering congratulations to the families and taking in the scene.  The wedding was held outdoors in a moshav which was beautifully decorated with flowers and lights.  The pool was filled with inflatable floating ducks – including ones dressed as a bride and groom – and the surrounding area was spectacularly set with tables for the 600+ guests.  The formalities were over pretty quickly and then it was time for dinner, with stations set up for everyone to chose food to their liking – from steaks and chicken to pasta and sushi.  Far from the mundane thank you speeches typical at most weddings, this one boasted an amusing “music video” dedicated to the bride and groom and starring their friends and family.

PATP and Rena joined the crowd on the dance floor for plenty of dancing, whilst the open bar was kept busy with people enjoying shots from light up glasses and various other drinks.  So as no-one had to leave the dance floor to refuel, waiters wandered through the dancers with a stretcher of lollies and the distribution of brightly coloured sombreros and flashing glasses further added to the party atmosphere.

At around 1am the party was still going strong and the waiters brought out hot dogs to keep everyone going, while friends of the bride’s younger brother produced t-shirts which were distributed, marking the occasion with best wishes for the happy couple along with a picture of the family dog (Kiki), and the words “Kiki haters”. Apparently, Pablo isn’t the only one who had been bitten by Kiki!