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Home > Real Jewish Weddings > Jewish Same Sex Weddings

A Same-Sex Wedding Featuring Pastel Suits, Gluten-Free Eats, and Unforgettable Vows at Temple Israel, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA

30/10/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

Robbie-Jeff-Temple-Israel-Portsmouth-New-Hampshire-USA

In this dark time we’re living through, we could all use an extra infusion of Jewish joy. And there’s something about Jewish weddings – the unbridled love and emotion, the continuity and hope for the Jewish future – that comes through better than just about anything else we can think of. 

That’s certainly true of the beautiful, heartfelt Jewish wedding of New Hampshire couple Robbie and Jeff. The two grooms centered their big day around their own unique love story, and starting with their choice of venue, Temple Israel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where Robbie completed his conversion to Judaism, everything about their wedding was ultra-personal. This came through most clearly of all when it came to the duo’s vows, which told their story in an ultra-moving way.

Naturally, the couple wanted to make sure their ketubah was something special, and they found just the thing in their hand-painted tree of life ketubah by the wonderful Nava Shoham from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor 1800ketubah.com. Don’t miss it in the wonderful images from Jeffrey Rivkin Photography!

There’s lots more to say about this joyful Jewish wedding, but we’ll let the grooms take it from here…

Robbie-Jeff-Temple-Israel-Portsmouth-New-Hampshire-USA Robbie-Jeff-Temple-Israel-Portsmouth-New-Hampshire-USA Robbie-Jeff-Temple-Israel-Portsmouth-New-Hampshire-USA Robbie-Jeff-Temple-Israel-Portsmouth-New-Hampshire-USA
How We Met

Robbie and Jeff, the grooms: We met in late 2017 through a mutual friend at a Halloween party were we live in Dover, New Hampshire. Jeff was in a relationship at the time, and initially we were just acquaintances at social gatherings, and became gym buddies. When Jeff became single a few months later, Robbie quickly jumped at the opportunity to get closer with the buff new guy with beautiful blue eyes, and the ability to carry an intelligent conversation.

“Jeff was fairly new to the area and didn’t know many people, so Robbie would invite him over to his place after the gym and cook him up some chicken, steak and veggies on the grill while we’d drink wine and get to know each other.”

Being that we were both in our 30s, we both approached the relationship with vulnerability and honesty. Neither of us was wasting any time. We shared our trials and tribulations over those initial dinners, and that’s when we really started connecting. Robbie has a thing for guys who have faced adversity and overcome it, so he was attracted to Jeff from the moment they started getting to know each other.

At around the three week point in our relationship, Robbie blurted out “I love you” after a few glasses of wine and a deep conversation. Jeff played his cards a little closer to his chest, and replied “thank you,” but the reality was that he was instantly drawn to Robbie’s boyish smile, his overflowing empathy, and effortless swagger.

The plot twist to the whole story was that Robbie had just been laid off from his job and was about to move away, eventually planning to land on the West Coast. On a romantic walk along the Marginal Way in Ogunquit Beach, Maine, Jeff tried to end things on a high note, not wanting to get more attached knowing Robbie was leaving. Robbie wasn’t so willing to let go. “I felt crushed as soon as the words came out of Jeff’s mouth. I knew I was going to be living in New England for at least another year before leaving to the West Coast, so I pleaded with Jeff to keeping seeing me and let things play out on their own.”

Thankfully, Jeff agreed, and we ended up maintaining a long distance relationship for about 13 months, roughly 145 miles or 2.5 hours apart. During that time, Robbie found a new job that allowed him to work remotely, and in August of 2019, he moved back to Dover, New Hampshire to live with Jeff full-time.

In January of 2021, we were out walking our cavapoo, Coal, and laughing hysterically as we watched him gliding on the ice on our long driveway. Then, Jeff told Robbie to look up at the stars. Jeff always “stops to smell the roses,” so Robbie looked up too, only to see a completely overcast sky. Confused, he looked back down and saw Jeff getting down on one knee, with a huge smile on his face, and an open ring box. He asked Robbie to marry him, and Robbie asked, “are you being serious?” Jeff replied, “I’m on my knees in the snow with a ring in my hand. Does this look like a joke?” Then Robbie said, “Yes. Yes. Oh, my God, of course.”

