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A Lee Petra Grebenau Bride for an Elegant Jewish Wedding at Troja Chateau, Prague, Czech Republic

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Rachel and Jakub, Troja Chateau, Prague, Czech Republic

This is an exciting day in STG history: it’s the very first time we’re publishing a wedding set in Prague! One of Europe’s most beautiful and historic cities, Prague is such a special place if you’re looking for a more urban destination wedding spot – and we’re thrilled that Rachel, a labor and delivery nurse, and Jakub, an equity research analyst in finance, shared their special day with us!

The couple opted to wed at in Troja Chateau in Prague because the groom’s extended family lives in the area – and to help make their wedding dreams come true long-distance, they worked with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Andrea Haman, who Rachel describes as “the absolute most incredible wedding planner.” Andrea helped Rachel and Jakub source the perfect vendors for their day and worked with them to create an elegant and elevated vibe – just check out the wonderful photos by Jenny Ovsyannikova and video byMartin from Kaco Films for proof!

We love the way the duo incorporated both Jewish and Czech traditions – so in addition to the ketubah signing, chuppah, and smashing the glass, they followed the Czech practice of smashing the plate – read through Rachel’s wonderful writeup to find out all about it!

Before we turn you over to the bride, we’ve got to say a few words about her stunner of a gown by Israeli designer Lee Petra Grebenau, a custom creation by the designer blending two of her gorgeous styles!

Rachel and Jakub, Troja Chateau, Prague, Czech Republic Rachel and Jakub, Troja Chateau, Prague, Czech Republic Rachel and Jakub, Troja Chateau, Prague, Czech Republic Rachel and Jakub, Troja Chateau, Prague, Czech Republic

How We Met

Rachel, the bride: We met via the dating app, Bumble in 2020.

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The Ultimate Jewish Wedding Glossary

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Camila and Benjamin, Tintswalo Atlantic, Cape Town, South Africa

Camila and Ben‘s Jewish wedding | Photo by Nikki van Diermen

One of the most beautiful things about Jewish weddings is how rich they are in ritual. There’s so much meaning and so many centuries of tradition behind just about every step of the day, and there’s something so special about that.

There’s no denying, though, that there’s a lot of lingo to wrap your head around if you’re new to the Jewish wedding world (or even if you’re not!). 

That’s why we created our ultimate Jewish wedding glossary. Whether you’re planning your own Jewish wedding or attending your first one  as a guest, we’ll take you from aufruf to yichud in no time flat. 

Sophie-and-Jonny-Nobu-Portman-Square-London-UK

Sophie and Jonny‘s Jewish wedding | Photo by Liam Collard Photography

AUFRUF: A short ceremony during the Shabbat synagogue service that normally takes place on the Saturday morning before the wedding. The groom (and sometimes the bride) are honoured in front of their community. This is often followed by a small party or lunch.

ARAMAIC: A semitic language related to Hebrew. The traditional ketubah text is in Aramaic.

ASHKENAZI: Jews of Eastern and Central European descent.

BADEKEN: A short but meaningful ceremony where the groom covers the bride’s face with her veil. It occurs just before the actual wedding ceremony and is a custom that derives from the biblical account of Jacob’s first marriage, when he was deceived into marrying the heavily veiled Leah instead of Rachel, his intended bride. The badeken is often emotionally charged as the bride and groom may not have seen each other for 24 hours or longer (as much as 7 days) until this moment.

Jade and Adam, Sopwell House, St Albans, UK
Jade and Adam‘s badeken | Photo by Milda Vasile Photography

BENCHERS / BENCHING: A small booklet containing the Jewish blessings for a meal. Couples will often make personalized benchers for all of their guests to use and then take home as a souvenir.

Shera & Jared, Sheraton Grand Hotel, London, UK

Shera and Jared‘s benchers by Oy Vey Studios | Photo by Devon Shoob

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A Claire Pettibone Bride for a Jewish Wedding Centered on Family at Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York

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Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York

We love that Jennifer, a clinical social worker, and Michael, who owns an  engineering and construction Firm, made their Jewish wedding at Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa all about family.

The couple’s kids – Jennifer and Michael have six boys between them – were with them under the chuppah, and the cantor who officiated is one of the duo’s best friends and crafted an ultra-personal ceremony – including a moment for a family hug! Jennifer’s four boys walked her down the aisle, and all six of the couple’s sons gave speeches – which were followed by a family dance! Don’t miss the ultra-emotional photos by Heidi Green.

Shortly after Jennifer and Michael met, they hired an Israeli tattoo artist named Gabriel Wolff to design an infinity sign with their names in Hebrew. They never ended up getting the tattoos, but they did use the design as the basis for their beautiful bespoke ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Once Upon A Paper, who brought their vison to life.

Read on for the full story in Jennifer’s own words…

Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York

How We Met

Jennifer, the bride: We met on Match.com. We were both divorced and I was dating a lot. Michael says he knew when he saw my photo on the site. I hadn’t even dated anyone from Match and was seeing two other Michaels when we met. I didn’t really pay him much attention.

I’m a big sports fan and he wanted to take me to see the Rangers, the Yankees and was offering great seats. I kept saying no. But he was persistent! I finally said ok to just meet for a drink. Well we met at a restaurant near me. I was sitting at the bar and he walked in the door and walked up the length of the bar and I thought. Oh shit. I’m done. We had a drink that turned into dinner and we never went a single day since then without each other.

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A Kosher Wedding on the Water with Israeli Vibes at Base Events, Paphos, Cyprus

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Sarah and Daniel, Base Events, Paphos, Cyprus

Here it is, our last real Jewish wedding of 2025 – and have we got a special one to share with you today! Like so many couples, UK-based Sarah and Daniel dreamed of getting married in Israel, but due to the war they ended up pivoting and relocating things to Cyprus.

With the help of their fantastic wedding planner, Noam of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kai Wedding Planners, Sarah and Daniel were able to bring so much of what they love about Israel into their big day. Being Israeli himself, Noam was perfectly positioned to help the couple do just that – and their celebration at Base Events in Paphos really did have the feel of one of those fabulous Israeli seaside weddings we all know and love. Noam even sourced kosher-certified catering for Sarah and Daniel!

Photographers Eitan Van and Kryiakos Hadjiiordanis captured all the love and emotion of the day so perfectly – do read on for the rest of the story in Sarah’s own words…

Sarah and Daniel, Base Events, Paphos, CyprusSarah and Daniel, Base Events, Paphos, CyprusSarah and Daniel, Base Events, Paphos, Cyprus Sarah and Daniel, Base Events, Paphos, Cyprus

How We Met

Sarah, the bride: We met at a Purim in 2019!

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Highlights of 2025: Danielle and Drew’s All-about-NOLA Jewish Wedding at Latrobe’s on Royal, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

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Danielle and Drew, Latrobe's on Royal, New Orleans, USA

As we continue our tour through some of the stunning Jewish weddings we’ve featured in 2025, we’re heading to New Orleans! New York couple Danielle and Drew, met and fell in love as students at Tulane University – and they did the most fantastic job crafting a wedding that let their guests experience the magic of NOLA firsthand. Their venue was Latrobe’s on Royal, an old historical bank in the heart of the French Quarter; their menu showcased New Orleans cuisine at its finest; and they followed the ceremony with a traditional second line, a parade through the French Quarter. Oh, and they also had the MOST fabulous ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Tchotchke – all exquisitely captured by Love is Rad and video by Shotgun.

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