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A Jane Hill Bride for an Ultra-Personal Foodies’ Jewish Wedding at Braxted Park, Witham, UK

09/02/2026 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Saydee and Eldar, Braxted Park Estate, Witham, UK

This Jewish wedding has it all – tons of personal touches, gorgeous countryside setting, great food, and an epic party. Londoners Saydee, a senior food buyer, and Eldar, a director at an advertising agency, worked with their planner Sophie Amor to craft the most magical celebration at picturesque Braxted Park, with so many fabulous details it’s hard to know where to start.

We could go with the couple’s stunning chuppah, inspired by the enormous oak tree on the grounds that formed the focal point of the outdoor ceremony – Saydee and Eldar wanted it to feel as though it was growing into the landscape, and did they ever! (Don’t miss it in the natural, documentary-style photos by Susie and Harley of  Barker Evans.)

Or the chuppah explanation cards the couple created to guide guests unfamiliar with Jewish weddings through the ceremony – hand-drawn by the bride’s mother!

And then there’s the food. Eldar’s family is behind beloved London restaurant group Delamina, so exceptional wedding eats were a must. Working with kosher caterer Dvash, the couple put together a menu with food inspired by Eldar’s mother’s cooking, featuring Middle Eastern-inspired dishes like short rib Delamina-style, slow-cooked with dates, pul-biber chilies, Jerusalem artichoke three ways, and roasted okra.”

Read on for the full story in Saydee’s own words…

Saydee and Eldar, Braxted Park Estate, Witham, UK Saydee and Eldar, Braxted Park Estate, Witham, UK Saydee and Eldar, Braxted Park Estate, Witham, UK Saydee and Eldar, Braxted Park Estate, Witham, UK

How We Met

Saydee, the bride: Introduced by a mutual friend but had crossed paths once that year and Eldar grew up on the road Saydee went to school!

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How big should a chuppah be?

06/02/2026 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

colourful-chuppah

Gena and Tony’s chuppah | Photo by Lara Hotz 

Yesss to DIY chuppahs! There’s something so meaningful about standing under a canopy you’ve built with your own hands (and if you’re looking for a full-on tutorial, we’ve got them here and here) – it really becomes a symbol of the home you’re creating together. That said, sizing it right is one of the most common questions we hear from couples. Let’s walk through how to make sure yours feels just right.

Who’s Standing With You?

The first thing you need to know is who’ll be standing under the chuppah with you. You’ll need your chuppah to accommodate a minimum of three – the two of you and your officiant. A good rule of thumb for a basic square chuppah footprint is about 5 feet x 5 feet. 

If you’re picturing parents, siblings, or anyone else standing with you, or you just want it to feel a bit more expansive, consider bumping it up to around 6 feet x 6 feet – or even larger if you have the space, depending on the size of your crowd. 

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A Mira Zwillinger Bride for a Rustically Elegant Jewish Wedding at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, Santa Barbara, California, USA

02/02/2026 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Laura and Danny, Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, Santa Barbara, California, USA

Talk about a Jewish wedding with a view – we’re totally and completely obsessed with Laura and Danny’s dreamy day at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm in Santa Barbara! With an outdoor chuppah on a meadowed bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a reception in the farm’s stunning glass greenhouse, and tons of greenery and wildflowers all around, this was one gorgeous celebration.

Laura and Danny made the wise decision to let the beauty of their location take the lead, opting for a natural and understated aesthetic featuring shades of wheat, beige and nude hues coupled with greens, as well as organic design elements like natural colored linens and textiles, exposed wood, burnished metal, and ceramic. Elena Berlo of Smashing The Glass Recommended vendor Once Upon a Paper designed the couple’s custom ketubah, translating our vision into a truly beautiful and meaningful piece.Don’t miss it all in the wonderful photos by Tara Johansen and video by Thomas Tikos-Kadji.

Now over to Laura, who looked so elegant in her gown by beloved Israeli designer Mira Zwillinger…

 

Laura and Danny, Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, Santa Barbara, California, USA Laura and Danny, Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, Santa Barbara, California, USA Laura and Danny, Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, Santa Barbara, California, USA Laura and Danny, Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, Santa Barbara, California, USA

How We Met

Laura, the bride: Danny and I were set up through a mutual friend. Our first date was at a bar in Los Angeles, CA and what was supposed to be just drinks turned into dinner and over three hours of talking and laughing. We had an instant connection and both shared a love for Documentary films. Once the physical date ended, we continued texting for another four hours that evening.

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Create the Jewish Wedding Gift List of Your Dreams with Contemporary Judaica

28/01/2026 by Karen Cinnamon 1 Comment

Modern Kiddush Cup and Plate in Silver by Nadav Art |Photo by Stuart Wood Photography from Bringing the Hamptons to the UK: Jewish Wedding Inspo on Osea Island

It’s no secret that Contemporary Judaica is my very favourite source for stylish, modern Judaica in the UK. I’m obsessed with their gorgeous holiday popups in London’s picturesque Hampstead Village, and whenever I need a new piece for a holiday, a Jewish gift, or a gorgeous piece of Jewish jewelry, they’re always my go-to. But did you know that they also offer a fantastic wedding gift list service, easy to share with family and friends and complete with international shipping?

Aquila Shabbat Candlesticks by Lou Henry for Nambé

Why a Jewish Wedding Gift List?

Whether or not you want it, you’re going to have some guests who want to buy you Judaica – so you might as well make it easy for them to purchase pieces you’re guaranteed to love by setting up a Judaica gift list alongside your main registry.

Ceramic White Mezuzah with Gold Shin by Yahalomis

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A Same-Sex Jewish Wedding with Lots of DIY at Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA

26/01/2026 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA

We love a DIY Jewish wedding, and Hadassah and Natanya’s is one for the books! The Jerusalem-based brides, who opted to wed near Natanya’s hometown at Floriana in Ipswich, Massachusetts, added so many incredible handcrafted elements to their day, and we here for it.

Despite the long distance, the duo planned the entire wedding themselves, and it was a priority to make every detail of the day totally, 100% them. They crafted a halakhic same-sex ceremony featuring each bride circling the other 7 times, a modified birkat erusin blessing followed by egalitarian kiddushin, sheva brachot recited by family and friends, and finally a joint smashing of the glass!

And of course there’s all the awesome DIY projects. The couple did their own flowers, designed their ketubah, and crafted custom benchers – and perhaps coolest of all, Hadassah sewed  her own wedding gown from scratch! Don’t miss all the gorgeous details in the wonderful photos by Lana Shevorski.

Read on for the full story in Hadassah’s own words…

Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA

How We Met

Hadassah, the bride: We met as students at the Joint Program between the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University. We first got to know each other in a class about Martin Buber junior year, and started dating second-semester senior year.

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