Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Home > USA > Page 51

A No Holds Barred DIY Carnival Backyard Jewish Wedding in Los Angeles, California, USA

by

Jewish wedding Carnival Wedding at parents’ backyard California USA_0020
We have NEVER seen a wedding like today’s one before. Fact.

Plenty of couples choose themes, and pull them off beautifully, but the level of dedication this couple put into their carnival Jewish wedding is just off the charts. We’re not just talking about a wedding that hints at a fair aesthetic; Talia and Danny actually set up a full-on carnival in the bride’s parents’ backyard. We’re talking a Ferris wheel, games (complete with life-sized stuffed animal prizes!), photo booths, claw machines, a balloon artist and a stilt walker… and that’s just the beginning!

Even more impressive is how much of the work the couple — along with Talia’s family — put in themselves, from artistic details to heavy-duty stuff like wiring. With the help of their multitalented florist, Dawn of Tularosa Flowers — who did so much more than just florals — the pair made their dream into a reality, with everything from the big stuff (that Ferris wheel!) to the smallest details (the floral centerpieces were inside popcorn containers — genius).

It doesn’t hurt that Talia has got to be one of craftiest brides we’ve encountered — so much so that this fall she’s opening an arts and crafts business where people can come and make projects of their own. After seeing the ah-mazing photo props she crafted from cardboard boxes — Zoltar’s head, a popcorn machine, and more — plus her spiffy ticket booths (also crafted from cardboard) we think you’ll agree she’s found her calling.

Photographer Shimmy Lautman and videographer Michael Newman did SUCH a fantastic job capturing all the glorious details (a drone was involved!).

We haven’t even gotten to the carnival cart food, or the Kinder Surprise Egg invitations (yes!) — but we’ll leave it to Talia to tell you the rest.

Jewish wedding Carnival Wedding at parents’ backyard California USA_0020Jewish wedding Carnival Wedding at parents’ backyard California USA_0020Jewish wedding Carnival Wedding at parents’ backyard California USA_0020Jewish wedding Carnival Wedding at parents’ backyard California USA_0020Jewish wedding Carnival Wedding at parents’ backyard California USA_0001Jewish wedding Carnival Wedding at parents’ backyard California USA_0020Jewish wedding Carnival Wedding at parents’ backyard California USA_0020
A Backyard Wedding

Talia, the bride: We got married in my parents’ backyard. It’s the house I grew up in since I was born, and my father also grew up in the house. It meant a lot to me to get married there because it’s where all the milestones of my life happened. From taking my first step, to losing my first tooth, to graduating high school, all of my memories took place there, so it made it extra special to also have my wedding there.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Hayley Paige Bride for a Sparkling Winter Jewish Wedding at The Allan House, Austin, Texas, USA

by

Jewish wedding The Allan House ​in Austin, Texas USA_0001
You spend so much time and energy coming up with a beautiful chuppah design for your Jewish wedding — isn’t it a shame that it only really features for the duration of the ceremony?

Lindsay, who produces TV commercials, and Ben, a project manager for Google Fiber, thought so. And when you see the photos of their fantastic rose-strewn canopy, by Gia at Cory Ryan Photography, we think you’ll see why.

Loving the symbolism of the chuppah as their“new home,” after the ceremony they set up underneath it so that guests could come talk to them. They even stayed put under the canopy for dinner — such a great way to resolve that mealtime seating dilemma, right?!

Speaking of the meal, we just cannot get over Lindsay and Ben’s Fantastic Mr. Fox-themed wedding cake, inspired by the pair’s favorite movie. The cake topper, naturally, was bride-and-groom foxes, and the bottom layer featured the sweetest quote from the film.

Now over to the bride, who looked smashing in her striped dress by Hayley Paige…

Jewish wedding The Allan House ​in Austin, Texas USA_0001  Jewish wedding The Allan House ​in Austin, Texas USA_0001 Jewish wedding The Allan House ​in Austin, Texas USA_0001Jewish wedding The Allan House ​in Austin, Texas USA_0001
How we met

Lindsay, the bride: We were introduced by a mutual friend who years later confided in us that “she didn’t think we would hit it off THIS well.” ​

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Vintage Bride with an Heirloom Gown for an Outdoor Wedding at Wente Vineyards, Livermore, CA, USA

by

Jewish wedding Wente Vineyards in Livermore, California USA_0004
Today’s Jewish bride has got one of the most incredible wedding dress stories we’ve encountered yet. Her gorgeous vintage gown was worn not only by her mother, but by her grandmother and aunt too.. I mean WOW!

It’s hard to believe that Alana’s dress dates all the way back to 1949 (!) — but with some modifications, which the dress’s previous wearers kindly permitted, it’s the perfect blend of contemporary and vintage, and just the thing for an outdoor winery wedding. You’ve got to check out all the lovely details in Nightingale Photography’s pics.

Alana, a customer success manager, and Ben, a landscape architect, initially planned on renting their synagogue’s chuppah, but it turned out it was broken and out of commission! This setback turned out to be a blessing in disguise, since it prompted Ben to build one from scratch — and it turned out just tremendously. We love the modern design, and those flowers in the corners? Perfection!

