Monthly Archives: December 2012

{Real Jewish Weddings} Richmond, VA

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

While planning her big day, Sarah was inspired by a myriad of wedding books and magazines along with a steady diet of My Fair Wedding with David Tutera and Say Yes to the Dress. The bride hoped to achieve a whimsical look to complement the florals, attire, and embellished table settings selected for the wedding. Sarah notes that the time she spent with her bridesmaids during their hair and makeup appointments prior to the wedding as one of her favorite parts of the day. She also looks back fondly on the moment she was walking out for their first look and saw Zack all dressed up, and was so excited to marry him. It was amazing to have all of their friends and family there to celebrate their love.

When asked to offer advice to future brides, Sarah shares, “If you can do one thing at a time, it helps keep you stress-free. We first got the venue, which set the date, and then with each vendor we worked with, we started and finished before working with the next one. Trying to do the flowers, invitations, photographer, cake all at once is a recipe for disaster. Also, try to enjoy the wedding. The whole night flies by in what feels like two minutes, but try to savor the whole night.”

Mazel tov, Sarah and Zack!

virginia-jewish-weddings

Photographer: Seth Roberts Photography
Ceremony Venue: Congregation Beth Ahabah
Reception Venue: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Hair Stylist: Rituals Salon and Spa
Floral Designer: Vogue Flowers & Gifts
Invitation Designer: By Invitation Only
Cake Designer: Katherine’s Confections
DJ: Choice Entertainment, LLC
Linens and Coverings: DC Rental

Editorial Partner: Two Bright Lights

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From the Expert: Combine Your Traditions To Create A Meaningful Interfaith Wedding

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Alison in From the Expert

Daniel Sroka is the artist and owner of Modern Ketubah. He creates modern fine art wedding ketubahs from his abstract photographs of flowers and leaves for interfaith, Jewish, and multi-cultural couples. The first ketubah he ever made was for his own wedding. He and his then-fiance, Cara, wanted to make sure they loved the artwork to proudly hang it in their home, and they also wanted to be sure that the text and symbolism was meaningful, especially as an interfaith couple. They decided that his fine art photography would be the ideal style to express their marriage, as many other ketubahs they saw while shopping were adorned with Jewish symbols, and did not match their taste or represent them equally. Since then, Daniel has successfully built a ketubah business that honors individual style and spirituality.

Creating your interfaith wedding ceremony can feel like a huge challenge. Unlike couples from the same religion, you cannot just use a standard ceremony and be done with it. You need to create a new ceremony that is relevant to both of your traditions. While it can feel overwhelming, this challenge is really an opportunity to create something that truly symbolizes the unique personality of your love and marriage.

The simplest way to create an interfaith ceremony is to start with a basic wedding structure and embellish it with traditions you both hold most important. Both partners should write down everything they think should be in the wedding — every tradition that feels necessary. They should then go through their individual lists and explain the meaning of each item to each other. This is especially important for religious traditions that your partner may know little or nothing about. Try to explain why each tradition feels personally important to you, avoiding generalities like “it’s always been done this way,” or “I just like it”. The more you can explain, the better you will both understand each other, and the better your ceremony will become.

Ketubah by Daniel Sroka of Modern Ketubah

As you describe your ideal wedding to each other, you will begin to combine ideas, finding areas of agreement and disagreement. You will begin to learn what traditions are important to you as individuals, and as a couple. When my wife and I did this, we discovered that some traditions we originally considered essential really had no meaning to us once we tried to explain them, while other little-known traditions suddenly felt very important. So be ready to talk, compromise, and learn how to balance each others’ needs, concerns and ideas.

Eventually, you’ll begin to whittle down your long list of ideas into a workable ceremony. When my wife and I planned our wedding, we ended up combining different aspects of the Jewish and Catholic wedding traditions. We had two friends sing a modern version of the Seven Blessings. Another friend read a translation I wrote of the popular “Love is patient, love is kind” passage from Corinthians. We stood under a chuppah as my cousin, the priest, and our rabbi both gave their blessings. I fell in love with the Jewish tradition of the ketubah, and being an artist, decided to make one for us, which the rabbi then read to our families. We lit a unity candle, then stomped a glass. Some might find this kind of ceremony a little crazy or inauthentic, but we loved it and it fit us perfectly. It wasn’t a Jewish wedding or a Catholic wedding — it was our wedding.

Our crazy combined ceremony worked to bring our two families together in a beautiful and special way. Each side could relate to part of the ceremony, and also share the experience of something new. We explained the traditions throughout the ceremony, in simple terms, so that everyone could appreciate the parts they weren’t familiar with. And in the end, our families loved it as much as we did. It let us honor our religions and families while defining our own newly combined values, and began to establish what it would mean to live together as an interfaith couple.

