Where, When and What ?
The wedding is scheduled for Sunday 9 November at 5pm at the Wyndham Hotel, 48th Street and Collins Avenue Miami Beach Florida . The format will be a smorgasbord (cocktail party with lots of food), ceremony and then dinner and dancing reception that will end at about 11. For those who have not attended an Orthodox Jewish wedding, it will be a walk on the wild and wacky side; it is both a structured affair and lots of fun, particularly for those who join in the action. It is a party that you can enjoy, whether or not you attend as a single person or as a married couple. Many of the guests will not be Jews and things are being planned both to be inclusive to an international audience as well as respectful toward community standards.
You are being invited to more than a wedding; there will be a full weekend of activities designed to permit guests to meet each other as well as to spend time with the bride and groom.
Hotel Deal Rooms are available at the Wyndham Hotel at a rate of $95 per night on a negotiated-rate basis for people attending this wedding. The hotel has over 400 rooms but it is possible that the hotel will be sold out. It is advised to make reservations early as you can cancel them later. Normally, this hotel runs $200-250 per night at that time of the year. The hotel is a beach-front resort and is the most deluxe traditional hotel facility in this area of the city. By way of orientation, the Fontainebleau Hilton is 10 minutes walk south, and South Beach is a 15 minute taxi ride away. A tip: If you sign up for Wyndham’s By Request program when you make your reservation, you will get internet access in your room for free. There are adjoining rooms available. If you are coming alone and want to share a room with someone to save $50 per night, let me know and I will try and match you up. To book, call 305.532.3600 and ask for the Heilig-Ciment wedding discount.
Miami in November is a popular international destination and there is plenty of sun and fun to keep you occupied for several days. You might choose to rent a car upon arrival at the airport if you plan to go many places outside of the hotel area. The weather is generally at its most pleasant at that time of the year, with highs about 75 degrees (25 centigrade) and lows in the 60’s (20 centigrade). Sunset is at about . Orlando / Disney World 4 hours drive or 30 minutes flying time from Miami . This time of the year is one of the best times to visit Disney World as it is in-between seasons for them.
If you travel to South Florida on American Airlines or a One World Partner airline ( ie: British, Quantas, Cathay, Iberia,) between November 2 and 16, you can receive a discount of between 5-15% if you book through American’s meeting services desk (telephone 800.433.1790 or call regular reservations desk and ask to be transferred) and mention code S46N3AI which is a group discount set up for Ciment-Heilig wedding guests. The discounts are 5% of the lowest coach fare, additional 5% if you ticket at least 30 days in advance, and 5% additional if you book full coach or first/business class. These do not apply to internet fares. You can also get a discount on an AVIS rental car when you book the air ticket.
Visa Assistance
Another important reason we are giving 6 months notice is that we are aware that entry to the U.S. often requires a visa and that this might require some work for some people who have not yet visited the U.S. We do not want this to be a deterrent to any invitees. If you need any assistance in obtaining a visa, please contact Ivan immediately because we are equipped to deal with the immigration authorities for special handling of those guests who truly need this help.
It’s More Than Just A Wedding…
You will be invited to attend the various parties that will be scheduled for Friday night, Saturday lunch, and Saturday early evening. All of these parties will be located within 2 minutes walking distance of the hotel. Friday night dinner and Saturday lunch are mainly designed for sabbath-observers from out of town who need to be attended to and may not be of interest to some visitors who want to play tourist (although they will be interesting cultural experiences and nicely catered affairs), while the Saturday late afternoon and early evening receptions will be opportunities for the guests of the bride and groom to be welcomed personally and to also attend an open-house at Ivan’s parents’ apartment, located next door to the hotel (they will end in time for you to have Saturday night free). These weekend affairs are being staged as a unique opportunity to share face time and to network with other guests coming from all over the world, because the wedding itself will be hectic with about 700 people expected. Nevertheless, we promise everyone enough opportunities to go home with a good tan, provided Mother Nature cooperates.
What to Pack and to Expect
Proper attire for Friday night dinner and Saturday lunch is jacket and tie, Saturday early evening smart-casual, and Sunday’s wedding is black tie, according to the invitation. As an out of town visitor, you should NOT feel obligated to bring a tuxedo to and you will not feel out of place without one. Seating at all events will be mixed, except for the wedding ceremony which will have separate men’s and women’s seating. Dancing at the wedding will be separate for Jewish music (actually more fun for those without a date or a spouse), and mixed for secular music.
Miami is an international gateway community and those observing Ramadan at that time will find plenty of facilities available. There will also be vegetarian options at all events, and because all food will be kosher, it should be acceptable to observant Moslems.
We have received inquiries as to Wedding Registry. We have registered at Bloomingdales.com and michaelcfina.com, the latter of which is accessible on an international basis.
The official wedding invitations will be sent out in early September, much too late to be useful to you. Please do make reservations now so that you are assured of hotel space, low airfares and visas, and let us know if we can be of any assistance. It is our highest honor to host your attendance as our special guest, and hope you will enjoy a fun and rewarding visit to the Sun and Fun Capital of the World!
