Ask a Bride: Stacey's Jewish Wedding in Florida

Hello, and welcome back for another edition of "Ask a Bride."  This week, we talk to bride-to-be Stacey, who is planning her Jewish wedding in Florida while living in NYC. She share some highlight from her wedding planning process thus far!

SASsy: Hi Stacey, congratulations on your engagement!  How has the wedding planning process going for you?

So far so good! I have 14 months to plan, since the time I got engaged so it was busy at first locking down the big stuff, and now it is a little quieter until it gets closer. Also, my mom has been helping a lot since the wedding is in Florida, where my family lives.

SASsy: Giving yourself enough time to plan is something that we've heard a lot from brides so we think 14 month engagement is perfect! Where and when and how large will your wedding be? 

My wedding will be in Palm Beach, Florida in March. We are expecting about 175 people.

SASsy: Planning a wedding out of state can be challenging, how have you gone about managing all of the details long distance? 

My family has been very helpful throughout the process. Especially my mom. She just helped plan my sister’s wedding 2 years ago, so she is a pro now! My fiancé and I fly down every few months, so when we are down there, there is a lot of wedding planning going on.

SASsy: I bet!  I'm assuming you picked your venue on one of your trips to Florida. How did you know your venue was perfect for your wedding? 

We saw about 5 venues the one we chose was the last one. We just felt it when we saw it. It was so different and beautiful. Just felt like us.

SASsy: Have you selected your dress yet, and if so what styles were you interested in?

Yes, I got a strapless A-Line dress!

Strapless A-Line bridal gown Stacey is keeping her dress a surprise!

SASsy: How many stores did you go to before you found the gown? 

I went to 4 stores,  3 in Florida and 1 in NYC. I ended up getting the dress at a store  in NYC.

SASsy: What has been your biggest challenge so far in planning your wedding? 

Right now it is keep the guest list down. Once the families combined all their guest lists, we realized we were a bit over (even considering those who wouldn’t come). Our venue is not that big, so we need to make sure we land at the right number.

Managing the guest list is one of the most common wedding planning challenges

SASsy: What did you find to be the most helpful resource when choosing your vendor?  How did you evaluate your vendors? 

We went mostly by word of mouth (friends and family who knew of past weddings and events). We evaluated based on location, size, appearance, food, price, and what felt the most ‘special’.

SASsy: Are you incorporating any Jewish traditions into your wedding?  if so, can you share with us what you will be doing?


Doug and I will be incorporating a few Jewish traditions into our wedding. During the ceremony, we will be getting married under a Chuppah which is a marriage canopy that symbolizes the couples first home. 

Jewish Chuppa

Doug will also be doing the traditional breaking of the glass (stomping on glass). There are several interpretations of why this is done from the reminder of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem to  symbolizing the love of the couple and how fragile it can be so it must be cared for and not broken.

Stomping on a glass at a Jewish Ceremony

SASsy: What have you enjoyed the most about being a bride-to-be? 

All the excitement of what is to come. The planning has been fun, but a bit stressful, but in the end I know I will be married to the most amazing guy so it is all worth it!

SASsy: Do you have any surprises planned for your guests? 

The venue itself will definitely be a surprise for our guests as it is so different.

SASsy: What’s the best piece of advice you can share with other brides- to-be? 

Don’t sweat the small stuff. In the end everything will be perfect. People get so caught up in the craziness sometimes and forget what the wedding is all about…getting married.

We will be sure to follow up with Stacey after her big day in March! 

Coming soon:

Monday: Hot or Not- vote whether you think the dress is hot or not both here on the blog and on Facebook

Wednesday: Wedding Dress Wednesday- We pick one of our favorite dresses and post on our Facebook page

Thursday: New blog post will be out!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@TheSASsyReport) to keep up with everything bride!

***The blog is moving to our very own website! Brideswithsass.com coming very soon, stay tuned for updates***