Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog - Page 4 of 244

A Naeem Khan Bride for a Cozy, Outdoorsy Jewish Wedding at The Hideout, Kirkwood, California, USA

21/06/2019 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

We love it when a couple isn’t afraid to do their Jewish wedding their own way – after all, helping couples do just that is really at the core of our mission. So naturally we were psyched when Kathleen and Carter’s wedding popped up in our inboxes.

These two knew their priority was a warm celebration with their loved ones, minus the stress that can so easily dominate wedding planning. They also knew they wanted to honor the groom’s love of the outdoors.

So they went right for the stuff that mattered to them and scrapped what didn’t when crafting their super fun wedding weekend at rustic venue The Hideout, in the mountains just outside Tahoe, full of hot chocolate, giant lawn games, and – above all – plenty of quality time with the couple’s nearest and dearest.Photographer Lindsey Gomes captured the wedfest in all its cozy glory.

We love that the wedding party made breakfast together in the lodge on the morning of the wedding, and Kathleen took the DIY approach to her own and her bridesmaids’ hair and makeup, “because I wanted everyone to be relaxed and feel like they were just getting ready with friends.” The best!

Another thing we love? The couple’s gorgeous ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Tallulah Ketubahs, inspired by the breathtaking mountain setting.

There’s so much more we could say about this fab, laid-back wedding, but before we hand you over to the bride (who looked simply smashing in Naeem Khan), we’ll leave you with one last tidbit: she and Carter opted to exchange vows to each other in private on the morning of the wedding before saying them in front of their guests during the ceremony so they could have that special moment together, just the two of them. Awwwww!

A Wedding in the Mountains

Kathleen, the bride: Carter is a consummate outdoorsman, and he has slowly but surely brought me into his world (I own a backpacking pack, a pair of skis, and climbing shoes, to name just a few new acquisitions since we started dating!), so it was a goal of mine to find a venue and plan a wedding that he would be super excited about – and that’s exactly what happened!

I knew it needed to be outdoors, remote, preferably in the mountains because that’s his happy place. The Hideout was exactly that – secluded, breathtaking, unique, and just outside Tahoe. Carter loved it as soon as I brought him on the first visit.

The STG Brides Club Challah Bake Meet-up happened in NYC and it was EVERYTHING!

20/06/2019 by Emily Sacharin 1 Comment

You’ve probably noticed that we talk a lot about Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club, our members-only community for planning your perfect Jewish (or Jew-ish) wedding. That’s because Karen and I are genuinely really excited about it – from the stage-by-stage planning breakdown for every step of the way, to the extensive library of must-have Jewish wedding planning resources to the amazing array of discounts we’ve secured with some of our very favorite vendors, to the incredible stories we hear from our members about how it’s transformed their wedding planning.

Above all, the thing that really makes Brides Club tick is the sense of community among our members – it’s so touching to see the connections made each and every day through our private Brides Club Facebook group.

But online communication only gets you so far, and we want to bring this wonderful community to the next level. So we’ve started live, in-person meetups, currently in London and NYC (with LA coming up in July!). Karen hosted a wonderful drinks meetup for the London brides in May, but what I’m here to talk about is our NYC meetup earlier this month.

Now, this was not just any old meetup. It was a challah bake! That’s right, Brides Club member Jenna, generously offered to host the meetup – and share her challah expertise with us. She’s been baking ever since she was a kid, when she learned from her grandfather, and she’s now a total pro.

Jenna talked us through some challah basics – did you know that the word “challah” technically refers not to the familiar braided loaf, but to the small portion of dough that, according to Jewish law, should be separated and burned?

Jenna also guided us through braiding six-strand challah (and made it look super simple!), and assembled a fantastic toppings/fillings bar – we’re talking zaatar, everything bagel mix, cinnamon sugar, even chocolate chips and candied ginger!

A Shay Peretz Bride for a Paris-Meets-Tel Aviv Jewish Wedding at Ray, Tel Aviv, Israel

19/06/2019 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

What is it about Tel Aviv weddings? There’s just something unfailingly chic about them, each and every time. And that goes double for the stylish Jewish wedding of Shoshanny, a lawyer, and Gal, a specialist in back and spinal problems.

