Jewish Beach Weddings Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Vera Wang Bride for an Elegant Jewish Wedding in the Hamptons, Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, New York, USA

09/04/2018 by Karen Cinnamon 1 Comment

We see a lot of beach weddings at Smashing The Glass, but this one really goes all out with the seaside theme! NYC-based Jessica (@jessschein) and Evan (@evanschein) wanted to get married in Montauk in the Hamptons, their go-to weekend getaway from their hectic lives in the city. They chose Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa for its extraordinary views of the ocean – and the stunning sunsets over the water. Totally stunning, right?!

Jessica and Evan wanted to keep their day open, airy, and focused on the gorgeous setting. To complement their surroundings, the pair opted for a very nautical white and navy blue color scheme.

You’ve got to check out their out-of-this-world” blooms all in white – there’s something so dramatic about keeping the flowers to a single color.

And Jessica and Evan’s chuppah for their outdoor ceremony continued the theme – light and airy, it was adorned with the most beautiful white flowers – hydrangeas, orchids, and more – with sheer white side panels, so as not to interfere with the ocean view in the background. Doesn’t it look romantic against that backdrop?

Photographer A Day of Bliss did a wonderful job documenting the day, and the couple sing their photographers’ praises not only for their flawless shots but also for being fantastic to work with on the day. Videographer Keith Brady Media captured the feel of the day perfectly too!

Jessica looked so elegant in her lace fit-and-flare Vera Wang gown, with an exquisite long train. She and Evan wanted their day to be sophisticated and chic with modern flair, and it really was. Now over to the bride…

How we met

Jessica, the bride: “I am so happy my teacher is going to be my Aunt!” – (Evan’s 8-year-old niece, and yes, Jessica’s former preschool student) said, the night Jessica and Evan got engaged.

Our story began in October 2012, on a little known dating site, called JDate. However, I was already part of Evan’s family – he just did not know it yet!

Let’s rewind…

I came across Evan’s profile, and after going back and forth with the usual 21 questions, we realized it was a very small world. It turned out that I was a preschool teacher at the school Evan’s niece attended. But wait, there’s more… Evan’s niece did not just go to the preschool where I taught, I was actually Evan’s niece’s teacher – 2 years earlier!

Evan told me that he needed to get his niece’s approval before committing to a date. (I thought to myself that the chance of going on their first date lay in the hands of a 4-year-old!) As it turns out, I got an A+ rating, his niece saying, “Miss Jessica was the best teacher ever!” This was a fact confirmed by Evan’s brother and sister-in-law, who later admitted they always wanted to set me up with Evan. The rest is history!

A BHLDN Bride for an Exuberant Jewish Wedding on the Beach at Paradisus Cancun, Mexico

21/03/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

Here at Smashing The Glass we talk a lot about enjoying your day your way and embracing the fun of the wedding day, but today’s bride takes it to a whole new level: gorgous Eden jumped into a pool in her wedding dress straight after her ceremony! #wecouldntloveheranymore

Eden, a kindergarten teacher at a Jewish day school (and a former wedding planner!), and Matan, who runs a construction company, planned a delightfully free-spirited day focused around all the things they love: an intimate day with only those closest to them, a gorgeous beach setting, a rocking party, and color color color—white flowers were forbidden, and groom Matan donned a bright red suit!

The LA-based couple chose to wed at the Paradisus hotel in the beachy wonderland of Cancun, Mexico, where Eden’s parents were living. In keeping with the laid-back beachy theme of the day, Eden opted for a stunningly simple two-piece gown from BHLDN. For the full-on tropical paradise vibe, she even went barefoot for her outdoor ceremony. Photographer Michael Segal did such a fab job capturing the exuberance of the day!

Following the ceremony, the couple took a dramatic plunge into the Paradisus’s gorgeous pool, fully decked out in their wedding attire! From there on out, the day transitioned into a full-on, chilled-out pool/dance party—which was the couple’s favorite thing about their wedding weekend. Eden says it felt like being at summer camp—now over to the bride herself…

How we met

Eden, the bride: You know how sometimes all it takes is a minute to fall in love? Well, for us all it took was some red velvet pancakes on a Saturday morning. I was 20, and definitely didn’t think I needed help from my mom to get a date. So when she texted me “I gave your number to my client with a cute brother,” I was NOT excited. But, I figured what’s done is done – if nothing else it’s a free meal. He insisted on picking me up for breakfast the next day (which at the time was super creepy in my mind but is now the most romantic) and ordered us red velvet pancakes. I guess the rest is history.

A Bride in a Green Reformation Dress for a Laid-Back Jewish Wedding on the Beach with a Modern Egalitarian Ceremony in Caesarea, Israel

09/03/2018 by Karen

Cool Wedding Alert! Hannah, an urban planner who hails from Melbourne, Australia, and Eitan, a contractor and Tel Aviv native, told their wedding planner and designer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Bebke, that they wanted their Jewish wedding to feel like the best day at the beach you’ve ever had.

