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A Dorit Izbizki Bride for a Pandemic Jewish Wedding at Xanadu, Petach Tikva, Israel

23/05/2022 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Eliana-Pinny-Xanadu-Petach-Tikva-Israel

When they first started planning their wedding, Eliana and Pinny, both Americans who made aliyah on their own, put a premium on choosing a date that would allow their parents and siblings to fly in for the simcha.

However, the Omicron variant had other plans, and the week before the wedding, Israel shut its borders – even to first-degree relatives. As devastating as it was for the couple to accept that so many important family members wouldn’t be able to make it, they decided to forge on – and despite the sadness that comes with being far away from loved ones (though Eliana and Pinny did find some clever ways for their long-distance siblings to participate via Zoom!), the pair pulled off a truly amazing day. And that was largely thanks to the incredible network they’ve grown in their time in Israel – so much so that, even with international guests out of the picture, they still had a 300-person wedding!

Lucky for Eliana and Pinny, one key VIP who was able to make it was their photographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman Photography. From the moment they got engaged, these two knew Herschel was the only photographer for them – so much so that, in Eliana’s words, “I wouldn’t have considered a date that we couldn’t have had Herschel Gutman as our photographer!” And Herschel and his team didn’t disappoint – in addition to being a total delight to work with on the day, they also did an incredible job capturing all the emotion and energy of this very special day.

There’s so much more we could say about this wonderful Jewish wedding, but we’ll leave it to the bride – who looked radiant in Dorit Izbizki – to fill you in on the details…

Eliana-Pinny-Xanadu-Petach-Tikva-Israel Eliana-Pinny-Xanadu-Petach-Tikva-Israel Eliana-Pinny-Xanadu-Petach-Tikva-Israel Eliana-Pinny-Xanadu-Petach-Tikva-Israel
How we Met

Eliana, the bride: Mine and Pinny’s older sisters, Shosh and Yael, have been friends for years now. Ever since I moved to Israel, 2 years after Pinny did, my sister has been saying “You have got to go out with Shosh’s little brother!” For years though the timing was never right. He’s in his fourth year of the army, and I just began law school. Finally, last May, my sister brought up his name again and we both said yes.

The day after his first text to me we went out on our first date… and we just clicked right away. Six months later, on my 21st birthday, he proposed!

After our engagement, with both of our parents and most of our siblings living in America, it was important to choose a date that everyone would be able to fly in and share in the simcha! (We had no idea of the impending omicron variant…at the time, it really seemed like we arrived at the light at the end of the tunnel with the third vaccine open for everyone in both Israel and America.) We then chose a date in December that would be the last time all of our siblings can fly in for a while, with that said, we had a pretty short engagement.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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Mazel Pup! Involving Your Dog in Your Jewish Wedding

18/05/2022 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Jewish-wedding-Red-Gate-Farm-Savannah-GA-USA

Jacqui and James‘ Jewish wedding with dogs | Photo by Sarah Diller

This is a guest post by Rabbi Robyn Frisch, Director of the Rukin Rabbinic Fellowship for 18Doors and founder of the Mazel Pups Facebook Group. Rabbi Robyn loves dogs just as much as she loves Jewish (and Jew-is) weddings – and having officiated at many over the past 20+ years, she’s seen it all and is channeling her wisdom into some great tips about involving your furry best friend in your big day.


“Will there be a ring bearer?” I asked the wedding couple, after they informed me that the bride’s four-year-old niece was going to be the flower girl. This was 22 years ago. I was a newly ordained rabbi, and it was one of the first weddings I officiated. The couple was planning a small, intimate ceremony in the groom’s parents’ back yard.

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Rachel and Aaron‘s dog-friendly Jewish wedding | Photo by Hello Blue Photo

They told me that yes, there would be a ring bearer: their Yorkshire Terrier. He’d walk down the aisle by himself with plastic rings tied onto a bow around his collar. The best man would be holding the couple’s actual wedding rings. “How bizarre!” I thought to myself. In the handful of weddings that I’d officiated, a couple of them had ring bearers – but they were HUMAN ring bearers – all little boys under the age of five. As I imagined a dog – even a cute, well-trained little Yorkie – in the ceremony, a list of all of the things that could possibly go wrong ran through my head.

Jacqui and James‘ Jewish wedding with dogs | Photo by Sarah Diller

But the couple insisted that their dog be the ringbearer, and so he was. And I’m happy to report that the dog did a great job. He walked down the aisle on his own – stopping briefly once or twice to sniff the grass and look at the guests – and when he met the groom at the Chuppah (wedding canopy) he was rewarded with a scratch behind his ears and a Milk Bone treat subtly removed from the groom’s pocket.

