Category Archives: Real Jewish Weddings

Real Weddings | Austin, TX

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

As the wedding day progressed, Cindy and Mario’s special day carried artistic and personal touches at every turn. If it wasn’t the custom yarmulkes that were handed out at the ketubah signing, then surely the chuppah would set the tone that this wedding was all about celebrating the these two individuals coming together as a couple. After all, the chuppah’s canopy was made from Cindy’s mother’s wedding veil and then adorned with flowers. One symbolic tradition became a new meaningful staple to their Jewish wedding.

Beware! Children participating in weddings can steal the bride and groom’s thunder if they’re super cute. Today’s wedding is no exception to this fair warning. The flower girls and ring bearers were the bride’s cute nieces and nephews and it was so cute and funny the way the two ring bearers diplomatically shared their duties! This is serious business after all!

Since this Cuban-Jewish couple just moved from Brooklyn to Texas, they knew there had to be salsa dancing as well as the Horah at their reception. Cindy and Mario’s guests weren’t shy on the dance floor thanks to the rockin’ tunes and restive decor. The whimsical displays of hydrangeas, succulents, and birds’ nests for the ceremony were the perfect prelude to the reception’s vintage motif that featured mason jars filled with posies and tulips. The escort cards were miniature pecan pies — yum! — that led their guests to their tables with turquoise framed old-fashioned alphabet cards. Proof is in the pudding that design elements have no bounds when it comes to personalizing your wedding. Cindy and Mario’s special day was a cornucopia of red and aqua details that provided a fun, chic, and retro atmosphere.

Mazel tov, Cindy and Mario!

Venue – Texas Old Town
Photographer/Photobooth – Katherine O’Brien Photography
Caterer – Word of Mouth
Floral Design – Rosehip Flora
Entertainment – Guateque
Rabbi – Steven Gross
Ketubah – TheKetubah.com – Stephanie Caplan

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Real Weddings | Malibu, CA

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

Tali and Moshe are a stylish and well-traveled couple. They met in high-tech style (Thanks for another great match, JDate!), they got engaged in luxury (Moshe proposed during a Jamaican vacation, mon), and they enjoyed two wedding celebrations (one in Israel and one in Malibu). It’s no surprise that we are happy to feature their laid-back, casual, Tuesday afternoon wedding at the Malibu West Beach Club.

Today’s Real Weddings couple is made up of two people who know what they want in life. After all, Moshe was the first and only person Tali every contacted on JDate and she was a member for just three days! True love sometimes swoops in quickly. Tali and Moshe also had a dream team of wedding vendors who were involved in their Malibu wedding. Details were clearly planned and Jewish elements were woven in nicely. We love Moshe’s full-body participation in breaking the glass — he must have been really pumped to marry Tali because he jumped so high, it looks like he almost went through the chuppah. Airborne grooms make for great photo moments!

This is a wedding full of love, warmth, and ruach (spirit!) and we’re happy to see them celebrate a wonderful marriage for many, many years to come.

Mazel tov, Tali and Moshe!

Venue – Malibu West Beach Club
Rabbi – Rabbi Mendel Schwartz/Chai Center
Photographer – Henry Chen
Videographer – Kolkey Productions
Entertainment – DJ Eyal
Caterer – Balebosta Caterers
Makeup – Karen Scott Cosmetics
Hair – Chachi’s Hair Studio/Chess and Burman Salons
First Dance Choreography – Funky First Dance
Designer/Decor/Chuppah – CFS Design
Ketubah – 1-800-Ketubah
Photobooth – Cheesy Photobooth

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Real Weddings | Seattle, WA

Posted on October 21, 2010 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

Michael and Stephanie met in college as freshmen in the marching band and developed a friendship over several months of rehearsals. Michael’s family lived nearby, but Stephanie was several hundred miles from home. So when it came time for Passover in the spring, and Stephanie couldn’t make it home, Michael invited her over to his home for Seder. One dinner together led to another, and by the end of the year, they started dating.

Fast forward to four years later. It was the last night of Hanukkah, and the two had already exchanged gifts and were relaxing by watching some TV. The show ended, and Stephanie started to stand up before Michael told her, “Hold on, I have one more present for you.” When he returned, it was with a small box in his hand and a question on his lips.

Their wedding was an intimate affair of family and close friends, with personal touches throughout. The ketubah was designed by a friend of Stephanie’s mother, and the couple drank their ceremonial wine from a silver kiddush cup brought to America by Michael’s great-grandfather. Stephanie’s uncle, a Rabbi, performed the seven wedding blessings in Hebrew, and family members from each side blessed the couple in English. With friends and family coming together from thousands of miles apart, it was more than memorable for them both!

Mazel tov, Stephanie and Michael!

Venue and Catering – Lakeside Events Center
Photographer – Emmajane photography
Event Planner – Simply Wed
Floral Design – Elements in Bloom
Entertainment – Music Man
Rabbi – Yohanna Kinberg
Bakery – Simply Desserts
Hair Stylist – Frederick’s Beauty Salon
Wedding Gown – Casablanca

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Real Weddings | Haddam, CT

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

Internet love strikes again! Mike and Keira met through JDate, but timing was not perfect for Kiera who found that she clicked — literally! — with a military man. You see, Mike had just been reassigned to a base in San Diego and was getting ready for a deployment. Meanwhile, Kiera was living outside of Dallas. But they were both looking for other Jewish people to connect with and they were determined to not let the geographies get in the way.

