New York Jewish Wedding Archives - Page 3 of 11 - Smashing the Glass

An Autumnal Backyard Jewish Minimony in Yonkers, New York, USA

11/01/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

We’re totally and completely in love with the beautiful backyard micro wedding of Brides Club member Sara, a social media coordinator at a jewelry company, and Ian, a special education middle school teacher.

These two had originally planned a 150-person wedding for October, but due to the pandemic they opted to postpone their big celebration to next year and proceed with a 20-person minimony held in Sara’s father’s backyard.

On a perfect, sunny autumn day, Sara and Ian gathered with their families – including their beloved grandparents – for an intimate outdoor celebration, complete with COVID safety precautions: everyone wearing masks, hand sanitizer everywhere, and each household assigned to their own space. They streamed the proceedings on Zoom so those on their original guest list who couldn’t be there in person could still take part in the day.

For the in-person guests, Sara and Ian provided individual boxed lunches – and, best of all, Sara’s aunt gifted the gluten-free bride a super chocolatey, super delicious gluten-free cake from one of her favorite places, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor By The Way Bakery– known far and wide for the tastiest and most beautiful GF wedding cakes around.

We love all the DIY touches – Sara not only did her own hair and makeup, she also hand painted her denim wedding jacket with a moon, stars, hearts, and the words “Written in the Stars” to wear as a coverup – and you can just feel the joy exuding from each and every one of the photos by Tohid Rasel of Monolith Images Studio.

We’ll let the bride fill you in on the rest…

How we met

Sara, the bride: Ian and I started chatting on JSwipe in 2017 and we’ve talked everyday since. We had an immediate connection, went on a few dates, and just two weeks later we were exclusive.Continue Reading

A Vera Wang Bride for a Brooklyn Meets Tropical Paradise Jewish Wedding at 501 Union, Brooklyn, New York, USA

23/11/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

There’s nothing like a little hometown pride – and what better to serve as inspiration for your Jewish wedding? Today’s bride and groom, Rebecca and Brandon, are both passionate Brooklynites – and they used their love of their home borough as inspiration for their big day.

Their venue, 501 Union, in Brooklyn neighborhood Gowanus, is SO industrial chic, and the couple complemented it with fun touches like a personalized map of Brooklyn on the back of their invitations (with key spots in the couple’s lives marked), mini Junior’s cheesecakes as favors, a Brooklyn-fabulous cocktail hour menu including lox on everything bagel chips, pastrami bites, and Coney Island hot dogs, and even a Coolhaus ice cream sandwich truck!

We’re also digging the urban jungle vibes Rebecca and Brandon went with for their florals – how fun is their chuppah?! Don’t miss it in Billye Donya Photography’s wonderful pics.

We’ll leave it to the bride, who looked utterly urban chic in Vera Wang…

How we met

Rebecca, the bride: We swiped right on Tinder, so obviously didn’t know much about each other before we met. For our first date, he suggested we meet after work near the Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park, since it was right in between our apartments, and grab a drink from there.

I had certain hesitations about meeting a random internet man at the park at dusk so I told a good handful of friends about the date, so they’d know what to tell the authorities if I never came back… Anyway, once I saw Brandon in his Canadian tuxedo (denim on denim, baby!), I knew I had nothing to worry about (;

A Sottero & Midgley Bride for a Family-Focused Black Tie Jewish Wedding at The Swan Club in Roslyn, New York, USA

09/11/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

We love it when a couple makes their Jewish wedding all about family – which is exactly what Sara, a record label manager, and Greg, who owns a chain of women’s clothing stores, did in planning their autumnal black-tie affair near the bride’s hometown on Long Island.

It started during the planning phase, when Sara’s mom took the lead in bringing the day to life. Then, on the day, Sara and Greg were married by the bride’s uncle, a rabbi for the United States Navy – all while wrapped in Greg’s late grandpa’s tallit. Then, post-ceremony, the couple’s living grandfathers came out on the dance floor to help the newlyweds bless and cut the challah. You can just feel the love seeping out of each and every one of Hilary Katzen’s exquisite photos.

