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A Studio Myra Bride for a Second Time Around Friday Morning Jewish Wedding at Psagot Winery, Sha’ar Binyamin, Israel

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Noa and Laurence, Psagot Winery, Sha'ar Binyamin, Israel

We love that Israeli couple Noa, an ER nurse and the regional director of the Terem chain of emergency clinics, and Laurence, the VP of technical operations for a fintech company, made their Jewish wedding ultra-personal. In Noa’s words, “As an older and second-time couple, we felt very free to set aside all the traditions with which we didn’t connect. We kept our guest list small and intimate, and made sure the people that mattered most to us were involved.”

This included getting married on a Friday morning, involving family and friends in the wedding (especially the couple’s children), and planning the big day in under 6 weeks. Since the winter wedding fell on the shortest Friday of the year, the duo wanted to help their guests out with Shabbat preparations, so as favors they gave each guest a bouquet of Shabbat flowers (that matched Noa’s bouquet) and a fresh challah to take home – how nice is that?!

When it came time to choose the perfect photographer to capture their big day, there was no question that it would be anyone but Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman. In Noa’s words, Herschel “was the only vendor that I was dead set on. Thankfully he was available, even with our short engagement, and his busy schedule. Our pictures came out incredible! We are so thrilled with our choice of Herschel. He had such a calm vibe and didn’t miss a shot – he was always exactly where he needed to be.”

Read on for the rest of the story in the bride’s own words…

Noa and Laurence, Psagot Winery, Sha'ar Binyamin, IsraelNoa and Laurence, Psagot Winery, Sha'ar Binyamin, IsraelNoa and Laurence, Psagot Winery, Sha'ar Binyamin, Israel

How We Met

Noa, the bride: We met nearly 3 years ago at the backyard pool party of a friend. I immediately noticed Laurence as he was the only person to show up in a button down shirt to a pool party!

That, and I noticed immediately that Laurence was an incredible listener, which made me really want to talk to him. Initially we were just friends, but about 6 weeks later I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

One of our first dates was a movie, then an MRI at midnight! The technicians were unable to remove one of my ear piercings and Laurence ended up using his teeth! We were able to make jokes and laugh.

You’re always told to choose a partner who can handle the hard things in life with you – for us, that’s how our relationship started. Navigating a new relationship while dealing with a devastating illness, including chemotherapy and multiple surgeries, was not easy.

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A Zeta Bridal Bride for an Italy-meets-Israel Jewish Wedding at Ahuvat ha Sapan, Ashdod, Israel

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You’re dreaming of a destination Jewish wedding, but circumstances mean it makes sense to stay close to home. Sound familiar? That’s what Israeli couple Anastasia and Evgeny found themselves up against when they fell hard for southern Italy – the colors, the blue tiles, the lemons, all of it! – but needed to keep their big day in their home country.

The resourceful duo saw this challenge merely as an opportunity to bring the spirit of Capri to the beaches of Ashdod (their venue happens to be located on the same beach where they met – awwww!), going all out with the lemons and bougainvillea and even hiring in Italian opera singer to set the tone!

And we could easily believe some of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Jossef Si’s wonderful photos were taken in the hills of Tuscany. As Anastasia says, he somehow managed to find just the right angles to turn every photo into a true work of art – while also managing to stay ever-so-perfectly on theme with the Italian vibes of the day. Videographer Happy Days captured all the gorgeous vibrancy of the day beautifully, too. 

 We’ll let the beautiful bride – who looked totally stunning in her floral gown by Zeta Bridal – fill you in on the rest…

Jewish-wedding-Ahuvat-ha-Sapan-Israel
How we met

Anastasia, the bride: Sounds like a cliché, but it was love at first sight.We met in a pub not far from where the wedding took place on Ashdod beach. The pub was called “It” and indeed surprisingly it was it. I remember it like yesterday, we were both dancing and then suddenly my gaze fell on a guy at the other side of the dance floor who was looking at me, our eyes crossed, and it was a really long and exciting moment. I really liked his looks, my heart started beating fast, and the rest is history.

The ring came after three years together and in the most surprising and spontaneous way.

We did not talk about it and he surprised me on our Christmas trip to Moscow. The atmosphere was magical, he brought me to a frozen lake in some Queen’s palace outside the city, and while he was skating, he kneeled for the proposal! In retrospect it turned out that Evgeny had purchased the ring a few minutes before our flight in Hstern at Duty Free and that was why he was almost late for the flight!

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A Magical Woodland Jewish-French Wedding Bursting with Love at Kortright Conservation Area, Vaughan, Canada

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Jewish wedding Kortright Conservation Area, Vaughan, Canada
Guys, get the tissues ready – this is not a drill. Repeat, this is NOT a drill. This loved-up pair will definitely give you the weepies. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Sari and Jason’s magical forest Jewish-French wedding was not only absolutely whimsical and captivating to look at, but was a moving, heartfelt affair. The adoration these two lovebirds have for one another shone through every moment of the day and every word they uttered to one another.

The wedding’s aesthetic is so divine that we’re not sure where to start, other than, upon seeing it, one of our STG team members (we’re looking at you, Sara!) gushed that this was the wedding they would have today if they could do it all again.

