I couldn’t name this blog anything but smashing the glass. It is THE moment of a Jewish wedding and images like the one above just make me so happy. Two beautiful women, crazy in love, performing this hugely symbolic tradition under a gorgeous chuppah. I’m telling you, one of the best things about this job is definitely how uplifting it is to look at images like these.
And like all the real Jewish weddings on Smashing The Glass, this W-Day is completely refreshing. Both brides chose to forgo the traditional wedding dress style in favour of a two super sleek and contemporary creations by Carolina Herrera and Judith and Charles respectively, accessorised in Anne’s case by the most delicate headpiece.
And that’s not the only thing that has me swooning. There are gorgeous dainty florals and rustic table runners by GLP Events that not only look delightful (Anne wanted a simple arrangement of flowers that reminded her of the fields in the small French village where she grew up), they’re cost-effective too.
And the guests…well if the photos at the end of the night are anything to go by, then it’s clear that everyone had a darned good time!
Back with a bang for his 3rd feature on STG, Niv Shimshon has captured the mood perfectly with these terrific shots. Prepare to swoon.
how we met
Sarah and Anne, the Brides: We met one cold winter’s evening in Montreal and have been together nearly every day since. On the night we met, Anne was sick with a nasty flu. Sarah, a germophobe, knew it was love at first sight because she didn’t want the date to end despite Anne’s coughing, sneezing, and significantly high fever. Anne is calm, cool and collected, and Sarah is witty, funny, and shows pictures of her dog to strangers every time she has a chance.
A contemporary wedding in the heart of Toronto, Canada
We were married in August 2015 at Hart House (University of Toronto). The day was magical. Family and friends came from across Canada, the United States, and Europe. Surrounded by love, we were married under the chuppah, danced a whirlwind of a Hora, and took in every moment of the sounds, words, and beauty of the evening.
We wanted to keep the decor and styling simple. Along with the the two of us, a lot of credit goes to Sarah’s mum for planning such a beautiful wedding.
Invitation design
We picked our invitation design on Minted. We wanted it to be simple, with the perfect mix of modern and classic touches.
hair + make up
For make up we used Caitlyn Wright and for our hair, Max Perreira from Medulla & Co. Max and Sarah have been friends for years, so that made the preparation extra fun and meaningful.
Two fabulous dresses for two gorgeous brides
Sarah wore Carolina Herrera and Anne wore Judith and Charles. Neither of us had a “Say yes to the Dress – It’s the one!” moment. In fact, Anne chose her dress one week before the wedding, and Sarah found hers about 2 weeks before the wedding. When we tried on the dresses, we felt comfortable and beautiful, et voilà ! That was that!
accessories
Sarah wore her mom’s pearls and Anne had a headpiece that her brother brought from Lorafolk Paris.
bridal party
Sarah’s maid of honour was her sister, Meryl. Anne’s brothers were here groomsmen of honour, so to speak.
An interfaith Jew-ish wedding ceremony
We wanted the ceremony to be inclusive of Anne’s heritage as well since she did not grew up in a Jewish home. The Rabbis explained each symbol of the Jewish wedding ceremony simply and meaningfully, and we distributed little bilingual pamphlets so that everyone was able to follow and understand the ceremony.
(sidenote: if you’re looking to design your own wedding program for your Jewish or interfaith Jewish wedding, this post will provide you with everything you need to know).
Chuppah design
Sarah’s mum chose a colourful scarf with an impressionist design as the chuppah cover. The sun set at the perfect time during the ceremony, and reflected the chuppah’s colours.
music for the ceremony
During the procession, a dear friend of ours played Erev shel shoshanim on the guitar, and for the recessional, we chose Simon & Garfunkel’s Feelin’ Groovy.
exquisite flowers
Elaine Birnbaum of GLP Events brought our vision to life – and she could not have done it more perfectly. Anne wanted a simple arrangement of flowers that reminded her of the fields in the small French village where she grew up. Elaine delivered!
Our fantastic photographer
When we met Niv Shimshon for the first time, we loved him right away. His personality, his talent, and his sensitivity were qualities we admired. We knew instantly that Niv was the man for the job.
An inclusive (and bi-lingual!) celebration
Our family walked us down the aisle, gave beautiful speeches, and danced the night away with us. Since we had family and friends in attendance who were exclusively anglophone or francophone, Sarah’s mum had the idea of translating the English speeches to French, and vice versa, and placing copies of the translated speeches on each table so that guests could understand our family’s words, follow along during the speeches, and feel part of the celebration.
Cake!
Our catering was by Something Sweet by Rachel Kaizer. The cake was not only magnificent in its simplicity, but also tasted amazing. There was none left at the end of the night!
entertainment
During the cocktail hour, a good friend of ours played some jazz standards on the piano. Then during the party, the DJ (Jeff French of Impact DJs) played a mix of French, Israeli, and American songs.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
On the big day, take in every moment and just ENJOY!
Sarah & Anne’s LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography — Niv Shimshon Photography
Venue — Hart House (University of Toronto)
Co-ordinator — Devon Strachan of Hart House
Flowers and event co-ordination — GLP Events
Catering — Something Sweet
Sarah’s dress — Carolina Herrera
Anne’s dress — Judith and Charles
Sarah’s shoes — Nicholas Kirkwood
Anne’s shoes — Nine West
Anne’s headpiece — Lorafolk Paris
Make Up — Caitlyn Wright
Hair — Max Perreira from Medulla & Co
DJ — Jeff French of Impact DJs
Rings — Shilo Rapp Design
Invitations – Minted
