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A Grace Loves Lace Bride for a Simple, Elegant Rooftop Jewish Wedding at Skybar, Miami, Florida, USA

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Picture you and the love of your life standing under an airy chuppah adorned with greenery, against the sparkling backdrop of the Miami skyline. Sound good? We thought so… and so did today’s couple, Mariana and Jonathan. Mariana, a digital project manager originally from Brazil, and Jonathan, a data analyst and South Florida native, live in Miami and wanted to showcase their city at its finest.

Their rooftop venue, Skybar, definitely did the trick! The pair wanted something outdoorsy, simple, and elegant, with urban chic flair and lots of greenery, and Skybar delivered. Plus, they were able to take advantage of the beautiful December weather and wed under the stars! Don’t miss the fab setup in the pics from Cortiella Photography.

Not only was this wedding ultra-stylish (how good did Mariana look in her gown from Grace Loves Lace?!), it was also a meaningful testament to how the couple has grown together Jewishly – read on for the full story in Mariana’s words…

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How we Met

Mariana, the bride: Mariana and Jonathan met the modern way: by swiping right on Hinge in October 2020. They later found out that they had attended the same small party in honor of Israel’s 70th birthday in 2018, but they never saw each other there. Jonathan had a cat in 2018, and Mariana is deathly allergic to cats; Mariana was still converting to Judaism, meaning she wouldn’t be able to date Jonathan since she was undergoing an Orthodox conversion. Guess there’s nothing like good timing when it comes to a relationship.

Their first date was a success: Jonathan invited Mariana to join him for a private ballroom dance class, and after putting her dance skills to a test, they both headed out to a local hummus place for some dinner. Jonathan, a born athlete and dancer, believes if you can’t connect on the dance floor, it won’t be a good match. He forgot Mariana is Brazilian, and Brazilians know how to dance.

Jonathan knew Mariana was the one right away. It took Mariana a month to come to the same conclusion, but after some thinking she came to terms that Jonathan and Cocoa had been her final destination all along. Oh yes, there is a special third-wheel in this relationship, and he is the most adorable chocolate labradoodle there is: Cocoa, or as Mariana likes to call him Cocoa Remelento.

Jonathan proposed to Mariana late Summer of 2021. Jonathan took Mariana for a little weekend getaway, and popped the question with Mariana’s dream ring! He did forget however to ask Mariana if she would marry him, to which she answered after glimpsing at that beautiful ring: “But are you going to ask me to marry you?”. Guess emotions took over and Jonathan got a little forgetful!

A few of Mariana and Jonathan’s favorite memories together are taking Cocoa for walks in the Morningside Park, going to several performing arts shows, visiting different museums, exercising on a daily basis, Mariana having Jonathan try Brazilian food, and lots of quality time on Shabbat.

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A Pioneering Modern Orthodox Same Sex Wedding at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, New York, USA

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Max & Zach, Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, New York, USA

We are so in love with today’s stunning same sex Jewish wedding! New Yorkers Max, Director of Startup Ecosystem Development at SAP, and Zach, Director of Artist Relations + Partnerships at Great Bowery’s Trunk Archive, crafted a day that perfectly blended Jewish tradition with impeccable contemporary style.

Same sex Orthodox weddings are still in their early years, and we love that Max and Zach – along with their officiant, Rabbi Avram Mlotek – are at the forefront. The pair worked with their rabbi to craft a ceremony that aligned with their values as Modern Orthodox Jews AND as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

While much of the ceremony looked like any traditional Jewish wedding, one difference is that instead of a traditional ketubah, Max and Zach opted to use a Shtar Shutafut, a Halachic Partnership Contract, to formalize their marriage. The couple worked with Rabbi Mlotek on the text. They also exchanged rings under the chuppah, and each smashed a glass.

It’s so heartwarming to see how Max and Zach were able to craft the wedding of their dreams, without having to compromise on any aspect of their identities – and you can really see the joy in each and every shot by photographer David Perlman.

