The Wedding Yentas™ | A Guide for the Jewish Bride!™

Yarmulke, o’ yarmulke!

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Alison in Inside Scoop, Jewish Traditions, Planning

Many of your non-Jewish guests may ask you about those little hats that men wear on their heads in temple. The Yentas offer you some answers that you can share.

The little hat is a yarmulke, also known as a kippah, which is a Yiddish word derived from the Polish word for “cap.” A yarmulke is worn during the time of prayer. So, that’s your very basic definition. But what does it have to do with weddings?
A yarmulke is one Jewish detail that you can tie in to your wedding color theme while providing the men who are attending your ceremony a wonderful take-home memento from your special day. Plus, we all know every household has a stash of collected yarmulkes ranging from special occasions like Joseph Abramovitz’s Bar Mitzvah (adorned with a printed pattern of baseballs and gloves), The Wedding of Beth and Aaron Cohen, and the plain white yarmulke your father-in-law accidentally wore home from the temple’s Rosh Hashanah morning service. This collection of yarmulkes you have in your china closet may just come in handy the next time you have Passover dinner at your house or your husband hosts a minyan.

But, we’re getting off track. Back to weddings, of course, and ideas that’ll make your guests want to keep your kippah.

Yarmulkes come in all different colors and materials. We’ve seen yarmulkes made of satin, velvet, leather, suede, and yarn that’s knitted or crocheted. They can have a sports theme, an animal print, even your wedding logo. There is no yarmulke too sparkly or adorned! They can also be featured in your photos depending on their displays. Details on your wedding day are key, so let your yarmulke have a place in your album! Your bald Uncle Moshe will also be appreciative when his head doesn’t get burned during your beautiful outdoor ceremony! Who needs SPF 40 when you have a yarmulke?

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Providing yarmulkes at your wedding does not – we repeat, does not – have to be an additional stressful item. You can design and order online in a matter of minutes. A few of our favorite websites provide yarmulkes of every shape and color. Ordering online is an easy way to mix and match, buy in bulk, and get great deals on yarmulkes for your wedding!

Yussel’s Place: Ever heard of an eco-friendly yarmulke? Yussel’s Place carries them! Made of recycled cardboard, this is, without a doubt, the perfect addition to any green or eco-friendly wedding! They have a great variety of other yarmulkes as well that can all be ordered in bulk!
Yarmulkes.com: These guys have been in business for over 50 years. They can accommodate rush orders and have an amazing variety. Their prices are pretty good too!
Mazeltops.com: Not only does this site have a great name, their selection is outstanding! They have embossed foil yarmulkes with a paisley pattern (yup, paisley). How could you go wrong? For the creative, unique and maybe even wacky wedding theme, this is a site you would be silly not to check out.

Displaying your yarmulkes at your wedding can also be a creative project and detail element.

Find a cute chest, basket, or box to put the yarmulkes in, and as guests enter your ceremony area they can pick them up.
Line the card or gift table with yarmulkes.
Appoint someone to pass them out as guests are seated prior to your ceremony. A yarmulke and a program – what a deal! Better than popcorn and peanuts at a ballgame.

There are lots of ways to incorporate yarmulkes on your wedding day!

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Don’t forget…your groom can sport his own special yarmulke and give his groomsmen fun ones to wear. Can we say groomsmen gift? It’s just so simple!

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Friday Favorites | Think Pink Wedding

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Alison in Friday Favorites

We’re at the end of the week and we’re also nearing the end of the month. As most women are aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s very likely that most of us have been affected by breast cancer in our lives. Whether it’s our mothers, grandmothers, friends, or ourselves, we remember those who lost the battle and we honor others who’ve beat the odds to survival. All women are heroes in their own ways, but the ones who have been brushed with breast cancer deserve an extra medal of honor. Make sure to read the bottom of the page for information about sponsoring The Wedding Yentas in a Comment for the Cause campaign!

So, let’s take something dismal and associate it with joy: Here at The Wedding Yentas, we want to share with you products and services that are inspired by research to prevent and cure breast cancer and how you can incorporate them in your special, joyous day!

Bling Out Your Awareness:
Add a splash of pastel colors to your wedding day wardrobe with a piece of beautiful jewelry. We absolutely love the stretch set of ten bracelets by Jennifer Miller. This feminine and sassy accessory has been seen on some of the most supportive women on television, including The View and The Today Show. A charm ribbon delicately dangles from the chunks of beads as support and awareness for the cause, while still letting you shine and sparkle on your wedding day. So it’s pretty and girly and totally bride-appropriate, but what do we love most about it? 20% of the proceeds from this bracelet set will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

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Nail That Awareness!:
OPI is our favorite nail polish company due to their long lasting shine and colors across the spectrum. But for the fourth year in a row, OPI has another reason to be our favorite polish brand: they’re all about supporting breast cancer research and awareness! The new color is OPI’s Pink of Hearts Nail Lacquer, an exclusive hue with an ongoing mission to advocate for women’s health. OPI will donate $25,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure which is the best reason to paint on this light, shimmery shade that every woman would be proud to wear because it represents the power of caring, the power of women supporting each other, and the power of pink! You’ll feel great knowing your nails will sparkle and shine in your wedding photos while making their mark to fight breast cancer at the same time.

