USA Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Jasmine Bridal Bride for a Jewish Wedding with a View at The Venue at Greenbriar Estate, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA

28/11/2022 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

When you choose to get married in a spot with breathtaking natural scenery, it just makes sense to let your setting take the lead as you plan your day. That’s what Madison, who’s pursuing a PhD in social work at the University of Texas at Austin, and Jacob, who works for a tech startup, did in crafting their Jewish wedding at The Venue at Greenbrier Estate outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, overlooking the majestic Smoky Mountains National Park.

When planning their classically elegant day, they took their cues from the magic of the mountains that surrounded them, choosing a blue and green color palette and working with

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Brit Colors to design a custom ketubah depicting a sun rising over the mountains – as a nod do their venue, and also a beautiful symbol of the beginning of their life together as husband and wife. The ketubah turned out, in Madison’s words, “more beautiful than anything we ever imagined” – don’t miss it in the wonderful photos from Mandy Hart!

We also love the emphasis Madison and Jacob put on involving their families in their day. They involved loved ones in their ceremony and rented two cabins across from the venue, where they stayed with their respective families prior to the wedding. Even their choice to marry amidst the Smokies was inspired by Jacob’s family’s deep connections to the national park.

This day was just packed with so much joy – read on for Madison’s recounting of the full wedding…

How We Met

Madison, the bride: We met at The University of Alabama in our first year. After being friends for a year we started dating and have been together ever since!Continue Reading

A Loulette Bride for a Great Gatsby-Inspired Jewish Wedding at The Inn at Longshore, Connecticut, USA

14/11/2022 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

We love a literary Jewish wedding here at Team STG. And Jai and Ari’s Great Gatsby-themed celebration is one of the very best we’ve seen!

Jai, who works at Google as YouTube’s policy lead for violent extremism, and Ari, a healthcare consultant at a healthcare consulting firm, took the lead from their venue, The Inn at Longshore, a historic estate on the Long Island Sound. As lovers of American literature, the pair knew The Inn at Longshore was the spot for them when they found out historians believe F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel was likely inspired by the Fitzgeralds’ attendance at extravagant parties at the original Inn (then a private mansion).

From there, Jai and Ari opted to pick up on some Gatsby motifs, from vintage frames for black and white photographs of the couple’s loved ones that were with them in spirit, to a nine-piece band that kept the crowd on their feet, to a sparkler send off.

The couple’s attire was also inspired by Gatsby: Ari wore an ivory silk bow tie, and Jai’s custom gown and topper by Loulette Bride took inspiration from 1920s fashion. The groom, groomsmen, and dads wore tuxedos and kippot knit by the bride’s mother while the bridesmaids wore black, an untraditional but timeless and elegant choice. Everyone looked so chic – don’t miss it in the romantic photos by Nel Studios!

Now over to the bride…

How we Met

Jai, the bride and Ari, the groom: They met in Washington, DC five years ago when Ari was working as a health care researcher and Jai was working at the Pentagon. Their first date was at a cute spot between their offices and their second date was every parent’s dream: Shabbat services at Sixth and I synagogue.

During the pandemic, the couple decided it was time for an adventure. They packed up and moved to Tel Aviv for a year, where they spent the weekdays working at startups and the weekends swimming in the Mediterranean. It was a dream! They relocated to New York City about a year ago and miss Tel Aviv every day.Continue Reading

A Sachin and Babi Bride for a Beachy Jewish Wedding Weekend at Guemes Island Resort, Washington State, USA

04/11/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

There’s something so special about bringing all your nearest and dearest together to celebrate your nuptials not just for a few hours but for a full-fledged wedding weekend – which is exactly what today’s couple, Lucia and Jared, did.

The pair rented out Guemes Island Resort in Washington State from Friday-Monday so their guests could enjoy a whole weekend together with them – and what a place to do it! The venue was RIGHT on the water with majestic views of the San Juan Islands in the background, which inspired the décor for the day.

