• About
  • Find a Vendor
  • Submit
  • Advertise
  • Brides Club
  • Your Jewish Life
  • Contact

Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

  • Real Jewish Weddings
    • City Chic
    • Fashion Forward
    • Outdoor
    • Destination
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • France
      • Beach Weddings
    • Super Luxe
    • Budget
    • DIY
    • Same Sex
    • Covid Weddings
  • Jew-ish Weddings
    • Real Jew-ish Weddings
    • Jewish-Catholic Weddings
    • Jewish-Chinese Weddings
    • Jewish-Christian Weddings
    • Jewish-Greek Weddings
    • Jewish-Hindu Weddings
    • Jewish-Humanist Weddings
    • Jewish-Irish Weddings
    • Jewish Japanese Weddings
    • Jewish-Muslim Weddings
    • Same Sex Jew-ish Weddings
  • Inspiration + Guidance
    • Engaged? Start Here
    • Ceremony
      • Chuppah ideas
      • Jewish ceremony music
      • Jewish wedding ceremony 101
      • Jewish ceremony traditions
      • Ketubah Ideas
      • Jewish wedding legalities
      • Jew-ish ceremony ideas
    • Reception
      • Music
      • Speeches
      • Entertainment
      • Venues
    • Food & Drink
      • Kosher catering
      • Wedding cakes
      • Drinks
    • Decor
      • Decorations
      • Favours
      • Floristry
      • Guestbooks
      • Stationery
    • Style
      • Brides dresses
      • Shoes & accessories
      • Grooms
      • Bridesmaids
    • Advice
      • Converting to Judaism
      • Real blogging brides
      • Dear Karen…
    • Honeymoons
    • STG Live
    • Five Minutes With
    • Wedding Must-Haves
    • Wedding Consultancy
  • Jewish Brides Club
  • Find a Wedding Vendor
Home > A Destination Jewish Wedding with a Beach Chuppah and Midnight Fire Dancers at Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain

A Destination Jewish Wedding with a Beach Chuppah and Midnight Fire Dancers at Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain

11/09/2017 by Karen

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0051
Perfect clear skies, a deep blue sea and one very happy Jewish couple form the ingredients for today’s gorgeous Marbella real wedding.

Childhood friends, Steph and John, reunited in 2014 and, in the infamous words of one of our favourite movies, Fiddler on the Roof “from such children come other children”. Together they have a gorgeous son, Joey, and their beautiful Spanish wedding consolidated that commitment. 

Their theme was a white wedding with accents of silver and blush in the floral arrangements and bridesmaids’ dresses. The white color scheme added to the serene atmosphere of the day – just look at that chuppah against the beautiful seaside backdrop!

Beautiful bride, Steph, showcased her fabulous tattoos in a stunning lace-illusion Pronovias gown, with old Hollywood hair and makeup completing the look.

The big day ended with a bang – or a blaze, with surprise midnight fire dancers! Fantastic!

Of course, like so many STG weddings, one of our brilliant Recommended Vendors was involved. outstanding photographer, Jeremy Standley, is responsible for the sensational spread of images below. And, if that wasn’t enough, it’s supplemented by an absolutely sensational, atmospheric and beautifully filmed wedding video by Antonio de Perez.

We’ll leave you in Steph’s capable hands now for all of the divine details – over to Steph!

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0014

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0080

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028


How we met

Steph, the bride: I’m from Manchester originally, and my mum knew John’s mum, Pauline from before we moved to Spain. They actually lived on the next road from me, and our sisters were friends!

I was up in Manchester for a wedding in 2014 with my mum and dad, and we bumped into Pauline in a shop, having lost touch for years. They suggested we should meet up for a drink sometime, and it all happened from there! 

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0014


A contemporary Spanish seaside venue

We chose the Kempinski Hotel in Estepona. I always knew I wanted to get married in Spain, as it’s where I grew up and where my parents still live, so I think of it as home.

We looked at a few venues, but we wanted something a bit different, and the Kempinski had the perfect mix of traditional Spanish design elements with a fresh, contemporary feel.

The venue was perfect – it is set next to the beach and self contained, so for older guests and those with young children, it was stress free getting everyone from the hotel to the chuppah and on to the reception and dinner, all the while surrounded by the crashing waves on one side, and the stunning pools and gardens of the hotel on the other.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0079

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0014

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0059OK

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0014

A relaxed atmosphere

We wanted something special and a cheeky bit glam! I wanted the wedding to be very intimate, pretty and sun kissed. I wanted the color scheme to be simple, elegant and timeless, blending seamlessly with the gorgeous setting.

