Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Home > New York Jewish Wedding > Page 7

A Casual, Vibrant Backyard Interfaith Jewish Micro Wedding in Scarsdale, New York, USA

by

Bryar and Brad, private residence, Scarsdale, USA
We love that when their original wedding plans for a black tie New York City wedding were waylaid by COVID, Bryar, a physician assistant at NYP Columbia, and Bradley, a VP at a private wealth management firmed based in Manhattan, opted to see it as an opportunity.

A few months into the pandemic, they moved out of their NYC apartment and into a house in Scarsdale. And given that it happened to have a gorgeous backyard, they figured it would be the perfect spot for a casual minimony – in which, unlike their big wedding (now scheduled for October of this year) where they’re going for timeless elegance, they felt free to experiment and have fun.

The 15-person micro wedding was a chance to try out things they wouldn’t have chosen for their big celebration – like filling tiny bud vases with bright seasonal flowers and opting for a non-traditional but totally stunning bridal ensemble. We’re obsessed with the dramatic sleeves on Bryar’s Vanessa Cocchiaro dress, ordered from Net a Porter, and how cool is her DIY pearl tiara (which she made by combining two pearl headbands)?!Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Megan Mills captured everything so perfectly, from all the gorgeous details to the couple’s love and happiness. Oh, and speaking of gorgeous details, don’t miss their beautiful white laser cut ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com!

Before we hand you over to Bryar, we want to share some of her reflections on her micro wedding:

In hindsight, I am so overjoyed that we got to have our micro wedding in our backyard of our new home. The evening was so intimate and we both were so present throughout the entire day. I feel like we are both so looking forward to our bigger celebration now because it will be just that. We will get to dance and hug everyone we will not have seen in so long, without the stress that a whole wedding day usually carries. Our advice to anyone considering a micro wedding is…do it!

Bryar and Brad, private residence, Scarsdale, USABryar and Brad, private residence, Scarsdale, USABryar and Brad, private residence, Scarsdale, USABryar and Brad, private residence, Scarsdale, USA
Micro Wedding

Bryar, the bride: Our original wedding date was May 30, 2020 at Tribeca 360. We were so excited to have a black tie New York City wedding. We wanted an evening that was glamorous, yet filled with love, and lots of dancing! When the COVID pandemic began, I was working with Covid patients daily, so Brad actually moved in with his mom in CT and I stayed at our apartment in NYC. We initially postponed our wedding to October 31, 2020 (the last Saturday that wasn’t booked in 2020 at our venue), but we quickly realized that a large wedding in 2020 was not going to be feasible.

In July, we ended up moving out of the city and purchasing a home in Scarsdale. We are lucky enough to have a beautiful backyard and we decided to have a small ceremony in our backyard on September 5. It was 15 people total, just our immediate family and two friends, along with our Rabbi, Rabbi Michael Friedman from Temple Israel in Westport, CT.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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

by

Sara-and-Ian-private-residence-Yonkers-NY

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…

Sara-and-Ian-private-residence-Yonkers-NYSara-and-Ian-private-residence-Yonkers-NY
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 ReadingContinue Reading

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

by

Rebecca-Brandon-501-Union-Brookyn-NY-USA

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…


Rebecca-Brandon-501-Union-Brookyn-NY-USARebecca-Brandon-501-Union-Brookyn-NY-USARebecca-Brandon-501-Union-Brookyn-NY-USARebecca-Brandon-501-Union-Brookyn-NY-USA
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 (;

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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

by

Sara-and-Greg-The-Swan-Club-in-Roslyn-NY

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…

Sara-and-Greg-The-Swan-Club-in-Roslyn-NYSara-and-Greg-The-Swan-Club-in-Roslyn-NYSara-and-Greg-The-Swan-Club-in-Roslyn-NY
How We Met

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

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

by

Elyssa-and-Adam-Plainview-New-York

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…

Elyssa-and-Adam-Plainview-New-York
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 ReadingContinue Reading