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A Rosa Clará a Greek-Jewish Wedding at Bury Court Barn, Farnham, Surrey, UK

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Esmé and Luke, Bury Court Barn, Farnham, Surrey, UK

We love an English countryside wedding, and Esmé and Luke’s is really something special. Bury Court Barn in Surrey provided the most charming venue for the couple’s fabulous Greek-Jewish wedding, complete with a gorgeous spot for an outdoor chuppah; overnight accommodations for family and friends; and even an in-house florist, Arboretum, that created natural florals that melded perfectly with the surroundings. Don’t miss it in the beautiful documentary-style photography by Richard Galloway.  

We also love the way Esmé and Luke combined their Jewish and Greek backgrounds for a one-of-a-kind celebration. The pair opted for a bespoke Jewish ceremony under a chuppah, making sure it was fully inclusive for those who had never been to a Jewish wedding before. Their rabbi explained each element of the ceremony so that everyone could be involved and understand what was happening at each point. Then, after the ceremony and yichud, Esmé and Luke kicked off the reception with a hora – and ended the night with Greek Zorba dancing!

Now over to Esmé, who’ll fill you in on all the rest…

Esmé and Luke, Bury Court Barn, Farnham, Surrey, UK Esmé and Luke, Bury Court Barn, Farnham, Surrey, UK Esmé and Luke, Bury Court Barn, Farnham, Surrey, UK Esmé and Luke, Bury Court Barn, Farnham, Surrey, UK

How We Met

Esmé, the bride: We met over Hinge. Esmé works in the arts and Luke is in technology, so with (very different) but busy schedules it took us a while to meet in person!

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A Book-Themed Jewish Wedding with a Very Special Ketubah and 100 Plastic Ducks at the Astorian, Houston, Texas, USA

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Rachel and Cody, The Astorian, Houston, Texas, USA

Today’s real Jewish wedding is just SO much fun! First off, we love that Rachel, the Community Associate at WeWork, and Cody, a data scientist at Rice University, went for a book theme for their big day – and they really went all in!

From invitations that looked like a book to a seating chart made of calligraphied book pages to a cake made to look like a stack of books (complete with titles of volumes the duo have read together), all of the little touches came together so nicely. Rachel and Cody’s kiddush cup, gifted by the groom’s parents, was even Harry Potter-themed! Don’t miss it in the wonderful photos by Sophia from Sophia Margaret Photography and video by Caleb from Reverent Films.

Then there’s the ketubah, which the couple created with Elena Berlo from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Once Upon a Paper. Finding most ready-made ketubah text options either too cheesy or too dryly focused on Jewish law, Rachel opted to write the text herself, all about the couple’s intentions for their life together as a married couple – Rachel shares the whole thing below, and it’s really very special.

And finally, we come to the plastic ducks. A few months after Cody and Rachel started dating, Rachel began hiding little plastic ducks all around Cody’s apartment, and she kept it up when they moved in together. Come the big day, Rachel secretly slipped a little plastic duck into Cody’s breast pocket during the first look. During her vows, she said, “I vow to keep hiding ducks all over our house. Actually… you should look in your front pocket.” Cody fished out a duck, absolutely astounded. At the reception, Cody and Rachel filled their pockets with 100 little plastic ducks and hid them in people’s pockets and purses while greeting guests. People kept finding ducks in their belongings weeks after the wedding, keeping the joy alive. How fun is that?!

Read on for all the wonderful details of this very special day in Rachel’s own words…

Rachel and Cody, The Astorian, Houston, Texas, USARachel and Cody, The Astorian, Houston, Texas, USARachel and Cody, The Astorian, Houston, Texas, USARachel and Cody, The Astorian, Houston, Texas, USA

How We Met

Rachel, the bride: We met on a dating app, but had drastically different experiences. I found Cody’s profile after three weeks, and Cody, ever the data scientist, spent an entire year going on a date every week, with standardized first and second dates. He had just finished his 52nd date and was going on to delete the app when he saw my message and thought, “Okay, one more, then I’m done.” The rest is history!

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A Grace Lane London Bride for a Relaxed, Joyful, Sustainable DIY Jew-ish Wedding South Farm, Hertfordshire, UK

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Elsa and Adam, South Farm, Hertfordshire, UK

We love it when a couple brings their family and friends into their big day in a major way – and that’s exactly what Elsa, who’s preparing to start a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and Adam, currently finishing his PhD researching cell-cultured meat, did. Having known each other since age 11 and been together since they were teenagers, they saw their wedding as a celebration of their shared history and the loved ones who’ve been a part of their circle over the years.

As such, Elsa and Adam took a DIY approach to their wedding, using vintage, second-hand, and reusable items wherever they could and bringing friends and family in every step of the way. Elsa designed and made all of the invitations by hand (in both English and Hebrew); the rings were crafted by one of the bridesmaids; Elsa’s cousin who’s a carpenter built the chuppah; and best of all, Elsa’s mum, a gardener and garden designer, took charge of the florals, foraging local evergreen foliage and lovingly handcrafting masses of gorgeous paper flowers used on the chuppah and in the bouquets! Don’t miss it all in the wonderful documentary-style photos by Connor from Linden Photography.

