Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

A Lihi Hod Bride for a Jewish Wedding with an Epic Chuppah at Hotel Eden Roc Ascona, Switzerland

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We see a lot of gorgeous chuppahs here at STG HQ, but today’s really takes the (wedding) cake. Gemma, a senior associate solicitor, and Kevin, a CEO and director, chose to wed at Switzerland’s Hotel Eden Roc Ascona because of its significance in the bride’s family history. But it also happened to be the absolute perfect spot for that breathtaking outdoor chuppah overlooking Lake Maggiore in the sunshine.

The chuppah had transparent sides to ensure that all guests got a good view of the ceremony,  and the jewels hanging down from the sides of the chuppah picked up the reflections of the sun hitting the glistening lake. Add in some soft florals in Gemma and Kevin’s color scheme of pale pink, pale blue, and cream and you’ve got pure perfection.

We also love that Gemma opted to have a bespoke dress made by Israeli designer Lihi Hod in Tel Aviv – and how cool was Gemma’s custom veil, with the couple’s names and wedding logo embroidered?!

The whole day was captured exquisitely by Ash Davenport of MIKI Studios – scroll on for some serious eye candy…

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How We Met

Gemma, the bride and Kevin, the groom: We met on Hinge, Switzerland.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Sottero and Midgley Bride for an Autumnal Jewish Wedding at 1840s Plaza, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

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It’s always extra special when we get to feature the Jewish wedding of one of our beloved Brides Club members – especially when it’s as gorgeous as Faith and Jordan’s! We so loved having Faith in the group and following along her wedding planning journey, and we’re touched to hear her say that “Brides Club gave me support through challenging periods with transparency and warmth, to which I’ll always be grateful for.”

Faith and Jordan both love autumn and the deep jewel-toned hues associated with the season, so it was a no-brainer to take advantage of the season with an outdoor chuppah at Baltimore’s 1840s Plaza.

And what a chuppah it was: as a gift to the couple, the groom’s parents built the chuppah out of Crepe Myrtle trees from Jordan’s late paternal grandfather’s property, and draped it with white linen and family heirloom tallitot – don’t miss it in the wonderful photojournalistic images by Jessi Vaughn Photography and trailer by Anchor Pictures.

During her engagement, Faith won a competition right here on STG to win personalized English and Hebrew monograms courtesy of the talented Jewish wedding monogram artist Elise Lerner of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Monograms by Elise Lerner, and Faith and Jordan incorporated their monograms throughout the big day. In Faith’s words, “Elise combined our drastically different tastes and crafted two gorgeous monograms that we adore! The English iconography was used for all our signage, programs and favors (homemade mulling spice sachets), and the Hebrew design was printed on the lining of each kippah. We also used the English design on our thank you notes, and plan on interchanging both on personal stationary for years to come!”

Before we turn you over to Faith, we have to mention that Faith sadly had to plan her big day without her beloved father by her side. Incorporating his memory into the wedding was a top priority for both her and Jordan, and they found some wonderful ways to honor him on this bittersweet day.

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How We Met

Faith, the bride: I’m an opera singer from DC, and he’s a molecular biologist from Ellicott City, Maryland… but as he’d say, “The system works!” We’ve known each other for thirteen years thanks to NFTY-MAR (North American Federation of Temple Youth, Mid-Atlantic Region, aka regional high school youth group). Our relationship evolved over the course of seven years before we started dating, and we celebrated five years together just eight days shy of the wedding!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Register for our FREE Make a New Jewish Bestie Challenge – starting this Sunday March 17!

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Do you need a new Jewish bestie?

It’s been a rough past few months out there, and a lot of us have realized just how important it is to connect with our fellow Jews. Between the atrocities of 10/7 and rising antisemitism, nourishing Jewish friendships, there’s something about spending time with people who just get it that feels so nourishing. 

That’s why I’m bringing back the Make a New Jewish Bestie Challenge, running from this Sunday, March 17 through Thursday, March 21

I ran the first-ever Make a New Jewish Bestie Challenge last November, and it was so incredibly heartwarming to witness the beautiful connections that blossomed – many of which have developed into deep real-life friendships! 

If you don’t have many Jewish friends, or a community who gets how you’re feeling right now, this challenge is exactly what you need to find your tribe. And if you’re lucky enough to already have strong Jewish friendships, you’ll want to join the Jewish Bestie Challenge to make even more! 

Although the new friends and deepened connections you’ll make are the real reward, for a little extra excitement we’ll also be giving away two STUNNING Magen David necklaces by Jewish jewellery designers and two copies of the Jewish Joy Journal! 

JOIN THE CHALLENGE FOR FREE

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

An Alon Livne Bride for a “Bar Mitzvah for Adults” Jewish Wedding at The Gates on Roblin, Headingley, Manitoba, Canada

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We love that Erin, a labour and employment lawyer, and Daniel, a national partnerships manager,  described their dream Jewish wedding as “a bar mitzvah, but for adults.”

And between their bright color scheme and exuberant décor (don’t miss the flower clouds!), epic candy table and late-night McFlurries, custom temporary tattoos, glow sticks, and giant Horah heads featuring the bride and groom’s faces, Erin and Daniel absolutely succeeded in crafting a wedding overflowing with energy and fun – don’t miss the joyous photos and video from Picture and Poet!

We also love that Erin opted to wear an Israeli designer, Alon Livne, – and how elegant did she look?! – and we’re smitten with the couple’s beautiful papercut ketibah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor ketubah.com.

We’ll let Erin take it from here…

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How We Met

Erin, the bride: We met in high school at a house party, and began our relationship as friends. Once we both graduated, we decided to start dating, something we both had wanted at different times throughout our friendship. We quickly incorporated the other into our families and we spent our early twenties travelling Europe, going to sporting events and growing up together.

After being together for five years we parted ways for two years and lived in different cities. We both knew that if it was meant to be, we’d find our way back to each other. Sure enough, after a long time of not crossing paths, we finally met again… on bumble when we were both back home in Winnipeg. We had each grown independently over our time apart but the only thing that had really changed between us, was the realization that now we knew for sure, that this time, it was forever.Continue ReadingContinue Reading