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A Hindu-Jewish Wedding Weekend To Remember in Stiges, Spain

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Chhaya and Harry, ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, Barcelona, Spain

We love  a good wedding weekend – and this is one for the books! Chhaya and Harry, both doctors, live in the UK, but they knew they wanted a destination where their loved ones could get together for some serious quality time around their interfaith “HinJew” wedding – and they found the perfect setting in a seaside town called Stiges, near Barcelona.

The couple’s planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J, helped them plan a series of three events over three days, each with its own distinct personality while still feeling part of one cohesive story.

They got things started with a joyful, sun-drenched welcome fiesta/haldi ceremony, which they hosted poolside at the ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, the main wedding hotel where most of the couple’s guests stayed.

Day two was Chhaya and Harry’s Hindu wedding under the mandap at neighboring hotel Sunway Playa Golf & Spa – we’re obsessed with the fun, romantic, pastel-colored vibes, and you absolutely cannot miss Chhaya’s stunning outfit by Aisha Rao. Be sure to catch it in the wonderful photos by photographer Dmitry Komarenko!

The third and final day was reserved for the duo’s elegant black-tie Jewish ceremony at a gorgeous winery, Caves Codorniu. The woodland-inspired chuppah took place outdoors, and then for the reception everyone moved into the underground caves!

Read on for all the wonderful details in Chhaya’s own words…

Chhaya and Harry, ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, Barcelona, SpainChhaya and Harry, ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, Barcelona, SpainChhaya and Harry, ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, Barcelona, Spain Chhaya and Harry, ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, Barcelona, Spain

How We Met

Chhaya, the bride: Harry and I are both doctors and we met in 2019. Through the challenges of the pandemic we built our own little bubble – and from that a love story that continues to grow!

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A Groundbreaking Same-Sex Orthodox Jewish Wedding with Tons of Personal Touches at Rochdale Town Hall, UK

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Jay and Michael, Rochdale Town Hall, Rochdale, UK

We have a really special Jewish wedding to share with you today! London couple Jay, who runs a scientific consultancy business, and Michael, a chartered accountant working in risk management, were the first same-sex couple to be married by an Orthodox rabbi in the UK, and we are here for it!

It’s so exciting to see the rise of same-sex Orthodox Jewish weddings, and we loved hearing about how Jay and Michael crafted their entirely bespoke halachic ceremony. When the pair were planning their wedding, they joined our Brides Club (yes, guys can join too!), and we’re so thrilled to hear how much they valued our own Karen Cinnamon’s advice throughout the process.  

Jay and Michael’s wedding was absolutely chock full of wonderful personal touches. For starters, inspired by their shared love of musical theatre, Jay and Michael commissioned a wedding booklet designed to replicate the Playbill programs distributed in Broadway theatres, featuring illustrations of the couple in their wedding attire, a “cast list,” and a five-act synopsis of their love story. Don’t miss it in the wonderful documentary-style photos by David Stubbs!

And we love that Jay and Michael chose a ten-piece band (accompanied by a chuppah singer) from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Twentysomethings for their entertainment. The couple loved working with the band, and they couldn’t get enough of the Israeli dancing set. Also, how awesome is it that their first dance was to Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis in Yiddish, sung by one of the pair’s best women, accompanied by the band?!

There are so many more wonderful details of this beautiful and meaningful day – read on for the full story in the grooms’ own words…

Jay and Michael, Rochdale Town Hall, Rochdale, UK Jay and Michael, Rochdale Town Hall, Rochdale, UK Jay and Michael, Rochdale Town Hall, Rochdale, UK Jay and Michael, Rochdale Town Hall, Rochdale, UK

How We Met

We met thanks to the “shadchan of the 21st century”, the dating app Hinge.

Our early romance was complicated by geography, as Jay was dividing his time between London, Vienna and Jerusalem. Our first date took place at Tuk Tuk in London, but despite the initial spark, the practical challenges made us doubt that the relationship would develop further. An unexpected encounter at Hendon Central tube station set the relationship back on track and we both took this as a sign not to give up.

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A Jane Hill Bride for an Ultra-Personal Foodies’ Jewish Wedding at Braxted Park, Witham, UK

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Saydee and Eldar, Braxted Park Estate, Witham, UK

This Jewish wedding has it all – tons of personal touches, gorgeous countryside setting, great food, and an epic party. Londoners Saydee, a senior food buyer, and Eldar, a director at an advertising agency, worked with their planner Sophie Amor to craft the most magical celebration at picturesque Braxted Park, with so many fabulous details it’s hard to know where to start.