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Bridesmaids for the Cure:
You love your favorite ladies so much, you want them by your side on your wedding day. But, show your love for them by gifting them with these pieces of jewelry that are pretty in pink and support the cause to find a cure! The Hope Breast Cancer Awareness necklace is dainty and girly, showcasing a gold-dipped bird as a symbol hope and progress. Dogeared Jewels & Gifts always has the most adorable charm jewelry, but we like this one the best because of what it stands for. Most importantly, Dogeared commits to donating profits of this necklace to the Los Angeles Breast Center Alliance. There’s no doubt you’ll be shining on your special day as a bride, but let your bridesmaids sparkle as well! We’re always a fan of Kendra Scott Jewelry, but the Danielle Earrings in Pink Rose Quartz offers a soft, feminine style while paying tribute to vintage adornments with its roped gold trim. They’ll really stand out in pictures and helps tie in your wedding day look. Oh, and the fact that Kendra Scott will donate $5 to breast cancer awareness isn’t too shabby either!

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Slip On Your Awareness:
As you prep and primp on the morning of your big day, you won’t want to walk around the hotel room carpet with bare feet (c’mon, you know you’ve seen those Dateline specials about hotel rooms! Gah!) so slip on something that’s cute and helps fund breast cancer research. These adorable slippers come in either black or white and you can personalize them for your tootsies with your initial. A little pink ribbon adorns the initial and the slipper is adjustable so it fits any size. Wear these proudly and toss a set to each of your bridesmaids, too! Posing in your matching slippers will make adorable photos!

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Shlepping For A Cure:
Who knew a little shlepping could help raise awareness and donations for breast cancer prevention and research? On the big day, you’re going to be shlepping all your materials and accessories so you may as well do it with style and with your new mantra: “Keep calm and carry on” which is so appropriate for the wedding day! The famous and historical phrase from our chums across the pond inspires the chic and simple cotton canvas tote bag that’s also environmentally safe. Purchase in pink and — surprise! — 20% of the proceeds from the bag from Decorative Things will go to The Anne Moore Breast Cancer Fund at New York Weill Cornell Medical College. The bag makes a great gift to house bridesmaids’ belongings or tokens of appreciation, and can even help you shlep souvenirs home from your honeymoon!

Frame Your Awareness:
Let’s face it: After your wedding is over, your mothers are going to be the first in line for photo memories from your special day. They’ll want to display their new married children in a special part of the house or carry around albums and frames to share with their friends at mahjong and bunco. So, present your mothers with a delicately beautiful picture frame made by the timeless Lenox. The floral motif borders the frame and the signature pink mat suggests breast cancer awareness. Best part? 10% of proceeds go right into BreastCancer.org.

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Soak Up The Awareness:
Craving some Israeli TLC without the expensive plane ticket? Enjoy the health benefits of 100% natural Dead Sea salts from the comforts of your home with Ahava’s Hope Blossoms Mineral Bath Salts. We also like the idea of soaking in the salts because AHAVA will make a donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation in support of their mission to help fund research and promote education and early detection. Way to go Ahava! Oh and “ahava” means “love” in Hebrew, so we ahava the fact that Ahava is paying tribute to Israel through the Dead Sea compounds and breast cancer awareness this season. Word on the street is that actress Natalie Portman, who’s a member of the tribe, loves Ahava products, so there’s another reason to douse yourself in a little piece of Israel.

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Fight Breast Cancer With Your Wedding Dress:
Another way you can do some BC philanthropy is to donate your wedding dress to Brides Against Breast Cancer. If you’re not sure what you’re going to do with your dress after your big day, don’t let it take up room in your closet. Give another lucky bride a chance to wear your dress and you can feel good knowing your donation goes toward helping others who are suffering from breast cancer. If you want to donate your gown, you ship it to a center and then they tour the gowns in different cities where people buy them. Meanwhile, proceeds go to helping those afflicted with breast cancer still see dreams come true thanks to your dream-come-true dress.

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The Favor of Awareness:
Donate to a breast cancer charity of your choice and let your guests know that you’ve contributed in their name. If you’re not into buying tchotchke favors for your friends and family to take with them from your wedding and shove it in the junk drawer of the kitchen when they get home, then you can feel good about donating some moolah on their behalf. Choose your breast cancer charity and the organization willl help you from there. Specifically, the Yentas like Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Save the Ta Tas Foundation, and Avon’s Breast Cancer Crusade.

Ladies, please remember to take care of yourself. If breast cancer runs in your family or you’re in your 40s, it’s time to start getting annual mammograms and rule out any cause for concern! Prevention is so simple and could save your life. A few seconds of pancake-flattening discomfort is worth the peace of mind that you’re doing the right thing for your body!