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Wendy and Nagesh‘s Jewish wedding – with their dog | Photo by Laurie Bailey 

For many years after that wedding, I didn’t see or hear much about dogs being part of weddings. But in recent years, many couples I’ve married have dogs who aren’t just incredibly important parts of their lives, but who’ve also played roles in proposals; engagement and wedding photos; and wedding ceremonies.

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Sara and Greg‘s Jewish wedding, with pup Bruce | Photo by Hilary Katzen 

PROPOSALS

For some couples I’ve worked with, the dog’s involvement starts with their engagement. For example, Sydney and Andrew already had rescued their dog Jasper together, and Sydney felt that Jasper was ready for a sibling. Her hints to Andrew weren’t so subtle: Sydney started sending Andrew pictures of other dogs they could rescue. She had no idea that Andrew was already in the process of looking for another dog to add to their family – and that he was planning for that dog to be a central part of his proposal.

Samantha and Scott‘s Jewish wedding, with furry friends on the guest list | Photo by Starfish Studios 

One day, Andrew came home holding roses – and a dog! Sydney was so excited about their new dog Pippa that it took her awhile to notice that Pippa was wearing a tag that said “Will you marry me?” Ultimately, Sydney did see the tag, and ended up that day with both a new dog in the family and the love of her life as her fiance.

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Rachel and Aaron‘s dog-friendly Jewish wedding | Photo by Hello Blue Photo

ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS

Many couples choose to have their dogs in their engagement photos. While they’ll of course take plenty of photos with just the two of them, they’ll also have a bunch of photos with their dog, or dogs. Just like engagement photos in general, sometimes the photos with the dogs are taken at the couple’s home, sometimes they’re taken at a photographer’s studio, and sometimes they’re taken outside. Often the photos with the dogs are taken first, and then someone who the dogs are comfortable with – a relative, groomer, walker, or someone else the dog knows well – takes the dog so the couple and photographer can be alone to take the rest of the photos.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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A Grace Loves Lace Bride for a Desert Jewish Wedding at The Lodge at Ventana Canyon, Arizona, USA

16/05/2022 by Karen Cinnamon 1 Comment

Jenna-Mat-The-Lodge-at-Ventana-Canyon-Arizona-USA

Today we’re featuring the wedding of a very special Smashing The Glass Brides Club member Jenna! You see, way back in the Before Times, Jenna hosted the very first NYC Brides Club meetup – a challah bake at her place in Brooklyn, which, as a mega-talented baker, she also led!

During the pandemic, she and now-husband Mat (who’ve got a super cute how-they-met story, by the way) relocated from NYC back to their shared hometown of Tucson, Arizona, where they also held their wedding – and while I know the New York Brides Club crew misses Jenna’s generosity and baking prowess, after taking a look at the gorgeous landscape featured in She.We Studio’s photos, can you really blame her?!

Even before Jenna and Mat’s move back to the Southwest, they always knew they wanted their wedding to reflect the beauty of the region where they met and grew up. Their main requirement in a venue was epic mountain views, their ketubah featured watercolor mountains reminiscent of Tucson’s, their invites featured prickly pear cacti – Jenna’s bridal bouquet even featured succulents! And she found the perfect lightweight gown for Arizona climate at Grace Loves Lace, too.

There’s so much more to say about this wonderful wedding, and we’ll let Jenna tell you all about it in her own words – but before we do, we’ve got to share her kind words about her time in Brides Club:

“I joined the Brides Club because Smashing the Glass really is the only resource out there for modern Jewish weddings. The Brides Club was a way to have that same community I was seeing from other wedding resources, but with the added bonus of people actually understanding questions related to a Jewish wedding.  What I didn’t know was that I would meet so many wonderful women and make so many amazing friendships, which was especially helpful when Covid hit and caused so many of us to change or cancel our plans.  I honestly couldn’t have weathered two postponements without being surrounded by my friends and having Karen there for mental and emotional support.”

Awww! Doesn’t get much better than that, does it? Take it away, Jenna!

Jenna-Mat-The-Lodge-at-Ventana-Canyon-Arizona-USA Jenna-Mat-The-Lodge-at-Ventana-Canyon-Arizona-USA Jenna-Mat-The-Lodge-at-Ventana-Canyon-Arizona-USA Jenna-Mat-The-Lodge-at-Ventana-Canyon-Arizona-USA
How we Met

Jenna, the bride: I am a data analyst, currently working in retail, & Mat is a customer success manager in tech.  We actually met back in 1994 (we weren’t even two years old yet) at a tumbling class at a local park’s rec center.  We reconnected throughout life, as we both grew up in Tucson, AZ and belonged to the same synagogue (I even stole Mat’s birthday for my Bat Mitzvah date), but we happened to both be at a mutual friend’s high school graduation party (who ended up being our wedding videographer) one summer.

