Category Archives: Real Jewish Weddings

Christine and Josh were married on a sweltering Sunday in August at the Omni Parker House in the historic city of Boston. The two of them are a match made in heaven and a force to be reckoned with. Christine lights up a room whenever she enters it and loves the standards, right down to her “getting ready” playlist of Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. I think she was getting in the mood for their honeymoon in Italy. Josh, more of the observer and quiet one, was a surprise with his love of hip hop and urban culture, and also had a certain relaxed vibe that really worked well with his amazingly lovely bride.

The couple were wed under the chuppah by the ultra hip Rabbi Joe. He wrapped the couple in Josh’s grandfather’s tallit while they were presented to their guests as husband and wife. Their ceremony was a blast complete with a horah and a toast to Josh’s grandfather with his favorite cocktail.

Mazel tov, Christine and Josh!

Event Venue: The Omni Parker House
Photographer: Kristin Chalmers Photography
Hair Stylist: Salon MJH
Floral Designer: Blooms of Hope
Dress Store: Allegria Bridal
Cake Designer: The Icing on the Cake
DJ: Dan Sky Music
Makeup Artist: Kerri Herlihy

Editorial Partner: Two Bright Lights

I absolutely love when couples intertwine their passion with their wedding plans. Jackie and Jordan incorporated the art of opera into their ceremony with singers who serenaded them and their guests. And with the event taking place at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the beautiful Los Angeles opera house, there was no escaping the music. Not even for couples’ photos that were shot across the street at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Nope. No escaping music.

The richness of The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion was enhanced with deep reds and purples, complemented by crystals that dripped from the florals. A crowded dance floor proved that all of Jackie and Jordan’s guests felt the music as well, and they danced the night away in their formal best.

Mazel tov, Jackie and Jordan!

Venue: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Photographer: Chris Schmitt Photography
Caterer: Patina Restaurant Group
Event Planner: Mimi Events

You could just tell that Sami is the kind of girl who has excellent taste and knows how to execute her vision perfection. David, with his gentle smile and kind eyes, is exactly the guy to give her the moon. With her expertly lined eyes and long golden curls, she was an absolutely stunning bride. Sami poured herself into her stunning Anne Barge dress, pinned a Greek eye to the lining of her dress, and slipped on her shoes. Va-va-voom! The chuppah was covered in lush flowers from Heffernan Morgan and draped with strands of crystal. The table in the center was illuminated by a chandelier hanging inside. The chuppah was surrounded by rows of silver chiavari chairs, and the room was softly lit with a purple glow. Sami and David moved to a quiet terrace on the 2nd floor for their First Look that featured over-sized windows overlooking the Water Tower. The trio of musicians from Accolade Musicians tightened their strings and filled the room with beautiful melody.

Sami and David were blessed to be surrounded by over 200 guests and it was a marriage of families, not just two people. Sami was escorted down the aisle by her mother to join David for a simple and sweet ceremony that concluded with satisfying crunch of breaking glass.

Guests enjoyed a lively cocktail hour, followed by a reception that could only be described as luxurious. The ceremony room had been transformed into a beautiful lounge, twinkling with tealights and filled with the heady fragrance of the roses that crowned the centerpieces and marked each place-setting. The couple shared their first dance to a live cover of The Mamas and The Papas song, “California Dreamin’.” True old souls. Their tasty cake, by Oak Mill Bakery, was topped with a sparkly D monogram. Sami and David chose a phenomenal live band for their reception, Dynasty, and their rockin’ style kept the guests on the dance floor all night.

Mazel tov, Sami and David!

Venue: The Westin Michigan Avenue
Photographer: Joshua Albanese Photography
Event Designer: Heffernan Morgan Designs
Cake Designer: Oak Mill Bakery
Band: Dynasty
Ceremony Music: Accolade Musicians
Makeup Artist: Starlight Makeup

Rachel and Max met during their first year of college where she was swing dancing in a mutual friend’s tiny dorm room when he arrived and joined in. For Max, it was love at first sight, but Rachel remained oblivious for the better part of a year. Eventually, after acting in two plays, taking two classes, and becoming good friends, he got up the gumption to kiss her. The rest, as they say, is history.

When happy couple first got engaged, a planning guide only reinforced their “special” connection. The book encouraged them to choose three words to represent their future relationship. And, while they may have written their words separately, they both hoped for a “playful,” “quirky,” and unapologetically “geeky” marriage.

In addition to their love of all things geeky, Rachel and Max share an abiding respect for one another’s faiths, so they grounded their wedding plans in Jewish and Lutheran touchstones they had always known and loved. Rachel’s mother spent months making a chuppah out of her great-grandmother’s tablecloth and constructing a freestanding, yet light, frame that their friends could carry down the aisle. Every part of the ceremony, from the officiating team to the interfaith ketubah reflected their dedication to one another.

Mazel tov, Rachel and Max!

Venue: Olbrich Gardens
Photographer: JBe Photography
Coordinator: Marilee Karamanski of Planned Spontaneity
Florist: Sunborn Gardens
Cake: Bloom Bake Shop
Jeweler: TQ Diamonds
Caterer: Bunky’s Café
Dress: Vera’s House of Bridals
Hair Stylist: Ariel at Baci Hair Salon
Officiant: Rabbi Lester Frazin and Pastor Sarah Harrold
Tuxedos: Nedrebo’s Formal Wear
Ketubah: MP Artworks

Editorial Partner: Two Bright Lights