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor South Farm in Hertfordshire was the perfect spot for Elsa and Adam to bring together their nearest and dearest. A working farm dating back to the 16th century, with a collection of characterful barns for the ceremonies and plenty of on-site accommodation, it was ideally suited to the duo’s vision for whimsical, laid-back, joyful wedding. Elsa and Adam can’t stop raving about how attentive the events team was – and they also loved South Farm’s sustainability ethos and approach to food, leaning into produce grown on the farm itself!

There’s so much more to say about this very special day – like the fact that Elsa’s mum organized a surprise flash mob of “Hava Nagila” – but we’ll turn you over to Elsa for the rest…

Elsa and Adam, South Farm, Hertfordshire, UK Elsa and Adam, South Farm, Hertfordshire, UK Elsa and Adam, South Farm, Hertfordshire, UK Elsa and Adam, South Farm, Hertfordshire, UK

How We Met

Elsa, the bride: We don’t have a single “first meet” story as our paths first crossed when we were just 11! Although we went to separate schools, we had friends in common and would occasionally see each other at parties and school events.

When Elsa moved schools at 16, we ended up in the same form and A-level biology class. We quickly became part of the same friendship group and spent most lunchtimes together- many of those friends are still in our lives today, and some were even part of our bridal party! We officially started dating in our last year of school, when we were 17/18. Since then, we’ve navigated a couple of years of long distance, attended the same university to study Biochemistry (a year apart), and eventually moved in together. Our wedding came almost exactly 10 years after we started dating in 2014!

Adam is now finishing his PhD researching cell-cultured meat, and Elsa is preparing to start a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. We feel unbelievably lucky to have been able to build such a full life together already, it made our decision to get married an incredibly easy and exciting one!

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A BHLDN Bride for a DIY Jewish Wedding Weekend at River Mountain, Everett, Pennsylvania, USA

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Shoshana and Mark, River Mountain, Everett, Pennsylvania, USA

We love a DIY Jewish wedding, and Shoshana and Mark’s is SO packed with wonderful personal touches. The couple planned every detail of their glamping wedding weekend getaway at River Mountain themselves, from the invitations to the music playlists for every event.

We’re obsessed with Shoshana and Mark’s gorgeous outdoor ceremony, officiated by a humanistic rabbi and attended by no fewer than four family dogs! The bespoke ceremony blended Shoshana’s Jewish upbringing and Mark’s non-religious background and featured a blessing over wine and another over beer, egalitarian circling, and humanistic versions of the seven blessings. And how fun is it that the duo included a crossword puzzle on details and traditions from the ceremony in their wedding program?! Don’t miss all the special details in the wonderful photography by Mariah Fisher!

Shoshana and Mark went for a beautiful custom  ketubah designed and hand-painted by Elena Berlo of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Once Upon a Paper. The art captures the pair’s love of nature, with two trees intertwined and two golden birds sitting amid colored circles representing the changing seasons.

There’s so much more to say about this ultra-personal wedding, but we’ll hand you over to Shoshana for the rest…

Shoshana and Mark, River Mountain, Everett, Pennsylvania, USA Shoshana and Mark, River Mountain, Everett, Pennsylvania, USA Shoshana and Mark, River Mountain, Everett, Pennsylvania, USA Shoshana and Mark, River Mountain, Everett, Pennsylvania, USA

How We Met

Shoshana, the bride: We met by chance at a beer garden in Washington, DC, while out and about for Halloween celebrations. We were engaged nearly 5 years later and married the following June.

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A Hindu-Jewish Wedding Weekend To Remember in Stiges, Spain

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Chhaya and Harry, ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, Barcelona, Spain

We love  a good wedding weekend – and this is one for the books! Chhaya and Harry, both doctors, live in the UK, but they knew they wanted a destination where their loved ones could get together for some serious quality time around their interfaith “HinJew” wedding – and they found the perfect setting in a seaside town called Stiges, near Barcelona.

The couple’s planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J, helped them plan a series of three events over three days, each with its own distinct personality while still feeling part of one cohesive story.

They got things started with a joyful, sun-drenched welcome fiesta/haldi ceremony, which they hosted poolside at the ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, the main wedding hotel where most of the couple’s guests stayed.

Day two was Chhaya and Harry’s Hindu wedding under the mandap at neighboring hotel Sunway Playa Golf & Spa – we’re obsessed with the fun, romantic, pastel-colored vibes, and you absolutely cannot miss Chhaya’s stunning outfit by Aisha Rao. Be sure to catch it in the wonderful photos by photographer Dmitry Komarenko!

The third and final day was reserved for the duo’s elegant black-tie Jewish ceremony at a gorgeous winery, Caves Codorniu. The woodland-inspired chuppah took place outdoors, and then for the reception everyone moved into the underground caves!

Read on for all the wonderful details in Chhaya’s own words…

Chhaya and Harry, ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, Barcelona, SpainChhaya and Harry, ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, Barcelona, SpainChhaya and Harry, ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, Barcelona, Spain Chhaya and Harry, ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, Barcelona, Spain

How We Met

Chhaya, the bride: Harry and I are both doctors and we met in 2019. Through the challenges of the pandemic we built our own little bubble – and from that a love story that continues to grow!

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