There’s nothing like a good rooftop Jewish wedding, with a chuppah set against the backdrop of stunning city views – and Samantha and Jacob’s Atlanta celebration truly takes the (wedding) cake!
Samantha, who is finishing up her Doctor of Chiropractic degree, and Jacob, who works at a start-up biomedical engineer company as the head developer, planned an absolutely exquisite day, featuring the most vibrant summer blooms in shades of pink and orange, a stunning ketubah from beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor ketubah.com adored with a hamsa and pomegranates, and a touching memory wall honoring lost loved ones (including the bride’s brother who tragically passed away at age 19).
All the love and joy of this special day comes through so strongly in the photos from Hellen CO – read on for all the details in the couple’s own words!
How we Met
Samantha, the bride: Where do we begin… Samantha and Jacob met when they were very young, during middle school at a homecoming dance, by being introduced from mutual friends. From there and throughout middle and high school, they talked on and off (Facebook messenger fashion) until they decided to catch up at a local park their junior year and hit it off right away.
After many dates, Jacob, being extremely nervous, asked Samantha a million question before finally asking her to be his girlfriend. As years went by and numerous dances, football games, holidays, and family gatherings spent together, countless memories were shared with one another and their love for one another grew.
Samantha cheered Jacob on during football while Jacob supported Samantha’s never ending commitments. When college approached, their locations diverged but their love did not. Although there were over four years of long distance and all of those miles apart, their love for each other never faltered and it was coupled with numerous adventures, great food, and of course many shopping sprees!
On September 26th 2020, after exploring Charleston, SC (Samantha’s favorite place), Jacob surprised Samantha by proposing to her under a gazebo at the Charleston Battery with their families present. Finally, they will be able to solidify their title as high school sweethearts after 7+ years of dating.
Venue
We picked Four Seasons Midtown because the staff at the Four Seasons were the easiest to work with. They helped every step of the way to make sure our wedding was a dream come true. Additionally, we decided on this venue because it was close to Georgia Tech which we both have many familial and personal connections to!
Theme
Every part of our wedding was unique to our relationship! We wanted our theme to be bright, hopeful, inspiring and full of love which is why we decided to go with an elegant summer garden theme. The arrangements included vibrant summer blooms in shades of pink and orange and included ranunculus, garden roses, anemone and other lush blooms, creating an enchanting vibe.
Our wedding was a traditional Jewish wedding but since we both had family that had different religions we wanted to make it inclusive with explaining all the Jewish traditions in detail for our guests. Jacob and I always loved the outdoors specifically going to rooftops to see the Atlanta skyline so it was special to us to have the Atlanta skyline in the background of our ceremony.
Invitations / stationery
The special part of our invitation was the brides brother-in-law who is an animation director created a personalised wedding weekend map of Atlanta with places for the guest to go to while visiting for the weekend!
Dress
I had already gone to three bridal shops and hadn’t fallen in love with any dresses. One day my mom and I passed Bridals by Aimee on our way home for an event and decided to stop in. I saw a dress that was on the rack that you had to buy as is because this designer makes one of a kind dresses.
It only came in one size so I decided to give it a try. It fit perfectly and I knew it was the one! However, what made it even more special is that Birenzweig Bridal was an Israeli designer and Israel holds a special place in my heart.
Bridesmaids
The bridesmaids loved the option of being able to pick the style of dress that fit their body type best with still being able to have the same fabric and color!
Ceremony and Chuppah
Special touches: A memory wall which included the bride’s brother who passed away from Sudden Unexplained Death of Epilepsy at the age of 19 when the bride was 8; Holocaust survivor, Rose Goldberg, who was like an adopted grandma to the bride; and many other family members. This was important to the bride and groom as it made it feel like the people who were no longer on this earth were still a part of their special day.
Favorite part of the ceremony: Having two rabbis lead the wedding. Rabbi Lebow (the rabbi the bride grew up with) and Rabbi Sernovitz (the rabbi who converted the groom). Flowers lined the aisle leading to the skyline of Atlanta. The chuppah was designed to be modern with a touch of gold, elegant, and the start of a beautiful marriage.
Grandfather’s tallis from Poland. Charm with Samantha’s brother who passed away attached to her bouquet. The kiddush cups were from Rose Goldberg, of blessed memory, who was a Holocaust survivor.
Ketubah
The description from ketubah.com made us feel like this was the one: This hamsa, crowned with the foliage of the Tree of Life, is adorned by pomegranates as the symbols of our growth, our spiritual connection, and the love, learning and trust to which we commit – as we stand beneath our chuppah today.
As a couple, we will cherish one another and protect one another with mutual trust and honour and a life of good deeds and mitzvoth.
