Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Home > Show Me Everything

An American-British Destination Jewish Wedding with a Shot Glass Table Plan at the Gran Melia Don Pepe in Marbella, Spain

by

Jewish wedding Gran Melia Don Pepe in Marbella, Spain_0015

We love it when a couple gets creative about blending their backgrounds to add character to their big day. So naturally we’re pretty psyched to be sharing the American-British wedding of Rose and Joel (#joelpickedarose). Their choice to marry on the beach in sunny Spain was a nod to Rose’s Southern California upbringing, and the couple’s sweets table paired UK sweets with their American counterparts — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

We also love how hands-on these two got in crafting their big day–even from afar. Joel, the director of production for a bespoke kitchen and furniture company, put his design skills to full use, designing the lovely floral chuppah (while Rose decided on the peonies and eucalyptus), hand-building a donut wall (and shipping it off to Marbella from the couple’s home in London!), and even worked with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Bigday Designs to design the beautiful rose gold-embossed invitation.

Rose, the London territory manager for haircare brands Moroccanoil and Olaplex, got in on the action too: when she couldn’t find the dress of her dreams in the shops, she got creative, pairing a reworked lace top from Martina Liana with a custom silk skirt to make it happen. The results were truly stunning, as you can see from Kellianne Photo’s beautiful pictures and the wonderful videography by Your Wedding Moments (edited by Rebecca Louise). 

We’ll let the bride fill you in on the rest — including that wild shot glass table plan!

Jewish wedding Gran Melia Don Pepe in Marbella, Spain_0015 Jewish wedding Gran Melia Don Pepe in Marbella, Spain_0013Jewish wedding Gran Melia Don Pepe in Marbella, Spain_0013
How we met

Rose, the bride: Joel and I met just over 4 years ago when I was living in Orange County. He was on a trip with my cousin to Las Vegas, and I went to visit my cousin. Joel and my cousin have been friends for over 20 years, and it turns out Joel and I had actually met multiple times but just didn’t remember! We did long distance for a little while until I moved to London in 2015.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Black Tie Glam Jewish Wedding at The Grove, Cedar Grove, New Jersey, USA

by

Jewish wedding The Grove in Cedar Grove New Jersey USA_0043

This is one seriously glam wedding. Between the luxe setting and that chuppah — an absolute vision in white roses and hydrangeas –  we’re seriously sold on this couple’s Jewish luxe wedding style, so beautifully captured by photographer Pat Robinson and videographer Live Picture Studios.

With such grand surroundings, it would have been easy for Sofia, an anesthesiologist, and Mitch, an internal medicine physician, to leave it at that — but they went the extra mile with so many fun details like a cigar roller, fun coaster place cards that guests took home as favors, and, best of all, wedding programs that doubled as confetti envelopes for the couple’s grand exit!

The front listed the standard names and order of service, and the back had some helpful info about Jewish traditions to make sure everyone could follow along, and the semi-translucent envelopes were stuffed with bright, colorful confetti — such a fun and unexpected touch!

Sofia and Mitch had a super fun dance party, too, thanks to their reception band, Brooklyn Sound from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Hank Lane. For their first dance, the band played an acoustic version of Rihanna’s We Found Love, the couple’s song because they “we found love in a hopeless place”: the ICU, where they met during training.

We’ll let Sofia, who looked stunning in her glam custom gown from CT Bridal Couture (with a detachable overskirt to provide that wow factor for the ceremony, without causing any trouble on the dance floor)…

Jewish wedding The Grove in Cedar Grove New Jersey USA_0004Jewish wedding The Grove in Cedar Grove New Jersey USA_0004Jewish wedding The Grove in Cedar Grove New Jersey USA_0004
How We Met

Sofia, the bride: We met in training while working in the intensive care unit together.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

2019 Real Jewish Brides: Introducing Jaime + Varun: How They Met To The Present Day…

by

Today on the blog we’re introducing our 5th gorgeous bride from our crop of 2019 Real Jewish Brides! Please give a warm welcome to Jaime, who will be marrying Varun on 26th October 2019 at Hummingbird Nest Ranch, California, USA.

THREE FACTS: (1) Jaime and Varun will be having a Jewish ceremony AND a Hindu ceremony – on the same day! (2) They’re planning a swanky but not stuffy wedding at one of our fave California venues, Hummingbird Nest Ranch! (3) Jaime is a member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club!


About Us

Varun and I are former Silicon Valley techies turned entrepreneurs. I own an online weight loss coaching and personal training and holistic nutrition business – and Varun started a mobile ordering app. We ditched our jobs in Silicon Valley back in 2016 to pursue our dreams and V’s job took us to Boston for the time being!

