Rachel and Ben’s Pittsburgh Jewish wedding was all about celebrating with loved ones – and we adore the way they centered their celebration around including family and friends.
Rachel, an intensive care nurse, and Ben, who works in healthcare tech, chose to wed at Congregation Beth Shalom, Rachel’s family synagogue, and they were married by Ben’s family rabbi. They knew they wanted an inclusive yet traditional Modern Orthodox wedding, bringing in gender equality through touches like having a male and female guest read each of their Sheva Brachot – first in Hebrew, and then in English translation.
Rachel and Ben chose incredible Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Portraits by Sean as their photographer, and they couldn’t be more thrilled with their choice. In the bride’s words,
We spoke to Sean several times on the phone throughout our planning process and were so impressed with his profound interest in Jewish traditions, us, our families, and in helping us have a beautiful wedding. I was particularly impressed by his commitment to help my father (who has some mobility issues) and give him back some dignity in pictures. Sean and his staff were kind, professional, respectful, and flexible when our timelines when they did not go according to plan!
Read on for all the details of this very special day…
How We Met
Rachel, the bride: We met at a Rosh Hashana dinner at Brandeis University, where we both went to college. We met in 2016 and officially started dating in 2017. We were long distance for several years in between Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, and Wisconsin.
A Synagogue Wedding
We got married at Congregation Beth Shalom in Pittsburgh, PA. This venue is near and dear to my heart as it’s the synagogue my family and I have belonged to all my life–it’s where all of my major religious milestones occurred so it was really special to have our wedding there as well. It also has the most gorgeous stained glass windows in the main sanctuary.
Timeless and Autumnal
We honestly didn’t have a set theme or style. We wanted a simple, elegant, and timeless wedding, and we wanted to get married in the autumn since it’s our favorite time of year. We chose blue (our favorite color) and pewter as our colors, to complement some of the autumnal accents that were in the bouquets, centerpieces, and linens. The blue was also reflected in our ketubah design. We did not have a wedding planner, we and our wonderful parents planned everything!
Invitation
We designed our own invitations on Paperless Post, they have some gorgeous options.
Dress
I got my dress from the amazing Luxe Redux Bridal in Lawrenceville, PA. I have no recollection of who the designer was, but the 3D appliqués, unique lace pattern, and timeless silhouette made me realize it was the one, along with the reactions of my mom and best friends who came with me.
Ceremony & Chuppah
We knew that we wanted an inclusive yet traditional Modern Orthodox wedding. While maintaining Halacha was integral to our chuppah, we also feel very strongly about gender equality in terms of involvement. For all of our Sheva Brachot, both a male and female (friends and family) read the Hebrew text and an English translation. It was really special to involve so many important people in the ceremony.
Both of our parents walked us down the aisle after the tisch and bedecken, which coincided with appetizers and greeting our guests. Rabbi Ari Hart of Skokie, IL, is Ben’s family’s Rabbi, who is so kind, accepting, funny, and an incredible Jewish role model. Our chuppah was accented with greenery and flowers to bring a bit of nature into our indoor ceremony. We only had one grandparent in attendance between the two of us, so we set up a really special tribute table with pictures of our grandparents to feel their presence with us.
Ketubah
We absolutely adore our ketubah. It is from The Delicate Brush, based in Tel Aviv. We looked for months online for a unique and stunning ketubah–we instantly ordered our gorgeous midnight lagoon watercolor style with many shades of blue and gold. We worked with our Rabbi to ensure that the Aramaic text was accurate and kosher for the ceremony.
Our music choice
Our band Shir Soul shlepped all the way to Pittsburgh from New York City. From the start of the Kabbalat Panim, they played incredible music ranging from Klezmer, Israeli, Simcha, American Jazz, Rock, and Pop. As musicians, our music was one of the most important components of our wedding. When anyone brings up our wedding they almost always mention the incredible music, and want their contact info to use them at their next simcha!
Flowers
Our florist Jim Ludwig’s Blumengarten immediately understood my vision of sprawling greens and eucalyptus with pops of blues, oranges, and cream. My bridal bouquet was a large version of this arrangement, while the bridal party bouquets and centerpieces were on a smaller scale. We also mixed in some floating candles to the centerpieces to create a warmer, intimate feel. The chuppah floral arrangement consisted of eucalyptus and greenery wrapped around the chuppah poles.
Photographer
We used the incredible Portraits by Sean as our photographer. We spoke to Sean several times on the phone throughout our planning process and were so impressed with his profound interest in Jewish traditions, us, our families, and in helping us have a beautiful wedding. I was particularly impressed by his commitment to help my father (who has some mobility issues) and give him back some dignity in pictures. Sean and his staff were kind, professional, respectful, and flexible when our timelines when they did not go according to plan!
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Take the planning and experience at your own pace. This is YOUR wedding, not anyone else’s. Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you want or what makes you feel comfortable. And don’t forget to be mindful of all of the love that surrounds you–it is so special to celebrate with so many different people from different chapters of your lives. Let things go and be flexible!
RACHEL & BEN’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Portraits by Sean {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Ketubah – The Delicate Brush
Venue – Congregation Beth Shalom
Bridal boutique – Luxe Redux Bridal
Flowers – Blumengarten
Band – Shir Soul
Invitation – Paperless Post
Rabbi – Rabbi Ari Hart of Skokie, IL
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.
