Liran & Yoad: A Gay Destination Wedding in Malta
Photography by Plan Liebe Weddings
Liran and Yoad first met while attending a friend of Liran’s birthday party. A friend of a friend invited Yoad to the party, and while he was happy to attend he felt a bit alone not knowing many there. “At one point, I sat down to eat some cake straight from the pan with a spoon as it should always be eaten! Liran was there too. He pointed out that I was eating it wrong, and we started chatting. We kept in touch for the next 2 weeks through social media until we decided we would go for a coffee on Valentine’s Day.”
Liran had just ended a relationship recently, and Yoad promised himself to not become a rebound for him. “We laid down one rule—we are going for coffee without any attachments.” The two met in the center of Tel Aviv around 11 in the evening. “I was post illness, with a bad throat, but didn't want to miss this. We sat down and talked for 2 hours about everything, ourselves, our lives, our families, what we learned from the past and what are goals were for the future. Since it wasn't a "date" by definition, I never considered it to be one… and the things we told each other… Oh my God! You should never tell them on a first date... But, we were ourselves, no masks, no games and no pretending. Maybe that’s why I could see clearly what was sitting next to me.”
After the evening was over, both felt great that they had made a new friend. “Since we said that it was just friendly coffee, I never thought that it could be anything more.” Liran walked Yoad home in the rain, and on the way soaked his feet. “I offered him new socks, and as he accepted them he said that now we need to see each other again. That was so sweet. Liran had amazing stories to tell, he is so wise and experienced. He lives his life to the fullest and that made a great impression on me. He's the guy that can make you feel proud about yourself, just by being a friend to you.”
Two weeks after the first date, Liran and Yoad got together again to go to a club. Another friend was supposed to attend with them, but cancelled just before so it ended up just being the two of them. “We arrived early, so we waited outside for the doors to open and talked some more. He looked amazing and said all the right things. I felt that he could be an amazing partner, but I knew he needs time for himself. During the party, we sat and looked around for a while, sitting side by side. At one point we turned our heads and looked at one another and started to kiss. From that moment on we were unbreakable.”
As the holidays approached, they planned a Christmas vacation together in London. “We arrived at the airport, and right before the security check we ran into a friend of Liran’s who said that he was doing an article as part of a new job about people traveling on Christmas vacations. He had a couple who agreed to participate, but their flight changed and he got stuck without an interview. Seeing our friend so freaked out, Liran and I agreed to help him. When we got to the rest of the crew, we saw another 2 friends of Liran who were photographers. I said to myself, "Ok, this makes sense since they are all working in the same company.” — a small white-lie Liran told me 2 months before our trip in preparation to what’s ahead.” The interview started, and Liran’s friend asked what was the most important thing to pack for the trip. “I said that I brought medicine, since I was sick again, but Liran took out a ring hidden inside its case. He surprised me so much, it took me a moment to understand that his friends were part of his plan!”
After the proposal, Liran and Yoad began to plan their wedding and set the date for January 25th, 2019 in Valletta, Malta. “In Israel, same-sex and non-jewish marriages are not recognized by the government, so couples need to get married in other countries in order to be united. We visited Malta in the winter, and we fell in love with the people who live on the island, the architecture, and the beautiful views. Our hotel, a nice boutique hotel in the heart of Valletta—DE VILHENA, treated us as if we were their family.”
Their wedding day began with the sun peaking up over the ocean’s horizon. Liran and Yoad had a peaceful breakfast together taking in the view, and started to get dressed. After taking some photos in the cobblestone streets of Valletta, they made their way to Malta’s Wedding Registry Office, Evan’s Building to begin their ceremony.
Liran and Yoad approached the podium and turned to each other to recite their vows. "Our union, in the place you wanted to visit for so long, symoolizes what we can do, as long as we're put our heart into it. Israel, Malta, Hungary, India—love builds bridges and joins different cultures together. Today at this moment, we are all people who celebrate love, our love for each other, and my love for you.”
They shared a kiss, and for the first time were announced husbands. After the ceremony, their wedding party headed to the Grand Hotel Excelsior for a classic toast and wedding cake. “Sitting in the hall, observing the bay with drinks and cake, celebrating this day—I think it was the best moment for me. It's also how Liran and I first met, over drinks and cake."
The energy of the wedding day was of pure excitement and joy. And although they celebrated with only a small group of witnesses and their photographers, they wouldn’t want it any other way. “I thought about our relationship, our friends, our families, I even thought about my cat, who died a year before the wedding. I felt everyone with me, approving our love to one another and supporting us. We felt the love from all around us. It was a remarkable day. At one point in Liran’s life, he thought that he and l would never have this. Im proud to be the boy who made his dream come true, and honored he choose me to be his husband.”
“Malta is so advanced and tolerant when it comes to LGBT marriages. Everyone at the Wedding Registry Office helped without prejudice. The process itself was easy, and if I may say, very cheap. This enabled us to have a wonderful vacation and to get married legally and in good taste. As for us, we combined our strengths to make this event happen. we trusted one another completely and let go of things when needed.”
After the wedding, the newlyweds continued their vacation in Malta for three more days. “Since the wedding took place in Malta, we made this an entire week event. We combined our wedding and honeymoon together and it was perfect.”
When asked what advice they would give to others planning their wedding, they recommended to play to each others strengths by thinking through the planning process fully and completely. “Write down your plans and thoughts and think about everything over and over again to not miss anything. Learn about the place you’re about to visit and get married in. Malta is beautiful and special. There is a lot to see and do, and you can even get married in a particular special spot in the city if you want to! If you get married in Malta, ask for Amanda Grech as your wedding officiant.” Above all, they advise to, “Remind yourself that the person in front of you is your best friend in the entire world. This will make that moment extra special.”
Liran and Yoad now live and love together in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Photography & Videography — Plan Liebe Weddings, @planliebe
Venue — Malta Wedding Registry Office, Evan’s Building
Hotel — The Grand Hotel Excelsior
Officiant — Ms. Amanda Grech
