Jewish Destination Weddings Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Crystal Design Bride for a Romantic Destination Jewish Wedding with Moody Florals and Fireworks at Villa Montefiano, Fiesole, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

12/12/2018 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Today’s Jewish wedding is 100% pure dreamy-misty-eyed romance. The fact that it took place at a totally stunning venue in Florence doesn’t hurt, obviously. But the couple’s excellent (and elegant!) taste, along with the amazing team assembled by their stellar wedding planner, Rossana from The Knot in Italy, is what really made the day.

We’re totally in love with the moody glam look Andrea, an executive assistant/office manager, and Seymone, an attorney, cultivated. Between the lush florals (peonies and eucalyptus!), twinkly lights, and liberal use of candles – not to mention that subtly dramatic chuppah – every single detail is totally on point. Silvia Galora Photography and videographer Waterfall Visuals both captured the romance and visual splendor of the day absolutely exquisitely.

Oh, and did we mention that there were fireworks? And not just the metaphorical kind.

We’ll let Andrea, who looked stunning in her dreamy princess gown from Crystal Design, fill you in on the details…

How we met

Andrea, the bride: I met Seymone 5 years ago in the basement cafe of our then-office building. This is our story as told on our wedding website:

Andrea captured Seymone’s attention in the basement cafe at their old (now demolished) office building in Century City, CA. Seymone’s first words, “How’s the soup?” led him to finding out Andrea worked at the real estate firm on the 2nd floor.

The next day, Andrea would receive an edible arrangement and a card that read, “It was lovely meeting you in the cafe yesterday, hope the next time I see you is over dinner and drinks – SJ.”

After many adventures and years of getting to know each other Seymone popped the question on February 16, 2017.

A Rita Vinieris Bride for a Multicultural Jew-ish Wedding at Villa Medicea di Lilliano, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

05/12/2018 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Jewish wedding Villa Medicea di Lilliano, Florence, Tuscany, Italy_0024

We’re not sure what we’re more excited about in today’s Jew-ish wedding: the ultra-personal ceremony the couple crafted that blended their collective Italian, Israeli, and American backgrounds to perfection, or the jaw-dropping Tuscan scenery—and photographer Edoardo Agresti’s exquisite captures of the day, which somehow manage to be natural and artistic all at once.

Oh… and we’re going nuts for the couples Fiat 500 wedding car too!

Lital and Andrea, who run Padano Productions —providing sound, lighting, and AV for events (yes, that includes weddings!) in the LA area—knew their top priority was crafting a wedding that was totally them. That meant combining Andrea’s Italian heritage and Lital’s Israeli-American background, and making sure the Jewish traditions they incorporated into the day were meaningful and fit with their personal beliefs.

Our favorite example? They reworked the traditional seven blessings to put a unique, personal spin on the ancient text, and then had their closest friends and family read them aloud – 3 in Italian, 3 in Hebrew, and 1 in English.

And then there’s the ketubah. Lital and Andrea found the perfect combination – text that reflects who they are as a couple plus fabulous design – in mega-talented Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Stephanie Caplan from The Ketubah whom we ADORE!

On a less spiritual note, we also love the fun favor these two opted to hand out to their guests: hats! But not just any old junky hat to shade them from that midsummer heat during the outdoor ceremony. These were super nice, sylish straw hats that, Lital reports, many of the guests are still wearing to this day!

Now over to the bride, who looked totally gorgeous in her boho chic gown by Rita Vinieris – not to mention her epic flower crown!

How We Met

Lital, the bride: we met on J-Swipe (even though Andrea is not Jewish)!

A Jewish-Cuban-Italian Same-Sex Destination Wedding at La Chiusa, Montefollonico, Siena, Tuscany, Italy

28/11/2018 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

“GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION to have the wedding of your dreams. Whatever it is.”

Amen to that, Risa! Our couples always have so much Jewish and Jew-ish wedding wisdom to pass on, but it’s not every day we get offered up advice that so perfectly describes our mission here at Smashing The Glass.

Risa, who owns a boutique casting house in NYC, and Anna, a lead analyst for a creative agency, certainly had the wedding of their dreams, and it just might turn out to be the wedding of your dreams too. Do have a scroll through Beatrice Moricci’s majestic photos! You can really see why Risa says this awesome photographer was the “best decision we’ve ever made – apart from choosing one another!”

Between the totally swoon-worthy Tuscan setting (that also served to honor Risa’s late Italian father), a hora played by an authentic Cuban band, Michelin-starred catering using ingredients picked out of an on-site garden the morning of the wedding, a sweet floral chuppah, and a gelato card, we’re pretty much sold on this one.

