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A Sareh Nouri Bride for an Elegant Jewish Wedding at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, NYC, New York, USA

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Emily and Max, The Lighthouse, NYC, USA

Because we could all use some extra Jewish joy today, we’re bringing you the truly fabulous NYC Jewish wedding of Emily and Max at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers! The New York couple loves their home city, and their venue’s perfect mix of city vibe with gorgeous views, plenty of space, and full-service facilities ticked all their boxes.

Featuring a color palette of warm, summery sunset colors, a stunner of a floral chuppah, and a gorgeous laser-cut ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com, this wedding was really something special. Photographer Joseph Lin portrayed the day in his signature easygoing, natural style, and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kiss The Bride Films captured all the joy and magic of this wonderful wedding on video.

We also love all the personal details Emily and Max worked in to make their day one-of-a-kind – from luggage tag escort cards embossed with the New York City skyline and the couple’s names and wedding date to fun welcome bags stuffed with some of the duo’s local favorites.

We’ll let Emily, who looked so glam in her Sareh Nouri gown, take it from here…

 

Emily and Max, The Lighthouse, NYC, USAEmily and Max, The Lighthouse, NYC, USAEmily and Max, The Lighthouse, NYC, USAEmily and Max, The Lighthouse, NYC, USA

How We Met

Emily, the bride: I met Max on Bumble in the summer of 2020 during a brief Covid lull!

Here is our full story from our wedding website:

Emily and Max met on Bumble in the summer of 2020, a match made in pandemic heaven. Their connection was instant, despite the limitations of virtual dating. They spent hours texting, getting to know each other like old friends.

Their first date was a spontaneous adventure in Fort Greene Park, where Max showed up with a bag of beer and Emily arrived in workout clothes after crossing the Williamsburg Bridge. Despite being woefully unprepared for a first date, they hit it off immediately, chatting late into the night like they’d known each other for years.

As the pandemic intensified, they became each other’s “pod,” inseparable quarantine companions. Max quickly realized Emily had seen every episode of Law and Order (and could recite it all), and Emily shockingly found herself slowly becoming a Yankees fan.

Emily’s remote teaching gig led Max to offer his parents’ NYC apartment as her home office, a gesture that cemented their bond. They were practically living together, albeit in different boroughs, and their love grew stronger with each passing day.

Once restrictions were lifted, they embarked on international adventures, traveling to Greece and St. Lucia, renewing their shared love for exploration. They attended weddings and got to know each other’s families, their relationship blossoming in the face of new experiences.

In 2022, they took the plunge, moving into Max’s apartment together. They settled into a rhythm – Emily cooking, Max cleaning dishes, Emily baking, Max cleaning the Kitchen-aid (the pattern is clear, right?). Between hosting Halloween parties and birthday festivities for friends and family, they began to make Max’s house their home.

And then in June of 2023, amidst a summer of travel, Max popped the question in the middle of Vanderbilt’s campus in Nashville. For the first time ever, Emily was without words (but not without tears) as she joyfully accepted Max’s beautiful proposal.

They celebrated with champagne, more happy tears (mostly from Emily) and full hearts as the thrill of spending their lives together set in. While the last few months of being fiancées have flown by, Max and Emily cannot wait to celebrate their love with their closest friends and family in NYC.

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A Rita Vinieris Bride for a Timelessly Classic Jewish Wedding at Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton, Florida, USA

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Shayna and Jared, Congregation Bnai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Shayna, an ICU/Critical Care Registered Nurse, and Jared, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, dreamed of a timeless, classic Jewish wedding – and they found the perfect venue in Boca Raton’s Congregation B’nai Israel, where their vision came to life. The couple opted for a chic black-and-white palette, accented with texture, all-white flowers, and clear acrylic details. The duo’s sweet puppies were also lovingly incorporated into their celebration, appearing on cocktail napkins, the cake, signature drinks, and favors.

We can’t get enough of the couple’s super cool clear acrylic chuppah, adorned with delicate white orchids that seemed to float down the columns and covered by Shayna’s grandfather’s tallit.

When it came to their ketubah, Shayna and Jared knew they wanted a piece of art that they could proudly display in their home. They turned to Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor ketubah.com to find a beautiful piece that perfectly captured their love – and report that the process of selecting and ordering their dream ketubah couldn’t have been simpler. Their cantor suggested a fantastic idea: framing the ketubah before the wedding. Working with a local framer, they selected custom framing and matting in advance, knowing they’d return for glass and the finishing touches after their mini-moon. Don’t miss it in the luminous photography from Savannah Michelle and wonderful trailer by Timeline Video Productions!

Now over to Shayna, who looked so glam in her Rita Vinieris gown…

Shayna and Jared, Congregation Bnai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida, USAShayna and Jared, Congregation Bnai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida, USAShayna and Jared, Congregation Bnai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida, USAShayna and Jared, Congregation Bnai Israel, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

A South Florida Wedding

Shayna, the bride: We got married at Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton. Getting married in South Florida at any time is risky with weather, so we knew from the get-go that we were aiming for an all-indoor, formal event.

We don’t practice a particularly religious lifestyle regularly; but truly appreciate the values and tradition behind a Jewish wedding ceremony and we felt it was important to incorporate in our day. Especially after the tragedies that occurred on October 7th, we felt it was a mitzvah to celebrate such a beautiful simcha in such a holy space. It was very special to have a yellow chair on the bima, and ribbons on the door, honoring the hostages and their families.

