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Home > Real Jewish Weddings > Jewish Rustic Weddings

A Viktoria Chan Bride for a Boho Jewish Barn Wedding with Lot of DIY Touches at Kinkell Byre, St Andrews, Scotland, UK

09/10/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

Genna-Raph-Kinkell-Byre-St-Andrews-Scotland

We love it when a couple plans a Jewish wedding that’s 100% totally them – which is exactly what Glasgow couple Genna, who works for an innovation charity, and Raphael, an architect, did for their big day in beautiful St Andrews.

Celebrating the groom’s Brazilian heritage as well as the couple’s home in Scotland and incorporating so many DIY touches from the couple and their mums, this is truly a wedding to remember.

The groom designed all the wedding stationery plus the ketubah – and also built the couple’s stunning minimalist chuppah – Genna’s mum handmade the kiddush cups over 50 wooden candle holders that were placed around the venue and on the tables, and Raphael’s mum baked the couple’s wedding cake! Don’t miss all the wonderful details in Christian Olliver’s beautiful photos!

Food is important to Genna and Raphael, and when it came time to choose a kosher caterer they went for the best of the best: Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Feast by Ed Shaerf. In Genna’s words, Feast by Ed “absolutely blew us away. Not only was the food incredibly tasty, but the presentation and the professionalism of the staff were also out of this world! Everything was seamless and ran like absolute clockwork.”

There’s so much more to say about this joyous, love-filled day – but we’ll leave it to Genna, who looked so radiant in her minimalist gown by Swedish designer Viktoria Chan – to fill you in on the rest…

Genna-Raph-Kinkell-Byre-St-Andrews-Scotland Genna-Raph-Kinkell-Byre-St-Andrews-Scotland Genna-Raph-Kinkell-Byre-St-Andrews-Scotland Genna-Raph-Kinkell-Byre-St-Andrews-Scotland
How We Met

Genna, the bride: We met through my brother, Adam, who has been Raph’s best friend since they were 10 years old. About 5 years ago, Adam and his then fiance, now wife, Olivia suggested that we go for a drink together because we had ‘lots in common’ – and it went from there! After a few years of a long distance relationship between Glasgow and London, we settled in Glasgow, where we’re both originally from.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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A Magical Garden Jewish Wedding at Habustan, Abu Gosh, Israel

26/09/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

Ariella & Ryan, Habustan, Abu Gosh, Israel

Gorgeous venue alert! Israeli couple Ariella, an account manager in digital marketing, and Ryan, a product manager at a high-tech startup, fell in love with their venue, Habustan, the minute they set eyes on it – and we’re pretty sure we’re having the same experience right now!

The couple couldn’t get enough of the magical garden vibes, and they knew they wanted to keep the focus for their big day on the venue’s natural splendor, with fairy lights, trees, and flowers galore. Their photographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman, captured the understated yet elegant feel of the day so perfectly – in addition to making Ariella and Ryan and their guests feel comfortable and calm as he captured the most phenomenal moments.

One special touch we love: when it came time for the sheva brachot, Ariella and Ryan picked seven VIPs to give one bracha each, and they gave their MC a small script to introduce each person, thanking them for the way they touched the couple’s lives.

We’ll let Ariella fill you in on the rest…

Ariella & Ryan, Habustan, Abu Gosh, Israel Ariella & Ryan, Habustan, Abu Gosh, Israel Ariella & Ryan, Habustan, Abu Gosh, Israel Ariella & Ryan, Habustan, Abu Gosh, Israel
How We Met

Ariella, the bride: . We met through a mutual connection, who knew Ryan well and got my name and info from a friend of his who found out that I had recently made Aliyah. We went on our first date only three weeks after I landed in Israel and the rest is history!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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An Elegant Jewish Wedding Full of Fun Touches at Institute Park, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

04/09/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

Angela-Jesse-Institute-Park-Worcester-Massachusetts-USA

Today’s couple, Angela and Jesse, are busy people. They’re both registered nurses, each working in different critical care specialties – and on top of that, they also run their own farm!