Having already been planning to propose to Jeff himself, Robbie went ahead and did a second proposal to Jeff that July at the top of their favorite mountain, Mt. Chocorua, in New Hampshire’s White Mountain region. He got down on one knee near the edge of the mountain at the top while Jeff was looking around, and said, “what do you think about the view over here?” Jeff turned around and Robbie popped the questions. Of course it was already a done deal at that point. Jeff said yes, too!

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A Pioneering Modern Orthodox Same Sex Wedding at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, New York, USA

10/02/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

Max & Zach, Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, New York, USA

We are so in love with today’s stunning same sex Jewish wedding! New Yorkers Max, Director of Startup Ecosystem Development at SAP, and Zach, Director of Artist Relations + Partnerships at Great Bowery’s Trunk Archive, crafted a day that perfectly blended Jewish tradition with impeccable contemporary style.

Same sex Orthodox weddings are still in their early years, and we love that Max and Zach – along with their officiant, Rabbi Avram Mlotek – are at the forefront. The pair worked with their rabbi to craft a ceremony that aligned with their values as Modern Orthodox Jews AND as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

While much of the ceremony looked like any traditional Jewish wedding, one difference is that instead of a traditional ketubah, Max and Zach opted to use a Shtar Shutafut, a Halachic Partnership Contract, to formalize their marriage. The couple worked with Rabbi Mlotek on the text. They also exchanged rings under the chuppah, and each smashed a glass.

It’s so heartwarming to see how Max and Zach were able to craft the wedding of their dreams, without having to compromise on any aspect of their identities – and you can really see the joy in each and every shot by photographer David Perlman.

There’s so much more to say – like how much we love that the duo named their signature cocktail the Goldie Spritz, after their rescue dog! – but we’ll turn you over to the grooms for the rest…

Max & Zach, Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, New York, USA Max & Zach, Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, New York, USA Max & Zach, Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, New York, USA Max & Zach, Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, New York, USA
How we Met

Max and Zach, the grooms: We first matched in November 2018 when we were both home visiting our families on Long Island, NY for Thanksgiving. We instantly clicked on our first date in December 2018, which coincided with the second night of Chanukah. We were engaged on March 13, 2022 and the rest is history.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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Two Beautiful Brides for an Ecofriendly Same-Sex Jewish Wedding in the Redwoods, Old Mill Park, California, USA

01/08/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Margeaux and Zoe, Old Mill Park, California, USA

How can you not love a wedding featuring California redwoods, two brides in matching Teva sandals, and a bouncy house? Just one of those things would be enough to set our hearts aflutter  – and the fabulous Jewish wedding of Margeaux and Zoe included all three, and so much more!

It’s hard not to fall for a wedding with as stunning an outdoor setting as this one – and we love that Margeaux and Zoe worked with Rachelle of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush to design a custom nature-themed ketubah reflecting their big day. Featuring some favorite flowers, plus greenery in honor of the venue, it’s an absolute stunner – and how cool is it that these two wrote their own ketubah text in English and Hebrew?! Don’t miss it in the exquisite photos by photographer Hellena Cedeno!

We’re also pretty smitten with the brides’ attire – not just their dresses from BHLDN (Zoe) and Jenny Yoo (Margeaux), but their comfy footwear too. Yep, the couple really opted to wear matching Teva sandals the whole day! Such a fun personal touch – and how great must they have felt to dance in?!

There’s so much more to say about this very special Jewish wedding, but we’ll leave it to Margeaux and Zoe to fill you in on the rest…

Margeaux and Zoe, Old Mill Park, California, USA Margeaux and Zoe, Old Mill Park, California, USA Margeaux and Zoe, Old Mill Park, California, USA Margeaux and Zoe, Old Mill Park, California, USA
How we Met

We are both rabbinical students at Hebrew Union College. We met at List College, the undergraduate program between the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University.

