On the evening of 5/3, Lior Lasry carefully adjusted her wedding dress before descending to the fourth basement of the Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv. Above ground, the city was enduring missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks from Iran, forcing millions of Israelis to evacuate. In the parking garage, the bride and groom exchanged vows under a quickly erected chuppah, a traditional Jewish wedding canopy.

Lasry, 29, and Michael Marianoff, 34, had spent months planning a grand wedding party in Petah Tikva for 400 guests. All their plans for music, a buffet, and a giant cake were shattered when the conflict erupted. The conflict began on 28/2, when the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran, targeting defense and intelligence facilities, along with senior officials and generals. Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles and large-scale suicide UAVs, making Israel and countries hosting US military bases in the Middle East, such as Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, targets.

Bride Lior Lasry and groom Michael Marianoff held their wedding in the fourth basement of the Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv, on the evening of 5/3. Photo: Abir Sultan/EPA/Shutterstock

The couple faced a difficult choice. "I had a hard decision: postpone the wedding, causing my husband's family from Argentina to miss it, or hold it in a shelter, accepting the absence of my relatives from the South due to dangerous travel," Lasry recalled. Ultimately, despite immense pressure, she insisted on not abandoning their special day.

Following the rabbi's wife's suggestion, they chose the parking garage over a nightclub or subway station for safety. They simplified the wedding to its core. Lasry still wore her Jerusalem-made dress, while friends helped her with hair and makeup at home.

There was no giant cake or band. Instead of a grand feast, they set up a folding table covered with a cloth, a few bottles of wine, and snacks. Friends brought portable speakers, and passing locals stopped to join the celebration with their instruments. Lasry's relatives back home quietly watched the ceremony on their phone screens.

The bride and groom celebrated their wedding in the fourth basement of the Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv, on the evening of 5/3, blessed by friends and family. Photo: Abir Sultan/EPA/Shutterstock

The event coincidentally took place on Purim, the most joyous Jewish holiday. The presence of 60 close friends and 200 locals transformed the dark, fluorescent-lit basement into a lively venue.

The ceremony began at 8 PM. More than two hours later, continuous air raid sirens extended the underground party, as no one could leave.

Initially, some passersby thought the couple was performing a Purim play in costume. Upon realizing it was a real wedding, they were overcome with emotion. Images of the ceremony quickly spread, becoming a symbol of resilience and optimism for people during wartime.

"Even though everything wasn't as we had originally wished, it ultimately became perfect because we still had each other, our family, and friends by our side," said groom Marianoff.

Minh Phuong (according to Telegraph)