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What happens when a Rabbi and a Priest officiate as a duo for a Jew-ish wedding ceremony? Something very special…

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Priest Rabbi Jewish Wedding[Image: Alison Conklin Photography]

Jon from NewYorkFilmWorks recently contacted me to share one of his favourite wedding films from 2013: the Jew-ish wedding of Rachel and Rich.

Jon from NewYorkFilmWorks: This wedding had such a feel-good energy; it’s funny, it’s uplifting and you can feel how much they love each other. It’s really interesting because it was officiated by the best duo I’ve ever seen at a wedding: a Monseigneur (Priest, essentially) and a Rabbi – these guys KILLED it.

Rachel, the bride, lost her father, Jerry, a few years ago – the Monseignor touched upon that and mentioned how beautiful and sunny the day was (I remember that week was rainy and even on their day the forecast was for rain all day).

Rachel and Rich are very caring and loving to each other and close to their family. The final three shots of the film are his mum, her mum and the sky – signifying her father in heaven – all three watching and taking part in their union as they signed the ketubah (that’s the last sequence of the highlights as the music starts to wind down). After all the feel good energy of the rest of the highlights, I aimed to guide the viewer through a reflective and touching moment to end with.

https://vimeo.com/59336244

Thank you for sharing this with us Jon. It’s a total must-watch for a heart-melting Monday feeling.

Film — Jon Armendariz | NewYorkFilmworks
Venue — The Brownstone, New Jersey, USA
Photography — Alison Conklin

A Margaux Tardits Bride for a Multicultural Scottish-Jewish Wedding at Grittleton House, Wiltshire, UK

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Sarah and Harrison, Grittleton House, Wiltshire, UK

There’s so much to love about Sarah and Harrison’s beautiful Jewish wedding at Grittleton House in Wiltshire. With Harrison’s American Jewish background and Sarah’s English and Scottish roots, the couple set out to create a celebration that brought their families and traditions together in a way that felt completely personal to them – and they absolutely smashed it!

Sarah’s father handmade the couple’s wooden chuppah (and even carved in the couple’s initials and wedding date!), while the canopy was formed by Harrison’s late grandfather’s tallit. Sarah’s mother made kippot using the family tartan, and for kiddush, the couple drank wine from a traditional Scottish quaich. Don’t miss it all in the wonderful photos by Joab Smith.

The duo needed a band that could do both a hora and a ceilidh, and they found the perfect fit in Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Sound With Us, who played soft guitar music during the ceremony, jazz during the cocktail hour, and funk, disco, and pop following the traditional dances. We also love that, as a roaming band, they went around the crowd engaging with guests, dancing and singing with them. Oh, and one of the band members also DJ’ed for the rest of the night once the live performance ended!

We’ll turn you over to Harrison for the rest of the story…

Sarah and Harrison, Grittleton House, Wiltshire, UK Sarah and Harrison, Grittleton House, Wiltshire, UK Sarah and Harrison, Grittleton House, Wiltshire, UK Sarah and Harrison, Grittleton House, Wiltshire, UK

How We Met

Harrison, the groom: I moved out to Bristol, UK as my job opened up a new role for a 2-year contract abroad. I thought it was a great opportunity to travel and gain experience outside the US. Little did I realize, I’d meet the love of my life and perpetually extend my contract, eventually settling down here. Sarah and I met the modern way – on Bumble, but immediately kicked it off ever since our first date at the Bristol Harbour Festival.

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A Martina Liana and Galia Lahav Bride for a Joyfully Jewish Destination Wedding at the Four Seasons Firenze, Italy

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Olivia and Amir, Four Seasons Firenze, Florence, Italy

Today we’re heading to Florence today for the most joy-filled Jewish destination wedding at the breathtaking Four Seasons Firenze.

Bride Olivia, a speech language pathologist, and groom Amir, who works in construction and development, knew they wanted a destination celebration that would give their nearest and dearest an excuse for an unforgettable Italian holiday, and we can’t think of many settings more magical than this one.

From the start, Olivia and Amir wanted a wedding that would look as happy as they felt, and that came through in a gloriously vibrant floral palette that filled the venue with color and energy – don’t miss their fabulous floral chuppah in the wonderful images by D2 Photography! We’re also obsessed with the duo’s exquisite ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com, designed by artist Britt Yudell.

