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Home > 1-800-Ketubah

A Bright and Colorful Jewish Wedding on the Beach at Dolphin Bay, Pismo Beach, California, USA

18/09/2023 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Neysa and Tom, Dolphin Bay, Pismo Beach, California, USA

There’s nothing like a beach wedding – and we love how Neysa and Tom made the most of their seaside setting on the California Coast with bright colors, beautiful tropical flowers, and a chuppah right on the cliffs above Pismo Beach!

Keeping with the vibrant color scheme, Neysa and Tom chose a beautiful ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor 1800ketubah.com. The brightly colored Tree of Life design was personally meaningful to the couple, and aesthetically it fit right in with the joyous look of the day! Don’t miss it in the photos by Stephanie Secrest of Secrest Weddings.

Looking at this glorious day, you’d never guess Neysa and Tom pulled it off while adjusting to life as new parents – but that’s exactly what happened: they welcomed their first child just two months before the big day, and little Tyce was an adorable VIP at the wedding!

Now over to Neysa…

Neysa and Tom, Dolphin Bay, Pismo Beach, California, USA Neysa and Tom, Dolphin Bay, Pismo Beach, California, USA Neysa and Tom, Dolphin Bay, Pismo Beach, California, USA Neysa and Tom, Dolphin Bay, Pismo Beach, California, USA
How We Met

Neysa and Tom met in South Bend Indiana in 2014 while Neysa was in law school and Tom was in business school. Tom likes to say he helped Neysa move into her apartment. Neysa likes to say that he put a box in an elevator for her and went on his way. Tom was wearing a cut off tank top, which is why the thought of dating Tom did not initially cross Neysa’s mind.

Over the next year, Neysa and Tom would occasionally run into each other around campus, mostly at the local bars. Neysa could easily spot Tall Tom’s head sticking out from across the bar and come up to say hi and Tom would buy her a drink. After a few of these chance encounters, Tom finally worked up the courage to ask for her number. But it wasn’t until finally hitting it off at a joint MBA-Law School tailgate at a Notre Dame game that Tom and Neysa really caught each other’s attention. Tom asked Neysa on a first date, dinner at Rocco’s (pizza obviously) and drinks at ‘That Place’ (yes, that’s the actual name), which was followed by a second date…Neysa’s first time ice skating. And that leads us to where we are today.

About 6 months after their first date, Tom and Neysa both graduated from Notre Dame but unfortunately moved to completely opposite sides of the country. Tom moved to Washington, D.C. for a Management Consulting job and Neysa to Los Angeles for 2-year fellowship working with foster youth. The long-distance was hard but Tom and Neysa did everything they could to make it work and took FULL advantage of all the travel points that Tom racked up with his consulting job. Over the next 2 years, Neysa would come to DC, Tom would travel to LA, and they would meet everywhere in between (Banff, Denver, Florida, Dallas, Chicago, etc.).

After a long 2.5 years (and a LOT of patience from Neysa), Tom finally convinced his company to transfer him to a project in Calgary, Canada that would allow him to be based in Los Angeles. Tom finally completed his move to Los Angeles in May of 2018. Either way, neither of them could have known that a short random encounter would lead to forever.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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An Elegant Jewish Wedding Full of Fun Touches at Institute Park, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

04/09/2023 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Angela-Jesse-Institute-Park-Worcester-Massachusetts-USA

Today’s couple, Angela and Jesse, are busy people. They’re both registered nurses, each working in different critical care specialties – and on top of that, they also run their own farm!

So when it came time to plan their Massachusetts Jewish wedding, they wanted a day of nonstop fun – and that’s exactly what they got! From a wedding trolley party bus to transport the wedding party, to a black tie dress code as a counterpoint to Angela and Jesse’s usual scrubs and farm clothes, to DIY artificial flowers by the bride herself, this day was chock full of wonderful touches – don’t miss them all in the beautiful photos and trailer by Zach and Ava from Woodside Productions!

One of our very favorite special touches is the couple’s ketubah, designed by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Nava Shoham. Angela and Jesse adored Nava’s River of Dreams ketubah from the moment they set eyes on it, and they can’t stop raving about the process of working with Nava.

Now over to Angela…

Angela-Jesse-Institute-Park-Worcester-Massachusetts-USA Angela-Jesse-Institute-Park-Worcester-Massachusetts-USA Angela-Jesse-Institute-Park-Worcester-Massachusetts-USA Angela-Jesse-Institute-Park-Worcester-Massachusetts-USA
How We Met

Although they are both are in the medical field, they did not meet on the job. They met through a shared love for farming and farm animals and mutual friends within the farming community. The friendship effortlessly blossomed while they both served on the Agricultural Commission in the town they lived in previously. Jesse served as Vice Chair and Angela served as the secretary.

