Four young women, with childhood roots in Jewish Tidewater, have nuptials on the mind. Now spread out across the country, three of these Virginia natives recently married, while one is still in the planning stages.
Hannah Diehl Testa and her husband, Kevin Testa, reside in Charleston, S.C., where she is a consultant and he works in sales. In September, they were married at the Historic Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach.
Julia Rosenblum Hartley, and her husband, Doug Harley, live in Seattle, where she is in her second year of residency in family medicine and he is a research engineer with Blue Origin. Their dream wedding, overlooking the beach at Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort, was upended by Mother Nature who created a rain-soaked weekend. Fortunately, Plan B had been strategized beforehand and everything moved inside, seemingly seamlessly.
Both the Hartleys and the Testas were married days before their weddings in front of a justice of the peace, since their officiants would not be recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia. According to an article on theknot.com, a wedding site, this courthouse approach to saying “I do” satisfies the legality of the marriage, provides for more flexibility during the ceremony, and allows loved ones to officiate. The Testas recited their vows as the bride’s aunt, Laurie Seigel, officiated. A friend of the groom’s served as officiant at the Hartleys’ September wedding.
Also, that month, Becca Schwartzman, a transition specialist at Ivymount School in Rockville, Md., married Alec Gershon, an associate at Troutman Pepper Locke LLP in Washington D.C., at the Westin Philadelphia where Rabbi Andrew Markowitz officiated.
When asked what was special about the wedding, Becca’s parents, Susan and Eric Schwartzman, say, “Aside from having our family and friends join us in celebrating Becca and Alec’s marriage, what touched us most was the Groom’s Tisch, the Bedecken, and the signing of the Ketubah. These customs—honoring the groom and the bride as individuals and then joyfully uniting them before they walked down the aisle to the chuppah, felt sacred and was wonderfully festive. We loved that Becca and Alec chose to make these traditions part of their wedding.”
In May of 2027, Rachael Stromberg will marry her high school sweetheart, Sean Miller, at the Chrysler Museum, in a ceremony officiated by Rabbi Roz Mandelberg. Rachel works as an early childhood educator at Edlavitch D.C. JCC while completing a Speech Language Pathology Master’s Program, and Sean is a business analyst at McKinsey and Company.
All four couples opted for a black-tie dress code. Several other planning details have evolved as this new generation weds. These current brides curated this very personal milestone with their own twists. For starters, the three married couples shared wedding updates and registry on theknot.com, an option not available to previous generations.
Testa and Gershon added signature accents to their celebrations. Hannah and Kevin incorporated heirlooms on their wedding day, including their parents’ wedding pictures on the cake table, an ‘in memory of’ table with pictures, and the same cake topper on their wedding cake that had adorned the Diehls’ wedding cake a generation ago. Hannah’s robe, worn during hair and makeup, was made with lace from her mother’s wedding dress.
The Gershons, who met at summer camp, had signature drinks at their wedding, each with a connection to camp, plus a Mojito named for their dog, Mordi. Becca designed personalized matchboxes, also featuring their beloved pet.
left: Alec Gershon sees his bride, Becca Schwartzman for the first time.
right: The Gershons display their ketubah.
Sean Miller and Rachael Stromberg.
Changing into a reception dress adds a second chapter to the wedding event and another chance for the bride to express her style. Both Testa and Gershon changed from a wedding gown to a party dress in the later hour. Alec Gershon even changed from his black tuxedo into a white dinner jacket for the remainder of the evening.
The Hartley wedding included another trend that took flight in 2025 – the color green. A New York Times article shares that 11 percent of couples chose sage as their prominent color choice this year. Bridesmaids in this wedding wore sage green dresses, and the organic theme continued over the dance floor where white flowers amidst lush greens descended from the ceiling, dotted with large disco balls for a party vibe.
An ice cream trolley offered a selection of flavors and toppings as the cake stood nearby, ready for slicing. Ellen Rosenblum, Julia’s mother, says her favorite part of the night was the couple’s first dance. “They love each other so much, and they smiled the whole time.”