There’s so much more to say – like how much we love that the duo named their signature cocktail the Goldie Spritz, after their rescue dog! – but we’ll turn you over to the grooms for the rest…

Max & Zach, Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, New York, USA Max & Zach, Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, New York, USAMax & Zach, Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, New York, USA Max & Zach, Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, New York, USA
How we Met

Max and Zach, the grooms: We first matched in November 2018 when we were both home visiting our families on Long Island, NY for Thanksgiving. We instantly clicked on our first date in December 2018, which coincided with the second night of Chanukah. We were engaged on March 13, 2022 and the rest is history.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Made with Love Bride for an Autumnal Jewish Wedding Weekend in the Catskills at Stone Tavern Farm, New York, USA

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There’s something so special about whisking your nearest and dearest off for a weekend away from it all, in gorgeous surroundings, centered around celebrating your love – which is exactly what NYC couple Ruthie and Aaron did for their Jewish wedding!

The pair found the perfect venue in Stone Tavern Farm in the Catskills, a stunning natural setting full of earthy elements of wood, stone, and greenery; plenty of opportunities for hiking and connecting with nature; and, most important of all, lodging so everyone could stay on-site and enjoy the full weekend experience together!

Inspired by the splendid natural surroundings, Ruthie and Aaron worked with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Rachelle of  The Delicate Brush to create a custom ketubah including elements like a starry night sky, a tree with two branches twisting together to form a singular canopy, and mountains representing where they got married. In Ruthie’s words, “Rachelle is such a talented artist who truly takes the time to get to know her clients and ensure their hopes, personalities and priorities are reflected in her work.” Don’t miss it in Christine Ashburn’s wonderful photos!

To make it all even more personal, Ruthie and Aaron also customized their own ketubah text to represent their intentions for their marriage – and they read it aloud to each other during the chuppah! How special is that?! The couple credit their Reform rabbi, Rabbi Rena, who they found through Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor 18doors, with helping them figure out which traditions were meaningful to them – and giving them the freedom to incorporate those traditions in ways that felt authentic.

There’s so much more to say about this wedding – like, how elegant did Ruthie look in her Made With Love gown?! – but we’ll let her take it from here…

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How We Met

Ruthie, the bride, and Aaron, the groom: In July 2020, Aaron had recently moved to Hoboken, NJ and Ruthie was living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The pandemic was in full swing, so Aaron was focused on building his accounting and financial advisory business as founder and CEO, and Ruthie was adjusting to working from home full-time, now leading the HR team supporting Global Technology at a Fortune 100 company.

They connected through Hinge, a dating app: Text messages quickly became phone calls and facetime, all very open, natural, interesting, and light-hearted. A few weeks after initially connecting, Ruthie suggested that she and Aaron meet up. It was a hot summer day, but outdoor activities were a requirement, so they took a walk on the Hoboken waterfront. Despite the sweaty circumstances, their multi-hour conversation flowed, and they laughed a lot.

On their first date, Ruthie had mentioned that she was assessing her home office setup, fully accepting that this work-from-home arrangement was not short-term. On their second date the following weekend, Aaron showed up at Ruthie’s apartment with a spare computer monitor and webcam and proceeded to install both. After the sushi and wine were long gone, they continued talking for eight hours from opposite ends of Ruthie’s long couch, still attempting to social distance. Some topics of this conversation included comparing grocery sanitation habits and extensive family trees. At the end of the evening, they shared their first kiss.

After that, Ruthie & Aaron spent more weeknights and weekends together, taking drives, city walks, nature hikes, cooking meals, watching movies, and much more. They quickly confided deeply in each other about their hopes, fears, struggles, families, professional aspirations, life experiences, and personal goals. They repeatedly commented on how natural it felt to be together, how they never grew tired of spending time together and laughter and silliness punctuated almost every conversation.

