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A Sassi Holford Bride for a Rustic, Summery Jewish Wedding in Portugal

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Emma-and-Billy-Portugal

Get ready for a stunner of a Jewish wedding! Emma, originally from London, UK, and Billy, who hails from Toronto, met while living in Amsterdam. Since they knew guests would be traveling for their wedding no matter what, they figured they might as well pick a very special destination – and their Portuguese countryside venue couldn’t have been any more gorgeous.

Featuring rustic vibes and earthy tones playing off the vineyard setting – and a table plan made from custom Portuguese tiles in a green and cream color scheme – this wedding was just beyond. Don’t miss the luminous photos by The Framers.

We also love the fact that the couple used Emma’s great grandfather’s tallit as their chuppah canopy, along with Billy’s grandmother’s kiddush cup – so meaningful.

We’ll turn you over to Emma – who looked so glam in Sassi Holford – for the rest of the story…

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How We Met

Emma, the bride: We met while living and working in Amsterdam in October 2019. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Galia Lahav Bride for a Magical Forest-Inspired Wedding at The Estate at Florentine Gardens, River Vale, New Jersey, USA

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When Sydney, a software engineer, and Chaim, a finance associate, began planning their dream wedding, they knew they wanted something magical, elegant, and undeniably “them.” The moment they stepped into The Estate at Florentine Gardens in River Vale, New Jersey, they were completely smitten. The ceremony space—with its high ceilings, grand windows, and stunning European-inspired architecture—was love at first sight.

Their color palette of lush greens and regal purples set the tone for a forest-inspired fairytale, brought to life with an abundance of greenery and whimsical florals. Their stunning chuppah was the epitome of woodland romance, featuring four majestic trees as its base, accented with pops of vibrant purple flowers.

Sydney absolutely wowed in a masterpiece from Israeli designer Galia Lahav—a gown that struck the perfect balance between timeless elegance and modern drama. From its intricate detailing to the striking drop-waist silhouette, it was everything she’d dreamed of and more.

The couple knew the importance of capturing every magical moment, so they turned to Smashing The Glass Recommended VendorAlex Knight Studio for photography. From the calming presence of the team on a busy day to their incredible attention to detail, every photo—candid and posed alike—turned out breathtaking.

This is one wedding you don’t want to miss—scroll on for all the stunning details, from the enchanting ceremony to the joy-filled reception!

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How We Met

Sydney, the bride: We were set up through a mutual friend. One evening, my sister convinced me to join her and her friends for a night of bowling. A friend asked if I was looking to meet someone and if so what was I looking for. I said: tall, nice and family oriented. The friend said you must meet my roommate, Chaim: tall, nice and one of eight kids-how much more family oriented can you get! We met and a year and a half later, Chaim proposed in Paris.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Grace Loves Lace Bride for a Simple, Elegant Rooftop Jewish Wedding at Skybar, Miami, Florida, USA

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Picture you and the love of your life standing under an airy chuppah adorned with greenery, against the sparkling backdrop of the Miami skyline. Sound good? We thought so… and so did today’s couple, Mariana and Jonathan. Mariana, a digital project manager originally from Brazil, and Jonathan, a data analyst and South Florida native, live in Miami and wanted to showcase their city at its finest.

Their rooftop venue, Skybar, definitely did the trick! The pair wanted something outdoorsy, simple, and elegant, with urban chic flair and lots of greenery, and Skybar delivered. Plus, they were able to take advantage of the beautiful December weather and wed under the stars! Don’t miss the fab setup in the pics from Cortiella Photography.

Not only was this wedding ultra-stylish (how good did Mariana look in her gown from Grace Loves Lace?!), it was also a meaningful testament to how the couple has grown together Jewishly – read on for the full story in Mariana’s words…

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How we Met

Mariana, the bride: Mariana and Jonathan met the modern way: by swiping right on Hinge in October 2020. They later found out that they had attended the same small party in honor of Israel’s 70th birthday in 2018, but they never saw each other there. Jonathan had a cat in 2018, and Mariana is deathly allergic to cats; Mariana was still converting to Judaism, meaning she wouldn’t be able to date Jonathan since she was undergoing an Orthodox conversion. Guess there’s nothing like good timing when it comes to a relationship.

Their first date was a success: Jonathan invited Mariana to join him for a private ballroom dance class, and after putting her dance skills to a test, they both headed out to a local hummus place for some dinner. Jonathan, a born athlete and dancer, believes if you can’t connect on the dance floor, it won’t be a good match. He forgot Mariana is Brazilian, and Brazilians know how to dance.

