Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Home > craspedia events

A Pronovias Bride for a Timelessly Elegant Jewish Wedding at Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel

by

Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel

Weddings in Israel are so special, and London couple Charlotte and Jonah had one of the best! To start with, they picked the magical Cochav Hayam as their venue – in the bride’s words, “Sunset beach backdrop, gorgeous grounds, and unbelievable food made it a no-brainer.”

The duo opted to work with Yana Andreev of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Craspedia Events to make planning from abroad “not just possible, but genuinely fun and exciting.” Charlotte and Jonah can’t stop raving about how great Yana and her team were, both in the leadup and on the big day itself.

And then there’s the chuppah. The pair went for an elegant arched all-white floral chuppah set against the venue’s stunning ocean backdrop, creating the most wonderfully romantic ambience. Don’t miss it in the beautiful photos by People Photography!

There’s so much more to say about this very special Jewish wedding – like, how elegant did Charlotte look in her princess ballgown from Pronovias?! – but we’ll leave it to the bride to take it from here…

Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel Charlotte and Jonah, Cochav Hayam, Caesarea, Israel

How We Met

Charlotte, the bride: We met at Cambridge University at the Jsoc on the very first Shabbat of term — I was a fresher, he was a third-year, but we didn’t start dating until a few months later!

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Magical Forest Pacific Northwest-Meets-Israel Jewish Wedding at HaGiva, Givat Brenner, Israel

by

Shachaf and Josh, HaGiva in Givat Brenner, Israel

Get ready for a truly magical wedding! Pacific Northwest couple Shachaf, who works in ticketing, development, and behind the scenes at the historic Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham, WA, and Josh, who works as an educational content editor for a Jewish non-profit, had the most incredible magical forest-inspired Jewish wedding at HaGiva in Israel.

Shachaf was a member of our Brides Club, and we’re so thrilled to hear her kind words about the group:

I don’t think I have ever felt more supported and heard than meeting with Karen during 1-on-1’s and I loved getting to know and learning from other brides who were going through the same process as me. Seeing them go through the process ahead of me gave me so much encouragement! I cannot thank Karen enough for all of her support and inspiration!

Karen also referred Shachaf and Josh to their wedding planner, Yana, owner of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Craspedia Events. In Shacahf’s words,

Yana is one of the kindest, most hard working, intelligent, and determined people I have ever met. She works around the clock, always makes you feel as though you are the only bride on her plate. I’m very lucky to have been recommended not just a perfect wedding planner, but now a life long friend.

Yana helped Shachaf and Josh plan the PNW wedding in Israel of their dreams, with tons of whimsy and character – don’t miss all the fun details like the moss-and-mushroom centerpieces!

The couple chose Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Tzahi Shemesh to photograph their day, and they couldn’t be more thrilled with their choice. In Shachaf’s words,

It was clear that Tzahi was going to bring an amazing energy to the wedding, and he did exactly that! He brought a contagious smile and endless energy that lasted until our goodbyes at the end of the night!

Read on for all the fabulous details of this magical day in the bride’s own words…

Shachaf and Josh, HaGiva in Givat Brenner, Israel Shachaf and Josh, HaGiva in Givat Brenner, IsraelShachaf and Josh, HaGiva in Givat Brenner, Israel Shachaf and Josh, HaGiva in Givat Brenner, Israel

How We Met

Shachaf, the bride: We met at the end of 2020 when we were both in transition periods in our life. We both found ourselves temporarily under the roof of our Chabad on Campus rabbi, and we quickly became close. The rest is history!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Joyful, Multicultural Bedouin-Jewish Wedding at Bustan, Abu Ghosh, Israel

by

Ari and Angelo, Bustan in Abu Ghosh, Israel

Today’s very special wedding showcases Israel at its absolute best – its beauty, its diversity, its abundance of beautiful traditions, and, above all, the spirit of its people. Bride Ari, a freelance writer is a Sephardic Jew who made aliyah from the US, while groom Angelo, who’s in the process of becoming a detective with the Israeli Police, is Bedouin – and their wedding was all about blending their two cultures into a heartfelt (and stylish!) celebration of their love for each other, their friends and families, and Israel.

The merging of these two cultures was beautiful, but it wasn’t easy. While it was important to them to have Jewish ceremony, they weren’t able to have a Rabbinute wedding, so they turned to the organization Havaya to find an officiant who helped them craft an utra-personal ceremony. As for aesthetics, in Ari’s words, the couple’s theme was “trying to find ways to include both of our cultures in a way that didn’t look like the Ottoman Empire threw up all over the place.”

