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

{Real Jewish Weddings} Los Angeles, CA

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

Can’t help loving the timeless and classic style of this Los Angeles wedding! Want to know how to do it up big while keeping it tasteful? Hire the same dream team that Faith and David did! Here it all unfolds! One of L.A.’s premier wedding bands kept the guests in motion and The Luxe on Sunset is well-versed on Jewish weddings, so they have the whole routine down pat while still accommodating each and every individual event. B&G is a personal favorite of The Wedding Yentas as the photography is top notch and the team behind the camera is just a blast to work with (love ya!). Lighting makes a world of a difference at a wedding reception, so please make sure to take note of the beautiful work by AV Masters! A bride is not a bride without her bridal gown and Lisa Litt of Lili Bridals takes care of each and every one of her brides, maids, and moms. Faith is absolutely stunning so it looks like she got the usual treatment from Lisa and her team! A wedding like this one is a well oiled machine thanks to DB Creativity at the helm. I always say that if the budget allows, a wedding planner should make your experience so much lighter and happier.

Faith and David’s exquisite wedding is a perfect example that you don’t have to have a gimmick to your wedding. High-end design and a good time make the event a success!

Mazel tov, Faith and David!

Photographer: B&G Photography
Venue: Luxe Hotel Sunset Boulevard
Lighting: AV Masters
Event Planner & Florist: DB Creativity
Band: De Bois Productions
Dress Store: Lili Bridals
Bridesmaids’ Makeup & Hair: Soreya Yann
Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Lisa says:
June 11, 2013 at 8:43 am PDT
Faith looks SO gorgeous! Her dress is perfection and the maids look fantastic too!
many years of Happiness to Faith and David!

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Where Do You Stand On Mismatched Bridesmaid Dresses?

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Alison in Inside Scoop, Planning

The recent trend of mismatched bridesmaids is hotter than latkes straight from the frying pan. We are seeing the gals dressed beautifully — differently — but beautifully. Brides have many reasons for encouraging this look, including each bridesmaid’s own style and look, size and body shape, and nurturing individuality instead of a cluster of girlfriends. While it can sometimes be easier to just pick out a single dress in a single color and dress your maids in that uniform, coordinating mismatched bridesmaids doesn’t have to be too complicated. They can still be your team as you say “I do” even if they’re dressed in a way that represents them for the reasons they’re your besties in the first place. And in the end, you have a great vision that comes to life down your aisle.

One Color, Many Shades
Have a view for the hue. You can choose a monochromatic color scheme for the dresses by selecting a general color and then differentiate each bridesmaid with a different shade of that color. Working with neutrals? Try beige, champagne, olive, mocha, and cream. Want something bright like pink? You can do salmon, fuchsia, ballet shoe, bubblegum, and rose.

See where this is going? All of the shades complement each other and belong to the parent color, but still showcase their own individual splash. If you’re concerned about the look being too inconsistent, just remember that your maids will most likely carry identical bouquets or you can gift them a piece of jewelry that ties the ensembles together. Take it up a notch and give the gals the same accessories like patterned tights or a sash tied in a bow.

Different Colors, Same Dress
You can still achieve the mismatched look if all your bridesmaids wear the same dress. How? Different colors! If it’s reasonable to put all the girls in the same dress, spice up the look and include splashes of color. Again, the colors are still complementing each other, but they’re changing a single dress to appear as different dresses.

This has been successfully executed with jewel toned or peacock colors. This concept also works well with pastels. The same dress in baby pink, gray, lavender, and cream would be so soft and beautiful. Likewise, a single dress that’s worn in purple, turquoise, magenta, and midnight blue could be breathtaking for a bright and dramatic look.

Different colors in similar dresses were made famous thanks to everyone’s favorite blogger, Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City. Remember her wedding? Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha all wore long, glitzy dresses but each in a different color. The dresses were not exactly the same, but they definitely landed in the same family of dresses: fabulous.

One Color, Many Styles
Another way to change up the individual look of each bridesmaid is to select one color in the same shade, but wear it on any style dress. Pick a color. Purple? Blue? Cappuccino? Great. Now, find dresses that come in that one color. The best way to do this is to choose a single dress designer. Stay within that brand and order at the same time to ensure that your color swatches are consistent. Most designers can accommodate their many dress styles and cuts in one color.

