• About
  • Find a Vendor
  • Submit
  • Advertise
  • Brides Club
  • Your Jewish Life
  • Contact

Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

  • Real Jewish Weddings
    • City Chic
    • Fashion Forward
    • Outdoor
    • Destination
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • France
      • Beach Weddings
    • Super Luxe
    • Budget
    • DIY
    • Same Sex
  • Jew-ish Weddings
    • Real Jew-ish Weddings
    • Jewish-Catholic Weddings
    • Jewish-Chinese Weddings
    • Jewish-Christian Weddings
    • Jewish-Greek Weddings
    • Jewish-Hindu Weddings
    • Jewish-Humanist Weddings
    • Jewish-Irish Weddings
    • Jewish Japanese Weddings
    • Jewish-Muslim Weddings
    • Same Sex Jew-ish Weddings
  • Inspiration + Guidance
    • Engaged? Start Here
    • Ceremony
      • Chuppah ideas
      • Jewish ceremony music
      • Jewish wedding ceremony 101
      • Jewish ceremony traditions
      • Ketubah Ideas
      • Jewish wedding legalities
      • Jew-ish ceremony ideas
    • Reception
      • Music
      • Speeches
      • Entertainment
      • Venues
    • Food & Drink
      • Kosher catering
      • Wedding cakes
      • Drinks
    • Decor
      • Decorations
      • Favours
      • Floristry
      • Guestbooks
      • Stationery
    • Style
      • Brides dresses
      • Shoes & accessories
      • Grooms
      • Bridesmaids
    • Advice
      • Converting to Judaism
      • Real blogging brides
      • Dear Karen…
    • Honeymoons
    • STG Live
    • Five Minutes With
    • Wedding Must-Haves
    • Wedding Consultancy
  • Jewish Brides Club
  • Find a Wedding Vendor
Home > Real Jewish Bride > Page 5

Real Jewish Brides: Jenna on Moving back to Tucson, Arizona!

07/01/2021 by Smashing The Glass

Jenna will be marrying Mat on 13th June 2021 at The Lodge at Ventana Canyon in Tucson, Arizona. Click here to read all Jenna’s planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: (1) Jenna + Mat have known each other all their lives – they met when they were both one-year-old at a baby class! (2) Their relationship began at the University of Arizona in March 2012 (3) Mat proposed at Jenna’s parents house in December 2018


The news is official!  My fiancé, Mat, and I will be moving back home to Tucson, AZ! Like so many during these days, we are now both fully remote.  This means we can move out of our tiny one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn and to somewhere cheaper where we can rent much, much more space.  Our lease is up at the end of February, so we’ll be packing up a Pod (love this style of moving, as you pack it up, they drive it, and can even store it until you have a final delivery location), packing up the cat who will detest being stuck in her carrier that long, and heading out west.

Goodbye snow, cold, subways, small apartment – hello warm Tucson, those beautiful sunsets, stunning mountains, space (especially outdoor space), and Sonoran Mexican food (my personal favorite style of Mexican food)!

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Share this post:

  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

A Nouvelle Amsale Bride for an Autumnal Outdoor DIY Jewish Wedding on a Budget at Camp Holiday Trails in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

23/12/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Erin-and-Josh-Camp-Holiday-Trails-Charlottesville

We could not be any more overjoyed to be featuring the gorgeous DIY Jewish wedding of our beloved Brides Club member and blogging bride Erin as our very last wedding of 2020!

Erin, a medical education coordinator at the University of Virginia, and Josh, a musician and fourth-grade teacher at a forest school, had originally planned to wed at their synagogue, followed by a reception at a local restaurant. But like so many 2020 couples, they had to retool their day when COVID hit. They were intent on marrying on their original date, but knew they needed a mostly outdoor venue that allowed for social distancing.

Luckily, Erin and Josh live in beautiful Charlottesville, Virginia, and they were able to find a spot that perfectly fit the bill in Camp Holiday Trails, which during the summer functions as a camp for children with medical needs – so not only did they end up with incredible natural scenery  requiring very little in the way of added decor (abundant fall foliage AND the Blue Ridge mountains as a backdrop? Yes please!), they were able to support a good cause too.

Erin and Josh were on a tight budget – but luckily they also happen to be super craftsy, and they ended up creating so many incredible DIY touches that really made their day pop. The highlight has got to be the ketubah they created together, featuring a gorgeous composite photo of the couple sitting by a local pond looking up at the Milky Way (with photos by the groom) – perfectly in keeping with their loose theme of “a starry fall night in the mountains.” We also love the cool copper pipe chuppah these two built – which they plan to repurpose in the future as parts for their sukkah! Don’t miss it – and all the other handcrafted touches – in the incredible photos from Steve of Photography Champloo.

The couple also had some help from their wonderful friends and family – Erin’s sister, Kaley Agee, happens to be a professional photographer, and she pitched in with some getting-ready shots on the big day in addition to manning the videography (which Erin and Josh will be editing themselves). And when Erin determined a florist was out of budget, her amazing friend and fellow Brides Club member Karisa, sent over some unused Sola Wood Flowers left over from her own wedding, which Erin dyed and hand-painted herself.

