We love a literary Jewish wedding here at Team STG. And Jai and Ari’s Great Gatsby-themed celebration is one of the very best we’ve seen!
Jai, who works at Google as YouTube’s policy lead for violent extremism, and Ari, a healthcare consultant at a healthcare consulting firm, took the lead from their venue, The Inn at Longshore, a historic estate on the Long Island Sound. As lovers of American literature, the pair knew The Inn at Longshore was the spot for them when they found out historians believe F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel was likely inspired by the Fitzgeralds’ attendance at extravagant parties at the original Inn (then a private mansion).
From there, Jai and Ari opted to pick up on some Gatsby motifs, from vintage frames for black and white photographs of the couple’s loved ones that were with them in spirit, to a nine-piece band that kept the crowd on their feet, to a sparkler send off.
The couple’s attire was also inspired by Gatsby: Ari wore an ivory silk bow tie, and Jai’s custom gown and topper by Loulette Bride took inspiration from 1920s fashion. The groom, groomsmen, and dads wore tuxedos and kippot knit by the bride’s mother while the bridesmaids wore black, an untraditional but timeless and elegant choice. Everyone looked so chic – don’t miss it in the romantic photos by Nel Studios!
Now over to the bride…
How we Met
Jai, the bride and Ari, the groom: They met in Washington, DC five years ago when Ari was working as a health care researcher and Jai was working at the Pentagon. Their first date was at a cute spot between their offices and their second date was every parent’s dream: Shabbat services at Sixth and I synagogue.
During the pandemic, the couple decided it was time for an adventure. They packed up and moved to Tel Aviv for a year, where they spent the weekdays working at startups and the weekends swimming in the Mediterranean. It was a dream! They relocated to New York City about a year ago and miss Tel Aviv every day.
A Venue with History
Jai and Ari got married at The Inn at Longshore, an idyllic venue and historic estate on the Long Island Sound. The bride grew up near Longshore and the couple spent a lot of the pandemic taking walks on the beach there. They knew this venue was the one when they learned of its history: historians believe F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was likely inspired by the Fitzgeralds’ three-month-long honeymoon in Westport, CT, which included extravagant parties at the original Inn (then a private mansion). As two lovers of American literature, and dreaming of the perfect summer sendoff wedding, Jai and Ari knew Longshore couldn’t be topped. They were right!
Gatsby Vibes
The wedding picked up on some Gatsby themes like using vintage frames for black and white photographs of the couple’s loved ones that were with them in spirit, a nine-piece band that kept the crowd on their feet, a sparkler send off, and in the couples attire (an ivory silk bow tie and 1920s-inspired gown). The groom, groomsmen, and dads wore tuxedos and kippot knit by the bride’s mother while the bridesmaids wore black, an untraditional but timeless and elegant choice.
The ceremony and happy hour took place right on the water with a dreamy cotton candy sunset and sailboats in the background; dinner and dancing were inside but the room didn’t require much decoration. The color palette of the room and florals played off of the natural tones of the environment: nudes, blues, greens, light purple, and cream.
The Inn at Longshore provided a planner/coordinator, Laina, who brought their vision together seamlessly.
What ‘Smashing The Glass’ Did For Us
We love STG because it helped us envision different paths a Jewish wedding could take and areas where we could get creative. Instagram helped us the most because it was like a highlight reel where we could get quick inspiration.
Invitations / stationery
The bride and groom used Papier, a super easy-to-use personalized stationery company based in London. They opted for black-and-white stationery with minimal sketched flowers.
A Loulette Bride Dress
The dress and topper were designed with the amazing team at Loulette Bride, a Brooklyn-based independent bridal boutique that can make the dress of your wildest dreams. Jai wanted something she hadn’t seen before, in a warm (not bright) white, glam but not like a wedding dress wedding dress, and made sustainably and with gorgeous fabric. She also wanted a topper that wouldn’t take away from the dress but just provide a bit more modesty during the ceremony.
Before she knew the dress was “the one”, she knew the designer and studio were the ones because they wanted to make the dress of her dreams, perfectly fit for her and in the most responsible way possible. It also helped that the studio had awesome music, a dog hanging out, and all-around good vibes.
The designer, Marteal, sketched the dress based on a combination of two signature Loulette dresses, and Jai knew it was the one because it was modern but picked up on the 1920s Gatsby vibe with a slit covered by silk fringe that would come to life when Jai was dancing (which she was…the entire night…with zero breaks). The Loulette team then customized a topper based on a discussion between Jai and Marteal, which was the cherry on top of a perfect dress.
Accessories & Shoes
The bride wore her great grandmother’s and bubbe’s ring, which she redesigned with the help of Maidor Jewelry in Montreal. She also wore earrings from Hot Crown in Tel Aviv, a tennis bracelet from Ring Concierge, and a Celine Daost necklace the groom bought her from Broken English in NYC. In this way, she brought her favorite places and people down the aisle with her.
The groom wore a ring made from Safire Homme in NYC, a chai necklace that Jai bought him from an artisan in Jerusalem early on when they started dating, and a David Yurman cuff. The couple changed into matching Comme Des Garcons sneakers to dance the night away!
The handsome groom
Ari wore a classic tuxedo from The Black Tux with velvet smoking shoes from Saks and an ivory silk bow tie from Eton. He wore custom cufflinks that said “I do” on one and the wedding date on the other.