Pick two or three varieties of the dress. Maybe with straps, without straps, and one shouldered. Or long, short, and tea length. Or ruffles, sash, or sweetheart neck. All of these styles are different groupings from the same family. Make sure, though, that the varieties or more or less evenly distributed. The maids should stand out as individual bridesmaids, but not take away from each other or you. Therefore, a bridal party with four short dresses and one long dress may do more to distract than blend, especially if you’re the only one in a long wedding gown. So as you distribute styles of dresses among the bridesmaids, make sure that the same types are sprinkled evenly.

mismatched-bridesmaid-dresses

Want More?
Other ways to spice up your bridesmaids with different looks: The girls can all wear earrings… but in different colors! They can all have bouquets… but with different flowers! They can all wear one shoe color… but in various styles! Pick a theme and then go wild. You don’t have to make every piece different in a bridesmaid’s look, but stay within a range to maintain the vision. The gals in the first picture below are all wearing the exact same dress style and color. Then, your eye catches their ankles and below and it’s like a party on their feet! Super fun. Underneath, the photos shows the opposite: the bridesmaids are all wearing different dresses within the same style and color scheme, but their tootsies are all hugged by the same shoes! Swoon!

So what do you think? Are you going for a mismatched bridesmaid look? What are some ideas you have for achieving this super hot trend?

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911! 911! Wedding Day Emergency Kit!!

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Alison in From The Yentas, Inside Scoop, Planning

We should all be prepared for natural disasters — earthquakes, hurricanes, fires — but what about wedding disasters? Hey, they happen. Certain things you can’t avoid… like the best man getting too drunk and telling embarrassing stories during his toast. But there are other small snags you do have control over, and I’m here to help you make sure you’re prepared for bridal emergencies.

Also, I have a special treat for you: It’s my birthday on Friday. I’m turning 30. My lifetime is basically 75% of Moses’s little stroll through the desert. I am SO. OLD. So for MY birthday, I’m giving YOU, one lucky reader, a bridal emergency kit… or what I like to call, Meshugena Materials. Ya know, for when something wrong happens and you kind of go a little meshugena because it’s only the most important day of your life. So, happy birthday to me! Let’s find out about what every bride should have in her Meshugena Materials.

Pain reliever:
You might wake up with a headache or accumulate one from stress throughout the day. Pop a pill of your choice and let your pain melt away. Stock up on a small travel pack or travel bottle and add it to your Meshugena Materials. Headaches can be such a buzz kill!

Band-Aids:
Those damn shoes from your rehearsal dinner might have left a bad impression on your feet. I know, they were Chanels, but still! Beauty is pain and we discovered this long ago. So pack some Band-Aids to smother blisters on your feet or cuts on your legs (eeek! What if you cut yourself while shaving? No blood on the wedding dress, please!). Crossing fingers you don’t to use them, but it would be worse to be without them, dontcha think?

Chalk:
No, your wedding isn’t a crime scene but it would be a crime if you smudged something on your WHITE DRESS (omg kill me now). Did you know that white chalk can cover up any superficial smear on your gown? Pack a few sticks and if you get a grease swipe from the car or some self tanner smudges off, you can cover it with some chalk. It sounds crazy, but it works.

Clear Nail Polish:
It’s unlikely you’ll be wearing tights, but if someone is, clear nail polish helps isolate a snag to keep it from spreading. Also, if you chip your nail, it’ll be annoying that you’ll have a missing chunk of color, but painting some clear nail polish over the area will smooth out the nail so you don’t get any threads caught or allow it to chip further. Basically, clear nail polish is amazing.

Dental Floss:
Stuff in your teeth isn’t cute. Duh. But also, dental floss helps tie up any loose ends. If a bracelet or necklace breaks, you can MacGuyver the jewelry by threading it together with some floss (true story: I did this with my wedding day bracelet that was too big). Or if a button from your bustle is dangling, thread it with some dental floss.

Hair Ties or Pins:
Bobby pins or ponytail elastics are crucial for hair emergencies. You may not be able to replicate your originally perfectly styled hair, but at least you can make sure it’s comfortable and neat looking.

Straws:
You’ll toast with Champagne. You’ll drink water to stay hydrated. You’ll have a DC with your lunch. but you do not want to mess up your lips! Add some straws (bonus if they’re flexi straws!) to your Meshugena Materials so you can drink up AND preserve your punem.

Tissues:
I think this one is self explanatory. If you need me to explain what you do with tissues, then I think we have a bigger emergency.

