Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Beautify Your Jewish Home with Heirloom Judaica from Avi Luvaton – Now Open in Cedarhurst, New York!

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Seven Species Challah Cover

Your wedding is the perfect time to start (or continue) investing in heirloom-quality Judaica pieces that will grace your space forever after. And you can’t do any better than to check out the gorgeous luxury Judaica from Israeli artist Avi Luvaton. Plus, we’ve secured an incredible discount just for STG readers through the end of 2021: 30% off full-price items with the code smashing 30, and an additional 10% off already discounted items with the code smashing10! 

Dor Tallit

Luvaton’s designs are the epitome of luxury – they’re absolute statement pieces, and each one is a work of art in its own right. The brand is committed to helping Jews perform mitzvot in a beautiful way – and do they ever succeed!

The Maayan Washing Cup

We’re obsessed with the way Luvaton’s designs blend tradition with modernity, bringing timeless Jewish rituals squarely into the 21stcentury. And of course we love that most items can be customized to suit your unique needs and tastes – your Judaica, your way!

Brown Agate Challah Board

And now, in addition to Luvaton’s online shop and bricks-and-mortar locations in the heart of Jerusalem, in the David Citadel Hotel and at Mamilla Mall,, couples in the New York area can now shop in person at a brand new shop in Cedarhurst, New York, which just opened this past May.

The Jerusalem Plaque

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A Berta Bride for a Magical Lakeside Jewish Wedding in Webster, Massachusetts, USA

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Jenna & Noaam, private residence, Webster, Massachusetts, USA

We’re absolutely obsessed with the glorious lakeside Jewish wedding of Jenna, who works in HR, and Noaam, in property technology and residential real estate! What a fantastic spot for a wedding – made even more special by the fact that the New York-based couple made the lake retreat their primary residence during the pandemic. When you see it in Studio Nouveau’s photos, we’re pretty sure you’ll agree.

Knowing what a gem of a location they had on their hands, Jenna and Noaam decided to keep the focus on their luscious surroundings, opting for delicate touches to enhance the natural beauty of their surroundings. We’re especially in love with their hand painted ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush. The custom watercolor features verdant greenery that captures the feel of their wedding spot so perfectly!

We’re also crazy for Jenna and Noaam’s  gluten-free/dairy-free kosher vanilla and lemon cake from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor By the Way Bakery, which their florist decorated simply with fresh flowers.

There’s so much more to say about this wonderful day, but we’ll leave the rest to the bride, who looked positively ravishing in the Demi gown from Muse by Berta…

Jenna & Noaam, private residence, Webster, Massachusetts, USAJenna & Noaam, private residence, Webster, Massachusetts, USAJenna & Noaam, private residence, Webster, Massachusetts, USAJenna & Noaam, private residence, Webster, Massachusetts, USA
How we Met

Jenna, the bride: I had been living and working in NYC for 10 years when in the fall of 2018, Noaam, who was living in Boston at the time, decided to visit New York for a few weeks during his slow season of work. While there, we matched on the dating app Hinge and Noaam asked me to meet him for a drink. A couple days before we were scheduled to get together, Noaam revealed to me that he actually lived in Boston, not NYC, but wasn’t looking for a short term fling. I wasn’t interested in a long distance relationship and I made up an excuse to cancel at the last minute. Noaam was disappointed but persistent and came back to NYC the following week and asked me out again! That time I agreed.

We met at a bar near my apartment on the Upper East Side and we laughed the entire date. I was also happily surprised that when I told him that I had two cats, he wasn’t put off and he wasn’t allergic!

We then continued to see each other, traveling back and forth between Boston and New York, and in a short amount of time became exclusive. After a year of long distance dating, Noaam moved in with me in NYC.

In March 2020 Noaam proposed privately at our apartment and organized a beautiful and intimate engagement party right after with our closest family and friends. Little did we know that only one week later NYC would shut down due to COVID! As soon as the shutdown was announced, we decided to pack a couple of bags and drive to his family’s lake house in Webster, Massachusetts with the intent of staying a few weeks until things settled down in NYC. Fast forward, and we’ve been living full time at the lake house ever since!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Jewish Bride Spotlight: Freya Doughty

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Freya  is a member of our Brides Club for Jewish and Jew-ish brides, and we’re so excited for her wedding plans!

