She: Hadar Gabay, 31, a theater actress, content creator and lecturer on French culture, who runs the Instagram account @hadarandart.
He: Matthew Ives, 38, a café owner and father of two daughters, ages 10 and 6.
They: Together for four years, newly married, living in France's Loire Valley.
Where are we from?
Hadar: "I grew up in Givatayim. In high school I studied theater, and that's when I started listening to old French music. After the army I studied French, began studying theater at Tel Aviv University and visited Paris for the first time. It was an out-of-body experience. I came back to Israel and immediately wanted to go again."
Matthew: "I grew up in Shropshire in western England. When I was 4, my parents divorced. My mother remarried, moved to France when I was 15, and I joined her two years later. I planned to stay for a year, but I fell in love with the French lifestyle. I got married at 25 and later opened my own café, which I renovated and designed myself."
The move
Hadar: "Seven years ago I finished my master's degree in theater and decided to move to Paris. I arrived with a European passport, savings and five suitcases. A few months later, to my surprise, I was invited to audition at the National Theater of the Loire Valley and was cast in the play Amsterdam, written by Maya Arad Yasur. We started rehearsals, moving from one city to another."
How we met
Hadar: "While rehearsing in La Roche-sur-Yon, the costume designer took me to her favorite café. I walked in and was amazed by the design—it was full of vintage charm and style. Matthew was there. I ordered coffee and cake, and we started talking. It turned out I was the first Israeli he had ever met."
Matthew: "I couldn't place her accent. Only when I saw her reading a book in a language I'd never seen before did I dare ask where she was from. We talked for a while, and I realized she was independent, unique and fascinating."
Hadar: "For two weeks I came to the café every day before rehearsals. When it was time to leave, I felt there was something in the air, but I couldn't hint at anything because I thought he was married with children—the costume designer had told me he lived there because of his wife. I came to say goodbye and he hugged me. I picked up my suitcase and headed toward the train station."
Matthew: "It was February, and she said she'd be back in October and maybe we'd see each other then. I was in the middle of a separation and wasn't looking for a relationship, but I remember thinking: October is a long way off. I cleared her table and suddenly noticed her scarf on the chair. I wondered whether to keep it until October or run after her. Then I thought she'd need it in the cold. I started running toward the train station and after about 500 meters I found her."
Hadar: "Suddenly I heard someone shouting behind me, 'Hadar!' I turned around and saw Matthew holding my scarf. He asked, 'Did you leave it on purpose because you wanted another hug?' I answered, 'Not on purpose,' and we hugged again without saying a word. I went back to Paris with butterflies in my stomach."
The first date
Matthew: "For two months we talked on the phone several times a week, for hours, and exchanged messages. I fell in love with her long before our first kiss."
Gabay and Ives
(Photo: Liran Hutmacher)
Hadar: "After two months we arranged to meet halfway between us, in the city of Angers. It was exciting. We had our first kiss on that date. It didn't bother me that he was going through a separation or that he had children. It just felt right. We started seeing each other more and more—sometimes he came to me, sometimes I went to him."
The revelation
Hadar: "One day we were sitting with his friends and he said, 'Yes, because I'm a lord.' I asked, 'Wait, what? Really?' He explained that on his mother's side he is a direct descendant of Lord Edward Conway, the first Viscount in the 16th century, and also a distant relative of Prince William through Princess Diana. On his father's side he's descended from Sir Ives, who was a knight, and the family has its own coat of arms. I bragged to my friends back in Israel—but just a little."
Matthew: "Growing up, I often heard people say, 'Behave yourself, you have blue blood.' It felt more like a burden than a blessing. We joked about it at school, but sometimes I sensed jealousy. Some people thought it was ridiculous to hold on to a noble title. I think it's nice to know where you come from, but it doesn't make you a better person."
Hadar: "Today his family is completely down to earth, but they're very polite. They pay attention to table manners—for example, how to eat without leaning toward your food or dropping it off your fork."
Living together
Hadar: "Nine months after we met, I moved in with Matthew. Before that I'd met his daughters and their mother, and everything went really well. Over time I realized that the love and energy I invested in his girls came back to me."
Matthew: "When Hadar moved here, I noticed that whenever she walked down the street, everyone looked at her. She has the ability to light up a room."
The proposal
Hadar: "Two years ago I booked us lunch in a train carriage that had once been part of the Orient Express. I didn't know he was going to propose there—I suspected he might. At the end of the meal Matthew pulled out a ring, and I immediately said yes. His parents welcomed me with open arms."
Matthew: "My mother, who goes to church every Sunday, had no problem with me marrying a Jewish woman. She said, 'Jesus himself was Jewish,' and was excited that I was marrying a woman from the Holy Land. By the way, my uncle is very supportive of Israel and even volunteered with the Israel Defense Forces for a short time."
The wedding
Hadar: "At the end of April we had a double wedding. First we got married officially at our town hall in France, and a few days later we celebrated at a beautiful estate in Shropshire, combining Israeli, French and English traditions. My parents, my sister and five friends came from Israel. We held a chuppah ceremony inspired by the Jewish tradition: Matthew wore a kippah, recited 'If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,' and broke a glass. Afterward we served an Israeli meal with falafel and hummus."
Matthew: "Breaking the glass was a wonderful moment I'll always remember. It felt like our cultures were being celebrated together."
Love
Hadar: "Life is full of surprises. I never imagined I'd marry an Englishman and stay here."
Matthew: "I feel like I've started a new chapter in my life with a true partner, who's also a gift to my daughters. I couldn't have wished for anything better."