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Why Crystal Springs Resort Is the Perfect Spot for Your New York Metro Jewish Wedding Weekend

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Photo by Uri Arnson Wedding Photography 

If you’re dreaming of a New York-area wedding weekend that combines the charm of the countryside with all the luxury and sophistication you could ask for, we’ve got just the place for you: Crystal Springs Resort. Nestled in New Jersey’s Sussex County, just an hour from New York City, this incredible destination offers the ideal setting for a Jewish wedding weekend filled with unforgettable moments.

Photo by Fred Marcus Studio

The Resort offers a variety of different venues that can accommodate large parties, with spaces to suit the Jewish wedding of your dreams and accommodate each part of your special day.

Each season at Crystal Springs Resort has its own special attractions. In spring and summer, enjoy the rural landscape and relaxed pace that make a country escape enticing. If you love the bright colors of fall, get ready for a spectacular panorama as the mountains shimmer with gorgeous red and gold leaves. In winter, you and your guests can add some excitement to your stay with nearby skiing, snowboarding or snow tubing.

Photo by Tom Haas

Your Wedding Weekend, Your Way

Kick off the festivities with a welcome reception and set the tone for an amazing and unforgettable gathering, and spend a day before the wedding bonding with your nearest and dearest over rounds of golf, spa days, invigorating outdoor adventures, or simply enjoying the resort’s breathtaking mountain views.

Photo by Fred Marcus Studio

Then, celebrate your nuptials with breathtaking sunsets and mountain views, followed by an unparalleled cocktail hour and extraordinary reception.

Photo by Anthony Ziccardi Studios

Keep the celebration going with an over-the-top after party and exceptional brunch to round out your most memorable weekend ever. At Crystal Springs Resort, your celebration is more than a wedding—it’s a weekend-long love story, shared with those who matter most.

Photo by Custom by Nicole 

A Venue as Unique as Your Vision

Crystal Springs Resort boasts four exceptional properties, each with a variety of spaces to suit your specific style, guest count, and budget. Whether you envision a grand ballroom affair or a rustic outdoor celebration, you’ll find the perfect venue here.

Photo by Fred Marcus Studio

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Farewell to a Bridal Icon: Find Your Dream Dress for up to 75% Off at Steven Birnbaum’s Closing Sale, December 4 – 15

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It’s the end of an era in the bridal world. After over 40 years of crafting breathtaking gowns for brides and eveningwear aficionados alike, the legendary Steven Birnbaum is closing the doors of his Chelsea, NYC, atelier. As he prepares to step into a well-earned retirement, he’s offering one final gift to the brides-to-be of the world: a farewell sale of one-of-a-kind couture pieces at an incredible 70-75% off retail prices.

For those who know Steven’s work, this is a bittersweet moment. His designs have graced countless weddings, galas, and celebrations, each piece lovingly created with the skill and artistry that comes from decades of dedication.

From his beginnings in costume design, creating pieces for theatre and dance that balanced beauty with functionality, to his celebrated collaboration with Robert Bullock in launching Birnbaum & Bullock in 1998, Steven’s commitment to elegance, ease, and craftsmanship has always been unmatched.

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An Iconic London Wedding Venue Gets Even Better: Introducing the Natural History Museum’s Darwin Centre and Wildlife Gardens

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Image by Matt Chung Photo 

It’s no secret that the Natural History Museum is one of London’s most breathtaking Jewish wedding venues.

The Natural History Museum has long been admired for its range of majestic indoor spaces – you might have seen stunning photos of unforgettable receptions in the Grade I listed Romanesque building’s Hintze Hall, with Hope the blue whale suspended from the ceiling – and they’ve just added a gorgeous new outdoor option to their repertoire.

Image by Matt Chung Photo 

The Perfect Outdoor Venue in Central London

With this summer’s opening of the new Darwin Centre and Wildlife Gardens, the Natural History Museum has acquired a new indoor/outdoor venue space perfect for a drinks reception on a summer evening – or even an outdoor chuppah, right in the middle of central London.

Team STG was lucky enough to attend the opening event inaugurating the new space, and we were so impressed with how quiet and peaceful the gardens feel, despite being nestled in the heart of bustling South Kensington. Set back from the surrounding streets, with lots of greenery and trees to block out the sounds and sights of the big city, it’s truly a serene oasis – something that’s not easy to find in a central London wedding venue.

Image by Matt Chung Photo 

Gardens Galore

And of course we also love that there’s so much for your guests to see and learn as they take in the spaces: the Evolution Garden is a path through 2.7 billion years of our planet’s history, told through an immersive timeline of plants, rocks of different geological periods from across the UK, and the Nature Discovery Garden features different habitats represent the rich biodiversity that can be found in the UK’s urban spaces. And to mark the opening of the gardens, a  new bronze cast of the museum’s much-loved Diplodocus Fern has been unveiled, ready for your photo ops.

Image by Matt Chung Photo 

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The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Destination Jewish Wedding in Greece

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Photo by Zuzanna Panaretou

If you’re dreaming of holding your Jewish wedding in an ultra-romantic locale packed with beautiful scenery, vibrant local culture, and delicious food, Greece might well be on your destination shortlist. And with good reason – from glittering blue water and sandy beaches to majestic ancient ruins to rich Jewish heritage, Greece is an incredible destination. 

As with any international destination wedding – especially one in a country where you may not speak the language – planning can be a little overwhelming. But we sat down with the team from Sirtaki Events, founded by Israeli couple Anat and Yonathan – who loved their own destination wedding in Greece so much they moved to sunny Chalkida to help other couples make the day of their dreams come true!