Olivia looked incredible in the elegant Martina Liana A-line gown she chose for the chuppah. Later, she changed into a short, sparkly, pink dress by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Galia Lahav – the perfect party look for dancing the night away.

We’ll let Olivia fill you in on the rest…

Olivia and Amir, Four Seasons Firenze, Florence, Italy Olivia and Amir, Four Seasons Firenze, Florence, Italy Olivia and Amir, Four Seasons Firenze, Florence, Italy Olivia and Amir, Four Seasons Firenze, Florence, Italy

How We Met

Olivia, the bride: We actually met in high school at a party. After high school Amir went straight to Israel, but we stayed loosely in touch. Several years later (in 2019), Olivia was on a family trip to Israel to celebrate her brother’s Bar Mitzvah where they reconnected officially. A little over a year later, Amir moved back to America permanently… and the rest is history!

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A Milla Nova Bride for a Whimsical Jewish Wedding Weekend in Lilac at Langley Park, Chippenham, UK

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We absolutely love Amy and Sammy’s vision for what we like to call a local destination wedding for their big day: the London-based duo wanted to “create the feeling of an abroad-style wedding without actually having to travel overseas, as we wanted to have as many of our friends and family there as possible to celebrate with us.” In gorgeous Langley Park, they found the perfect countryside venue to bring their loved ones together for a full-on wedding weekend away from it all, no flights required.

Amy and Sammy love a party, and it was important to them that their guests had an amazing time at their wedding. Enter Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ambassador Band. Music was a top priority for the duo, and in Amy’s words, “after coming across a ‘Sean Paul Remix’ by Ambassador Band on TikTok, we instantly knew they were the ones for us. They were so cool, had incredible voices, and their repertoire was unlike a typical wedding playlist, which really helped create the atmosphere and keep everyone on the dance floor… Geoff and the band were amazing throughout the entire process. They went above and beyond, helping us with everything from production and staging to lighting, and nothing was ever too much trouble.”

We’re also obsessed with Amy and Sammy’s whimsical floral outdoor-chuppah – don’t miss it (and all the other fab details) in the wonderful photos from Stories from Eros!

Now over to Amy… 

How We Met

Amy, the bride: Sammy was in the year below me at school. He went to Yavneh with my cousin, so although we had crossed paths a number of times we had never actually spoken. We met properly 5 years ago at a mutual friends birthday at Pergola, and went on our first date a week later – as  they say, the rest is history!

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A Nicole Milano Bride for a Destination Jewish Wedding By the Sea at Caesar Yam, Caesarea, Israel

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Danielle and Alex, Caesar Yam, Caesarea, Israel

Stunning venue alert! New Yorkers Danielle, an artist and dress designer (she’s launching her first dress brand early next year!) and Alex, who works in marketing, met during a year abroad in Israel, and they wanted to hold their Jewish wedding in the country that meant so much to them.

We love that they found their venue, the gorgeous Caesar Yam right here on Smashing The Glass, and the fell in love with the look, feel, warmth, and beauty of the natural surroundings right on the Mediterranean. The couple’s chuppah – designed by Danielle – took place just before sunset against the backdrop of the ocean, and it was really something special. Don’t miss it in the wonderful photos by Haim Afriat and video by Avichai Wechsler.

Danielle and Alex chose Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Rabbi Naomi Efrat, who is based in Israel, as their officiant, and they couldn’t be more thrilled with their choice. In Danielle’s words, Rabbi Efrat is “the kindest and most wonderful rabbi… She is truly incredible, warm, knowledgeable, an amazing communicator, her English is perfect, and we are so honored to have had her be our rabbi for our magical wedding and Auf Ruf a few days before!!!” It doesn’t get much better than that!

Danielle and Alex, Caesar Yam, Caesarea, Israel

Danielle and Alex, Caesar Yam, Caesarea, Israel Danielle and Alex, Caesar Yam, Caesarea, Israel Danielle and Alex, Caesar Yam, Caesarea, Israel

How We Met

Danielle, the bride: In 2013, Alex and I met on a gap year program in Israel, called Young Judaea Year Course, after high school! We started dating while we were living in Jerusalem with only a month left before returning home but even that early on we both knew we were in love! 💕 We complete each other and have been on the most wonderful journey together since! When we returned to the US we both went to college in NYC and have been together ever since!!

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