Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

A Beachy Boho Jewish Wedding on the Mediterranean at Caesar Yam, Israel

by

Ophira-and-Jacob-Caesar-Yam-Israel

There’s something so special about getting married in Israel – and not just because of the sunny climate and stellar views. Cleveland couple Ophira, a therapist, and Jacob, a market research consultant decided to hold their Jewish wedding at Caesar Yam in honor of the couple’s strong collection to Israel, where Ophira grew up.

The whole day was a celebration of the couple’s blended American and Israeli roots, and the importance of Israel in their lives – how cool is it that Ophira and Jacob wrote their vows in both English and Hebrew?

We also love that Ophira wore her mom’s wedding dress from the ‘80s – and started a new tradition of family heirlooms too, with her multi-talented mom handcrafting her tiara and earrings!

The couple’s photographer, Yafit, and videographer, Dana of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Colorfool, captured this joyous day so exquisitely. In Ophira’s words,

They worked really well as a team. We decided to work with them because they are each artistic in her own way, and we knew they would capture the genuine and intimate moments of our wedding.

And we can’t hand you over to Ophira without sharing her words of wisdom to newly engaged couples: “Consider getting married in Israel–it’s way more chill than the States, and more affordable.” Ok, now over to the bride…

Ophira-and-Jacob-Caesar-Yam-IsraelOphira-and-Jacob-Caesar-Yam-IsraelOphira-and-Jacob-Caesar-Yam-Israel Ophira-and-Jacob-Caesar-Yam-Israel
How We Met

Ophira, the bride and Jacob, the groom: We met through an online dating app–we both got struck by Cupid’s arrow and said “Ok!”. Our first date was at a local coffee shop, and we really hit it off.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Enter the Ring: Our Top Men’s Wedding Band Trends for 2024

by

Engagement rings tend to get all the love, but wedding bands are more of an opportunity for self-expression than we give them credit for – and that’s true even for the guys! Long gone are the days when the only options for wedding rings were a narrow selection of the same old metals – and we’re all for celebrating your marriage with a symbol as unique as the love it represents!

To keep up with what’s trending in men’s wedding rings for 2024, we chatted with Thorum, a jeweler committed to crafting unique wedding rings since 2012. Founded by Caleb Martin and wife Steph in their garage, Thorum now boasts over 200 unique designs for men and women made from extraordinary materials like meteorite, whiskey barrel, and even ancient dinosaur bones. Based in Tampa, Florida, and shipping all over the world, Thorum’s rings are anything but but standard – and they’re on the pulse of what’s next in wedding bands. So with our further ado, let’s get to the trends!

Natural Wood

The Aloha

Natural wood has long been an unusual material in the world of wedding rings, but it’s becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. Wooden wedding rings are durable and lightweight, and Thorum has a fantastic variety of different (and conversation starting!) woods to choose from, like prehistoric oak, American walnut, Jack Daniel’s whiskey barrel, and California redwood.

The Aloha is inlaid with Hawaiian Koa, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful timbers in the world. This stunning, warm wood is paired with a brushed plumb black, beveled Tungsten carbide band for a sophisticated and unusual look. 

Rare Materials

The Gibeon

Unusual materials are trending in ’24, and Thorum has a truly fantastic selection (featuring everything from dinosaur bone to whitetail antler!).

We’re especially smitten with The Gibeon, featuring shards from the Gibeon Meteorite, which fell to Earth from space thousands of years ago and was discovered in Namibia in the early 1800s. With striations of grain on the rock running from highly concentrated nickel and iron through trace amounts of copper, wedding bands don’t get more unique than The Gibeon.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Neta Dover Bride for a Jewish Wedding All About the Party at the Ritz Carlton, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

by

Tori-and-Jared-The-Ritz-Carlton-St.Louis-USA

When St. Louis couple Tori and Jared started planning their Jewish wedding, their top priority was to make it a party. And that’s exactly what they did, from their post-Friday night dinner dance party, to the surprise New Orleans horn line parading through the aisle after the groom smashed the glass, to the all-night dancing that went until 2 AM!

