Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Home > Tchotchke

Modern Judaica Must-Haves: Why the Pieces That Build Your Jewish Home Should Reflect Who You Are

by Leave a Comment

There’s something so special about choosing the Judaica that will fill your first home together as a married couple.

The kiddush cup you’ll reach for on Friday nights, the menorah you’ll light each Hanukkah, the ketubah that will bring back happy memories of your wedding day every time you glance at it on the wall – all of these pieces and more are part of what shapes the atmosphere of a Jewish home. And while the Judaica that fills your home connects you to ritual and tradition, it should also feel like you. 

That’s exactly why we’re so excited to introduce you to Tchotchke, a design-forward Judaica brand creating pieces designed for modern Jewish homes.

Tchotchke was founded by husband-and-wife team Anna and Adam Paskow after planning their own wedding and realizing they couldn’t find Judaica that reflected their style – or the kind of home they wanted to build together.

They saw a gap: much of the category felt overly formal, ornate, or out of step with modern life. Their answer was a collection of Judaica that feels fresh, elevated, playful, and meaningful -designed to be lived with and displayed year-round.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Sarah Seven Bride for a Super Cool Jewish Wedding Celebrating Mexico City at Hacienda de Cortes, Jiutepec, Mexico

by

Alana and TJ, Hacienda de Cortes, Jiutepec, Mexico

When Alana and TJ, both American entrepreneurs living in Mexico City, set out to plan their Jewish wedding, they knew they wanted to use it as an opportunity to share their beloved adopted hometown with their family and friends – and they found the most perfect venue in Hacienda de Cortes, a gorgeous hotel full of character with space to accommodate guests.

We love how the couple opted to embrace the natural beauty of their venue, opting for a color scheme of all greens when it came to flowers and décor and a wooden chuppah adorned with more greenery – with some disco balls thrown in for good measure!

And we’re especially obsessed with Alana and TJ’s fabulous ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Tchotchke. In Alana’s words,

All of the designs are things that you’d want to keep on display year round because they’re so beautiful, and we wanted a ketubah we’d love to have up forever. We looked on Etsy and other websites and didn’t love the super traditional options.

Then we found Tchotchke, founded by Adam Paskow, who designed gorgeous menorahs, mezuzah’s and more, and it was hard to pick one as they were all fantastic. Ultimately, we decided on the “shapes” design by Emunah Winer, who has a creative agency, rum and tequila brand. We didn’t know how cool she was before we picked it, but we should have.

Don’t miss it in the stunning images from Efege Photography.

Read on for all the details of this very special day in Alana’s words…

Alana and TJ, Hacienda de Cortes, Jiutepec, MexicoAlana and TJ, Hacienda de Cortes, Jiutepec, MexicoAlana and TJ, Hacienda de Cortes, Jiutepec, MexicoAlana and TJ, Hacienda de Cortes, Jiutepec, Mexico

How We Met

Alana, the bride: We met at a dinner in Mexico City! I had been in the city for 4 years and TJ a few months when a 5 person dinner turned into a 17 person dinner and we sat next to each other. Our friend Kate eagerly asked what I thought of him after the dinner as she thought he could “match my energy,” and we exchanged numbers.

We saw each other two nights later, though both were entertaining friends from out of town, and then I invited him to a party, and to my house for a pre-party, which was 8 mostly Spanish speaking women and TJ. Despite not speaking Spanish well yet, he did great. We had a great time at the party and went on a date before he left Mexico to move out of his San Francisco apartment and planed to be back in a month.

During that month we kept chatting and he invited me to join him and his friends in Napa for a birthday trip. Since we barely knew each other I didn’t know what to say or do, so I did nothing. Then he took the pressure off, Kate assured me I wouldn’t get murdered, I decided to go on the trip, it was fantastic, and we’ve been together since!

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

An All-about-NOLA Jewish Wedding at Latrobe’s on Royal, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

by

Danielle and Drew, Latrobe's on Royal, New Orleans, USA

New York couple Danielle, a consumer insights associate manager at WeightWatchers, and Drew, a corporate attorney, met and fell in love as students at New Orleans’s Tulane University – so the city was a natural choice when it came time to choose a destination for their Jewish wedding.