Jonathan knew Mariana was the one right away. It took Mariana a month to come to the same conclusion, but after some thinking she came to terms that Jonathan and Cocoa had been her final destination all along. Oh yes, there is a special third-wheel in this relationship, and he is the most adorable chocolate labradoodle there is: Cocoa, or as Mariana likes to call him Cocoa Remelento.

Jonathan proposed to Mariana late Summer of 2021. Jonathan took Mariana for a little weekend getaway, and popped the question with Mariana’s dream ring! He did forget however to ask Mariana if she would marry him, to which she answered after glimpsing at that beautiful ring: “But are you going to ask me to marry you?”. Guess emotions took over and Jonathan got a little forgetful!

A few of Mariana and Jonathan’s favorite memories together are taking Cocoa for walks in the Morningside Park, going to several performing arts shows, visiting different museums, exercising on a daily basis, Mariana having Jonathan try Brazilian food, and lots of quality time on Shabbat.

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A Loulette Bride for a Great Gatsby-Inspired Jewish Wedding at The Inn at Longshore, Connecticut, USA

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We love a literary Jewish wedding here at Team STG. And Jai and Ari’s Great Gatsby-themed celebration is one of the very best we’ve seen!

Jai, who works at Google as YouTube’s policy lead for violent extremism, and Ari, a healthcare consultant at a healthcare consulting firm, took the lead from their venue, The Inn at Longshore, a historic estate on the Long Island Sound. As lovers of American literature, the pair knew The Inn at Longshore was the spot for them when they found out historians believe F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel was likely inspired by the Fitzgeralds’ attendance at extravagant parties at the original Inn (then a private mansion).

From there, Jai and Ari opted to pick up on some Gatsby motifs, from vintage frames for black and white photographs of the couple’s loved ones that were with them in spirit, to a nine-piece band that kept the crowd on their feet, to a sparkler send off.

The couple’s attire was also inspired by Gatsby: Ari wore an ivory silk bow tie, and Jai’s custom gown and topper by Loulette Bride took inspiration from 1920s fashion. The groom, groomsmen, and dads wore tuxedos and kippot knit by the bride’s mother while the bridesmaids wore black, an untraditional but timeless and elegant choice. Everyone looked so chic – don’t miss it in the romantic photos by Nel Studios!

Now over to the bride…

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How we Met

Jai, the bride and Ari, the groom: They met in Washington, DC five years ago when Ari was working as a health care researcher and Jai was working at the Pentagon. Their first date was at a cute spot between their offices and their second date was every parent’s dream: Shabbat services at Sixth and I synagogue.

During the pandemic, the couple decided it was time for an adventure. They packed up and moved to Tel Aviv for a year, where they spent the weekdays working at startups and the weekends swimming in the Mediterranean. It was a dream! They relocated to New York City about a year ago and miss Tel Aviv every day.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Jenny Packham Bride for a Greek Island Fantasy Jewish Wedding at the Royal Myconian Hotel, Mykonos, Greece

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Claudia & James, Royal Myconian Hotel, Mykonos, Greece

Ok, who could use a sunny island getaway about now? Yeah, we thought so. For those of us not lucky enough to be jetting off to beachy paradise, do the next best thing and live vicariously through the fabulous Jewish wedding of UK couple Claudia, who works in advertising, and James, who works in affordable housing, who tied the knot in their favorite holiday destination, Mykonos.

We’re not sure what we love more, the totally epic locale, or the fact that Claudia and James worked with an amazing team of beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors to make their dream day a reality. Their first port of call was Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J, who was, as always, “a dream to work with and took a lot of the stress off us in the planning process and the day.” Michelle helped the duo translate their island-perfect color scheme of crisp whites an blues into the fabulous day you see in the wonderful photos by Anna Roussos.

The couple’s stationers, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Cartalia, designed the most exquisite pocket-style invitation suite in coordinating blues and whites, and the couple’s chazzan, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Jonny Mosesson – who they flew out from London along with two of his musicians – performed in their trademark unforgettable style at the chuppah and again for the Israeli dancing.

And we haven’t even mentioned the fact that Claudia was lucky enough to have a bespoke wedding dress designed for her by a close friend of her mum’s – none other than Jenny Packham herself! We’ll turn you over to the bride for the rest…

Claudia & James, Royal Myconian Hotel, Mykonos, Greece Claudia & James, Royal Myconian Hotel, Mykonos, Greece
How We Met

Claudia, the bride: We met through mutual friends in 2013, James had just finished his masters and Claudia had just finished her second year at university.Continue ReadingContinue Reading