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A Pronovias Bride for a Picture Perfect Jewish COVID Wedding at Larz Anderson House, Washington DC, USA

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Merav and Dmitri’s Jewish wedding was SO incredibly dreamy, if not for the personalized masks and “vaccine” shooters we’d never have guessed it took place during the pandemic.

We’re obsessed with their gorgeous venue, Larz Anderson House in downtown Washington, DC – a spot the couple had looked at and loved when they first started planning, but eventually rejected because it couldn’t accommodate their pre-COVID guest list.

Once the pandemic hit and they had to scale things down, though, the Anderson House became a viable option. We’re not sure which we love more, the lush garden where Merav and Dmitri held their outdoor chuppah or the beautiful ballroom they used for their reception. Don’t miss a single detail in Adam Mason’s luminous photos or Wise Films’ wonderful trailer.

We’re also in love with Merav and Dimitri’s fabulous ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ink with Intent. The couple searched long and hard for a ketubah that felt truly them, and when they stumbled onto one of Ink with Intent’s past ketubot featuring text printed over a picture of the couple, they knew that was the direction for them. Needless to say, the pair adore their ketubah, and it now graces a wall in their home as a special piece of art.

We’ll let the bride, who looked so elegant in Pronovias, take it from here…

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How we met

Merav, the bride: Dmitri and I originally met in 2008 through a mutual friend, but we didn’t know each other well and only saw each other sparingly over the years. When he moved down to Washington, DC to start a data analytics company, we reconnected over coffee and we started working together to make the dream a reality.

Together, we worked at WeWork Chinatown (where we did our pre-wedding photo shoot!), 7 days a week, through holidays and snowstorms to build our company. Today, we have 40 employees and a growing business.

As our respect and trust for each other grew, so did our relationship. A year and a half after working together, we started dating. After 4 years of growing our company together, moving in, and adopting two cats, Dmitri proposed at a private dinner on a beautiful beach in Mexico.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Magical Rustic Jewish Micro Wedding in the Forest at San Moritz Lodge, Crestline, California, USA

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Ashley & Jeff, San Moritz Lodge, California

We are beyond thrilled to be featuring the incredibly gorgeous wedding of our beloved Brides Club member Ashley to Jeff! These two nature loving attorneys dreamed of making it official in the middle of a forest – and they found the perfect spot in San Moritz Lodge, two hours east of their home in Los Angeles. 

Then came the pandemic. Ashley and Jeff knew they wanted to get married on their original date, whatever it took, and while the wedding they had looked very different from the one they’d planned initially – they had to cut their indoor reception and catering, in addition to a vastly reduced guest list – it was totally and completely exquisite nonetheless. Karissa Breann Photography’s dreamy images absolutely blow us away.

We’re so touched to hear that that this wedding’s success was in part due to the incredible support and inspiration Ashley received as a member of Smashing the Glass’s Brides Club, which she joined just a month before her big day hoping for help dealing with the stress of planning a wedding during the pandemic. And, in her words,

Once I experienced the overwhelming support of the community and took advantage of the resources, I wondered why I had not joined sooner. Using the plethora of helpful guides and checklists and seeing how other brides were navigating this time made such a difference for me. The brides in Brides Club found so many creative ways to make their weddings safe, unique, and absolutely gorgeous during the pandemic. 

One fab idea Ashley picked up from the group was writing each guest a personalized thank you card for making the effort to attend the wedding in the middle of a pandemic – as suggested by none other than Karen Cinnamon gave during one of Brides Club’s monthly Wedding Planning Solved Zoom chats.

Ashley and Jeff worked with wonderful Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ink with Intent to create the custom ketubah of their dreams, incorporating an image of a couple painted by Chagall, an artist who holds special meaning for the pair. We’re totally in love with how Adriana of Ink with Intent put it all together!

We also love how these two adapted the pre-ceremony tradition of kabbalat panim (“welcoming of the faces”), where the bride sits, surrounded by her mother and soon-to-be mother-in-law, as guests line up to approach her for an individual chat and a wedding day blessing, for the COVID era. Traditionally, only female guests participate, but Ashley and Jeff opened their kabbalat panim up to everyone – and since every household came up to speak with Ashley individually, it was the perfect pandemic-safe way to socialize.

There’s so much more we could say about this wonderful wedding, but we’ll leave it to Ashley to fill you in on the rest…

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How we met

Ashley, the bride: We met on JSwipe the very same night my stepdad suggested I expand my geographical search radius for matches.  My mom and stepdad were interested in learning how JSwipe worked, so I walked them through the process as we all looked at the screen together.

I previously had my search radius at 15 miles, but my stepdad suggested I increase it to 50 miles.  (When he and my mom were dating, the two lived 100 miles apart, and he drove to see her every weekend!)  Right after I changed my filter from 15 miles to 50 miles, a picture of a curly-haired cutie feeding a chipmunk popped up.  He lived 22 miles away.  We seemed to have similar interests, so I swiped yes on him. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Justin Alexander Bride for an Ultra-Personal Jewish Wedding at TPC Sugarloaf, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

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We love it when a couple plans a Jewish wedding that’s totally, completely them – and that’s exactly what Natasha, a risk analyst at a real estate investment company, and Ryan, a development associate for Hillels of Georgia, did.

