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A Galia Lahav Bride for an Ultra-Personal Israeli-American Jewish Wedding at Alma, Even Yehuda, Israel

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Rachael and Yuval, Alma in Even Yehuda, Israel

There’s nothing quite like an Israeli wedding. Today’s American-Israeli couple used that to their advantage as they planned their big day with the overarching aim of “showing the Americans a real Israeli wedding” – and did they ever!

American Rachael, an elementary school teacher who made Aliyah from Atlanta, and Israeli Yuval, who owns his own marketing company and sells products on Amazon, had friends and family attending from all over the world – many of whom had never attended an Israeli wedding or even visited the country before. So the bride had the great idea to prepare a guide to things that guests from abroad might find different from the weddings they’re used to – like how you will see the bride and groom before the ceremony and how once the groom smashes the glass, you’re supposed to run up to the chuppah to congratulate the couple. Such a smart thing to do!

We love that the two were married by Rachael’s family rabbi from Atlanta, who partnered with a local Orthodox rabbi to perform the ceremony in alignment with Israel’s legal requirements. And how special is it that the gold wedding band they used in the ceremony originally belonged to the bride’s great-grandmother?!

Speaking of family heirlooms – Rachael’s grandparents wanted to gift them with something really special that would be used for years, maybe even generations, to come. After going through lots of ideas, Rachael and Yuval decided a ketubah would be just the thing. But not just any ketubah – these two opted for a gorgeous handpainted nature-inspired piece by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush that they now hang proudly in their home. Don’t miss it in Ariel Aricha Photography’s gorgeous pics.

Now over to the bride, who looked radiant in Galia Lahav…

Rachael and Yuval, Alma in Even Yehuda, IsraelRachael and Yuval, Alma in Even Yehuda, IsraelRachael and Yuval, Alma in Even Yehuda, IsraelRachael and Yuval, Alma in Even Yehuda, Israel
How we met

Rachael, the bride: Yuval and I swiped right on Tinder and met in October 2017, 2 months after I made Aliyah from Atlanta, Georgia. We chatted for a few hours before he asked me to meet him at Tamara in Tel Aviv for a smoothie. I accepted and that was our first date – smoothies and a walk on the tayelet. We got engaged a little after a year of dating and then married 9 months later.

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A Sveta Swan Bride for a Summer Jewish Wedding Full of Flowers, Smoothies, and Balloons at Kedma Garden, Neve Ilan, Israel

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Shira and Ofek, Kedma Hall, Israel
We’re obsessed with the epic summer vibes of the Jewish wedding of Shira and Ofek, both students. Opting to make the most of the season, these two chose a stunning outdoor venue, opted for fun touches like a flower booth and a smoothie bar!), and a simple white chuppah studded with color-coordinated blooms. Photographer Lior Moshe did SUCH an incredible job capturing all the love and joy between Shira and Ofek on their big day.

We’re also incredibly touched by all the ways the couple included Ofek’s late brother, who tragically passed away from cancer, into their day. First, at the chuppah they gave each guest a white balloon in his memory, which the guests all released into the sky at once. The pair also used a kiddush cup inscribed with Ofek’s brother’s name, which Ofek’s mother had made so that he could be a part of all the family simchas. And Shira and Ofek also made a donation to a cancer charity in honor of each of their guests – all such beautiful ways to remember a loved one.

Now over to the bride, who looked so boho chic in her summery gown from Sveta Swan Bridal…

Shira and Ofek, Kedma Hall, IsraelShira and Ofek, Kedma Hall, IsraelShira and Ofek, Kedma Hall, IsraelShira and Ofek, Kedma Hall, Israel
How we met

Shira, the bride: We met at school at the age of 16, and have been together ever since.

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A Dorit Izbizki Bride for an Intimate Israeli Jewish Wedding at The Garden, Ma’ale Hachamisha, Israel

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Yosepha-and-Sam-The-Garden-Maale-Hachamisha

If not for the customized face masks, you’d barely know today’s picture-perfect Jewish wedding was impacted by COVID-19. But while childhood sweethearts Yosepha and Sam were lucky enough to wed before the tightest pandemic restrictions kicked in, the spread of the coronavirus still meant that many overseas friends and family were unable to attend, leaving them with a small (by Israeli standards) guest count of 150.

