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A Mia Pava Bride for a Joyous Jewish Wedding at Olmaya, Jerusalem, Israel

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Jerusalem is such a special place to get married – Tamar and Noam’s big day at Olmaya, featuring a stunning outdoor chuppah with majestic views of the Old City, is really something else.

This was such an iconically only-in-Israel wedding, and we are all about it. Tamar and Noam chose Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Tzahi Shemesh to photograph their day, and they couldn’t have been any more thrilled with the results – take a scroll through his incredible, heartfelt images and you’ll see why. Plus, the couple can’t stop raving about how much they loved working with him, and how comfortable and fun he made their wedding day photos!

Tamar chose the most gorgeous gown by Israeli designer Mia Pava, and we can’t get enough of her beautiful, whimsical bridal style.

Read on for all the details in the bride’s own words…


How We Met

Tamar, the bride: We met in eighth grade when Noam moved to Philadelphia!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Lazaro Bride for an Interfaith Jewish-Catholic Wedding at Castello di Meleto, Tuscany, Italy

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Danielle and Greg, Castello di Meleto in Gaiole, Chianti,Tuscany, Italy

We love a Tuscan wedding – and today’s is really something special. New Yorkers Danielle, a manager at a boutique management consulting firm, and Greg, the COO and CCO at a hedge fund, are passionate travelers and dreamed of a wedding surrounded by rolling vineyards and world-class wines.

It’s no easy feat to plan a wedding from thousands of miles away, and the couple turned to Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Tuscan Wedding to help make the day of their dreams a reality. In Danielle’s words:

The Tuscan Wedding team truly exceeded all expectations. Daniela and Katia were our main planners, and their combined expertise, creativity, and connections brought our vision to life. Daniela’s industry knowledge and relationships paired perfectly with Katia’s fresh ideas and unwavering support. They truly listened to what we wanted and turned it into reality. Thoughtful, kind, and full of great energy, they struck the perfect balance between offering guidance and letting us shape our dream wedding. By the end of it all, they felt more like lifelong friends than just our planners.

Danielle and Greg themed their day around The Tuscan beauty surrounding them, showcasing the bold colors and stunning natural landscape. They incorporated lots of local color with details like an espresso bar after dinner and a surprise appearance by an opera singer during dinner. Their gorgeous ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor ketubah.com was chosen to beautifully complement the wedding’s color scheme. Don’t miss all the special details in the stunning photos and video by Aberrazioni Cromatiche Studio!

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

Danielle and Greg, Castello di Meleto in Gaiole, Chianti,Tuscany, ItalyDanielle and Greg, Castello di Meleto in Gaiole, Chianti,Tuscany, Italy Danielle and Greg, Castello di Meleto in Gaiole, Chianti,Tuscany, ItalyDanielle and Greg, Castello di Meleto in Gaiole, Chianti,Tuscany, Italy
How We Met

Danielle, the bride: We first met in January 2020 at Perry Street, a restaurant in the West Village, during Restaurant Week in Manhattan. Our mutual friends had organized a big dinner to take advantage of the great deals at some of the city’s best spots. After dinner, we spent the night bar-hopping through the West Village, talking, laughing, and getting to know each other. That night, we both started to feel like there was something worth exploring. A few weeks later, Greg asked Danielle on their first date—a New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden. Sitting in the stands, caught up in the energy of the game, it became clear that this had the potential to turn into something special.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Magical Forest Pacific Northwest-Meets-Israel Jewish Wedding at HaGiva, Givat Brenner, Israel

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Shachaf and Josh, HaGiva in Givat Brenner, Israel

Get ready for a truly magical wedding! Pacific Northwest couple Shachaf, who works in ticketing, development, and behind the scenes at the historic Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham, WA, and Josh, who works as an educational content editor for a Jewish non-profit, had the most incredible magical forest-inspired Jewish wedding at HaGiva in Israel.

Shachaf was a member of our Brides Club, and we’re so thrilled to hear her kind words about the group:

I don’t think I have ever felt more supported and heard than meeting with Karen during 1-on-1’s and I loved getting to know and learning from other brides who were going through the same process as me. Seeing them go through the process ahead of me gave me so much encouragement! I cannot thank Karen enough for all of her support and inspiration!

Karen also referred Shachaf and Josh to their wedding planner, Yana, owner of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Craspedia Events. In Shacahf’s words,

Yana is one of the kindest, most hard working, intelligent, and determined people I have ever met. She works around the clock, always makes you feel as though you are the only bride on her plate. I’m very lucky to have been recommended not just a perfect wedding planner, but now a life long friend.

Yana helped Shachaf and Josh plan the PNW wedding in Israel of their dreams, with tons of whimsy and character – don’t miss all the fun details like the moss-and-mushroom centerpieces!

The couple chose Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Tzahi Shemesh to photograph their day, and they couldn’t be more thrilled with their choice. In Shachaf’s words,

It was clear that Tzahi was going to bring an amazing energy to the wedding, and he did exactly that! He brought a contagious smile and endless energy that lasted until our goodbyes at the end of the night!

