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Your Judaica, Your Way: Register for the Judaica of Your Dreams with the Jewish Museum Shop

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that you’re going to receive some Judaica gifts for your Jewish wedding.

No matter how much you’d prefer that everyone contribute to your honeymoon fund, there are always going to be a handful of guests who are set on purchasing something tangible for your Jewish home.

I didn’t have a Judaica registry (or even know such a thing existed!) when I got married in 2013, and I ended up receiving some well-meaning Judaica gifts that were just not my style at all. If I could do it again, I’d absolutely set one up – because making it easy for loves ones to select items you’ll be as thrilled to receive as they are to give is a win-win. 

And the Jewish Museum Shop is the very best place to do just that. Located inside New York City’s Jewish Museum, on the Upper East Side’s Museum Mile, the Jewish Museum Shop specializes in Judaica and gifts that fit all tastes and lifestyles, from traditional, to contemporary; from formal for special occasions to casual and modern – and they offer international shipping, too. They also do gift cards, which are just the thing to give or get as wedding presents!

Their tastefully curated selection makes it a pleasure to pick out the pieces that are right for you – and the Jewish Museum Shop’s universal registry, which can by synced with registries from other retailers through MyRegistry.com, makes the process convenient and seamless. And best of all, every purchase supports the Jewish Museum – total win-win.

Shabbat Shalom

So what kinds of Judaica do Smashing The Glass couples love to register for? With the Jewish Museum Shop, the sky’s the limit, but items to enhance your Shabbat table are a much-loved place to start. Shabbat is a beautiful end to a busy week, and a meaningful way to bring Judaism into your home, and the Jewish Museum Shop has an incredible selection of candlesticks, kiddush cups, and challah plates, knives, and covers.

Gear Up for the Holidays

You can also make sure you’re covered for all of the holidays:

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Win a Stay in Kosher Paradise at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, the Caribbean’s Ultimate Jewish Wedding Destination

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If you’ve been here awhile, you know how obsessed I am with Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in the Bahamas. Team STG member Sam couldn’t stop raving about her epic weekend visit, and I just love the fact that there’s now a luxury hotel in one of the most gorgeous spots in the Caribbean that’s SO perfect for Jewish weddings.

Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is the only luxury hotel in the Caribbean offering in-house kosher catering for your big day, kosher wedding specialists on hand to help you every step of the way, on-site kosher restaurants, and even the option to cater a kosher Shabbat dinner for your guests before or after the main event. And that’s before we even get to the pristine white sands, crystal-clear water, blue skies, and flamingos (more about that later).

I’m absolutely thrilled to offer you a chance to win three nights’ stay for two at the Caribbean’s hottest Jewish wedding destination, so you can experience it all for yourself!

The dreamiest destination in the Caribbean

Surrounded by gorgeous beaches, tranquil water, and warm sun, Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is the perfect setting for a stunning wedding weekend where you and your loved ones can get away from it all to celebrate the big day distraction-free. And it’s just a few hours’ flight from the East Coast of the US, with nonstop flights available from many US cities. 

It’s a truly epic destination for an unforgettable Jewish wedding in tropical paradise, and I’m so excited that we’ve teamed up with Grand Hyatt Baha Mar to offer one lucky couple (you can be single with a plus one, engaged or married to enter) a chance to experience the luxuries of the hotel, including:

  • A three-night stay in a standard king room
  • A $200 gift certificate for one dinner at Cinko Asian Latino Grill, Grand Hyatt Baha Mar’s kosher restaurant
  • Site tour available upon request 
  • Total value = $2600

 

A Jewish Wedding at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar

Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is a truly one-of-a-kind venue for a Jewish wedding. There’s no place else in this kind of lush Caribbean setting that makes it SO easy to throw a kosher wedding. 

Grand Hyatt Bahar Mar perfectly combines local color (literally – you can even have the hotel’s friendly flock of pink flamingos join you for a meet and greet during your cocktail hour!) with classic luxury, incorporating the culture and spirit of the Bahamas while attending to all the nuances that make Jewish weddings special. 

When you (and your guests!) need a little downtime, you can take advantage of the resort’s eight exquisite pools, get cozy in a private poolside cabana, or enjoy spa treatments at the 30,000-square-foot ESPA at Baha Mar – and for those seeking more active pursuits, there’s golf, water sports, a luxe beachfront waterpark, cooking classes, and so much more.

Spectacular Service every step of the way

Grand Hyatt Baha Mar’s kosher wedding specialist handles all the details to elevate your wedding, from helping you build Jewish and cultural traditions into your day to private Shabbat dinners overlooking the ocean. 

You’ll receive a full range of unparalleled services to help you personalize your Jewish wedding your way, and you’ll have help with all the details that will elevate your day, from helping you select decor and vendors to delivering gift bags and late-night snacks. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

The Top 10 Must-Have Jewish Wedding Photos

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Jewish weddings are so full of memorable moments. The emotion, the tradition, the energy, and above all, the love – there’s just so much Jewish joy in the air. And your wedding photos are the thing that allows you to preserve all that joy for a lifetime. But with so much going on, how do you make sure all the most essential bits get captured for posterity?

I sat down with Liam and Stam from Liam Collard Photography, the international award-winning London-based wedding photographers behind some truly unforgettable STG weddings, to pick out the top 10 must-have shots for your Jewish wedding album – the bare-bones basic ones you absolutely, 100% don’t want to be without. 

