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A Pronovias Bride for a Timelessly Elegant Jewish Wedding at Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel

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Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel

Weddings in Israel are so special, and London couple Charlotte and Jonah had one of the best! To start with, they picked the magical Cochav Hayam as their venue – in the bride’s words, “Sunset beach backdrop, gorgeous grounds, and unbelievable food made it a no-brainer.”

The duo opted to work with Yana Andreev of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Craspedia Events to make planning from abroad “not just possible, but genuinely fun and exciting.” Charlotte and Jonah can’t stop raving about how great Yana and her team were, both in the leadup and on the big day itself.

And then there’s the chuppah. The pair went for an elegant arched all-white floral chuppah set against the venue’s stunning ocean backdrop, creating the most wonderfully romantic ambience. Don’t miss it in the beautiful photos by People Photography!

There’s so much more to say about this very special Jewish wedding – like, how elegant did Charlotte look in her princess ballgown from Pronovias?! – but we’ll leave it to the bride to take it from here…

Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel

How We Met

Charlotte, the bride: We met at Cambridge University at the Jsoc on the very first Shabbat of term — I was a fresher, he was a third-year, but we didn’t start dating until a few months later!

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A Lee Petra Grebenau Bride for an Elegant Jewish Wedding at Troja Chateau, Prague, Czech Republic

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Rachel and Jakub, Troja Chateau, Prague, Czech Republic

This is an exciting day in STG history: it’s the very first time we’re publishing a wedding set in Prague! One of Europe’s most beautiful and historic cities, Prague is such a special place if you’re looking for a more urban destination wedding spot – and we’re thrilled that Rachel, a labor and delivery nurse, and Jakub, an equity research analyst in finance, shared their special day with us!

The couple opted to wed at in Troja Chateau in Prague because the groom’s extended family lives in the area – and to help make their wedding dreams come true long-distance, they worked with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Andrea Haman, who Rachel describes as “the absolute most incredible wedding planner.” Andrea helped Rachel and Jakub source the perfect vendors for their day and worked with them to create an elegant and elevated vibe – just check out the wonderful photos by Jenny Ovsyannikova and video byMartin from Kaco Films for proof!

We love the way the duo incorporated both Jewish and Czech traditions – so in addition to the ketubah signing, chuppah, and smashing the glass, they followed the Czech practice of smashing the plate – read through Rachel’s wonderful writeup to find out all about it!

Before we turn you over to the bride, we’ve got to say a few words about her stunner of a gown by Israeli designer Lee Petra Grebenau, a custom creation by the designer blending two of her gorgeous styles!

Rachel and Jakub, Troja Chateau, Prague, Czech Republic Rachel and Jakub, Troja Chateau, Prague, Czech Republic Rachel and Jakub, Troja Chateau, Prague, Czech Republic Rachel and Jakub, Troja Chateau, Prague, Czech Republic

How We Met

Rachel, the bride: We met via the dating app, Bumble in 2020.

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A Claire Pettibone Bride for a Jewish Wedding Centered on Family at Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York

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Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York

We love that Jennifer, a clinical social worker, and Michael, who owns an  engineering and construction Firm, made their Jewish wedding at Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa all about family.

The couple’s kids – Jennifer and Michael have six boys between them – were with them under the chuppah, and the cantor who officiated is one of the duo’s best friends and crafted an ultra-personal ceremony – including a moment for a family hug! Jennifer’s four boys walked her down the aisle, and all six of the couple’s sons gave speeches – which were followed by a family dance! Don’t miss the ultra-emotional photos by Heidi Green.

Shortly after Jennifer and Michael met, they hired an Israeli tattoo artist named Gabriel Wolff to design an infinity sign with their names in Hebrew. They never ended up getting the tattoos, but they did use the design as the basis for their beautiful bespoke ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Once Upon A Paper, who brought their vison to life.

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

Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York

How We Met

Jennifer, the bride: We met on Match.com. We were both divorced and I was dating a lot. Michael says he knew when he saw my photo on the site. I hadn’t even dated anyone from Match and was seeing two other Michaels when we met. I didn’t really pay him much attention.

I’m a big sports fan and he wanted to take me to see the Rangers, the Yankees and was offering great seats. I kept saying no. But he was persistent! I finally said ok to just meet for a drink. Well we met at a restaurant near me. I was sitting at the bar and he walked in the door and walked up the length of the bar and I thought. Oh shit. I’m done. We had a drink that turned into dinner and we never went a single day since then without each other.

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A Kosher Wedding on the Water with Israeli Vibes at Base Events, Paphos, Cyprus

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Sarah and Daniel, Base Events, Paphos, Cyprus

Here it is, our last real Jewish wedding of 2025 – and have we got a special one to share with you today! Like so many couples, UK-based Sarah and Daniel dreamed of getting married in Israel, but due to the war they ended up pivoting and relocating things to Cyprus.

With the help of their fantastic wedding planner, Noam of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kai Wedding Planners, Sarah and Daniel were able to bring so much of what they love about Israel into their big day. Being Israeli himself, Noam was perfectly positioned to help the couple do just that – and their celebration at Base Events in Paphos really did have the feel of one of those fabulous Israeli seaside weddings we all know and love. Noam even sourced kosher-certified catering for Sarah and Daniel!

Photographers Eitan Van and Kryiakos Hadjiiordanis captured all the love and emotion of the day so perfectly – do read on for the rest of the story in Sarah’s own words…

Sarah and Daniel, Base Events, Paphos, CyprusSarah and Daniel, Base Events, Paphos, CyprusSarah and Daniel, Base Events, Paphos, Cyprus Sarah and Daniel, Base Events, Paphos, Cyprus

How We Met

Sarah, the bride: We met at a Purim in 2019!

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An Essense of Australia Bride for a Jewish Wedding at Independence Grove, Chicago, USA

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Julia and Richard, Independence Grove, Chicago, USA

We love an outdoor chuppah – and Julia and Richard’s was really something special. Chicago couple Julia, who works with hospitals to improve maternal health outcomes, and Richard, a construction litigation lawyer, dreamed of an outdoor wedding that felt natural, warm, and close to home, and Independence Grove — a forest preserve and event space just outside the city — was the perfect match.

Keeping things simple to honor the natural beauty of their surroundings, the couple went for a birch chuppah covered with the most incredibly special handmade canopy needlepointed by Richard’s mom. Don’t miss it in the beautiful photos by Henington Studios.

Equally special was the duo’s ketubah, which Julia calls “a complete dream.” She and Richard worked with Elena Berlo of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Once Upon a Paper to create a bespoke design that felt uniquely them, blending Julia’s love of nature with Richard’s love of music. Elena surprised the couple by adding singing birds to the willow tree on the ketubah, and the final result is absolutely gorgeous.

Now over to Julia, who looked radiant in her elegant gown by Essense of Australia…

Julia and Richard, Independence Grove, Chicago, USAJulia and Richard, Independence Grove, Chicago, USA Julia and Richard, Independence Grove, Chicago, USA Julia and Richard, Independence Grove, Chicago, USA

How We Met

Julia, the bride: Our story began long before we ever met. I first met Richard’s sister back in 2008, when we were both part of a year-long volunteer program in Israel. Despite that connection — and the fact that we grew up near each other, studied the same subject at neighboring New England colleges, and somehow shared overlapping social circles — our paths never crossed.

Fast forward to 2019, when we finally met at a Shabbat dinner in Chicago hosted by Richard’s sister. During the pandemic, we’d occasionally see each other at outdoor gatherings and became friendly, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2021 that we realized there was a spark. A few dates in, we both knew this was something special. Two years to the day after our first date, we were under the chuppah.

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