Starting in January 2021, Ruthie & Aaron worked and lived together full time. They regularly shushed each other when their conference calls conflicted (there was no door between the living room and bedroom), and sometimes ended up wearing the same outfit. They took long walks on the waterfront, cooked elaborate meals in their tiny kitchen, and worked together to design and renovate the apartment they planned to move into in April 2021. They regularly spoke of their future together, the family they wanted to build, adventures they wanted to take, and goals they wanted to achieve. It was always about them together, as a team, and they commented regularly about how supported, loved, and connected they felt.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Jewish Wedding on the Water at Chesapeake Bay Beach Club, Stevensville, Maryland, USA

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There’s nothing like a stunning waterfront setting for a Jewish wedding – and we love how Natalie, a brand strategist, and Jon, who works in clinical mental health counselling, let the natural beauty of the water and greenery surrounding them take center stage on their big day.

Taking cues from their venue, the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club, Natalie and Jon opted for a neutral color palette to let the natural splendor pop – with the exception of some pops of Natalie’s favorite color, purple. They also incorporated the colors of the ocean and trees that surrounded them into their beautiful custom ketubah by Britt Yudell of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor BRITColors.

In Natalie and Jon’s words, “We were looking to get a design that was a reflection of our relationship thus far, and represented the commitment we were making to each other going forward. Early in the relationship, Jon bought two similar pendants that we each kept when we were apart. We wanted that to be captured in our a ketubah which Britt absolutely captured perfectly.” Don’t miss it in the wonderful pics by Stephanie Dee!

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

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How we Met

Natalie, the bride and Jon, the groom: We met at Penn State University! We were just acquaintances at the time through mutual friends. We reconnected years later when Natalie came back to the Washington, D.C. area from New Orleans and Jon moved to the Washington, D.C. area to work at American University.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Family-Focused Jewish Wedding in Teal and Silver at The Prado at Balboa Park, San Diego, California, USA

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Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA

We love it when a couple focuses their wedding on the things that really matter – which is exactly what today’s couple, Krystal, a chief in the Navy, and Richard, a construction manager, did. Early on, they decided they wanted to craft an intimate, budget-conscious day centered around family and faith, and their joyous San Diego Jewish wedding at The Prado at Balboa Park was exactly that.

Including family was key to the couple every step of the way. Krystal planned the wedding alongside her mother, mother-in-law, sisters, and sister-in-law, and on the day family members did everything from reading the seven blessings to leading the toasts. Including the memories of relatives who had passed away was also top of mind for Krystal and Richard, and, in addition to a memorial table with 4×6 picture frames with photos and names, during the ceremony the couple’s rabbi read out the names of late loved ones.

Family members also signed the couple’s stunning ketubah, which they found via Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com. They chose the Infinite Love Papercut design for its bright colors, and they loved working with Ketubah.com for their quick response times, variety, and ease of changes for text or delivery dates.

Krystal was a member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club throughout her wedding planning, and we’re so touched to hear that she found the group a big source of support in everything from figuring out how to honor loved ones who have passed on, trimming down a guest list, and whether – and how – to manage a successful hora with a smaller crowd.

This was truly an incredible wedding – don’t miss the joy-filled photos by Bruna of Elegance in Frame Photography to see all the love and happiness of the day!

Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA Krystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USAKrystal & Richard, The Prado at Balboa Park, California, USA
How we Met

Krystal, the bride: Picture it, San Diego, 2020. It was Richard’s first time out in years and my first time out since returning from a six-month deployment. It was going to be a much needed ladies night since restaurants and bars were finally open again.

As the ladies were looking for an empty table, Richard was holding one down for the fellas who just stepped away. I asked if we could share his table to finish our drinks, he kindly obliged, and the rest is history. I remember he wore a black t-shirt with a hamster in the pocket (proof he didn’t go out that night looking for a girlfriend) and conversation sparked because we’re both Denver Broncos football fans.

He had such a bright and handsome smile that the first time he laughed, I swooned. Classic story of guy meets girl during a pandemic, right? It’s funny because earlier that week I deleted all the dating apps on my phone and told myself I was going to be single for a while. Well, clearly Hashem had other plans for me. We met on a Saturday night, first date was Tuesday, and by Thursday he asked me to be his girlfriend. 10 months later, he proposed!Continue ReadingContinue Reading