Inside Brides Club, I personally help you to minimize wedstress and overwhelm, and maximize your wedding budget. Oh – and every Brides Club member gets a free smash glass pouch (designed by me) for under the chuppah posted out to them too. Mazal Tov!

Come and join Brides Club too – for advice, discounts, community, sisterhood… and your sanity!

ABOUT FREYA

Where are you from? Norwich, England
What do you do for a living? PhD Student/Research Assistant
How did you meet your partner? In London, through Tinder! He moved to the UK for graduate school, and we met a few days later.
Where did you go on your first date? We schlepped all around London – coffee in Marylebone, lunch and visiting the markets in Shoreditch, and Regent’s Park for a walk.
When did you first know you were in love? On Guy Fawkes night, I saw the fireworks light up his face and I felt so content and at peace.
How long had you been dating when you became engaged?Just over two and a half years.
What date are you getting married and where?  September 2022, at the Pan Pacific London.
 

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Set Up the Jewish Wedding Gift List of Your Dreams with Contemporary Judaica

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Raw Silk Hand Woven Small Tallit by Yair Emanuel and Modern Kiddush Cup and Plate in Silver by Nadav Art |Photo by Stuart Wood Photography from Bringing the Hamptons to the UK: Jewish Wedding Inspo on Osea Island

It’s no secret that Contemporary Judaica is my very favourite source for stylish, modern Judaica in the UK. But did you know that they also offer a fantastic wedding gift list service (complete with international shipping)?

Trace Chanukiah in Clay by Via Maris

Easy to set up and manage online, with a Contemporary Judaica gift list you’ll have an unrivaled choice of gifts from over 50 Judaica artists worldwide, not to mention full flexibility and exceptional service.

Acrylic Solid Challah Board and Magnetic Matching Knife

Offering kiddush cups, shabbat candlesticks, challah boards, mezuzahs, havdalah sets, seder plates, smash glasses for under the chuppah that can be turned into keepsake art, and so much more, a Contemporary Judaica gift list is the perfect way to ensure you receive Judaica gifts you know you’ll love, the kind that will enhance the Jewish home you’re building together for a lifetime.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Laure de Sagazan Bride for an Interfaith Jewish Wedding at Newburgh Priory, West Yorkshire, UK

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Talia-and-Mike-Newburgh-Priory-North-Yorkshire-UK

We love seeing a couple plan their Jewish wedding, their way – and that’s exactly what today’s lovely couple Talia and Mike did! Combining their religions and backgrounds into one beautiful day was top priority for these two – Talia is Jewish and Mike is Christian – and that’s exactly what they did.

The pair opted to work with a celebrant, rather than have a civil wedding, so that they could mix their cultures and faiths into a one-of-a-kind ceremony that truly reflected their partnership. We’re also obsessed with their gorgeous interfaith ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush – and naturally the couple loved the experience of working with artist Rachelle. Don’t miss it – and all the other gorgeous touches – in the luminous photos from Chris Milner.

For music, Talia and Mike went for Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Shir – who’d played at Talia’s bat mitzvah years earlier! The couple wanted Israeli dancing but were worried that their mostly non-Jewish guests might not be into it. With Shir in charge, those worries were totally unfounded – the band led three amazing dance sets that got everyone dancing, and afterward guests couldn’t stop raving about how much fun it was!

Now over to the bride, who looked effortlessly chic in Laure de Sagazan…

Talia-and-Mike-Newburgh-Priory-North-Yorkshire-UKTalia-and-Mike-Newburgh-Priory-North-Yorkshire-UKTalia-and-Mike-Newburgh-Priory-North-Yorkshire-UKTalia-and-Mike-Newburgh-Priory-North-Yorkshire-UK

How we Met

Talia, the bride: We met at the University of Manchester where we both studied medicine. We actually initially met 10 years ago in our first tutorial group in first year but only became a couple at the start of our third year. We now both work as doctors, and have moved to Leeds, and now London since then.Continue ReadingContinue Reading