During Mike’s deployment, the couple sent over 4,000 emails and stamped pieces of snail mail to each other. Mike was deployed for four months and arrived back in San Diego where Kiera flew out to meet him for the first time. He had just moved into his new apartment and their first date was to the Navy Ball.

After the Ball, it was obvious that the two had a connection. They flew back and forth between California and Texas and decided to move in together shortly after. But timing wasn’t on their sides again, as Mike was deployed once more and would be gone for 14 months.

With that news brought quick change. Since Mike was going to be deployed for over a year, they decided to have a civil ceremony prior to his deployment. They had already overcome so much and even though they’d be separated by continents, they knew their love was here to stay. They were married in a civil ceremony on February 15, 2008.

The time apart was difficult, but Kiera kept herself busy planning the wedding celebration for family and friends. A lot of thought went into the chuppah and ketubah as they wanted these Jewish wedding symbols to match. The design reminded Kiera of their wedding bands which are two-toned white and yellow gold. And of course, what’s a military wedding without a traditional sword arch at the end of the ceremony?

So many expressions of “thank you” go into this wonderful wedding: Thank you JDate for bringing Mike and Kiera together; thank you to their families for supporting each other during Mike’s deployment; and thank you to Mike who is not only our bride’s personal hero, but our country’s. Thank you for your service!

Mazel tov, Kiera and Mike!

Venue – The Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station
Photographer – Jennifer Schumacher Photography
Floral Designer – Ashleigh’s Garden
Bakery – Creative Cakes by Donna
Ketubah and Chuppah Canopy – MP Artworks
Entertainment – Powerstation Events
Yarmulkes – Yarmulkes.com
Groom’s Ring – Irelia Fine Jewelry, LLC
Invitations – Printing on 5th Ave
Tuxes – Men’s Warehouse
Dress and Bridesmaid Dresses- Alfred Angelo

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Ask The Yentas: Edition III – Flower Power

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

You email us, and we answer! We are so obedient, but that’s because we love our readers and want to please them. Therefore, if you have a question, we will provide you a thoughtful reply that’s soaked with our knowledge and enthusiasm for all things wedding.

Today’s Ask The Yentas is about flowers. Well, more specifically, about a certain kind of flower. You may have a clear idea of what you’d like your bouquets and centerpieces to look like, but there are many other elements to take into account before making your final floral decision… and deposit.

Hi Wedding Yentas,

I am planning my wedding and my mother asked me to look into floral arrangements, since it is the last major vendor that I need to book. However, when I sent her floral arrangements that consisted of calla lilies, my mother responded that “Jews don’t use this flower at their wedding.” Is this true? If so, do you know why? My color is red, but I’m not a fan of roses, so I thought this flower would be a nice touch, especially since we are getting married in the summer in South Florida on the intercoastal region.

Thank you,
Ilene

Hi Ilene,

Good question!! And thanks for checking with us!

Your mom’s idea isn’t totally out of the blue. Her thinking is not based on a hard-set rule, but more of a cultural and taste type of thing. We assume she makes this claim because most people tend to associate calla lilies with Easter, as they are a traditional flower used at Easter services and gatherings. Also, calla lilies typically have a presence at funeral and mourning occasions. Darker callas, especially, are usually included in arrangements for memorials and related events like wakes and shivas. Basically, the calla lily has been linked to sad times. And with Jewish weddings being such joyous and festive events, perhaps that’s why some Jewish mothers have pooh-poohed the calla lilies.

BUT… unlike fasting on Yom Kippur or staying away from leavened bread on Passover, there is no Jewish rule about flowers, and certainly not one against calla lilies.

AND… there is a way around it if you’re set on the flower.

The Yentas liked calla lilies as well because of the unique shape and texture of the flower. So, instead of having an all-calla lily bouquet, they were incorporated into the bouquet and included roses, ranunculas, dahlias, hydrangeas and peonies. Their puff and texture complemented the calla lilies’ smooth and long shape, creating a playfully elegant bouquet that was feminine and unique. It’s perfectly acceptable to have a multi-colored bouquet if you want to marry your red theme with coordinating colors. Summer in Florida inspires yellows, purples, and peaches as well. Other floral varieties that come in these colors could look great with red callas.

Good luck with your floral adventure! If you have any more questions or would like to chat further about this, please feel free to contact us!

Mazel tov!

Love,
Alison & Nicky

image-courtesy-of-sun-dance-photography

We’re not florists and we’re not even good at gardening. We just know what looks good. So, discuss your options with your florist and feel free to bounce ideas off each other. Also make sure to always voice any concerns about ideas and themes for your flowers so that the final product stays in your realm of style and preference. Just know that you have so many options in colors, textures, and sizes when it comes to designing your floral theme so keep an open mind and break all the non-rules!