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A WToo by Watters Bride for a DIY Jewish Wedding at Newhall Mansion, Piru, California, USA

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By now you probably know there’s very little that warms our hearts like a couple planning a wedding that’s 100% THEM. Which is exactly what STG Brides Club member Samantha, a writer, and groom Jeff, who’s in finance — as Samantha says, “our careers are as disparate as our heights!” – did.

Their wedding was so full of unique DIY touches, we’re not even sure where to begin! Well, we could tell you that Samantha made ALL the décor herself – and she so enjoyed crafting chalkboard signs explaining everything from the game board guest book (yep, another personal touch) to the unplugged ceremony that she’s started a side business for wedding décor and stationery, Lettered in LA!

And how lovely is it that the couple used Samantha’s late grandma’s lace tablecloth as their chuppah canopy? Set atop birch poles and adorned with wildflower arrangements, it not only had sentimental value but looked totally stunning – see the beautiful pics from Rachel Stelter Photography for evidence!

We also love that Samantha and Jeff wrote their own ketubah text – which they then had Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ink with Intent turn into a true piece of art (and, as a Brides Club member, Samantha even got a great discount!) – just as much as we love that the pair opted to flout tradition by waking up together on their wedding day and exchanging cards they’d written to each other. Awww! We’re not surprised Samantha reports this was one of their favorite parts of the entire day – and it just goes to show, it always pays to follow your heart in wedding planning.

Now over to the bride, who looked beautiful in her WToo by Watters gown…

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How we met

Samantha, the bride: We met at a dinner party with friends about a year before we started dating. We were friends and then one thing led to another and we haven’t looked back – 6 years into our relationship and 6 weeks into our marriage, we’re both still as in love as we were at the beginning. 
 

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A Nautical New England Jew-ish Wedding at Latitude 41 in Mystic, Connecticut, USA

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It’s always a special day here in STG land when one of our wonderful blogging brides’ weddings shows up in our inbox. Especially when it’s as gorgeous as Alyssa and Colin’s luminous light house-themed Jew-ish wedding.

Seriously, just LOOK at Taylor Dunn Photography’s bright, airy, emotion-filled snaps of the big day.

It doesn’t get much more picturesque than this. Everything from the couple’s sweet, whimsical ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ink with Intent to Alyssa and Colin’s adorable lighthouse logo to the fact that they used our very own Smashing The Glass pouch for their smash glass under the chuppah is total wedding goals.

And speaking of that chuppah? First of all, it’s a charmer, with birch poles, a clean green and white color scheme, and just a touch of asymmetrical greenery and florals. But it gets even better when you find out Alyssa and Colin’s fathers – plus Alyssa’s brother – teamed up to build it – using branches taken from trees in the yards of the bride and groom’s childhood homes (!!!). I KNOW.

Now for the rest from Alyssa…

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How we met

Alyssa, the bride: I met Colin at just 13 years old. He was a silly kid in the back of the school bus and to be honest one of the only Jewish people I knew. We spent countless rides to school laughing and teasing each other relentlessly.

Senior year of high school we reconnected and rekindled our friendship. I was drawn to his humor, easy-going demeanor, kind nature, and his ability to be friends with everyone! Our friendship effortlessly evolved into an amazing relationship that I never expected.

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A Meaningful Family-Forward Jewish Wedding at Hummingbird Nest Ranch, Santa Susana, California, USA

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What a treat to be blogging a beautiful Jewish wedding at one of our very favorite venues: SoCal’s stunning, Spanish-style Hummingbird Nest Ranch.

We’re obviously smitten with the lovely visuals Jessica, who works in entertainment marketing, and Michael, a high school statistics teacher, pulled together to make their big day pop – see the exquisite photos from One Love Photography and video from Fancy Fox for evidence -but we’re even more in love with all the wonderful meaning they brought to their wedding.

First off, the ketubah: sure, these two chose a gorgeous, fresh floral design from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ink With Intent. But that’s just the beginning – to make the ketubah ultra-meaningful, the couple decided to write their own personal vows into their custom text (which they translated into Hebrew with some help from their families). Then, under the chuppah, Jessica and Michael read their own ketubah aloud together – isn’t that beautiful?!

We also love that – inspired by the memories of their late grandparents – the bride and groom worked with charity Petals for Patients to donate their wedding flowers to a local hospice at the end of the day. Such a wonderful way to make your wedding give back!