Tweezers:
A stray hair will drive you meshugena! Include tweezers with your Meshugena Materials.

Breath Mints/Drops:
You’ll be smoochin’! You’ll be close-talking with Aunt Elaine. You don’t want to be the bride with the bad breath. A little mint goes a long way so pick your favorite flavor and keep halitosis away.

Superglue:
When used properly, superglue is really super. It’s the best fixer upper for a broken nail, shoe heel, decorations, jewelry, bouquet doo-dads, and hair accessories.

Basic Toiletries:
Lotion, chap stick, deodorant — it’s a loooong day. You’ll want to keep things on hand with you as you travel from event to event. Touch ups from all three will serve you well and give you peace of mind that you’re moisturized and fresh.

Do you have any additional tips or ideas for our Meshugena Materials? We’d love to hear your wise words from experience!

Want to make me the happiest birthday girl ever and win a bag of bridal Meshugena Materials with some of the goodies listed here? Comment here or on Facebook now through Sunday night at 11:59 PST with your go-to secret weapon for bridal or special occasion emergencies. Winner will be selected at random and announced on Monday, June 10!

Mindy says:
June 6, 2013 at 10:57 am PDT
Other things I can think of that might be useful:
-blotting paper
-pen/scrap paper
-lip gloss (and other back-up cosmetics)
-mini bottle of hair spray
-hand sanitizer
sharon says:
June 6, 2013 at 11:07 am PDT
an extra pair of undies.
Lois Green says:
June 7, 2013 at 10:54 am PDT
Cough drops for that unexpected tickle or to avoid getting too choked up.
Leah Kreimer says:
June 8, 2013 at 2:51 pm PDT
Double-sided tape! You never know if you need to keep the girls in place or fix a hem last minute!!!

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How To Write Your Wedding Vows

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Alison in From The Yentas, Planning

There are the traditional words that your officiant will have you repeat as you go through your Jewish or interfaith ceremony, but it may be your wish to express yourselves with your own personal words. I love the idea of writing your vows to customize your wedding because your guests get a chance to get to know you even better as individuals and as a couple.

You may be the type to have written your vows months in advance with a confident grin sprayed across your face. Or, you may be the type to be in the middle of your eyelash application on the morning of your wedding still without any idea of what to say. Whether you’re a planner or a last minute writer, these tips should be able to help you feel good about the words you’ll share with your love in front of your loved ones.

There’s nothing worse than writer’s block. Trust me. I know this first hand. There are so many nights I stare at a blank page on the back end of The Wedding Yentas and agonize over what to write for all of you. But then I just … write. I just dump out ideas. They are raw and messy and completely disjointed, but once I find a concept that seems to afford itself some kind of direction, I then fine tune the words so they make sense for you. You should’ve seen THIS post before that whole exercise. Oy!

So, what I’m saying is, jot down some notes. Scribble out some thoughts. They don’t have to make sense to anyone, but you. This step of the process is more of a brain wake up than a development of a masterpiece.

You can even do some research. Yes, you can even Google your wedding vows. I don’t mean to tell you to copy a stranger’s words entirely, but perhaps you’ll stumble across something that inspires you. Or maybe you’ll find a quote that you’ll want to weave into your own vows. This is a great way to fuel your ideas and personal words.

Then, add some of your own anecdotes. You can go all out with the mush factor or you can spice up your vows with humor. Personally, I love a little mish-mosh of both. A little sarcasm has a place in a wedding ceremony. Plus, if you don’t have a sense of humor, the ebbs and flows of marriage are going to be a little rough on you. May as well set the humorous tone from the very beginning, right?

You can list things that are important to you. For instance, I vowed to give Mr. Yenta total ownership of the remote control and to let him eat all the mushrooms off my plate because I hate them (plus, he’s a fun guy… haha, get it?). Then I also went the sappy route, declaring how much he changed my life for the better and opening up about our dreams for the future. I tied in our interests — theatre, baseball, traveling, food — and also touched on some memories. I sealed it in with my feelings. I share this to assist you in your brainstorm for your own vows.

Lastly, when you finally settle on your words, your tone, and your flow, you’ll want to rehearse it a little so you’re comfortable with the words in your mouth. You don’t have to memorize it because often, vows recited by memory sound insincere. But you should at least be very familiar with it so that you’ll feel secure if you end up getting distracted from giggles or, more likely, tears.

