We could not be any more thrilled to feature the gorgeous Jewish wedding of our beloved Brides Club member Lauren! Lauren, an associate producer at a media organization, and Ben, the director of annual campaigns for a Jewish organization, had a fabulous, colorful Washington, DC, wedding, and we’re obsessed with their modern vibe and jewel-tone color palate.
Speaking of jewel tomes… how stunning is the couple’s blue watercolor ketubah with gold leaf by Israeli-English artist Rachelle Tchiprout of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush?! As always, Rachelle did a beautiful job, and Lauren and Ben are so delighted to hang such a meaningful work of art in their home.
Lauren and Ben were also drawn to Adam Mason Photography for his bright, vibrant style, creativity, and eye for in-the-moment candid shots – and we’re totally obsessed with the results!
We’re super touched by Lauren’s words about her time in Brides Club, too: “From seeking advice, to indulging in the occasional (but necessary) vent session, to celebrating wedding planning milestones, it meant so much to join a community of women who were going through many of the same things that I was. Brides Club gave me a space to talk about all the minutiae that would have bored my fiance and friends to tears. I also found our ketubah and kippah vendors through the Brides Club.”
There’s so much more to say, but we’ll turn you over to Lauren now…
How we Met
Lauren, the bride: We connected through a dating app called The League, and after a few weeks of messaging, agreed to meet. We first locked eyes at Crimson, a subterranean whiskey bar in Washington, D.C., where we met for a night cap that turned into several. We drank bourbon and talked until closing time. Within a month, we were in love. Two weeks later, Ben turned down a job in Denver—his beloved hometown—to stay in D.C. It was a crazy decision, but the right one. One year later, on a frozen lake in Whistler, he proposed.
A Venue with History
We got married at Hotel Washington. Just steps from the White House, it’s a modern hotel housed in an early 20th-century, beaux-arts style building. We chose this venue for its history, location, and style. We knew guests would appreciate the design elements that nod to American politics, such as presidential portraits and a lobbyist-themed lobby. The selling point though, was the rooftop bar and lounge where we welcomed guests for cocktail hour. The view is unbeatable, and the space is so funky and chic.
What ‘Smashing The Glass Brides Club’ Did For Us
Being part of the Brides Club was so helpful. From seeking advice, to indulging in the occasional (but necessary) vent session, to celebrating wedding planning milestones, it meant so much to join a community of women who were going through many of the same things that I was. Brides Club gave me a space to talk about all the minutiae that would have bored my fiance and friends to tears. I also found our ketubah and kippah vendors through the Brides Club.
Jewel Tones
We wanted a colorful, modern glam wedding. Our color scheme focused on jewel tones with deep emerald green, a variety of purples and pinks, and pops of burgundy.
Our wedding planner, Ari Jones of IMPACT Collective, helped us find the perfect venue. She also connected us with several of our vendors, including our amazing band and talented florist. She wasn’t involved in the aesthetic vision of the event, though. That role mostly fell to my mom, a deeply creative woman who has a serious flair for style, and passion for thoughtful details. She worked with our vendors to design the floral arrangements and chuppah, tablescapes, and escort wall. Not one to take the easy path, she made the escort cards herself, staying up well past her bedtime to realize her vision.
Invitations / stationery
We used Minted.com for both our save the dates and wedding invitations. For the latter, we opted for a traditional, cream and gold foil design by Sarah Brown. We added matching belly bands in a custom shade of deep green for a pop of color, and sealed the envelopes with gold wax and a unicorn seal. Our last name means “unicorn” in German!
Hair + Make-up
We hired Best Face Artists for hair and makeup. They did a fabulous job on my wedding day look, an old school Hollywood glam style. I chose that aesthetic because it’s classically beautiful, but simple enough that I still felt like “me.” I wanted to be the most beautiful version of myself on our wedding day, not look like someone else.
Best Face also did the hair and makeup for my mom and bridesmaids. They all looked gorgeous, and their up-dos and soft, bronzy makeup styles complimented my look really nicely.
Dress
I probably tried on 30 different dresses looking for the perfect, glam wedding gown. I actually said “yes” at one point to a princess ballgown with a tight, heavily beaded corset top and ornate lace skirt. I could barely sleep that night, and canceled the order within 24 hours. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that the ballgown would overwhelm my 5’2” frame!
When I looked at photos we took in the shop, my eyes immediately went to the gown, not my face. I felt like the dress would be wearing me rather than the other way around.
