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A Pronovias Bride for an Intimate Destination Jewish Wedding at Villa Cora, Florence, Italy

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Ilyssa-and-Nick-Villa-Cora-Florence-Italy

Buckle your seatbelts, we’re taking off for beautiful Florence, Italy, where Atlanta couple Ilyssa, a strategy pricing analyst for a hospitality company, and Nick, who works as a sales sngineer for a HVAC distributor, held the intimate destination Jewish wedding of their dreams!

Taking their cues from their majestic venue, Villa Cora, Ilyssa and Nick kept things romantic and elegant with plenty of flowers, greenery, candles, and romantic lighting. And their outdoor chuppah was truly the stuff of fairy tales – sitting amidst a stunning backdrop of the autumnal Florentine countryside, covered in greenery and flowers, and set at the end of an aisle strewn with rose petals and lined with candles. Don’t miss it in the wonderful photos by Leigh Wolfe!

We’re also obsessed with the couple’s exquisite ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Danny Azoulay Ketubahs. In Ilyssa’s words, “The verbiage on our ketubah really resonated with us and the life we want to build together through Judaism. The verbiage ended with ‘Set me as a seal on your heart.’ I had this engraved on the inside of Nick’s wedding band, so we can always remember what our ketubah represents even on the hard days.” Awwww!

There’s so much more to say about this very special Jewish wedding – like, how great is it that instead of a wedding came Ilyssa and Nick opted for a midnight pizza bar?! – but we’ll let Ilyssa herself fill you in on the rest…

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How we Met

Ilyssa, the bride: It was your typical modern day romance… We met on Bumble in 2016. At the time, Nick was living in Atlanta while I finished my undergraduate degree in Athens at The University of Georgia. As we are both big beer fans, it was only natural that our first date was at an Atlanta brewery. After dating for 5 years Nick finally asked me to be his wife at the Cator Woolford Gardens in Atlanta, Georgia.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Suzanne Neville Bride for a Tuscan Fantasy of a Jewish Wedding at Villa Palmieri, Florence, Italy

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Holly-and-Ben-Villa-Palmieri-Florence-Italy

There’s something about a Jewish wedding in Tuscany that just makes our hearts beat a little faster. And the fantastic wedding of UK couple Holly, a business owner, and Ben, who works in acquisitions, captures ALL the most beloved things about this beautiful part of the world.

The couple’s venue, Villa Palmieri, is quintessentially Tuscan, and we can’t get enough of David Bastianoni’s exquisite photos of the day – scroll through them and we guarantee you’ll be tempted to book a flight to Italy ASAP!

This wedding was so much more than all the fabulous details, though – the joy and love between the couple is just beyond, and there’s no better way to experience it than through their wonderful wedding video by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Denee Motion, who, in Holly’s words, “captured the day beautifully and really found the balance of emotional and atmospheric.”

We were also thrilled to hear that Holly and Ben turned to Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Wedding Shop when it came time to set up their wedding gift list. There’s so much more to say – like, how stunning did Holly look in her Suzanne Neville gown?! – but we’ll turn you over to the bride herself for the rest…

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How we Met

Holly, the Bride: Ben and I met on Hanoar Hatzioni camp when we were 9 and 10 years old. We have been best friends since, and became boyfriend and girlfriend nearly 10 years ago.

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A Rubin Singer Bride for a Musical, Autumnal Jewish Wedding at the Great Synagogue of Florence and Villa Corsini, Italy

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Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy

Get ready to be blown away by today’s Jewish wedding in beautiful Florence, Italy! Toronto-based couple Sveta and Sasha dreamed of making it official in the majestic Great Synagogue of Florence, and with the help of their wedding planner, Luba of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Primavera Dreams, crafted the most exquisite fall harvest-themed celebration in one of the world’s most unforgettable locations.

Luba worked with the duo to source their fabulous team of vendors – seriously, you MUST scroll through the elegant photos by Elena Foresto to take it all in – and brought their autumnal dreams to life, with a fabulous décor scheme incorporating pomegranates and apples – love it!

In her professional live, bride Sveta is the founder, president, and producer of Show One Productions, which organizes tours for famous musical and theatrical groups across the US and Canada. So naturally, when planning her own wedding, music was a big deal.

And indeed, she and Sasha put together an epic lineup, from Klezmerata Fiorentina, who played traditional Jewish music for the ceremony and then for the kiddush, to Maria Dal Rovere band for the cocktail reception and the after-party, to opera performances by Anna Sanchina and Georgy Chkareuli over dinner and roaming band Gypsy Queens. The couple also had their friend, the fabulous DJ Vamos, fly in from Ontario to perform during their multi-day celebration.