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Smashing the Sake Barrel: A Multicultural Same-Sex Chinese-Japanese-Jewish Wedding at Spring Studios, Kentish Town, London, UK

25/02/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Phoebe-Misa-Spring-Studios-Kentish-Town-London-UK

Just about all the weddings we blog feature a couple smashing the glass, but we’re pretty sure this is our first where the couple’s also smashed a sake barrel! Beautiful London-based brides Phoebe and Misa, both software engineers, planned the most smashing (sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves) lesbian Jew-ish wedding combining Phoebe’s Jewish background with Misa’s Chinese and Japanese heritage – and we’re obsessed!

These two wanted their day to truly reflect them as a couple, and we don’t think they could possibly have done a better job. With a Jew-ish ceremony led by Phoebe’s childhood rabbi, Chinese and Japanese canapes, personalized sake cup favors for the guests, and a blessing in Japanese from Misa’s mum, we’re obsessed with how seamlessly multicultural the duo made their day.

And back to the smashing of the sake barrel – did you know that it’s a Japanese custom to break the lid of a sake barrel with a wooden hammer on special occasions? What a cool parallel to smashing the glass (which Phoebe and Misa also did, naturally) – and the sake from that smashed barrel was used for the final toast of the night!

We’re obsessed with Phoebe and Misa’s incredible photos by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Marta Ilardo. The camera-shy couple wanted a documentary-style photographer who’d make them feel comfortable on the day, and Marta fit the bill perfectly – plus, how stunning are her photos?

Now over to the Phoebe and Misa, who looked gorgeous in their dresses by Aesling and Mikaella, respectively…

Phoebe-Misa-Spring-Studios-Kentish-Town-London-UK Phoebe-Misa-Spring-Studios-Kentish-Town-London-UK Phoebe-Misa-Spring-Studios-Kentish-Town-London-UK Phoebe-Misa-Spring-Studios-Kentish-Town-London-UK
How we Met

Misa and Phoebe, the brides: We actually met at a coding bootcamp (Makers Academy) in 2016! Phoebe was working in finance and Misa was doing a PhD in partnership with Cancer Research UK, when we both decided to re train as Software Engineers.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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Two Gorgeous Brides for a Hometown Same Sex Jewish Wedding at The Terrace on Grand, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

21/01/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Hannah & Elizabeth, The Terrace on Grand, Kansas City, USA

How fabulous is today’s Jewish wedding?! We’re obsessed with everything the gorgeous big day of Hannah, an acute care nurse practitioner, and Elizabeth, a physician in interventional radiology, from the fantastic jewel-toned color scheme to the focus on highlighting their beloved shared hometown of Kansas City.

There are so many fantastic details to ogle over, but make sure you don’t miss the couple’s glorious floral chuppah, perfectly captured by Adri of Black Coffee Photo. We can’t get enough of the jewel-tone florals, or the combination of fresh blooms with dried flowers. And on top of all that, the chuppah structure was built on site by Hannah’s father – and the couple hope to share it with their unmarried siblings for their future weddings! What an incredibly special family heirloom.

We’re also seriously impressed with both brides’ fashion sense. Hannah looked so glam in her sparkly Tara Keely by Lazaro gown, while Elizabeth started off the day in a super cool white bridal jumpsuit by Emily Hart Bridal before switching into a tux from Little Black Tux for the reception!

Now we’ll hand you off to the brides themselves…

Hannah & Elizabeth, The Terrace on Grand, Kansas City, USA Hannah & Elizabeth, The Terrace on Grand, Kansas City, USA Hannah & Elizabeth, The Terrace on Grand, Kansas City, USA Hannah & Elizabeth, The Terrace on Grand, Kansas City, USA
How we Met

Hannah: We first met while working in the same hospital department in Kansas city.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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