Photo by Orestis Zoumpos Photography

As Jewish event planners, Anat and Yonathan have a deep understanding of Jewish wedding traditions, and their entire team is knowledgeable about the customs and nuances of Jewish weddings. They handle everything from arranging a rabbi to kosher-certified (or kosher-style) catering, managing the legal aspects of the day to arranging walkable accommodations for guests who observe Shabbat. They’re all about making the planning process as smooth and stress-free as possible for their couples – and they’ve shared some great nuggets of wisdom with us, so do read on!

Photo by Bendosa Photography

Choosing the Perfect Venue for Your Jewish Wedding in Greece

Greece is chock full of breathtaking locations, and there’s no end to the options when it comes to choosing a venue. That said, Sirtaki’s top picks for a Jewish wedding are Athens, Rhodes, and Evia Island. These cities are not only picturesque but also have a strong Jewish presence with access to suppliers who can provide all the services you need for the perfect Jewish wedding day. Ionanina and Thessaloniki are also home to historical synagogues that make an unforgettable setting for your chuppah. 

Photo by Bendosa Photography

Alternatively, you can choose to wed outdoors under a stunning traditional chuppah, framed by the stunning backdrop of the Greek island of your choice!

Photo by Girogos Papacharalampous from Or and Paul‘s Irish-Israeli Jewish Wedding 

Timing It Right

When planning a Jewish destination wedding in Greece, Sirtaki Events tells us, it’s crucial to get your timing right. You may be drawn to Greece for its warm, sunny climate – the country does boast 250 sunny days a year – but keep in mind that the summers are really very hot, with temperatures beginning to rise toward the end of May. 

If you do want to get married in summer, do like the Greeks and hold your ceremony later in the day to avoid the sweltering midday sun – the average Greek wedding starts after 7:00 PM. 

Photo by Girogos Papacharalampous from Or and Paul‘s Irish-Israeli Jewish Wedding 

Alternatively, consider planning your wedding for off season – you can save big, and there’s a great chance you’ll still be able to enjoy the glorious weather Greece is known for. If you go this route, though, Sirtaki emphasizes that it’s crucial to do your research –  or lean on your wedding planner – to ensure your venue is available and accessible at your chosen time of year. 

One more great tip from Sirtaki, regardless of the time of year you choose: make sure to find out in advance where and when the sun sets on your big day so you won’t miss out on the photos you’re dreaming of, whether that’s a sunset chuppah or radiant couple’s portraits. 

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How to Make Your Jewish Wedding Fun for Your Guests with GUESTPIX

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When we ask couples their top priority for their Jewish wedding, more often than not we hear the same answer: making sure each and every guest has an absolute blast. Sure, you and your partner are the stars of the day, but your wedding is about so much more than the two of you – and that’s why we sat down with our friends at GUESTPIX to chat about some easy ways to make sure your guests stay engaged and entertained from start to finish.  

GUESTPIX is a cutting-edge digital photo-sharing and hosting solution that makes it easy and fun for your guests to share images, videos, and digital guestbook messages with the two of you, during and after your big day (plus all the pre- and post-wedding events) via a private QR code.

Unlike asking guests to share their photos on social media with a hashtag, GUESTPIX keeps your special moments off social media and under your control. You won’t have to download images one by one from texts or emails, or chase your loved ones to send you high-res files of the shots you love on social media: GUESTPIX will deliver original quality digital photos and videos straight to you, ready to download in a single click. They’ve got packages to suit weddings of all sizes, and you can use GUESTPIX wherever you are in the world.

It couldn’t be more user-friendly – for you and for your guests. Plus, GUESTPIX has come up with some fun guest activities that will make snapping pics part of the entertainment!

Here’s how you can use GUESTPIX to make your wedding a blast for everyone involved:

Invite Your Guests to Contribute to Your Digital Albums

With GUESTPIX’s new Albums package, you get to effortlessly collect and organize all the cherished moments from your special events as your guests capture them. From the engagement party through to the aufruf, the wedding day itself, and beyond, GUESTPIX’s Albums feature gives you a highly-customizable set up for your different wedding events, with built-in privacy and security settings so you can control which albums guests can see and access via the QR code options.

Guests will have a blast capturing unique memories to share with the two of you, from emotional moments under the chuppah to the unforgettable energy of the hora to the wild dancefloor at the afterparty, and you’ll receive a treasure trove of images capturing the wedding from multiple perspectives.

Challenge Your Guests with GUESTPIX “I Spy” Photo Cards

We’re absolutely obsessed with GUESTPIX’s “I Spy” photo challenge. This is such a fun and easy way to add a fun activity for your guests while encouraging them to capture more of the shots you’ll want to revisit in the future.

Setting up an “I Spy” challenge couldn’t be simpler: before the event, just use one of GUESTPIX’s editable Canva templates to create a list of fun photo tasks for your guests, such as:

  • The ketubah signing
  • Someone laughing
  • The badeken
  • A group selfie
  • Smashing the glass
  • Guests dancing the hora
  • The best-dressed guest

Distribute the list to your guests on the day or display it in various spots around the venue and let the fun begin! Everyone will have a blast hunting for these special shots, and it adds an extra layer of engagement and fun. As they upload their snaps and in-the-moment videos to GUESTPIX, not only do you get a diverse collection of candid moments to treasure, but it also encourages guests to mingle and interact with one another.

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