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A Jewish Wedding on the Water at Chesapeake Bay Beach Club, Stevensville, Maryland, USA

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There’s nothing like a stunning waterfront setting for a Jewish wedding – and we love how Natalie, a brand strategist, and Jon, who works in clinical mental health counselling, let the natural beauty of the water and greenery surrounding them take center stage on their big day.

Taking cues from their venue, the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club, Natalie and Jon opted for a neutral color palette to let the natural splendor pop – with the exception of some pops of Natalie’s favorite color, purple. They also incorporated the colors of the ocean and trees that surrounded them into their beautiful custom ketubah by Britt Yudell of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor BRITColors.

In Natalie and Jon’s words, “We were looking to get a design that was a reflection of our relationship thus far, and represented the commitment we were making to each other going forward. Early in the relationship, Jon bought two similar pendants that we each kept when we were apart. We wanted that to be captured in our a ketubah which Britt absolutely captured perfectly.” Don’t miss it in the wonderful pics by Stephanie Dee!

Read on for the full story in the couple’s own words…

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How we Met

Natalie, the bride and Jon, the groom: We met at Penn State University! We were just acquaintances at the time through mutual friends. We reconnected years later when Natalie came back to the Washington, D.C. area from New Orleans and Jon moved to the Washington, D.C. area to work at American University.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Mediterranean Garden Wedding Full of Love, Lemons, and Olive Trees at Beit al Hayam, Jaffa, Israel

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Elinor & Daniel, Beit al Hayam, Jaffa, Israel

Some Jewish weddings just make you feel like you’ve stepped into another world. In the case of Elinor, a business manager in LA for people in the show business world, and Daniel, a software engineer, that world is a Mediterranean garden fantasia full of vibrant blue and yellow tones, olive and lemon trees, and, of course, plenty of flowers.

Elinor and Daniel knew they wanted to craft a wedding that would make their friends and family from abroad feel as if they were stepping into the couple’s home – and to make their vision a reality, they opted to work with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Bebke Productions. Gev and Inbal of Bebke are masters at putting together weddings that transport you, and they were the absolute perfect choice for this very special day.

In Elinor and Daniel’s words, Bebke Productions was “simply amazing,” working closely with the couple and handling every detail of the day with aplomb – as well as creating a killer atmosphere filled with fun touches like signs styled like Mediterranean tiles, an epic cocktail bar with signature drinks, a dining area modeled after an Italian courtyard, and so much more – don’t miss all the wonderful touches in the photos from Jen Sladkov.

There’s so much more to say about this very special Jewish wedding – read on for the whole story!

Elinor & Daniel, Beit al Hayam, Jaffa, Israel Elinor & Daniel, Beit al Hayam, Jaffa, IsraelElinor & Daniel, Beit al Hayam, Jaffa, IsraelElinor & Daniel, Beit al Hayam, Jaffa, Israel
How we Met

Elinor, the bride and Daniel, the groom: Our moms were in the army together and stayed friends. When I moved to LA, I was invited by Daniel’s mom to a Chanukkah party at her home and there I met Daniel.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Family-Focused Jewish Wedding in Teal and Silver at The Prado at Balboa Park, San Diego, California, USA

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Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA

We love it when a couple focuses their wedding on the things that really matter – which is exactly what today’s couple, Krystal, a chief in the Navy, and Richard, a construction manager, did. Early on, they decided they wanted to craft an intimate, budget-conscious day centered around family and faith, and their joyous San Diego Jewish wedding at The Prado at Balboa Park was exactly that.

Including family was key to the couple every step of the way. Krystal planned the wedding alongside her mother, mother-in-law, sisters, and sister-in-law, and on the day family members did everything from reading the seven blessings to leading the toasts. Including the memories of relatives who had passed away was also top of mind for Krystal and Richard, and, in addition to a memorial table with 4×6 picture frames with photos and names, during the ceremony the couple’s rabbi read out the names of late loved ones.

Family members also signed the couple’s stunning ketubah, which they found via Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com. They chose the Infinite Love Papercut design for its bright colors, and they loved working with Ketubah.com for their quick response times, variety, and ease of changes for text or delivery dates.

Krystal was a member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club throughout her wedding planning, and we’re so touched to hear that she found the group a big source of support in everything from figuring out how to honor loved ones who have passed on, trimming down a guest list, and whether – and how – to manage a successful hora with a smaller crowd.

