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Home > A Galia Lahav Bride for a Magical Forest-Inspired Wedding at The Estate at Florentine Gardens, River Vale, New Jersey, USA

A Galia Lahav Bride for a Magical Forest-Inspired Wedding at The Estate at Florentine Gardens, River Vale, New Jersey, USA

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When Sydney, a software engineer, and Chaim, a finance associate, began planning their dream wedding, they knew they wanted something magical, elegant, and undeniably “them.” The moment they stepped into The Estate at Florentine Gardens in River Vale, New Jersey, they were completely smitten. The ceremony space—with its high ceilings, grand windows, and stunning European-inspired architecture—was love at first sight.

Their color palette of lush greens and regal purples set the tone for a forest-inspired fairytale, brought to life with an abundance of greenery and whimsical florals. Their stunning chuppah was the epitome of woodland romance, featuring four majestic trees as its base, accented with pops of vibrant purple flowers.

Sydney absolutely wowed in a masterpiece from Israeli designer Galia Lahav—a gown that struck the perfect balance between timeless elegance and modern drama. From its intricate detailing to the striking drop-waist silhouette, it was everything she’d dreamed of and more.

The couple knew the importance of capturing every magical moment, so they turned to Smashing The Glass Recommended VendorAlex Knight Studio for photography. From the calming presence of the team on a busy day to their incredible attention to detail, every photo—candid and posed alike—turned out breathtaking.

This is one wedding you don’t want to miss—scroll on for all the stunning details, from the enchanting ceremony to the joy-filled reception!

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How We Met

Sydney, the bride: We were set up through a mutual friend. One evening, my sister convinced me to join her and her friends for a night of bowling. A friend asked if I was looking to meet someone and if so what was I looking for. I said: tall, nice and family oriented. The friend said you must meet my roommate, Chaim: tall, nice and one of eight kids-how much more family oriented can you get! We met and a year and a half later, Chaim proposed in Paris.

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A New Jersey Wedding 

We got married at The Estate at Florentine Gardens in River Vale, New Jersey. When touring the venue, we were immediately drawn to the ceremony room with high ceilings, large windows and beautiful architecture. It had a European vibe which we loved! 

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Theme

We planned our wedding on our own, and it was really special to personalize every detail! The color scheme was green and purple, with a forest vibe that we absolutely loved. We incorporated a lot of greenery, especially in our chuppah, where the base was made up of four trees and we added purple flowers as accents. It created such a magical atmosphere!

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For day-of support, we had a wonderful bridal attendant named Joy Cobias, who was provided by the venue. She was amazing to work with, and I would highly recommend hiring a bridal attendant for anyone looking for that extra help on their big day. Our caterer also played a key role in helping to facilitate the timeline, and the venue provided us with a maitre d’, which was a huge help in keeping everything running smoothly.

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Hair + Makeup

For my wedding look, I went for a natural glam makeup style because that’s what I feel most comfortable in. I wanted to look like myself, just a more polished version! I worked with Daniella Schwartz, and I found her on Instagram after falling in love with her work. She did an amazing job of enhancing my natural features while keeping everything soft and radiant. For my hair, I went for glam waves to match the regal vibe of my Galia Lahav dress.

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I worked with Senada Zanki, who had done my sister-in-law’s wedding hair, so she came highly recommended. Both Daniella and Senada were a dream to work with! They brought such a fun and positive energy to the getting-ready process, which made the morning feel relaxed and exciting. I’m so grateful they helped make me feel my most beautiful on the big day.  

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A Galia Lahav Dress

I wore a stunning Galia Lahav dress for my wedding. The style was the Opera dress, and I instantly fell in love with it. From the drop waist to the intricate pattern, everything about it felt so unique and special. I didn’t want to take it off when I tried it on, which was the moment I knew it was the one. It was just so beautifully crafted and had the perfect balance of elegance and drama—exactly what I was looking for! 

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Accessories + Shoes

For jewelry, I wore oval studs that my husband gifted me – they were made by the same jeweler who created my engagement ring, Alexa Taj Design, which made them even more special. They were simple, elegant, and meaningful. My veil was Galia Lahav, and I chose to keep it relatively simple because of the intricate lace design on my dress. I went with the Tammy veil, which was cathedral-length and had a beaded crystal trim.

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It added just the right touch of sparkle without overpowering the look. For shoes, I wore white Prada Mary Janes. At 5’11”, I didn’t feel the need for more height, so comfort was my priority. I wanted something I could dance in all night long, and these were perfect! They had just the right balance of style and practicality, and I loved how they complemented the rest of my look. 