Read on for all the fabulous details of this magical day in the bride’s own words…

Shachaf and Josh, HaGiva in Givat Brenner, Israel Shachaf and Josh, HaGiva in Givat Brenner, IsraelShachaf and Josh, HaGiva in Givat Brenner, Israel Shachaf and Josh, HaGiva in Givat Brenner, Israel

How We Met

Shachaf, the bride: We met at the end of 2020 when we were both in transition periods in our life. We both found ourselves temporarily under the roof of our Chabad on Campus rabbi, and we quickly became close. The rest is history!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Desert Bohemian Jewish Wedding with Circus Elements at Smoke Tree Stables, Palm Springs, California, USA

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Rena-and-Alexander-Smoke-Tree-Stables-Palm-Springs-California-USA

We love a good theme wedding – and Rena and Alexander’s was doubly great, having not just one theme but two! While their venue, Smoke Tree Stables in Palm Springs (where the groom worked for over a decade), lent itself to a Western theme, they also opted to add in circus elements by hiring a stilt walker and face painter and setting up games like horseshoe and cornhole.

Rena and Alexander worked with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Rabbi Leah Richman to craft a custom ketubah involving elements from her Desert Oasis Sunrise Ketubah with desert animals, such as the mule deer, big horn sheep, and California Rosy Boa snake. She also added hedgehog cactuses with blooms of deep magenta in the foreground, and in the background the San Jacinto mountains, beneath which the Smoke Tree Stables are nestled.

We love that the duo opted for an egalitarian Kabbalat Panim, where both bride and groom were surrounded by their loved ones, in separate ceremonies, to share stories and memories. Don’t miss it all in the wonderful photos by Kathleen Geiberger Art.

Now over to the bride…

Rena-and-Alexander-Smoke-Tree-Stables-Palm-Springs-California-USARena-and-Alexander-Smoke-Tree-Stables-Palm-Springs-California-USA Rena-and-Alexander-Smoke-Tree-Stables-Palm-Springs-California-USARena-and-Alexander-Smoke-Tree-Stables-Palm-Springs-California-USA

How We Met

Rena, the bride: We met on Bumble—one success story amid myriad tribulations. Alex was nervous to get on the phone, since he is often quiet when meeting someone new. However, Rena immediately put him at ease sharing stories of backpacking in places like Catalina, the Green Mountains, and her favorite pastime—finding hard-to-reach natural hot springs. For their first date, Alex drove four hours from Palm Springs—where he worked as a horse wrangler at Smoke Tree Stables—to Anaheim to meet at the Hidden House Coffee shop.

They talked for hours and decided on a second date: a moonlight hike in the Cleveland National Forest. They hiked Upper Hot Springs Canyon to Falls Trail under the full moon. Rena didn’t think to bring food, which turned out to be a good thing, as Alex had packed a charcuterie board and four types of wine since he didn’t know her preference.

From that moonlit picnic at the waterfall, Alex knew he wanted to marry Rena. From then on, he drove four hours for many more dates while Rena finished her postdoctoral position at the University of California, Irvine.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Chana Marelus Bride for a Destination Jewish Wedding Making Judaism Cool at Casa 1536, Cartagena, Colombia

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Paula-and-Aaron-Casa-1537-Cartagena-Colombia

Today, we’re flying away to the picturesque Old City of Cartagena, Colombia! Americans Paula and Aaron knew they wanted a destination wedding, and since Paula’s mom is Colombian and she grew up spending time in the country, Cartagena, with its charming Spanish colonial style, was an obvious choice.

We love that Paula and Aaron’s goal for the big day was to “make Judaism cool” and show their guests just how awesome a Jewish wedding can be. They certainly set a stunning atmosphere, between their breathtaking floral chuppah and the hundreds of candles they had hanging from the ceiling in the ceremony room.

The couple’s chazzan, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Choni G, also had a lot to do with the magical atmosphere – Paula and Aaron can’t stop raving about his wonderful performance throughout the celebration, from Havdalah to the badeken to the chuppah to the hora, and finally bentching.

To cap things off, Paula and Aaron paraded through the Old City following the ceremony – don’t miss the incredible imagery from Las fotos de Vale!

Now over to Paula, who looked so elegant in her gown by Israeli designer Chana Marelus...

Paula-and-Aaron-Casa-1537-Cartagena-ColombiaPaula-and-Aaron-Casa-1537-Cartagena-ColombiaPaula-and-Aaron-Casa-1537-Cartagena-Colombia Paula-and-Aaron-Casa-1537-Cartagena-Colombia
How We Met

Paula, the bride: It’s interesting – our paths crossed many times, but it was never the right time until Hashem said it was the right time. We both went to University of Florida and had many mutual friends. We both separately moved to Washington, DC (I moved for a job in tech consulting and Aaron moved for law school) and my roommate at the time knew Aaron and invited him over for a party they were having. They had a great conversation and most importantly, Aaron hit it off with Milo (my dog). Aaron eventually asked me out on a date and we started dating. After dating for 3 years, we embarked on our religious journey and became religious together. This culminated in our wedding in June 2023.Continue ReadingContinue Reading