Ron Ben-Israel

Ron Ben-Israel

On this week’s episode of Weddings-ish with Jove, we were thrilled to welcome an industry legend and longtime friend: Chef Ron Ben Israel. For over thirty years, Ron has shaped the wedding world with his impeccable craftsmanship, whimsical humor, and famously flawless sugar flowers. Hearing him reflect on his artistry, his evolution, and his recent marriage felt like witnessing a new chapter in a story we’ve admired for decades.

Wedding Photos: Melani Lust Photography

One of the most delightful surprises of the episode was learning about Ron’s own wedding. While he is known for creating extravagant ballroom cakes and architectural showstoppers, he and his partner, Hiro, chose something beautifully simple: a City Hall ceremony with just two friends and a photographer. No towering cake, no 300-person guest list — just love, intention, and the desire to formalize their partnership in an uncertain political climate. After the ceremony, they celebrated with lunch at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, where they let the kitchen craft the entire menu. For a lifelong perfectionist, the act of letting go became a deeply meaningful expression of trust and partnership.

Their love story is just as sweet. Ron met Hiro through matchmaking efforts from friends within the cake community, who were determined to help him find someone special. After several attempts, they expanded the circle… and Hiro appeared. Ron recalls seeing him across the street before their first date and feeling something shift instantly. Their connection unfurled naturally from there. Together, they blended cultures, routines, kitchens, and aesthetics — Hiro bringing precision and Japanese cooking traditions, Ron bringing babka experiments, Emile Henry ceramics, and bold color. They created a home filled with warmth, humor, and thoughtful balance.

Throughout the episode, Ron reflected on his identity as an artist. He embraces being a traditionalist in a trend-heavy world. While others may gravitate toward naked cakes, chaos cakes, or wafer-paper waves, Ron remains devoted to full-cover designs, sculptural sugar flowers, and timeless composition. He knows who he is — and who he isn’t — and that clarity has become a defining strength. And yet, he also acknowledges how love and time have softened him: he no longer lifts the heaviest cakes himself, he occasionally allows fresh flowers or buttercream in ways he once resisted, and he has grown more flexible in both process and perspective.

One of the most touching moments of the episode was Ron recounting the surprise “second wedding” his friends organized during a Rosh Hashanah gathering — complete with multiple cakes, symbolic details honoring both him and Hiro, and an outpouring of joy from the people who love them most. It was heartfelt, playful, and quintessentially Ron.

What stood out most in our conversation was how love has expanded him. He spoke about the relief of sharing life with someone who balances him, the growth that comes from softening old edges, and the beauty of building a home where two people can be fully themselves together. It’s not a reinvention — it’s an evolution.

This episode is more than a behind-the-scenes look at cake artistry or creative mastery. It’s a story about partnership, boundaries, identity, and the unexpected ways love reshapes us. It reminds us that even the most seasoned industry icons can be transformed by intimacy, vulnerability, and the quiet rituals of daily life.

On. the Ask Jove Segment of the podcast, Sloan and Jove talk about what to do when your maid of honor is pregnant close to the wedding date!

LISTEN NOW!