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The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Ketubah You’ll Still Love in 50 Years {with Melanie Dankowicz}

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Flowery-Lace-Ketubah-in-gold-by-Melanie-Dankowicz

Photo by Owen Billcliffe

So much of wedding planning is about curating a perfect moment in time. Gorgeous flowers, delicious cake, music that gets everyone on the dance floor – it’s all so special, but at the same time so fleeting. 

But your ketubah? That’s forever.

Connection Ketubah with orchids by Melanie Dankowicz

Your ketubah is more than just a formality – it’s one of the most meaningful parts of a Jewish wedding. It’s at the heart of your big day, a reflection of your values – and if you choose wisely, it’ll also be a piece of art you’ll delight in seeing on your wall every single day for years to come. 

Garden Ketubah in Rose Gold by Melanie Dankowicz

Elizabeth and Bernie‘s Jewish wedding | Photo by Maya Myers

To help you choose a ketubah that’ll still make your heart skip a beat on your 50th anniversary, we chatted with renowned papercut artist Melanie Dankowicz. With her decades of experience creating exquisite Judaica that blends tradition and contemporary elegance, Melanie knows exactly how to design a ketubah that will stand the test of time. Read on for her top tips on choosing one that’s just right for you. 

Photo by Stevie Dee

Quality is Everything

You and your partner are in it for the long haul – and your ketubah should be, too. Your ketubah should last as long as your marriage (and then some). That’s why Melanie emphasizes choosing archival-quality materials. The paper, inks, and finishes should all be designed to last – no fading, yellowing, or crumbling allowed.

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A Sareh Nouri Bride for an Elegant Black Tie Jewish Wedding on the Water at Wequassett Resort, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

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Paige & Ross, Wequassett Resort, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Who could do with a day at the beach right about now? You too? Well, we’ve got the next best thing for you: the fabulous waterfront Jewish wedding of Boston couple Paige, who works for a non-profit, and Ross, in venture capital. These two held their Jewish wedding right on the water in beautiful Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Cape Cod is not only a totally idyllic spot for dreamy photos (see Rebecca Love Photography’s wonderful images for evidence), but also a great spot for a “local destination wedding” for New Englanders, a place you can gather your loved ones together for a full-on weekend away from it all without long-haul flights. Which is exactly what Paige and Ross did.

During her wedding planning, Paige was also a member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club, and we love hearing how much she benefitted from not only the support and amazing ideas shared in the community, but also the help finding vendors! Paige and Ross found their ketubah designer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Melanie Dankowicz, through the group, and they adore both the finished product and the experience they had working with Melanie.

We could go on and on about this elegant wedding – like, how chic did Paige look in Sareh Nouri?! – but we’ll turn you over to the bride for the rest of the story…

Paige & Ross, Wequassett Resort, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA Paige & Ross, Wequassett Resort, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA Paige & Ross, Wequassett Resort, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA Paige & Ross, Wequassett Resort, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA
How we Met

Paige, the bride: We met at work! We actually didn’t talk much until we were sent on a work trip to Austin, Texas. During that time, we were able to have conversations while walking and that was it.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Top 12 Ketubah Designs

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One thing I love about modern Jewish weddings is the way the ketubah – the ancient Jewish marriage contract – has become a way for every couple to put their personal aesthetic stamp on their day. There are so many mega-talented artists creating gorgeous ketubot in all different styles (and with options for all different texts – traditional, interfaith, same sex, egalitarian, or even your own custom version).

And of course the other bonus of a beautiful ketubah is that it’s one of the few wedding elements that comes home with you once the day is over. These days so many couples proudly display their ketubah in their home as a work of art – and with options this stunning, is it any wonder?

With everything out there, it’s so hard to narrow my picks down – but that said, here are 12 of my favorites for 2022…

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A Vera Wang Bride for an Elegant Spring Jewish Wedding at Pleasantdale Chateau West Orange, NJ, USA

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Jewish wedding Pleasentdale Chateau West Orange, NJ, USA_0042

Because we can all use a bit of springtime cheer right now, we’re excited to share the beautiful Jewish wedding of two high school sweethearts: Smashing The Glass Brides Club member Elizabeth, a lawyer, and Bernie, a doctor (#cantTARASaPART).

