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Home > Luxe Redux Bridal

An Inclusive Modern Orthodox Jewish Wedding at Congregation Beth Shalom, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

11/10/2024 by Karen Cinnamon

Rachel-and-Ben-Congregation-Beth-Shalom-Pittsburgh-PA-USA

Rachel and Ben’s Pittsburgh Jewish wedding was all about celebrating with loved ones – and we adore the way they centered their celebration around including family and friends.

Rachel, an intensive care nurse, and Ben, who  works in healthcare tech, chose to wed at Congregation Beth Shalom, Rachel’s family synagogue, and they were married by Ben’s family rabbi. They knew they wanted an inclusive yet traditional Modern Orthodox wedding, bringing in gender equality through touches like having a male and female guest read each of their Sheva Brachot – first in Hebrew, and then in English translation.

Rachel and Ben chose incredible Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Portraits by Sean as their photographer, and they couldn’t be more thrilled with their choice. In the bride’s words,

We spoke to Sean several times on the phone throughout our planning process and were so impressed with his profound interest in Jewish traditions, us, our families, and in helping us have a beautiful wedding. I was particularly impressed by his commitment to help my father (who has some mobility issues) and give him back some dignity in pictures. Sean and his staff were kind, professional, respectful, and flexible when our timelines when they did not go according to plan! 

Read on for all the details of this very special day…

 

Rachel-and-Ben-Congregation-Beth-Shalom-Pittsburgh-PA-USARachel-and-Ben-Congregation-Beth-Shalom-Pittsburgh-PA-USARachel-and-Ben-Congregation-Beth-Shalom-Pittsburgh-PA-USARachel-and-Ben-Congregation-Beth-Shalom-Pittsburgh-PA-USA
How We Met

Rachel, the bride: We met at a Rosh Hashana dinner at Brandeis University, where we both went to college. We met in 2016 and officially started dating in 2017. We were long distance for several years in between Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, and Wisconsin.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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A Demetrios Bride for a Roaring ‘20s Jewish Wedding Inspired by The Great Gatsby at The Banks Waterfront, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA

28/08/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

Amy & Brad, The Banks Waterfront, Pennsylvania, USA

Amy, a travel agent, and Brad, a mortgage analyst, got engaged in July 2020, during the height of the pandemic. When lockdown finally came to an end, they were ready to party – roaring  ‘20s style. Hence the timely theme they chose for their Pennsylvania Jewish wedding: The Great Gatsby!

Their big day was full of fun touches nodding to an era of frivolity and decadence – like the bride’s fabulous Demetrios gown, and tons of feathers mixed in with the florals! We’re also obsessed with the couple’s wonderful Tree of Life Ketubah designed by the amazing Nava Shoham, founder of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor 1-800-ketubah. Amy and Brad loved working with Nava – in their words, she was “so amazing and friendly and flexible” – and obviously they were thrilled with the finished results! Don’t miss it in the wonderful photos by Brittany Boote.

There’s so much more to say about this delightful wedding – like the touching ways the bride chose to honor her late parents – but we’ll leave it to Amy to fill you in on the rest…

Amy & Brad, The Banks Waterfront, Pennsylvania, USA Amy & Brad, The Banks Waterfront, Pennsylvania, USA Amy & Brad, The Banks Waterfront, Pennsylvania, USA Amy & Brad, The Banks Waterfront, Pennsylvania, USA
How We Met

Amy, the bride: The first time we met was a very brief interaction at an event in April of 2014. Amy was riding on a jazzy after recent knee surgery and “bumped” into Brad, but life happens, and it was meant to just be a hi / bye interaction. Fast forward 3 years and we reconnected by modern day daters’ way of doing it… online.

After some witty conversation and Brad promising to do the “Bend and Snap”, we went to Full Pint Brewery for a good IPA to start off our first date on September 15, 2017. A 7 hour date and some Nicky Thai’s Kitchen for some sustenance along the way and we both knew a second date would follow not too long after. The night of our second date, 5 years prior, is now our wedding anniversary

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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