Our Music Choice
The first dance was ‘All of me’ by John Legend which was the song that the couple listened to on their first date in high school. Processional: ‘Seasons of Love’ by Rent. All the songs at the reception were high beat and high energy! Party Nation band kept everyone on the dance floor until midnight!
Flowers
The flowers and decorations were done by Stems Atlanta. The arrangements included vibrant summer blooms in shades of pink and orange. Flowers included ranunculus, garden roses, anemone and other lush blooms to create an enchanting vibe. Heather from Stems Atlanta was one of our favorite vendors to ever work with. She truly connected with us as a couple and family.
At the end of the wedding planning process she felt like an extension of our family. She was able to bring our vision to life and make it the most beautiful wedding we have ever seen. When people walked into our reception room everyone couldn’t believe the amount of flowers and how beautiful they all were! She is one of a kind and we highly recommend her for every wedding!
Photographer and videographer
Hellen was absolutely amazing! We had a long weekend of festivities and wanted every moment of it documented. She made sure that her incredible team was able to be available! Also, Hellen has such a warm and personable heart that made the whole process seamless.
Having a photographer that is calm and able to accomplish everything is all you can ask for during your wedding craziness! Wedflix was amazing and had a big team join us for our wedding day! They did a great job of capturing our event and we still watch the trailer at every family event to relive the memories!
Food and Cake
We decided to go over the top with the cocktail hour including several hors d’oeuvres and interactive stations for the guests to enjoy! The dinner was an amazing summer salad with fruit and delicious meals, desserts, and late night snacks to finish the special night! Four Seasons did the entire wedding food!
Extra details
The bride and father of the bride did a choreographed dance which was very special because she was the youngest of six children with her dad being 75 years old but can still bust a move! They were always known for their daddy-daughter dances in the car and in the public to Pitbull songs. The two have a very special bond and decided to surprise their guest with a high energy dance with two backup dancers and light effects!
Another special part of the wedding was having the bride’s role model/mentor, Anita Zucker, who lead the seven blessings and being a witness to the wedding. The seven blessings had 14 friends and family members take part in reading the hebrew and english version of the seven blessings done at a Jewish wedding. Since we come from a family of mixed religions it was so special to incorporate all friends and family members by having them be a part of this in a way they felt comfortable with and educating the guests on this special tradition!
Honeymoon
Honeymoon was done by Camille Cutrone from Vista Travel Consultants Incorporated a Virtuoso agency with a 9 day trip starting in Positano, Italy staying at the Il San Pietro then to Venice, Italy staying at the JW Marriott ending in Milan at the beautiful Chateau Monfort.
The trip consisted of visiting the Jewish ghetto in Venice, exploring each of the incredible places, learning about the couple’s italian-jewish heritage, cooking classes with local family overlooking the Amalfi Coast, and relaxing by the ocean. Every hotel was incredible with staff that made you feel at home. Camille Cutrone did an amazing job making sure we were able to travel all over Italy but not feeling rushed in just 9 days!
Advice to other couples planning their wedding
I truly believe that finding vendors that match your energy and vision for your special day is so important. Every part of our wedding team was someone that Jacob and I felt made a special connection with us as a couple. Having a strong and cohesive team during your wedding weekend is vital. Also, make sure to breathe and enjoy every second of the planning process and special day. It only happens once in your life!
SAMANTHA & JACOB’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Hellen Co Photos
Ketubah – ketubah.com {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Videography – Wedflix
Wedding planner – Storybook Wedding Consulting
Venue – Four Seasons Midtown
Bride’s dress – Birenzweig Bridal found at Bridals by Aimee
Groom’s attire – Bridals by Lorie
Bridesmaids – Shop Revelry
Hair + Makeup – Mia Mia Montiel Hair and Becky Moore with Native Salon, Amanda Morais
Flowers – Stems Atlanta
Band – Party Nation band
Quartet – Celebration String Quartet
Catering – Four Seasons Midtown
Rabbis – Rabbi Lebow, Rabbi Sernovitz
Invitation / stationery – Eberle
Honeymoon – Virtuoso
Photobooth – Robot Booth
Lighting/special effects – Up Light Your Event
Drapery/Crystals – Geri Sims Weddings & Events
Dancers – Heidi Romeo with Espeute Productions
Plates, silverware, napkins – Prissy Plate Company
Seating chart – Milieu Décor
Smash The Glass Pouch – Smashing The Glass Etsy Shop {or join Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club and get one for free!}
If you’re a Jewish or Jew-ish bride-to-be, you’ll want to join Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club. Guided by the world’s number 1 Jewish wedding expert, Karen Cinnamon, Brides Club is the private community for Jewish and Jew-ish brides that removes wedstress and indecision and gives you what you need to plan with confidence during these uncertain times. Join our Brides Club here.