California Jewish Wedding Archives - Smashing the Glass

A WToo by Watters Bride for a DIY Jewish Wedding at Newhall Mansion, Piru, California, USA

02/12/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

Jewish-Wedding-Newhall-Mansion-Piru-California-USA

By now you probably know there’s very little that warms our hearts like a couple planning a wedding that’s 100% THEM. Which is exactly what Brides Club member Samantha, a writer, and groom Jeff, who’s in finance — as Samantha says, “our careers are as disparate as our heights!” – did.

Their wedding was so full of unique DIY touches, we’re not even sure where to begin! Well, we could tell you that Samantha made ALL the décor herself – and she so enjoyed crafting chalkboard signs explaining everything from the game board guest book (yep, another personal touch) to the unplugged ceremony that she’s started a side business for wedding décor and stationery, Lettered in LA!

And how lovely is it that the couple used Samantha’s late grandma’s lace tablecloth as their chuppah canopy? Set atop birch poles and adorned with wildflower arrangements, it not only had sentimental value but looked totally stunning – see the beautiful pics from Rachel Stelter Photography for evidence!

We also love that Samantha and Jeff wrote their own ketubah text – which they then had Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ink with Intent turn into a true piece of art (and, as a Brides Club member, Samantha even got a great discount!) – just as much as we love that the pair opted to flout tradition by waking up together on their wedding day and exchanging cards they’d written to each other. Awww! We’re not surprised Samantha reports this was one of their favorite parts of the entire day – and it just goes to show, it always pays to follow your heart in wedding planning.

Now over to the bride, who looked beautiful in her WToo by Watters gown…

How we met

Samantha, the bride: We met at a dinner party with friends about a year before we started dating. We were friends and then one thing led to another and we haven’t looked back – 6 years into our relationship and 6 weeks into our marriage, we’re both still as in love as we were at the beginning.

A BHLDN Bride for an Intimate Brunch Wedding at Madera Kitchen Los Angeles, CA, USA

29/07/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

And now for something totally different… a brunch wedding! In honor of their favorite meal, Lindsey, a registered dietitian, and Justin, a CPA, held their Jewish wedding in the early afternoon, welcoming guests with frozen mimosas and Bloody Marys during a pre-ceremony cocktail hour – where the bride and groom mingled with their guests, followed by the ceremony and then a family-style lunch.

The laid-back couple wanted their day to feel “like we were all just getting together and it happened to be a wedding,” and weren’t afraid to do things a little differently to make it happen. They also kept their planning low key by wisely choosing to delegate things that weren’t so important to them. Lindsey’s mom took charge of invitation design, and the couple left the chuppah design to their florist.

Photographer Kelsey Albright captured all the details of this fun-filled day – for instance, dietitian Lindsey opted to include vegetables in her bouquet, and the couple sourced their gorgeous ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com – so wonderfully. Now over to the bride, who looked luminous in her bridal separates from BHLDN…

How we met

Lindsey, the bride: We met through mutual friends (Evan and Erica). Evan was Justin’s frat brother at UC Davis and Erica was my friend from elementary school. Evan and Erica were dating (and are now married). Evan was starting law school at the time and had a party at his place, so Erica invited me. Justin had approached me and we hit it off back in 2010!

An Intimate Rustic Jewish Wedding with a Pregnant Bride at The UC Berkeley Faculty Club, Berkeley, California, USA

22/07/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

Redwoods? Check. Sunlight? Check. Perfect Arts & Crafts architecture? Check check check. Yep, we’re just a little bit obsessed with Helena and Alex’s gorgeous venue for their Jewish wedding,the UC Berkeley Faculty Club. Everything about it captures the beauty of Northern California so perfectly.

With such special surroundings, you don’t need much embellishment – and we love that the couple chose to keep things simple, with a sweet rustic birch chuppah and subtle florals in soft, spring tones. Photographer Simone Anne’s poetic images capture the cozy aesthetics so well – not to mention all the love between the couple, and the fun they so clearly had on the day!

And we love how Helena, who was pregnant with the couple’s first child at the time of the wedding, found the perfect flowy gown to complement both her changing body AND the ever-so-slightly boho vibe of her venue – can you believe it was the first one she tried on?!

