About Purim
Purim in 2023 starts on Monday, March 6th, and ends on the evening of Tuesday, March 7th. As you probably know, this is not a public holiday but a Jewish holiday that commemorates the delivery of the Jewish people from oppression and tyranny in the Persian Empire, which then spread over “127 lands” and is […]
Danielle & Jesse’s Camp Wedding
From the Toronto Star— ‘Maybe I just met my husband’: How an Israel adventure led to happily ever after. ToFoodies founder Danielle Finestone planned the most delicious wedding to her beau Jesse Helfand.” Danielle and Jesse’s very special wedding was featured in a recent issue of the Toronto Star newspaper—here is the link to the […]
FAQs—Planning an Interfaith Wedding
These are some of the typical areas couples ask about when planning their wedding ceremony. Alexandra Gellman, who is likely to be your first contact when you connect to discuss your ceremony, answers some frequently asked questions. Please feel free to contact us for any topics we may not have covered in the detail you […]
Two Ceremonies to Celebrate— A “Double Wedding”
Katrina and Dannel had a wonderful time at both of their weddings—they celebrated their marriage ceremony twice in one day, which only made the day more special, says Katrina. And after scheduling the ceremony three times —and having to postpone it in 2020 and 2021 due to pandemic restrictions and all that this involved, they […]
Relationship/Pastoral Counseling
Everyone seems ready to get back to full speed ASAP as soon as things really open up—but new stresses may have been highlighted from working in isolation, too much Zoom instead of relationship-time, or even staying home more often. Extended family or relationships may have felt the strain, or there may be interfaith questions that impact family […]
God’s Promise
Izzy is the most precious gift, says mom Susan. And after such a challenging journey, Susan and her husband Edgar knew they wanted to celebrate the birth and naming of their daughter in a very special way that would stay with them always. “We wanted Rabbi David Gellman to perform the baby-naming ceremony because we […]
Online Interfaith Sabbath Services
WEEKLY ONLINE INTERFAITH SABBATH SERVICES— Remote interfaith sabbath services are held online on Fridays (from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.). These are ‘mini’ services—designed to be 30 minutes or so. We will start with three blessings of the three things that provide life— • For lighting the Sabbath candles • Blessing of the wine • Blessing […]
Creating the Perfect Wedding Video
Award-winning wedding cinematographers Mark and Danielle capture stories around the world for their company Kismet Creative, surpassing the expectations of many happy wedding couples from Toronto to Vancouver and far beyond. They specialize in producing wonderful films with a strong narrative designed to show the couple’s personalities, documenting their turning points and ceremony into a […]
The Ketubah Story
More and more marriages are putting it in writing—and it’s not only Jewish wedding couples who are adopting the Ketubah as part of their wedding ceremony, a tradition that dates back thousands of years. One of the largest suppliers is Ketubah.com—a trendsetter in design and online service well-known internationally for museum quality work, was founded […]
Ontario eases regulations —weddings and ceremonies
GATHERING LIMITS FOR ONTARIO WEDDING CEREMONIES EASING—2022 Ontario has taken a big step on the way back to normal. Capacity limits will expand to 50 percent in arenas, theatres, and concert venues (with some number limitations)… Where vaccination certificates are required, capacity limits have been removed for most other areas/indoor public settings such as cinemas. […]
Your Wedding Video—Wedding Planning 101
VIDEO AT THE WEDDING—CEREMONIES 2021 Even with some gathering limits relaxing soon (we hope!), couples may still need to rely on Zoom, YouTube, or live streaming to bring friends and loved ones together for your wedding ceremony for some time to come. Restrictions are variable in different areas/parts of the world, and ensuring everyone you […]
Celebrating Hanukkah
Click to view the latest newsletter for what’s on: Happy Hanukkah and the Best of the Season
Are Zoom Weddings Legal?
Recent reports on how a few Israeli couples were getting married remotely in Utah to bypass local regulations made headlines and prompted questions about whether Zoom or Facetime weddings are legal. That depends. Weddings where the officiant or at least two witnesses are not present in person “on location” may not stand the legality test. […]
Ontario Weddings —Scheduling 2021
Weddings in Ontario—Regulations on gatherings and ceremonies change Announced on June 24, 2021— New limits are in force in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada—for the latest in Ontario, please check out the official information site or contact us. The provincial government announced that effective Wednesday, June 30th, Ontario will enter Step 2 of the re-opening earlier […]
Planning Ceremonies in Ontario 2021—Weddings 101
OUTDOOR WEDDING CEREMONIES As the pace of reopening heats up across Ontario and Canada, couples with marriage on their minds are perking up. Check your local regulations for any specific restrictions in your area. You may prefer to wait until you can accommodate the large gathering and reception of your dreams. But if you’d like […]
Wedding Licenses Extended Due to Stay-at-Home Orders in Ontario
Due to the province-wide stay-at-home orders, validity periods have been extended for wedding licenses issued in Ontario. Licenses issued between December 1, 2019 and July 24, 2020 are still valid and can by used until July, 24, 2022. Licenses issued between October 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 are still valid and can by used […]
Apply Online for Wedding Licenses in Toronto
State of Emergency/Stay at Home Orders and Wedding Licenses—2021 The City of Toronto has announced that while the state of emergency and stay at home orders are in effect: “As part of Toronto’s COVID-19 response, Registry Services counters at the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall and the North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough Civic Centres […]
Our Backyard Wedding—
Celebrating with Love and Laughter— Fun and lots of laughs were what they hoped for, asked for, and how they celebrated at their fall wedding, says Karianne Marten-Spagnuolo, who married her husband Adam on September 29,, 2020, in Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto. The fact that the ceremony took place at home had not been […]
Wedding Planning During Covid-19
Even in normal times, it’s a good idea to be able to call on experts to handle the details and ensure your wedding ceremony goes smoothly and lives up to expectations. “Today, with Covid-19, it’s even more valuable,” says Melissa Baum of The Baum Event Company, a Toronto event-planning and design firm specializing in luxury […]