And did they ever do a fantastic job of crafting a wedding that let their guests experience the magic of NOLA firsthand. Their venue was Latrobe’s on Royal, an old historical bank in the heart of the French Quarter, and they made the most of its romantic, moody vibes with lots of candles, moody lighting, and a very cool floating chuppah. Their menu showcased New Orleans cuisine at its finest, and they followed the ceremony with a traditional second line, a parade through the French Quarter. Don’t miss it all in the exquisite photos by Love is Rad and video by Shotgun.

We’re obsessed with Danielle and Drew’s fabulous ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Tchotchke. In Danielle’s words,

The minute I saw it, I knew my search was over. It says ‘Love’ in Hebrew in large print at the top and the lions, to me, symbolize strength in this next chapter of life. It is the most meaningful piece of art we will ever own. And not to mention, working with Adam and the Tchotchke team was incredibly seamless. They were so responsive and you could tell they truly value their customers. They also shipped it in a way that made it seamless on wedding day to display. COULD NOT RECOMMEND ENOUGH (for ketubahs and the COOLEST Judaica).

It doesn’t get any better than that! Read on for the rest of the story in Danielle’s own words…

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Shotgun Films (@shotgunfilms)

Danielle and Drew, Latrobe's on Royal, New Orleans, USADanielle and Drew, Latrobe's on Royal, New Orleans, USADanielle and Drew, Latrobe's on Royal, New Orleans, USADanielle and Drew, Latrobe's on Royal, New Orleans, USA

How We Met

Danielle, the bride: Drew and I met our second semester junior year at Tulane University. More specifically, we met at an Aephi sorority party and by the end of that semester, we were dating.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Ketubah 101: Everything You Need to Know about the Ketubah

by

Alana and TJ‘s Jewish Wedding | Photo by EFEGE

Your ketubah is more than just a piece of paper—it’s a beautiful, meaningful document that represents your love, commitment, and the unique story of your marriage. But if you’re just diving into the world of Jewish wedding planning, you might be wondering: What exactly is the significance of a ketubah? Do we really need one? How do we pick the right one for us?

To answer all these questions (and many, many more!), we sat down with Adam Paskow, founder of Judaica brand Tchotchke, to get the lowdown on all things ketubah. 

Evilish Eye Ketubah

Tchotchke, best known for their playful menorahs, mezuzahs, and kiddush cups, has just launched their brand new ketubah line. Featuring whimsical designs with a nod to tradition, each piece is designed for couples who feel that Judaism is an expression of ourselves and the spaces we inhabit. Based in New York City and shipping internationally, Tchotchke’s ketubah designs are some of the coolest we’ve seen—and we see a lot!

Papercut Ketubah

Whether you’re looking for guidance on selecting a design, navigating different text options, or even choosing the best pen for signing, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading for your ultimate ketubah crash course.

Ketubah 101

Alana and TJ‘s Jewish Wedding | Photo by EFEGE

What is a ketubah?

Simply put, a ketubah is a Jewish wedding contract. It was originally created to financially protect women in case of divorce or widowhood, and ensure that the wife was properly cared for throughout the marriage. For most of us these days, it’s more of a symbolic representation of a couple’s union.

Why should we get a ketubah?

The reason to get a ketubah has evolved for most of us—what was once a legal document, for many people, is now a personal artifact from the most magical and transformative day of your life. We believe that couples should have a ketubah they want to hang proudly in their home not only for sentimental reasons, but also to celebrate their Judaism, regardless of what Judaism means to them. It’s our responsibility to fill our homes with Jewish art to preserve our history, customs and culture.

Full Cup Ketubah

What does a ketubah say?

We have many options of ketubah text to choose from, as well as an option to write your own. While these days, different denominations have different requirements and allowances for ketubah text, it is essentially a contract between partners on their wedding day, stating their obligations to each other. Some denominations use text that is relatively standardized, for example, an Orthodox ketubah does not generally differ from couple to couple, whereas a secular couple may choose to write their own ketubah, treating it more like an extension of their vows.

Petals Ketubah

Can we have a ketubah for our interfaith wedding?

Absolutely. We have an interfaith text option that celebrates mutual respect, understanding and compassion for each other’s beliefs while recognizing that shared religion isn’t a necessary ingredient for a healthy, happy, fulfilling union.  

Continue ReadingContinue Reading