Though it was obviously disappointing to have so many loved ones missing, Yosepha and Sam focused on the positives – both of having a more intimate gathering, and of being able to go through with their big day at all, under the circumstances! And we love that the couple’s siblings surprised them by collecting videos of their relatives who couldn’t be there wishing them mazel tov and letting the pair know how much they wished they could celebrate together – it was a total surprise to Yosepha and Sam, and they were so touched by the gesture.

As always, we’re in love with the emotional photography Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman Photography. His images are so full of joy and love, and they really capture the pure elation Yosepha and Sam clearly felt to be able marry in the setting of their dreams, in the presence of so many of their loved ones. We’re totally not surprised to hear these two have been receiving endless compliments on their photos!

There’s lots more to say about this wonderful wedding, but we’ll leave the rest to the bride, who looked so beautiful in her wedding dress by Israeli designer Dorit Izbizki…

Yosepha-and-Sam-The-Garden-Maale-HachamishaYosepha-and-Sam-The-Garden-Maale-HachamishaYosepha-and-Sam-The-Garden-Maale-HachamishaYosepha-and-Sam-The-Garden-Maale-Hachamisha
How we met

Yosepha, the bride: Sam and I met about 12 years ago when his family made aliyah. They moved in to the house right next door and lived there for about 2 years. We were all really young, I think I was 9 and Sam was 11. We would hang out with our siblings and neighbors together.

Our sibling wrote us a “story book” about how we met and our relationship. It was really cute and funny. Everyone would joke about how I always had a crush on the boy next door, though I think it was the other way around 🙂 

A few years after Sam and his family moved, we met again at scouts camp. We spent a lot of time together talking and hanging out. We started going out when I was in 9th grade, Sam in 10th. We’ve been together for over 6 years now, together throughout high school, Sam’s army service and my national service. It wasn’t always easy, not seeing each other for weeks at a time when Sam was on base, and dealing with stuff that you never imagined happening. 

We were so young when we got together, we both grew up a lot and changed together. It’s interesting to think about how we used to be and where we got to today. We’re both so different from how we used to be but with every change we always grew closer. We both feel extremely lucky to have had each other all these years. 

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A Destination Jewish Wedding Full of Personal Touches at Achuza, Beit Hanan, Israel

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Jodie-and-Matt-Achuza-Beit-Hanan-Israel

Planning a Jewish wedding from thousands of miles away is no small feat. Luckily, London-based couple Jodie, who works as a decorative homeware buyer, and Matt, a football agent realized that straight off the bat when they started planning their big day in Israel, and they made sure their first planning decision was choosing a great planner to help smooth the way.

Even luckier for Jodie and Matt, they found one of the best of the best: Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Victoria Rosen Events. Vicki is a popular choice among STG couples opting to wed in Israel, and this couple’s rave review of her planning prowess makes it clear why: in addition to helping them source some truly outstanding vendors (not to mention their gorgeous venue),

Vicki seamlessly ran the whole day’s events so carefully and left us and our parents feeling totally calm, happy and taken care of. She couldn’t do enough to help us. Always available, nothing was too much. Vicki was incredibly supportive and always positive, friendly and super-efficient.

We’re also crazy about all the fun, memorable touches the couple added to their day. For starters, they had a flower stand (inspired by a something they saw right here on Smashing the Glass!) in the reception area, where guests could have bespoke floral hair accessories and button holes made on the spot! And if that weren’t enough, they also hired a glitter face painter to make sure their guests had a night that was literally sparkling. Oh, and pre-wedding, Jodie and Matt also blew their own smash glass and kiddush cup to use under the chuppah!

You can probably already guess that this was one fun wedding – and if you have any doubt, a quick scroll through Idan Hasson’s radiant, joyous photos should set you straight.

Now over to Jodie…

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Nature and Soul

Jodie, the bride: We got married at Achuza. Matt didn’t want to get married in a hotel hall and I vetoed beach venues because of what humidity does to my hair! : ) We were both looking for a soulful, outdoor venue surrounded by nature and somewhere that we could create a fun and intimate party atmosphere for all of our friends and family. We fell in love with Achuza as soon as we walked up the path towards the venue. It’s surrounded by flora and the chuppah is stunning and all natural.

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