Retro & Eclectic Jewish Wedding in a Sculpture Garden

Rebecca Castonguay Photography

January 25, 2024

Every detail of Ali and Harry’s wedding was meticulously planned with a 70s, retro rock n’ roll influence. The day was held at Three Sisters Sanctuary, a museum and garden in Goshen, Massachusetts which is known for its eclectic mix of of sculptures, flowers and stones. It was the perfect setting for their eclectic day.

“Our wedding theme was a little chaotic and eclectic”, said the bride. “We went colourful, floral, whimsical and retro. If we are perfectly honest, we were winging it! I bought a lot of items that spoke to me and just hoped it would all come together in the end! The majority of the decor was thrifted. We are really conscious of environmental impact so finding as much as I could secondhand was important to us.”

The chuppah they stood under was made by the bride’s brother and was adorned with jewellery, textiles and photos of loved ones who have passed away which included their grandparents and Harry’s beloved mother who passed when he was just 13 years old. 

This was a truly emotional day, particularly the ceremony. The couple and the Rabbi were overcome with emotion at times and had to take multiple pauses to get through it! Their self-written vows paralleled one another and both referenced their Jewish faith and spirit. Ali always wanted to be included in the breaking of the glass tradition so they both stomped on individual glasses with the blessing that their marriage would last as long as it would take for the pieces to be put back together – indefinitely.

“It was extremely important to both of us that we have a Jewish wedding and bring in some traditional elements, but with our own twist”, Ali explained. “Our Ketubah featured social justice language. We both circled the chuppah, rather than just having the woman circle. We wrote our own Seven Blessings that reflected what we hoped for in our marriage and we both stomped on glass at the end of the ceremony.”

Guests were asked to wear 70s vibe attire and they ate a fully vegan buffet meal. There were no assigned seats at the reception and the couple also made sure to actively involve children in the reception as much as possible. “We 100% respect those who don’t want children at their wedding, but we don’t mind them and we often feel that people don’t always treat children with respect when they are present”, the bride said. “We wanted to make sure the kids felt just as involved and comfortable as the adults and got to be kids!”

Their first dance was to Quietly Yours by Birdy, they then did the chair dance and hora. The vintage photo area was a real hit with their guests and they ended the night with their our core group of friends and family absolutely rocking out to Bohemian Rhapsody, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), and Welcome to the Black Parade.

“Do what makes you happy on your wedding day and don’t give in to the drama”, Ali concluded. “And if you’re feeling on the fence about the whole big wedding thing, GO AND ELOPE!!!”

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