The brides did SUCH a fab job of combining Risa’s Jewish and Italian heritage with Anna’s Cuban background, plus their own sensibilities as a 21^st-century couple, and we adore the fact that they decided to BOTH break a glass at the end of the ceremony.

It doesn’t hurt that these two are a seriously stylish duo, either – Risa’s non-traditional blush floral gown from Rara Avis is truly a sight to behold, and Anna’s custom blue tux from Bindle & Keep was super dapper.

Now we’ll hand you over to Risa whose writeup of this exceptional day is truly memorable…

How We Met

Risa: We met through mutual friends and have been together for six years, with a two-year gap in the middle!

An Eliza Jane Howell Bride for a Cabana Chic Jewish Wedding with a Mirrored Chuppah at the Park Hyatt, Mallorca, Spain

23/11/2018 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

OMG HOW dreamy is Jade and Andy’s destination Jewish wedding in marvelous Mallorca?! Their venue, Park Hyatt Mallorca, is just BEYOND – it may be a hotel, but it feels like an ultra-glam villa. Of course, the stunning natural surroundings – mountains AND oceans – don’t hurt, and neither does the fact that beautiful bride Jade is a pro wedding planner herself at Fantastique London (she also has a fab lifestyle blog!).

Unsurprisingly, she made some AMAZING design choices – we’re obsessed with the super cool mirrored silver chuppah – cleverly set up to reflect the gorgeous grove of olive trees in the sunken garden surrounding the ceremony space!

We also love how Jade and Andy opted to seat their guests in a square formation on all sides of the chuppah, to enhance the intimate feel of the day – such a nice idea, especially if you’re having a smaller wedding like these two did.

Weddings don’t come much more photogenic than this one, and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Denee Motion absolutely made the most of the cinematic surroundings – the aerial shot that opens his epic trailer is unforgettable – as did Signe Dzile Photography in her beautiful images.

Gorgeous Jade looked totally smashing in her Eliza Jane Howell dress from STG Recommended Vendor Mirror Mirror in London, and we’re not at all surprised to read her rave review of the “amazing” personalized experience. Jade, over to you…

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A post shared by Jade Alexander (@jadelalexander) on Sep 4, 2018 at 2:15am PDT

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A Destination Wedding in Mallorca

Jade, the bride: We frequently go to Mallorca but had never visited this side of the island and wanted something different from the center of Palma. Being an event planner, I didn’t want a typical hotel look.

Park Hyatt Mallorca has been open for 2 years and has been built like a Mallorcan town. The resort has stunning mountain views and sea views of Canyamel beach. It offers 5* luxury but without that typical hotel feel.

A Super Spiritual Enchanted Garden Jewish Wedding with an Epic Old City Photoshoot at Bezzela Hahar on Moshav Machasiya, Israel

16/11/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

You know we love it when a couple really focuses on bringing out the spiritual side of their Jewish wedding. And lucky for us, that’s exactly what Australian-turned-Israeli couple, Rachel and Yehuda, did in planning their traditional day.

Capitalizing on the beauty and holiness of their adopted home, this duo opted for a venue that just exudes Israeli charm. Bezzela Hahar’s stunning outdoor grounds made for the dreamiest enchanted oasis setting, between the lush greenery and abundant Jerusalem stone – and it could not have been more perfect for the couple’s ultra-meaningful sunset (!) chuppah.

Also amazing is the post-wedding nighttime photoshoot in Jerusalem’s Old City Gilad Mashiah orchestrated for Rachel and Yehuda. This spiritual pair wanted to conclude the celebration with prayers at the Kotel (Western Wall), which just happened to provide a backdrop for some truly, amazingly touching photos.

Oh, and we’re obsessed with the fact that the couple set up a live feed of their ceremony for friends and family who couldn’t make it in person. Such a wonderful way to keep your loved ones in the loop, especially if you have lots of family overseas like Rachel and Yehuda did. Their grandparents who weren’t able to travel even ended up holding a viewing party for their friends back home – awww!

Now over to Rachel, who lived out all her Disney princess fantasies and then some in her magical, modest Tali Shurin wedding dress…

An Enchanted Garden in Israel

Rachel, the bride: We got married at Bezzela Hahar on Moshav Machasiya. We were looking for a place with a beautiful outdoors for the chuppah, and seating space indoors, and Betsela Hahar immediately gave us the impression of an enchanted garden, whimsical and breathtaking. The location worked for us perfectly. It was convenient for our family in Bet Shemesh and Jerusalem.