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A Calla Blanche Bride for a Beachy Jewish Micro Wedding at Ocean Place Resort & Spa, Long Branch, New Jersey, USA

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Sarah and Josh, Oceanplace Resort, New Jersey

There’s nothing like a beach wedding – and the Jewish wedding of Sarah, who works in advertising sales, and Josh, a VP at an investment bank, at Ocean Place Resort & Spa is pure perfection.

So much so that you’d never guess it was their plan B, after they had to rethink their original plans for a 200+ person wedding when COVID hit – scroll through the incredible images captured by Andrew Graham Todes and we bet you’ll agree. Despite a few challenges – for instance, it was so windy during the ceremony that the bride’s veil blew off! –  Sarah and Josh pulled off the ultimate pandemic-safe minimony, featuring custom welcome bags packed with monogrammed hand sanitizer, masks, and fans with ceremony details and safety tips, as well as plentiful signs instructing people about COVID precautions.

We’re in love with the couple’s ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com, whose trademark exemplary customer service was on display when they provided Sarah and Josh with a free reprint after their initial COVID wedding location fell through at the last minute.

If you’re looking for direction on how you can plan a micro wedding just as beautiful as Sarah and Josh’s, or trying to decide whether to go forward with an intimate affair vs. postponing, or struggling with absolutely any kind of COVID-related planning drama, sign up for our Bye Bye Coronacoaster, Hello Action Plan workshop on February 21 – full details here. 

Sarah and Josh, Oceanplace Resort, New JerseySarah and Josh, Oceanplace Resort, New JerseySarah and Josh, Oceanplace Resort, New JerseySarah and Josh, Oceanplace Resort, New Jersey
How we met

Sarah, the bride and Josh, the groom: On a brisk winter night in early February 2017, Josh was getting ready to start his next chapter in NYC after moving back home from Boston. Josh’s friends invited him to the NJ Devils game and his first night out in Hoboken. After bouncing around, they ended up at 10th & Willow Bar. On the same evening, Sarah was having a girls night which included dancing in a bar when no one else seemed to be. Sarah caught Josh’s eye and after building up some courage, Josh decided to approach her once she finally sat down. Much to his surprise, Sarah immediately rejected him (after all, it was girls night).

Sarah claimed that Josh was too young for her, convinced that he was in college. Feeling confused, Josh went back to the bar to buy some drinks for his group. However, most of his buddies were going separate ways so he was left with 6 Bud Lights to himself. Feeling a second wind of confidence, Josh decided to try and approach Sarah again, hoping to break down her defenses with an offering of Bud Light and an ID inspection. After realizing Josh was actually the same age, Sarah became more interested and even impressed by his persistence.

They talked over the beers until the lights came on. To end the night, Josh ordered 8 (yes, 8) Jimmy John’s sandwiches for the two of them, 6 of which were donated to Sarah’s fridge. Sarah was undoubtedly intrigued by Josh. They exchanged numbers, had their first date 1 week later and the rest is history.

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A Maggie Sottero Bride for a Jewish Micro Wedding at St Michael’s Manor, St Albans, UK

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Like so many couples, Melissa, a social worker, and David, a sales executive, had to completely rethink their Jewish wedding due to COVID. And indeed, scaling down from 170 guests to just 15 is no small feat. But with the help of some of our very favorite Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors – not to mention the wonderful community of Jewish and Jew-ish brides-to-be inside our Brides Club – the pair managed to pull off the most incredibly beautiful day we could imagine.

Melissa also happens to have been the lucky winner of a competition we ran with #STGvendors The Happy Chuppah People and Gabriella Shemtov, and we’re in love with the beautiful floral chuppah they teamed up to assemble for the couple – as well as with Melissa’s beautiful, bright bridal bouquet, also by Gabriella Shemtov. Another wonderful #STGvendor, Alexandra’s Florist, put together autumnal bridesmaids bouquets and table flowers, interspersed with greenery and floating candles. Don’t miss the incredible images by Chris Douglas Photography!

The tight restrictions on guest count meant only close family could attend in person, but Melissa and David opted to livestream their day so that all of their friends and family could watch in real time. The pair worked with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Event Capsule, whose three-camera set up with live editing it meant that everyone watching from home felt like they were there in the room – in fact, some guests told the couple afterward that they had a better view from the comfort of their screens than they would’ve had they attended the big pre-COVID wedding in person!

Even with all the safety restrictions (no hora!), music was essential to Melissa and David’s vision of their day – and we’re so glad they connected with #STGvendor LDN Entertainment.com, whose micro wedding trios could not be more perfect for a celebration like this one. Despite the hora ban, LDN did a reduced simcha set and the newlyweds jumped around on their own, while their guests clapped and sang along from their seats!

There’s so much more we could say, but we’ll let gorgeous STG Brides Club member Melissa – who looked fab in Maggie Sottero – fill you in on the rest…

Oh, and PS, if you’re dealing with COVID-related planning drama – or just feeling unenthused and uncertain about how to proceed – sign up for our Bye Bye Coronacoaster, Hello Action Plan workshop on Sunday, February 21. It’s guaranteed to help you gain clarity about how to move forward with your big day, even under the most uncertain of circumstances. Slots are limited, so sign up today!

Melissa and David, St Michaels Manor, St AlbansMelissa and David, St Michaels Manor, St AlbansMelissa and David, St Michaels Manor, St Albans
How We Met

Melissa, the bride: We met at a mutual friend’s baby’s Christening. After the Christening, we all went back to the family’s home for a BBQ and got chatting. It was Dave’s sense of humour that attracted me to him and we spent the evening laughing about stupid things that no one else thought were funny. A few weeks later Dave was working at Silverstone and I was visiting my parents (who live near Silverstone) for two weeks and we met for a drink and then dinner locally.