We have a passion for larger than life experiences and believe deeply in the power of manifestation and the fact that the universe always has our back. I guess you could say we are woo-driven hustlers (but truth is – I’m more woo than him).

My mom is Jewish and my dad was raised Italian Catholic – I was raised Jewish but have always been more spiritual than anything. Varun is Hindu. We feel so blessed that our families have grown so close with each other and we already feel like one big family!

His parents literally feel like my second set of parents and vice versa. We will be having wedding celebrations that bring together all parts of who we are are a couple!

So basically lots of cannolis, falafel, and ladoo – with colors, sparkle and a whole lot of fun!

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Pronovias Bride for a Dreamy Destination Jewish Wedding at Belmond Caruso, Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy

by

Jewish wedding Belmond Caruso, Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy_0044
When wedding dreams come true… we love that Alicia and Arcady went from joking about what a great wedding venue the majestic Belmond Caruso would make for their very hypothetical Jewish wedding to tying the knot there four years later!

Not that you need a sentimental reason to justify a venue as outrageously gorgeous as this one — it’s basically everything the words “Amalfi Coast” probably conjure up for you, and then some. With a sweet floral chuppah overlooking the sea and an intimate outdoor reception with some serious Midsummer Night’s Dream vibes, and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Gianni di Natale’s photos are pure, glorious eye candy. We love Gianni SO much!

Oh, also, how sweet is it these guys brought their beloved Maltipoo, Tesla, with them all the way from San Francisco to Ravello — and then they brought him along for their honeymoon, too! Now, if that’s not devotion, we don’t know what is.

Now over to Alicia, who looked simply smashing in her sleekly elegant Pronovias dress…

Jewish wedding Belmond Caruso, Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy_0065

Jewish wedding Belmond Caruso, Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy_0051

Jewish wedding Belmond Caruso, Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy_0051

Jewish wedding Belmond Caruso, Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy_0065

Jewish wedding Belmond Caruso, Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy_0051Jewish wedding Belmond Caruso, Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy_0065Jewish wedding Belmond Caruso, Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy_0051
How we met

Alicia, the bride: We are one of the last of our generation that met the old fashioned way, through mutual friends at a birthday party in Brookline, MA, way back in 2010. Sparks flew, and the night was filled with dancing in the street and a very romantic first kiss in a pile of fall leaves. We eventually started dating, and within 6 months decided to move to San Francisco together to start exciting jobs and go to graduate school. 

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

An Alexandra Grecco Bride for a City Chic Jewish Wedding with Bright Florals at Tribeca 360, New York City

by

Jewish-wedding-Tribeca-360-in-downtown-Manhattan-NYC-USA
There’s nothing like an NYC wedding. The views. The awesome streetscape photo ops. The cobblestones. And did we mention the views?!

Alie and Mike’s downtown Manhattan wedding at Tribeca 360 does not disappoint — they really did get views of the city from every angle, and we can’t stop swooning over the NYC-perfect portraits Kathleen Fox Photography shot of the couple in the beyond picturesque neighborhood surrounding the venue.

The views inside were pretty fantastic too, especially with that lovely floral chuppah — we love the bright playful colors, and it just goes to show that you don’t need an unlimited floral budget to craft a memorable floral design for your canopy.

They also had a gorgeous papercut ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ruth Mergi, and rather than the traditional text Alie and Mike went for a modern version that focused on marriage as entering into a partnership — we love that they were able to incorporate their own values this way!

We also love that Alie emphasizes a topic we feel pretty strongly about: day-of coordinators. Even if you’re a Type A DIY-er like Alie, a day-of coordinator can give you that extra reassurance to enjoy the big day worry-free. From dealing with the venue to making sure the day ran to schedule to saving some of the (delicious) wedding food for the coupe in their bridal suite afterward, these two can’t stop singing the praises of their coordinator, and they say hiring her was some of the best money they spent in planning the wedding.

Now over to Alie, who looked beautiful in her dress by Alexandra Grecco…

Jewish-wedding-Tribeca-360-in-downtown-Manhattan-NYC-USA Jewish-wedding-Tribeca-360-in-downtown-Manhattan-NYC-USAJewish-wedding-Tribeca-360-in-downtown-Manhattan-NYC-USA Jewish-wedding-Tribeca-360-in-downtown-Manhattan-NYC-USA
A Manhattan Venue

Alie, the bride: We got married at Tribeca 360 in downtown Manhattan. We live in NYC and are both from the area, so we knew we wanted to get married in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

We loved the views of the city from every angle, and liked how the space was set up to flow easily from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception. We also liked that food and tables, settings, etc. came with the venue, so that we didn’t also have to find a caterer. (And people are still telling us how good the food was!)

Continue ReadingContinue Reading