So when it came time to plan their Massachusetts Jewish wedding, they wanted a day of nonstop fun – and that’s exactly what they got! From a wedding trolley party bus to transport the wedding party, to a black tie dress code as a counterpoint to Angela and Jesse’s usual scrubs and farm clothes, to DIY artificial flowers by the bride herself, this day was chock full of wonderful touches – don’t miss them all in the beautiful photos and trailer by Zach and Ava from Woodside Productions!

One of our very favorite special touches is the couple’s ketubah, designed by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Nava Shoham. Angela and Jesse adored Nava’s River of Dreams ketubah from the moment they set eyes on it, and they can’t stop raving about the process of working with Nava.

Now over to Angela…

Angela-Jesse-Institute-Park-Worcester-Massachusetts-USA Angela-Jesse-Institute-Park-Worcester-Massachusetts-USA Angela-Jesse-Institute-Park-Worcester-Massachusetts-USA Angela-Jesse-Institute-Park-Worcester-Massachusetts-USA
How We Met

Although they are both are in the medical field, they did not meet on the job. They met through a shared love for farming and farm animals and mutual friends within the farming community. The friendship effortlessly blossomed while they both served on the Agricultural Commission in the town they lived in previously. Jesse served as Vice Chair and Angela served as the secretary.

Angela had always dreamed of raising alpaca and Jesse was able to make her dreams come true when he found her a seller that needed to rehome five lovely alpaca. The alpaca became her first farm animals! Soon there were goats and chickens and ducks and more! Today, they play out their farm dreams together!

They currently own and solely operate Moonlight Run Farm, LLC in Barre, Massachusetts and have expanded to raising many types of animals such as llamas, Nigerian Dwarf goats, and Scottish Highland Cattle (just to name a few). They also provide an array of farm services and educational workshops for community.

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A Multicultural Jewish Wedding in the Redwoods, Waterfall Lodge, Ben Lomond, California, USA

14/08/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

Soreliz-Robert-Waterfall-Lodge-Ben-Lomond-CA-USA

There’s not much we love more than seeing a couple fuse two diverse backgrounds into one beautiful Jewish wedding. Add some jawdroppingly gorgeous scenery into the mix, and we’re more than sold. So needless to say, we fell head over heels when we first set eyes on Soreliz and Rob’s rustic wedding in the beautiful California redwoods, full of intention and symbolism reflecting the couple’s values, cultures, tradition, beliefs.

Rob comes from an Ashkenazi background, while Soreliz’s is a mix of Sephardic and Catholic, and all these traditions – plus some Buddhist and indigenous practices – came together to make one very special day. The ceremony was mostly in accordance with Jewish tradition, but Soreliz and Rob put their own spin on many aspects of the day. For instance, they chose to have a two-way badeken, where Rob placed a crown on Soreliz’s head and in return Soreliz placed a kippah on Rob’s.

Soreliz and Rob also picked a fabulous ketubah with tons of personal meaning to who they are as a couple, designed by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Nava Shoham. The duo opted for her rainbow tree design, both for its vibrant colors and for the special meaning trees have for them, and they couldn’t be more thrilled with the finished product – or with Nava’s professionalism and creativity throughout the process!

Do have a scroll through Manuel Ortega’s wonderful photos of this unique Jewish wedding – and read on for more of the story in the bride’s own words!

Soreliz-Robert-Waterfall-Lodge-Ben-Lomond-CA-USA Soreliz-Robert-Waterfall-Lodge-Ben-Lomond-CA-USA Soreliz-Robert-Waterfall-Lodge-Ben-Lomond-CA-USA Soreliz-Robert-Waterfall-Lodge-Ben-Lomond-CA-USA
How We Met

Soreliz, the bride: We are retired psychotherapists. Our journey began in mid-December of 2018 when Rob, seeking to network with fellow psychotherapists to grow his private therapy practice, decided to post an email on a therapy listserv that Soreliz saw. When Soreliz read Rob’s post, she felt curious and intrigued by what Rob had written, especially his connection to nature, his interest in nature-based therapy, and his Buddhist meditation practice. Upon seeing his photo in his email signature, she felt an urge and intuition that she should connect with him, even though she thought, “he could be gay or married, but one never knows.” There was something in his eyes and his smile that intrigued her.

