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A Michal Motil Bride for an Intimate Destination Jewish Wedding at Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete, Greece

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Dyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete

Buckle your seatbelts and get ready for a trip to beautiful Crete, where Israeli couple Dyana, a private chef and entrepreneur, and Asaf, who works in tech, tied the knot with 33 of their nearest and dearest.

In addition to picking an absolute knockout of a location for their Jewish wedding, Dyana and Asaf also did the most amazing job crafting a one-of-a-kind day that was totally them. Though neither are religious, the pair wanted to incorporate Jewish customs into their civil ceremony in a way that felt authentic to who they are – and we adore how they handled the custom of the Seven Blessings.

Rather than go the traditional route, Dyana and Asaf opted to assign 7 loved ones each to create a blessing for the couple in their own words, inspired by the original. Needless to say, the honorees came up with some truly beautiful remarks, and Dyana and Asaf loved how personal these bespoke blessings made their ceremony!

Another wonderful personal touch was Dyana and Asaf’s hand painted ketubah by Rachelle of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush! The duo loved working with Rachelle, and can’t stop raving about how helpful she was in working with them to customize the text to be specific to their relationship – plus, obviously, the finished product is totally stunning! Don’t miss it in the photos from Alex Dobrovolsky.  

There’s so much more to say, but we’ll leave the rest to Dyana, who looked so boho chic in her dress by Israeli designer Michal Motil…

Dyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete Dyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete Dyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, CreteDyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete
How we Met

Dyana, the bride: Asaf and I met June 2015 on birthright. He was the Israeli soldier and I was the young American who just graduated college looking for a summer adventure. We met and pretty much the rest is history. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Jasmine Bridal Bride for a Jewish Wedding with a View at The Venue at Greenbriar Estate, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA

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Madison-Jacob-The-Venue-at-Greenbrier-Estate-Gatlinburg-Tennessee

When you choose to get married in a spot with breathtaking natural scenery, it just makes sense to let your setting take the lead as you plan your day. That’s what Madison, who’s pursuing a PhD in social work at the University of Texas at Austin, and Jacob, who works for a tech startup, did in crafting their Jewish wedding at The Venue at Greenbrier Estate outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, overlooking the majestic Smoky Mountains National Park.

When planning their classically elegant day, they took their cues from the magic of the mountains that surrounded them, choosing a blue and green color palette and working with

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Brit Colors to design a custom ketubah depicting a sun rising over the mountains – as a nod do their venue, and also a beautiful symbol of the beginning of their life together as husband and wife. The ketubah turned out, in Madison’s words, “more beautiful than anything we ever imagined” – don’t miss it in the wonderful photos from Mandy Hart!

We also love the emphasis Madison and Jacob put on involving their families in their day. They involved loved ones in their ceremony and rented two cabins across from the venue, where they stayed with their respective families prior to the wedding. Even their choice to marry amidst the Smokies was inspired by Jacob’s family’s deep connections to the national park.

This day was just packed with so much joy – read on for Madison’s recounting of the full wedding…

Madison-Jacob-The-Venue-at-Greenbrier-Estate-Gatlinburg-TennesseeMadison-Jacob-The-Venue-at-Greenbrier-Estate-Gatlinburg-Tennessee Madison-Jacob-The-Venue-at-Greenbrier-Estate-Gatlinburg-Tennessee Madison-Jacob-The-Venue-at-Greenbrier-Estate-Gatlinburg-Tennessee
How We Met

Madison, the bride: We met at The University of Alabama in our first year. After being friends for a year we started dating and have been together ever since!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Loulette Bride for a Great Gatsby-Inspired Jewish Wedding at The Inn at Longshore, Connecticut, USA

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We love a literary Jewish wedding here at Team STG. And Jai and Ari’s Great Gatsby-themed celebration is one of the very best we’ve seen!

Jai, who works at Google as YouTube’s policy lead for violent extremism, and Ari, a healthcare consultant at a healthcare consulting firm, took the lead from their venue, The Inn at Longshore, a historic estate on the Long Island Sound. As lovers of American literature, the pair knew The Inn at Longshore was the spot for them when they found out historians believe F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel was likely inspired by the Fitzgeralds’ attendance at extravagant parties at the original Inn (then a private mansion).

From there, Jai and Ari opted to pick up on some Gatsby motifs, from vintage frames for black and white photographs of the couple’s loved ones that were with them in spirit, to a nine-piece band that kept the crowd on their feet, to a sparkler send off.

The couple’s attire was also inspired by Gatsby: Ari wore an ivory silk bow tie, and Jai’s custom gown and topper by Loulette Bride took inspiration from 1920s fashion. The groom, groomsmen, and dads wore tuxedos and kippot knit by the bride’s mother while the bridesmaids wore black, an untraditional but timeless and elegant choice. Everyone looked so chic – don’t miss it in the romantic photos by Nel Studios!

