Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog - Inspired Jewish Weddings

Ethereal Garden Vibes for an Afternoon Tea Same Sex Jewish Wedding at Fowler House Mansion in Lafayette, Indiana, USA

15/08/2022 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

This gorgeous Jewish wedding is a very special landmark for us: it’s the very first we’ve published featuring not one but two members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club!

Both Eliza, a graduate student in Purdue University’s Rhetoric and Composition program, and Jean, a data analyst at an e-commerce marketing tech start-up, were beloved members of the Brides Club community, and we’re so glad to hear their kind words about how helpful and supportive they found the group as they planned their afternoon tea wedding.

We’re in love with the sweet vintage vibes of their day – don’t miss the wonderful photos by Jasmine Norris Photography – featuring lovely touches from a five-course French-style tea, a chuppah built by Jean’s dad, fun loose-leaf tea favors for guests to take home, and a colorful folk art-inspired ketubah by Celia Lemonik, purchased through Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor ketubah.com. Eliza and Jean especially loved ketubah.com’s wonderful options for personalizing the text and making it egalitarian and gender-neutral.

There’s so much more to say about this very special Jewish wedding – but we’ll turn you over to the brides to hear the rest…

How we Met

Eliza: We met at a bar in Indianapolis (while Jean was on a date with someone else!).Continue Reading

A Watters Bride for an Elegant Jewish Wedding at Hilton Columbus Downtown, Columbus, USA

08/08/2022 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

How stunning is the Jewish wedding of Julie, a second grade teacher, and Jacob, a law student?!

The pair went for a classically elegant vibe for their big day at the Hilton Columbus Downtown, and they totally rocked it. Every detail from Julie’s strapless mermaid gown by Watters to their purple and white color scheme to their rousing hora was sheer perfection.

We’re especially enamored with the couple’s beautiful ketubah, which they found online at Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com. Though Julie and Jacob found lots of designs they liked among the fabulous selection, they eventually settled on a wonderful light blue and grey number by designer Enya Keshet.

The duo’s photographer, Tessa at Starling Studio, captured the day so exquisitely – read on for more of her vibrant pics, plus the rest of the details about this very special day.

How we Met

Julie, the bride: We met through a set-up by mutual friends. One of my colleagues is married to an old classmate of Jacob’s, and they noticed Jacob working out at the same gym as them. They asked us both if we were interested in meeting each other, and the rest is history!Continue Reading

Eternal City Jewish Wedding Inspo at the Rome Cavalieri, Rome, Italy

04/08/2022 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

There’s no place like Rome for a Jewish destination wedding. The history, the romance, the food… so many STG brides opt for gorgeous celebrations in the Eternal City, and it’s easy to see why. That’s why we’re so thrilled to be featuring this stunning Jewish wedding-themed styled shoot at Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel and one of Rome’s premier Jewish wedding venues. Planned by another beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor, Deborah di Castro, and photographed by Alessia Angelotti, it’s truly a feast for the eyes.

FOREVER AFTER IN THE ETERNAL CITY

The Rome Cavalieri is a peaceful oasis immersed in a private 15-acre Mediterranean park located at the top of Monte Mario hill. From the hilltop, you and your guests can enjoy unique and enchanting views of the Eternal City. And if you’re looking to have your chuppah in the majestic Great Synagogue of Rome, it’s just 6 km from the property.

The Rome Cavalieri’s outdoor event space, Terrazza degli Aranci, is Rome’s highest panoramic private terrace offering a spectacular backdrop of the Roman atmosphere for your big day.

Jewish Wedding Experts

The Events Planning team at the Rome Cavalieri are pros when it comes to Jewish weddings. In fact, one in ever four weddings held at the hotel is kosher!

The team has the knowledge and expertise to tailor your event to your unique needs, with many special options to make your day truly one-of-a-kind including signature cocktails, custom wedding cakes by Executive Pastry Chef Nuti, authentic Shabbat dinners, and lunches.

The Rome Cavalieri’s kitchen can prepare fully kosher meals as well as kosher-style options, thanks to their longstanding relationships with trusted kosher suppliers, all supervised by a rabbi provided by the Roman Jewish community.

The Rome Cavalieri can host weddings of all sizes, from 20 up to 500 guests. With over 29 event spaces to choose from, you will be sure to find the perfect spot for every element of your destination wedding in Rome.

Two Beautiful Brides for an Ecofriendly Same-Sex Jewish Wedding in the Redwoods, Old Mill Park, California, USA

01/08/2022 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

How can you not love a wedding featuring California redwoods, two brides in matching Teva sandals, and a bouncy house? Just one of those things would be enough to set our hearts aflutter – and the fabulous Jewish wedding of Margeaux and Zoe included all three, and so much more!

It’s hard not to fall for a wedding with as stunning an outdoor setting as this one – and we love that Margeaux and Zoe worked with Rachelle of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush to design a custom nature-themed ketubah reflecting their big day. Featuring some favorite flowers, plus greenery in honor of the venue, it’s an absolute stunner – and how cool is it that these two wrote their own ketubah text in English and Hebrew?! Don’t miss it in the exquisite photos by photographer Hellena Cedeno!

We’re also pretty smitten with the brides’ attire – not just their dresses from BHLDN (Zoe) and Jenny Yoo (Margeaux), but their comfy footwear too. Yep, the couple really opted to wear matching Teva sandals the whole day! Such a fun personal touch – and how great must they have felt to dance in?!

There’s so much more to say about this very special Jewish wedding, but we’ll leave it to Margeaux and Zoe to fill you in on the rest…

How we Met

We are both rabbinical students at Hebrew Union College. We met at List College, the undergraduate program between the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University.

How to Choose an Engagement Ring that Will Withstand the Test of Time {with Kristin Coffin}

28/07/2022 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Unlike most decisions associated with your wedding, your engagement ring is one that will last far beyond the big day. So while of course you’ll want to choose a piece you adore right now, you’ll also want to make sure you pick a ring you’ll be happy to wear for many decades to come.

But with all the different choices out there, how do you determine what’s a fleeting trend vs. a timeless classic? All it requires is a little bit of ring education. We’ve chatted with the experts at Kristin Coffin Jewelry, a jeweler specializing in sustainable engagement rings to last a lifetime, all about some of the best options for a ring that’ll never look dated. Read on to learn more about some of the most beloved settings and shapes for timeless engagement ring bliss.

Classic Ring Settings

One of the key decisions you’ll need to make when choosing your engagement ring is the setting. Three classic options guaranteed to withstand the test of time are solitaire, three-stone, and halo – read on for the main features and pros and cons of each. Continue Reading