It’s always a pleasure blogging the weddings of our Brides Club members, and we’re so touched by the bride’s kind words about how the group helped her plan her big day. Elizabeth especially loved the personal vendor referrals Team STG provides to Brides Club members on a daily basis – we connected her with her fab planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Amy Katz Events, who did SUCH an incredible job bringing the couple’s vision for their day together and keeping everything running smoothly on the day, as well as the couple’s ketubah designer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Melanie Dankowicz – the gorgeous floral papercut she created was the absolute perfect fit for the soft springtime vibes that characterized the day.

Speaking of springtime vibes, how about that chuppah?! We adore the profusion of roses and peonies in soft pinks, corals, and whites – and those hanging floral strands just add that little something extra. The mirrored frame keeps the whole structure looking contemporary, too – don’t miss it in the wonderful photos from Maya Myers and video from Motoko Fukayama of Love in Progress.

We’ll let Elizabeth, who was a total knockout in Vera Wang, take it from here…


Jewish wedding Pleasentdale Chateau West Orange, NJ, USA_0017 Pleasentdale Chateau West Orange, NJ, USA_0017 Pleasentdale Chateau West Orange, NJ, USA_0017

A Chateau Wedding

Elizabeth, the bride: We got married at Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange, NJ. We are both from NY so neither one of us had any particular ties to NJ, but we were struggling to find a venue that spoke to us. Then someone suggested Pleasantdale and we fell in love from the moment we walked in.

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Our Top Judaica Finds for Hanukkah 2019 and Beyond

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Hamsa Hand Watercolor Painting by BRITcolors

In honor of Hanukkah coming up in just a couple of weeks (yep, the first night is December 22 – mark those calendars!), we wanted to share with you some of the Judaica pieces Team STG is lusting after right now. 

Though we’re normally pretty narrowly focused on bringing you the best of the best when it comes to wedding-related goods and services, we’re always keeping an eagle eye out on the latest and greatest in Jewish art, design, and beyond (NB: if you’re into this, join our Smashing Life membership for life after the wedding) so we’ve put together this post as a snapshot of what we’re loving as we head into 2020.

The Chosen One Game

Whether you’re looking for an heirloom to pass down through the generations or just a fun last-minute Hanukkah gift, we’ve got you covered. 

Hanukkah

Acyrylic Oil Chanukiah by Apeloig Collection from Contemporary Judaica  | £245

How cool are these colorful acrylic menorahs from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Contemporary Judaica? You can even customize the placement of the shamash!

PSA to all you brides and grooms reading this: Contemporary Judaica offers wedding gift list services, either through their own site or through The Wedding Shop at Selfridges in London 

Delightful Dreidel by Melanie Dankowicz | $145

This magnificent stainless steel dreidel from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Melanie Dankowicz, featuring the Hebrew letters nun, gimel, hey, and shin tucked in amidst the design, is a true work of art.

Hanukkah High-Performance Leggings from ModernTribe | $40
(Take off an additional 10% discount if you’re a member of Smashing The Glass Brides Club)

How cute (and cozy) are these leggings, adorned with menorahs, dreidels, and Stars of David? Even better, STG Brides Club and Smashing Life members get an automatic 10% discount at Modern Tribe. Not yet a member? Join here for Brides Club and here for Smashing Life!

Shoshi Dreidel Studs by Ariel Tidhar  |  From $36

This Hanukkah, dreidels aren’t just for playing with, thanks to these fun acrylic stud earrings, handmade in New York City.

 

The Ultimate Hanukkah Sweater by Sefira Creative  | $49

A Hanukkah sweater, but not cheesy. 

Shabbat

Farah Challah Cover in Gold Bordeaux by AHYIN | $350

Micaela Ezra of AHYIN creates truly stunning ethically crafted challah covers – each one is hand-embroidered by artisans in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. 

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