When I finally found my wedding dress, I knew it was “the one.” I couldn’t stop smiling, and didn’t want to take it off! The winner was Maggie Sottero’s “Eve Marie,” an off-the-shoulder, fit-and-flare dress in diamond white, with beaded straps. I said “yes to the dress” at Bijou Bridal in Ardmore, PA.
Accessories
For my “something old,” I wore an emerald and diamond ring and bracelet set that had belonged to my Grandma Bev, of blessed memory. My “something borrowed” was a stunning hair piece, lent to me by a dear family friend. It was just what I needed to “bling up” my simple wedding gown. My “something blue” was the small nose stud I wore, and my “something new” was everything else!
I got my veil at Bridal Chateau in East Hanover, NJ. The shop owner, Esther, helped me pick a beautiful piece that added sparkle to my ensemble. I loved how the silver glitter looked against my dark hair, and that the veil had a blusher. I wore drop-style “pearl” earrings, and of course, my engagement ring. The final accessory was a beautiful gold bracelet—a surprise wedding gift from my new husband.
Shoes
I searched high and low for comfortable, yet stylish, closed-toe, silver heels. I found the perfect fit in a pair of satin and rhinestone pumps by J.Renee. I wore those suckers without complaint from 4 p.m. until around midnight, when I finally kicked them off in exchange for my rhinestone-bedazzled, Betsey Johnson platform sneakers.
The handsome groom
My husband wore a custom, three-piece black suit from Indochino. One of the cool things about their suits is that you can pick a funky liner, which of course, he did. His mixed metal cufflinks were a gift from my mother, and his silver-colored Omega watch was a wedding gift from me. He’s always wanted one, as that’s the brand James Bond wears in the movies. He was so excited to wear it!
Ben and the groomsmen wore custom-made, black and purple pocket squares from Knotty Tie, a Denver-based company that uses sustainable fabrics. The pattern featured cherry blossoms, a nod to the trees gifted in 1912 by the people of Japan to their friends in the United States. Every year, people come from all over to see the beautiful, delicate pink flowers blossom in Washington, D.C.
Bridesmaids
I had eight bridesmaids, who all wore emerald green, velvet dresses by Revelry. The look was perfect for fall, and tied in perfectly with our glam, jewel-toned theme. Plus, the color was flattering on everyone. Each woman chose a different style dress, paired with silver heels, and earrings I gifted them as a small token of appreciation. They all looked stunning!
Ceremony
The ceremony was my favorite part of our wedding day, and what I most looked forward to. Our rabbi was incredible, and beautifully explained the different Jewish traditions and what they mean. It created such a welcoming atmosphere for our guests, many of whom were either not Jewish or not familiar with these customs and what they symbolize. We included a few special touches in our ceremony. One of the kiddush cups we used had belonged to Ben’s mother, of blessed memory.
I am very close with my extended family, and asked three of my cousins to have a special role. One read the English translation of our Ketubah, which her husband had signed earlier as a witness. Another cousin shared a beautiful Rabbi Heschel quote before the Seven Blessings.
Our wedding was Motzei Shabbos, so we began our ceremony by lighting a havdalah candle that doubled as a metaphor. My cousin Rachel drove this message home with a reading attributed to the Baal Shem Tov: “From every human being there rises a light that reaches straight to heaven, and when two souls that are destined to be together find each other, the streams of light flow together and a single brighter light goes forth from their united being.”
After the ceremony, we took some time for Yichud. I’m so glad we did! Those private moments before we reunited with our guests were so precious.
Ketubah
We selected a dark blue, watercolor ketubah with gold leaf by Israeli-English artist Rachelle Tchiprout of The Delicate Brush. She did a beautiful job, and we are so delighted to hang such a meaningful work of art in our home.
Chuppah
My mother worked with our florist to surprise us with a chuppah decorated with cherry blossoms. Originally, we’d just ordered some simple greenery for decoration, so the blossoms were totally unexpected! The end result was lovely, and added a special, local touch to our D.C. wedding.
Our Music Choice
Timothy Carolla Jr., the acoustic guitarist we hired for our ceremony, played three songs during our wedding processional. The bridal party walked in to “In My Life” by The Beatles and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley. I walked down the aisle to “Lover” by Taylor Swift.
During the reception, Ben and I did our first dance to “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton. My dad and I did our father-daughter dance to “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” by James Taylor, and Ben and his sister danced to “If I Ever Leave This World Alive” by Flogging Molly.