For starters, we’re obsessed with the custom ketubah the pair commissioned from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ink with Intent to feature the famous University of Georgia Arch – since these two met at college there and are both diehard Bulldog fans!

We also love the fact that the bride crafted most of the décor herself! But most special of all is the fact that Natasha was given the surprise gift of a special necklace of her late mother’s. Natasha had thought her mother was buried in the necklace, but turns out her uncle had been holding onto it with the intention of gifting it to her on her special day – how beautiful is that?! We love all the emotion of the day that comes through in the beautiful photos by Katie Tiller and video from Snguyen Media.

Now over to Natasha, who looked beautiful in Justin Alexander…

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How We Met

Natasha, the bride: We met our freshman year of university at The University of Georgia.

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A Lis Simon Bride for a Homecoming-Themed Jewish Wedding at the University of Missouri, Colombia, Missouri, USA

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In uncertain times, there’s nothing like a return to the familiar. Which is why the homecoming-themed Jewish wedding of Savannah, who works as the development director at a Jewish nonprofit, and Josh, who’s starting law school this fall, who opted to wed at the University of Missouri (also known as Mizzou), where they met as college freshmen.

These two truly followed STG’s motto of “your Jewish wedding, your way.” They worked together to craft an ultra-personal ceremony that paired the traditional structure with the couple’s egalitarian values. Since lots of the guests had never before attended a Jewish wedding, Savannah and Josh also put together a program explaining the ceremony – which doubled as a fan, perfect for keeping cool in the Missouri heat! They even FaceTimed the bride’s grandma in, since she couldn’t travel to attend in person – this is such a great way to include long-distance loved ones, and in light of COVID-19 its’s something we’ll probably start seeing a lot more of.

And how special is it that Josh’s dad built the couple’s chuppah, and his mom decorated it? They even made it so it can be taken apart and moved easily, and Savannah and Josh have since repurposed it as a sukkah! Don’t miss it in the beautiful photos from Chase Castor and Cam Wiley of Kindling.

We’re also in love with the couple’s cool contemporary ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ink with Intent. It’s a true piece of art, which now hands proudly outside Savannah and Josh’s bedroom. These two even wrote their own ketubah text, based on the egalitarian structure with some personal touches thrown in.

There’s so much more we could say about this joyous Jewish wedding, but we’ll let the bride – who looked beautiful in Lis Simon Bridal – tell you the rest…

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How we met

Savannah, the bride: Josh and I met as 18-year-old college freshmen at the University of Missouri. We were set up accidentally by a mutual friend, Clayton, and I didn’t even think Josh liked me that much! I complained to Clayton that I was bored — he was out of town — and he told me to see what Josh was up to. So, that was the first time I talked to Josh one-on-one, and we then proceeded to get locked out of our dorms in the rain.

We spent all night talking outside our dorm and because it was 3 a.m., our friends weren’t answering their phones and the dorm assistant on call was asleep. We were truly locked out until the early risers woke up! The next day, Josh asked me out on our first date, where our friend (and my bridesmaid), Katie, picked out both of our first date outfits without telling either of us. So, thanks to Clayton and Katie, we’re now happily married!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Sassi Holford Bride for a Glitzy Winter Jewish Wedding at The Brewery, London, UK

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Whenever a wedding at Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Brewery comes our way, we know it’s going to be something special. From the perfect location in the center of London to the stunning exposed brickwork and breathtaking wooden beam ceiling, the wide array of spaces to use for different elements of the wedding day to the helpful staff, The Brewery just ticks all our boxes – and then some.

And the beautiful Jewish wedding of Emma, who works in PR and also runs a lifestyling business, and Daniel, who has his own personal training business, does not disappoint. Their stunning photos from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Blake Ezra capture the splendid setting so perfectly – not to mention all the love and emotion between the couple on their big day.

We’re also obsessed with Emma and Daniel’s beautiful nature-inspired ketubah, designed by Adriana at Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ink With Intent.

Now over to the bride, who looked beautiful in Sassi Holford…

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Venue

Emma, the bride: It’s not often six people are left speechless looking at a wedding venue. That is exactly what happened when me, Daniel, and our parents saw The Brewery for the first time. From the stunning exposed brickwork to the breath-taking wooden beam ceiling, the setting for our wedding was picture perfect.

The Brewery was simply the perfect venue for our wedding. From the helpful staff to the gorgeous rooms our special day took place in, it really made the day truly unforgettable.

As the party started, located under the exquisite carpet of fairy lights draped from the ceiling and amongst the eye-catching flowers surrounding each table, The Brewery came to life. The dance floor made everyone feel welcome as everyone, young and old, danced and sang the night away.

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