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A Multicultural Persian-Jewish Wedding Celebrating Unity, Love, and Connection at JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Florida, USA

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Victoria and Jake, JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Florida, USA

Victoria and Jake incorporated meaningful symbolism throughout the entire celebration, from pomegranates on their invitations, representing abundance in both cultures, to custom-designed kippahs. Every tradition was intentionally chosen to reflect not only where the couple came from, but also the life they are creating as husband and wife.

They began with a traditional Sofreh Aghd, the Persian wedding table filled with symbolic elements representing love, prosperity, health, and a joyful marriage, which they followed with a Jewish ceremony beneath the chuppah, symbolizing the home they would build together.

Not that Victoria and Jake stinted on style – this was one seriously elegant wedding, centered around a monochromatic palette of soft pinks with the most stunning florals. We also love that the duo “wanted the celebration to feel less like a formal reception and more like guests had stepped into a vibrant Middle Eastern beach club—where everyone was welcomed, every culture was celebrated, and no one wanted to leave the dance floor.” Don’t miss the incredible energy in the exquisite photos by Vadim Pastuh.

One of the most meaningful moments happened during the reception, when Victoria and Jake danced with the American, Israeli, and Persian flags, in a beautiful celebration of surrounded by love, joy, and unity. In Victoria’s words, “Our wedding was a reminder that love transcends labels, borders, and traditions.”

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

Victoria and Jake, JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Florida, USA Victoria and Jake, JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Florida, USA Victoria and Jake, JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Florida, USA Victoria and Jake, JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Florida, USA

Venue

Victoria, the bride: Jake and I chose the JW Marriott Grande Lakes because it offered everything we were looking for in a wedding venue. The staff was exceptional—attentive, professional, and dedicated to making every detail seamless. The expansive resort also allowed our guests to enjoy both privacy and the full resort experience throughout the weekend. It was especially important to us to select a venue close to a major airport, making travel convenient for our family and friends flying in from across the country.

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An Ultra-Personal Hindu-Jewish Wedding at Bell Works, New Jersey, USA

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Anisha and Chad, Bell Works, New Jersey, USA

We love a multicultural Jewish wedding, and Anisha and Chad’s Hindu-Jewish celebration at Bell Works in New Jersey is truly something special.

The couple opted to hold a single Hindu-Jewish ceremony, co-officiated by a Hindu priest and a rabbi, which they followed up with a non-denominational ceremony led by Anisha’s uncle and godfather.

In crafting their interfaith ceremony, Anisha and Chad found so many parallels between the two cultures, from circling rituals to the significance of the number seven (including seven blessings) in both traditions to the “manduppah” – the combined mandap and chuppah under which the ceremony took place. Don’t miss all the details in the images and trailer by Visionary Artists, who captured all the love and energy of the day on photo and video,

Now over to Anisha…

 

Anisha and Chad, Bell Works, New Jersey, USA Anisha and Chad, Bell Works, New Jersey, USA Anisha and Chad, Bell Works, New Jersey, USA Anisha and Chad, Bell Works, New Jersey, USA

How We Met

Anisha, the bride: We technically crossed paths long before we ever met. During the 2007–2008 school year, Chad was in 8th grade and I was in 6th grade at the same middle school, though we didn’t know each other at the time. As the junior yearbook editor, I happened to come across Chad’s yearbook photo and thought he was cute, never imagining our paths would cross again years later.

Fast forward seven years to May 2015, when we connected on Tinder. At the time, we were both living at home while attending college. On our first date at the end of June 2015, I brought Chad back to my house and showed him the yearbook, proving that I had remembered him all those years later from his 8th-grade photo.

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A Verdin Bridal Bride for a Chicago-Meets-New Orleans Jewish Wedding at The Langham Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, USA

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Dylan and Daniel, Langham Hotel, Chicago, USA

Today’s couple, Dylan, an elementary school teacher at a Jewish day school, and Daniel, a medical student, wanted their Jewish wedding to capture the magic of two cities that have played a special role in their lives: Chicago, where they currently live – and where they married at the gorgeous Langham Hotel – and New Orleans, where they met as undergrads at Tulane.

Dylan and Daniel added lots of fun nods to their life in the Big Easy, like the throwing of Mardi Gras beads from the stage. We also love that the duo, who collect match books from around the world during their travels, had custom match boxes at the bars! Don’t miss all the wonderful details in the beautiful images by Christy and James of Christy Tyler Photography.