It turned out that Mat was going to be in the same freshman business mentorship program at our local university I had been in the year prior (I was a grade ahead of Mat in school) and was planning to attend the orientation that following week (University of Arizona is a large school with multiple orientation dates).  A few days later, I got a Facebook message from Mat saying “I got your book.”  Somehow, Mat got the book we read in the business mentorship program that I had signed – out of 60 from my year and 60 in his incoming year and of all orientation dates, he got my book!  When school started, I invited Mat to our school’s Chabad welcome back barbeque for free kosher food, and the rest is history (although, it would take us until March of the following year to start dating).Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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A Classic Springtime Jewish Wedding at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, USA

13/05/2022 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Erin & Jared, Turnip Rose promenade and gardens, USA

We are so thrilled to be sharing the gorgeous Jewish wedding of our Brides Club member Emily today! Emily made it official with now-husband Harrison in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina, at The Omni Grove Park Inn, and we’re so in love with this special day – all the more so after following the leadup as Emily shared her planning journey in Brides Club!

We adored having Emily in the group, and we’re so touched by her kind words: “The Brides Club allowed me to meet new people and posit questions I would not have known by myself. Brides Club was an amazing way to have the support of a Jewish community and the resources to create the traditional ceremony of my dreams.”

The couple even found their incredible ketubah artist, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Noa Attias, through Brides Club! It was important for Emily and Harrison to pick a ketubah they’d love hanging in their home as a piece of art, and when they stumbled onto Noa’s work they knew they’d found just the thing – and how gorgeous is their Glory ketubah with a blue watercolor background?!

Erin & Jared, Turnip Rose promenade and gardens, USA Erin & Jared, Turnip Rose promenade and gardens, USA Erin & Jared, Turnip Rose promenade and gardens, USA Erin & Jared, Turnip Rose promenade and gardens, USA
How we Met

Emily, the bride: Harrison and I are currently federal government contractors. I make a career shift this fall through Clemson University’s accelerated nursing program. Harrison and I met in September 2017 in Charleston, SC at a bar (formerly) called Voodoo. I had just moved to Charleston two weeks before and it was an instant connection. We got engaged on New Year’s Day 2021.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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How to Handle Wedding Planning Stress, Anxiety, or Overwhelm {Instagram Live Recap with Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J}

10/05/2022 by Karen Cinnamon 1 Comment

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A post shared by Jewish Wedding Inspiration + Advice (@smashingtheglass)


Who’s having a hard time with wedding planning stress or overwhelm right now? ???? If that’s you, my latest Instagram live is an absolute must-watch. 

I spoke with the wonderful Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J, all about how to handle wedding stress, overwhelm, and anxiety – not to mention all those (often unwanted) opinions!

Michelle is the ultimate Jewish wedding planning expert, and I love sharing her knowledge and expertise with you. A London-based planner focusing on destination Jewish weddings – both abroad and in the UK – she’s passionate about creating magical experiences for couples and their families and guests.

Chloe and Danny‘s Tuscan Jewish wedding, planned by Michelle! Photo by David Bastianoni

All About Overwhelm 

In this Live, Michelle and I talk through some easily actionable tips to make your wedding planning as fun and stress-free as possible. We opened the discussion with a focus on wedding overwhelm – something that very often comes up when Michelle first speaks with her couples. It’s especially common at the beginning of a couple’s wedding planning journey, but even all the way through overwhelm can be a big issue.

Michelle shared some great tips on how to deal:

Remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint – it’s true there’s a lot involved in planning a wedding, but no one’s expecting you to do it all at once.

Michelle also recommends that before you get started you sit down and have a conversation with your partner about what sort of wedding you really want and what your priorities are. The clearer a picture you have of what you’re aiming for, the easier it will be to figure out next steps and make choices. 

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Jasmin and Brett‘s Osea Island UK Jewish wedding, planned by Michelle! Photo by Claudine Hartzel

Getting Clear on Your Priorities

In terms of figuring out what it is that the two of you want – Michelle strongly believes that every wedding should reflect the couple behind it, so she’s a big supporter of looking inward before you look outward. First have a think about what you two like to do, what your home is like, what your ideal day out would be, and after you’ve done that start looking at Instagram, Pinterest, Smashing The Glass’s real wedding archives etc. 

Some things to think about: Do you want a country or city wedding? Small or large? Local or destination? Casual or formal? Ballroom or barn? Those are the big-picture issues. You’ll also need to have a sense of how much you want to spend so you won’t waste your time looking at vendors and venues that are out of your price range – or a venue that’s the wrong size for your crowd. It’s smart to share this vision with your family upfront and get everyone on the same page before you dive into planning. 

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