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Two Broadway Performers’ Jewish Backyard Micro Wedding in Plainview, New York, USA

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Like so many couples in 2020, Elyssa and Adam had to drastically rethink their wedding plans after the pandemic broke out. These two also have the additional challenge of working on Broadway, which has been especially hard hit, with theaters set to be closed for no less than a year: Elyssa is an actor and playwrightcurrently producing a digital benefit concert through her Jewish theatre company, Ahava Theatre, and Adam is a Broadway musician currently teaching virtual piano lessons during the pandemic.

But the couple made the most of a tough situation by putting together a gorgeous micro wedding in Elyssa’s mom’s backyard, complete with a heartwarming ceremony, a chuppah handmade by the groom, the bride in a repurposed white prom dress, and the most stunning ketubahby Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Nava Shoham.

Even though it was very different from the day they’d originally planned – and Elyssa and Adam do still plan to have a big celebration next summer on the one-year anniversary of their micro wedding – they say opting to get married now was “the best decision we ever made.” And it’s easy to believe after scrolling through the Erica Marie Photos’ joyous, emotion-filled images.

Now over to the couple…

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How we met

Elyssa, the bride and Adam, the groom: Adam’s stepdad and Elyssa’s uncle were childhood friends in Brooklyn in the 60s! In 2015, Adam met Elyssa’s aunt and uncle and coincidentally they were both in Cambridge, MA for the summer doing theatre.  Elyssa’s aunt Amy and Adam’s mom Debi thought it would be a great idea for them to meet because of their shared interest in music and theatre!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Cinq a Sept Bride for an Exquisite Jewish Micro Wedding Planned in Just 2.5 Weeks at Birchwood Country Club, Westport, Connecticut, USA

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Today’s bride, Nicki, not only had to contend with COVID scuppering her original wedding plans over summer 2020; she was also in the midst of her PhD defense! Luckily, her mother just happens to be mega-talented wedding planner Susie, founder of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Pink House Productions, so when – just after completing her doctorate in biomedical engineering – Nicki, who’s now working as director of R&D for a biotech company working on rapid testing for COVID-19, and groom Ricky, a portfolio manager at a hedge fund in New York City, decided they wanted to make things official on an expedited timeline, they had the dream team on hand to bring their dreams to life.

And in just two-and-a-half weeks, Pink House Productions planned one of the most gorgeous micro weddings we’ve seen yet! The bride and groom gathered with their families to celebrate their love in a stunning, intimate outdoor ceremony in Nicki’s hometown of Westport, CT, and the outcome was truly exquisite – we’re obsessed with each and every gorgeous shot from photographer Mark Kornbluth.

Understandably, Nicki wasn’t in the mood for intense wedding planning just after having completed her PhD, and so she left most of the decision-making to her mom. Susie and the whole team at Pink House Productions went above and beyond, working in fun touches like personalized candle favors for each guest, candy stations containing the bride and groom’s favorite treats (individually packaged and set up in a COVID-friendly fashion, naturally, and even surprising the couple with a Mister Softee ice cream truck at the end of the night!

Nicki also happens to have been a beloved member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club, and we’re so touched to hear how helpful she found it to be able to, in her words, “see how so many other brides pivoted, and how they were able to deal with the stress and uncertainty of the situation.” She and Ricky also found their ketubah supplier, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor ketubah.com, through Brides Club, and can’t stop raving about how wonderful they were to work with – even rushing the ketubah to work with the couple’s expedited timeline!

If that’s piqued your curiosity to find out what our ultra-supportive Brides Club community’s all about, now’s your chance, because through this Sunday, November 1, we’re offering a FREE 30-day trial membership – but don’t forget to sign up ASAP, because the doors close at midnight Sunday.

Now over to Nicki, who’ll fill you in on all the gorgeous details of her day…

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How we met

Nicki, the bride: Although we were both graduates of the University of Pennsylvania (Nicki from  the school of engineering, Ricky from Wharton) we did not know each other at PENN, and were set up on a blind date four years ago by mutual friends!

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A Willowby by Watters Bride for a Reimagined Jewish Micro Wedding at a Private Airbnb in Malibu, California, USA

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Nina and Lee, private residence, Madison, CT

We could not be any more excited to share the absolutely incredible micro wedding of our beloved STG Brides Club member Nina to Lee! I know we’re all tired of hearing the word “pivot” at this point – but thes two truly pulled off one of the very best pandemic pivots we’ve seen.

Initially, Nina and Lee had planned to have two big celebrations this summer: one in Israel, where Lee’s family lives, and the other at Nina’s family’s home on the beach in Connecticut. When it became clear that neither of these festivities would be able to go forward as planned, rather than scaling things back or postponing, the couple opted to totally change course and do something totally different.

And in just three weeks, these two managed to plan the most gorgeous micro wedding with 14 guests (friends only – since Lee’s family was unable to travel from Israel, the pair opted to have all relatives participate via Zoom) in the hills of beautiful Malibu – a place neither of them had so much as visited before! – to be followed up by a two-week RV honeymoon driving up the California coast and then east to their engagement spot of Steamboat, Colorado! With all the traveling involved in their original wedding lineup, Nina and Lee hadn’t been planning on a honeymoon at all, and they count being able to go on one as their biggest replanning win.

