We’re head over heels for Liora and Tamara’s super stylish same-sex Miami Jewish wedding, which combines Old Hollywood glamour with Jewish tradition in the most beautiful way.
The Miami-based brides always knew they wanted to celebrate locally, surrounded by all their favorite people, and The Club of Knights in Coral Gables made the perfect setting for their big day.
We absolutely love how much meaning Liora, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who works with children with developmental disabilities, and Tamara, a doctor specializing in Diagnostic Radiology, packed into the day – and especially the way they made Jewish traditions their own. For the seven circles, each bride circled the other three times before they completed the final circle together, hand in hand. And when it came time to smash the glass, each bride broke one, symbolizing their entrance into a new chapter of their life together.
The fashion was pretty fabulous too. Tamara wore a gorgeous Yolancris mermaid gown, while Liora chose a custom Daniel Fabregas jumpsuit topped with an embellished Pronovias tulle cape. Later, both brides changed into seriously chic looks from Nadine Merabi to keep the party going in style.
And keeping the party going was most definitely a priority. Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor DJ Leeor was the very first vendor Liora and Tamara booked, before they even had a venue or planner. In the brides’ words, “as an Israeli DJ, he understood exactly the atmosphere we wanted: Jewish pride, incredible energy, and a packed dance floor all night long.”
Through DJ Leeor’s entertainment company, LR Entertainment, they added a live violinist to welcome guests before the ceremony, a live band performing during cocktail hour, and a saxophonist and drummer who joined the DJ during the reception. Together with a mix of Israeli music, ’80s classics, disco, and house music, the music and live performances kept the energy going from beginning to end.
Photographer Melannie Morfa captured the day in her gorgeous editorial style, which suited the Old Hollywood brief perfectly. Over to Liora and Tamara…
How We Met
Liora and Tamara, the brides: We met in 2020, when the world had come to a standstill during the pandemic. Tinder had made its “Passport” feature free, allowing people to connect with others anywhere in the world while stuck at home in quarantine. Liora was living in Miami, and Tamara was attending medical school in the Caribbean. One right swipe turned into a conversation that never ended. For the next several months, we traveled back and forth to visit each other whenever we could, until Tamara eventually moved to Miami, where we got to begin our life together in the same city.
A Miami Wedding
We got married at The Club of Knights in Coral Gables, Florida. We always knew we wanted to get married in Miami so we could celebrate with all of our family and friends. We toured a few venues, but the moment we walked into The Club of Knights, it instantly felt like the one. The staff was incredibly welcoming, the venue was full of charm, and the garden felt absolutely enchanting.
We had also heard amazing things about their in-house catering, and it definitely lived up to the hype. One of the biggest selling points for us, though, was that they allow celebrations to continue much later than most venues, which are often restricted by local noise ordinances. There was no way our party was ending at 11 p.m., so that was the final detail that completely sealed the deal!
Old Hollywood Glamour
Our wedding was black tie, and we wanted our guests to feel like they were stepping into an Old Hollywood glamour celebration while also experiencing the beauty and significance of a Jewish wedding. Our color palette featured black, gold, and touches of burgundy, paired with classic white florals for a timeless, romantic feel.
The heart of our wedding was incorporating the Jewish traditions that mean so much to us. We were married beneath a beautiful chuppah, signed our ketubah, and were blessed by our family Rabbi. During the reception, our loved ones surrounded us with joy for the hora and lifted us in chairs, and we ended the night wrapped in Israeli flags, singing “Hatikvah” together. Blending timeless glamour with these cherished traditions made the celebration feel deeply personal and authentically us.
Our wedding planner, Amanda Graham of Amanda Graham Events, brought every detail together seamlessly, allowing us to be fully present and enjoy every moment with each other and our loved ones.
Hair + Makeup
As two brides, we chose to get ready in a way that felt authentic to us. We spent the morning together, drinking iced coffee, listening to Rufus Du Sol, and getting glammed up side by side with our incredibly talented Miami-based makeup artist, Sophia of Dolls by Sophia, and her team of hairstylists.
Outfit & accessories
For the ceremony, Tamara wore a mermaid gown with a sweetheart neckline by designer Yolancris. Liora wore a custom-designed jumpsuit by Miami designer Daniel Fabregas, paired with an embellished tulle cape from Pronovias. For the reception, we both changed into looks from Nadine Merabi to keep the party going in style.
One of our favorite surprises was that we kept our ceremony looks a secret from each other until the night before the wedding. When we finally revealed them to each other, we were amazed to discover that the embellishments on Liora’s cape were an almost exact match to the detailing on Tamara’s dress.
Another fun surprise was that many of our guests had their predictions completely reversed: they expected Tamara to walk down the aisle in a pantsuit and Liora to wear a traditional dress. Instead, we both chose looks that surprised everyone and reflected different sides of our personalities. Tamara embraced the glamour of a gown, while Liora brought her own twist on bridal fashion with a jumpsuit, making the reveal moment to our friends and family even more memorable!
Ceremony & Chuppah
Our ceremony was a beautiful blend of Jewish tradition and personal touches. We chose a clear acrylic chuppah adorned with white florals and pillar candles, creating an elegant backdrop for our ceremony.
The tallit used during the prayers belongs to Liora’s father and was the same tallit he wore at her parents’ wedding, creating a meaningful connection between generations. We were honored to have each of our parents stand with us beneath the chuppah, and our family rabbi, Marc Philippe, officiated our ceremony. He had been present for many of Liora’s family milestones, including her bat mitzvah, and his beautiful voice filled the ceremony with songs like “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” and “Erev Shel Shoshanim” accompanied by a live pianist.
