If you are planning to register for wedding gifts, you might consider registering for a menorah.  Unlike an ice cream maker or formal china, you know a menorah will come in handy at least eight days a year! Menorahs also make wonderful family heirlooms.  Whether your taste runs traditional or modern, there is a menorah out there to suit everyone’s style. ModernTribe.com, Amazon.com, GalleryJudaica.com, JewishMuseumShops.com, and Judaism.com are just some of the online shops where you can register for menorahs and other Judaica. Here are some of my favorite picks:

1) This classic modern menorah is a reproduction of one that is part of the permanent collection in The Jewish Museum. Because it is fashioned of argentum pewter, you don’t have to worry about it tarnishing! $250 at The Jewish Museum Shops

2) Nice Jewish Boy Jonathan Adler designed this Relief Menorah – a simple form accented with rippling texture and a matte white glaze. $98 at ModernTribe.com

3) This hand polished menorah by Nambé is stunning enough to be used as a centerpiece or candelabra year round. $160 at Amazon.com

4) This peace sign menorah is the most affordable of the bunch, and reminds us what is truly important during the holidays. $14 at ModernTribe.com

5) This pewter baroque style menorah by Quest is hand-painted with enamel and adorned with Austrian crystals. Gorgeous! $270 at GalleryJudaica.com

6) At first look, this Olive Branch Menorah by artisan Michael Aram does not appear to be a menorah at all, but at closer inspection you’ll realize that it is designed for the Festival of Lights! $210 at The Jewish Museum Shops

Passover is just around the corner, and if you are planning to register for wedding gifts, consider registering for a Seder plate!  There are some really unique Seder plates out there – from classic to funky.  Seder plates are not only useful during the Passover holiday, but they truly embody the meaning of “functional art.” I’ve rounded up some of my personal favorites with details on where you can register or purchase:

1. Moon Crater Seder Plate
This Seder plate design is inspired by the craters on the moon’s surface and is crafted out of polished aluminum by designer Laura Cowan.  Handmade in Israel. $199 at ModernTribe.com

2. Folding Seder Plate
This beautifully hand-painted design by Isreali Artist Yair Emanuel folds up in to a cube for compact storage or travel.  Each item is hand painted with acrylic colors and lacquered with several layers. $134.95 at Judaism.com

3. Celestial Bronze Seder Plate
Like thousands of stars sparkling in the sky, this golden bronze, fused flat plate is fashioned of copper and glass, with six clear dishes that rest atop a black metal stand.  It is designed by artist Sara Beames and handmade. There is also a matching matzah plate! $148 at Judaism.com

4. The Jewish Museum Vienna Seder Plate
This is a beautiful reproduction of a Seder plate from Vienna, c. 1900. Extremely popular at the time– porcelain exported by the Chinese inspired both the blue and white color scheme as well as the decorative elements. Vines, blossoms and birds perch on branches surround a center Star of David, with six heart-shaped indentations that hold the symbolic Seder foods. Made in England for The Jewish Museum of New York. $175 at Judaism.com

5. Red Pomegranate Seder Plate
Glossy red ceramic Seder plate is hand made by Dani Goren in Israel. The Seder plate has six little pomegranate dishes for your Seder foods. There is also a matching matzah plate! $118 at ModernTribe.com

6. Tall Vertical Seder Plate
Copper, gold, brass, fused glass, and other metals combine in this modern Seder plate design by Artist Gary Rosenthal. Like a stairway to heaven, the Seder dishes spiral gently upwards, with the names of the Seder foods silk screened in gold on the fused glass.   $300 at Judaism.com

Wedding planning is one heck of a learning experience! Nearly every newlywed I know has valuable advice to offer to those who are about to embark on the same journey. That is why I am introducing a new column on Jewish Wedding Network called Lessons Learned, so those who have “been there and done that” can impart their wisdom on others. I will start with my own lessons learned, and the advice I have to offer:

