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An Old Hollywood Glam Same-Sex Jewish Wedding at The Club of Knights, Coral Gables, Florida, USA

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Liora and Tamara, The Club of Knights, Coral Gables, Florida, USA

We’re head over heels for Liora and Tamara’s super stylish same-sex Miami Jewish wedding, which combines Old Hollywood glamour with Jewish tradition in the most beautiful way.

The Miami-based brides always knew they wanted to celebrate locally, surrounded by all their favorite people, and The Club of Knights in Coral Gables made the perfect setting for their big day.

We absolutely love how much meaning Liora, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who works with children with developmental disabilities, and Tamara, a doctor specializing in Diagnostic Radiology, packed into the day – and especially the way they made Jewish traditions their own. For the seven circles, each bride circled the other three times before they completed the final circle together, hand in hand. And when it came time to smash the glass, each bride broke one, symbolizing their entrance into a new chapter of their life together.

The fashion was pretty fabulous too. Tamara wore a gorgeous Yolancris mermaid gown, while Liora chose a custom Daniel Fabregas jumpsuit topped with an embellished Pronovias tulle cape. Later, both brides changed into seriously chic looks from Nadine Merabi to keep the party going in style.

And keeping the party going was most definitely a priority. Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor DJ Leeor was the very first vendor Liora and Tamara booked, before they even had a venue or planner. In the brides’ words, “as an Israeli DJ, he understood exactly the atmosphere we wanted: Jewish pride, incredible energy, and a packed dance floor all night long.”

Through DJ Leeor’s entertainment company, LR Entertainment, they added a live violinist to welcome guests before the ceremony, a live band performing during cocktail hour, and a saxophonist and drummer who joined the DJ during the reception. Together with a mix of Israeli music, ’80s classics, disco, and house music, the music and live performances kept the energy going from beginning to end.

Photographer Melannie Morfa captured the day in her gorgeous editorial style, which suited the Old Hollywood brief perfectly. Over to Liora and Tamara…

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How We Met

Liora and Tamara, the brides: We met in 2020, when the world had come to a standstill during the pandemic. Tinder had made its “Passport” feature free, allowing people to connect with others anywhere in the world while stuck at home in quarantine. Liora was living in Miami, and Tamara was attending medical school in the Caribbean. One right swipe turned into a conversation that never ended. For the next several months, we traveled back and forth to visit each other whenever we could, until Tamara eventually moved to Miami, where we got to begin our life together in the same city.

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A Multicultural Persian-Jewish Wedding Celebrating Unity, Love, and Connection at JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Florida, USA

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Victoria and Jake, JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Florida, USA

Victoria and Jake incorporated meaningful symbolism throughout the entire celebration, from pomegranates on their invitations, representing abundance in both cultures, to custom-designed kippahs. Every tradition was intentionally chosen to reflect not only where the couple came from, but also the life they are creating as husband and wife.

They began with a traditional Sofreh Aghd, the Persian wedding table filled with symbolic elements representing love, prosperity, health, and a joyful marriage, which they followed with a Jewish ceremony beneath the chuppah, symbolizing the home they would build together.

Not that Victoria and Jake stinted on style – this was one seriously elegant wedding, centered around a monochromatic palette of soft pinks with the most stunning florals. We also love that the duo “wanted the celebration to feel less like a formal reception and more like guests had stepped into a vibrant Middle Eastern beach club—where everyone was welcomed, every culture was celebrated, and no one wanted to leave the dance floor.” Don’t miss the incredible energy in the exquisite photos by Vadim Pastuh.

One of the most meaningful moments happened during the reception, when Victoria and Jake danced with the American, Israeli, and Persian flags, in a beautiful celebration of surrounded by love, joy, and unity. In Victoria’s words, “Our wedding was a reminder that love transcends labels, borders, and traditions.”

Read on for the full story in the bride’s own words…

Victoria and Jake, JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Florida, USA Victoria and Jake, JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Florida, USA Victoria and Jake, JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Florida, USA Victoria and Jake, JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Florida, USA

Venue

Victoria, the bride: Jake and I chose the JW Marriott Grande Lakes because it offered everything we were looking for in a wedding venue. The staff was exceptional—attentive, professional, and dedicated to making every detail seamless. The expansive resort also allowed our guests to enjoy both privacy and the full resort experience throughout the weekend. It was especially important to us to select a venue close to a major airport, making travel convenient for our family and friends flying in from across the country.

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A Rita Vinieris Bride for a Timelessly Classic Jewish Wedding at Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton, Florida, USA

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Shayna and Jared, Congregation Bnai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Shayna, an ICU/Critical Care Registered Nurse, and Jared, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, dreamed of a timeless, classic Jewish wedding – and they found the perfect venue in Boca Raton’s Congregation B’nai Israel, where their vision came to life. The couple opted for a chic black-and-white palette, accented with texture, all-white flowers, and clear acrylic details. The duo’s sweet puppies were also lovingly incorporated into their celebration, appearing on cocktail napkins, the cake, signature drinks, and favors.

