Today’s boho chic celebration shows you don’t need an unlimited budget to put together a memorable Jewish wedding.
Janice, a production manager for TV, and Samuel, an AV technician, planned a totally stunning DC bash at District Winery, filled with beautiful waterfront views and plentiful greenery, vines, and succulents – that coordinated perfectly with the couple’s whimsical ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubata (which also features a beautiful English text that speaks to the couple’s relationship story)
Janice purchased both her classic lace ceremony gown and simple open-backed party dress from BHLDN – a great option for stylish bridal attire on a budget. Photographer Adam Mason of Mason Photography did an incredible job capturing not only all the lovely details but, most importantly, all the energy and love of the big day.
These two also had an incredible heirloom chuppah cover, made out of fabric from the wedding dress worn by the bride’s mother and grandmother. There’s so much more to say, but we’ll leave the rest to Janice…
How we met
Janice, the bride: We met through mutual friends while we were in college and home for the summer. We lost touch for most of the next few years and ran into each other over Thanksgiving break when my husband was living at home after college and I was home visiting from New York. A couple months later he moved to New York and we’ve been together ever since.
Urban Winery
Both my husband and I grew up in the DC area so we knew we wanted to get married close to where our families live. We got married at District Winery. We chose this venue because we wanted somewhere that was on the water, in the middle of the city with the ability to do an outdoor service and an indoor party that wasn’t a hotel!
We live in Brooklyn not far from their sister restaurant (Brooklyn Winery) and it just felt like a perfect combination of our current life and where we grew up. Once we visited DW we knew it was the perfect place and picked our date right then.
Boho Elegance
Our wedding was a mix of elegant and boho. We wanted to really tie into the beauty of the venue and that it was a beautiful fall wedding! The most important thing for us was to incorporate elements of our friends and family and our own personal style while keeping the details simple!
The only thing we missed was our perfect dog, Oliver Pickles. He is such a big part of our life it was weird to not have him at our wedding.
Custom Invitations
One of my childhood best friends is a very talented artist. As soon as we got engaged I knew that I wanted her to design our wedding invites. She painted us a custom wreath and banner that we incorporated into every print aspect of our wedding. Robin used our inspiration board from our florist and my bridesmaid dress colors scheme to come up with her design.
Hair + Makeup
I went with Eye Do Makeup & Hair who pair your style with makeup and hair artists – I got paired with Pinina Morgan at Tic Tac Toe Artistry. From the moment I met her, she totally vibed with my style and understood exactly what I was going for. I loved getting to know her and working with her! She was so fantastic and I only hope I can have another event to work with her again.
BHLDN Dresses
I had two dresses and they were both from BHLDN. I knew I had always wanted a dress that was not perfectly white, but I wanted it to be lace, with straps, and be super comfortable! I love fashion and clothes, but knew I couldn’t afford to spend a large chunk of my budget on the dress. As soon as I walked out in front of my mom and my best friend I knew from their faces that it was the right dress! My 2nd dress was always intended to be an after party dress. I put it on to dance! It was simple and white with an open back.
Crystal Headband
I had a crystal headband from Kleinfeld’s Sample Studio – it was floral and woven into my updo! I did not wear a veil because the back of my dress was so intricate! I never really felt like the veil was my style. I wanted something that was a little more glitsy, but still a flower crown so I found a good happy medium with this headband! It was actually a belt originally, but it fit my hairstyle perfectly!
Isa Tapia Shoes
Isa Tapia Charlotte sandals in “something blue/silver” They were short block glitter heels, and my something blue. And then I changed into white Toms with a chunky heel for dancing.
The handsome groom
He wore a custom French Navy suit by Institchu. He loves to dress up so we created a 3 piece suit with a blue graphic print of bicycles. He’s an avid cyclist so it was a perfect surprise for the lining to be made from a pattern that made his style and loves pop. He had a custom, handmade Yarmulke from my grandmother in our wedding colors (white + burgundy). It ended up looking like the shield from Captain American which was pretty amazing! And his boutonnière was succulents – all greenery and no flowers which he was thrilled about!
Bridesmaids in Burgundy
I had 6 bridesmaids – they got to choose one of 3 dresses from BHLDN in a burgundy/merlot color. It went perfectly with the fall theme and their dresses matched the ties of the groom and groomsmen. The color was also a perfect compliment to red wine and was a beautiful accent to the space and the ceremony. They carried bouquets of greenery only, no flowers.
An Heirloom Chuppah
My chuppah cover was made from my grandmother’s and mother’s wedding dress. My mother had worn my grandmother’s dress for her wedding day, but it had gotten stained since it had been packed away. I had always known I wanted to incorporate it into our ceremony, so my mother had it made from the dress. It was so incredible to stand under a chuppah made from a family heirloom and know I’ll pass that down to my children and their children.
A Meaningful Ketubah
Our ketubah was a special piece of our ceremony; It was a really intimate ceremony with our rabbi, both our parents, and 3 of our closest friends, two of whom were our witnesses. The text in English on our ketubah talks about us being best friends and creating our own story. It was really special to find that text and it fit both our Jewish and secular lives pretty perfectly. Plus the design was all succulents and flowed with the theme of our event.
