How gorgeous is the ultra-intimate micro Jewish wedding of Jori, who works in customer success for a social enterprise tech startup, and Corey, a copywriter at an ad agency?!
These two had originally planned a big wedding, but when COVID hit they had to rethink things. They ended up opting for a ceremony with just immediate family, to be followed by a big reception post-pandemic, date TBD. Jori and Corey worked with Rabbi Samantha Frank of Modern Ritual to create an intimate ceremony that made the most of the bare essentials.
The pared-down outdoor celebration was very different than the one they’d originally planned, but they managed to fit in some stunning floral touches; bright, beautiful dresses; a stunning floral ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Rachelle Tchiprout of The Delicate Brush – and speeches by every single one of their guests (admittedly, there were just six – the couple’s parents, plus the groom’s brother and his girlfriend)! There’s something so special about having such a tight-knit group, and the luminous photos from One Night Cereus capture that so well.
Now over to the bride, who looked oh-so-chic in a dress from, believe it or not, ASOS!
How we met
Jori, the bride and Corey, the groom: We met on the first day of college at The New School, when we both ended up at the same party that neither one wanted to be at. As I was leaving, Corey gave me his phone number and asked me to text him if I ever wanted to hang out. I ended up texting him twenty minutes later. He hadn’t even left the party himself.
We met up right away and spent our whole first night in the city walking around Greenwich Village, talking and making each other laugh. It would take a few months before our friendship would blossom into something more, but we were inseparable from that point on.
Change of Plans
We had planned to get married at The Art Factory in Paterson, NJ. The plan had been a large gathering of 180 guests, but of course, COVID changed our plans. Instead, we worked with our Rabbi, Rabbi Samantha Frank of Modern Ritual, to create an intimate ceremony that made the most of the bare essentials.
We switched our location to White Meadow Lake in Rockaway, NJ (which is where I grew up), and included only our parents and Corey’s brother (plus his brother’s girlfriend) as guests.
Garden of Eden
Our ‘Garden of Eden’ theme was pared down from what we’d originally intended, but we kept all the essentials: a few floral touches; bright, beautiful dresses for our mothers and our one bridesmaid, and a stunning ketubah created by STG Vendor Rachelle Tchiprout of The Delicate Brush.
Invitations
We didn’t have to think too hard about invitations since the ceremony only included six guests. But we’re excited that when we mail out invites to the reception next year, we’ll get to use our actual wedding photos!
Hair + Make-up
I had my hair blown out by my favorite Hairdresser, Gina, at Gemini Hair Studio in Randolph, NJ. Although I’d originally planned on using a makeup artist, COVID forced me to do my own makeup. I was very nervous about it, but it turned out perfectly!
Dress
I wanted to save the dress I purchased with my mother and mother-in-law in October of 2019 for the reception, so I looked everywhere for one that I loved just as much but that wouldn’t mean paying for a wedding dress twice. Believe it or not, the dress I wore came from ASOS!
Accessories
The veil was custom-made for me through Etsy to match the pure white color of my dress. My jewelry was passed down from my mom and Grandmother — I wore the same earrings my mom wore to her wedding! Corey’s dad also surprised him day-of by slipping him his grandfather’s silver cufflinks to wear.
Shoes
I have very tiny feet, so it’s hard to find heels in my size. I went with white flats that gave me just an inch or so of lift. Corey’s a foot taller than me, so I’m used to having to tilt my chin up for a kiss!
The handsome groom
Since our goal was to keep the costs down and the vibe simple but elegant, Corey and the men in our party all rented the same blue suit from The Black Tux. The four of them looked incredible all standing together. Corey had also been growing his hair out since before the start of COVID, so the blue suit looked even more handsome on him with his long brown hair.
Finally, Corey wore my father’s tallit — which my great-aunt bought for him and brought home from Israel.
Bridesmaids
Although I’d originally planned on having more, my only bridesmaid for the ceremony was Corey’s brother’s girlfriend, Naomi — who also happens to be one of my best friends in the whole world. She wore a bright yellow dress that unintentionally matched my bouquet, and honestly looked stunning.
Ceremony
To make the ceremony more special, everyone got to give a speech. Since Corey and I have known each other for ten years, there was a lot to talk about! Corey’s vows made me cry — they were so sweet! Then when he’d finished, I was so happy and overwhelmed with joy that I forgot he still had to smash the glass!
As for that, the glass crunching was SO LOUD and perfect that everyone gasped, then cheered. It was the perfect finale to an intimate and beautiful day!
Ketubah
Our ketubah was designed by Smashing the Glass Vendor Rachelle from The Delicate Brush, with a custom illustration that matched our florals perfectly!