We can’t get enough of the couple’s super cool clear acrylic chuppah, adorned with delicate white orchids that seemed to float down the columns and covered by Shayna’s grandfather’s tallit.

When it came to their ketubah, Shayna and Jared knew they wanted a piece of art that they could proudly display in their home. They turned to Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor ketubah.com to find a beautiful piece that perfectly captured their love – and report that the process of selecting and ordering their dream ketubah couldn’t have been simpler. Their cantor suggested a fantastic idea: framing the ketubah before the wedding. Working with a local framer, they selected custom framing and matting in advance, knowing they’d return for glass and the finishing touches after their mini-moon. Don’t miss it in the luminous photography from Savannah Michelle and wonderful trailer by Timeline Video Productions!

Now over to Shayna, who looked so glam in her Rita Vinieris gown…

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A South Florida Wedding

Shayna, the bride: We got married at Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton. Getting married in South Florida at any time is risky with weather, so we knew from the get-go that we were aiming for an all-indoor, formal event.

We don’t practice a particularly religious lifestyle regularly; but truly appreciate the values and tradition behind a Jewish wedding ceremony and we felt it was important to incorporate in our day. Especially after the tragedies that occurred on October 7th, we felt it was a mitzvah to celebrate such a beautiful simcha in such a holy space. It was very special to have a yellow chair on the bima, and ribbons on the door, honoring the hostages and their families.

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A Same-Sex Jewish Wedding Celebration Extravaganza at Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El, Plantation, Florida, USA

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This wedding is just chock full of Jewish joy – and we are here for it! It was a no-brainer for Sam, an attorney and the Vice President of Instruction and Online Education for BARBRI, and Mark, the Cantor and Co-Senior Clergy at Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El in Plantation, Florida, to marry at their home congregation – where Mark just celebrated his 30th anniversary as Cantor!

Sam and Mark worked with Beverly Diane of Beverly Diane Party Consultants to plan the day – or rather, multi-day wedding celebration extravaganza – of their dreams, and in the grooms’ words, “She understood the assignment and really wanted to capture “us” authentically when designing and planning.”

The wedding weekend started with a Shabbat service and dinner, followed by a day of togetherness with loves ones from near and far a the couple’s home.  Sunday was the big day, with a morning ceremony followed by a brunch for all the guests. In the evening, the duo wrapped things up with a 5-course dinner party for their closest loved ones, featuring toasts and roasts from guests and an impromptu musical welcome speech from the grooms. The whole day was filled with so much love and laughter, beautifully captured on photo and video by Bells and Whistles Studios.

Read on for all the details in Sam and Mark’s own words…

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How We Met

Sam, and Mark, the grooms: We first met in 2009 at a guest house in Key West while both in other relationships. In 2020, Sam reached out to Mark out of the blue (both were single by then). After catching up, we discovered that, by pure coincidence, we had both made reservations at the same guest house in Key West where we originally met, a few weeks apart. The rest is history.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

An Ines Di Santo Bride for a Zionist and Proud Jerusalem-Meets-Florida Jewish Wedding Aventura at Turnberry Jewish Center, Florida, USA

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We cannot get enough of the love for Israel that shines through every single moment of today’s gorgeous Jewish wedding! Florida couple Shirley, an in-house attorney with a corporation that specializes in government contracting for emergency management, and Jared, a Florida lobbyist, planned to get married in Jerusalem on October 19, 2023.

After October 7, they knew they needed to pivot – and while the war required a change of venue, there was never any doubt that the “rescheduled wedding needed to be even bigger, even more Jewish, and even more Zionist-and-proud.” And though the location changed from Jerusalem’s Olmaya to Florida’s Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, the theme of “Yerushalayim shel zahav” (Jerusalem of gold) remained.

Shirley and Jared made every planning decision with the aim of bringing Jerusalem to their guests, including a delicious Middle Eastern-inspired menu and olive branch décor – there was even a centerpiece olive tree, serving as both homage to Jerusalem and a symbol of peace. During the chuppah, the couple wrapped themselves in the flag of Israel while their rabbi sang Hatikvah, and Israeli flags and Magen Davids were all over the big day – don’t miss these wonderful touches of Jewish pride in the photos by The Light and Color and trailer by Senderey Videography.

For their ketubah, Shirley and Jared turned to Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Brit Colors, who handcrafted a stunning design inspired by the iconic doors of Olmaya, the duo’s original Jerusalem venue. Featuring embroidery and gold foil, it’s truly an exquisite piece of art.

There’s so much more to say about this very special, Jewish joy-packed day – read on for all the details in Shirley’s own words…

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How We Met

Shirley, the bride: We met in law school in 2017, when I sat behind Jared in Wills and Trusts. We now realize how foretelling that was of us spending the rest of our lives together.Continue ReadingContinue Reading