This was truly an incredible wedding – don’t miss the joy-filled photos by Bruna of Elegance in Frame Photography to see all the love and happiness of the day!

Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USAKrystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA
How we Met

Krystal, the bride: Picture it, San Diego, 2020. It was Richard’s first time out in years and my first time out since returning from a six-month deployment. It was going to be a much needed ladies night since restaurants and bars were finally open again.

As the ladies were looking for an empty table, Richard was holding one down for the fellas who just stepped away. I asked if we could share his table to finish our drinks, he kindly obliged, and the rest is history. I remember he wore a black t-shirt with a hamster in the pocket (proof he didn’t go out that night looking for a girlfriend) and conversation sparked because we’re both Denver Broncos football fans.

He had such a bright and handsome smile that the first time he laughed, I swooned. Classic story of guy meets girl during a pandemic, right? It’s funny because earlier that week I deleted all the dating apps on my phone and told myself I was going to be single for a while. Well, clearly Hashem had other plans for me. We met on a Saturday night, first date was Tuesday, and by Thursday he asked me to be his girlfriend. 10 months later, he proposed!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Berta Bride for a Breathtaking Jewish Wedding Full of Flowers, Corgis, and Jewish History at Villa Arcadia, Johannesburg, South Africa

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While we adore ALL the wonderful Jewish weddings we feature here on STG, for our last post of the year we always try to select something with that little bit of extra wow factor. And if we say so ourselves, we’ve outdone ourselves with our ’22 pick. The fabulous South African Jewish wedding of Shari, who works in marketing and media, and Gavin, a musician, is truly one for the books.

First off the flowers… there really isn’t much we can say beyond WOW. From the Amalfi Coast-inspired floral chuppah to the artfully curated tabletops to the hanging arrangements – all we can say is do yourself a favor and scroll through the exquisite images by Shanna Jones Photography ASAP!

Just as stunning was Shari’s Berta gown. She knew “Demi” was the one for her the moment she set eyes on it, and purchased her dream dress from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Wedding Club in London, “who were absolutely incredible in organising it despite the distance from South Africa”!

We also love that Shari and Gavin opted to wed in a venue with Jewish history: dating back to 1903, Villa Arcadia was the first Jewish orphanage in South Africa, and it was instrumental in homing war orphans from Eastern Europe.

There’s so much more to say about this wonderful day – how sweet is it that the couple’s corgi, Nika, served as their flower girl?! – but we’ll let the bride take it from here…

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How we Met

Shari, the bride: We met very unexpectedly through mutual friends who were dating, we both went to his house with very low expectations. The only reason they thought to set us up was because Gavin was tall enough for me!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Nicole Milano Bride for an Outdoor Oasis Jewish Wedding at El Cortijo San Francisco, Spain

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Anouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, Spain

London couple Anouska and Ben always dreamed of getting married in Spain… and even though they ended up delaying their fabulous Jewish wedding a whopping 3 times due to Covid, they eventually pulled off one of the most stunning Spanish weddings we’ve EVER seen!

The couple’s venue, El Cortijo San Francisco, was nothing short of magical – don’t miss it in the effortlessly elegant photos by Nora and wonderful video from Michel Maraver.

And the bride herself looked ever so glam in her Nicole Milano dress, which she found at beloved Islington bridal boutique and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Mirror Mirror. Anouska loved working with the wonderful Mirror Mirror team just as much as she adored the luxurious materials and dazzling embroidery on her exquisite gown. She also went for a handmade veil by Mirror Mirror, bespoke to match her gown – and was it ever gorgeous!

Keeping the party vibes going strong was important to Anouska and Ben, and so when it came time to choose a band for they went for the best of the best, flying out Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Sensation Band from London. The 10-piece band got the party started – and kept it going into the early hours of the morning – and Anouska and Ben can’t stop raving about their powerful vocals and awesome range of music.

There’s lots more to say about this very special day, but we’ll let Anouska take it from here…

Anouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, SpainAnouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, SpainAnouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, Spain Anouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, Spain
How we Met

Anouska, the bride: We met when we were in our early teens as we were both from the same place in Hale, Cheshire just outside Manchester. We dated a little in our 20’s here and there in between other relationships but it was very casual. And then in our early 30’s a close friend of Anouska’s started working with Ben at his then company and one day Ben enquired to this friend how I was doing as we hadn’t spoken in a while. This friend told Ben to ask me himself and so he did and the rest is history! We live in London with our 22-month-old little girl Anya and dog Buddy.Continue ReadingContinue Reading