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An Anne Barge Bride for an Elegant Jewish Wedding Featuring Tradition with a Twist at Temple Emanu-El, Closter, New Jersey, USA

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Yael and Josh, Temple Emanu-El, Closter, New Jersey, USA

We love it when a couple puts their own spin on their Jewish wedding ceremony – which is exactly what Yael, an enterprise relationship manager at LinkedIn, and Josh, a vice president at Alphasights, did when planning their big day at Temple Emanu-El in Closter, New Jersey.

The couple’s Judaism was central to their day, and we adore the way they put their own spin on classic traditions. Working with their rabbi, Yael and Josh crafted a bespoke ceremony that was totally them – including circling each other 3.5 times each, having women involved in the ketubah reading and Sheva Brachot, and having Yael say a statement of betrothal to Josh.

Amy Sims Photography captured the day so beautifully, and the couple’s videographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kiss the Bride Films, caught all the love, emotion, and energy of the day in their unmissable trailer.

This wedding was full of so many special touches – from an ice sculpture shot tower to a 45-minute hora set to Yael’s ultra-elegant Anne Barge gown purchased at Kleinfeld – but we’ll turn you over to the bride for the rest of the details…

Yael and Josh, Temple Emanu-El, Closter, New Jersey, USAYael and Josh, Temple Emanu-El, Closter, New Jersey, USA Yael and Josh, Temple Emanu-El, Closter, New Jersey, USA Yael and Josh, Temple Emanu-El, Closter, New Jersey, USA
How We Met

Yael, the bride: The short answer is Hinge. The longer answer is that Yael saw Josh on Hinge and noticed he went to Vanderbilt, where her best friend Hannah went. Figuring Jews at Vanderbilt must know each other, Yael sent a screenshot of Josh’s profile to Hannah, who gave Yael a thumbs up and said “he’s one of the good guys.” We both work in Account Management.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Classically Elegant Jewish Wedding Full of Personal Touches at the Langham Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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We love it when a couple puts their own stamp on their wedding – which is exactly what Lyndsay, a PharmD working in the biotech industry, and Eric, who works in finance, did! When planning their Boston Jewish wedding, the duo prioritized making the day a true reflection of their unique story, incorporating so many lovely personal touches and meaningful details.

How cute is it that Lyndsay and Eric put together a wedding newspaper they shared with their guests, incorporating stories, games, guest awards, and a guide to the Jewish wedding? They even brought Lyndsay’s maiden name, Golden, into their classic color scheme of white, black, and champagne gold. Don’t miss it all in the wonderful images from Lee Asher Photos!

And we’re obsessed with the couple’s seating chart, which consisted of an envelope for each guest with their name and table number containing a personalized letter. What a special way for Lyndsay and Eric to show their gratitude for the people in their life on the big day!

Read on for more in the bride’s own words…


How We Met

Lyndsay, the bride: An excerpt from our wedding day newspaper: As Eric likes to say, this love story began the ‘good old fashioned way’….with a swipe on JSwipe in 2022. Unknowingly, Lyndsay and Eric were essentially neighbors and only lived about a 7 minute walk from each other. Their first date was a simple coffee and tea outing in the Boston Seaport with their now shared corgi, Lulu.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Desert Bohemian Jewish Wedding with Circus Elements at Smoke Tree Stables, Palm Springs, California, USA

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Rena-and-Alexander-Smoke-Tree-Stables-Palm-Springs-California-USA

We love a good theme wedding – and Rena and Alexander’s was doubly great, having not just one theme but two! While their venue, Smoke Tree Stables in Palm Springs (where the groom worked for over a decade), lent itself to a Western theme, they also opted to add in circus elements by hiring a stilt walker and face painter and setting up games like horseshoe and cornhole.

Rena and Alexander worked with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Rabbi Leah Richman to craft a custom ketubah involving elements from her Desert Oasis Sunrise Ketubah with desert animals, such as the mule deer, big horn sheep, and California Rosy Boa snake. She also added hedgehog cactuses with blooms of deep magenta in the foreground, and in the background the San Jacinto mountains, beneath which the Smoke Tree Stables are nestled.

We love that the duo opted for an egalitarian Kabbalat Panim, where both bride and groom were surrounded by their loved ones, in separate ceremonies, to share stories and memories. Don’t miss it all in the wonderful photos by Kathleen Geiberger Art.

Now over to the bride…

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How We Met

Rena, the bride: We met on Bumble—one success story amid myriad tribulations. Alex was nervous to get on the phone, since he is often quiet when meeting someone new. However, Rena immediately put him at ease sharing stories of backpacking in places like Catalina, the Green Mountains, and her favorite pastime—finding hard-to-reach natural hot springs. For their first date, Alex drove four hours from Palm Springs—where he worked as a horse wrangler at Smoke Tree Stables—to Anaheim to meet at the Hidden House Coffee shop.

They talked for hours and decided on a second date: a moonlight hike in the Cleveland National Forest. They hiked Upper Hot Springs Canyon to Falls Trail under the full moon. Rena didn’t think to bring food, which turned out to be a good thing, as Alex had packed a charcuterie board and four types of wine since he didn’t know her preference.

From that moonlit picnic at the waterfall, Alex knew he wanted to marry Rena. From then on, he drove four hours for many more dates while Rena finished her postdoctoral position at the University of California, Irvine.Continue ReadingContinue Reading