USA Archives - Page 56 of 76 - Smashing the Glass

A Maggie Sottero Bride for a Beachy, Bohemian Jewish Wedding at La Costanera Montara, California, USA

22/12/2017 by Karen

Alright folks, we’ll level with you – a few tears were shed in the editing of today’s real wedding, and we suggest you reach for the tissue box, because Melinda and Tobin are so ludicrously cute, we guarantee you’ll well up at least once.

Melinda and Tobin took a leap of faith, and moved in together after a long-term relationship was born during a volunteering trip to Israel. Their heartfelt and family-oriented Jewish wedding day was a real reflection on their obvious adoration for each other.

This is also evident in the beautiful vows Melinda has shared with us, at the bottom of the post. If you’re dry eyed after reading them, then we don’t know what will crack you!

Not only was it an emotional day, but the beachy, bohemian vibe and shades of lavender and purple color scheme made it a real visual treat, too. From the floristry to the bridal party, everything looked absolutely picture perfect.

The couple opted for an equality-driven ceremony, with both bride and groom circling each other and smashing a glass, which, as regular readers will know, we’re crazy in favor of! We also love that the wedding celebrations included volunteering, which is a wonderful way to start married life, by giving something back.

Melinda was the belle of the ball in her Maggie Sottero gown, with a dreamy back showed off by her side swept hair and carefully chosen accessories. Just gorgeous!

All of this was captured magnificently by Stacy Able Photography, as you can see in the divine spread of images below.

We’ll leave you with Melinda for the full writeup. Like we said – it’s a weepy one! You have all been warned!

How we met

Melinda, the bride: Tobin and I met in Israel while working at a clinic for African refugees. Tobin went to medical school in Israel and was doing a rotation at the clinic, and I was volunteering there as a nurse. I had taken a leave of absence from my job in Seattle to volunteer in Israel as a nurse for six months. We both coincidentally are originally from California.

I met Tobin the last month I was in Israel and never thought I’d see him again. We stayed in touch, visiting each other often once he started his residency in Indiana. When I decided to move to Indiana, I had never lived in the same place as him except that one month in Israel, so I was taking a big risk. Glad it all worked out!

A Melissa Sweet Bride for a Chic LA Jewish Interfaith Wedding at La Cañada Flintridge Country Club, California

20/12/2017 by Karen

Today’s real Jew-ish wedding is a very special one for all of us here at STG – not just because it’s an absolute stunner, but because the bride, Lacey, is a much-loved, active and hugely supportive member of our Smashing The Glass Brides Club Facebook group.

It’s an absolute pleasure to finally be able to celebrate her and Brandon’s fabulous wedding day – and if you haven’t joined Brides Club yet, what are you waiting for?!

The fabulous event took place at La Cañada Flintridge Country Club, with spectacular views of downtown LA, and there were so many sweet and sentimental touches to the day.

The simply beautiful chuppah was the couple’s ‘something borrowed’ item, with several friends getting married underneath it. Lacey and Brandon were married by the same judge who married her parents, in a Jew-ish ceremony that incorporated all the important elements.

Style-savvy Lacey opted for a bold color scheme of navy blue with bright pops of orange, which looked absolutely wonderful and carried consistently throughout the floristry, decorations and wedding party outfits, along with a monogram motif, which we just LOVE.

Lacey looked like an A-list dream in her gorgeous Melissa Sweet gown, which she bought at David’s Bridal, along with her veil and beautiful, navy blue bridesmaids’ dresses.

The details and emotion of the day were captured by photographer, Jennifer Jasso Photography, tying everything together to perfection.

It’s now Lacey’s long-awaited moment to shine, after helping so many other of our brides with their big-day plans, so we’ll hand the blog over to her for the full writeup. Take it away, Lacey!

A classic, timeless theme and bold color scheme

Lacey, the bride: We got married atLa Cañada Flintridge Country Club (LCFCC) in La Cañada Flintridge, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. We wanted a venue that was close to where we and our families live.

We also wanted a venue that would provide “one-stop shopping,” such as providing the tables, chairs, linens, etc. as well as the catering and beverages. Our ceremony was at the same place.

We picked LCFCC because their pricing was very reasonable for the buffet options we wanted, they were willing to negotiate on some of the prices, and the club has amazing views from the ballroom.

It is located in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest and, in addition to the wraparound patio with views all the way to Downtown Los Angeles, the ballroom featured floor-to-ceiling windows going all the way around.

We knew the views would be spectacular for our guests and that we would not have to do a lot of decorating. The clubhouse is designed in a mid-century modern style that we both loved.

A Rockstar Jewish Wedding with a ‘Sunset in the Garden’ Theme at New York Botanic Gardens, NYC

15/12/2017 by Karen

Get your lighters out and get ready to turn the volume right up, because Andrea and Mark are, without a doubt, the rockiest couple we’ve ever featured on STG!

Their Jewish wedding took place in the ultimate rockstar city, New York, at the beautiful New York Botanical Garden, with a ‘sunset in the garden’ theme that ran through the dà©cor and color scheme. The flowers were in auburn colors and gradients of red, and looked absolutely sublime.