Angela had always dreamed of raising alpaca and Jesse was able to make her dreams come true when he found her a seller that needed to rehome five lovely alpaca. The alpaca became her first farm animals! Soon there were goats and chickens and ducks and more! Today, they play out their farm dreams together!

They currently own and solely operate Moonlight Run Farm, LLC in Barre, Massachusetts and have expanded to raising many types of animals such as llamas, Nigerian Dwarf goats, and Scottish Highland Cattle (just to name a few). They also provide an array of farm services and educational workshops for community.

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A Demetrios Bride for a Roaring ‘20s Jewish Wedding Inspired by The Great Gatsby at The Banks Waterfront, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA

28/08/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

Amy & Brad, The Banks Waterfront, Pennsylvania, USA

Amy, a travel agent, and Brad, a mortgage analyst, got engaged in July 2020, during the height of the pandemic. When lockdown finally came to an end, they were ready to party – roaring  ‘20s style. Hence the timely theme they chose for their Pennsylvania Jewish wedding: The Great Gatsby!

Their big day was full of fun touches nodding to an era of frivolity and decadence – like the bride’s fabulous Demetrios gown, and tons of feathers mixed in with the florals! We’re also obsessed with the couple’s wonderful Tree of Life Ketubah designed by the amazing Nava Shoham, founder of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor 1-800-ketubah. Amy and Brad loved working with Nava – in their words, she was “so amazing and friendly and flexible” – and obviously they were thrilled with the finished results! Don’t miss it in the wonderful photos by Brittany Boote.

There’s so much more to say about this delightful wedding – like the touching ways the bride chose to honor her late parents – but we’ll leave it to Amy to fill you in on the rest…

Amy & Brad, The Banks Waterfront, Pennsylvania, USA Amy & Brad, The Banks Waterfront, Pennsylvania, USA Amy & Brad, The Banks Waterfront, Pennsylvania, USA Amy & Brad, The Banks Waterfront, Pennsylvania, USA
How We Met

Amy, the bride: The first time we met was a very brief interaction at an event in April of 2014. Amy was riding on a jazzy after recent knee surgery and “bumped” into Brad, but life happens, and it was meant to just be a hi / bye interaction. Fast forward 3 years and we reconnected by modern day daters’ way of doing it… online.

After some witty conversation and Brad promising to do the “Bend and Snap”, we went to Full Pint Brewery for a good IPA to start off our first date on September 15, 2017. A 7 hour date and some Nicky Thai’s Kitchen for some sustenance along the way and we both knew a second date would follow not too long after. The night of our second date, 5 years prior, is now our wedding anniversary

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A Multicultural Jewish Wedding in the Redwoods, Waterfall Lodge, Ben Lomond, California, USA

14/08/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

Soreliz-Robert-Waterfall-Lodge-Ben-Lomond-CA-USA

There’s not much we love more than seeing a couple fuse two diverse backgrounds into one beautiful Jewish wedding. Add some jawdroppingly gorgeous scenery into the mix, and we’re more than sold. So needless to say, we fell head over heels when we first set eyes on Soreliz and Rob’s rustic wedding in the beautiful California redwoods, full of intention and symbolism reflecting the couple’s values, cultures, tradition, beliefs.

Rob comes from an Ashkenazi background, while Soreliz’s is a mix of Sephardic and Catholic, and all these traditions – plus some Buddhist and indigenous practices – came together to make one very special day. The ceremony was mostly in accordance with Jewish tradition, but Soreliz and Rob put their own spin on many aspects of the day. For instance, they chose to have a two-way badeken, where Rob placed a crown on Soreliz’s head and in return Soreliz placed a kippah on Rob’s.

Soreliz and Rob also picked a fabulous ketubah with tons of personal meaning to who they are as a couple, designed by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Nava Shoham. The duo opted for her rainbow tree design, both for its vibrant colors and for the special meaning trees have for them, and they couldn’t be more thrilled with the finished product – or with Nava’s professionalism and creativity throughout the process!

Do have a scroll through Manuel Ortega’s wonderful photos of this unique Jewish wedding – and read on for more of the story in the bride’s own words!

Soreliz-Robert-Waterfall-Lodge-Ben-Lomond-CA-USA Soreliz-Robert-Waterfall-Lodge-Ben-Lomond-CA-USA Soreliz-Robert-Waterfall-Lodge-Ben-Lomond-CA-USA Soreliz-Robert-Waterfall-Lodge-Ben-Lomond-CA-USA
How We Met

Soreliz, the bride: We are retired psychotherapists. Our journey began in mid-December of 2018 when Rob, seeking to network with fellow psychotherapists to grow his private therapy practice, decided to post an email on a therapy listserv that Soreliz saw. When Soreliz read Rob’s post, she felt curious and intrigued by what Rob had written, especially his connection to nature, his interest in nature-based therapy, and his Buddhist meditation practice. Upon seeing his photo in his email signature, she felt an urge and intuition that she should connect with him, even though she thought, “he could be gay or married, but one never knows.” There was something in his eyes and his smile that intrigued her.