They picked their super cool venue, Ray, partially because it reminded them of the very chicest spots in Paris – and we can totally see it. We’re also kind of obsessed with those blush pink seats. And the extravagantly sized fan-shaped greenery used in the table arrangements – such a distinctive choice! Don’t miss the photos from Haim Afriat and video by Nir Tenenbaum.

Then there’s Shoshanny’s bridal style. It’s hard to believe she purchased her elegant gown just five weeks before her big day – and found it by chance strolling the streets of Tel Aviv – but that’s how it happened. We love the silhouette, the off-the-shoulder style, the big bow – basically everything about this stunner from Shay Peretz (who also made Shoshany a totally gorgeous veil).

We’ll let the bride take it from here…

How we met

Shoshanny, the bride: I had lots of bad dates before I met Gal, while Gal was looking for his next hookup… we met on Tinder, and both without any expectations. Gal told me he will never get married, while I was looking for love, not necessarily marriage.

Date after date, one thing led to the other, till one day Gal asked me out of the blue to move in together (after 5 months), I was half asleep and in the morning I wasn’t even sure it happened… maybe I imagined it or dreamed about it… so after two weeks Gal told me that he is still waiting for an answer. I asked – to what question. He said – moving in together. And I replied – oh, so it really did happen. Believe it or not, a month later we decided to get married. We got married about a year afterwards.

Could you be one of our 2020/21 real blogging brides?

18/06/2019 by Karen Leave a Comment

Happy Tuesday! How has the Summer been treating you so far? Well it’s about to get that bit better as today I’m opening the doors to becoming a real blogging bride for Smashing The Glass!

That’s right – I’m looking for a group of 2020 / 2021 brides-to-be to become our STG real blogging brides. As a winning bride, you’ll get to blog regularly (every 4 to 6 weeks) for Smashing The Glass sharing the highs and lows of planning your Jewish (or Jew-ish) wedding. You’ll be able to share your plans with, and seek advice from, the wonderfully loyal community of STG readers from all over the world.

Then, at the end of the experience you’ll not only get to celebrate your wedding, you’ll also get to have it lovingly blogged on the pages of Smashing The Glass.

If you would like to become an STG real blogging bride, you must have already set your wedding date, and that date must fall any time from 1st February 2020. onwards. You must also have a flair for writing, and be able to commit to contributing one blog post every 4 to 6 weeks. There’ll be plenty of guidance, and a few bloggy treats sprinkled along the way too!

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A Grace Loves Lace Bride for a Laid-Back Garden Jewish Wedding at Holly Farm, Carmel, California, USA

17/06/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

Sometimes it’s the things that don’t go to plan at a wedding that make the best memories. That’s what happened at the beautiful Jewish wedding of Martina and Rob (how cute is their hashtag, #cromerhitahomer?).

Obviously, there’s a ton here that DID go to plan. I mean, can we talk about this venue?! Straight up tropical garden paradise. Flowers and greenery for daaays. It’s truly a one of a kind space – Martina says she felt like she was in an alternate universe, and we totally get it.

And the couple’s chuppah? Pure magic. Trust us, you don’t want to miss the breathtaking photos from One Love Photography.

We’re totally obsessed with the bride’s ethereal, boho dress from Grace Loves Lace – such a perfect fit for the venue, and it looks ridiculously light and comfortable, too.

There were a few mishaps along the way – the ceremony starting without the bride, Martina’s father stepping on the back of her dress as he walked her down the unexpectedly narrow aisle – but we love that Martina’s response was to laugh it off. In her words, “The ceremony faux pas became some of the best and most talked-about moments over the course of the weekend and I could not be happier about it. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.”

Take it away, Martina!

Theme

Martina, the bride: The spirit of our wedding was all about togetherness. We have an incredible love story that spans over a decade – we wanted our guests to get caught up in it and become a part of our story. We kept it light and fun and full of good humor and romance. Of course it didn’t hurt that we were surrounded by gorgeous flowers and scenery. It was impossible not to feel like something really special was happening. Perfect!