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Ceremony & Chuppah

We wanted to make our ceremony feel personal and meaningful, so we included a special touch with Chaim’s large family. He has 24 nieces and nephews, and we really wanted all of them to be a part of the day. We had each family walk down the aisle together, which made the moment feel even more intimate and special.

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It was such a beautiful way to include everyone in the celebration. As for the chuppah, we knew we wanted it to have a lot of purple, as it was one of our main colors. We had seen a photo on Instagram that really inspired us, and we asked our florist to recreate it. The design turned out just as we envisioned—lush greenery with purple accents—and it was the perfect backdrop for our ceremony.

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Ketubah

Our ketubah was definitely something special to us! We had it made by a company based in Israel called Ketubata. We decided to have it inspired by the lace pattern on the wedding dress. We sent a photo of the pattern to the team, and they were able to perfectly recreate it and have it laser-cut as the backdrop for the ketubah. 

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Our music choice

We had a band/DJ hybrid at our wedding, and they were amazing! We used Style Event. They brought live instruments with them to really elevate the vibe. It was the perfect mix of energy and tradition. We played a combination of Jewish horah songs, popular Israeli pop songs, and then a lot of throwbacks and current pop hits that had everyone dancing all night long.

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The blend of live music and DJ mixes kept the energy flowing and made it feel like the perfect celebration for all of our guests! Under our chuppah, we had a chazan, Dylan Homapour, who, along with the DJ, played music and sang songs throughout the ceremony. Their performances complemented each other beautifully, adding a special and harmonious touch to the moment.

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Flowers

For our wedding florals, we chose Privet Flowers to bring our vision to life. Gila, our florist, has such an amazing touch. From the chuppah to the table centerpieces, she was able to translate everything we imagined into stunning arrangements. For the tablescapes, we had a mix of designs. Some tables featured long runners filled with greenery and purple florals spilling out, creating a lush, natural feel. Other tables had tall crystal vases filled with greenery and purple blooms, which matched the elegance of the ballroom.

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We also had collections of bud vases on other tables for a more delicate touch. One of our favorite touches was for the bedekin, where we had a beautiful bookshelf filled with bud vases, each holding a white calla lily. It was a simple yet classic backdrop that was both elegant and meaningful. Gila really captured the essence of what we were hoping for, and the flowers were such a perfect reflection of our style and theme. 

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Photographer and videographer

We chose Alex Knight Studio as our photographer, and we couldn’t have been happier with our decision. Steve, Dariia, and team were incredible to work with. They had such a calming presence, which was so important on a busy wedding day—it really helped us feel relaxed and enjoy every moment. The entire team was a breeze to work with, and their professionalism and attention to detail made all the difference. The photos turned out absolutely stunning, and we’re so grateful they captured our special moments so beautifully. From the candid shots to the more posed ones, everything felt so natural and perfectly timed! 

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We used Creative Image Productions for video and we’re so glad we did. Amir was fantastic, and like our photographers, he brought that same calming presence that made everything feel so relaxed. He was able to capture all of our most important moments, from the big moments to the little details, and we are beyond grateful for how beautifully he documented our day. Watching the video now brings back all the emotions and memories, and it’s something we’ll cherish forever! 

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Food  

We worked with Main Event Mauzone for our catering, and the food was absolutely delicious! They really nailed the flavor and presentation, making sure everything was just perfect. The caterer also took charge on the day of the wedding, helping with the coordination of events and ensuring everything went smoothly. It was such a relief knowing they were handling the timeline and logistics so we could just enjoy the day. 

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Advice to couples currently planning their wedding

My biggest piece of advice for future brides would definitely be to hire a bridal attendant! I was fortunate that my venue provided one, and her name was Joy Cobias – she was an absolute dream! She made the day run so much smoother and stress-free. Joy ensured that everything ran on time, from bustling my dress in record speed to making sure I was fed and hydrated throughout the day.

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Having someone dedicated to taking care of all the little details allowed me to truly enjoy the day without worrying about anything, and I can’t recommend this enough to other brides. It really makes a world of difference! 

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SYDNEY & CHAIM’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK

Photography – Alex Knight Studio {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Videography – Creative Image Productions
Venue – The Estate at Florentine Gardens
Ketubah – Ketubata
Bride’s dress – Galia Lahav
Bride’s accessories – Galia Lahav
Hair + Makeup – Daniella Schwartz, Senada Zanki
Flowers – Privet Flowers
DJ / Band – Style Event
Chazan – Dylan Homapour
Catering – Main Event Mauzone

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.