Kicking off the Month of LOVE - Mazel Tov!

Whew! I'm so glad January is over.
STRESS! EZ's gigantic party, EZ's medical scare, general drama, 3 weddings!, a cancelled Florida trip, bad acne, and weight gain. January can suck it {my new low-class phrase}.

I'm SO ready for February. The sun is shining. I'm feeling GREAT.

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I'm still glowing from my good friend Daphna's AMAZING wedding last night. Having never been to a Jewish wedding before, I had no idea what to expect.

It was THE BEST WEDDING EVER!

Stylish, thoughtful, good ambiance, GREAT food, and an explosion of LOVE & JOY!

It was my 1st time at a wedding where I saw REAL JOY! It was so inspiring. Seriously.

We arrived to a lovely cocktail party, complete with delicious hors d'oeuvres {sushi, satay chicken, sweet potato puffs, and even an Asian noodle bar with cute lil' takeout boxes!}. Everyone was dressed to nines as the wedding was "black tie welcome". This ain't no kool-aid and chips ahoy cookie wedding! This was a grand affair!

We then were ushered into the Sanctuary of the synagogue for the ceremony underneath the chuppah, a ceremonial tent with no walls to represent the couple's connection to the community and to symbolize making your home open to all.

The family made their way down the aisle one-by-one, lined in white linen and adorned with lilac-coloured roses. Everyone looked amazing, but none so lovely than my GORGEOUS girl Daphna. She was elegant and radiant in her lacey, sparkly, and full-on princess wedding gown. Her look was a modern-take on traditional. STUNNING!


The traditional Jewish wedding ceremony was so powerful. I could sense the love and devotion of my two friends, making their vows to each other. It was lovely to hear the Cantor sing the blessings to the bride and groom.

"I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me." {Song of Solomon}

I seriously got chills.



Of course, to ceremony concludes when the groom steps on a glass! What fun! The stepping on the glass, however, is to remind us that even in joyous moments, one must remember the sorrows of the history of the Jewish people and the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds go into a private room to be by themselves and to quietly appreciate the moment together.

Then...THE PARTY BEGINS! It's a mitzvah, a good deed, to dance and rejoice with the bride and groom, and so dance we did!


All of the guests gathered into the elegantly-decorated hall awaiting the arrival of the married couple, then they came in to the roar of the crowd and the loud, exuberant traditional music! Everyone gathered together on the dance floor, holding hands, and dancing around the happy couple! What fun! No Pachebel's Cannon at this party!


The speeches were eloquent and succinct. The food was AMAZING! Butternut squash soup, mixed greens, Chicken breast stuffed with couscous and raisins, grilled vegetables, and a delicious lemon tart for dessert. There was even a dessert bar!

So again, THE BEST WEDDING EVER! Mazel tov to the happy couple!