We’re also obsessed with Sara’s bridal style, from her crystal-beaded gown bySottero & Midgley to her white glitter Keds by Kate Spade (yep, this bride wore sneakers all throughout the big day!) to her gorgeous veil – which, fittingly enough, was handmade by her mother. Sara’s luscious locks looked perfect, too – which was all the more meaningful since she spent the three years preceding the wedding growing her hair back after losing it to cancer.

And how gorgeous is the couple’s exuberant ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor 1-800-ketubah.com – Nava Shoham?! Selected by the groom, who was after something colorful, the couple now give their ketubah place of pride in their home.

Read on for the full details of this epic day – which was truly a family affair…

How We Met

Sara, the bride: We met at a bar mitzvah when we were seniors in high school in 2010.Continue Reading

Two Broadway Performers’ Jewish Backyard Micro Wedding in Plainview, New York, USA

02/11/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Like so many couples in 2020, Elyssa and Adam had to drastically rethink their wedding plans after the pandemic broke out. These two also have the additional challenge of working on Broadway, which has been especially hard hit, with theaters set to be closed for no less than a year: Elyssa is an actor and playwrightcurrently producing a digital benefit concert through her Jewish theatre company, Ahava Theatre, and Adam is a Broadway musician currently teaching virtual piano lessons during the pandemic.

But the couple made the most of a tough situation by putting together a gorgeous micro wedding in Elyssa’s mom’s backyard, complete with a heartwarming ceremony, a chuppah handmade by the groom, the bride in a repurposed white prom dress, and the most stunning ketubahby Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Nava Shoham.

Even though it was very different from the day they’d originally planned – and Elyssa and Adam do still plan to have a big celebration next summer on the one-year anniversary of their micro wedding – they say opting to get married now was “the best decision we ever made.” And it’s easy to believe after scrolling through the Erica Marie Photos’ joyous, emotion-filled images.

Now over to the couple…

How we met

Elyssa, the bride and Adam, the groom: Adam’s stepdad and Elyssa’s uncle were childhood friends in Brooklyn in the 60s! In 2015, Adam met Elyssa’s aunt and uncle and coincidentally they were both in Cambridge, MA for the summer doing theatre. Elyssa’s aunt Amy and Adam’s mom Debi thought it would be a great idea for them to meet because of their shared interest in music and theatre!Continue Reading

A Svetlana Bridal Bride for a Modern Winter Jewish Wedding at Glen Island Harbor Club, New Rochelle, New York, USA

19/10/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Okay, HOW gorgeous is this purple floral chuppah?! And to think that Smashing The Glass Brides Club member Samantha, a lawyer, and Eugene, an investment banker, only ended up with it as their plan B after the bride’s grandmother objected to their first choice of a lucite canopy! Sometimes grandma really does know best…

Not to say that we don’t love us some lucite! And we’ve got that in common with this modern design-loving couple, who took cues from their apartment décor to combine their contemporary vibes with bright colors they knew would bring cheer to their winter wedding. Don’t miss the joyous pics from Jovon Photography.

We’re obsessed with their beautiful gold-trimmed ketubah by Stephanie Caplan of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Ketubah, who Samantha and Eugene found right here on STG, and we love all the special touches these two added to make their day unforgettable, from hashtag stirrers in their signature drinks to a glitter canon on the dance floor to a caviar station. There were even banana pudding cups as favors at the end of the night, in honor of Samantha’s trademark dessert.

We’ll let the bride – who looked stunning in her custom gown from Svetlana Bridal – fill you in on the rest…

Keeping It Close to Home

Samantha, the bride: Our venue was Glen Island Harbor Club, New Rochelle NY. I grew up 10 minutes down the road, my Bat Mitzvah was right next door (at the New York Athletic Club) so it seemed like a good spot. My husband jokes that we live in “Westchester South” a/k/a the Upper East Side of NYC so we played off of this.