Now over to the bride…

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How we Met

Jai, the bride and Ari, the groom: They met in Washington, DC five years ago when Ari was working as a health care researcher and Jai was working at the Pentagon. Their first date was at a cute spot between their offices and their second date was every parent’s dream: Shabbat services at Sixth and I synagogue.

During the pandemic, the couple decided it was time for an adventure. They packed up and moved to Tel Aviv for a year, where they spent the weekdays working at startups and the weekends swimming in the Mediterranean. It was a dream! They relocated to New York City about a year ago and miss Tel Aviv every day.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Mirror Mirror Bride for an Enchanted Forest Jewish Wedding at Luton Hoo Walled Garden, Luton, UK

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Danielle-and-Jake-Luton-Hoo-Walled-Garden-UK

Get ready for a Jewish wedding FULL of emotion! Danielle, a midwife, and Jake, a vet, had the most special day in the verdant surroundings of Luton Hoo Walled Gardens, and it was as meaningful as it was gorgeous.

There were so many special touches to this day, but one of the best has to be Danielle’s wedding dress from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Mirror Mirror. Lots of brides make Mirror Mirror their first stop because of its fab service and selection, but this bride had an additional reason: Mirror Mirror was where Danielle’s mum had bought her own dress for her wedding to Danielle’s beloved stepfather, who tragically passed away before Danielle got married. Needless to say, Danielle adored her Mirror Mirror experience – and the wonderful Inbal Dror gown she found not only looked stunning, but also served as a special reminder of her stepdad on the big day.

One look at the moving photos by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Chloe Delmonte is all it takes to see what an emotion-filled day it was for all involved. In Danielle’s words, Chloe “was sensational and just when we thought her talents couldn’t get any better she kept outdoing herself. The entire morning I was getting ready she was my absolute rock!” Doesn’t get much better than that!

We’re also in love with the couple’s wedding videography by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Michael Pearl. Michael has quickly become a favorite among London-area Jewish couples, and it’s easy to see why looking at the results – plus, in the bride’s words, the man behind the camera is “extremely kind and lovely to work with,” and great at putting video-shy couples at ease.

 Read on for all the rest of the details in Danielle’s own words…


Danielle-and-Jake-Luton-Hoo-Walled-Garden-UKDanielle-and-Jake-Luton-Hoo-Walled-Garden-UK
How we Met

Danielle, the bride: We met at the University of Birmingham. I was living in Jewish accommodation, Hillel House, and Jake was living in the university kosher flats. Jake was friends with some of the same people I was friends with and so he would often come to Hillel House or we would see each other on a night out and it all blossomed from there.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Rani Weinstein Bride for a Destination Jewish Wedding Weekend on the Beach at Atlantis Gardens, Larnaca, Cyprus

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Angelina & Dor, Atlantis Gardens Resort, Larnaca, Cyprus

Given that they met working on a cruise ship, it’s only fitting that today’s couple chose the dreamiest of destinations for their Jewish wedding. Hailing from different continents, Angelina, an influencer marketing and partnerships manager, and Dor, a digital advertising account manager, now live in Tel Aviv, and their big day brought together loved ones from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.

The perfect spot for everyone to converge for a luxe wedding weekend? Atlantis Gardens, a dreamy seaside resort in Larnaca, Cyprus. The couple’s fabulous wedding planner, Noam of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kai Wedding Planners, guided them toward their dream venue – and so many of the other fabulous vendors they worked with on the big day!

In Angelina’s words, “If you want to tie the knot in a different, beautiful, surprisingly affordable, truly once-in-a-lifetime kind of way, Noam is your guy. He and his team go above and beyond for you to make your wedding dreams come true. There is NO ONE, absolutely no one, who does destination weddings like Kai Wedding Planners.”

Angelina and Dor worked to combine the bride’s German-Namibian-South African roots with the groom’s Israeli background, and they crafted a ceremony that was totally them – conducted by Dor’s older brother in Hebrew and English, and incorporating some beloved traditions like the 7 blessings and smashing the glass. And it all took place under the dreamiest chuppah right on the beach – don’t miss it in the luminous photos and video by Little Sparrow Stories.

There’s so much more to say about this awesome wedding – like how chic Angelina looked in her Rani Weinstein gown – but we’ll turn you over to the bride for the rest of the story…

Angelina & Dor, Atlantis Gardens Resort, Larnaca, CyprusAngelina & Dor, Atlantis Gardens Resort, Larnaca, CyprusAngelina & Dor, Atlantis Gardens Resort, Larnaca, Cyprus Angelina & Dor, Atlantis Gardens Resort, Larnaca, Cyprus
How we Met

Angelina, the bride: We met over 10 years ago (June 2012), when we both worked on MSC Cruises. Dor worked as a security officer and I worked in the Kids Club onboard MSC Splendida. I was 18 and Dor was almost 22. Fast forward a few years of a long-distance relationship consisting of many flights, plans, holidays and love, and I finally moved to Israel in 2016. Since then we’ve both graduated from our Masters degrees, survived a pandemic and many other obstacles in between, and (finally) got engaged in July 2021.Continue ReadingContinue Reading