Author Archives: Alison

Friday Favorites | Get All Dolled Up!

It’s our favorite day of the week — Friday! — which means we are shiny, happy Yentas! Speaking of shiny, we love all things that shimmer and we strongly believe that on your wedding day, you should absolutely sparkle from head to toe.

Literally.

Make sure you read to the end to find out how you can get all dolled up for your wedding day!

Okay, glisten up! Today’s Friday Favorites is all about accessories that we love for brides! Dolled Up is your go-to sparkle haven for all of your hair accessory needs for your wedding! Not only do the Dolled Up artists use the finest quality gems and materials, but they’re all about making sure you strut your bridal stuff in your own, personalized way. Dolled Up accessories embody the notion of looking sharp and feeling great. All of their products are handmade and are named after a doll who has inspired the artists who lives up to the Dolled Up philosophy. The masterminds behind Dolled Up combine event experience with handmade artistry to create one-of-a-kind custom bridal accessories. Having planned countless weddings, Dolled Up has a keen eye for how to complete the overall look and feel of your wedding through your bridal attire. Paired with years of crafting experience, the artists create beautifully adorned headbands, combs, pins, tiaras, and barrettes that fit perfect with the bride’s vision and make for unforgettable photographs. Embellished gloves, wraps, shoes and bags also complete the look and tie everything together flawlessly.

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Their line is made up of signature elastic and wrapped silk headbands with plenty of fabulous sparkle and shine. The Dolled Up brand also includes rhinestone combs, velvet belts with embellished buckles, and bold jewelry pieces that are made for standing out in a crowd.

And no one can compete with their unique custom bridal accessory service. We love that brides can convey their bridal style and even send in pictures of their dress so that the Dolled Up artists work to customize any piece possible. It’s your wedding day — why not have your very own accessory that reflects you and not an average department store? Passing down the piece to family or friends for their own weddings makes it that much more special and personal, too!

Even if you’re not a bride looking for your own sparkly bridal accessory, designing a piece for an engaged gal pal could be a really special gift. Plus, you know your girlfriends best and you want them to feel extra special with their own unique piece of bridal bling on their big day. And if you or a bride-friend isn’t into twinkling on the wedding day, Dolled Up can help you customize a piece for a shower or bachelorette party. Being the life of the party is all about radiating glitter! Why do you think the Disney Electrical Parade was such a big hit? Hmmm?? It wasn’t because this main attraction was dull and boring…

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You can follow All Dolled via Twitter for the latest and greatest information and make sure to visit their website so you can shop for yourself. And they’ve also set up shop on Etsy.com, the site where every “arteest” can showcase their goods. Careful, now. Etsy is synonymous with “addiction.”

And because you’re a smart Yentas reader, you can have a chance to win your very own customized accessory made especially for you, courtesy of Dolled Up!

Leave a comment and tell us your most favorite accessory to shop for! Do you consider yourself a headband addict? Can’t stop buying cute barrettes? Love sparkly clips and bows? Are you the tiara type? Admit your guilty pleasures by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday night and you could win your very own customized Dolled Up piece — your choice! — created by a Dolled Up artist to perfectly match your bridal look. The Princess Treatment can be all yours with one entry! You don’t have to be a bride or be Jewish to enter or win. Winner will be announced Monday! Good luck and shine on!

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Real Weddings | New York, NY

True love can totally spark at a bar and thanks to the help of a good, mutual friend, Rachel and Glenn are married today. They were introduced early in the night by another friend who told Rachel she just had to hang out with this guy. Rachel was obedient, followed orders, and after exchanging glances and dialogue, they ended up on a brownstone stoop at 4 a.m., eating Mamouns Falafel and drinking a bottle of water as the flirting continued. Glenn took Rachel out dancing a few days later, and they officially danced their way into each others’ lives from that point on. They got engaged in December of 2009 just in time to ring in the new year!

What’s not to love about the following pictures? From Rachel’s glamorous bridal look to the photos capturing the essence of New York, this wedding is flurry of planning inspiration. We love the simple elegance of all white flowers, and the colorful lighting design adds sophisticated, festive flair to the venue’s grandiose Gothic architecture. And by the looks of it, Glenn and Rachel’s guests were more than happy to celebrate their special day with them, as the partying and dancing pulsated far into the night. It just goes to show, creating a vision from the ground up with your event team is the foundation for executing the wedding of your dreams.

Mazel tov, Rachel and Glenn!

Venue – Angel Orensanz Foundation
Photographer – Shira Weinberger
Coordinator – Xochitl/Always a Bridesmaid
Floral Design – Melarosa
Caterer – Above and Beyond
Entertainment – Doug Winters Music
Dress – Ulla Maija
Hair and Makeup – Nelson D’leon
Ketubah – TheKetubah.com

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Still Shopping for a Husband?

