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A Claire Pettibone Bride for a Jewish Wedding Centered on Family at Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York

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Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York

We love that Jennifer, a clinical social worker, and Michael, who owns an  engineering and construction Firm, made their Jewish wedding at Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa all about family.

The couple’s kids – Jennifer and Michael have six boys between them – were with them under the chuppah, and the cantor who officiated is one of the duo’s best friends and crafted an ultra-personal ceremony – including a moment for a family hug! Jennifer’s four boys walked her down the aisle, and all six of the couple’s sons gave speeches – which were followed by a family dance! Don’t miss the ultra-emotional photos by Heidi Green.

Shortly after Jennifer and Michael met, they hired an Israeli tattoo artist named Gabriel Wolff to design an infinity sign with their names in Hebrew. They never ended up getting the tattoos, but they did use the design as the basis for their beautiful bespoke ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Once Upon A Paper, who brought their vison to life.

Read on for the full story in Jennifer’s own words…

Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York Jennifer and Michael, Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, New York

How We Met

Jennifer, the bride: We met on Match.com. We were both divorced and I was dating a lot. Michael says he knew when he saw my photo on the site. I hadn’t even dated anyone from Match and was seeing two other Michaels when we met. I didn’t really pay him much attention.

I’m a big sports fan and he wanted to take me to see the Rangers, the Yankees and was offering great seats. I kept saying no. But he was persistent! I finally said ok to just meet for a drink. Well we met at a restaurant near me. I was sitting at the bar and he walked in the door and walked up the length of the bar and I thought. Oh shit. I’m done. We had a drink that turned into dinner and we never went a single day since then without each other.

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An Interfaith Vietnamese-Jewish Wedding with Tons of Chemistry at the Hall of State in Fair Park, Dallas, Texas, USA

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Adam and Thien, Hall of State in Fair Park, Dallas, Texas, USA

We’re pretty obsessed with Adam and Thien’s fabulous Vietnamese-Jewish wedding in Dallas. This day has truly got it all: a heartfelt and meaningful fusion of two cultures, a fun theme (chemistry, in honor of the couple’s shared major that first brought them together in college), and absolutely loads of personality.

Adam and Thien crafted an interfaith ceremony blending elements from Jewish and Vietnamese culture – including a tea ceremony, a bamboo chuppah, and, of course, smashing the glass. Adam’s childhood rabbi officiated, and the couple wore Vietnamese áo dài’s for the ceremony before changing into complementary suits for the reception. The duo’s beautiful ketubah, designed by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elena Berlo of Once Upon A Paper, featured a trilingual interfaith text reflecting Adam and Thien’s values and commitment to each other – in English, Hebrew, and Vietnamese. Don’t miss it in Julia Sharapova’s wonderful photos.

The chemistry-themed reception looks like a total blast, between color changing cocktails in beakers and flasks, passed hors d’oeuvres served in test tubes and pipettes, a Periodic Table seating chart with each table assigned a chemical element, and even a chemistry themed cake!

Adam and Thien, Hall of State in Fair Park, Dallas, Texas, USA Adam and Thien, Hall of State in Fair Park, Dallas, Texas, USA Adam and Thien, Hall of State in Fair Park, Dallas, Texas, USA Adam and Thien, Hall of State in Fair Park, Dallas, Texas, USA

How We Met

We were both Chemistry majors in college, and we discovered that we had chemistry together from Day One! Little did we know that our first movie date would be watching the ever-so-romantic “Lab Safety Orientation” as we prepared to work in research labs on campus. Two years later, we officially started dating, and our bond only grew stronger as we explored Boston on the weekends and took summer trips around New England. We got engaged in 2021 and had our wedding on November 11, 2023.

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An Essense of Australia Bride for a Jewish Wedding at Independence Grove, Chicago, USA

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Julia and Richard, Independence Grove, Chicago, USA

We love an outdoor chuppah – and Julia and Richard’s was really something special. Chicago couple Julia, who works with hospitals to improve maternal health outcomes, and Richard, a construction litigation lawyer, dreamed of an outdoor wedding that felt natural, warm, and close to home, and Independence Grove — a forest preserve and event space just outside the city — was the perfect match.

Keeping things simple to honor the natural beauty of their surroundings, the couple went for a birch chuppah covered with the most incredibly special handmade canopy needlepointed by Richard’s mom. Don’t miss it in the beautiful photos by Henington Studios.

Equally special was the duo’s ketubah, which Julia calls “a complete dream.” She and Richard worked with Elena Berlo of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Once Upon a Paper to create a bespoke design that felt uniquely them, blending Julia’s love of nature with Richard’s love of music. Elena surprised the couple by adding singing birds to the willow tree on the ketubah, and the final result is absolutely gorgeous.

