When it comes to picking ceremony elements for a modern Jewish wedding, it often feels like the only options available are either generic Judaica or a big DIY project. Which is great if you have oodles of time. But if you don’t? Then Advah Designs has you covered. They offer fresh, modern handcrafted chuppahs and tallits that double as pieces of art. I mean:
Advah Designs understands that your chuppah and tallit are more than just objects. The chuppah itself symbolizes the home you build together: the four sides are open, welcoming the community to be part of your new life as a married couple. Which is why Advah (which means “ripple” in Hebrew) imbues each of their designs with such care and intent. Says founder Sarah:
We believe that taking the time to make every moment in life just a little more beautiful has an uplifting and rippling effect in our lives and on our communities. We are dedicated to marking lifecycle events with ritual and beauty, and to celebrating the stories of the makers and dreamers who pour their love and spirit into everything that surrounds us.
I offer tallits (prayer shawls) and chuppahs (wedding canopies) that are designed by me, and I partner with other artists to provide a full collection of items to help you celebrate love, mark important times in your life, and bring moments of joy and beauty to your day-to-day. Each Advah tallit and chuppah is a work of art and tells a story I am proud of.
And that extends to how Advah’s designs are sourced. Each chuppah and tallit they make helps support:
- Traditional weaving communities in rural India who are spinning, dyeing and weaving each tallit
- An environmentally friendly textile print shop in Pennsylvania
- A woman-owned cut-and-sew facility on Cape Cod dedicated to bringing high quality manufacturing jobs back to American soil
- Textile communities committed to environmental sustainability and fair wages.
As Sarah explains:
For me, this is about living out Jewish values in each item that I design and create.
Tallits range in price from $235 to $400, and chuppahs begin at $975 (which is only about $300 more than you would pay for a rental, for an heirloom that will last forever). Advah offers both silk and hand-woven tallits that start as hand-painted designs, before being lovingly dyed, spun, and hand-woven in the US. Each Advah chuppah comes inside a handcrafted heirloom wooden box, with instructions for use and hanging included. You’ll also receive ribbons for attaching the chuppah to your frame, and an archival quality print of the poem that inspired your design.
As one customer recently said of their tallit:
I wanted to drop you a line to share my deep gratitude for your beautiful tallit (and the lovely note you sent me months ago). I am so grateful for your hard work on this tallit, for covering both me and my beautiful kallah [bride]. For your love of ritual moments, and your ability to create them in unexpected times. I am grateful that we tied our last corner on June 21, our wedding day, and it is the corner tied over her heart.
Imagine waking up each morning next to your partner, and the first thing you see on the wall above your bed is a special reminder of the love and community that surrounded you on your wedding day. Or think of wrapping your newborn in this beautiful piece of art at their naming ceremony. Right? Now stop imagining it, and go check out Advah Designs. Because once you do, you’ll want to make it a reality.
Place your order with ADVAH DESIGNS by April 30th and get 10% off (bonus: Advah also has GORGEOUS WEDDING BANDS too). Just use the code APW2016 at checkout.
