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A BHLDN and Mordechai Avraham Bride for a Magical Forest Egalitarian Jewish Wedding at Tzel Hadumim, Neot Kdumim, Israel

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We are totally in love with Esther and Yoni’s magical forest wedding venue, Neot Kdumim, which we’ve featured before on STG. Saying “I do” under the stars just sounds too dreamy and romantic — we can’t even!

Beautiful bride, Esther, couldn’t decide between a beautiful BHLDN number and a vintage lace boho gown by Mordechai Avraham – so she chose both! We are very much on board with this decision, and it perfectly tied together their laid-back-meets-formal vibe. 

Esther accented the bohemian vibe with natural-look makeup and fresh flowers in her hair, making her the walking centerpiece of the whimsical forest wonderland. Guests were also adorned with flower crowns, which doubled up as favors, making everyone who attended a living part of the dà©cor. Divine!

Surrounded by natural beauty, Esther and Yoni kept things simple, with sweet floral accents adorning the chuppah and a much bigger focus on their egalitarian, highly personalized Jewish ceremony. We love these priorities, and it’s no secret that we’re always huge fans of consciously gender-equal weddings. 

Phenomenal photographer, and much-loved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor, Ben Kelmer, captured the story of the day, and was met with absolutely glowing praise by the happy couple and their families. Looking over the stunning spread of images below, it’s easy to see why.

The vibe was also beautifully captured in the spine-tingling wedding video below, provided by Studio Polly.

It’s Esther’s turn to take over the blog to tell us all about her and Yoni’s unbelievably beautiful big day. Take it away, Esther! 

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Jewish wedding Tzel Hadumim, Neot Kdumim, Israel_0015

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Getting married under the stars

Esther, the bride: We got married in Tzel Hadumim; the wedding venue in Neot Kdumim. We wanted a place that was relaxed and fun, but also worked with the more formal direction our families were into, and this place perfectly combined the best of both worlds.

I also really wanted to get married outside and not in a hall. Tzel Hadumim has all the amenities of a hall, but it’s in the middle of a forest, under the stars. We also live in Jerusalem and it was only 40 minutes away, so it was pretty convenient.
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A Yolan Cris Bride for a Wonderfully Quirky Jewish Wedding at Aynhoe Park, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK

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Today’s real wedding comes with two separate, but equally valid, trigger warnings: the first is that it’s incredibly beautiful, and may result in you filling up your living room with Bubblegum Balloons, because they’re just so pretty. The second is that Olivia and Paul’s Jewish wedding day is deeply moving, and you may wish to grab a box of tissues before you read on. 

OK (we’re reaching for the first tissue here), how many childhood sweethearts actually make it to their big day? We’re guessing not that many, which makes Olivia and Paul truly special. The loved-up pair have been together since they were 14 years old. 14 years later, they finally said ‘I do’, which we think is just amazing. To have grown up together and still be just as in love half a lifetime later is something else.

Olivia and Paul were also dealt a devastating blow with the loss of Paul’s mother, Debra, a few months before the wedding. There are no words for the impact of losing someone so loved, and honoring her memory was a huge and vitally important part of the day. Debra managed to be part of the preparations, and had even visited the venue, which was so important to the couple.

And what a venue! We have been waiting to feature an Aynhoe Park wedding in forever! A private residence in Oxfordshire filled with stuffed animals, quirky artwork, sculptures, and an array of curiosities, we are more than obsessed with it for a wedding venue!

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Jewish Wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0011
We also love the Bubblegum Balloons adorning the ceiling, and the sprawling, whimsical floral arrangements throughout (including that chuppah!! WOW!!) to the romantic candlelight clusters. 

The entertainment was also varied, from wonderful musical acts to a snakeskin-clad contortionist and burlesque dancer respectively. There was not a moment of the day that was not utterly unique and special – doing it their way and then some.

Speaking of which, Olivia looked every bit the bridal beauty in her absolutely stunning Yolan Cris gown – absolutely awe-inspiring stuff and, as they say, total goals. 

Not one, but TWO of our beloved Recommended Vendors were a part of this gorgeous wedding, with chazan Jonny Mosesson gracing the ceremony with his beautiful voice and fabulous videographers, Imaginarium Cinematography, capturing the most sweet and gorgeous wedding video.  

We’ve gone on long enough – it’s time for Olivia to take over and take in those exceptional images from the wonderful Chiko Photography.

Get ready to fall in love and steal a million ideas, because we guarantee that’s how this is going to go. 

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How we met

Olivia, the bride: We met through one of my best friends when we were just 13/14. She invited me to a party at Paul’s house and we became really friendly.

We starting going out not long after and never looked back so 14 years later our wedding was a long time coming for our family and friends!
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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…

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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 Jewish Outdoor Wedding with a Hand-Embroidered Chuppah at Stellenbosch Winelands, Cape Town, South Africa

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As far as romantic and dreamy destination weddings go, a dusty, beautiful vineyard in South Africa is definitely up there! And that’s where we’ll be whisking you off to today to celebrate Jenna and Blake’s moving Jewish wedding.

Jenna and Blake are living proof that long-distance relationships can definitely have their happily ever after. Being apart for nine years, Jenna and Blake demonstrated how good things certainly come to those who wait.

Family was at the heart of this gorgeous big day – with a chuppah hand embroidered by Blake’s mother, which now serves as a quilt in the couple’s home, and Jenna’s moving tributes to her own mother, who had sadly passed away. 

Gorgeous bride Jenna looked like a vision in her La Sposa gown – unsurprising, given that she owns a small clothing boutique and really knows her stuff. We particularly loved her advice on finding the perfect wedding dress.

All of the details and whimsical couple shots were captured by Organictales Photography, and the cool and cinematic trailer below was created by Latsky Multimedia.

Jenna’s wonderful writeup is full of pearls of wisdom, so take a moment out of your day and dig into this stunning South African wedding! 

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How we met

Jenna, the bride: Blake and I met straight out of high school in 2002 while he was visiting from Johannesburg for summer vacation. We started dating the following year, and had a long-distance relationship for nearly nine years until he moved to Cape Town. He proposed in October 2015 and the rest, as they say, is history.

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A Monique Lhuillier Bride for a Rooftop Jewish Wedding at Ramscale Studios, Manhattan, New York City, USA

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This is the final call for the STG flight to NYC, for another divine destination wedding with an outrageously beautiful view of the New York skyline in fall.

Aliza and Nate’s chic city wedding took place on the rooftop of Ramscale Studio in NYC’s West Village, overlooking Manhattan, the Hudson River, and the most incredible sunset. 

The sweet couple opted for a classically elegant theme, with a highly personalized ceremony, incorporating a wonderful, steal-able idea for the Seven Blessings (which perfectly illustrates what we’re always saying on STG about updating Jewish traditions), and dà©cor that centered entirely around them and their stories.

We love, love, LOVE Aliza’s classically beautiful Monique Lhuillier gown, and her entire look, put together with such poise and finesse, perfectly matching the stunning backdrop.

All of the details were captured with expert ease by Rebecca Hales of Hales Studio. With such in-depth coverage, and Aliza’s brilliant write up, you almost feel like you were there. And, on that note, we’ll pass you over to Aliza to fill you in on her and Nate’s big-day story.

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A venue with a view 

Aliza, the bride: We chose Ramscale Studio in NYC’s West Village. We wanted to get married in our neighborhood, and this venue overlooks a pier we often walk to.

We loved the option of getting married on the large terrace, and it led to a magnificent sunset just after the ceremony. It has incredible views from the inside as well with large windows.

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