Chuppah
Since we were getting married on the lake I grew up on, and setting up on the fly, we opted not to build or install a ketubah. Instead, the whole ceremony took place under the leaves of a big willow tree (our favorite tree on the lake). The branches and leaves formed a natural canopy while still letting the sunlight in.
It was beautiful and meaningful — and most importantly, that tree will still be there every time we come back.
Music Choice
Poor Corey had made a five-hour playlist to celebrate with after the ceremony… but once we came back to the house, we all just ended up hanging out, talking, and toasting instead! So although we didn’t have an “official” first dance, we know exactly what we want to start with at the reception next year.
And our DJ, Stylus DJ Entertainment, is still booked for the reception — and they now have a long, long, list of our favorite songs to build from!
Flowers
We worked with our original florist, Hope and Lilly at Strange Vine Studio, to create a beautiful bouquet and boutonniere. The bouquet was absolutely stunning and everyone keeps asking about the flowers when they see wedding photos!
Photographer
Our photographer, One Night Cereus, was there to capture all the special moments. We recorded the ceremony on an iPhone for Corey’s grandmother and my Great-Aunt, but we wanted the photos themselves to serve as our official record.
Food and Cake
We kept the food casual — and I’d say we had a better time because of it! Dinner that night came from a local Italian restaurant we’ve ordered from for years, and our wedding cake was actually made just the day before at Wegman’s! The cake turned out to be the biggest hit of the night: everyone was fighting over who got the last slice! Thankfully we convinced everyone to let the last slice rest in the freezer so we can have it on our 1 year anniversary.
Entertainment
No DJ, no dancing — we’re saving that all for the reception next year. Instead, we just hung out, same as we’ve all been doing together for years, but now, as one big family.
Favors
Nope, no favors! It didn’t feel necessary with just a handful of guests.
Special Details
There are a few special little details that we’ll always remember as part of our special, “Plan-B”, immediate family-only COVID wedding. There’s the fact that Corey’s brother surprised him by showing up with all of the ingredients to make Negronis, and turned the mens’ dressing area (really just the downstairs part of my parents’ house) into a full-on cocktail bar.
There’s the fact that when we got down to the lake, our spot had very nearly been taken over by a drunk and rowdy middle-aged New Jerseyite, who kept trying to interrupt our ceremony by singing “Come on Eileen.”
There’s the fact that my parents got Corey and I a hotel room for the night so we could have some time to ourselves, and we woke up the following morning and got a Taylor ham, egg, and cheese at a local diner — very romantic for us! But out of everything, the part that feels most special is how stripping everything else away — the 180 guests, the original venue, the DJ, the dress I’d planned on wearing — made us focus in more on what WAS intact.
It made us recognize the value of the family we have, and how important it was to have these six people gathered with us. We were able to really be present with everyone in a way we might not have been able to if we’d just followed our original plan. And now that we’ve truly been married, it takes all the pressure off of us for the big reception to come. We’ll be able to relax and have more fun, and of course — dance, dance, dance!
Honeymoon
We were originally planning to honeymoon in Japan, which, of course, couldn’t happen as planned. But we still intend to go some time in the fall of next year — and instead, we took a small, weekend trip up to Hudson, NY, which acted as our “mini-moon” until it’s safe to really travel again. We stayed at the Batterby House, a BnB with the prettiest rooms, the kindest hosts, and the most incredible breakfast served every day.
It wasn’t what we’d planned (although what HAS been, this year?) but it was still, somehow, absolutely perfect.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Corey and I planned out a long engagement because we didn’t want to deal with the stress of planning a wedding in just a few months. But we ended up booking our space and finding our vendors within a few weeks, and then spent the year leading up to the wedding freaking out because COVID took all of our plans away! My advice is to be aware that maybe your wedding isn’t going to turn out exactly as you’d always hoped for, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t still be your dream wedding.
To go from a 180-person wedding inside an old textile factory to a 6-person wedding at the lake across the street from my parents house was a big change, and I went through every stage of grief you could imagine. But then, when the day itself arrived, everything turned out so beautiful and magical, it never once felt like a compromise!
If you’re working with talented vendors and know and love who you’re marrying, you shouldn’t have to sweat the small stuff (or, in our case, some of the REALLY big stuff) if it has to change. Love doesn’t always go according to plan, so enjoy the journey, wherever it takes you!
JORI & COREY’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – One Night Cereus
Ketubah – The Delicate Brush {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Venue – White Meadow Lake in Rockaway
Bride’s dress – ASOS
Bride’s accessories – Etsy
Groom’s attire – The Black Tux
Hair – Gina at Gemini Hair Studio
Flowers – Strange Vine Studio
Cake – Wegman’s
Rabbi – Modern Ritual
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.
These two are such a happy couple, you can tell as much through these photos.
These ultra-intimate micro weddings ate becoming a thing! Looks like it was a great day! 🙂