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Top Three Israeli Destination Weddings Guaranteed NOT to Be Like Everyone Else’s {with Premium Events Israel}

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Photo by LUZ

There are so many things I love about an Israeli destination wedding. There’s no place more spiritually significant – and that’s before we even get into the fact that Israel is a totally stunning country, with a remarkably varied landscape given its small size. Plus, there’s no party like an Israeli party!

Photo by Adi Cohen Zedek

Here at Smashing The Glass, we’re fortunate to blog lots and lots of gorgeous destination weddings in Israel. According to our very scientific data, the most popular spot for couples from abroad making it official in Israel is a beachside location – in Tel Aviv or Caesarea – and for good reason!

Photo by LUZ

But if you’re thinking of getting married in Israel and looking for something a little more unique – but just as stunning – we’ve got you! The country’s got so much variety to offer when it comes to choosing a venue for your destination wedding – and we sat down to chat with Adi Sharfi, founder of luxury event planning company Premium Events Israel, to chat about some of her favorite ideas that are just a little bit different.

Photo by Perry Easy

With over 15 years of experience, Adi and her team at Premium Events Israel specialize in working with their clients to craft unique bespoke experiences your family and friends will remember for years to come (she’s got some truly incredible secret venues up her sleeve!), and we’re so thrilled to hear her three favorite Israeli destination wedding concepts – plus top tips on how to make them truly unforgettable.

Photo by LUZ

Israeli Desert Weddings

The Mediterranean coast may draw more attention, but Israel’s deserts are just as stunning. There’s something about the stark beauty of a desert landscape that hits different – and no landscape evokes the stories of the Torah quite like it.

Photo by Perry Easy

Photo by Perry Easy

Photo by Perry Easy

Between the Negev, the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea region, and the Eilat mountain range, there are lots of exquisite desert spots to choose from.

Photo by Adi Cohen Zedek

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How to Choose an Engagement Ring that Will Withstand the Test of Time {with Kristin Coffin}

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Unlike most decisions associated with your wedding, your engagement ring is one that will last far beyond the big day. So while of course you’ll want to choose a piece you adore right now, you’ll also want to make sure you pick a ring you’ll be happy to wear for many decades to come. 

But with all the different choices out there, how do you determine what’s a fleeting trend vs. a timeless classic? All it requires is a little bit of ring education. We’ve chatted with the experts at Kristin Coffin Jewelry, a jeweler specializing in sustainable engagement rings to last a lifetime, all about some of the best options for a ring that’ll never look dated. Read on to learn more about some of the most beloved settings and shapes for timeless engagement ring bliss. 

Classic Ring Settings 

One of the key decisions you’ll need to make when choosing your engagement ring is the setting. Three classic options guaranteed to withstand the test of time are solitaire, three-stone, and halo – read on for the main features and pros and cons of each. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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

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In Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club, we’re always fielding questions about where to register for Judaica that suits your style. Your bridal registry is a perfect opportunity to begin your new life together with unique and beautiful Judaica, and while there are so many options out there these days, it’s not always easy picking out pieces that work with your lifestyle and aesthetics – not to mention finding a one-stop shop where you can register for all the Judaica you might need to round out your collection.

Enter the Jewish Museum Shop. 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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The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Destination Wedding in Israel

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Laura and Elad‘s Jewish wedding in Tel Aviv | Photo by Ronen Boidek

Laura and Elad‘s Jewish wedding in Tel Aviv | Photo by Ronen Boidek

Some of my very favorite Smashing The Glass real weddings have taken place in Israel. I always dreamed of getting married there myself, and even though in the end we decided to get married in our hometown so that my husband’s 97-year-old grandmother could be at the center of our celebration, I love living vicariously through all our gorgeous Israel brides.

In addition to being such a meaningful place to hold a Jewish wedding, Israel also happens to be pretty unbeatable when it comes to sunny weather, unbeatable food, great views – from lush green forests to pristine beaches, vast deserts to stunning mountain – and the best parties I’ve ever been to. Just check out our real Israeli weddings section if you need any more proof!

Photo by Valeri Prochin

Photo by Valeri Prochin

The downside? It can be more than a little overwhelming to plan a wedding long distance, in a country whose language you might not even speak, and with somewhat different cultural norms than the US or UK. There’s also some tricky bureaucracy to contend with. But never fear! I sat down with Gev Rotem of Bebke, one of the very best Israeli destination wedding planners around, to demystify the process of planning the Israeli destination wedding of your dreams, one step at a time.

