Bride & Groom Honor Nova Festival Survivors

Mindy Freedman and Evan Kopf’s love story began on the roof of a New York City synagogue during a Jewish singles Shabbat. In October of 2021, Mindy was with her two girlfriends, and Evan was with his two guy friends. Mindy’s friend saw them and exclaimed, “Hey, those are good odds!”

The groups met and decided to leave the event together to sing karaoke and dance. Evan twirled Mindy on the dance floor, and the two immediately felt chemistry. Fast forward two years, Evan proposed in Carl Schurz Park near their apartment in the Upper East Side. They were married on Feb. 22, 2025, at Gotham Hall in Manhattan while 200 guests looked on.

Mindy Freedman, the only child of Dr. Allan and Paula Freedman, is a 2009 graduate of The Epstein School and 2013 graduate of The Galloway School. She moved to New York to attend NYU, where she majored in musical theatre.

Following graduation, Mindy found a new passion in the bridal industry. After starting as a stylist at Kleinfeld and appearing on the TV show, “Say Yes to the Dress,” Mindy is currently a bridal consultant at Mark Ingram Atelier in Manhattan where she experienced her own “Say Yes to the Dress” moment by selecting an exquisite Monique Lhullier gown. She also reworked her mother’s 47-year-old wedding gown to wear for the rehearsal dinner, hopefully a good omen for many years of marriage to come.

Evan Kopf is the oldest of three children of Michael and Jamie Kopf from Closter, N.J. He is a graduate of Tulane University and currently works as an FP&A manager for the tech startup, Snappt. After graduating from Tulane, Evan spent a year in Cali, Colombia, teaching English, even rescuing a dog, Lucas, and bringing him back to the United States. Mindy said, “Evan is a dedicated vegan. One of my favorite traits about him is his respect for all living things, even wearing a custom tuxedo by Alan David employing bamboo as the fabric.”

Deeply connected to their Jewish identities, Mindy and Evan were moved by the story of Eliya Cohen and Ziv Abud, a couple separated from each other at the Nova Festival in Israel on Oct. 7, where Eliya was taken hostage. Mindy and Evan honored them on their wedding website; and Eliya was released from captivity on their wedding day, making their day even more special.

Mindy and Evan knew they wanted to get married in Manhattan, as that is where their love story took place. They chose Gotham Hall, awestruck by the high ceilings, architecture, warmth, and plentiful vegan options. They worked with Vanda High Events for planning, Kelly Kollar for photography, Hank Lane’s Brooklyn Sound band, had a vegan cake from Bleu Neige, customized ketubah by Danny Azoulay in Israel, and Flowers by Brian.

Officiating the ceremony were Rabbi Mark Hillel Kunis of Congregation Shaarei Shamayim in Atlanta, Mindy’s family synagogue, and Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner of Temple Emanu-El in Closter, N.J., the Kopf’s family congregation.

Evan recalled, “Every wedding moment was meaningful: the emotional first look, ketubah signing in Gotham Hall’s old bank vault, Mindy wearing the diamond bracelet from her grandmother and her great-great-grandmother’s pearl earrings.”

Evan wore his grandfather’s wedding band. The couple used two tallitot for the ceremony, one from Mindy’s dad and one from Evan’s grandfather. Mindy dedicated her bouquet to her mom for all she did to make the wedding happen so gloriously.

Halfway through the night, Evan and Mindy had a moment to sit and reflect, listening to the speeches from friends and family, including a memorable father-of-the-bride speech. Mindy then surprised Evan by taking the stage herself to sing, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” one of Evan’s favorites. As Mindy sang, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. She said, “It was a beautiful moment shared between us and everyone in attendance.”

After a two-week honeymoon in Hawaii, the couple resides on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Evan concluded, “From the South to the North, all the way to Israel and more, people came from all over to N-Y-C to celebrate with us. We feel grateful so many loved ones made their way to the Big Apple.”