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Home > Nava Shoham

A Family-Focused Jewish Wedding in Teal and Silver at The Prado at Balboa Park, San Diego, California, USA

06/01/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA

We love it when a couple focuses their wedding on the things that really matter – which is exactly what today’s couple, Krystal, a chief in the Navy, and Richard, a construction manager, did. Early on, they decided they wanted to craft an intimate, budget-conscious day centered around family and faith, and their joyous San Diego Jewish wedding at The Prado at Balboa Park was exactly that.

Including family was key to the couple every step of the way. Krystal planned the wedding alongside her mother, mother-in-law, sisters, and sister-in-law, and on the day family members did everything from reading the seven blessings to leading the toasts. Including the memories of relatives who had passed away was also top of mind for Krystal and Richard, and, in addition to a memorial table with 4×6 picture frames with photos and names, during the ceremony the couple’s rabbi read out the names of late loved ones.

Family members also signed the couple’s stunning ketubah, which they found via Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com. They chose the Infinite Love Papercut design for its bright colors, and they loved working with Ketubah.com for their quick response times, variety, and ease of changes for text or delivery dates.

Krystal was a member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club throughout her wedding planning, and we’re so touched to hear that she found the group a big source of support in everything from figuring out how to honor loved ones who have passed on, trimming down a guest list, and whether – and how – to manage a successful hora with a smaller crowd.

This was truly an incredible wedding – don’t miss the joy-filled photos by Bruna of Elegance in Frame Photography to see all the love and happiness of the day!

Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA
How we Met

Krystal, the bride: Picture it, San Diego, 2020. It was Richard’s first time out in years and my first time out since returning from a six-month deployment. It was going to be a much needed ladies night since restaurants and bars were finally open again.

As the ladies were looking for an empty table, Richard was holding one down for the fellas who just stepped away. I asked if we could share his table to finish our drinks, he kindly obliged, and the rest is history. I remember he wore a black t-shirt with a hamster in the pocket (proof he didn’t go out that night looking for a girlfriend) and conversation sparked because we’re both Denver Broncos football fans.

He had such a bright and handsome smile that the first time he laughed, I swooned. Classic story of guy meets girl during a pandemic, right? It’s funny because earlier that week I deleted all the dating apps on my phone and told myself I was going to be single for a while. Well, clearly Hashem had other plans for me. We met on a Saturday night, first date was Tuesday, and by Thursday he asked me to be his girlfriend. 10 months later, he proposed!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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Two Gorgeous Brides for a Hometown Same Sex Jewish Wedding at The Terrace on Grand, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

21/01/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Hannah & Elizabeth, The Terrace on Grand, Kansas City, USA

How fabulous is today’s Jewish wedding?! We’re obsessed with everything the gorgeous big day of Hannah, an acute care nurse practitioner, and Elizabeth, a physician in interventional radiology, from the fantastic jewel-toned color scheme to the focus on highlighting their beloved shared hometown of Kansas City.

There are so many fantastic details to ogle over, but make sure you don’t miss the couple’s glorious floral chuppah, perfectly captured by Adri of Black Coffee Photo. We can’t get enough of the jewel-tone florals, or the combination of fresh blooms with dried flowers. And on top of all that, the chuppah structure was built on site by Hannah’s father – and the couple hope to share it with their unmarried siblings for their future weddings! What an incredibly special family heirloom.

We’re also seriously impressed with both brides’ fashion sense. Hannah looked so glam in her sparkly Tara Keely by Lazaro gown, while Elizabeth started off the day in a super cool white bridal jumpsuit by Emily Hart Bridal before switching into a tux from Little Black Tux for the reception!

Now we’ll hand you off to the brides themselves…

Hannah & Elizabeth, The Terrace on Grand, Kansas City, USA Hannah & Elizabeth, The Terrace on Grand, Kansas City, USA Hannah & Elizabeth, The Terrace on Grand, Kansas City, USA Hannah & Elizabeth, The Terrace on Grand, Kansas City, USA
How we Met

Hannah: We first met while working in the same hospital department in Kansas city.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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A Vintage Bride for an Eco-Friendly DIY Jewish Wedding on a Budget, San Juan Island Grange Hall, Washington, USA

10/01/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Emily & Jason, San Juan Island Grange Hall, Washington State, USA

We couldn’t be more delighted to feature the gorgeous DIY Jewish wedding of our Brides Club member Emily to Jason! The couple, who live on a sailboat and run a sailing business, planned a laid-back eco-wedding totally in keeping with their values and lifestyle – and in line with their tight budget.

How’d they do it? With a little help from their friends. Emily and Jason asked guests to pitch in on wedding prep in lieu of gifts, and it made for such a special day – from the food cooked by guests to a chuppah constructed from local driftwood by the Boy Scout troop Jason leads! Don’t miss it in the gorgeous images by Nyama Photography.