We spent so much time talking at the pub, that we forgot about our dinner resevation and turned up late. Dave’s a huge car fan, and picked me up in a covertible car, he asked me if I was okay with the roof down (although I’d spent ages doing my hair), I reluctantly said yes; he jokes that this was the moment he knew I was the one. 

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An ASOS Bride for a Garden of Eden Jewish Micro Wedding at White Meadow Lake, Rockaway, New Jersey, USA

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Jori-and-Corey-White-Meadow-Lake-in-Rockaway
How gorgeous is the ultra-intimate micro Jewish wedding of Jori, who works in customer success for a social enterprise tech startup, and Corey, a copywriter at an ad agency?!

These two had originally planned a big wedding, but when COVID hit they had to rethink things. They ended up opting for a ceremony with just immediate family, to be followed by a big reception post-pandemic, date TBD. Jori and Corey worked with Rabbi Samantha Frank of Modern Ritual to create an intimate ceremony that made the most of the bare essentials.

The pared-down outdoor celebration was very different than the one they’d originally planned, but they managed to fit in some stunning floral touches; bright, beautiful dresses; a stunning floral ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Rachelle Tchiprout of The Delicate Brush – and speeches by every single one of their guests (admittedly, there were just six – the couple’s parents, plus the groom’s brother and his girlfriend)! There’s something so special about having such a tight-knit group, and the luminous photos from One Night Cereus capture that so well.

Now over to the bride, who looked oh-so-chic in a dress from, believe it or not, ASOS!

Jori-and-Corey-White-Meadow-Lake-in-RockawayJori-and-Corey-White-Meadow-Lake-in-RockawayJori-and-Corey-White-Meadow-Lake-in-RockawayJori-and-Corey-White-Meadow-Lake-in-Rockaway
How we met

Jori, the bride and Corey, the groom: We met on the first day of college at The New School, when we both ended up at the same party that neither one wanted to be at. As I was leaving, Corey gave me his phone number and asked me to text him if I ever wanted to hang out. I ended up texting him twenty minutes later. He hadn’t even left the party himself.

We met up right away and spent our whole first night in the city walking around Greenwich Village, talking and making each other laugh. It would take a few months before our friendship would blossom into something more, but we were inseparable from that point on.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

An Intimate Rainy Day Jewish Wedding for 30 at Dyson Place, Sheffield, UK

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Olivia and Daniel, Dyson Place, Sheffield, UK

When COVID forced Liv, a mortgage broker who recently opened a take away coffee shop called Olive and Joy, and Dan, a lawyer, to scrap their original plans for a 150-guest wedding at a stately home over the May bank holiday, they came up with something even better.

As soon as 30-person weddings were allowed in England, Liv and Dan sought the guidance of Victoria from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Linda Abrahams & Co in planning an ultra-memorable day in chic urban courtyard Dyson Place (Victoria, who does double duty as a planner and luxury stationer, also designed the couple’s stationery, complete with custom wedding logo). They put together a beautiful outdoor chuppah – which ended up having to be moved indoors halfway through the ceremony as the rain picked up – streamed on Zoom to all their loved ones who couldn’t be there in person. Don’t miss the gorgeous photos by Steven McNiven.

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Feast by Ed Schaerf provided his trademark innovative kosher catering, featuring his kosher burger van which served up burgers, hotdogs, salt beef sandwiches, and fried chicken with all the trimmings.

In the bride’s words,

The thing that made it so special was that there were only 30 people so we could talk to everyone there really easily and all of them were our closest family and friends. Anyone who is doubting whether to go ahead with a smaller wedding during government restrictions – we definitely recommend it! 

Now we’ll turn you over to Liv…

Olivia and Daniel, Dyson Place, Sheffield, UKOlivia and Daniel, Dyson Place, Sheffield, UKOlivia and Daniel, Dyson Place, Sheffield, UK
How We Met

Olivia, the bride and Daniel, the groom: We have known each other for as long as we can remember. Our parents were friends when we were little and it turns out that we both liked each other but neither of us realised until we swiped each other on J-swipe!

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A Sareh Nouri Bride for an Elegant Urban Jewish Micro Wedding at Gramercy Park Hotel, New York, New York, USA

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  Amy-and-Adam-Gramercy-Park-Hotel-New-York

How NYC chic is the gorgeous Jewish micro wedding of Amy, who works in marketing for a real estate developer, and Adam, who works in finance for a media company?!

These two had a big NYE wedding planned, but the pandemic forced them to reimagine their big day. With the help of the fabulous Joanna Greenfield of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ruby J Events, Amy and Adam opted for an ultra-intimate celebration – the guest list was limited to immediate family and one friend each for the bride and groom – at the elegant Gramercy Park Hotel.

Amy went into planning without much of a vision for her micro wedding, but Joanna honed in on what she was looking for and put together the day of her dreams. Amy worked with Joanna independently to plan the day, and the details ended up being a surprise to all – even her mother! Needless to say, the results were nothing short of breathtaking – don’t miss the joyous images from Steven Young from Stak Photography. Due to Amy and Adam’s tight schedule once they set their new date, they needed a ketubah fast – and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com’s selection of beautiful “quick ship” options came to the rescue, as it so often does for couples facing a time crunch.

Now over to the bride, who looked luminous in Sareh Nouri…

Amy-and-Adam-Gramercy-Park-Hotel-New-YorkAmy-and-Adam-Gramercy-Park-Hotel-New-YorkAmy-and-Adam-Gramercy-Park-Hotel-New-YorkAmy-and-Adam-Gramercy-Park-Hotel-New-York
How we Met

Amy, the bride: We met in 2008 at Penn State University. Adam knew then that I was going to be his person; I had no idea; thought I just had a new friend. We remained friends until 2016 when we started dating.

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