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An Elie Saab Bride For a Tuscan Jewish Wedding Full of Love, Lemons, and Local Charm at the Great Synagogue of Florence and Villa Maiano, Tuscany, Italy

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Aviva and Alan, Villa di Maiano, Fiesole, Italy

There’s nothing like a Tuscan wedding – and Aviva and Alan’s is one for the books! These two went all out in embracing the local color and charm of their oh-so-scenic environs, from the majestic Grand Synagogue of Florence where the chuppah took place to the dreamy reception at Villa di Maiano, nestled in the rolling hills of Tuscany.

Planning a destination wedding abroad is no easy feat, and Aviva and Alan wisely chose to work with planner extraordinaire Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J to make their dream Jewish wedding weekend a reality.

Michelle brought in a team of nine coordinators who all worked to ensure that the couple and their guests were incredibly well looked after, not only on the wedding day but throughout the wonderful pre- and post-wedding events Aviva and Alan hosted for everyone.

Michelle also worked with the couple’s florist, Il Giardino delle Fate Flower Design, to style every space in a unique and beautiful way – don’t miss it all in the wonderful images by David Bastianoni!

Now over to the bride…

Aviva and Alan, Villa di Maiano, Fiesole, Italy Aviva and Alan, Villa di Maiano, Fiesole, Italy Aviva and Alan, Villa di Maiano, Fiesole, Italy Aviva and Alan, Villa di Maiano, Fiesole, Italy
Venue

Aviva, the bride: We married at the beautiful Florence Synagogue where we hosted a pre-ceremony reception in the gardens, tisch in the synagogue entrance hall and a stunning ceremony with a small orchestra in the synagogue itself.

Following the ceremony, our planner had arranged transportation to drive all of our guests to Villa di Maiano, which is in a small town called Fiesole, about 15 minutes’ drive away and in the hills just above Florence. The venue is in a beautiful setting with spectacular views of the city and the surrounding countryside.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Jewish Wedding with a Fabulous Floral Chuppah at Hummingbird Nest Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA

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Justine-and-David-Hummingbird-Nest-Ranch-Simi-Valley-CA-USA

Justine, a medical resident, and David, who works in finance, got married at one of our very favorite outdoor Jewish wedding venues, Hummingbird Nest Ranch. Focusing on the natural beauty of their California setting, the duo let their venue take the lead,  choosing neutrals and earth tones to complement their surroundings.

This included an absolute stunner of a floral chuppah – don’t miss it in the dreamy photos by Joe Silva – and a gorgeous nature-inspired custom ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Meirav Finn, which Justine and David now proudly display in their home.

We also love some of the fun touches the pair incorporated into their day, like opting for had charcuterie board-style platters on each table instead of individually plated dinners, and an afterparty by the pool featuring hookahs, a cigar bar, and paninis!

Read on for the rest of the story in Justine’s own words…

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How We Met

Justine, the bride: We met in New York while I was in Medical School there. David was in town for work and a mutual friend introduced us.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Joyful, Multicultural Bedouin-Jewish Wedding at Bustan, Abu Ghosh, Israel

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Ari and Angelo, Bustan in Abu Ghosh, Israel

Today’s very special wedding showcases Israel at its absolute best – its beauty, its diversity, its abundance of beautiful traditions, and, above all, the spirit of its people. Bride Ari, a freelance writer is a Sephardic Jew who made aliyah from the US, while groom Angelo, who’s in the process of becoming a detective with the Israeli Police, is Bedouin – and their wedding was all about blending their two cultures into a heartfelt (and stylish!) celebration of their love for each other, their friends and families, and Israel.

The merging of these two cultures was beautiful, but it wasn’t easy. While it was important to them to have Jewish ceremony, they weren’t able to have a Rabbinute wedding, so they turned to the organization Havaya to find an officiant who helped them craft an utra-personal ceremony. As for aesthetics, in Ari’s words, the couple’s theme was “trying to find ways to include both of our cultures in a way that didn’t look like the Ottoman Empire threw up all over the place.”

To quote the couple,

Absolutely none of this would have been possible (including the general maintaining of our sanity) without our amazing wedding planner, Yana from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Craspedia Events. I think a lot of people say that about their wedding planner but they can’t possibly mean it as much as we do. It’s not easy being a mixed couple and all the drama that dredges up while wedding planning. Yana truly helped us navigate every step of the way and we are endlessly grateful to her and now she’s stuck with us forever.

This wedding was so full of ultra-personal touches it’s hard to know where to start – but one thing we adore is Ari and Angelo’s choice to stand under their chuppah wrapped in a shmakh (Bedouin keffiyeh), to represent the bringing together of their two cultures – and instead of the traditional red or black color scheme, they went for blue to represent Judaism and their love of Israel. Don’t miss it in the incredible photos by Yarin Taranos.