We loved following Emily’s wedding planning journey during her time in Brides Club, and we’re so touched by her kind words about the community:

“I loved being a member of Brides Club, joining after I got engaged was a no brainer for me because I’d already been in Karen Cinnamon’s Smashing Life and love the community she has created there. I found our ketubah, yarmulkes and invitation/wedding website through Bride’s Club. I received so much support and love in this group.”

Another thing we’re obsessed with? Emily’s gorgeous vintage dress, ordered from Etsy! The classic ‘50s styling is SO chic, and going vintage is such a great eco-friendly option.

Now over to the bride…

Emily & Jason, San Juan Island Grange Hall, Washington State, USA Emily & Jason, San Juan Island Grange Hall, Washington State, USA Emily & Jason, San Juan Island Grange Hall, Washington State, USA Emily & Jason, San Juan Island Grange Hall, Washington State, USA
How we Met

Emily, the bride: We started dating after Emily moved to Bellingham, WA from New York City. Jason quickly told her that he would never live on land again. Emily started taking to life on sailboat having admired sailboats from a far for much of her life. Emily bought a ballet school on San Juan Island and moved to Friday Harbor.

After a brief time living on land and loving hosting large dinners (which Jason especially loved), Emily and Jason decided to move back full-time to the sailboat, where they are very happy and looking forward to extended cruising. We are loving life on our boat and started a sailing business, Essential Sailing Industries. Jason with an emphasis on battery and solar systems, electrical work and generally meeting and helping people work with their boats and solving their boat problems. Emily is putting her years of sewing to work making canvas for boats.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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A Pronovias Bride for an Outdoor Jewish Wedding with TWO Ketubahs at Bear Brook Valley, Fredon, New Jersey, USA

08/11/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

Melanie-Keith-Bear-Brook-Valley-New-Jersey-USA

Lots of couples find that choosing a beautiful ketubah is one of the most meaningful and fun parts of planning their Jewish wedding. Well, Melanie and Keith enjoyed it so much they did it twice!

Let’s back up a little. Like with so many couples, COVID got in the way of the pair’s initial plans to wed in September 2020. Nevertheless, they decided to make it official on their original date with just immediate family present – and a gorgeous colorful ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Nava Shoham – 1800ketubah. Melanie and Keith adored their design so much that when the time came to plan their big celebration in June 2021, they decided to get a second lovely ketubah from Nava to mark the occasion! Don’t miss ketubah #2 in Anthony Ziccardi Studios’ wonderful photos!

And while that’s got to be our favorite story about this awesome Jewish wedding, it’s not the only unique touch. We love that Melanie and Keith wrote and read their own personal vows – heartfelt, but with a touch of humor – and we’re also crazy about their doughnut board exit station! Instead of traditional favors, guests could choose a donut from the wall on their way out, placed in personalized bags as a sweet treat for the trip home. How fun is that?

There’s so much more we could say, but we’ll leave the rest to Melanie, who looked so elegant in Pronovias…

Melanie-Keith-Bear-Brook-Valley-New-Jersey-USA Melanie-Keith-Bear-Brook-Valley-New-Jersey-USA Melanie-Keith-Bear-Brook-Valley-New-Jersey-USA Melanie-Keith-Bear-Brook-Valley-New-Jersey-USA
How we Met

Melanie, the bride: We met on a dating app, Coffee Meets Bagel, in September of 2016. At the time, we were both in graduate school in New York City. We now live in Central New York, in the Syracuse area, where we moved for a great opportunity for Keith. Keith is a Podiatric Surgeon and he works in a group practice and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and I work at a middle school. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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An Essense of Australia Bride for a Jewish Wedding at the Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

07/06/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

Melissa-Evan-Maryland-Centre-for-History-Culture-USA

There’s nothing like a good museum wedding. And we’re seriously smitten with the Jewish wedding of Melissa, a personal stylist, and Evan, who works for the U.S. government as an outdoor recreation planner and project coordinator. These two held their celebration at Baltimore’s Maryland Historical Society, which is chock full of cool history displays and art galleries – and it made the absolute perfect setting for their black-tie festivities. Have a scroll through the couple’s incredible photos by The Oberports and we bet you’ll agree!

We adore Melissa and Evan’s gorgeous ketubah, created by Nava Shoham of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor 1-800-Ketubah. The couple chose her “Royal Claddagh” design, in honor of their Scottish and Irish ancestry, and we’re in love with the bold, beautiful, colorful ketubah. In the bride’s words, it’s a real statement piece!

Now over to Melissa, who looked radiant in Essense of Australia…

Melissa-Evan-Maryland-Centre-for-History-Culture-USA Melissa-Evan-Maryland-Centre-for-History-Culture-USA Melissa-Evan-Maryland-Centre-for-History-Culture-USA Melissa-Evan-Maryland-Centre-for-History-Culture-USA
How we Met

Melissa, the bride: We met in college where we were both involved with the marching band.  Although, we weren’t in the band at the same time, we attended the same band parties and hit it off there.  That was 15 years ago!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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