Liam and Stam have photographed Jewish weddings around the world in their trademark creative documentary style, and their years of experience mean they’re perfectly primed to share their expertise on how to make sure all those individual moments come together to form a carefully crafted narrative of your day in a way that’s compelling, emotional, and totally you. So without further ado, let’s get to the photos!

                

The Tisch

The tisch is where the groom’s party gathers to celebrate before the ceremony. It’s a time of joy, tradition, and often lively singing and dancing. Liam and Stam love capturing candid, documentary-style shots of the heartfelt speeches, camaraderie, and powerful emotions.

The Ketubah

The moment when the couple (or in some instances just the groom) signs the traditional Jewish marriage contract is such a powerful testament to the sacred commitment you’re making to each other. Liam and Stam note that this moment lends itself to gorgeous images with soft, intimate lighting and thoughtful composition.

The Badeken

We hear time and time again that this is one of THE most emotional Jewish wedding moments, and it’s easy to see why. There’s nothing like the moment when the groom covers his bride’s face with a veil – especially if the couple have spent the past 24 hours, or even longer, apart per Jewish tradition – and you want to make sure you choose a photographer who’s equipped to capture the narrative of this moving ritual. 

The Chuppah

Naturally you’ll want photos of the two of you standing under the chuppah – the focal point of the Jewish wedding ceremony. The beautiful symbolism of the chuppah as the new home you and your love are building together, the emotional connection, and the beauty of the chuppah structure itself all lend themselves to stunning images that beautifully encapsulate the essence of your ceremony.

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Navigating the Digital Wedding Invitation Landscape: A Jewish Perspective

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This is a guest post by Aimee Lyons, founder of Oy Vey Studio. A graphic designer with over a decade of experience creating bespoke stationery, she absolutely loves helping individuals bring their creativity to life through the art of stationery, especially when it comes to making those big events truly memorable.

In the ever-evolving digital age, even longstanding traditions like Jewish weddings are adapting to the digital realm. Today, couples often grapple with the decision of whether to embrace digital wedding invitations or stick to the classic paper ones.

Let’s delve into the pros and cons of digital wedding invitations from a Jewish perspective to help you make an informed choice for your special day.

Pros of Digital Wedding Invitations

1. Eco-Consciousness: Adhering to the Jewish value of “bal tashchit” (do not destroy), digital invitations align with the Jewish commitment to environmental stewardship. By forgoing paper, printing, and shipping, you contribute to a more sustainable world.

A sustainable paper solution could be something like seeded paper. Image from Etsy.

2. Financial Prudence: Traditional paper invitations can incur significant expenses, including design, printing, and postage costs. Digital invitations often present a more budget-friendly alternative, allowing you to allocate resources to other meaningful aspects of your Jewish wedding.

3. Effortless Sending: Digital invitations can be swiftly sent to your guests’ email addresses or via messaging apps, saving valuable time and effort in the invitation distribution process. Electronic RSVPs also simplify tracking guest responses.

4. Interactive Potential: Embracing digital invitations offers creative opportunities. You can include multimedia elements like videos, music, and links to your wedding website, thereby enhancing your guests’ engagement and anticipation. Some platforms even have digital wax seals…

Magen David wax seal feature on Greenvelope.com

5. Real-Time Updates: In the dynamic world of event planning, last-minute changes to wedding details may occur. Digital platforms mean changes can be easily disseminated to all your guests, ensuring everyone stays informed.

6. Global Outreach: Us Jews are spread far and wide across the globe. With digital invitations, you can effortlessly invite Jewish relatives and friends from every corner, transcending geographical barriers and minimising international postage concerns.

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My Weekend in Kosher Paradise at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in the Bahamas

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I couldn’t have imagined back in 2019, as a member of Brides Club planning my own Jewish wedding, that one day I would be a part of the incredible team here at Smashing the Glass. As luck would have it, I joined the team back in 2020, and these last three years as a Features Writer have been such a blast. This July, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime to take part in the Kosher Fam weekend, sponsored by the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in the Bahamas with other amazing Jewish influencers and to see what it was like to spend a proper Shabbat in the Caribbean. 

The First Kosher Restaurant in the Caribbean 

What makes a stay at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar so unique is that it boasts the first 100% certified kosher restaurant in all of the Caribbean as well as a fully kosher food truck and other kosher options throughout the resort. Cinko, their Asian Latino fusion inspired restaurant, is not only kosher, but each dish is so unique and delicious that you could have a new item on the menu for every meal in a week and still not run out of tasty options to try. One evening for dinner, I ordered the Korean beef kimchi tacos, the salmon ceviche, and for my main course a stunning red snapper in an aji amarillo and coconut Thai sauce with succulent bites of yuca.

Shabbat Accommodations at a 5 Star Hotel

Whenever I’ve traveled and need to account for Shabbat or kosher meals, it’s usually whatever pre-packaged options I have on hand. I’ve never seen the luxury of a 5-star hotel take into consideration its kosher guests with such preparation and care. Cinko closes its doors to general hotel guests every Friday night through Saturday unless you make special reservations for Shabbat dinner and takeaway lunch, securing your kosher meals ahead of time. 

From Cinko’s candle lighting setup and hand washing station, to the beautiful Shabbat table with challah and wine the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar thinks of everything in making sure all you need is accounted for and you can just enjoy the beautiful Shabbat feast that’s been pre-prepared. Shabbat lunch is just as thoughtful with takeaway boxes filled with scrumptious food, and your own personal challah roll and grape juice for kiddush. The local Chabad Rabbi also has wonderful resources online and does his best to gather a minyan for Shabbat every week. 

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