Now over to Ari…

Ari and Angelo, Bustan in Abu Ghosh, Israel Ari and Angelo, Bustan in Abu Ghosh, Israel Ari and Angelo, Bustan in Abu Ghosh, Israel Ari and Angelo, Bustan in Abu Ghosh, Israel
How We Met

Ari, the bride: We met in 2017 during just a random night out. Ari made plans to go out with a friend she bartended with and that friend brought his work friends, including Angelo. We both remember making a note of the date because it felt important. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Lihi Hod Bride for an Enchanted Garden Jewish Wedding at Villa Orlando, Torre del Lago, Tuscany, Italy

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Natasha-and-Marc-Villa-Orlando-Torre-del-Lago-in-Tuscany-Italy

Today we’re thrilled to be sharing our first Jewish wedding of 2024, and is it ever a stunner! UK couple Natasha and Marc had the most exquisite lakeside Tuscan Jewish wedding, and we are OBSESSED.

To plan the day of their dreams abroad, the couple opted to work with Michelle Jacobs of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J, and she brought their vision of an enchanted candlelit garden wedding to life – including introducing them to their fabulous venue, Villa Orlando, and sorting everything from generators to furniture and beyond to transform the outdoor spaces.

We love the couple’s on-the-day stationery from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Bigday Designs, and we can’t get enough of the elegant white and green color scheme – and that floral chuppah! Don’t miss it in the wonderful photos by James Mason and video by Whites Film.

There’s so much more to say about this very special day, but we’ll leave it to the bride – who looked ever so chic in her gown by Israeli designer Lihi Hod – to fill you in on the rest…

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A Wedding in Tuscany 

Natasha, the bride: Our venue was Villa Orlando which is in Torre del Lago in Tuscany, Italy.  I always wanted to get married overlooking a lake/water and our wedding planner took us on our venue search trip to Italy.

I knew it was the one immediately.  It’s a privately owned villa on the edge of the lake.  Our guests all stayed about 20 minutes away in Viareggio which is one of Tuscany’s coastal resorts and we held our welcome party in a beach club .

We kept the venue a secret and arranged coaches to bring all our guests to the wedding.

Our wedding venue was the Orlando family’s private home and we had access to all of the outdoor spaces; we could not have done it without a wedding planner as everything had to be brought in, including generators,  toilets,  kitchen equipment, furniture and all of the sound and lighting.

We also had a marquee on hold in case of rain, though thankfully we did not need it.

We used different areas of the property for each part of our wedding –  so the chuppah was in front of the villa, by the lake, the aperito was by the boat house and the wedding dinner was at the side of the villa. It was an unusual space and it took a lot of discussion to agree how it was going to work including where to place the stage, dance floor and the bar.  It ended up being quite an unusal layout with our top table at the side of the dance floor,  but it worked really well.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Badgley Mischka Bride for a Magical Garden Jewish Wedding Weekend at Borgo Stomennano, Monteriggioni, Italy

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Anya & Kevin, Borgo Stomennano, Monteriggioni, Italy

We love it when a couple plans a Jewish wedding that’s totally, 100% them – and that’s exactly what Anya and Kevin did in creating their swoonworthy three-day wedding weekend celebration in Italy.

The Charlottesville, VA-based couple found the perfect spot to bring their loved ones together for three days of music, food, wine, yoga, and, of course, lots of Jewish joy in Borgo Stomennano, where their magical garden dreams came to life.

Anya and Kevin opted to work with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Primavera Dreams to plan the festivities, and were thrilled at the way founder Luba helped them source fabulous local vendors and incorporate personal details. In Anya’s words, “Having a wedding planner was extremely helpful and took away so much stress. We are so glad that we worked with Luba. No matter how well you plan, something will always go wrong and it will never be what you think.”

The couple’s  photographers, Studio AQUA, captured the whole day so beautifully – so do scroll down for more gorgeousness, plus all the details in Anya’s own words…

Anya & Kevin, Borgo Stomennano, Monteriggioni, Italy Anya & Kevin, Borgo Stomennano, Monteriggioni, Italy Anya & Kevin, Borgo Stomennano, Monteriggioni, Italy Anya & Kevin, Borgo Stomennano, Monteriggioni, Italy
How We Met

Anya and Kevin were 12 years old when they first met on the tennis court in Manalapan, New Jersey. But their love story didn’t exactly start then. They went their separate paths for many years. After college, Kevin stayed in Charlottesville, VA, while Anya lived in Brooklyn, NY. Kevin found passion in entrepreneurship and music, and Anya in yoga and wellness.

On Christmas Day in 2018, their paths reconnected. Over hours of deep conversation, their connection was undeniable. Kevin asked Anya on a first date during a business trip to New York, and soon after, they spent their first unforgettable weekend together in Charlottesville.

Over the course of 9 months, many flights between the two cities, and a couple getaways to Hawaii and Mexico, their relationship blossomed. The values that they found in each other were exactly what they were looking for in a partner and in life. It was an easy decision for Anya to move down to Virginia in June of 2020. Kevin, Anya, and their Bernese Mountain dog, Alby, together have created a home and community in Charlottesville unlike any other.Continue ReadingContinue Reading