Hire Vendors Who Have Previously Worked at Your Venue
I got married at The Angel Orensanz Foundation, an event space on the Lower East Side of Manhattan that at one point had been a synagogue. The ketubah signing was at the basement level, the ceremony and reception on ground level, and cocktails on the upper balcony. There are no elevators at the venue, so the only way to get from one level to another is via the stairwell. Needless to say, it’s a tricky venue to navigate – particularly if you are the caterer and your waiters have to carry food and drinks from the basement level to the balcony, which is two flights up. We were about to sign a contract with a caterer we really liked, when all of this had been brought to our attention. The caterer had never worked at this venue before, so we would be his “learning experience” and there was potential for disaster. At the last moment we hired another caterer who had worked weddings at the venue on numerous occasions, and all worked out well. My advice is to stick with vendors who are familiar with your venue.

Communicate With Your Photographer
Our photographer took the most amazing photographs. So many friends have commented that they are the best wedding photos they’ve ever seen. We absolutely loved them, but were disappointed with one thing: many of our closest friends and relatives were omitted from the photos.  Photographers tend to be drawn to the most photogenic people. It’s only natural. In our case, we ended up with more photos of our neighbor who was sporting a mohawk, than our own immediate family and best friends.  It is always important to convey to the photographer who the most important people are at your wedding both prior to the wedding, and on your wedding day. Photographers who offer packages will most likely put together a shot list, but photojournalist style photographers like ours may not.  If you want a shot of you and your childhood best friend, be sure to pull the photographer over to take one of you, or that photo may be missing from your album like it was from mine!

Hire a Day Planner, If Need Be
Prior to my engagement, I never knew what a day planner was. Once I found out, it seemed to me like a needless expense and a great waste of money.  Boy, was I wrong.  A planner is much like the ringleader at a circus. He makes sure that the lions and tigers and bears come out on cue and that the circus starts and ends on time.  Many venues provide a point person like this for you. Our venue did not. We mistakenly thought that we would be able to coordinate our own rehearsal, and keep the timeline of our wedding going.  The result was that we ended up working really hard on our wedding day – we rounded everyone up for the rehearsal (it’s much harder than it sounds!) told the DJ when to stop playing the dance music and start playing the dinner music, and instructed the caterer when we should cut the cake.  We should have just been able to sit back and enjoy the experience, and you should too.  My advice – splurge on a day planner!

Newlyweds – do you have advice to share? Please post your advice in the comments section!

As we all know, weddings can be quite expensive! That’s why today is the best day to take advantage of all of the wedding deals you can find on the internet.  We thought we’d help out by compiling some of the best deals on the net:

Ever since Ivanka Trump walked down the aisle in a demure wedding dress with lace sleeves, the fashion world has been buzzing about the impact her dress will have on the wedding industry.  Sexy gowns and low plunging necklines have been all the rage for the past few years, but modesty looks to be making a comeback.   “We’re so used to seeing brides in strapless dresses that Ms. Trump’s gown made a fresh statement,” wrote New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn.

Watch an interview with designer Vera Wang speaking about Ivanka Trump’s custom made wedding dress here.

Photo credit: Brian Marcus / Fred Marcus Photography / Getty

This past Sunday Ivanka Trump, daughter of Donald and Ivana Trump, and an entreprenuer in her own right, married Jared Kushner, publisher of The New York Observer. The couple became engaged just a little over three months ago, after Ivanka completed her conversion to Judaism.

Here are all the details!

Ivanka and Jared’s wedding announcement appeared in the Sunday Styles section of the New York Times the morning of their wedding.

The day started with a tweet from Ivanka saying “Just finished a gorgeous hike. The leaves are spectacular and the sun is shining. Everything is simply perfect! I’m getting married today!”

