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A Kyha Bride for a Night-Out-in-NYC Jewish Wedding at Nine Orchard Hotel, New York, USA

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Gabby and Daniyel, Nine Orchard Hotel, New York, USA

Today’s Jewish wedding is just SO quintessentially NYC, and we can’t get enough of it! Gabby and Daniyel wanted their big day to feel like a night out at a jazz club in NYC – with incredible cocktails and food and endless dancing – rather than a traditional wedding.

From their choice of the Lower East Side’s Nine Orchard Hotel – a 1912 building steeped in Jewish history – as a venue, every decision the couple made went toward curating the perfect ambience. Nine Orchard brought the perfect mix of old-world charm and modern chic, and Gabby and Daniyel kept the flow of the evening organic by keeping everything cocktail-style, rather than doing a traditional seated dinner. We’re obsessed with the vibes – catch it all in the wonderful candid photos by Ari of Daystar Visuals and video by TMT Weddings.

We also love that Gabby and Daniyel brought some special Jewish food touches to their wedding menu, namely black and white cookies and latkes served with sour cream, apple sauce, and caviar – especially fitting since the wedding took place just before the first night of Hanukkah!

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

 

Gabby and Daniyel, Nine Orchard Hotel, New York, USA Gabby and Daniyel, Nine Orchard Hotel, New York, USA Gabby and Daniyel, Nine Orchard Hotel, New York, USA Gabby and Daniyel, Nine Orchard Hotel, New York, USA

How We Met

Gabby, the bride: A few years ago, when we were both single, our best friends (who are also dating, and are now married) told us we would be the perfect match. Dani invited me to a party, that he threw on instruction of our friends, so we could meet, and from that moment on we knew this was something special.

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A Groundbreaking Same-Sex Orthodox Jewish Wedding with Tons of Personal Touches at Rochdale Town Hall, UK

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Jay and Michael, Rochdale Town Hall, Rochdale, UK

We have a really special Jewish wedding to share with you today! London couple Jay, who runs a scientific consultancy business, and Michael, a chartered accountant working in risk management, were the first same-sex couple to be married by an Orthodox rabbi in the UK, and we are here for it!

It’s so exciting to see the rise of same-sex Orthodox Jewish weddings, and we loved hearing about how Jay and Michael crafted their entirely bespoke halachic ceremony. When the pair were planning their wedding, they joined our Brides Club (yes, guys can join too!), and we’re so thrilled to hear how much they valued our own Karen Cinnamon’s advice throughout the process.  

Jay and Michael’s wedding was absolutely chock full of wonderful personal touches. For starters, inspired by their shared love of musical theatre, Jay and Michael commissioned a wedding booklet designed to replicate the Playbill programs distributed in Broadway theatres, featuring illustrations of the couple in their wedding attire, a “cast list,” and a five-act synopsis of their love story. Don’t miss it in the wonderful documentary-style photos by David Stubbs!

And we love that Jay and Michael chose a ten-piece band (accompanied by a chuppah singer) from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Twentysomethings for their entertainment. The couple loved working with the band, and they couldn’t get enough of the Israeli dancing set. Also, how awesome is it that their first dance was to Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis in Yiddish, sung by one of the pair’s best women, accompanied by the band?!

There are so many more wonderful details of this beautiful and meaningful day – read on for the full story in the grooms’ own words…

Jay and Michael, Rochdale Town Hall, Rochdale, UK Jay and Michael, Rochdale Town Hall, Rochdale, UK Jay and Michael, Rochdale Town Hall, Rochdale, UK Jay and Michael, Rochdale Town Hall, Rochdale, UK

How We Met

We met thanks to the “shadchan of the 21st century”, the dating app Hinge.

Our early romance was complicated by geography, as Jay was dividing his time between London, Vienna and Jerusalem. Our first date took place at Tuk Tuk in London, but despite the initial spark, the practical challenges made us doubt that the relationship would develop further. An unexpected encounter at Hendon Central tube station set the relationship back on track and we both took this as a sign not to give up.

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A Same-Sex Jewish Wedding with Lots of DIY at Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA

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Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA

We love a DIY Jewish wedding, and Hadassah and Natanya’s is one for the books! The Jerusalem-based brides, who opted to wed near Natanya’s hometown at Floriana in Ipswich, Massachusetts, added so many incredible handcrafted elements to their day, and we here for it.

