Hank Lane Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Martina Liana Bride for a Very NYC Jewish Wedding, City Winery, New York, USA

09/09/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

There’s no place like New York City. And we could not be more obsessed with the way today’s couple, Carleigh, a law student, and Ian, a financial reporter, channeled that Big Apple energy into their fabulous Jewish wedding.

For these two city dwellers, there was never any question that they’d get married anywhere but NYC. And their venue, City Winery, was the perfect spot to highlight the city’s energy (don’t miss the wonderful photos by Tiffany) – plus, it happens to be set in a stunning spot on the water. Naturally, Carleigh found her Martina Liana gown at Kleinfeld, THE quintessential New York bridal spot. And at the end of the night, the duo made their grand exit in a vintage NYC yellow cab.

We also love Carleigh and Ian’s commitment to making sure every aspect of their wedding was 100% “them” – from swapping out the traditional Seven Circles, in favor of each walking three around the other and then one together, to giving out packs of baseball cards during cocktail hour in honor of Ian’s baseball card collection, to opting for a stunning custom ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor BritColors incorporating a Torah verse with personal meaning.

This was such an incredibly special day, and we hope you’ll read on to hear the rest in Carleigh’s own words!

How we Met

Carleigh, the bride: We met like any good millennial couple does these days: on Tinder. It may not have been love at first swipe… but we instantly had a good banter going, built largely on our shared experiences working in media. We both worked for our college newspapers, Carleigh at Duke, and Ian at the University of Pennsylvania.Continue Reading

A Pronovias Bride for an Outdoor Jewish Wedding with TWO Ketubahs at Bear Brook Valley, Fredon, New Jersey, USA

08/11/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

Lots of couples find that choosing a beautiful ketubah is one of the most meaningful and fun parts of planning their Jewish wedding. Well, Melanie and Keith enjoyed it so much they did it twice!

Let’s back up a little. Like with so many couples, COVID got in the way of the pair’s initial plans to wed in September 2020. Nevertheless, they decided to make it official on their original date with just immediate family present – and a gorgeous colorful ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Nava Shoham – 1800ketubah. Melanie and Keith adored their design so much that when the time came to plan their big celebration in June 2021, they decided to get a second lovely ketubah from Nava to mark the occasion! Don’t miss ketubah #2 in Anthony Ziccardi Studios’ wonderful photos!

And while that’s got to be our favorite story about this awesome Jewish wedding, it’s not the only unique touch. We love that Melanie and Keith wrote and read their own personal vows – heartfelt, but with a touch of humor – and we’re also crazy about their doughnut board exit station! Instead of traditional favors, guests could choose a donut from the wall on their way out, placed in personalized bags as a sweet treat for the trip home. How fun is that?

There’s so much more we could say, but we’ll leave the rest to Melanie, who looked so elegant in Pronovias…

How we Met

Melanie, the bride: We met on a dating app, Coffee Meets Bagel, in September of 2016. At the time, we were both in graduate school in New York City. We now live in Central New York, in the Syracuse area, where we moved for a great opportunity for Keith. Keith is a Podiatric Surgeon and he works in a group practice and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and I work at a middle school. Continue Reading

A Vera Wang Bride for a Brooklyn Meets Tropical Paradise Jewish Wedding at 501 Union, Brooklyn, New York, USA

23/11/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

There’s nothing like a little hometown pride – and what better to serve as inspiration for your Jewish wedding? Today’s bride and groom, Rebecca and Brandon, are both passionate Brooklynites – and they used their love of their home borough as inspiration for their big day.

Their venue, 501 Union, in Brooklyn neighborhood Gowanus, is SO industrial chic, and the couple complemented it with fun touches like a personalized map of Brooklyn on the back of their invitations (with key spots in the couple’s lives marked), mini Junior’s cheesecakes as favors, a Brooklyn-fabulous cocktail hour menu including lox on everything bagel chips, pastrami bites, and Coney Island hot dogs, and even a Coolhaus ice cream sandwich truck!

We’re also digging the urban jungle vibes Rebecca and Brandon went with for their florals – how fun is their chuppah?! Don’t miss it in Billye Donya Photography’s wonderful pics.

We’ll leave it to the bride, who looked utterly urban chic in Vera Wang…

How we met

Rebecca, the bride: We swiped right on Tinder, so obviously didn’t know much about each other before we met. For our first date, he suggested we meet after work near the Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park, since it was right in between our apartments, and grab a drink from there.

I had certain hesitations about meeting a random internet man at the park at dusk so I told a good handful of friends about the date, so they’d know what to tell the authorities if I never came back… Anyway, once I saw Brandon in his Canadian tuxedo (denim on denim, baby!), I knew I had nothing to worry about (;

A Monique Lhuillier Bride for an Autumnal Luxe Jewish Wedding at Cipriani 42nd Street, Manhattan, NY, USA

20/07/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Okay, HOW incredible is this tree chuppah dreamed up by Julia and Max for their New York Jewish wedding? Despite getting married smack dab in the heart of Manhattan, the couple, both of whom work in finance, love autumn in New York (who doesn’t?) and wanted to bring the feel of the city’s most beautiful season to their decidedly indoor affair.

And they really, really did, through the creative use of lots and lots of gorgeous indoor trees decked out with those signature autumn leaves. That’s where the chuppah comes in – and is it ever a stunner! – but the autumn tree effect extended to the couple’s wonderful centerpieces as well. The overall feel was totally magical – almost like an indoor walk through Central Park on a beautiful October day. Don’t miss Andrew Henderson’s beautiful photos of the day.

And as if that weren’t enough NYC fabulousness for one wedding, we’re also smitten with Julia and Max’s adorable invitations by Bella Figura, featuring whimsical sketches of classic NYC icons – like a subway train pulling away with a “Just Married” sign! Too cute!

There’s so much more to say, but we’ll leave it to the bride – who looked ravishing in Monique Lhuillier – to fill you in on the details…

How we met

Julia, the bride: Max and I met over a summer internship at Morgan Stanley while still in college. The two of us were alphabetically seated next to each other during a week of training in Manhattan, and immediately thought the other was special. Even though we had planned to work on different coasts post-graduation, we made our relationship work long distance. A few years later, Max joined me in California where we’ve now been living together for 4 years.

A Black Tie Glam Jewish Wedding at The Grove, Cedar Grove, New Jersey, USA

09/01/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

This is one seriously glam wedding. Between the luxe setting and that chuppah — an absolute vision in white roses and hydrangeas – we’re seriously sold on this couple’s Jewish luxe wedding style, so beautifully captured by photographer Pat Robinson and videographer Live Picture Studios.

With such grand surroundings, it would have been easy for Sofia, an anesthesiologist, and Mitch, an internal medicine physician, to leave it at that — but they went the extra mile with so many fun details like a cigar roller, fun coaster place cards that guests took home as favors, and, best of all, wedding programs that doubled as confetti envelopes for the couple’s grand exit!

The front listed the standard names and order of service, and the back had some helpful info about Jewish traditions to make sure everyone could follow along, and the semi-translucent envelopes were stuffed with bright, colorful confetti — such a fun and unexpected touch!

Sofia and Mitch had a super fun dance party, too, thanks to their reception band, Brooklyn Sound from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Hank Lane. For their first dance, the band played an acoustic version of Rihanna’s We Found Love, the couple’s song because they “we found love in a hopeless place”: the ICU, where they met during training.

We’ll let Sofia, who looked stunning in her glam custom gown from CT Bridal Couture (with a detachable overskirt to provide that wow factor for the ceremony, without causing any trouble on the dance floor)…