Leah Neppe Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Fresh, Beachy Jewish Pandemic Wedding at Caesar Yam, Caesarea, Israel

07/02/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Planning a wedding during COVID isn’t easy. You’ve got to be prepared to roll with the punches, make last-minute changes, and generally have a wedding that might look pretty different than the one you’d had your heart set on.

But even with all that, some of the Jewish weddings we’ve seen that have been most affected by the pandemic have also been among the most stunning – ever. Take the fabulous Israeli nuptials of Tash, who works for an online glasses company doing customer service, and Nick, who does marketing and events for a healthcare software provider. These two made aliyah in 2021, and while they wanted to celebrate in their new home, travel restrictions made it uncertain as to whether overseas loved ones would be able to make it.

And even though plenty of things didn’t quite go to plan – the couple went through several changes of venue before settling on the fabulous Caesar Yam; their guest list went from 200 to 65, and some friends and family joined in via livestream rather than in person – this day was nothing short of magnificent.

We’re in love with the beachy, nautical décor – and how gorgeous is that stunning white floral chuppah? – and for all the challenges leading up to the day, there was clearly so much joy and love. Don’t miss the incredible photos from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman, who the couple report was a delight to work with, as always.

Now over to Tash…

How we Met

Tash, the bride: We met on an app called J Crush in November 2014. Nick was on a year abroad in Paris as part of his degree with Aston University in Birmingham, and I was in my second year at University of Leeds. We spent the first year of our relationship meeting in either Paris, Leeds, Scotland (Nick’s hometown) and London (my hometown) so it was an adventure from the start.Continue Reading

A Dorit Izbizki Bride for an Elegant Jewish Wedding at Psagot Winery, Israel

13/12/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

There’s nothing like an Israeli wedding… and the nuptials of Eliana, a student, and Naftali, who just finished his army service and is currently in yeshiva, just tick all our boxes!

These two got married at the stunning Psagot Winery in the Shomron. In addition to the gorgeous natural scenery, the couple – who got engaged during COVID – loved the fact that Psagot was flexible and worked wonderfully for both smaller and larger weddings.

Like so many couples getting married in Israel, Eliana and Naftali knew from the get-go that they wanted to work with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman as their photographer – so much so that they chose their wedding date around his availability! As always, Herschel and his team were fantastic to work with – and naturally, the couple is over the moon about their beautiful photos (just scroll through this post and we’re pretty sure you’ll see why).

And how special is it that the couple got married under Naftali’s family chuppah?! What a wonderful tradition to have a family chuppah that can be brought out for all the weddings!

Now over to the bride, who looked so elegant in her dress by Dorit Izbizki…

How we Met

Eliana, the bride: We both grew up in Beit Shemesh but only knew of each other. We officially met at a mutual friend’s wedding when Naftali sat with Eliana’s brother. We first spoke there and the rest was history….Continue Reading

A Tali Shurin Bride for a Jewish Wedding with a View at Olmaya, Jerusalem, Israel

12/07/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

We’ve heard of so many couples who’ve had to scale back their Jewish weddings last-minute due to changing COVID restrictions. Not so much couples who’ve been able to upsize their weddings at short notice because restrictions were relaxed – but that’s exactly what happened to Israeli couple Adina, a social worker in a hospital in Jerusalem, and Aaron, who works in high tech as a solutions architect.

They’d initially planned a small wedding in the groom’s parents’ garden, because that’s what was permitted when they firmed up their plans. But then, ten days before the wedding, some of Israel’s restrictions were lifted, and the couple’s wedding planner, Debbie Nussbaum, managed to move the proceedings to Jerusalem’s stunning Olmaya, which is not only a gorgeous venue with stellar views but also allowed the Adina and Aaron to double their guest list!

Still, not all the important people in the couple’s lives could be there in person – most of all, their beloved grandparents in London and Sydney. However, thanks to the wonders of Zoom, the far-flung grandparents on both sides were able to livestream a bracha to the couple during their ceremony!

As always, we’re absolutely blown away by all the energy, emotion, and love shining through in every single image from the couple’s photographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman – Adina was so impressed after seeing pictures he’d taken at friends’ weddings, she knew she wanted him to photograph her wedding even before she met Aaron!