Bebke are known for planning some of the most creative, vibrant Israeli destination weddings around – you can see some we’ve featured on Smashing The Glass here – and there’s no one I trust more than Gev to be on top of all the up-to-the-minute ins and outs of crafting your perfect wedding in Israel from abroad. 

Photo by Moran Mayan

How Do You Find Vendors?

It can be really daunting trying to find vendors overseas, especially when there are language/cultural barriers, although most Israelis do speak good English. When you’re less familiar with the landscape, it can also be trickier to make sure you end up with a trustworthy team you can depend on to bring your wedding dreams to life. 

Recommendations from friends and family can certainly be helpful, but we also have a handy list of Israeli Recommended Vendors, carefully vetted to get you started, and, again, our past Israeli real weddings come with a vendor list at the end of each post, so if you see something you like, you can get in touch.

Even better is working with a trusted planner like Gev, who can not only source fantastic vendors you can trust who’ll be the perfect fit for your version, but will also make sure you get the best rates possible. 

Photo by Jen Sladkov

How About a Venue?

When it comes to nailing down that perfect venue, Gev shared some great insights – including one reason for working with a planner that you may not have considered: “There are lots of great villas and private properties open to hiring themselves out for weddings, but the problem with these tends to be that after a couple of events, their neighbors start complaining and they end up needing to shut down. For this reason, we hold lots of weddings at one-off locations where we can fly under the radar – and we have a team constantly looking for new options.”

Photo by Jen Sladkov

While there are also plenty of gorgeous established venues in Israel, Gev notes that your typical Israeli venue holds an average of 250(!) events per year – which means they tend to offer only set packages geared toward Israelis, leading to cookie-cutter events  which may not be quite in line with what couples from abroad are looking for. These venues often aren’t open to the kinds of bespoke touches those of us coming from the US and UK might want to include to craft a wedding that truly reflects them as a couple. 

Laura and Elad‘s Jewish wedding in Tel Aviv | Photo by Ronen Boidek

What Kinds of Unique Venues Can I Find in Israel?

Gev loves to help connect his couples with unique, only-in-Israel venues like olive and pecan groves, open fields, glamorous villas, old houses in Jaffa or ancient structures in Jerusalem, and locations amidst atmospheric archeological ruins. Israel’s got so many fabulous spots so full of character that are unlike anything you’d find at home, and Gev strongly believes that if you decide to get married there you should take advantage, rather than try to find a venue that imitates a New York club or an English garden.

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Jewish Joy to the World: Making the Holiday Season More Inclusive with Hanukkah Decor

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Have you ever gone shopping and seen tons of fun Christmas decor but absolutely nothing for Hanukkah? I know I have – and it’s made me feel excluded from all the seasonal festivity.
 
You might wonder why I’m talking about Hanukkah in July. It’s because we’re partnering with Hanukkah Decor – a business on a mission to change that feeling of being excluded during the holiday season – and they’re running a kickstarter campaign this month that we are getting right behind!
 

The Story 

When Mark Perryman’s three-year-old daughter, Carlie, felt left out after seeing her neighborhood aglow with Christmas decorations, he was inspired to design a line of 5 outdoor light-up Hanukkah inflatables to bring seasonal cheer to Jews of all ages – menorahs, dreidels, even Zayde’s Kitchen complete with latkes frying!
 
These durable and long-lasting outdoor inflatable can be proudly displayed in your front yard, year after year – to paraphrase my favorite Hanukkah sweater, “Tis the season to let everyone know you’re Jewish,” after all!
 
And thanks to the Kickstarter Mark and his wife, Katie, started to get their new business off the ground, you can back the campaign to help Jewish children and families celebrate Hanukkah and make new memories and traditions each year. 
 
If the Kickstarter is successful, next year Hanukkah Decor will be not only expanding their outdoor collection but also adding a line of super fun indoor Hanukkah décor in classic and modern designs. 
 
But if the Kickstarter doesn’t reach its goal by July 26, none of this will happen – so be sure to back the Kickstarter today at hanukkahdecor.com/Kickstarter if you want to bring inflatable Jewish joy to the children and grownups in your life!

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