The nuptials took place at Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, NJ, a property owned by the bride’s father Donald Trump. Celebrity wedding planner Preston Bailey coordinated the upscale event, which took place under two clear-sided see-through tents that allowed guests to view the trees and fall foliage.  Among the couple’s 500 wedding guests were Regis Philbin (who sang at the reception), Barbara Walters, Russell Crowe, Natalie Portman, Cindy Adams, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The bride walked down the aisle with her father, in a floor length Vera Wang wedding dress inspired by the one Grace Kelly wore when she married Prince Rainier in 1956. The dress was sleeved, in keeping with modest Orthodox dress (the groom’s family is Orthodox). Female wedding guests also received shawls upon arrival, perhaps a subtle hint to cover up their bare arms and shoulders. Ivanka’s diamond jewelry came from her own line, the Ivanka Trump Collection, and her hair was done by stylist Julien Farel.

The couple exchanged vows in an Orthodox Jewish ceremony officiated by Rabbi Haskel Lookstein of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun where Ivanka took conversion classes.  The wedding was a “Hot Topic “on Monday’s episode of The View where Barbara Walters showed the couple’s wedding invitation which was written in English on the right side and Aramaic on the left. Watch the video

According to guest and gossip columnist Cindy Adams, the groom’s father Charles Kushner referenced the Holocaust in his speech.  The band of course played Hava Nagila during the reception.

The cake, designed by master cake-maker Sylvia Weinstock had 13 layers, each layer ringed with flowers in whites, cream, pink, and ivory tones. No word on who the caterer was, but you can be sure that the food was kosher.

Among the wedding gifts the couple registered for were a Tiffany & Co. footed bowl and sterling silver picture frames.  In lieu of gifts, guests were also invited to donate to one of three suggested Jewish charities.

At the end of the night, guests were presented with a book in Hebrew, and a pair of flip flops with a tag that read “Ivanka and Jared –what a pair” as favors.

Last night, the party continued with a post-wedding sheva brachot reception thrown by the groom’s parents at the historic Puck Building in New York City.  Kosher food was served and guests danced the horah to traditional Jewish folk music.

The newlyweds are planning to honeymoon in Africa.

Photo credit: Brian Marcus / Fred Marcus Photography / Getty

This ring bowl from ModernTribe.com’s wedding shop is one of the most absolutely special wedding keepsakes that I’ve come across. Paloma’s Nest handmade ring bearer bowls have been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings magazine and are creating a new tradition at weddings all over the globe as an alternative to the ring bearer pillow. This white ceramic bowl is hand made and hand-stamped in Hebrew, spelling Ahava, which means love. After the wedding, this multi-functional bowl can be used to hold jewelry, mementos or other treasures, or can be hung by its cord on a wall.

Enter to win this lovely Paloma’s Nest Ahava Ring Bowl from Modern Tribe in one of three ways:
1- Leave a post in the comments section below telling us about the moment you knew you were in love.
2- Fan the Jewish Wedding Network Facebook Page
3- Tweet the following on Twitter: I’ve just entered to win a lovely Ahava ring bowl from @JewishBride! http://tinyurl.com/RingBowl
Enter all three ways to increase your chances of winning. Contest closes at Midnight 11/15/09, after which one lucky winner will be chosen. Open to residents of the US and Canada only.
Good Luck!

Calling all Brides! The Queen of DIY wedding ideas, Martha Stewart, is hosting a special wedding show with an audience full of brides-to-be! Applying for tickets is easy! Log on to MarthaStewart.com to request tickets. If you attend, please let us know! :-)

I was recently interviewed for this article on the chair lift – you know, that part of the horah dance when you and your new husband are lifted up high in a chair by your wedding guests. Being that I did not have a Bat Mitzvah, I saw the chair lift as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I did however make a concerted effort not to make that face, that really unflattering face that is an expression of the unbelievable fear that you might fall right out of the chair.

It seems as though there is a new backlash against the chair lift.  Some couples are choosing to omi this tradition from their wedding celebration. What do you think of the chair lift? Have you ever witnessed a chair lift mishap? Do you plan to include the chair lift at your wedding?

Photo credit: Carla Ten Eyck

Did you ever think that you’d see someone do a triple axel to the music of the Hava Nagila? Neither did I, but watch as Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko skates to the Hava Nagila for his short program at the 1999 World Figure Skating Championship. It’s Jewish Wedding Network’s  Hava Nagila of the Month!