Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Introducing the Your Jewish Wedding Newsletter, the Can’t-Miss Weekly Email for Jewish Brides-to-Be

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Photo by Earthy Photography

I’ve got something BIG to share with you today: I’m launching Your Jewish Wedding, a brand-new weekly newsletter all about Jewish weddings. It’s a bite-size newsletter packed with Jewish wedding tips, inspiration, and sanity! 

Photo by Claudine Hartzel

Each week, I’ll round up the best of the best in real Jewish weddings, planning resources, exciting wedding biz news, celebrity Jewish weddings, and more – think of it as a weekly digest from your unbiased, Jewish wedding expert friend. 

If you already subscribe to the Your Jewish Life newsletter, it’ll be just like that, but with a focus on must-have news for Jewish and Jew-ish engaged couples.

Photo by Earthy Photography

We’ll be bringing the same fun, inclusive approach to crafting your Jewish wedding, your way to the newsletter, showcasing the beautiful diversity of Jewish and interfaith Jewish weddings and addressing the topics you want to hear about.

If you’re engaged, hope to be soon, work in the wedding industry, or simply love the unique joy of Jewish weddings, Your Jewish Wedding is for you.

This weekly newsletter will go out each Wednesday, and the first issue is dropping next week on December 21 – do sign up ASAP so you don’t miss out!

Photo by Earthy Photography

A Rubin Singer Bride for a Musical, Autumnal Jewish Wedding at the Great Synagogue of Florence and Villa Corsini, Italy

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Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy

Get ready to be blown away by today’s Jewish wedding in beautiful Florence, Italy! Toronto-based couple Sveta and Sasha dreamed of making it official in the majestic Great Synagogue of Florence, and with the help of their wedding planner, Luba of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Primavera Dreams, crafted the most exquisite fall harvest-themed celebration in one of the world’s most unforgettable locations.

Luba worked with the duo to source their fabulous team of vendors – seriously, you MUST scroll through the elegant photos by Elena Foresto to take it all in – and brought their autumnal dreams to life, with a fabulous décor scheme incorporating pomegranates and apples – love it!

In her professional live, bride Sveta is the founder, president, and producer of Show One Productions, which organizes tours for famous musical and theatrical groups across the US and Canada. So naturally, when planning her own wedding, music was a big deal.

And indeed, she and Sasha put together an epic lineup, from Klezmerata Fiorentina, who played traditional Jewish music for the ceremony and then for the kiddush, to Maria Dal Rovere band for the cocktail reception and the after-party, to opera performances by Anna Sanchina and Georgy Chkareuli over dinner and roaming band Gypsy Queens. The couple also had their friend, the fabulous DJ Vamos, fly in from Ontario to perform during their multi-day celebration.

This wedding was chock full of so many wonderful touches – including Sveta’s bespoke  dress by New York fashion designer Rubin Singer, clowns flown in from Paris, fireworks, and even a late night gelato cart – but we’ll let the bride fill you in on the rest…

Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-ItalySveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy
How we Met

Sveta, the bride: Thanks to some lucky stars, we met in Toronto a few years ago.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Michal Motil Bride for an Intimate Destination Jewish Wedding at Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete, Greece

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Dyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete

Buckle your seatbelts and get ready for a trip to beautiful Crete, where Israeli couple Dyana, a private chef and entrepreneur, and Asaf, who works in tech, tied the knot with 33 of their nearest and dearest.

In addition to picking an absolute knockout of a location for their Jewish wedding, Dyana and Asaf also did the most amazing job crafting a one-of-a-kind day that was totally them. Though neither are religious, the pair wanted to incorporate Jewish customs into their civil ceremony in a way that felt authentic to who they are – and we adore how they handled the custom of the Seven Blessings.

Rather than go the traditional route, Dyana and Asaf opted to assign 7 loved ones each to create a blessing for the couple in their own words, inspired by the original. Needless to say, the honorees came up with some truly beautiful remarks, and Dyana and Asaf loved how personal these bespoke blessings made their ceremony!

Another wonderful personal touch was Dyana and Asaf’s hand painted ketubah by Rachelle of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush! The duo loved working with Rachelle, and can’t stop raving about how helpful she was in working with them to customize the text to be specific to their relationship – plus, obviously, the finished product is totally stunning! Don’t miss it in the photos from Alex Dobrovolsky.  

There’s so much more to say, but we’ll leave the rest to Dyana, who looked so boho chic in her dress by Israeli designer Michal Motil…

Dyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete Dyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete Dyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, CreteDyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete
How we Met

Dyana, the bride: Asaf and I met June 2015 on birthright. He was the Israeli soldier and I was the young American who just graduated college looking for a summer adventure. We met and pretty much the rest is history. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Plan the Egyptian Honeymoon of Your Dreams with SUNRISE Resorts & Cruises

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Royal Pool, White Hills Resort

Picking a destination for your honeymoon is one of the most fun parts of wedding planning. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and no doubt you want to go somewhere truly unforgettable. And while the usual suspects (looking at you, Maldives and Bali!) have lots to recommend them, there are so many wonderful honeymoon destinations off the beaten track – like Egypt.