Now over to the bride, who looked so elegant in Tali Shurin…

How we Met

Adina, the bride: We met at a mutual friend’s wedding a month and a half before the first corona lockdown. The next wedding we went to together was our own!Continue Reading

A David’s Bride for a Dreamy Outdoor Jewish Wedding Just Before Lockdown at HaGiva, Giv’at Brenner, Israel

24/06/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Smashing The Glass Brides Club member Naomi and Daniel are one seriously lucky couple. Their ridiculously gorgeous Jewish wedding in Israel took place as the COVID-19 crisis was becoming increasingly more serious, just days before the country banned gatherings of more than ten people. And while the bride, a physics teacher, and the groom, an aerospace engineer, didn’t have their big day go untouched by coronavirus – there was plenty of stress about increasing restrictions and whether family and friends from the UK would be able to make it, and in the end many guests weren’t able to make the trip – their close relatives made it out to Israel in time, and most of the wedding went to plan.

And it was an awesome plan! We’re in love with the garden vibes of their gorgeous venue, Giv’at Brenner, and we’re obsessed with the efforts these two made to personalize their day, like making a list together of seven things to pray for and then reading and praying for one item each time Naomi circled Daniel under the chuppah, and finding ways to honor female guests in their Orthodox ceremony.

And how cute is it that the couple got matching personalized Converses to wear for the reception?! The photos from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman Photography are so full of love and emotion, with each moment captured so beautifully.

Now over to the bride, who looked radiant in her simple David’s Bridal dress (the first she tried on!), which she had altered to add in sleeves and a higher neckline…

How we met

Naomi, the bride: We both grew up in London, with similar social circles, same year group but never knew each other, it wasn’t until we both made aliyah that we met!

We first met at a party in Jerusalem a few days after I had made aliyah, we chatted for about 5 minutes and Daniel wanted to ask me out but felt it wouldn’t be fair on me as I needed time to settle into the country. Over the next couple of months he hadn’t forgotten about me but some friends had told him they knew a girl who they thought would be good for him.

He agreed to meet her at a Purimseudah but thought to himself that if it didn’t go well he would try to find the number of the girl from the party. But when he walked into the Purim seudah he was surprised and delighted to find the girl from the party, me, sitting there. The rest is history! He proposed to me in September and I proposed to him in October. Continue Reading

A Laid-Back Destination Jewish Wedding with a Rugelach Tower at The Lawrence in Old Jaffa, Israel

25/11/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

Is there anything better than a Jewish wedding in picturesque Old Jaffa? Between the historic architecture and the ocean views and the chill Israeli vibes, we’re pretty sure the answer is a resounding no! If you don’t believe us, just look at the incredible photos of STG Brides Club member Dianne, who is completing a surgical residency, and lawyer groom Shaya’s big day captured by mega-talented Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ronen Boidek – according to the couple, booking him was one of the very best decisions they made during wedding planning. And we couldn’t agree more!

And while you’re at it, check out the awesome trailer from videographer Vladimir Tkach.

With such a stunning setting, Dianne and Shaya knew they wanted to keep their décor simple, favoring greenery and white florals that complemented the historic space – and they found the absolute perfect person for the job in Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Yana from Craspedia Events. We’re totally obsessed with the bouquets, centerpieces, and decorations she created.

And we’re positively drooling over the delicious menu from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Maasia Catering, who put together a delectable modern Mediterranean menu, complete with fun interactive food stations.

Oh, and we can’t turn you over to Dianne before we tell you about one more awesome touch: instead of a traditional cake, Dianne and Shaya opted for a rugelach tower. Yes, you heard that right – in honor of the groom’s favorite sweets from Jerusalem’s famed Marzipan Bakery, these two celebrated with three tiers of chocolate and cinnamon rugelach goodness – with a small cake on top, for tradition’s sake.

Ok, now over to the bride!

How we met

Dianne, the bride: While I am from Vancouver and Shaya is from Montreal, we met in Toronto while I was doing an elective as a medical student and Shaya was there for work. We did not think we were going to see each other again after I flew home, but here we are!