Boy, was she glad she followed her intuition. When Rob received Soreliz’s email, he felt glad to receive it and was thinking of the proposed meeting strictly as a networking meeting, which ostensibly, it was. Curious to know a little more about this woman he was about to meet, Rob did a little background research on Psychology Today and found Soreliz’s professional profile to be both unique and intriguing, and her photo more than attractive, which never hurts in a networking meeting. Wink, wink.

Rob and Soreliz met at Cole Coffee in Rockridge, Berkeley, CA, for a networking conversation to learn more about each other’s work. After about an hour of professional banter, both Rob and Soreliz were curious to find out more about each other, and so the conversation became more personal. Soreliz felt that Rob was very grounded, found his travel stories fascinating, and noticed a sense of calmness about him. During the conversation, Soreliz was glad to discover that Rob was single. And she realized there were lots of common interests between them—spiritual practice, love of nature, psychotherapy, and a passion for travel and adventure. Moreover, there was a flow and ease to their conversation, and she noticed an undeniable attraction to him. Soreliz also loved Rob’s abalone necklace that he frequently wears. The fact that he wore it spoke to his connection to nature and resonated with Soreliz’s love of all things related to the ocean, as the double water sign that she is.

Rob found himself impressed by Soreliz’s courage in leaving her stable job of 14 years at Oakland Children’s Hospital as a community-based, mental health social worker and setting off on her own path, taking the risk to open her own private psychotherapy practice. Rob found Soreliz to be down-to-earth, very present in herself, open, and a good listener. Rob appreciated that Soreliz wanted to talk on a more personal level to get to know him more. He also noticed the beautiful light blue floral-patterned tunic that she was wearing and the contrast it made with her beautiful light brown skin. Her direct gaze captivated him. As the conversation organically transitioned from professional to personal topics, Rob became increasingly interested in finding out more about this attractive young woman who bought him hot chocolate, always a good move with Rob.

This “networking meeting,” turned into a four and a half hour flowing interaction, but it did not feel like a long time because both were so absorbed in the conversation. After the meeting ended because Soreliz had to go feed her son, it started to rain, so Soreliz asked Rob if he needed an umbrella. Rob said, “No, it’s not raining that hard, I’ll be okay.” (Rob can be a little bit shy when he first meets someone.) As they were about to part ways, Soreliz told Rob that she would like to see him again. Rob seemed caught off guard by Soreliz’s directness, and was also trying to keep a professional demeanor, so he did not directly respond at that moment. However, Rob liked the idea of walking under the umbrella together to his car and quickly changed his mind. 45 minutes after parting ways, Rob sent a follow-up email to Soreliz with some information about a photographer they had discussed during the meeting, saying he “so enjoyed their conversation,” and “looking forward to seeing you again soon.” (Hint hint). And the rest is history.

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Two Wedding Pros’ Jewish Wedding at Congregation B’nai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

24/07/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

Beverly & Lane, B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida,USA

We love seeing the choices wedding professionals make when it comes to planning their own Jewish weddings. And today’s is doubly a treat, because it features not one but two fabulous wedding pros: bride Beverly is a wedding planner and groom Lane is a floral designer at Dalsimer Atlas.

Given that they both work in the wedding industry, Beverly and Lane knew they wanted to do something a bit different than what they do for our clients. They decided to think outside the box by turning the traditional reception into a full-blown party with decor reminiscent of an Italian countryside with modern flair.

Needless to say, the floral design by the groom was especially fabulous, featuring abundant greenery, elegant foliage, white peonies, and plenty of candlelight. Lane also designed the couple’s uber-unique chuppah, with natural wood posts and tons of greenery and hanging calla lilies. Don’t miss it in the wonderful images from Munoz Photography and trailer by Senderey Video Productions!

When it came to choosing their ketubah, there was never any question for Beverly and Lane that they’d work with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Nava Shoham at 1800ketubah.com. Nava customized her “Power of Love” ketubah for the duo, and they couldn’t be more thrilled with the result.

There’s so much more to say about this very special wedding – like, how stylish did Beverly look in her TWO fabulous bridal outfits, ceremony by Katy Corso and reception by Sasha Krasnova Design?! – but we’ll let the bride take it from here…

Beverly & Lane, B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida,USA Beverly & Lane, B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida,USA Beverly & Lane, B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida,USA Beverly & Lane, B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida,USA How We Met

Beverly, the bride: I’m a wedding planner and he’s a floral designer, so naturally we met doing what we both love to do. The Dalsimer Atlas Floral & Event Decorators showroom is where our love bloomed (literally). We create “happily ever afters” for everyone else and now we finally had our own. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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