The couple first met through their shared love of music, and are in a band together, along with bride Andrea’s sister. In fact, their band, MANCIE, gave a surprise performance at the wedding. The idea was to demonstrate how the pair communicates through their music, which we think is just wonderful. What an incredible and very special extra element to have in a relationship! Watching the brilliant wedding trailer by Nicholas Oliver, you can really see them in the zone!

When they weren’t bringing the house down with their own music, the creative couple entrusted their entertainment to none other than Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor, the fabulous Hank Lane Band! High praise indeed, to be booked by two musicians.

Andrea is also a professional photographer, and so two of her colleagues, Cory Goldberg and Kurt Sneddon were entrusted with capturing the story of the day – and didn’t they do a magnificent job?>

We’re just the warmup act, so we’ll pass you over to Andrea for the lowdown on her and Mark’s Jewish wedding – everybody make some noise for Andrea!

How we met

Andrea, the bride: We met through music, as we are both musicians as well as entrepreneurs, so music and a great party were very important to us. There is more info about how we met here.

A Vera Wang Bride for a Super Luxe Fashion-Forward Jewish Wedding at Mandarin Oriental New York, New York

08/12/2017 by Karen

Start spreading the news – because today’s NYC Jewish wedding is the dictionary definition of city chic!

A wedding set against the stunning New York skyline deserves nothing less than the very best vendors – and that’s exactly what happy couple, Marianna and Peter opted for. The celebration was held at the iconic Mandarin Oriental hotel, with floristry by the fabulous Bride & Blossom, who submitted today’s fashion-forward wedding to STG.

We’re totally enamored with the origami crane chuppah – what a great way to fuse wedding traditions from different cultures! We’re also all hearts for eyes over the unique all-red dà©cor scheme, and bold bridesmaids in black dresses. Absolutely sublime! Also take a look at that absolute centerpiece of a cake – we’re both in love with the visuals and very, very hungry!

Gorgeous bride, Marianna, opted for a classic fashionista outfit – a timeless Vera Wang gown with something-blue Manolo Blahnik. So luxe Carrie Bradshaw herself would weep with envy!

Of course, it’s an STG wedding, which means it’s more than likely one of our own was involved! Our brilliant Recommended Vendor, Bella Figura, provided the rose-gold, classic letterpress invitation design.

Photography was provided by none other than absolute wedding photography royalty, the Fred Marcus Studio. We’re massive fans here at STG, and it will soon become clear why as you look at the phenomenal spread of pictures.

We’ll leave you with Marianna for the rest of the details of her and Peter’s stunning big day. Take it away, Marianna!

The perfect NYC venue

Marianna, the bride: I knew I wanted to get married in our favorite city, New York. NYC is also home, having been born and raised here. I wanted a venue to showcase the skyline and central park. We also had our second date at Columbus Circle. Mandarin Oriental was the perfect venue.
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A Vera Wang Bride for a SUPER Luxe Jewish Wedding with a 20-Person Bridal Party and Epic Chuppah at Bacara Resort & Spa, Santa Barbara, California

29/11/2017 by Karen

OK, we do not say this lightly: prepare yourselves. Seriously, Adriane and Sam’s super luxe Jewish wedding had us rubbing our eyes in disbelief, because it’s genuinely one of the most INCREDIBLE (note the gratuitous and well-earned use of all caps) real weddings we’ve ever featured on the blog. No exaggeration, this wedding is truly something else. There are not enough adjectives in the thesaurus to describe just how divine it is.

Editor Karen found this beauty on Instagram and immediately knew it HAD to grace the Smashing The Glass pages.

Where to start? The dà©cor was simply out of this world, which is no surprise, given that the wedding brought together some of California’s most coveted wedding vendors. The epic two-night celebration took place in dreamy Santa Barbara, California, at Bacara Resort & Spa, with its beautiful view of the ocean. Night one had a whimsical, boho-chic aesthetic (and a two-hour silent disco), while the second night boasted a stunning, clean all-white formal design with an abundance of white orchids and a stunning display of hanging lights.

Their chuppah was the stuff of fairytales, with a romantic, rustic walkway (those doors!!) leading to a showstopper of tumbling flowers and lit candles. It is genuinely gasp inducing and spine tingling in equal measure.

We don’t have enough words of praise for wedding planner Kate Carlson Event, florist Butterfly Floral and LIV Entertainment for forming what is every bride’s dream team and creating something so special it looks pulled from the pages of Vogue. Just amazing.

Words don’t really do any of this justice, but fortunately the happy couple had the one and only, yes THE Jessica Claire (!!) on hand to capture the magic (pro tip, if you’re going to have a larger-than-life wedding, make sure you have one of the world’s best photographers) as well as incredible videographer, David Medill, whose gorgeous, cinematic wedding video you can watch above.

Bride Adriane looked like a Hollywood A lister in her perfect blend of bridal and sexy Vera Wang gown, and with her expert hair and makeup artist team at her side. Adriane also layered phenomenal pieces of jewelry from her own bohemian-chic jewelry company, JAE Jewelry, which she co-owns with her sister, so she really knew her stuff (and you guys should totally check it out)!

Adriane had no fewer than 17 bridesmaids, two bridesmen and one maid of honor, making it a 20-person-strong bridal party!!

OK, if we don’t stop gushing now, we never will. Ladies and gentlemen, please get your best Pinning fingers ready, and give it up for bride Adriane and her fabulous writeup.