The Wedding Yentas wants to help, too! Leave a comment below to honor your breast cancer hero by sharing their first name or their relationship to you so you can pay tribute to them. For every comment received today, Friday, through Sunday at 11:59 p.m., The Wedding Yentas will donate $1 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. We hope to be donating many, many dollars, so make us put our money where our rack, er, mouth is, as we make the breast of our efforts!

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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Wedding Planning Reality Check

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Alison in Inside Scoop

What you are about to read is based (cough, cough!) on a true story.

Raise your hand if you are one of those brides who had your whole wedding planned as a little girl. Guilty. Yup. Yenta Alison is that girl. As a very young child, I appointed my Barbies and their Dream House as the models and prototypes for what would become the best day of my life. So, 20-ish years later, the actual wedding was set to happen and my groom — my own personal Ken — was not made of plastic and his swim trunks didn’t stop mid-thigh. He was excited about the wedding, too, and trusted me to realize all my plans that previously existed in the world of Mattel.

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I would have colorful, floral centerpieces with flowers that coordinated with my bouquet. “Yes,” he said.
I would include pink, pink, pink in all of the decor elements and favors. “Yes,” he said.
I would order chair covers and accenting sashes tied in knots and not bows. “Yes,” he said.
He would wear a black tuxedo, with a white vest and a white Windsor tuxedo tie. “No,” he said.

Did you hear that?
That was the sound of the Barbie Corvette coming to a loud, screeching halt as if it was about to intersect a train on tracks.

What? He wouldn’t wear a tuxedo with a tie? “No,” he said. He wanted to wear a bow tie.

From here began a series of heated discussions about how I’d always imagined my groom wearing a tuxedo with a tie because in every blog I was stalking, that’s what the other guys were wearing, and all the photos at the tux stores featured hunky models in modern long tuxedo ties! I pulled out every piece of ammunition for this argument and I insisted on winning. After a while, I lost sight of what I was actually fighting for and didn’t want to go back to my corner as the loser. I mean, did I really expect him to be catching up on what’s hot in wedding blogs or should I have let him achieve his classic, crooner look that’s an expression of himself? Obviously, looking back now, I should have answered the latter.

But it was too late. I was the loser. I was the loser as soon as I had assumed and then insisted my husband-to-be wear a long tuxedo tie. On his own body. On his wedding day.

And that’s when it hit me. Even though my groom had voiced his wardrobe preference, and even though he cared about one thing and one thing only to even voice his preference, I lost the battle before I even opened my mouth. It was my only bridezilla hiccup and it was not pretty.

There were tears. We said bad words that the ladies of The Wedding Yentas aren’t supposed to say. We experienced that awkward, touchy time as the dust settled. And then we talked. And finally, I told him to wear his bow tie and wear it good. That he could wear a potato sack on our wedding day and still be the most handsome groom. I realized that my man was not even close to being a groomzilla. The guy just had his own vision of what he wanted to wear. And that was okay. I was being a brat that day and I’m not normally a brat, but I let the wedding planning serpents get the best of me, and meanwhile, I was not my best me. I’m not proud of my tantrum, but it has since allowed me to find perspective in cases where there’s a difference of opinion.

Fast forward to the wedding day which featured a good looking group. The groomsmen looked like total studs in their black tuxedos, white shirt, black vests, and black Windsor ties. And their buddy, my groom, stood out in his white vest and bow tie, looking so dapper and coordinated. It all turned out beautifully and, looking back on it, my foot tasted horribly in my mouth.

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So why am I sharing this? Why am I admitting this brush with an inner wedding-planning monster? Because it all works out. There may be a few bumps in the road and you might experience stress. You could flip out about anything from the chipped piece of paint on your otherwise perfectly manicured fingers or you may have a panic attack about the mismatched shoelaces in your husband’s rented tux shoes, but you know what? You still get married. You still leave that chuppah as a Mrs. and you still get a whole lifetime to love up your hubster. It’s okay to want everything to be right. It’s okay to have a blueprint for your wedding dreams. And it’s totally okay to have wedding nightmares and vent to your mom and girlfriends. But don’t lose sight of the final destination and let the speedbumps become cliff dives. Create and raise standards for your wedding, but do not etch your expectations into stone. A little “go with the flow” goes a long way.

Allow your groom to voice his opinions and open up the planning to discussion. I often dished about the wedding plans with my Mr., but his usual response was something like, “Do what you want, love. You’ll do a wonderful job and I don’t know anything about [insert detail here].” So the one thing he did care about, that actually had to do with him, personally, ended up being the right thing. And he looked better than Ken looks in any of his tacky 80s outfits in my doll box.

Today, we are married and my husband has granted me final say on the outfits that he chooses from the closet. And when we revisit that all-out ~~discussion~~ fight, I roll my eyes and we both laugh.

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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