There’s so much more to say about this fantastic wedding, but we’ll let Erin tell you the rest…

Erin-and-Josh-Camp-Holiday-Trails-CharlottesvilleErin-and-Josh-Camp-Holiday-Trails-CharlottesvilleErin-and-Josh-Camp-Holiday-Trails-CharlottesvilleErin-and-Josh-Camp-Holiday-Trails-Charlottesville
How we Met

Erin, the bride: Josh and I met how any good millennials meet – on a dating app! Josh and I had the unusual courtship of two months of talking before we ever met in person (it was the Thanksgiving holiday, then I went down to Florida to see my family over the winter holidays, and then by the time I got back, Josh was on a Birthright trip to Israel!)

We were finally able to meet in January of 2018, and we both fell hard pretty quickly after our first date at a local coffee shop (where we both unknowingly ordered the same drink!)Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Share this post:

  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Real Jewish Bride: Sarah on a Chrismukkah Miracle

17/12/2020 by Smashing The Glass

Sarah will be marrying Rich on 20th June 2021 at Tikitano Beach, Marbella, Spain. Click here to read all Sarah’s planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: (1) Sarah knew Rich was the one when he brought a gift of dog treats for her toy poodle Nuala along to their fourth date! (2) They are crafting an amazing destination wedding weekend in Marbella with beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended vendor optimum weddings as their planner. (3) Sarah is a member of  Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club!


Since my last blog post a lot has happened! Last month I was busy co-ordinating with my wonderful wedding planner (and now boss!) Dyana to get a third backup date in place for June 2022. I wasn’t sure where we would be Covid wise, but I knew that with the number of new weddings and postponed ones, I didn’t want to leave getting our desired date in place to chance. All of our providers have afforded us incredible generosity and flexibility and I am enormously grateful for that.

Needless to say, I hoped and still do hope that this date is just a cautious formality. November really was a month filled with ups and downs, the world had some great news (a breath of fresh air for 2020) with the election of President Elect Joe Biden and in less exciting news, the UK was plunged into lockdown round two.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Share this post:

  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Real Jewish Brides: Charlotte on Getting the Wedding Spark Back

03/12/2020 by Smashing The Glass

Charlotte will be marrying Adam on 25th April 2021 at Swynford Manor in Newmarket, UK. Click here to read all Charlotte’s planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: (1) Adam proposed to Charlotte on holiday in Cyprus (2) Charlotte and Adam met at work in London (3) Charlotte is a member of STG Brides Club!


The last update I wrote was about the latest guidance given by the government and the impact it had on me. The announcement really knocked me and I was devastated. For days after I cried or felt angry. It was comforting to know that I wasn’t alone and all of us felt sad, angry or both.

6 months before the wedding we were due to meet with our wedding coordinator and plan the details of the day. I had been so excited to do this and get those decisions made and start to see our day come together.

Ahead of the planning meeting Adam and I talked, a lot, about a wedding for 15 and how we felt about it and we decided that if it’s a wedding of 15, we will likely postpone the whole day. Our magic number for the wedding to go ahead as planned is 17. Whilst we have so many more we want to be there (it’s planned to be a wedding for 140) without these 17 people there, the day, for us, just wouldn’t be the same. There have been some absolutely breath-taking micro-weddings and whilst I don’t doubt that the day would still be beautiful, Adam and I aren’t can’t envisage our day without our siblings and our grandparents being there.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Share this post:

  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Real Jewish Brides: Maggie on Wedding Planning Depression

26/11/2020 by Smashing The Glass

Maggie will be marrying Danny on 6th June 2021 at Stone House of St. Charles in St. Charles, Missouri. Click here to read all Maggie’s planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: (1) Danny proposed to Maggie on his birthday! (2) Maggie is in the process of converting to Judaism (3) Maggie is a member of STG Brides Club!


The idea of wedding planning in today’s society is just plain depressing. In my everyday life I am looking at the occupancy of my hotel going up and down, the possibility of a second round of layoffs, and the continued call of cancelations. In a recent hit to my hotel we found out they are canceling elective surgeries for 8 weeks – we are a hotel near the hospitals so this is a major hit to our occupancy.

Having this perspective on the pandemic just makes me more and more depressed about our day. Getting married on June 6 is the most important thing to me as this was my grandparents’ anniversary. With this in mind we will absolutely not reschedule our wedding, we just know that with this third wave coming we likely will go from a list of 250 guests to about 150 or less.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Share this post:

  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • …
  • 45
  • Next Page »

Jewish Weddings by Country

Weddings by Colour

Awesome Jewish Gifts

Get posts directly into your inbox

Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.

Today’s Top Posts

  • A guide to the Jewish Wedding Ceremony and Order of Service under the chuppah
    A guide to the Jewish Wedding Ceremony and Order of Service under the chuppah
  • Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained - Breaking The Glass
    Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained - Breaking The Glass
  • Dates in 2026, 2027 and 2028 to avoid for a Jewish wedding plus a 12 Month Wedding Planning Monthly Checklist
    Dates in 2026, 2027 and 2028 to avoid for a Jewish wedding plus a 12 Month Wedding Planning Monthly Checklist
  • A Reform Jewish Wedding - a guide to an egalitarian ceremony under the chuppah
    A Reform Jewish Wedding - a guide to an egalitarian ceremony under the chuppah
  • How to Turn Your Smashed Glass Shards Into a Keepsake Souvenir of Your Jewish Wedding
    How to Turn Your Smashed Glass Shards Into a Keepsake Souvenir of Your Jewish Wedding

Subscribe by Email

Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.

Liberty London
Kate Spade UK Limited
Monica Vinader
Mr And Mrs Smith Honeymoons
closeJoin our members-only community for Jewish brides!

All content © Smashing The Glass 2026