And Bebke really, really delivered. Their day, in a stunning beach venue just north of Caesaria, is truly the ultimate chilled-out seaside bash.

Ever felt like the standard formal event doesn’t quite mesh with your sensibilities? Hannah and Eitan did, and they opted to skip out on the sit-down meal and instead make their day a constant stream of food, drinks, and dancing. We love how they opted to have all different kinds of food stations, from deli to wood-fired pizza to fish shawarma! Way to keep all your guests happy.

Another thing we adore about this wedding is the ultra-personal alternative Jewish ceremony Hannah and Eitan crafted, combining tradition with their egalitarian values. They wrote their own ketubah, had their siblings read not only the traditional seven blessings but also blessings they wrote themselves for the couple, and exchanged rings with each other.

Hannah looked radiant in her green Reformation dress, proving that you don’t have to wear white to capture that bridal elegance.

Photographer Alexey Kudrik came recommended by planner Bebke, and we’re in love with his elegant documentary style. These photos look like they’ve been snatched from a super cool editorial, but at the same time Alexey could not have captured the emotion of the day more exquisitely—just take a look at the photos of Hannah and Eitan under the chuppah. We’ll leave it to Hannah to fill you in on the rest.

How we met

Hannah, the bride: We met through a mutual friend when I was in Tel Aviv visiting for another friend’s wedding in 2015 – we ended up in the same group of people hanging out on the beach one weekend – and what started as a holiday fling ended in marriage, and now a baby on the way!

A Maggie Sottero Bride for a Beachy, Bohemian Jewish Wedding at La Costanera Montara, California, USA

22/12/2017 by Karen

Alright folks, we’ll level with you – a few tears were shed in the editing of today’s real wedding, and we suggest you reach for the tissue box, because Melinda and Tobin are so ludicrously cute, we guarantee you’ll well up at least once.

Melinda and Tobin took a leap of faith, and moved in together after a long-term relationship was born during a volunteering trip to Israel. Their heartfelt and family-oriented Jewish wedding day was a real reflection on their obvious adoration for each other.

This is also evident in the beautiful vows Melinda has shared with us, at the bottom of the post. If you’re dry eyed after reading them, then we don’t know what will crack you!

Not only was it an emotional day, but the beachy, bohemian vibe and shades of lavender and purple color scheme made it a real visual treat, too. From the floristry to the bridal party, everything looked absolutely picture perfect.

The couple opted for an equality-driven ceremony, with both bride and groom circling each other and smashing a glass, which, as regular readers will know, we’re crazy in favor of! We also love that the wedding celebrations included volunteering, which is a wonderful way to start married life, by giving something back.

Melinda was the belle of the ball in her Maggie Sottero gown, with a dreamy back showed off by her side swept hair and carefully chosen accessories. Just gorgeous!

All of this was captured magnificently by Stacy Able Photography, as you can see in the divine spread of images below.

We’ll leave you with Melinda for the full writeup. Like we said – it’s a weepy one! You have all been warned!

How we met

Melinda, the bride: Tobin and I met in Israel while working at a clinic for African refugees. Tobin went to medical school in Israel and was doing a rotation at the clinic, and I was volunteering there as a nurse. I had taken a leave of absence from my job in Seattle to volunteer in Israel as a nurse for six months. We both coincidentally are originally from California.

I met Tobin the last month I was in Israel and never thought I’d see him again. We stayed in touch, visiting each other often once he started his residency in Indiana. When I decided to move to Indiana, I had never lived in the same place as him except that one month in Israel, so I was taking a big risk. Glad it all worked out!

An Equality-Driven Jewish Beach Wedding at The Fairmont Miramar, Santa Monica, California, USA

03/07/2017 by Karen

Some real weddings are just so full of love, heart and emotion that it shines through in every image we see, and every word the couple writes. Ryan and Jessica’s Santa Monica beach celebration was certainly one of those days.

Set in the shadow of an enormous fig tree, the tear-jerking day included a uniquely equality-driven badeken (we LOVE this idea, we suspect many couples will be borrowing it), and a ‘web of love’ during the ceremony.

The pair tied the knot in their hometown of Santa Monica, paying homage to their beachy lifestyle and adding in a minty colour scheme, which carried through in all of the details, captured so beautifully by photographer Scott Clark Photo.

While we’re talking details, we adore (amongst many other things) the rustic-look chuppah, succulent buttonholes and meaningful circle-of-life ketubah – the epitome of Jewish wedding chic.

We’ll leave you with Jessica’s lovely write-up now, but pay special attention to the ‘web of love’ image a little later in the post – so very moving and just what getting married is all about.

How we met

Jessica, the bride: Ryan and I met in Los Angeles while pursuing graduate degrees in Business Administration at the University of Southern California in 2011. We’ve been on a long journey together since: over the past six years we moved twice, first to New York and then back to LA. In 2016, Ryan joined the Jewish faith, we got engaged, and less than a year later, we were married.