Martha & Jonathan's Israel and Prague unconventional Jewish wedding

Winter got you down? This week we're bringing you some spring weddings for inspiration from March to May!

Photos by Or Eitan

The offbeat bride: Martha, production manager and freelance fashion designer (and Tribe member).

Her offbeat partner: Jonathan, BI administrator

Date and location of wedding: Hazer Habeer Wedding Garden in North Israel — May 13, 2011

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: We both are very liberal and open minded, and not into any religion at all. So a month before that we took a week-long trip to Prague and had a Prague civil marriage ceremony to avoid some of the Israeli restrictions. It was a small ceremony, only for us and couple of our friends who served as our witnesses. After that, we had our ceremony in Israel for our family and friends.

We planned to have a minimal budget and we fulfilled that goal. I designed and made both of my wedding dresses. We picked Jonathan's outfit from a local store and accessorized it with things we already had at home. I did my hair and makeup, as well as my friend's hair. I made a flower bouquet from buttons and fabric left from my wedding dress. I wore a custom-made headpiece made by Amore Demori.

We both had tungsten wedding bands inlaid with carbon fiber, bought on eBay for a low price. The DJ played our special playlist that we organized over the course of a year. Our first dance held to Muse's "Neutron Star Collision."

Tell us about the ceremony: The ceremony was conducted by our good friend, and the speech was an original piece which we wrote ourselves. We exchanged wedding rings during the formal ceremony in Prague, so we chose to be handcuffed on the second ceremony!

Our biggest challenge: We wanted it to be held outside in the hall garden. An hour before guests arrived, it started raining, which for Israel in May is not typical. At the last minute, we made a choice to hold it inside the hall. It turned out to be the right decision. The rain lasted for about 20 minutes, but after the sun came out the weather was still soggy and gray. However, inside was warm and cozy.

The black, fuzzy handcuffs of loooove

My funniest moment: During the ceremony, our guests didn't know until the last moment that our bridesmaid was carrying handcuffs in her heart-shaped box. It was a big surprise, and everyone laughed.

My advice for offbeat brides: If you have some image in your mind of how your wedding ceremony should be, dare to try. Improvise, plan, and DIY to make it fit. It will be remembered by everyone for the personal touches and the love that you put into it.

Care to share a few vendor/shopping links?

• Photography: Or Eitan
• Headpiece: Amore Demori
• Rings: eBay

Enough talk — show me the wedding porn!