And if you come up with your vows minutes before walking down the aisle then all I have to tell you is to speak from your heart like I hope you will from that day forward.

Michael says:
June 5, 2013 at 11:17 am PDT
Definitely agree with Alison about getting those first words down. It can be very hard to sum up all of the feelings, stories, and hopes you have about the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with, so just get the ball rolling. Once you have that, the words really flow from there. It gives you a sense of direction and a sense of accomplishment that you’ve at least gotten things going.
For anyone having trouble getting started, think about the two or three really specific aspects about your fiance(e) that really made you fall in love with them in the first place. And definitely add in those funny/cute anecdotes. It gives everyone there a chance to enjoy your story, and it allows for a private laugh between you and your new spouse that you can always look back on.

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{Real Jewish Weddings} Woodland Hills, CA

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

Lisa had been on JDate casually looking around checking out the goods. She had gone on a few dates, but nothing serious came out of them. One night, while at home sick, she got an IM from a guy whose first question didn’t have to do with a web cam… Major bonus points! What started as an informal chat back and forth turned into hours and hours of conversation online. Lisa was definitely intrigued and agreed to meet Kevin for a drink the next week.

They dated casually for the next month or so, but really became more of best friends. Then Kevin went out of town for a week and when he got back, they realized that something incredible was just about to happen.

To celebrate their two-year anniversary, they planned a trip to San Francisco. While hiking at Land’s End on a gorgeous sunny morning, Kevin got down on one knee (very close to a cliff!) and told Lisa he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. You know what the next question was, and her answer was obviously a hearty YES!

They started to plan right away and eight months later, truly had the wedding of their dreams! The are as happy as ever and loving being a family of three — yes, three. Kevin officially “adopted” Lisa’s dog, Elsie, on their wedding day!

Mazel tov, Lisa and Kevin!

(p.s. Look closely! You may spot Desiree and yours truly as bridesmaids! And even Baby Yenta and Mr. Yenta are part of the bridal party! Not only are you about to enjoy looking at a beautiful wedding, but we were honored to be by the side of a beautiful couple, our dear friends!)

This JDate couple knew they wanted a traditional and personal wedding day. Before the ceremony, Lisa and Kevin got together with immediate family and the bridal party to sign a beautiful, modern ketubah. The chuppah ceremony immediately followed and they used Kevin’s tallit and kiddush cup, and they both circled each other at the beginning of the ceremony.

The vision for the wedding was a blend of rustic and modern details with a major emphasis on yellow and grey. If a wedding could be in the theme of an Anthropologie store, then that was the plan for the event.

Lisa and Kevin designed simple floral arrangements, so as to not take away from the giant chandeliers and romantic feeling of the room. Therefore, it was all about the small details, and they made sure they kept with the theme: tablecloths, kippot, candy cups, escort cards, framed signs, favors… they all were carefully planned.

The dessert table was always a dreamy vision in their heads that finally came true. Wedding cake, cupcakes, cakepops, marshmallows, macarons, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate covered pretzel rods, frosting shots,and gum balls all adorned a beautifully styled dessert buffet. And, while not on the actual dessert table, a rainbow sprinkled challah was the focus of blessing before food service began.

Lisa and Kevin’s wedding was intimate, as they hosted about 50 people. They were surrounded by their family and closest friends, and felt very loved. Because of the small crowd, they originally thought they could do without having a DJ, and thankfully that silly idea got replaced by a fantastic woman who really kept the party lively, the guests entertained, and most importantly, created a super fun dance party all night long!

Photographer: Elizabeth Zuluaga Photography
Venue: The Villa
Day of Coordinators: Lindsey Sundy and Ronna Sundy
Florist: McCann Florist
Cake and dessert table: Cakes by Rumy and A Little Nosh
Wedding Bands: Wilson’s Jewelry
Bridesmaid Dresses, Wedding Dress. and Sash: David’s Bridal
Makeup Artist: Esther Jacob
Hair Stylist: Tina Gocke
Favors: Candied Cakes
Music: I’m a Girl DJ
Videography: Wedit
Officiant: Rabbi Glenn Ettman with Temple Sinai Palm Desert
Invitations/Stationery: Woo Paperie
Invitations/Stationery Design: Kevin Daniels, the Groom
Groom & Groomsmen Tuxedos: Friar Tux
Ketubah: Urban Collective