Surprise Poetry
Another very unique part of our ceremony is that one of my best friends, Lissa Piercy, wrote a poem about our love story and read it during our ceremony. She is a poet by trade and has been a big supporter of our story from the beginning. The content of the poem was a surprise and was such a special and unique part of the day. It was a wonderful and loving gift that really took everyone by surprise.
The kiddush cups we used during our ceremony were my husband’s late grandfathers and mine from my bat mitzvah. It was very special to have them a big part of the day.
Our music choice
Officiant + Grandparents – ‘Concerning Hobbits’, Vitamin String Quartet
Sam + Parents – ‘Danny’s Song’, Piano Tribute Players
Bridal Party – ‘In Your Eyes’, Vitamin String Quartet
Bride – ‘Stand By Me Instrumental’, Vesislava
Recessional – ‘Forever Young”, Rod Stewart
First dance – ‘Faithfully’, Journey
Cake cutting song – ‘Grow Old With You’, Adam Sandler (skip past the dialogue introduction).
Flowers
Our flowers were done by Helen Olivia Flowers! Rachel and the team at Helen Olivia could not have been more amazing. We skyped and did all our planning remotely because I was away in New York. I gave them an overview of my style and my budget and they took care of the rest! We wanted everything to be local, in season, and most importantly in budget! I can’t even believe what they were able to pull off with greenery, vines, and minimal actual flowers and buds. The venue was stunning! And the groomsmen wore little succulent boutonnieres (I love succulents and cacti — they just make me so happy)!
Photographer
Our photographer was Adam Mason of Mason Photography. From the minute we had our first intro call with him we knew he was the perfect person to work with. He has a great energy, can make anyone feel comfortable and excited and really fit with our vibe and energy. He captured the day so perfectly, because not only are his photos gorgeous but they really capture the feeling and the energy of our love and our guests surrounding love. He felt like a guest with how he interacted on the dance floor and we’ve turned it into a wonderful friendship. I can’t wait to recommend him to our friends and family for their future weddings!
Milk Bar Cake
Our cake was done by Milk Bar – we had a dulce de leche top layer and an apple pie bottom layer. It was a small cake with a topper of a bride, groom and their frenchie (our little way of including our dog in the wedding) and our florist added some beautiful buds to brighten up the “naked” cake!
Our first apartment was down the street from the original Milk Bar and it had so many memories. When it came to picking a cake there was no other comparison. Not only that but they were super accommodating and safe for my brother with pretty significant food allergies. We got to do a tasting with my mom and grandmother and the cakes have been so important for many milestones in our lives. Plus the naked style went perfectly with our theme.
No favors
We didn’t have any favors! We are firm believers in experiences over material items and felt that planning an amazing party and celebration would be more valuable than having favors! We also asked around and found that most of our friends and family often forget their wedding favors at the venue. We did have a photobooth for people to create fun memories and pictures!
Speeches
My parents (bride) gave a welcome speech that was beautiful, and then my maid of honor and my husband’s brother (best man) gave speeches. They were very fun, memorable, and really talked about our relationship and how it affected those around us in positive fun ways! In addition to my 6 bridesmaids, two of my friends from high school were ushers, I really wanted everyone I love to be a part of the day and feel included. Everyone who was at our wedding has been such great supporters of our love, we wanted to share the excitement and fun with them as much as possible.
Honeymoon in Greece
We went to Greece for our honeymoon – we started in Athens, then to Chania, and finally to Santorini. It was the perfect blend of sightseeing, relaxation, romance, and beach time. It was the most magical place and we can’t wait to go back again and again. We are already planning to renew our vows in Greece in 10 years at our favorite hotel – Canaves Oia Suites. I planned our whole honeymoon on the fly besides booking flights since our wedding was the main focus. The trip could not have been more perfect and is some of our favorite memories together.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Take moments to yourself to step outside of the moment and bask in the awesomeness that is the day. It goes by very quickly and you’ll want to remember it. Hire a videographer, it was not in our budget and is the thing that I wish we had as a memory! Task someone not in your family or wedding party with a list of all the photos you want to take, make sure you write them down and that they’re responsible for helping you get them! Your mind will be in so many places and time goes by so fast! My other piece of advice would be to relax – your guests are there to celebrate you! If you spend your day worrying about making everyone happy, you will miss out on the best part of the wedding! Your friends and family will be happy if you are!
Janice & Samuel’s little white book
Photography – Mason Photography
Ketubah – Ketubata {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Venue – District Winery
Bride’s and bridesmaid’ dresses – BHLDN
Bride’s shoes – Isa Tapia and Toms
Bride’s accessories – Kleinfeld’s Sample Studio
Groom’s attire – Institchu
Bridesmaid robes – Le Rose
Groomsmen – The Black Tux
Hair + Makeup – Tic Tac Toe Artistry
Flowers – Helen Olivia Flowers
DJ – Ivan Beats
Photobooth – Snaplyfe Photobooths
Invitation – RCB Custom Creative
Cake – Milk Bar Bakery