Ketubah by Daniel Sroka of Modern Ketubah

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{Real Jewish Weddings} Lake Tahoe, CA

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

A wedding way high up, you can almost say “I do” in the clouds? That was the wedding for Jeni and Eric who love the outdoors and got married at Heavenly Lake Tahoe. They chose the unique location because it is one of their favorite areas to visit and vacation and the beautiful surroundings allowed them to incorporate their DIY ideas among a simple mountain feel. Plus, how much work do you need to do when the environment is naturally beautiful?

Elements of their love were sprinkled into the wedding details, rounding out a wedding theme that represented them to the core. Starting with the wedding ceremony itself which overlooked the Lake Tahoe area with the most gorgeous views on a clear day, lush flowers and rustic materials were used to wedding-ify the picture-perfect spot. With a purple and sage green color scheme, they made the beautiful look even more beautiful — they were smart to choose colors that wouldn’t fight the environment and instead, play up the splendor of the ambiance that Mother Nature created. With a fun summer wedding, Jeni and Eric offered colorful flip flops for guests so they could dance and celebrate without painful feet! And a biking-themed groom’s cake sparkled as a personal touch as one of the couple’s many joys.

Mazel tov, Jeni and Eric!

lake-tahoe-jewish-weddings

Photographer: Eric Asistin Photography
Venue: Heavenly Ski Resort

Editorial Partner: Two Bright Lights

Personalized Bridesmaids Gifts From The Bride

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Alison in Featured, Planning

If you’re looking for a way to thank your bridesmaids for being your support system, make it personal. A heartfelt thank you note with some touching words is a great way to tell your friends how you feel for them to keep forever. You can even get crafty and do some DIY card-making which is a fun and creative way to put thoughts on paper. Words about your friendship, its history, its future and what it means to you during your special time will surely be treasured. And it’ll feel good for you, too, as you express yourself!

If you want to complement your note with a tangible keepsake, then the task is super easy: Visit one of my favorite go-to handmade, small business gift shops, Sima Gilady Jewelry. Sima is a wife, mother and artist and finds inspiration for her unique jewelry from her travels, her family, and the beauty found in nature. Sima’s lifelong passion for art and jewelry are equally matched by her love for all things hand-made. She loves to help her clients create a one-of-a-kind things – like gifts for the coffee connoisseur, for jewelry lovers, for handmade goods fans etc., surprise a loved one with a totally unique piece of cloth, or help people express their unique points of view through custom design.

Sima is dedicated to creating one-of-a-kind pieces using the highest quality materials and highlest level of craftsmanship harnessed over years at work in her studio. All Sima Gilady Jewelry is made with love, so it seems like a no brainer that her store is your one-stop-shop for personalized gifts.

Your girls can wear it on the wedding day or save it for after, but the options are really endless when you design your pieces with Sima.

Want some suggestions and ideas?

The One Wish One Disc necklace is a sterling silver hammered 3/4″ disc on a chain. You can get one for each bridesmaid and personalize it with each girl’s name. Our favorite TV gal pal, Carrie Bradshaw, wore a “Carrie” necklace that was a salute to vintage nameplates from the 70s. This is an updated version that combines trendy textiles and timeless personalization. If worn down the aisle, it’s a nice way to tie in a single look, but each one is actually unique because it’s personalized for each bridesmaid.

The e.e. cummings quote “I carry your heart with me” can be applied, literally, to this necklace of the same name. I love that it’s in a heart shape because it stands for the fact that the necklace was gifted for a wedding and the relationship beween friends or sisters or cousins or whoever the special girls are who stand by your side. It’s a nice little reminder that even when you’re an old married hag, friendships are still important. Personalize the necklace with a unique gem for each girl. Think about each bridesmaid’s birth stone or favorite color and go from there.

Just go simple with an initial for each girl’s name! A charm with a stamped letter can be worn with anything and doubled up for additional accessorizing on other chains. Sima has paired an initial with a quote, but it can stand alone for the wedding day or you can chose an extra disc for personalization. It’s a trendy look that is still formal enough for a wedding because of the quality of Sima’s materials and work, but casual enough to be worn for every day looks once the wedding day is over. Also, if a bridesmaid has children of her own, you could always add on to her necklace for her birthday or Hanukkah with the initials of her kids to complete a legacy necklace. It can be a gift that keeps on giving that all started with your wedding day. Or, make it schnazzy and tell Sima to string on a gem! Bam. Instant color.

These are just ideas based on what Sima offers on her site. The possibilities are endless, though, as she will work with you to create the perfect piece that you’ll be so excited to give your girls! With the best customer service and the peace of mind that your business is going to someone who cares and creates her own products, you will be satisfied with your choices. And the presentation is cute, too! Sima completes her boutique items from start to finish so you can expect a nicely wrapped piece that makes gift-giving high end.

And if you are struggling with ideas for your shower hostesses, mothers of the bride and groom, ketubah signers, or even your groom (yes, there’s man jewelry, too!), Sima will create something that’s just right for your wedding VIPs.

With all of your attention to detail over wedding plans, here’s one more element to enjoy as you complete your perfect day.