Cross Country Match

How do two people who live on opposite sides of the country find each other, date, then later stomp a glass in wedding bliss? You could say it’s because of their emunah in Hashem (faith in G-d), with a bit of modern technology mixed in.

Memphian Jamie (née Levy) was living in New York City, while Azi Farr was in California, where he was born and raised. The two matched on a dating app in November 2022, began to get to know each other long distance, then met in person a month later. “Azi flew to New York for our first date,” Jamie explained, “and the rest was history.”

A new chapter in that “history” was written on October 15, 2023, at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis. “My mom wanted to give us a perfect day – she had a vision for this wedding and executed it to perfection,” said Jamie. “Every detail was meticulously thought through with me, Azi, and our wedding planner.”

The weekend began with Shabbat dinner, lunch, and seudah shlishit for out-of-town guests downtown at the Hilton. On the wedding day at the groom’s Tisch, the mothers of the couple broke a plate together – the traditional act symbolizes the couple’s commitment to one another. Some say it represents mother-child ties and an acknowledgment that soon their children will be feeding each other. Others say it strengthens the idea of commitment, since the plate can never be put back together.

After the moving Bedekin ceremony, guests gathered for the rooftop chuppah, which was beautifully adorned with soft white flowers and greenery. Azi and Jamie chose to participate in an interesting Jewish custom: not seeing each other for seven days before the wedding. Finally, Jamie walked down the aisle to see her choson (groom) for the first time in what felt like the longest week ever. “Our first look was a really beautiful moment,” Jamie shared, “we truly missed each other!”

Formally husband and wife, dinner and dancing with a fabulous band followed in a gorgeously decorated ballroom in the round, for perfect views of the dance floor from every angle. Lush greenery and white flowers appeared to hang from the ceiling, drape off tables and the mechitza (partition), and stand in tall elegance as centerpieces, with candles enhancing the navy tablecloths.

“Jamie and Azi’s wedding was absolutely magical thanks to The Peabody Hotel and our planner, Einat Loskovitz. Every detail was taken care of, and the whole day ran as smoothly as you could hope. It was such a beautiful day – from getting ready all together to the Tisch to the Bedekin and into the beautiful ceremony on the roof – we couldn’t have asked for a more special day!” said Julie and Marshall Levy, Jamie’s delighted parents. “Everything was perfect! The rain stopped on queue for a beautiful ceremony, and then we all had a wonderful time dancing the night away! We’re especially thrilled with the wonderful son-in-law that we have gained. He’s a perfect addition to our beautiful family. We were proud and excited to see our baby daughter getting married to such a nice guy. We can’t imagine ever being any happier than we were that day.”

The Levy and Farr families were especially grateful for the outpouring of Southern hospitality they received from the amazing kehilla (community) over the weekend.

“The Memphis Jewish community is incredibly warm and hospitable. We truly could not have had such a beautiful wedding without their love and support throughout our wedding weekend,” noted Azi. “We leaned on the community to help provide meals for our out-of-town guests and to make our Shabbat services in downtown Memphis so easy and comfortable.”

With a flawless ceremony and reception, guests might be surprised to learn that there was a bit of a dress emergency before the chuppah. “The zipper on my wedding dress fell off while I was getting ready for our big day!” Jamie remembered. “But thankfully, my amazing friends saved the day – they found some thread and sewed me into my dress!”

“When we learned that our son, Azi, became engaged to Jamie, it was a double thrill. First, we could not have wished for a more lovely, kind, intelligent, and sweet daughter-in-law, and second, it gave us the opportunity to finally see Memphis!” added Harvey and Elizabeth Farr, Azi’s grateful parents. “As music enthusiasts, just being in Memphis was a dream come true. And making the wedding even more memorable was the gorgeous Peabody Hotel and the extraordinary band. The wedding felt like the perfect day. We look forward to many more trips to Memphis to visit our new family, Julie and Marshall Levy, their three other daughters, and, of course, with our son and his new bride, Jamie.”

Now, the joyous newlyweds are sharing their lives together in West Los Angeles, near Beverlywood. Azi went to UCLA for undergrad and George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for law school. He practices political and election law at a firm in downtown Los Angeles. Jamie graduated from Landers College for Women in Manhattan with a bachelor’s in marketing/management. She had been living in New York for eight years and was working as a manager at B&H Electronics in Midtown Manhattan when they two met. Mazel to the happy couple and both wonderful families!