While you may think of Egypt as a place to go to take in the history, the country also happens to be home to some truly stunning beach resorts on the Red Sea – and SUNRISE Resorts & Cruises are responsible for some of the very best, with properties to suit all honeymooning tastes. We’ll be looking at two of their most popular destinations for honeymoons, White Hills Resort and Meraki Resort.

Reception, White Hills Resort

White Hills Resort

 
White Hills Resort is the perfect spot for those couples in search of the perfect place to chill after all the craziness of the big day.

Sunrise Pool at White Hills Resort

At White Hills, you’ll be enveloped in up-to-the-minute serene luxury with a futuristic twist. 

Deluxe Swim Up Beach Front Room, White Hills Resort

They’ve got a stunning beach front, incredible pools, and the most soothing, spa-like guest digs.

The Beach at White Hills Resort

And of course, being the perfect chill-out destination, they’ve got a truly decadent spa to help you unwind.

Swim Up Pool, White Hills Resort

Every detail at White Hills is just SO sleek and stylish. 

Yades Greek Restaurant, Meraki Resort

Meraki Resort

 

 Meraki Resort, on the other hand, is all about the party, as an adults-only clubbing resort with daily themed parties. 

Utopia Beach Club Pool, Meraki Resort

It’s truly a one-of-a-kind spot, and just the place to go if you want to keep that party feeling going a little bit longer once the big day has passed. 

Ophelia Lobby, Meraki Resort

Meraki’s got a boho chic vibe, ensuring that whether you’re partying or lounging, you’ll be in the most stylish of surroundings.

Hall of Fame Jacuzzi Suite, Meraki Resort

Whichever resort you choose, you’re sure to make memories that will last a lifetime. Whether lounging in your room or hanging at the beach, you’ll be surrounded by unmatched luxury. SUNRISE Resorts & Cruises are known for their excellent customer service, and you can expect your every need to be met by the attentive staff.    

I know I’m tempted to run off and book an Egyptian holiday ASAP! There’s really no place chicer – or more Instagrammable – to celebrate your newly wedded status. 

Meraki Resort

FIND OUT MORE

Meraki Resort

Website | info@merakiresort.com

96A, Ra’s Nasrani, Sharks Bay, Sharm El Sheikh
South Sinai, Egypt

White Hills Resort

Website | info.wh@sunrise-resorts.com

96A, Ra’s Nasrani, Sharks Bay, Sharm El Sheikh
South Sinai, Egypt

SUNRISE Resorts & Cruises 

Website | Instagram | Facebook

SUNRISE Resorts & Cruises is a Smashing The Glass handpicked sponsor and this is a sponsored post. We only ever work with sponsors that we absolutely ADORE and would use ourselves. You can find out more about sponsored posts here.

Our Top 18 Hanukkah Gift Ideas for 2022

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Hanukkah’s coming up fast – it starts the night of Sunday, December 18! If you’re looking for a little gifting inspo – for your loved ones or yourself – we’ve rounded up some of our very favorite Hanukkah gift options for 2022. 

It seems like every year we’re treated to more and more Festival of Lights-themed goodies, from small Jewish business and big brands alike, and in 2022 the showing is stronger than ever – including our very own Jewish Joy Journal, the first ever Jewish gratitude journal (you can read more about it below)! 

We’re loving all the Jewish rep out in the world this Hanukkah season, and we’re so excited to share some of our top picks with you. There’s fun Hanukkah swag to suit all tastes and budgets, from sweets to fashion, music to home decor, and beyond…

Blue Glitter Dreidel Stud Earrings by Ariel Tidhar

This Hanukkah, dreidels aren’t just for playing with, thanks to these fun acrylic stud earrings, handmade in New York City.

Challah Board by Yaeli Vogel

This stunning challah tray’s got the perfect color palette for the Festival of Lights – but it’ll also look gorgeous on your Shabbat table all year round. 

Indigo Crystal Dreidel Knotted Headband by Lele Sadoughi 

A statement headband all blinged out for the Festival of Lights? Um, yes please!

Newport Salt & Pepper Set by Jonathan Adler

How good would these salt and pepper shakers look on your Hanukkah table?!

Rainbow Menorahs Glass Tray by Arielle Zorger

This stylish glass tray is the perfect thing to catch those candle wax drips as you light your menorah each night!

Jewish Joy Journal

Part goal planner, part gratitude journal, part non-judgmental Jewish BFF, The Jewish Joy Journal (written and created by ME!) will help us, as Jewish women, connect more deeply with our Jewish identity, achieve our goals, and increase our happiness, resilience, and productivity during challenging times.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading