We knew we were in for something special from the moment we read that today’s couple, Jenna, an event manager, and Joe, director of referee operations for the NBA, dreamed of a winter Jewish wedding with magical cabin vibes. And their big day did not disappoint!
The New York couple opted for an intimate wedding in the Catskills at FoxFire Mountain House, where 30 of their closest family and friends gathered for a cozy weekend retreat, where they went all in on the wintry mountain vibes. Scroll through the dreamy images by Brian David Photography and we’re pretty sure you’ll fall in love too!
Their ceremony took place indoors in front of a roaring fire – and to keep with the intimate, low-key vibes Jenna and Joe had loved ones hold a tallis above their heads rather than opting for a freestanding chuppah. And even their beautiful ketubah, designed by mega-talented Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush, features a forest-scape to match the theme!
Now over to the bride, who looked like the dreamiest snow princess in her Pnina Tornai gown…
How We Met
Jenna, the bride: Like any modern love story- we met on Hinge!
Magical Cabin Vibes
We wanted a winter wedding somewhere that felt like it had a magical cabin vibe. After being in a ton of weddings in the last year and being in events, I felt an intimate wedding was the route we wanted to take. The Catskills felt like a place that was easy to get to for our family and friends and a great common ground.
We have both been plenty of times and really like the vibes. As soon as we visited FoxFire Mountain House we fell in love with it. They offered intimate winter weddings which allowed for us to have the venue for the entire weekend from Friday – Sunday with 30 of our closet friends and family all staying at Foxfire.
A Wedding in Green
We decided to make our wedding color green! all of the ladies at the event wore a shade of green which went perfectly with the outside nature and all of the men wore some shade of Blue. For the Friday dinner Joe had a custom green velvet Jacket made! After dinner and dessert on Saturday we set up beer pong tables and had a night of a beer pong tournament!
Invitation + Stationery
Amy from Somersault Letterpress created a custom invitation, itinerary and coaster. She took the winter landscape and fox logo for the venue and brought something better than we could have ever imagined to life.
Hair + Makeup
We used Bridal by Alexandria. I wanted loose Hollywood type waves and Kate nailed that!
A Pnina Tornai Dress
The dress was from Kleinfeld Bridal in NYC by Pnina Tornai. I fell in love with the dress instantly. When I walked into Kleinfeld the dress was hanging in the front as Pnina Tornai was at the store that day having a trunk show. I loved that she is Israeli as well.
I really wanted a long sleeve dress and something that was lace. This dress captured the entire essence of a winter wonderland and could not have been more perfect for the occasion.
Accessories & Shoes
I purchased the matching veil to my dress. I originally thought I did not need a veil and did not purchase when I got the dress. A month later I went back and felt I needed the matching veil to complete the look! I wore white snow boots to take all my pictures and white very simple Stuart Weitzman heels for the ceremony.
Ceremony & Chuppah
We did not go with a traditional chuppah as the ceremony was held inside a small room in front of the fire place. We used Joe’s tallis from his bar mitzvah which made the ceremony even more special.
Ketubah
We ordered our ketubah from an Israeli artist The Delicate Brush. We wanted a forest-scape and found her work on Etsy and immediately fell in love with it.
Our music choice
We had an amazing local Brooklyn artist named Francis Aud who was serenading us all night! He was truly amazing and would have him at every one of my events if I could. We played a variety of songs but did our first dance to ‘The Bones’ by Maren Morris.
Photographer
Our photographer was UNREAL! Brian David Photography captured our wedding beautifully. The details he captured made us choose him to capture our special day.
Food and cake
The venue made all of the food! It was absolute delicious. We went to the venue the month before to help curate the menu from their fall/ winter seasonal foods.
Extra Details
All of my friends, family and sisters gave a speech which made the weekend that much more intimate. Joe (husband’s) side always performs a song (altered lyrics to the bride and groom) during festivities. They performed a medley of Disney songs with lyrics that fit our life! I can send over the video if interested!
Friday we had all of the friends give speech’s and Saturday was reserved for Family. Jenna’s good friend Olivia mc’d the weekend making sure all the speeches were on time and everything ran smoothly!
Honeymoon
We are going to the Azores (Portugal) end of June! We both have never been to Portugal and when researching the area we discovered The Azores and fell in love with its natural beauty. We both love adventure and when we saw direct flights from EWR we were sold.
Jenna being in events was too stubborn to use a travel agent and loves planning her own trips. Joe is lucky to have a built in travel agency.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Plan the day/ weekend you want to have! Do not plan something just because you think it is the norm or you see it on it social media. I was hesitant to originally have a small wedding but could not have been happier. I was able to be present and spend moments with everyone and enjoy every aspect of the wedding.
I was able to have an entire weekend with my guests rather than one night. I was also able to spend more time on little details. We had our invitations made with a custom logo from an amazing letterpress shop in Pennsylvania.
JENNA & JOE’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Brian David Photography
Ketubah – The Delicate Brush {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Venue – FoxFire Mountain House
Bride’s dress – Pnina Tornai found at Kleinfeld Bridal
Bride’s shoes – Stuart Weitzman
Hair + Makeup – Bridal by Alexandria Kate
Singer – Francis Aud
Catering – FoxFire Mountain House
Stationery/Invitation – Somersault Letterpress
Wedding Registry – The Knot, Crate&Barrel mostly.
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.