Boy, was she glad she followed her intuition. When Rob received Soreliz’s email, he felt glad to receive it and was thinking of the proposed meeting strictly as a networking meeting, which ostensibly, it was. Curious to know a little more about this woman he was about to meet, Rob did a little background research on Psychology Today and found Soreliz’s professional profile to be both unique and intriguing, and her photo more than attractive, which never hurts in a networking meeting. Wink, wink.

Rob and Soreliz met at Cole Coffee in Rockridge, Berkeley, CA, for a networking conversation to learn more about each other’s work. After about an hour of professional banter, both Rob and Soreliz were curious to find out more about each other, and so the conversation became more personal. Soreliz felt that Rob was very grounded, found his travel stories fascinating, and noticed a sense of calmness about him. During the conversation, Soreliz was glad to discover that Rob was single. And she realized there were lots of common interests between them—spiritual practice, love of nature, psychotherapy, and a passion for travel and adventure. Moreover, there was a flow and ease to their conversation, and she noticed an undeniable attraction to him. Soreliz also loved Rob’s abalone necklace that he frequently wears. The fact that he wore it spoke to his connection to nature and resonated with Soreliz’s love of all things related to the ocean, as the double water sign that she is.

Rob found himself impressed by Soreliz’s courage in leaving her stable job of 14 years at Oakland Children’s Hospital as a community-based, mental health social worker and setting off on her own path, taking the risk to open her own private psychotherapy practice. Rob found Soreliz to be down-to-earth, very present in herself, open, and a good listener. Rob appreciated that Soreliz wanted to talk on a more personal level to get to know him more. He also noticed the beautiful light blue floral-patterned tunic that she was wearing and the contrast it made with her beautiful light brown skin. Her direct gaze captivated him. As the conversation organically transitioned from professional to personal topics, Rob became increasingly interested in finding out more about this attractive young woman who bought him hot chocolate, always a good move with Rob.

This “networking meeting,” turned into a four and a half hour flowing interaction, but it did not feel like a long time because both were so absorbed in the conversation. After the meeting ended because Soreliz had to go feed her son, it started to rain, so Soreliz asked Rob if he needed an umbrella. Rob said, “No, it’s not raining that hard, I’ll be okay.” (Rob can be a little bit shy when he first meets someone.) As they were about to part ways, Soreliz told Rob that she would like to see him again. Rob seemed caught off guard by Soreliz’s directness, and was also trying to keep a professional demeanor, so he did not directly respond at that moment. However, Rob liked the idea of walking under the umbrella together to his car and quickly changed his mind. 45 minutes after parting ways, Rob sent a follow-up email to Soreliz with some information about a photographer they had discussed during the meeting, saying he “so enjoyed their conversation,” and “looking forward to seeing you again soon.” (Hint hint). And the rest is history.

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Two Dancers’ Interfaith Jewish Wedding at Louland Falls, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

04/08/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

Tori-Shawn-Louland-Falls-Salt-Lake-City-Utah-USA

When two competitive dancers tie the knot, you know it’s going to be something special! Tori, a musical theatre performer, and Shawn, who works in financial planning, met on the ballroom dance team at the University of Utah, and though they now live in NYC, they decided to return to the state where they met for their interfaith Jewish wedding.

Needless to say, their wedding was quite the party – including an epic first dance that the bride and groom spent three months choreographing and perfecting!

As an interfaith couple – Tori is Jewish, while Shawn isn’t – the duo knew they wanted to plan a ceremony with traditional Jewish elements that would be accessible to all of their guests. They found the perfect ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Rachelle of The Delicate Brush, centered on a Tree of Life design with Hebrew on one side and English on the other. Tori and Shawn adored having their ketubah at the wedding, and they love it even more now that it’s on display in their home! Don’t miss it in the wonderful images by Courtney Blair Photography.

There’s so much else to say about this joyous wedding – how fun is it that the couple organized a photo scavenger hunt around the venue for guests, with pics of the bride and groom growing up?! – but we’ll let Tori take it from here…

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How We Met

Tori, the bride: Shawn and I met in 2013 on the ballroom dance team at the University of Utah during my freshman year of college! We never danced together on team because of our height difference, but we were drawn to each other. We started dating, got engaged in 2019, and now here we are married!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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