Nestled among the trees was the stunning birch wood chuppah, built by groom Jason and his dad, was such a hit (even though the two of them had never been to a Jewish ceremony ) that Jason now rents it out as part of his small business, Dundas Valley Chuppah. In fact, Dundas Valley Chuppah has made an appearance on Smashing The Glass before, providing the silk peonies for this beauty.  

Gorgeous bride Sari absolutely stunned in a breathtaking blush gown, assembled from a variety of sources to create the dream dress. She looked like a fairy princess swishing around the woods in her dreamy tulle skirt – absolutely divine!

There’s so much more to say, and we could go on forever about everything from the fabulous flowers, to the fact that the couple started rehearsing their first dance a whole year in advance of the wedding! But it’s time to now hand you over to Sari’s writeup, accompanied by a stunning spread of images by E. Baker Photography and the tear-jerking, romantic video below by Dave Tebutt Wedding Films. Get ready to fall in love…

Jewish wedding Kortright Conservation Area, Vaughan, Canada Jewish wedding Kortright Conservation Area, Vaughan, CanadaJewish wedding Kortright Conservation Area, Vaughan, Canada Jewish wedding Kortright Conservation Area, Vaughan, Canada
How we met

Sari, the bride: We met online! Funny enough, Jay had logged on and was trying to find out how to deactivate his account. As he was searching online, I popped up and had sent him a message. There hasn’t been a day since then that we haven’t talked.

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A Cute and Quirky Creative Industrial Chic Romantic Floral Jew-ish Wedding at Hotel Ocho, Toronto, Canada

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Jewish wedding Hotel Ocho Toronto Canada
Get ready for goosebumps, because this quirky and creative Jew-ish real wedding is soooo beautiful that we actively scouted it, after bride, Laura, tagged this image on her Instagram with the hashtag #jewishwedding !

When two creatives come together (Steve is an online editor for a local city magazine, while Laura works as a copy editor and page designer for a local newspaper), the result is an unstoppable force of originality, expression and amazing attention to detail. 

The industrial-chic vibe of Toronto boutique hotel, Hotel Ocho, was juxtaposed with a romantic, floral theme that saw fluffy, pink peonies take pride of place in wildflower-feel arrangements. The stunning chuppah, which was built as a team effort by the couple’s family, was sprawling with beautiful silk blooms. 

Everything about this bright and bold big day popped with color, from the bridesmaids’ and groomswomens’ dresses, to the bride’s breathtaking crimson lip and red hair combo. Laura looked every bit the Hollywood glamazon in her champagne-colored Allure Bridals ballgown. 

The wedding was peppered with personalized details, including illustrated invitations and simply the cutest cake topper! The whole thing came together in a pretty Pinterest-perfect palette. Speaking of which, you know what to do!

Every last detail, including some super romantic kissing in the rain, was captured by photographer Daniel Clements and, of course, writer Laura provided the most articulate and wonderful account of the couple’s big day. Enjoy, and don’t forget to leave some love in the comments.

Jewish-Wedding-Hotel-Ocho,-Toronto,-Canada

Jewish wedding Hotel Ocho Toronto Canada

Jewish wedding Hotel Ocho Toronto Canada

Jewish wedding Hotel Ocho Toronto Canada

Jewish wedding Hotel Ocho Toronto Canada

How we met

Laura, the bride: We met about six or seven years ago when we were both working for a news website called Torontoist – we both worked from home as freelancers, but we first met in person during a bar night at a journalism event. I was seeing someone else at the time, but Steve asked me out almost as soon as he heard I was single.

The first time he kissed me was after a date at a Doctor Who-themed improv show at the Comedy Bar, and we still have the postcard from that comedy show up on our fridge.
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Sarah & Anne | Super stylish Same Sex Jewish Wedding at Hart House, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Lesbian-Wedding-at-Hart-House-University-of-Toronto
I couldn’t name this blog anything but smashing the glass. It is THE moment of a Jewish wedding and images like the one above just make me so happy. Two beautiful women, crazy in love, performing this hugely symbolic tradition under a gorgeous chuppah. I’m telling you, one of the best things about this job is definitely how uplifting it is to look at images like these.

And like all the real Jewish weddings on Smashing The Glass, this W-Day is completely refreshing. Both brides chose to forgo the traditional wedding dress style in favour of a two super sleek and contemporary creations by Carolina Herrera and Judith and Charles respectively, accessorised in Anne’s case by the most delicate headpiece.

And that’s not the only thing that has me swooning. There are gorgeous dainty florals and rustic table runners by GLP Events that not only look delightful (Anne wanted a simple arrangement of flowers that reminded her of the fields in the small French village where she grew up), they’re cost-effective too.

And the guests…well if the photos at the end of the night are anything to go by, then it’s clear that everyone had a darned good time!

Back with a bang for his 3rd feature on STG, Niv Shimshon has captured the mood perfectly with these terrific shots. Prepare to swoon.

Lesbian Wedding at Hart House, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
how we met

Sarah and Anne, the Brides: We met one cold winter’s evening in Montreal and have been together nearly every day since. On the night we met, Anne was sick with a nasty flu. Sarah, a germophobe, knew it was love at first sight because she didn’t want the date to end despite Anne’s coughing, sneezing, and significantly high fever. Anne is calm, cool and collected, and Sarah is witty, funny, and shows pictures of her dog to strangers every time she has a chance.

Lesbian Wedding at Hart House, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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