Now over to the bride…

An Outdoor Wedding

Helena, the bride: we got married at the UC Berkeley Faculty Club. Having an outdoor ceremony was high on our list and with some help from the weather fairies, the sun broke through and we had a beautiful ceremony on the big lawn. We also loved the rustic, classic Berkeley feel. Elegant, cozy and a little eccentric.

A Naeem Khan Bride for a Cozy, Outdoorsy Jewish Wedding at The Hideout, Kirkwood, California, USA

21/06/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

We love it when a couple isn’t afraid to do their Jewish wedding their own way – after all, helping couples do just that is really at the core of our mission. So naturally we were psyched when Kathleen and Carter’s wedding popped up in our inboxes.

These two knew their priority was a warm celebration with their loved ones, minus the stress that can so easily dominate wedding planning. They also knew they wanted to honor the groom’s love of the outdoors.

So they went right for the stuff that mattered to them and scrapped what didn’t when crafting their super fun wedding weekend at rustic venue The Hideout, in the mountains just outside Tahoe, full of hot chocolate, giant lawn games, and – above all – plenty of quality time with the couple’s nearest and dearest.Photographer Lindsey Gomes captured the wedfest in all its cozy glory.

We love that the wedding party made breakfast together in the lodge on the morning of the wedding, and Kathleen took the DIY approach to her own and her bridesmaids’ hair and makeup, “because I wanted everyone to be relaxed and feel like they were just getting ready with friends.” The best!

Another thing we love? The couple’s gorgeous ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Tallulah Ketubahs, inspired by the breathtaking mountain setting.

There’s so much more we could say about this fab, laid-back wedding, but before we hand you over to the bride (who looked simply smashing in Naeem Khan), we’ll leave you with one last tidbit: she and Carter opted to exchange vows to each other in private on the morning of the wedding before saying them in front of their guests during the ceremony so they could have that special moment together, just the two of them. Awwwww!

A Wedding in the Mountains

Kathleen, the bride: Carter is a consummate outdoorsman, and he has slowly but surely brought me into his world (I own a backpacking pack, a pair of skis, and climbing shoes, to name just a few new acquisitions since we started dating!), so it was a goal of mine to find a venue and plan a wedding that he would be super excited about – and that’s exactly what happened!

I knew it needed to be outdoors, remote, preferably in the mountains because that’s his happy place. The Hideout was exactly that – secluded, breathtaking, unique, and just outside Tahoe. Carter loved it as soon as I brought him on the first visit.

A Grace Loves Lace Bride for a Laid-Back Garden Jewish Wedding at Holly Farm, Carmel, California, USA

17/06/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

Sometimes it’s the things that don’t go to plan at a wedding that make the best memories. That’s what happened at the beautiful Jewish wedding of Martina and Rob (how cute is their hashtag, #cromerhitahomer?).

Obviously, there’s a ton here that DID go to plan. I mean, can we talk about this venue?! Straight up tropical garden paradise. Flowers and greenery for daaays. It’s truly a one of a kind space – Martina says she felt like she was in an alternate universe, and we totally get it.

And the couple’s chuppah? Pure magic. Trust us, you don’t want to miss the breathtaking photos from One Love Photography.

We’re totally obsessed with the bride’s ethereal, boho dress from Grace Loves Lace – such a perfect fit for the venue, and it looks ridiculously light and comfortable, too.

There were a few mishaps along the way – the ceremony starting without the bride, Martina’s father stepping on the back of her dress as he walked her down the unexpectedly narrow aisle – but we love that Martina’s response was to laugh it off. In her words, “The ceremony faux pas became some of the best and most talked-about moments over the course of the weekend and I could not be happier about it. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.”

Take it away, Martina!

Theme

Martina, the bride: The spirit of our wedding was all about togetherness. We have an incredible love story that spans over a decade – we wanted our guests to get caught up in it and become a part of our story. We kept it light and fun and full of good humor and romance. Of course it didn’t hurt that we were surrounded by gorgeous flowers and scenery. It was impossible not to feel like something really special was happening. Perfect!