Getting to workin the wedding industry comes with many perks, one of which is getting to experience and learn about different cultures and family traditions. This past month we were so lucky as to see our planning efforts pay off at the incredible Jewish-Russian wedding of Kathy and Taylor.
It started as a brisk, sunny March day in Brooklyn at the beautiful Metropolitan Ballroom, and ended with the most epic dance party going into the wee hours of the night. Guests were welcomed to the venue with a full cocktail hour and a half which included a carving station, sushi bar, pastas, fruits, a full open bar, and anything else you can imagine. With the groom being Jewish, the ceremony was officiated by Rabbi Igor under the beautiful Chuppah created by Fern Botanica and ended with the smashing of the glass! Something you might not know is that it is also a tradition at Russian weddings to stomp on a glass as a couple after the ceremony to symbolize the number of years spend happily together. Each significant member of both the grooms and brides’ families were asked to walk down the aisle before the bride which was a beautiful display of the families coming together – and the hype everyone got during their moment was amazing!
After the ceremony, guests were welcomed into the reception space with neon lights, a bumping DJ, and Russian Go-go dancers. Couples in traditional Russian weddings place a great emphasis on providing entertainment for their guests in the form of performers and games, with endless food and drinks, and this couple was no exception. The couple’s first dance was complete with cold sparks shooting out of the ground all around the dance floor with Etta James belting the classic “At Last”. The reception continued with a thirty-minute set of traditional Russian dancers performing for the guests, ending with a trio of sword dancers! It was a first-time experience for us planners watching this all unfold, so it was a good thing we had an A-team of photographers and videographers with Ira Lippke Studios and McKenzie Miller Films to capture every show-stopping detail of this day.
Once the formalities of the day were said and done, everyone from age 5-85 years old, Russian or Jewish or none of the above, was on the dance floor until 3am celebrating with each other and the newlywed couple. Thank you to everyone who made this wedding day possible, and all our best wishes to Kathy and Taylor as they embark on this new journey – they really started it off with a bang!
Click here for more information about our services!
Emma Trimmings
Alinato Wedding Planning Assistant