• About
  • Find a Vendor
  • Submit
  • Advertise
  • Brides Club
  • Your Jewish Life
  • Contact

Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

  • Real Jewish Weddings
    • City Chic
    • Fashion Forward
    • Outdoor
    • Destination
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • France
      • Beach Weddings
    • Super Luxe
    • Budget
    • DIY
    • Same Sex
  • Jew-ish Weddings
    • Real Jew-ish Weddings
    • Jewish-Catholic Weddings
    • Jewish-Chinese Weddings
    • Jewish-Christian Weddings
    • Jewish-Greek Weddings
    • Jewish-Hindu Weddings
    • Jewish-Humanist Weddings
    • Jewish-Irish Weddings
    • Jewish Japanese Weddings
    • Jewish-Muslim Weddings
    • Same Sex Jew-ish Weddings
  • Inspiration + Guidance
    • Engaged? Start Here
    • Ceremony
      • Chuppah ideas
      • Jewish ceremony music
      • Jewish wedding ceremony 101
      • Jewish ceremony traditions
      • Ketubah Ideas
      • Jewish wedding legalities
      • Jew-ish ceremony ideas
    • Reception
      • Music
      • Speeches
      • Entertainment
      • Venues
    • Food & Drink
      • Kosher catering
      • Wedding cakes
      • Drinks
    • Decor
      • Decorations
      • Favours
      • Floristry
      • Guestbooks
      • Stationery
    • Style
      • Brides dresses
      • Shoes & accessories
      • Grooms
      • Bridesmaids
    • Advice
      • Converting to Judaism
      • Real blogging brides
      • Dear Karen…
    • Honeymoons
    • STG Live
    • Five Minutes With
    • Wedding Must-Haves
    • Wedding Consultancy
  • Jewish Brides Club
  • Find a Wedding Vendor
Home > Congregation Emanuel-el synagogue

An Elegant Japanese-Jewish Wedding at Congregation Emanuel-el and Presidio Officer’s Club Ballroom, San Francisco, USA

06/10/2017 by Karen

Congregation Emanuel-el and Presidio Officer's Club Ballroom, San Francisco USA_0025
It’s no secret that here at Smashing The Glass, we ADORE the coming together of two diverse cultures. While Kristin is Jewish, and so this is not a Jew-ish wedding, the couple combined elements of bride Kristin’s Japanese-American background with groom Bryan’s Jewish heritage, to create a warm and wonderful celebration like no other.

It’s no surprise that this worked so well. San Francisco-based Kristin is the business owner of Nourish, a lifestyle company that helps people define their cultural narrative on their own terms, and her and Bryan’s wedding was full of heart and placed huge emphasis on the importance of family.

From the home-style meal to the family-centric ceremony, incorporating elements of Japanese culture, every moment honored both families and it’s clear that they are very tight knit.

We’re amazed by the story of how the reception venue was discovered. We won’t spoil it for you, but be sure to read carefully, because it’s really something special!

We’re also huge fans of bride Kristin’s cool bridal style, opting for a T-shirt-style dress from Pronovias that totally matched her day-to-day style. It’s a great example of how to be the best version of yourself on your wedding day.

Fabulous STG Recommended Vendor Stephanie Caplan of The Ketubah provided the couple’s beautiful, personalized ketubah, and Perfect Circle Photography captured every detail, as well as all of the emotion, heart and soul of the celebration.

Take it away, Kristin!

ongregation Emanuel-el and Presidio Officer's Club Ballroom, San Francisco USA_0014 ongregation Emanuel-el and Presidio Officer's Club Ballroom, San Francisco USA_0014 ongregation Emanuel-el and Presidio Officer's Club Ballroom, San Francisco USA_0014 ongregation Emanuel-el and Presidio Officer's Club Ballroom, San Francisco USA_0014
How we met

Kristin, the bride: We met on a street corner in Hayes Valley (our neighborhood), San Francisco, where we would often see each other on our way to the bus stop in the morning. For a while, we were just friendly neighbors, until we went on our first date. We began dating, and Bryan proposed on that same street corner where we first met, exactly four years later.
Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Share this post:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Jewish Weddings by Country

Vendors We Love

Weddings by Colour


Awesome Jewish Gifts

Vendors We Love

Get posts directly into your inbox

Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.

Kate Spade UK Limited
Monica Vinader
Liberty London
Mr And Mrs Smith Honeymoons

Today’s Top Posts

  • A guide to the Jewish Wedding Ceremony and Order of Service under the chuppah
    A guide to the Jewish Wedding Ceremony and Order of Service under the chuppah
  • How to Turn Your Smashed Glass Shards Into a Keepsake Souvenir of Your Jewish Wedding
    How to Turn Your Smashed Glass Shards Into a Keepsake Souvenir of Your Jewish Wedding
  • Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained - Breaking The Glass
    Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained - Breaking The Glass
  • Your Chuppah – Everything You Need To Know
    Your Chuppah – Everything You Need To Know
  • The Badeken – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #4
    The Badeken – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #4

Subscribe by Email

Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.

closeJoin our members-only community for Jewish brides!

All content © Smashing The Glass 2025