Bridesmaids
Jai had five bridesmaids (and one Mate of Honor). The Mate of Honor, Jai’s brother, wore a tuxedo and kippah knit by their mother like the other groomsmen, and the bridesmaids all wore long black dresses of their choosing that tied in well with the elegant, Gatsby-inspired theme.
Ceremony and Chuppah
Jai and Ari wanted the ceremony to feel like them, be accessible to everyone, and pull people into their story.
The ceremony started with Jai’s brother (her Mate of Honor) and one of her bridesmaids (a friend since middle school) playing and singing their composition of “Shir Hamaalot” as the parties walked down the aisle. A few guests commented that it was one of the most personal and touching additions they had seen at a ceremony; Jai and Ari could not have imagined a more perfect start to their ceremony.
Their rabbi, whom the couple knew from their DC days, excelled at pulling people in by mixing humor, blessings, and the wisdom of Judaism. He also helped ground the couple in the moment so they could focus on the ceremony while still feeling so much love around them and from above.
The bride and groom knew they wanted a natural chuppah that would blend into the surroundings well so they opted for white birch, which would frame them but not detract from a beautiful sunset over the ocean. Jai’s dad and brother built the chuppah and laid sheets of a cream cheesecloth over the top in the morning; the couple worked with a florist who brought their vision of blooming wildflowers taking over the chuppah to life.
Ketubah
The couple wanted a ketubah that felt modern but classic and would blend in well with their mid century-inspired design tastes. They also wanted to use an Israel-based designer so they would have a piece of their favorite place in their home. They fell in love with a laser cut design called “lace in bloom” by Ketubata, a Tel Aviv-based design studio.
Our Music Choice
The bride’s brother (and Mate of Honor) and one of her bridesmaids played and sang a composition they wrote of ‘Shir Hamaalot’, one of Jai and Ari’s favorites, for the processional and it was incredible.
For the recessional, the bride and groom danced their way out to ‘סוף סוף’ by Re’em Bakal and Coral Bismuth, which got the cocktail hour started on the right note. For their first dance, the band, Atomic Funk Project, played ‘Baby, I’m Yours’ by Cass Elliot, which led right into a super fun and long hora!
Flowers
Jai and Ari wanted the florals to feel whimsical and light – like if you ran your hand through wildflowers and put them in a vase. The couple also wanted any vases to pick up on their preference for neutrals and the Gatsby theme.
The fabulous florist that brought it all to life was Olivia Howard, one of the most talented florists out there and pure joy in human form. Olivia used lisianthus, ranunculus, spray rose, and other dainty blooms in cream, blush, and blue, and selected amber-toned and long-necked vases to pick up on the deco theme. The couple worked with Flower Again, a truly wonderful initiative to repurpose and donate the beautiful blooms to those who could use a little joy.
Photographer and videographer
Ari and Jai selected Nel Studios to capture the wedding because the Nel Studios team photographed a wedding the couple went to a year before and they loved the candid, natural, romantic, and not overly edited look of their work. The same team also captured the wedding on video.
Extra details
One defining moment was during a very long but extra fun and spirited hora when Jai and Ari were hoisted on chairs and holding on for dear life. Jai was tossed from her chair at one point but she stuck the landing with grace and fell into one of her best friend’s arms. The party didn’t miss a beat!
Honeymoon
The couple honeymooned in France, spending time in Paris and the Cote D’Azur. Jai and Ari made a list of their top three destinations and France wasn’t on either of theirs! They ended up picking France because it was somewhat in the middle and didn’t require much planning beyond flights and hotels (and obviously has great food and amazing shopping). Perfect compromise.
Advice to other couples planning their wedding
The most important advice I have to pass along is: during a few points of your wedding, take a few seconds to realize that you probably will never have all of those people in the same room again. In those moments, you will feel overpowered by a sense of love. Enjoy it!
My advice leading up to the wedding is to create a spreadsheet, divide up the tasks, and set blocks on the weekend or after work to check-in and complete them so you and your partner share in the planning. There are so many tiny things and it can feel like a lot! There are also some tasks that one of you will naturally prefer (for example, Ari didn’t care at all about flowers and I didn’t want to deal with organizing the transportation). When you divide and conquer, it makes it easier to manage and you’ll both feel like you’re contributing meaningfully to this important day.
Make it feel like you! We bounced ideas around with our families and friends but we made a ton of small tweaks that fit us. Things like choosing to start getting ready with my besties at 1130am so everyone could sleep in (considered way too late by most but my makeup artist and hair stylists made it work!) to opting for a food truck for our brunch send-off the morning after the wedding made our day feel like us. That was important because it helped reduce the stress: even though it was a big and special day, it didn’t feel like we were living out someone else’s vision.
Lastly, on the day, ditch your phone. Give your vendors someone else’s number to call if there’s an issue or they need something. You won’t miss it, I promise.
JAI & ARI’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography + Videography – Nel Studios
Venue – The Inn at Longshore
Bride’s dress – Loulette Bride
Bride + groom evening shoes – Comme Des Garcons
Bride’s accessories – Hot Crown, Celine Daost
Groom’s attire – The Black Tux, Eton, David Yurman
Flowers – Olivia Howard
Band – Atomic Funk Project
Ketubah – Ketubata
Stationery/Invitation – Papier
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.
Lovely wedding.
And great photos. I especially love the final black and white. Very romantic.