Brooklyn and Nicola's engagement photo (Instagram)
According to friends, it was Judaism that first bonded aspiring chef Brooklyn — a former footballer, model and photographer — and Nicola when they met at the Coachella music festival in California in 2019. After dating for just 10 months, Brooklyn, 23, proposed with a £350,000 diamond ring, saying: “I fall in love with you more every day.”
Although Nicola’s mother Claudia never converted, her father Nelson is said to be a devout Jew who spent more than $2 million (£1.53m) on the 2016 barmitzvah of her twin brothers, Zachary and Gregory. Claudia and Nelson have eight children together — Nicola is one of two girls — and he also has two children from an earlier relationship, which makes Brooklyn, with his two brothers and a sister, look like he comes from a small family.
Former Manchester United and England footballer David Beckham has always considered himself part Jewish because his beloved maternal grandfather Joseph was one of the tribe.
His memories of being with Joseph, who he called his “footballing inspiration”, are said to be a reason why David was as keen as the Peltz family to make this is a big Jewish affair. He will be master of ceremonies and is said to be particularly excited about the Jewish dancing and has, apparently, even asked to read a blessing in Hebrew.
Nicola and Brooklyn at an awards ceremony together (Getty Images)
“I’ve probably had more contact with Judaism than with any other religion,” David wrote in his autobiography, Untold. “I used to wear the traditional skullcaps when I was younger and I also went along to some Jewish weddings with my grandfather.”
Many of his memories of his grandfather were centred around food and matzah ball soup.
“Every Saturday, when we’d turn up, my gran would have this most amazing chicken noodle soup with the matzah meal dumplings. That’s what I was brought up on.”
Before it closed, David was a patron of Delisserie, a New York-style deli in Temple Fortune, whose matzah ball soup, he said, was second only to his grandmother’s.
David and wife Victoria both have Hebrew tattoos, which they got on their sixth wedding anniversary. They say: “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine”, from the Song of Solomon. Continuing the tattoo tradition, Brooklyn has inkings of Nicola’s name, Nicola’s grandmother’s name (Gina), Nicola’s eyes and even the replica of a love letter she once sent him.
Nicola, meanwhile, has twin tattoos with her actor brother Will Peltz, which say “family first” in Yiddish. She also has a small tattoo that simply reads: “Brooklyn”. The festivities will start with a big Friday-night dinner — which one hopes, for David’s sake, will feature a good matzah ball soup. “After the Friday night dinner we are not going to see each other until we get married in the afternoon,” said Nicola, who lives with Brooklyn.
She added: “Brooklyn’s going to stay with my dad, my brothers and his dad and his brother to have like a boy’s slumber party and I’m going to stay with the girls. We’ve been panicking about this one night apart.”
As for the wedding itself, the bride will wear Valentino — she flew to and from Rome twice for fittings.
Guests are due to include chef Gordon Ramsay and family, actress Eva Longoria, model Gigi Hadid and possibly Prince Harry and Meghan.
Brooklyn’s godfather, Elton John, is unable to make the date because he will be performing elsewhere, but rapper Snoop Dogg will be the DJ.
The music star said: “Brooklyn’s wedding is going to be a big affair and my gift to him and his wife is that I will come down and do a set for them on their big day.”
Guests will be told not to take their own photos as Vogue will be covering the event.