Now over to Julia, who looked radiant in her elegant gown by Essense of Australia…

Julia and Richard, Independence Grove, Chicago, USA Julia and Richard, Independence Grove, Chicago, USA Julia and Richard, Independence Grove, Chicago, USA Julia and Richard, Independence Grove, Chicago, USA

How We Met

Julia, the bride: Our story began long before we ever met. I first met Richard’s sister back in 2008, when we were both part of a year-long volunteer program in Israel. Despite that connection — and the fact that we grew up near each other, studied the same subject at neighboring New England colleges, and somehow shared overlapping social circles — our paths never crossed.

Fast forward to 2019, when we finally met at a Shabbat dinner in Chicago hosted by Richard’s sister. During the pandemic, we’d occasionally see each other at outdoor gatherings and became friendly, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2021 that we realized there was a spark. A few dates in, we both knew this was something special. Two years to the day after our first date, we were under the chuppah.

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A Galia Lahav Bride for a Jewish Wedding Full of Personal Touches at The Mansion at Glen Cove, New York, USA

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Marina & Alex, The Mansion, Glen Cove, NY, USA

We love it when a couple makes their Jewish wedding totally, 100% them – and that’s exactly what Marina and Alex did, keeping their big day at Glen Cove, New York’s The Mansion focused on personal touches with special meaning. From working with Marina’s sister, the mega-talented Yelena Mirchevskaya of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Studio Yarden, on their ketubah and invitations, to incorporating elements of their Russian-Jewish heritage in the cocktail hour, to crafting a ceremony filled with Jewish customs that were meaningful to the couple, this was truly a very special wedding.

One of the highlights of the day was the collab with Studio Yarden: Marina and Alex’s invitations, featuring a custom illustration of the duo, set the tone for the entire wedding, and guests couldn’t stop commenting on how unique and beautiful they were. The couple’s ketubah, also created by Yelena, was equally meaningful. Yelena brought Marina and Alex’s vision of a modern design featuring pomegranates and eucalyptus to life, hand-painting every detail and even adding gold leaf to create a truly stunning piece of art.

Equally stunning was Marina’s gown by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Galia Lahav. The beloved Israeli designer is known for her luxe, romantic stylings, and Marina’s flowy cream-blush number was sheer perfection. Don’t miss it all in the wonderful photos by Inbal Sivan and trailer by Studio 27!

Now over to Marina…

Marina & Alex, The Mansion, Glen Cove, NY, USA Marina & Alex, The Mansion, Glen Cove, NY, USA Marina & Alex, The Mansion, Glen Cove, NY, USA Marina & Alex, The Mansion, Glen Cove, NY, USA

How We Met

Marina, the bride: My husband and I met at work. I was working as a Creative Director at a tech company when he joined as a Cybersecurity Consultant. We were friends for almost two years before we started dating. At the time I was in a relationship, but almost as soon as it ended, he asked me out.

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An Ines Di Santo Bride for a Bold Jewish Wedding Bringing Miami to New Jersey at Crystal Plaza, Livingston, New Jersey, USA

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Monica and Jonathan, Crystal Plaza, Livingston, New Jersey, USA

When New Yorkers Monica, a beauty publicist, and Jon, a data analyst, started planning their Jewish wedding, they dreamed of making things official in Miami, which has always felt like their second home. Ultimately, they realized it would be too challenging for their grandparents to travel, so instead they decided to bring Miami to New Jersey.

We’re obsessed with the modern, bold energy the pair brought to their special day at Crystal Plaza in Livingston, NJ. For the ceremony and cocktail hour, they focused on strong black details – most notably, a dramatic black acrylic chuppah – paired with white and green florals in sleek, structural arrangements. Then for the reception, the mood shifted to an explosion of color set against a striking black backdrop. And did we mention their dog, Chili, played a big part in the proceedings? Don’t miss all the fab details in the photos by Felix Feygin and video from My Wedding Way.

Read on for the full story from Monica – who looked so glam in her Ines De Santo gown…

How We Met

Monica, the bride: Jonathan and I met on Hinge in December 2021 and had our first date at Subject, a cocktail bar on the Lower East Side. From there, we realized we were starving and went to a nearby diner as most places were closing up their kitchens by that point. We realized we shared all of the same favorite foods – grilled cheese, buffalo chicken sandwich and a malted milkshake. What was meant to be a quick drink turned into hours of conversation, and we both knew right away there was something special.

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