We’re also obsessed with the couple’s beautiful chuppah canopy, which the bride’s mother knit by hand into an intricate pattern with hearts hidden in the details, so that with the sun shining overhead during the ceremony it cast heart-shaped shadows all around Nina and Lee! What an incredibly special touch – don’t miss it in the exquisite photos by photographer Jess of We are Matt and Jess. And how gorgeous is Nina and Lee’s colorful ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com?! They wanted something out of the box, and we think they found just the thing to match the vibes of their laid-back boho day.

There’s so much more we could say about this awesome wedding, but we’ll let Nina, who looked effortlessly chic in Willowby by Watters (turns out the dress she’d picked for her wedding in Israel worked perfectly for Malibu!), fill you in on the rest…

Oh… and just before we hand over to Nina – make sure you join our Wedding Planning Bingo Challenge which starts today! A must for every Jewish and Jew-ish bride, you can sign up here.

Nina and Lee, private residence, Madison, CTNina and Lee, private residence, Madison, CTNina and Lee, private residence, Madison, CTNina and Lee, private residence, Madison, CT
How we Met

Nina, the bride: Lee and I met the way many couples meet these days…on a dating app!  When we matched, Lee was living in Colorado and I was living in Boston.  Lee was in Boston for a week for work, and while we didn’t have time to meet before he went back to Colorado, it just happened that I was headed to Colorado for a work trip the very next week!

The only time Lee and I had to meet face to face was while I was at a bar with company…Lee brought a friend and swung by the bar where I was hanging out.  We chatted for a bit, went on a walk around the block just the two of us.  The next week Lee flew back to Boston and took me to a matinee performance of The Blue Man Group and then out for Israeli food!  From that point on, Lee and I were all in.

We did a few weekend trips going back and forth between Boston and Colorado, skiing, going to concerts, and eating delicious meals (all of our favorite things).  A few months later, Lee made the decision to relocate to Boston and after 5 months of dating we moved in together!  One year later we were engaged and just about a year later we were married!  When you know, you know.

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A Svetlana Bridal Bride for a Modern Winter Jewish Wedding at Glen Island Harbor Club, New Rochelle, New York, USA

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Okay, HOW gorgeous is this purple floral chuppah?! And to think that Smashing The Glass Brides Club member Samantha, a lawyer, and Eugene, an investment banker, only ended up with it as their plan B after the bride’s grandmother objected to their first choice of a lucite canopy! Sometimes grandma really does know best…

Not to say that we don’t love us some lucite! And we’ve got that in common with this modern design-loving couple, who took cues from their apartment décor to combine their contemporary vibes with bright colors they knew would bring cheer to their winter wedding. Don’t miss the joyous pics from Jovon Photography.

We’re obsessed with their beautiful gold-trimmed ketubah by Stephanie Caplan of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Ketubah, who Samantha and Eugene found right here on STG, and we love all the special touches these two added to make their day unforgettable, from hashtag stirrers in their signature drinks to a glitter canon on the dance floor to a caviar station. There were even banana pudding cups as favors at the end of the night, in honor of Samantha’s trademark dessert.

We’ll let the bride – who looked stunning in her custom gown from Svetlana Bridal – fill you in on the rest…

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Keeping It Close to Home

Samantha, the bride: Our venue was Glen Island Harbor Club, New Rochelle NY. I grew up 10 minutes down the road, my Bat Mitzvah was right next door (at the New York Athletic Club) so it seemed like a good spot. My husband jokes that we live in “Westchester South” a/k/a the Upper East Side of NYC so we played off of this.

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A Magical Laid-Back Outdoor Jewish Wedding at Ein Chemed, Jerusalem, Israel

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HOW magical is the Israeli Jewish wedding of Andrea, a medical massage therapist, and Yehoshua, who works in sales?! Their gorgeous Jerusalem Hills venue, Ein Hemed, looks like an absolute fairy tale wonderland – all trees and twinkly lights – the perfect choice for two nature lovers!

Picking a venue that was totally stunning all on its own also helped the couple stay on budget – not much was needed to make Ein Hemed shine. With just a simple chuppah, lanterns and flower petals lining the aisle, and pinecones and herbs on the tables instead of flowers, Andrea and Yehoshua created the ultimate rustic vibes without breaking the bank.

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman Photography (whose team also handled videography) captured not only the marvelous aesthetics of the day, but – in his trademark style – the couple’s story too.

We also love how the pair – both of whom made Aliyah on their own – took the wedding as an opportunity for their friends and family to get to see Israel and the lives they’ve built in the country. There’s so much more to say, but we’ll let Andrea take it from here…


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How We Met

Andrea, the bride: We like to say that we met at the party we didn’t want to be at. It was a very cold and stormy February night. It was a night that no one would have wanted to leave their homes, yet thankfully we both did. A mutual friend was having a party to celebrate his birthday. I debated whether to go or not thinking that perhaps many friends would not show to the party because of the horrible weather.

In the meantime, Yehoshua was already out due to the fact that he was going to the kotel for 40 days straight in the merit that his bashert would be revealed. That night he even struggled to find a minyan (10 men) because of the torrential downpour. Nonetheless we both ended up at that party, however, he showed up shortly before I was planning on leaving. We spoke very briefly and then said our goodbyes- no numbers exchanged.

Almost one month later we both attended a wedding that I, Andrea, did not plan on attending. A friend’s husband was unavailable and she convinced me to come take his place. Thankfully I agreed because I turned around during the ceremony, and there I saw the brightest smile 🙂 Yehoshua and I got a ride home together, this time, exchanging numbers. 6 months later we were engaged and another two and a half months we were married! God was our clear matchmaker and we are forever grateful!

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