Now over to Alana for the rest of their gorgeous Jewish wedding story…

Jewish wedding Wente Vineyards in Livermore, California USA_0025

Jewish wedding Wente Vineyards in Livermore, California USA_0004

Jewish wedding Wente Vineyards in Livermore, California USA_0017

Jewish wedding Wente Vineyards in Livermore, California USA_0004 Jewish wedding Wente Vineyards in Livermore, California USA_0004
How we met

Alana, the bride: We met online on Jdate!

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

An Eddy K Bride for a Modern Vintage Jew-ish Wedding at Sixth & I Synagogue and Loft at 600 F, Washington, DC, USA

by

Jewish-wedding-Sixth-I-Synagogue-and-Loft-at-600-F-Washington-DC-USA
We always love hearing from couples who’ve used Smashing The Glass as a wedding planning resource, and today is no exception. Beautiful bride Kiki reports that she loved STG for the real wedding inspo and vendor suggestions, and especially the Jewish 101 sections, which she found super helpful in planning her Jew-ish ceremony. Aw, thanks Kiki!

It was important to Kiki and Rob to plan an inclusive Jew-ish wedding that would be equally welcoming to Rob’s family, who are Jewish, and Kiki’s, who are not. They found the perfect spot in the historic Sixth & I Synagogue in their hometown of Washington, DC — you’ve got to check out the gorgeous photos from Ryan Hicks of Lily & Lime — with the reception nearby at Loft at 600 F, another cool historic building, just the thing for a modern vintage-themed wedding!

Also perfect for the modern vintage aesthetic? Kiki’s stunner of a gown by Eddy K, a strapless lace low-backed number with a dramatic train.

But the visuals are far from the only thing we’re loving about this wedding. Kiki and Rob incorporated all kinds of personal touches into the day. Our favorite: before the wedding, their rabbi had them each write ten things they love about each other and email it to him. Then, on the day, before the seven blessings, he talked about the pair as a couple and mentioned the things they had said about each other. Isn’t that the sweetest?!

Before we hand things over to Kiki, we’ve got to mention that we’re so pleased we were able to help guide Kiki and Rob toward Smashing the Glass Recommended Vendor Ink with Intent for just the right ketubah. In Kiki’s words, working with them was “nothing short of amazing,” with customer service that went above and beyond.

Sixth & I Synagogue and Loft at 600 F, Washington DC, USA Sixth & I Synagogue and Loft at 600 F, Washington DC, USASixth & I Synagogue and Loft at 600 F, Washington DC, USA

Jewish-wedding-Sixth-I-Synagogue-and-Loft-at-600-F-Washington-DC-USA

Sixth & I Synagogue and Loft at 600 F, Washington DC, USAHow we met

Kiki, the bride: We met when I started working at George Washington University in fall of 2013 and became friends first through lots of happy hours with coworkers and mutual friends. He now works at NIH in research imaging and I work at GWU assisting in patient care. We started dating that December, and got engaged while on vacation in Florida in December 2016 on the beach at sunrise.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Martina Liana Bride for a Destination Jewish Barn Wedding at Blue Sky Ranch in Wanship, Park City, Utah, USA

by

Jewish wedding Blue Sky Ranch in Wanship, Park City, Utah, USA_0039
We’re so in love with today’s couple’s ultra-personal chuppah. Lennie and Mark combined ten (yes TEN!) family tallits (prayer shawls), from both sides, to make their fantastic canopy — literally weaving together their two families into a new one! Isn’t that beautiful?

And for the poles, the couple used Aspen branches, in a nod to the natural flora of their destination location, the stunning mountain retreat of Park City, Utah. Check out Pepper Nix‘s gorgeous photos of the ceremony — not to mention the fab party, before and after!

Yep, another thing we adore about Lennie and Mark’s Jewish wedding is their pre-chuppah cocktail hour. The pair made a point of attending and enjoying it fully, and clever bride Lennie even took the smart step of sourcing a special cocktail dress (purchased from BCBG on the sale rack for $100!) so she wouldn’t have to worry about anything spilling on her gown. The cocktail dress came in handy again when the bustle on Lennie’s modern, chic Martina Liana gown broke during a very energetic hora!

Oh, and one last detail we can’t get enough of: this pair seriously mixed up the standard hotel welcome bag formula, injecting some serious personality into your regular selection of snacks and water bottles: since Lennie is a dentist and Mark is a gastroenterologist, the goodies they handed out included monogrammed toothbrushes and reflux meds! Now over to Lennie…

Jewish wedding Blue Sky Ranch in Wanship, Park City, Utah, USA_0039 Jewish wedding Blue Sky Ranch in Wanship, Park City, Utah, USA_0039

Jewish wedding Blue Sky Ranch in Wanship, Park City, Utah, USA_0018

Jewish wedding Blue Sky Ranch in Wanship, Park City, Utah, USA_0039Jewish wedding Blue Sky Ranch in Wanship, Park City, Utah, USA_0039
How we met

Lennie, the bride: We met on a blind date! One of my friends was out with her husband and another couple, and the guy happened to be one of Mark’s co-workers. Mark was talking about moving, and his coworker was trying to set him up so he wouldn’t move! He’s now stuck in Tampa (where I grew up 🙂

What’s ironic is that I had messaged Mark on Jswipe a year before we met, and he responded once and then never again. So when my friend called me telling me she was setting me up and describing him I said “oh, he didn’t message me back.” This time, he called me, we made plans, and that was that. (I later found out he was getting back together with his ex-girlfriend at the time when he didn’t message me back.)

Continue ReadingContinue Reading