Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Home > Italy

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

by

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…

Ilyssa-and-Nick-Villa-Cora-Florence-Italy Ilyssa-and-Nick-Villa-Cora-Florence-Italy Ilyssa-and-Nick-Villa-Cora-Florence-Italy Ilyssa-and-Nick-Villa-Cora-Florence-Italy
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 Monique Lhuillier Bride for a Vogue-Worthy Jewish Wedding at Villa Sola Cabiati, Italy

by

Marta-and-Nick-Villa-Sola-Cabiati-Italy

Get ready to be wowed by the fabulous Jewish wedding of Marta and Nick. We see lots of gorgeous weddings here at Smashing The Glass, but this one truly looks like it could’ve stepped out of the pages of Vogue.

It doesn’t hurt that Marta and Nick chose to wed at  Villa Sola Cabiati on Lake Como – one of the world’s most stunning locales – which they picked not only for its beauty and history but also because it was a central spot for gathering their friends and family from all over the world.

With such an incredible venue, it was only natural to let the setting set the theme, and indeed Marta and Nick opted to keep their day timeless and traditional, in shades of ivory with occasional pops of blue. We’re totally and completely obsessed with their wonderful floral chuppah – don’t miss it in the exquisite editorial-style photos from Roman Ivanov.

And then there’s the dress – Marta had visions of Grace Kelly vibes, and that’s exactly what she found in the Emilia gown by Monique Lhuillier Bride. With long sleeves, a high neck, and lace all over, Marta couldn’t have looked more elegant. We’ll turn you over to her for all the rest about the big day…

Marta-and-Nick-Villa-Sola-Cabiati-Italy Marta-and-Nick-Villa-Sola-Cabiati-Italy Marta-and-Nick-Villa-Sola-Cabiati-Italy Marta-and-Nick-Villa-Sola-Cabiati-Italy  
How we Met

Marta, the bride: We met the old fashioned way – online.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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

by

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…

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

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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

by

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…

Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy
How we Met

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

A Galia Lahav Bride for an Intimate Destination Jewish Wedding Weekend on the Italian Riviera at the Belmond Caruso, Ravello, Italy

by

Marianna-Ari-Belmond-Caruso-Italy

Get ready to be blown away by one of the most exquisite Italian destination Jewish weddings we’ve seen in, well, ever! Travel lovers Marianna, an artist and handbag, footwear, and accessory designer, and Ari, a hospitality entrepreneur, worked with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Infinity Weddings to plan a truly unforgettable multi-day celebration with 50 of their nearest and dearest, making the most of the Amalfi Coast’s incredible food, vibrant culture, and stunning landscape. 

Being a designer herself, Marianna wanted to be closely involved in the design process, yet she and Ari also wanted to work with a planner who could help them execute their vision with as little stress as possible. Sara of Infinity Weddings was the absolute perfect fit, executing the couple’s vision perfectly and allowing them to be fully present to enjoy the day.

We couldn’t be any more in love with the couple’s venue, the Belmond Caruso, which Marianna calls “the epitome of Italian Riviera.”  The whole thing looks like a dream, and the amazing Nakutis Photography captured it all so artfully.

There’s lots more to say about this exquisite wedding – we haven’t even mentioned the bride’s unreal Galia Lahav gown – but we’ll leave it to Marianna to fill you in on the rest…

Marianna-Ari-Belmond-Caruso-Italy Marianna-Ari-Belmond-Caruso-Italy Marianna-Ari-Belmond-Caruso-Italy Marianna-Ari-Belmond-Caruso-Italy
How we Met

Marianna, the bride: Ari reached out to me on Facebook when I came up for him as a suggested friend. After a few unanswered message and pick up lines about “sending me a kiss” (my last name is Senderkis), I finally replied. A few days later he surprised me by calling me through the Facebook app. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed our conversation. I agreed to meet him for lunch near my office. Although we only had 20 minutes together before I had to rush back to work, we were both instantly attracted to one another. We became a couple very soon afterContinue ReadingContinue Reading