This wedding was chock full of so many wonderful touches – including Sveta’s bespoke  dress by New York fashion designer Rubin Singer, clowns flown in from Paris, fireworks, and even a late night gelato cart – but we’ll let the bride fill you in on the rest…

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How we Met

Sveta, the bride: Thanks to some lucky stars, we met in Toronto a few years ago.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Eternal City Jewish Wedding Inspo at the Rome Cavalieri, Rome, Italy

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Rome Cavalieri Jewish Wedding Styled Shoot

There’s no place like Rome for a Jewish destination wedding. The history, the romance, the food… so many STG brides opt for gorgeous celebrations in the Eternal City, and it’s easy to see why. That’s why we’re so thrilled to be featuring this stunning Jewish wedding-themed styled shoot at Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel and one of Rome’s premier Jewish wedding venues. Planned by another beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor, Deborah di Castro, and photographed by Alessia Angelotti, it’s truly a feast for the eyes.

Rome Cavalieri Jewish Wedding Styled Shoot

Rome Cavalieri Jewish Wedding Styled Shoot

FOREVER AFTER IN THE ETERNAL CITY

The Rome Cavalieri is a peaceful oasis immersed in a private 15-acre Mediterranean park located at the top of Monte Mario hill. From the hilltop, you and your guests can enjoy unique and enchanting views of the Eternal City. And if you’re looking to have your chuppah in the majestic Great Synagogue of Rome, it’s just 6 km from the property.

Rome Cavalieri Jewish Wedding Styled Shoot

Rome Cavalieri Jewish Wedding Styled Shoot

The Rome Cavalieri’s outdoor event space, Terrazza degli Aranci, is Rome’s highest panoramic private terrace offering a spectacular backdrop of the Roman atmosphere for your big day.

Rome Cavalieri Jewish Wedding Styled Shoot

Rome Cavalieri Jewish Wedding Styled Shoot

Jewish Wedding Experts

The Events Planning team at the Rome Cavalieri are pros when it comes to Jewish weddings. In fact, one in ever four weddings held at the hotel is kosher!

The team has the knowledge and expertise to tailor your event to your unique needs, with many special options to make your day truly one-of-a-kind including signature cocktails, custom wedding cakes by Executive Pastry Chef Nuti, authentic Shabbat dinners, and lunches.

The Rome Cavalieri’s kitchen can prepare fully kosher meals as well as kosher-style options, thanks to their longstanding relationships with trusted kosher suppliers, all supervised by a rabbi provided by the Roman Jewish community.

Rome Cavalieri Jewish Wedding Styled Shoot

Rome Cavalieri Jewish Wedding Styled Shoot

The Rome Cavalieri can host weddings of all sizes, from 20 up to 500 guests. With over 29 event spaces to choose from, you will be sure to find the perfect spot for every element of your destination wedding in Rome. 

Rome Cavalieri Jewish Wedding Styled Shoot

Rome Cavalieri Jewish Wedding Styled Shoot

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A Maison Aries Bride for a Magical Autumnal Jewish Wedding at Villa Le Corti in San Casciano Val di Pesa, Tuscany, Italy

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Ludivine and David, Villa le Corti, Italy

Today’s couple, Ludivine and David, had one of the most exquisite autumn Jewish weddings we’ve seen – and we see a lot! With the help of their amazing wedding planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Deborah di Castro, the pair was able to bring all of their Tuscan autumnal fantasies to life – and then some!

They opted for moody autumnal colors, from rusted orange to deep violet, and their décor went all in on the autumnal fruits Italy is known for, like chestnuts and figs. And don’t even get us started on the couple’s amazing chuppah – absolutely not to be missed in Antonio Carneroli’s magical photos.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Ludivine and David started out with a totally dreamy venue, Villa Le Corti – pure Tuscan romance. And we’re obsessed with Ludivine’s unconventional gown from Maison Aries – such a unique, modern look, yet 100% fit for a fairy tale princess.

Now over to Ludivine…

Ludivine and David, Villa le Corti, Italy Ludivine and David, Villa le Corti, Italy Ludivine and David, Villa le Corti, Italy Ludivine and David, Villa le Corti, Italy
How we Met

Ludivine, the bride: David was my tutor in law school for a semester in 2014, and was at the same time buddies with my brother. From 2014 to 2019 we would run into each other at birthdays, weddings, parties. We finally met again, in May 2020, in the middle of Covid. Since that day, we never left each other. Continue ReadingContinue Reading