One of our favorite decisions was having our Rabbi invite our guests to put away their phones and be fully present with us. Standing beneath the chuppah and seeing the smiles and tears of the people we love most was surreal. We also added our own touches to tradition: For the 7 circles, we each circled one another three times and completed the seventh together, hand in hand, and we each broke a glass to symbolize entering this next chapter together.
Ketubah
Finding a ketubah that truly reflected the commitments we were making to each other was incredibly important to us. As a lesbian couple, we found that many premade ketubah texts available online did not fully capture what we were looking for: a way to honor the beauty of Jewish tradition while also reflecting our same-sex marriage. We gathered inspiration from egalitarian ketubah texts and writings rooted in Jewish mysticism, and with our Rabbi’s guidance, created our own custom text. The beautiful words are framed by intricate gold foil papercut artwork depicting Jerusalem. Our ketubah was handmade by Melody M. of PraiseHashemArt and purchased through Etsy.
Our music choice
Music was at the heart of our wedding, so much so that DJ Leeor was the very first vendor we booked, before we even had a venue or planner! As an Israeli DJ, he understood exactly the atmosphere we wanted: Jewish pride, incredible energy, and a packed dance floor all night long.
We walked down the aisle to “Boi Kallah,” sung live by our rabbi to the melody of “Hallelujah,” and shared our choreographed first dance to Eden Ben Zaken’s “Chaim Sheli.”
Through DJ Leeor’s entertainment company, LR Entertainment, a live violinist welcomed guests before the ceremony, a live band performed during cocktail hour, and a saxophonist and drummer joined the DJ during the reception. Together with a mix of Israeli music, ’80s classics, disco, and house music, the music and live performances kept the energy going from beginning to end.
Flowers
We chose timeless white florals throughout our wedding, from the chuppah and table centerpieces to the stunning floral installation above our sweetheart table. Our bridal bouquets featured elegant white calla lilies. Our incredible florist, Tati of Nery’s Flowers, brought our vision to life with lush floral arrangements, candles, and candelabras that perfectly captured the romantic atmosphere we envisioned.
Photographer and videographer
Melannie Morfa was our wedding photographer, and we immediately fell in love with her editorial style. Her work was the perfect fit for capturing the Old Hollywood glamour and romantic atmosphere we envisioned. She made us feel completely comfortable, as if the camera wasn’t even there, and beautifully documented both the unforgettable moments and the meaningful details of our day.
We also hired Stephanie Bavaresco of Content BFF as our content creator. She documented all the fun, candid, and traditional moments throughout the celebration, and having short reels and previews ready the very next day was such a fun way to relive the magic while the memories were still fresh.
Extra Details
As lovers of food and entertainment, creating a fun guest experience was one of our favorite aspects of wedding planning. Our friends and family were welcomed with champagne served by a champagne skirt hostess (J and G Entertainment) and live violin music before the ceremony. During cocktail hour, a talented magician, David Frost, entertained guests with strolling magic alongside a live band. As huge sushi lovers, we had to include a live sushi station from Miami Sushi Chef with a continuously replenished buffet – one of our favorite personal touches. We also incorporated touches of our backgrounds, including a Ladurée macaron tower honoring Liora’s French side and dancing to Kavkazi music to celebrate Tamara’s heritage. An interactive roaming photo booth by Dipp Photobooth allowed guests to capture memories without ever having to step away from the dance floor!
The most meaningful touch of all was hearing the heartfelt speeches from our parents, Liora’s siblings, and Tamara’s best friends, making the celebration feel even more personal and unforgettable.
Honeymoon
In true fashion for us, we chose a honeymoon centered around food, entertainment, and unforgettable experiences: Las Vegas! After months of wedding planning, we spent our days relaxing by the pool and our evenings enjoying incredible restaurants and world-class shows. It was the perfect way to unwind and celebrate our first days as newlyweds.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
First and foremost, hire a wedding planner (or at least a month-of or day-of coordinator). Having someone manage the timeline, details, and unexpected moments is the best way to reduce stress and truly enjoy your wedding day. (Huge shoutout to Amanda Graham!)
Choose a venue with a rain plan you love just as much as your original vision. It poured on our wedding day, but because we loved our backup plan, we were able to embrace the moment instead of worrying about it.
Stay true to the choices that feel authentic to you as a couple, even when you receive outside opinions. Be intentional about your guest list, stay by each other’s side as much as possible throughout the day, and take time to greet each of the guests who came to celebrate with you. Great food (lot’s of it!) and great music also make a huge impact in creating an unforgettable guest experience.
Most importantly, be present. The details matter, but the memories you make together are what you’ll cherish forever.
LIORA & TAMARA’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Melannie Morfa
Content creator – Content BFF
DJ – LR Entertainment
Ketubah – PraiseHashemArt
Venue – The Club of Knights
Planner – Amanda Graham Events
Brides’ outfits – Yolancris and Daniel Fabregas
Tulle cape – Pronovias
Reception outfits – Nadine Merabi
Hair + Makeup – Dolls by Sophia
Flowers – Nery’s Flowers
Photobooth – Dipp Photobooth
Magician –David Frost
Sushi station – Miami Sushi Chef
Champagne skirt – J and G Entertainment
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.
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