We could go with the couple’s stunning chuppah, inspired by the enormous oak tree on the grounds that formed the focal point of the outdoor ceremony – Saydee and Eldar wanted it to feel as though it was growing into the landscape, and did they ever! (Don’t miss it in the natural, documentary-style photos by Susie and Harley of  Barker Evans.)

Or the chuppah explanation cards the couple created to guide guests unfamiliar with Jewish weddings through the ceremony – hand-drawn by the bride’s mother!

And then there’s the food. Eldar’s family is behind beloved London restaurant group Delamina, so exceptional wedding eats were a must. Working with kosher caterer Dvash, the couple put together a menu with food inspired by Eldar’s mother’s cooking, featuring Middle Eastern-inspired dishes like short rib Delamina-style, slow-cooked with dates, pul-biber chilies, Jerusalem artichoke three ways, and roasted okra.”

Read on for the full story in Saydee’s own words…

Saydee and Eldar, Braxted Park Estate, Witham, UK Saydee and Eldar, Braxted Park Estate, Witham, UK Saydee and Eldar, Braxted Park Estate, Witham, UK Saydee and Eldar, Braxted Park Estate, Witham, UK

How We Met

Saydee, the bride: Introduced by a mutual friend but had crossed paths once that year and Eldar grew up on the road Saydee went to school!

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A Mira Zwillinger Bride for a Rustically Elegant Jewish Wedding at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, Santa Barbara, California, USA

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Laura and Danny, Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, Santa Barbara, California, USA

Talk about a Jewish wedding with a view – we’re totally and completely obsessed with Laura and Danny’s dreamy day at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm in Santa Barbara! With an outdoor chuppah on a meadowed bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a reception in the farm’s stunning glass greenhouse, and tons of greenery and wildflowers all around, this was one gorgeous celebration.

Laura and Danny made the wise decision to let the beauty of their location take the lead, opting for a natural and understated aesthetic featuring shades of wheat, beige and nude hues coupled with greens, as well as organic design elements like natural colored linens and textiles, exposed wood, burnished metal, and ceramic. Elena Berlo of Smashing The Glass Recommended vendor Once Upon a Paper designed the couple’s custom ketubah, translating our vision into a truly beautiful and meaningful piece.Don’t miss it all in the wonderful photos by Tara Johansen and video by Thomas Tikos-Kadji.

Now over to Laura, who looked so elegant in her gown by beloved Israeli designer Mira Zwillinger…

 

Laura and Danny, Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, Santa Barbara, California, USA Laura and Danny, Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, Santa Barbara, California, USA Laura and Danny, Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, Santa Barbara, California, USA Laura and Danny, Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm, Santa Barbara, California, USA

How We Met

Laura, the bride: Danny and I were set up through a mutual friend. Our first date was at a bar in Los Angeles, CA and what was supposed to be just drinks turned into dinner and over three hours of talking and laughing. We had an instant connection and both shared a love for Documentary films. Once the physical date ended, we continued texting for another four hours that evening.

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A Same-Sex Jewish Wedding with Lots of DIY at Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA

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Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA

We love a DIY Jewish wedding, and Hadassah and Natanya’s is one for the books! The Jerusalem-based brides, who opted to wed near Natanya’s hometown at Floriana in Ipswich, Massachusetts, added so many incredible handcrafted elements to their day, and we here for it.

Despite the long distance, the duo planned the entire wedding themselves, and it was a priority to make every detail of the day totally, 100% them. They crafted a halakhic same-sex ceremony featuring each bride circling the other 7 times, a modified birkat erusin blessing followed by egalitarian kiddushin, sheva brachot recited by family and friends, and finally a joint smashing of the glass!

And of course there’s all the awesome DIY projects. The couple did their own flowers, designed their ketubah, and crafted custom benchers – and perhaps coolest of all, Hadassah sewed  her own wedding gown from scratch! Don’t miss all the gorgeous details in the wonderful photos by Lana Shevorski.

Read on for the full story in Hadassah’s own words…

Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA

How We Met

Hadassah, the bride: We met as students at the Joint Program between the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University. We first got to know each other in a class about Martin Buber junior year, and started dating second-semester senior year.

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