To quote the couple,

Absolutely none of this would have been possible (including the general maintaining of our sanity) without our amazing wedding planner, Yana from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Craspedia Events. I think a lot of people say that about their wedding planner but they can’t possibly mean it as much as we do. It’s not easy being a mixed couple and all the drama that dredges up while wedding planning. Yana truly helped us navigate every step of the way and we are endlessly grateful to her and now she’s stuck with us forever.

This wedding was so full of ultra-personal touches it’s hard to know where to start – but one thing we adore is Ari and Angelo’s choice to stand under their chuppah wrapped in a shmakh (Bedouin keffiyeh), to represent the bringing together of their two cultures – and instead of the traditional red or black color scheme, they went for blue to represent Judaism and their love of Israel. Don’t miss it in the incredible photos by Yarin Taranos.

Now over to Ari…

Ari and Angelo, Bustan in Abu Ghosh, IsraelAri and Angelo, Bustan in Abu Ghosh, Israel Ari and Angelo, Bustan in Abu Ghosh, IsraelAri and Angelo, Bustan in Abu Ghosh, Israel
How We Met

Ari, the bride: We met in 2017 during just a random night out. Ari made plans to go out with a friend she bartended with and that friend brought his work friends, including Angelo. We both remember making a note of the date because it felt important. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Galia Lahav Bride for a Romantic Jewish Wedding Full of Natural Beauty at Bayaar, Israel

by

Erika-Zachi-Bayaar-Israel

Today’s stunner of a Jewish wedding showcases so much of what makes Israel such a very special place. Erika and Zachi chose to make things official at beautiful Bayaar, one of those only-in-Israel outdoor venues just brimming with lush natural beauty.

The couple’s incredible wedding planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Craspedia Events, expertly guided them through the process every step of the way – and she did an absolutely stellar job working with them select the perfect décor to complement the exquisite surroundings

Erika looked so radiant in her romantic mermaid gown by beloved Israeli designer Galia Lahav, and the couple chose to exchange heartfelt personal vows as part of their chuppah. You can see all the love and emotion coming through bright and clear in every single photo from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Tzahi Shemesh.

In summing up her biggest wedding planning advice, Erika advises other couples to “seize the chance to savor the most extraordinary day of your life as it swiftly unfolds.” Now more than ever, these are wise words we should all take heed of – not just on our wedding day, but every day.

Now over to Erika…

Erika-Zachi-Bayaar-IsraelErika-Zachi-Bayaar-IsraelErika-Zachi-Bayaar-Israel Erika-Zachi-Bayaar-Israel
How We Met

Erika, the bride: I am an economist, while he is a lawyer, and we both share an entrepreneurial spirit, primarily focusing on online ventures such as trading platforms, cryptocurrencies, and online gaming. Although we had crossed paths a few times due to our shared industry, it was on Tinder that I came across his profile. I liked what I saw, and we began chatting. After three weeks of daily conversations, we decided to meet for our first date.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Dana Harel Bride for an Enchanted Boho Beach Jewish Wedding at Al Hayam, Caesarea, Israel

by

Amy-Dan-Al-Hayam-Cesarea-Israel

You’ll never believe the wild story behind this absolute stunner of a Jewish wedding! Amy, a social media manager (and the daughter of beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Toastmaster Jango!), and Dan, a freelance marketing consultant, had the most gorgeous Israeli Jewish wedding at Caesarea’s Al Hayam  – but until two days prior, they were actually planning on marrying at a totally different venue in the south of Israel!

A security situation in the south meant they had to change things around at the very last minute – but luckily they had an amazing planner, Yana from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Craspedia Events, on hand to save the day. In the span of 48 hours, Yana secured Al Hayam for the couple – and they ended up loving it even more than their original choice. Have a scroll through the exquisite photos by Your Story Wedd and you’ll see why!

Understandably, the couple can’t stop raving about Yana. In Amy’s words, “She really understood my vision, she is so knowledgeable about the industry and is just the best person ever! She is so calming and really is there to help and guide you through the process. I can’t recommend her enough!”

Now over to Amy, who looked simply sublime in her gown by Israeli designer Dana Harel Design…

Amy-Dan-Al-Hayam-Cesarea-Israel Amy-Dan-Al-Hayam-Cesarea-IsraelAmy-Dan-Al-Hayam-Cesarea-IsraelAmy-Dan-Al-Hayam-Cesarea-Israel
How We Met

Amy, the bride: We met at a mutual friend’s birthday in London. Dan was already living in Israel at the time and I was actually planning on moving to Tel Aviv later that year. We kept in touch and then I moved nine months later and the rest is history!

Continue ReadingContinue Reading