And of course we can’t leave without saying a few words about Dylan and Daniel’s stunner of a floral chuppah, featuring blooms in pink and white.

Now over to Dylan…

 Dylan and Daniel, Langham Hotel, Chicago, USA Dylan and Daniel, Langham Hotel, Chicago, USA Dylan and Daniel, Langham Hotel, Chicago, USA

How We Met

Dylan, the bride: We met in 2019 at Tulane University when we were set up for Daniel’s ZBT formal (Dylan was in SDT) and have been together every since.

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A Caroline Castigliano Bride for an Elevated Cocktail Party Jewish Wedding with a View at ERIA Sausalito, California, USA

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Sarah and Joe, ERIA Sausalito, Sausalito, California, USA

Stunning venue alert! Sarah, an attorney, and Joe, an engineer, live in the San Francisco Bay Area, which isn’t exactly short on gorgeous views. But they found something really special in Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor ERIA Sausalito, just across the Golden Gate Bridge. The space overlooks the water with sweeping views of the city, which formed the breathtaking backdrop to the couple’s chuppah. Don’t miss it in the wonderful photos by Victoria Kurkina.

Sarah and Joe can’t stop raving about their experience with ERIA. In the bride’s words, “ERIA isn’t just a venue—it’s a fully immersive experience. Having so much handled in-house made everything feel effortless, cohesive, and incredibly well-executed. We worked with Nikita Khandheria, founder of ERIA Events and owner of the venue, and she was truly extraordinary. From the very beginning, we felt an immediate connection—she intuitively understood our vision and brought it to life in a way that felt effortless. Her level of creativity, organization, and taste is incredibly rare.”

We love that Sarah and Joe went for an immersive cocktail party vibe for their big day, full of rich plum tones and dark, romantic florals—and, of course, delicious food. Instead of a seated dinner, the duo opted for an interactive dining experience with multiple stations. How fun is that?!

We’ll turn you over to Sarah, who looked so chic in her ivory silk gown by Caroline Castigliano, for the rest of the story…

Sarah and Joe, ERIA Sausalito, Sausalito, California, USA Sarah and Joe, ERIA Sausalito, Sausalito, California, USA Sarah and Joe, ERIA Sausalito, Sausalito, California, USA Sarah and Joe, ERIA Sausalito, Sausalito, California, USA

How We Met

Sarah, the bride: We met the old-fashioned way—through wonderfully meddling Jewish aunties. A mutual family friend set us up despite us living in completely different places at the time (Texas and Portland). Our first date was in Sausalito at Bar Bocce, and we dated long distance for several years, including a stint when Joe moved to Switzerland for work. Eventually, we couldn’t stay apart—I left my role at the Justice Department, moved to be with him, and we got engaged in Ticino near Lake Como. We’re now back in San Francisco, living the dream.

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An Elysee Bride for a Romantic Valentine’s Hindu-Jewish Wedding at Lucien’s, New Jersey, USA

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Heather and Kinjal, Lucien’s, New Jersey, USA

We love seeing how couples blend two different traditions into one beautiful multicultural wedding – and the HinJew wedding of Heather, who owns a counseling and consultation business, and Kinjal, who works in IT, is the perfect example!

The duo made their celebration a two-day affair, with a chuppah one day and a mandap the next. Heather and Kinjal’s Jewish wedding featured a heartfelt ceremony led by a rabbi, beautifully blending elements from both Jewish and Hindu traditions.

The wedding took place over Valentine’s Day weekend, and the couple leaned into the holiday, opting for a palette featuring featured rich reds (which also hold deep significance in Indian wedding traditions) and vibrant pinks. Don’t miss it all in the wonderful photos from Natali and Kate!

Now over to Heather…

Heather and Kinjal, Lucien’s, New Jersey, USAHeather and Kinjal, Lucien’s, New Jersey, USA Heather and Kinjal, Lucien’s, New Jersey, USA Heather and Kinjal, Lucien’s, New Jersey, USA

How We Met

Heather, the bride: We met at a local bar, very unexpectedly. Ironically the bar is always the last place people think to meet their life partner yet it was truly meant to be for us. It really was fate, being in the right place at the right time, our paths crossed and we never looked back.

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