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A Rainy Day Orthodox Jewish Wedding Filled with Purple and Pandas at Chicago Mitzvah Campaign and KINS of West Rogers Park, Chicago, USA

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Some couples would be dismayed by a rainy wedding day – but not Carmi and Kalman! Carmi, a behavioral therapist, and Kalman, a Medivan driver, leaned into the downpour that hit during their outdoor chuppah – so much so that the groom says the rain (which, in Jewish tradition, represents blessings to come) was his favorite part of the ceremony!

The Chicago couple kept their Orthodox Jewish wedding ultra-personal, holding their chuppah in the garden of the Chicago Mitzvah Campaign, where Kalman works; covering their chuppah with Carmi’s great-grandfather’s tallit; and incorporating lots of their favorite color, purple – and a few pandas, too, since they’re the bride’s favorite animal!

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Eliana Melmed Photography captured the day so beautifully – all the love and emotion of the day comes through in each and every shot.

Now over to the bride…  

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How We Met

Carmi, the bride: We saw each other in passing through our works and officially met at a singles event. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

An Inclusive Modern Orthodox Jewish Wedding at Congregation Beth Shalom, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

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Rachel and Ben’s Pittsburgh Jewish wedding was all about celebrating with loved ones – and we adore the way they centered their celebration around including family and friends.

Rachel, an intensive care nurse, and Ben, who  works in healthcare tech, chose to wed at Congregation Beth Shalom, Rachel’s family synagogue, and they were married by Ben’s family rabbi. They knew they wanted an inclusive yet traditional Modern Orthodox wedding, bringing in gender equality through touches like having a male and female guest read each of their Sheva Brachot – first in Hebrew, and then in English translation.

Rachel and Ben chose incredible Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Portraits by Sean as their photographer, and they couldn’t be more thrilled with their choice. In the bride’s words,

We spoke to Sean several times on the phone throughout our planning process and were so impressed with his profound interest in Jewish traditions, us, our families, and in helping us have a beautiful wedding. I was particularly impressed by his commitment to help my father (who has some mobility issues) and give him back some dignity in pictures. Sean and his staff were kind, professional, respectful, and flexible when our timelines when they did not go according to plan! 

Read on for all the details of this very special day…

 

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How We Met

Rachel, the bride: We met at a Rosh Hashana dinner at Brandeis University, where we both went to college. We met in 2016 and officially started dating in 2017. We were long distance for several years in between Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, and Wisconsin.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Summery Jewish Wedding with Lots of DIY Touches at South Hampstead Shul, London, UK

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Eloise and Eytan, South Hampstead Shul, London, UK

We love it when a couple brings their personalities to their Jewish wedding – which is exactly what Londoners Eloise and Eytan did! Both arts and crafts fans, the pair opted to design all of the wedding stationery themselves, from the invitations and seating chart to thank you cards and place names.

The couple’s photographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow Photography, “captured every moment in just the right way and made us feel comfortable from the beginning of the process which started with our engagement shoot and gave us constant updates whilst editing our photos.”

We also love that Eloise and Eytan chose Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Noa Davies, a mega-talented harpist, to play at their wedding – first accompanying their band Neshama, and then as a duet with violinist Miriam Kramer during the reception.

Read on for all the other details of this very special day – including a live wedding painter and an adorable wedding post box decorated by the bride and groom!

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How We Met

Eloise, the bride: We met on the Taglit trip Birthright in Israel on the coach from the airport to our first hotel. There were over 40 of us on the trip and somehow we found ourselves sat across the aisle from one another.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Maggie Sottero Bride for a Nature-Inspired Jewish Wedding at Weylin, Brooklyn, New York, USA

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We love a good New York Jewish wedding, and this one is really something special! Kat, an obstetrician-gynecologist, and Marc, an emergency physician, got married at Weylin in Brooklyn, and we can’t get enough of all the gorgeous details this historic building has to offer (including a breathtaking frescoed dome!).

Kat and Marc wanted their day to be a solid mix of the traditional and the unconventional, opting for a classic ceremony followed by an offbeat reception. Throughout, they drew inspiration from nature, from their wonderful chuppah adorned with greenery and florals to Kat’s Maggie Sottero dress to the couple’s exquisite tree ketubah by Shell Rummel, found at Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor ketubah.com.

Take one look at the beautiful photos by Megan and Kenneth and you’ll see that this was one joyful day – read on for all the details!

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How We Met

Katharine, the bride and Marc, the groom: We met on the very first day of medical school! 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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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