Despite the long distance, the duo planned the entire wedding themselves, and it was a priority to make every detail of the day totally, 100% them. They crafted a halakhic same-sex ceremony featuring each bride circling the other 7 times, a modified birkat erusin blessing followed by egalitarian kiddushin, sheva brachot recited by family and friends, and finally a joint smashing of the glass!

And of course there’s all the awesome DIY projects. The couple did their own flowers, designed their ketubah, and crafted custom benchers – and perhaps coolest of all, Hadassah sewed  her own wedding gown from scratch! Don’t miss all the gorgeous details in the wonderful photos by Lana Shevorski.

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

Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA Hadassah and Natanya, Floriana, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA

How We Met

Hadassah, the bride: We met as students at the Joint Program between the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University. We first got to know each other in a class about Martin Buber junior year, and started dating second-semester senior year.

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A Pronovias Bride for a Timelessly Elegant Jewish Wedding at Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel

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Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel

Weddings in Israel are so special, and London couple Charlotte and Jonah had one of the best! To start with, they picked the magical Cochav Hayam as their venue – in the bride’s words, “Sunset beach backdrop, gorgeous grounds, and unbelievable food made it a no-brainer.”

The duo opted to work with Yana Andreev of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Craspedia Events to make planning from abroad “not just possible, but genuinely fun and exciting.” Charlotte and Jonah can’t stop raving about how great Yana and her team were, both in the leadup and on the big day itself.

And then there’s the chuppah. The pair went for an elegant arched all-white floral chuppah set against the venue’s stunning ocean backdrop, creating the most wonderfully romantic ambience. Don’t miss it in the beautiful photos by People Photography!

There’s so much more to say about this very special Jewish wedding – like, how elegant did Charlotte look in her princess ballgown from Pronovias?! – but we’ll leave it to the bride to take it from here…

Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel

How We Met

Charlotte, the bride: We met at Cambridge University at the Jsoc on the very first Shabbat of term — I was a fresher, he was a third-year, but we didn’t start dating until a few months later!

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Top 5 Ketubah Trends for 2026 {with Ketubah.com}

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Joy Papercut by Enya Keshet

Here at Smashing The Glass, we get so many couples coming to us looking for the ketubah of their dreams – and in the years we’ve been in business, we’ve been thrilled to see how much the ketubah world has grown. Long gone are the days when a ketubah was just a formality – today, for most couples, it’s so much more: a tangible record of the commitment they made on their wedding day that they carry with them through the rest of their lives – and a piece of art to boot. So what’s new for 2026? We sat down with our friends at Ketubah.com to find out. 

Concentric Circles Papercut I Ketubah by Shell Rummel

It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of Ketubah.com (as are our couples), THE go-to online ketubah emporium featuring designs to suit all styles, budgets, and types of wedding. They’ve got multiple text options from traditional to egalitarian to  interfaith to LGBTQ+ and more, and each ketubah is made to order by independent artists and calligraphers. 

Another reason we love Ketubah.com is their top-notch customer service. The team provides hands-on, personalized support throughout the entire process, including digital proofs and guided assistance from selection through delivery. Over the years, we’ve heard so many stories from STG couples about how they’ve has gone above and beyond to make their ketubah dreams come true. 

Celestial Vision by Susanne McGinnis

With 30 years of expertise, Ketubah.com has been at the forefront of the ketubah world for decades, combining deep knowledge of tradition with a modern design sensibility. They’ve recently published Ketubah Renaissance: The Artful Modern Revival of the Jewish Marriage Contract, a definitive resource on the evolution and artistry of the ketubah. And they even offer a 10% discount to members of our Brides Club!

In addition to ketubahs, Ketubah.com supports couples with thoughtful educational tools, including their free Jewish Wedding 101 ebook, designed to help couples understand traditions and plan with confidence, and HebrewNamer.com, a trusted resource for exploring and choosing meaningful Hebrew names.

Sun Kissed by Jennifer Rozbruch

Without further ado, we bring you the top 5 ketubah trends for 2026 – from nature-inspired romance to modern minimalism and bold artistic expression and beyond.

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