Ladies, if we may be so bold, some of you are still shopping for husbands, no? Don’t be ashamed. Many women start planning their weddings before they’ve even found Mr./Dr./Rabbi Right. Without giving anything away, a few years ago, one of the Yentas was browsing through wedding gowns in one window while clicking through boyfriends in another. So if you’re here without a ring on your finger yet, that’s okay! No judging here. There’s nothing wrong with getting a head start and looking at pretty pictures of weddings. But if you do need a little FYI on finding the right guy, you know we’re big fans of JDate® and plenty of our friends have also found true love on The Big J.

As most JDaters will tell you, having the right profile can seal the deal for the right guy. And sure, you may collect some wacky stories here and there, but you’re boosting your chances to make your chuppah dreams a reality if you include an assortment of pictures, sprinkle in some humor, and go heavy on the honesty in your profile.

Here’s a humorous inside look at Episode 1 of a web series on J-TV called “Power of the Punim.” These are just a couple of questions plaguing comedian Eric Schwartz in his quest to become the most “Eli-Jew-ble Bachelor” on JDate®. In JDate’s brand new 3-part webisode series, JDate Walking, Eric takes to the streets, asking people their advice while giving his signature, hilarious commentary.

So after you enjoy this chuckle-worthy video, get to your JDate® profile, get engaged, and get busy planning your wedding with The Wedding Yentas!

Don’t forget, JDate® is always looking for its alumni to feature in their Success Stories! If you are engaged or married to a fellow JDater, make sure to submit yourself so you can be pampered by JDate®!

Real Weddings | Sharon, MA

Who says you can’t mix business with pleasure?! Heather and Adrian met while working at the same company in New York City. After their first date they knew they would be together forever.

Adrian proposed to Heather during their annual family vacation to Arizona. After a relaxing round of golf and dinner, Adrian suggested going to the hot tub for an evening soak. As Heather was getting into the hot tub Adrian got down on one knee, opened the ring box (upside down!) and asked if he could be so lucky as to spend the rest of his life with Heather and of course she said yes or The Wedding Yentas wouldn’t have this beautiful wedding to show you today!

So, after five years of dating and a year and a half engagement, they tied the knot in Heather’s hometown on a beautiful Fall day. The sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky — picture perfect for their outdoor ceremony at Spring Valley Country Club. The wedding was more than either could have ever imagined, and it went off without a hitch thanks to Tasha Bracken from SD Events and to Heather’s sister Stephanie who worked tirelessly making sure the rentals were top notch! Friends and family traveled across the country to attend the wedding and share the special day with Heather and Adrian.

Mazel tov, Heather and Adrian!

Venue – Spring Valley Country Club
Coordination – SD events/Tasha Bracken
Photographer – Person + Killian
Videographer – Generations CinemaStories
Floral Design – Jon Mongeau
Entertainment – Legit Band
Bakery – Montillios
Linens & Decor – Rentals Unlimited/Stephanie Solomon
Hair – Rachael Berkowitz
Bridal Dress – Vera Wang
Lighting – ALPS
Ketubah: Ketubah.com

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Keepin’ Up With The Kiddush Cup

Before your wedding, you should start thinking about building your tolerance to a few sips of wine. Your wedding day is not the time to find out if you’re a lightweight, but the least you can do is drink up in style. Yes, even your Kiddush cup can match your personalities or wedding day look.

But first, a little explanation: Remember, your officiant may decide to move the ceremony along with his or her own style, but typically, the bride and groom share two cups of wine under the chuppah. The first instance of wine is during the betrothal blessing. After the officiant recites the prayers, the bride and groom drink from the cup.

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As always, a little symbolism helps to carry the meaning. In this case, the wine symbolizes the beginning of life, which in this case, refers to pure grape juice. But the grape juice continues to grow through the stages of fermentation, and emerges as a pure and delightful divine blessing: a sweet, sweet wine.

The next cup of wine is for the Seven Blessings or Sheva Brochot. These seven blessings connect the bride and groom to each other, uniting their souls as one. The Seven Blessings promote the hope and destiny of the couple’s happiness, their delight in spirituality and each other, and that the Temple will be restored in Jerusalem.

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Again, the bride and groom drink from the cup. Soon after, closing remarks and a good, old stomp on the glass conclude the ceremony.

The use of wine in the chuppah ceremony confirms the continuing importance of wine in the Jewish faith, the Kiddush, the sanctification of wine, and Kiddushin, the sanctification of people in love to each other.

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On a day full of love, why not love the Kiddush cup? Here are some cups we love that you can also purchase for your own wedding day!

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