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A Galia Lahav Bride for a Relaxed Jewish Wedding All About the Party at Riverpark, New York, USA

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When they set out to plan their Jewish wedding, New Yorkers Samantha, a software engineer, and Alex, an endocrinologist, knew they wanted their big day to be all about dancing and celebrating.

They turned to their phenomenal planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Andrea Adelstein of NYLUX Events, and she went above and beyond in making the day of their dreams a reality. She helped them find the perfect NYC venue, Riverpark restaurant, and craft the perfect relaxed evening full of dancing and fun.

A few special touches we can’t get enough of: the gorgeous birch chuppah, the 11 PM espresso martinis and fries, and the fact that Samantha and Alex each smashed a glass at the end of the ceremony! Oh, and we can’t forget Samantha’s stunner of a gown from beloved Israeli designer Galia Lahav!

Take one look at Karlie Louise’s wonderful photos and you can tell what a blast the duo – and everyone around them – was having! Read on for the rest of the story.  


How We Met

Alex and Samantha met at a math competition in high school, where they were both competing. Samantha offered to put her number in Alex’s calculator and the rest is history. 14 years later, they are newlyweds. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Things to Consider When You’re Planning a Jewish Destination Wedding in Mexico and the Caribbean

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Who doesn’t love Jewish destination wedding? Just imagine making it official in a tropical paradise like Mexico or the Caribbean, with the ocean breeze drifting through your chuppah – pure perfection!

That said, there are some extra considerations you’ll need to keep in mind when planning your Jewish wedding abroad – and we brought in our friends at Destination Weddings by Vacationeeze to walk you through them.

Vacationeeze is a family-owned full-service travel advisor specializing in destination weddings in Mexico and the Caribbean. They’ve helped many Jewish couples from all kinds of backgrounds create the weddings of their dreams, and they’ve got an awesome portfolio of top resorts who understand how to bring a Jewish wedding to life.

The team at Vacationeeze understands how important your Jewish wedding is, and they’ve shared with us some of the key things to consider when planning your special day. We’ll let them take it from here…

What type of ceremony?

One of most important decisions you need to make is about what kind of ceremony you want. Do you want a traditional Jewish ceremony, or something more personal with Jewish touches? Or maybe you’re interfaith?

Regardless, you’ll need to secure your officiant – whether a rabbi or cantor or otherwise. You might choose to fly out someone from home, or you can work with your planner or venue to help find a suitable local officiant who suits your needs. Not all locales will have a rabbi or cantor available – especially if you need one from a particular denomination – so this is something to sort out right at the start of your planning.

 

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Be My Galentine: Join Me for a Jewish Galentine Zoom Celebration this Sunday, February 18

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Photo by Kristin at Fancy Things 

We spend a lot of time here on Smashing The Glass focused on romantic love – but the truth is, female friendships are just as important. They’ve got a unique power all their own, and we don’t always spend enough time celebrating it. 

That’s why I’m hosting a Jewish Galentine’s celebration just for Jewish women this Sunday, February 18 at 12.30pm PST / 3.30pm EST / 8.30pm UK.

Join me on Zoom for an hour of positivity, new Jewish friends, and fun – we’ll break the ice with fun games, swap our favorite Jewish recipes, fast-track friendship in our speed-friending fiesta, and raise our glasses to friendship with a special Galentine’s Day toast!

This event is open to all Jewish women, and it’s totally FREE – plus, you’ll receive a Galentines Swag Bag full of awesome treats when you register.

RESERVE YOUR FREE SPOT

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An Elie Saab Bride For a Tuscan Jewish Wedding Full of Love, Lemons, and Local Charm at the Great Synagogue of Florence and Villa Maiano, Tuscany, Italy

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Aviva and Alan, Villa di Maiano, Fiesole, Italy

There’s nothing like a Tuscan wedding – and Aviva and Alan’s is one for the books! These two went all out in embracing the local color and charm of their oh-so-scenic environs, from the majestic Grand Synagogue of Florence where the chuppah took place to the dreamy reception at Villa di Maiano, nestled in the rolling hills of Tuscany.

Planning a destination wedding abroad is no easy feat, and Aviva and Alan wisely chose to work with planner extraordinaire Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J to make their dream Jewish wedding weekend a reality.

Michelle brought in a team of nine coordinators who all worked to ensure that the couple and their guests were incredibly well looked after, not only on the wedding day but throughout the wonderful pre- and post-wedding events Aviva and Alan hosted for everyone.

Michelle also worked with the couple’s florist, Il Giardino delle Fate Flower Design, to style every space in a unique and beautiful way – don’t miss it all in the wonderful images by David Bastianoni!

Now over to the bride…

Aviva and Alan, Villa di Maiano, Fiesole, Italy Aviva and Alan, Villa di Maiano, Fiesole, Italy Aviva and Alan, Villa di Maiano, Fiesole, ItalyAviva and Alan, Villa di Maiano, Fiesole, Italy
Venue

Aviva, the bride: We married at the beautiful Florence Synagogue where we hosted a pre-ceremony reception in the gardens, tisch in the synagogue entrance hall and a stunning ceremony with a small orchestra in the synagogue itself.

Following the ceremony, our planner had arranged transportation to drive all of our guests to Villa di Maiano, which is in a small town called Fiesole, about 15 minutes’ drive away and in the hills just above Florence. The venue is in a beautiful setting with spectacular views of the city and the surrounding countryside.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Mia Pava Bride for an Ultra-moving Wartime Jewish Wedding Full of Joy and Strength at The Agam at the Botanical Gardens in Jerusalem, Israel

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Dani-Zev-The-Agam-at-the-Botanical-Gardens-Jerusalem

Daniela, a physiotherapist, and Zev, the COO of tour company Israel Maven Tours, thought long and hard about getting married in wartime – and when they decided to go for it, they wanted to make sure they threw a celebration that would bring joy and strength to all in attendance – and did they ever.

Nearly all of the couple’s guests have been directly affected by the war, and it was important to them that their Jewish wedding acknowledge all those whose ongoing sacrifices made the special day – and life in Israel generally – possible. And with prayers for the IDF, the state of Israel, and the hostages, a heartfelt shofar blast under the chuppah, and Israeli flags all around – in addition to some beautiful symbolic flowers, like olive branches for peace – they did exactly that.

One extra meaningful touch: Daniela and Zev gave their guests with loved ones serving in Gaza or on the border with Lebanon a gift box of cocktails along with a handwritten note with instructions to drink a l’chaim with their loved ones when they return safely home from the battlefield! In the bride’s words, “We didn’t realise how moving this would be for people and to this day we are still receiving pictures and videos of happy families reunited drinking the delicious cocktails.”

Daniela and Zev chose Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman as their photographer, and they were thrilled with both the beautiful images he captured and his warmth and kindness throughout the planning process and on the day itself.

Read on for more about this incredibly moving day in the bride’s own words…

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How We Met

Daniela, the bride: As Zev says, “We were destined for one another, we just had to wait for someone to make the introduction. Luckily for us a mutual friend made the suggestion.”Continue ReadingContinue Reading