How special is it that Jared’s dad and cousin built the couple a chuppah, using driftwood from the beach?! Even the couple’s ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Brit Colors was totally on theme. Lucia and Jared loved Brit’s unique designs and personal touches, and they picked her Sea Glass Ketubah design for its beachy feel and calming colors. They loved the process of working with Brit, and are even planning to meet up with her when they next travel to Israel! Don’t miss it in the beautiful photos by Mio.

We’ll turn you over to Lucia, who looked so elegant in her Sachin and Babi dress from BHLDN, for all the rest of the details of this very special day…

How we Met

Lucia, the bride: Jared and I met through mutual friends at Stagecoach music festival in Indio, California. After teaching me a country dance in the honky tonk tent, we were inseparable all day. A few days later Jared went to Las Vegas for a work trip and offered to fly me out for the weekend. After “thinking about it” for a few days, aka consulting my girlfriends, I agreed to go. It was such a fun weekend, and we have been inseparable ever since! He proposed in 2019 in Kauai, Hawaii at Hanakapiai Falls, a beautiful and secluded waterfall.Continue Reading

A Morilee Bride for a Jewish Wedding Where Tradition Meets Modernity at Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael, Springfield, New Jersey, USA

24/10/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

We are beyond thrilled to be featuring the New Jersey Jewish wedding of our wonderful Brides Club member Mindy today!

Mindy, a fourth grade teacher, and Neil, a digital marketing specialist, crafted the most exquisite celebration combining tradition and modernity – and we love the way they managed to honor family heritage and stay true to Jewish customs while crafting a day that was totally them! They combined a hora with a choreographed first dance, mixed Hebrew and English music, and used two kiddush cups under the chuppah: one from Mindy’s grandfather and another new cup, symbolizing the beginning of her life together with Neil and the start of their own family. You can see it for yourself in the stunning images from Yael Pachino Photography.

One other touch that made Mindy and Neil’s wedding extra special was the fact that they had live wedding painter and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Jordana Sklover on hand to craft a beautiful painting of the day in real time! The pair decided that a painting of their wedding would be a wonderful gift to each other, and getting to see the finished painting at the end of the night was a wonderful way to cap off the celebration – plus, guests enjoyed watching Jordana’s creation come to life in front of their eyes throughout the wedding. Jordana Sklover also painted the couple’s custom ketubah, featuring an illustration of the Jerusalem skyline, honoring the important role Israel plays in their lives.

There’s so much more to say about this wonderful wedding, but we’ll let Mindy – who looked SO elegant in her fit and flare gown by Morilee take it from here…

HOW WE MET

Mindy, the bride: We met on JSwipe and quickly realized that we both love Israeli and Mediterranean food. After dating for six months, we created a shared foodie Instagram, @shakshakingitup, devoted to reviewing hummus, falafel shakshuka, and avocado toast. We spent the early days of the pandemic watching all 30 seasons of the Amazing Race in order to prepare for our lifetime of adventures together.Continue Reading

A Multicultural Vietnamese-Jewish Wedding at Temple Akiba and Playa Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA

21/10/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

We love it when a couple merges their two backgrounds into a one-of-a-kind LA Jewish wedding – and that’s exactly what today’s duo did! Michelle, an executive search recruiter, and David, a public school teacher and screenwriter, set out to plan a wedding that celebrated both the pair’s shared Jewish faith and Michelle’s Vietnamese heritage.

Right before their chuppah – which was held at the couple’s synagogue – Michelle and David hosted a traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony. They donned áo dais (traditional Vietnamese gowns) and served tea to their elders and relatives.

We also love that Michelle rocked three different fabulous bridal looks throughout her day! First the áo dài, then a classic ballgown from Rita Vinieris for the chuppah, and finally a fusion look for the reception, pairing a clean, minimalist gown from Jill Stuart with a matching, white khăn đóng (Vietnamese headdress).

Read on for more about this wonderful wedding, plus exquisite documentary photography by Rebecca y las otras…