In the bride’s words, “I just wanted our closest friends and family to have the best night ever” – and judging by the joyous photos from  Verneda Lemons, we can safely say they did!

We’re obsessed with Tori and Jared’s custom ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor NitiArtsKetubah, crafted to include important elements of the couple’s lives from their dog, Sadie, to the NY Mets, St. Louis Blues, the fountain where they got engaged, palm trees for their love of travel, and more.

There’s so much to say about this wonderful wedding – but we’ll leave it to Tori, who looked simply smashing in her gown by Israeli designer Neta Dover, to take it from here!

 Tori-and-Jared-The-Ritz-Carlton-St.Louis-USATori-and-Jared-The-Ritz-Carlton-St.Louis-USA
How We Met

Tori, the bride: We met in New York City on St. Patrick’s Day at a club. Probably my first and last time at a club! After that, we dated a few years in the city and then I dragged him to my hometown of St. Louis, MO, where we now have our dog, Sadie. I knew he was a keeper when he said he would leave bagels and sushi and move to St.Louis, MO.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

An Aleena Lena Bride for a Rustic Chic Jewish Wedding at The Art Factory, Paterson, New Jersey, USA

by

Victoria-and-Judah-The-Art-Factory-New-York-USA

This is one cool wedding! Victoria, an investment banker, and Judah, a medical student, are a super stylish couple, and they planned one of the chicest urban-rustic Jewish weddings EVER at The Art Factory in Paterson, New Jersey.

We love how they leaned into the unique industrial-rustic vibes of their venue, picking green as their wedding color and using tons of greenery in their décor. The couple’s photographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Alex Knight, captured it all so perfectly – in Victoria’s words,

Alex and his team are some of the best people we’ve gotten to work with – they are kind, funny and an all around good time. They were great at making us feel comfortable, hyping us up and capturing all of the little moments that we may have overlooked. They’re truly the best!

There’s so much more to say about this fabulous wedding – how fun is it that Victoria and Judah incorporated dancing under the chuppah between each of their sheva brachot?! – but we’ll let the bride take it from here…


Victoria-and-Judah-The-Art-Factory-New-York-USAVictoria-and-Judah-The-Art-Factory-New-York-USAVictoria-and-Judah-The-Art-Factory-New-York-USAVictoria-and-Judah-The-Art-Factory-New-York-USA

How We Met

Victoria, the bride and Judah, the groom: We met on Victoria’s first day of undergrad. We were both students in the joint program between JTS and Columbia University, Victoria a freshman and Judah a junior. Victoria came to school with her best friend, Sarah, who she made a pact with that they wouldn’t date in college – they were there to get their degrees! On their first day there, however, Sarah saw Judah and noted to Victoria that he looked like her type (he was wearing a kippah). We started talking, and the rest was history!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Get Your Glow-Up While Supporting Israel with FRÉ Skincare 

by

Since 10/7, I’ve been making an effort to support Israeli businesses – and I know a lot of you have too. And by far my favourite find has been FRÉ Skincare, an awesome Israeli brand with cutting-edge products that are giving me that post-spa glow every day. 

I’ve been using FRÉ products for two months now, since the beginning of January this year, and they’ve been a total game changer for me. My skin has never felt so glowy, dewy, and radiantly healthy – and the ritual of using these seriously luxe-feeling products at the end of each day has become such a restorative wind-down routine.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Jewish Joy + Positivity ✡︎ | Karen Cinnamon (@yourjewishlife)

Giving Back

All of FRÉ’s products are vegan and cruelty-free, and I love their commitment to Tikkum Olam. They offer a 100% money-back guarantee for 30 days after your first order – no questions asked –  and they ship throughout North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and, of course, Israel!

I’m so thrilled to be sharing this wonderful brand with you – try FRÉ for yourself with a 25% discount with the code “JEWISHLIFE”.

Here’s a more detailed rundown on what I’ve been using and, most importantly, the results!

Continue ReadingContinue Reading