Jessica will fill you in on the rest of the details of this fab day…

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How we met

Jessica, the bride: We probably met way back in 2009 at a youth group convention that we both attended. Of course, there are pictures of Jessica with Michael’s friends and Michael with Jessica’s friends, but unfortunately none of us together. High school Jessica and Michael must not have made a good enough impression on each other but luckily, the universe had other plans and decided to give us one more shot at getting to know each other.

We reconnected online in 2013, after Jessica graduated from UCLA and Michael from the University of Michigan. Michael took Jessica out on their first date on December 5th, 2013 where we really hit it off. A few amazing dates, and less than a month later, we decided to kick off 2014 as an official couple.

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Your Ketubah, Your Way: Our Top Ketubot for 2019

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Brooklyn Ketubah | Ink With Intent | From $280 | (10% off for members of Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club)

One of my favourite wedding industry developments since I founded Smashing The Glass is the abundance of beautiful, lovingly crafted ketubahs to suit every style you could possibly imagine. 

It used to be that your rabbi would set you up with a plain, standard ketubah – or if you really wanted to go all out, you might strike out on your own and find something a bit more ornate, maybe a traditional floral border. Even ten years ago, the range of possibilities was truly nothing like it is today. 

Now, there are so many incredible ketubah artists putting their personal stamps on the ancient Jewish marriage contract. Whether you go for contemporary or traditional, whether you’re a minimalist or a maximalist, whether you love bright colours, pastels, or neutrals – there’s a ketubah for you. In fact, there are probably lots of ketubot for you.

And it’s not just design that can be customized to suit your style, either. So many ketubah creators offer a range of text options beyond the traditional, whether you’re looking for something interfaith, same sex, egalitarian, or just a little more modern – or maybe you even want to provide your own text that the two of you have written together! These days, the sky is truly the limit.

I’m privileged to work with some amazing ketubah artists, and I want to draw your attention to some of my very favorite pieces I’ve spotted recently – so here are just a few…

Silver Jewel Ketubah | Danny Azoulay | Price available upon request 

This exquisitely elegant paper cut ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Danny Azoulay is truly a work of art. Like museum quality. It’s a true heirloom, with an incredible level of detail.

Geometric Bouquet Ketubah | Ketubata | From $125

If you’re after something with a more playful look, you couldn’t do better than to check out Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubata. Think gorgeous watercolors, sweet botanicals, and totally modern geometric shapes.

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Real Blogging Brides – Alyssa: All About Our Jewish-Interfaith Wedding

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Alyssa will be marrying Colin on July 20th 2018 at Latitude 41 in Mystic, CT, under a chuppah right on the water… Click here to read all Alyssa’s planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: (1) Alyssa first met Colin when she was just 13 years old! (2) They are planning a Jew-ish wedding where they hope to highlight the religious traditions most important to them as an interfaith couple (3) They envision their wedding to have a nautical theme with a relaxed summer atmosphere, great seafood, a fire pit complete with a s’mores station (oh yes!), and lots of drinking and dancing with their nearest and dearest.

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After the initial blissful moments of our engagement I was immediately asked the question, “So will it be a Jewish ceremony?”

Having been with Colin for the past 11 years it wasn’t the first time I had thought about what our wedding would look like. I had fantasized about what dress I might choose and what color scheme I would pick, but I had never really delved deep into the religious aspect of the wedding. Colin and I have such a mutual respect for one another and our religions that I always told myself we would make it work. But after becoming officially engaged there was no more skirting around the matter.

Religion or No Religion

As I shared in my first post, part of what drew me to Colin is his genuine ability to connect with so many different types of people. As a result, he has become sort of the male version of Katherine Heigl in 27 dresses.

Of the many weddings he has been in, and we’ve attended as guests, we have seen a wide variety of religious ceremonies. When it came to deciding on our own ceremony, my initial instinct was to go the secular route. I have many friends who have had beautiful weddings done by the Justice of the Peace, and I thought a secular ceremony might be the easiest way to accommodate both of our families.

However, a couple months after Colin proposed we had an intimate engagement party where a simple comment changed my mind. In the midst of all the congratulations, one of Colin’s family members said to me, “I have pictured him standing under the chuppah since he was a little boy.” In that moment, difficult route or not, I knew we personally needed to include religious traditions into our ceremony.

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