Rachel, a program manager, and Aaron, a software engineer, had a very special guest of honor at their Jewish wedding: their dog, Ryder!
Not only did this much-loved Mini Goldendoodle serve as the couple’s ring bearer, he sat in Aaron’s lap during speeches and joined the pair for their first dance. Rachel and Aaron even added special touches celebrating their best canine pal, like cocktail napkins featuring his likeness, dog-shaped cookies, and their signature cocktail, the Ryder Old Fashioned! We love how Rachel and Aaron figured out what was important to them early on in their wedding planning and made it happen.
Another thing we love? The duo’s sweet forget-me-not ketubah print with gold foiling detail by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush. It’s such a lovely piece of artwork, and the perfect fit for the SoCal-meets-England vibe these two had going on.
We’re also obsessed with the way Rachel and Aaron used the venue’s pergola as a base for their dreamy floral chuppah – which was transformed into the most swoonworthy sweetheart table for the reception!
Now over to Rachel, who looked radiant in Stella York…
How We Met
Rachel, the bride: Aaron and I met while studying at Chapman University in 2014. I transferred in as a sophomore and met him when he was tabling for Hillel during the student club fair. I was instantly drawn to Aaron and when we started talking, we realized we both grew up in LA and had many mutual friends. We began officially dating in October 2014 and have been inseparable ever since.
SoCal Meets England
We started the search for our wedding venue in January 2020, a couple months after getting engaged, and right before the pandemic. The pandemic did not force us to reschedule our wedding like many others did, however, it did slow down our planning process. We got married at Five Crowns in Corona Del Mar, CA, in their outdoor garden and greenhouse space. Since we met at Chapman in Orange County, we loved the idea of getting married here. Additionally, we got engaged on a trip to London in October 2019, so we adored the English-style charm and red phone booth in front of the restaurant.
Planning by the Bride
In my career, I have planned many events, so planning our wedding was an absolute dream. I loved making mood boards, designing the tablescape, ordering decor, and sourcing amazing vendors to bring my ideas to life. Our colors were sage green, shades of light blue, and gold.
Invitations / stationery
Our invitations were from Minted by Paper Raven Co. I followed her on instagram and when I found her work on Minted Weddings, I thought it was the perfect match to our garden wedding, incorporating our color scheme, floral design, and even a hidden butterfly.
A Stella York Dress
Stella York is the designer of my wedding dress. I found this dress on my bridal boutiques website and instantly fell in love! When I put it on, I knew it was the one. Due to the pandemic and stores not being able to operate at full capacity, I could not invite my bridesmaids to come try on dresses with me. I went dress shopping with my mom and it was a special moment to experience, just the two of us.
Accessories
I wore my mom’s necklace that was absolutely exquisite with the dress! I also wore dainty flower pins in my hair that complimented our garden theme.
Shoes
I wore a pair of blush, beaded 3 inch heels by Badgley Mischka!
The handsome groom
Aaron wore a gray Hugo Boss suit that he picked out with his parents and two best men. Along with his groomsmen, he wore a tie from The Tie Bar x Mumu Weddings collaboration in the color silver sage crisp.
Bridesmaids
The bridesmaids wore dresses by Mumu Weddings in the color silver sage crisp. All my girls looked stunning in their dresses and I am so glad they were able to pick a style/fit that made them feel comfortable.
Ceremony
When brainstorming for an officiant, I instantly thought about my personal connection to Judaism, where, and how I truly fell in love with it: at Camp Alonim through music, Israeli dance, and the vibrant Jewish community we built each summer. Aaron never went to Jewish summer camp, but he knew how special it was for me and trusted my judgement on the selection of Jared Stein, the Alonim music director of 10+ years, to officiate our wedding.
We had zoom calls leading up to the big day and Jared was able to create and lead us through a beautiful ceremony, starting with my walking down the aisle to ‘do di li’ and ending with smashing the glass before our first kiss as a married couple. Additionally, we took a moment during the ceremony to sing the shehecheyanu, which was very special to us and a way to pay homage to Aaron’s grandfather that used to sing it with such spirit, passion, and fist bumps matching the beat of the music.
Ketubah
A while back, before getting engaged, I found The Delicate Brush on Instagram and fell in love with her work. Of course, when the time came, we submitted an order for our large “forget-me-not” ketubah print with gold foiling detail. Throughout the night, we kept it displayed, so our friends and family were able to get a closer look.
Chuppah
We were married under a dreamy floral chuppah, created by Julep Bloom Design, with flowing white fabric, greenery, white and champagne tone flowers. From the beginning, we knew we wanted to add to the already existing pergola at the venue and create something that was bright, beautiful, and whimsical. After the ceremony, the area was turned into our beautiful sweetheart table space.
Extra details
Our dog, Ryder, attended our wedding and acted as the ring bearer, being escorted down the aisle by two of our closest friends. Him being there, from the beginning, was so important to us. We also added a few special touches throughout the event that celebrated him such as: custom cocktail napkins, custom cookies, a signature cocktail: the Ryder Old Fashioned, and more! During speeches, he sat in Aaron’s lap and he even joined in on our first dance. Our guests enjoyed his company just as much as we did.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
The first time I saw the space, completely transformed with all our florals and decor, it was absolute bliss. At that moment, I knew I had done everything I could to make this wedding perfect for us. Somehow, I was able to let go of the control on the wedding day and focus all my energy on my (now) husband and our love. At the end of the day, no matter what small detail went wrong, all that mattered was that I was married to the love of my life!
RACHEL & AARON’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Hello Blue Photo
Videography – Hello Blue Films
Ketubah – The Delicate Brush offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Day-of coordinator – Palm and Pine
Venue – Five Crowns
Bride’s dress – Stella York
Bride’s shoes – Badgley Mischka
Groom’s attire – Hugo Boss, The Tie Bar
Bridesmaids – Mumu Weddings
Hair + Makeup – KG Hair and Makeup
Flowers – Julep Bloom Design
Catering – Five Crowns
Cake – Susie Cakes
Stationery/Invitation – Paper Raven Co. via Minted
Officiant – Jared Stein Music
Cake topper- Rawkrft
Cocktail Napkins – The Emerald Hound
Signage – Mulberry Market Designs
Custom cookies: Maisons Custom Cookies