Flowers
Edge Floral Event Designers put together our stunning bouquets and centerpieces. I wanted lots of bold colors in our floral design, with an emphasis on purples, and a variety of textures too. My mom worked with the florist through multiple iterations to create something exceptional and unforgettable.
Our florist also designed the beautiful, cherry blossom-adorned chuppah and escort card wall—two surprise requests from my mother. I had no idea there would be cherry blossoms until I walked down the aisle and saw them! As I noted above, those little pink flowers are a big deal in Washington, D.C. I loved every detail that reminded you where we were.
Photographer
Our photographer was one of the biggest and best decisions we made. Adam Mason Photography’s tagline is “colorful photos for colorful people,” and that’s both who we are and what we wanted. We chose Adam and his team for their bright, vibrant style, creativity, and eye for those perfect, in-the-moment candid shots. I will also say that we really appreciated the approachable, friendly vibe of this photography team. They were so fun to be around that they blended right in with our wedding guests. We loved that!
Food and Cake
We leaned into the fall wedding vibes with a four-tier, pumpkin and maple buttercream cake by Fancy Cakes Bakery. Our florist provided a few blooms for decoration. The cake was both delicious and beautiful, and I’m pretty sure none of our guests had ever had pumpkin wedding cake before!
At midnight, wait staff passed around assorted doughnuts from a local shop called Astro Doughnuts. They do all kinds of unique, seasonal flavors like candy apple and crème brulée, so that was a fun, sweet surprise for our guests.
Cocktail hour bites and dinner were catered by the venue, which did not disappoint. Our guests had plenty of yummy food to eat, including smoked salmon and caviar cones with cream cheese filling, beet bruschetta, figs topped with blue cheese mousse, fried mushroom risotto balls, and short rib pierogies with horseradish crema. I keep kosher, but heard that last one was really good! The starter was an autumn salad, and the entree was a choice of steak and roasted vegetables, striped bass served over chickpeas and roasted peppers, or mushroom ravioli.
Entertainment
When we started planning our wedding, we knew we wanted a band. There are some great DJs out there, but no one can hype up a crowd quite like a full, live band. Ours was amazing. If you’re in the D.C.-area, hire Onyx Band! You won’t be disappointed. Our wedding was bound to be a great party, but they made it a rager.
Favours
Our kippot doubled as our wedding favors. They were simple, black suede yarmulkes with our names and wedding date stamped on the inside in gold.
Extra details
My Aunt Joan passed away earlier this year, which was a hard loss. We used a piece of lace from her wedding dress and some beading from my Grandma Agnes’ wedding dress to wrap the stems of my bridal bouquet. It was a subtle, but meaningful way to keep their spirits close to my heart on a day I know they would have loved to be a part of.
There were a few big surprises throughout the day, including a confetti cannon that went off during the hora. Ben and I had no idea that was coming! There’s a great photo that captures our reaction. It’s definitely a favorite shot from our wedding day.
One of the biggest, and sweetest, surprises of the evening came during the father-daughter dance. My Grandpa Lenny made the impromptu decision to cut in! At nearly 101, it’s an incredible blessing that he was able to attend my wedding, let alone dance at it. I saw him coming and whispered to my dad, “Is this okay?” He responded, “Well, he is the better dancer!”
Honeymoon
We really wanted to go on a long honeymoon to Japan and Thailand, but with the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, Mexico seemed like a much better bet. We went to Riviera Maya the week after our wedding and had a great time! After all the stress of wedding planning, a few days on a gorgeous beach and a few dozen piña coladas were exactly what we needed.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Knock out whatever you can as soon as you can. The more you get done in the months leading up to your wedding, the less you’ll have to stress over in the final weeks before the big day. Also, don’t be afraid to delegate, delegate, delegate. When friends and family members offer to help, let them. A wedding is a labor of love, so let your people love on you!
Finally, try to breathe and let it all in. Practice five senses meditation to capture little mental memories throughout the evening. What can you hear, smell, see, taste, and feel? The day goes by so quickly. Do whatever you can to fully experience each moment.
Lauren & Ben’s Little White Book
Photography – Adam Mason Photography
Ketubah – The Delicate Brush {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Wedding planner – IMPACT Collective
Venue – Hotel Washington
Bride’s dress – Maggie Sottero
Bride’s shoes – J.Renee
Groom’s attire –Indochino
Pocket Squares – Knotty Tie
Bridesmaids – Revelry
Hair + Makeup – Best Face Artists
Flowers – Edge Floral Event Designers
Band – Onyx Band
Cake – Fancy Cakes Bakery
Stationery/Invitation – Minted.com
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.