The decision was lots of white, with elements of silver and blush. The dress code was black tie, but at the same it was important that there was also a relaxed atmosphere, so, we were most definitely family friendly, with kids running around and having fun. Led by the groom and ushers, bow ties and jackets were quickly dispensed with, so that the dancing (and drinking) could commence. Our wedding planner was Scott at Sunshine Weddings.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0079 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0079 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0079
White and silver invitations

We had our white and silver invitations and thank you cards done by Michael Spector at Simcha Invitations, who I thoroughly recommend.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028
Old Hollywood makeup

My hair and makeup was done by the incredibly talented Liza Mayne. I knew Liza from when we went to school together in Marbella, so was lovely having that connection.

I wanted a glamorous look, big lashes and a red lip – a little bit old Hollywood. My hair was back in a low Spanish style bun for the ceremony but I unpinned it later so I could wear it down and flowing for the party.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028
A Pronovias lace-illusion dress

My dress was from Pronovias, I found it at their shop in Malaga, Spain, and flew over for my fittings. Our 19-month-old son, Joey, really loved coming along and playing with the cushions and generally making as much noise as possible!

I always knew I wanted something fitted and slinky, and tried on several with different finishes, but fell in love with the lace and illusion detailing on this one.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028
Simple accessories and a Spanish-inspired veil

I chose a beautiful veil, also from Pronovias, which looked quite Spanish with the lace all around the edges. I kept it simple with jewelry, and borrowed a pair of pear-drop-style earrings from my mum.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028
Cinderella Jimmy Choos

I just  had to have a pair of Jimmy Choo heels! They were white with a pointed toe and shimmering crystals all over them – my Cinderella shoes.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028
The handsome groom

John wore a simple, traditional, tailored black tux and looked great walking into the ceremony with his sunglasses, tallit and hair back in a ponytail.

It was the shirt where he’d added a few special touches – such as having our initials and the date of the wedding embroidered on the sleeves, which was a lovely thought.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028
Bridesmaids in silvery grey 

I had four gorgeous bridesmaids: my sister, two sister in laws and my best friend. They wore subtle and elegant, long silver-grey dresses which could be tied differently for some variation, and really complemented my dress and the colour scheme for the wedding.

Their hair was done by Maite at Glamorous Hair Marbella.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028
A floral garden chuppah

I wanted all white flowers for the chuppah, as I knew this would look so pretty in the light and against the greenery, blending perfectly with the surroundings of the beautiful hotel gardens and the beach in the background.

We had a frieze of of hydrangeas, LA lilies, roses and lisianthus across the top of the chuppah.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0028 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0051
A lighthearted Jewish ceremony

The Rabbi was very relaxed and friendly and kept the tone lighthearted and fun, which was important to us.

It seems like such a blur now, but one very special moment was when my husband walked up the aisle to meet me and lifted my veil down, performing badeken. We decided to incorporate this into the ceremony rather than having it before, so that all the guests could be a part of it. We chose a beautiful ketubah which we’ve now framed and hung in our lounge.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0051 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0051 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0051 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0051
Live music

We had a fabulous violinist for the ceremony, Quike Navarro  play Israeli music. He also did the music for the traditional Jewish dancing later and really got everyone going – blue hair, lit up bow and all!!

We had traditional Spanish guitar for during cocktail hour, while people enjoyed the canapà©s and drinks, including pink fizz with strawberries.

We had the most amazing band for the party, led by Mike and Simone. They started with motown and soul music and went right through to Beyonce and Mark Ronson for final set. I was up dancing all night!

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0051 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0051
Beautiful blooms

The flowers were a very important part for me. The bouquets were made up of oriental lilies, roses and peonies, with grey senecio leaves.

For the centerpieces, we had a combination of different heights to give a bit of variation. We had glass cylinder vases filled with water, suspended roses and submerged lighting with cascading flowers all in white consisting of white lilies, roses and lisianthus.

I also had gold and silver star of David confetti scattered on the tables. Our ideas were brought to life by Karen at Deseos.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0051 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0051 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0051
Our fabulous photographer…

As soon as I saw Jeremy Standley‘s work and the way he captures Jewish weddings, I knew I had to have him! He did the most outstanding job of capturing it all so perfectly, looking through the photos is like reliving it.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0051 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081
…and videographer

We also had the very talented Antonio de Perez as videographer, who we knew would capture the energy and atmosphere of the event and the amazing beach location. Even a drone camera made an appearance!

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081
A three-tier lemon cake

The catering was all done by the Kempinski. We had a three-tier lemon cake as we wanted something light and refreshing. I had the amazing toppers made by Lucy’s toppers, couriered over to Spain a few days before wedding.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0059OK Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081
Midnight fire jugglers

We had a fun photobooth complete with silly hats and costumes – the shots formed the guestbook and we had a great time looking through the pictures of slightly worse-for-wear guests after the wedding!

We had fire jugglers at midnight, just after the cutting of the cake which was an exciting visual treat for us and the guests.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081
Special keepsakes

For wedding favors, had white kippot for the men, white fans for the women (practical in the heat!) all printed with our names and the date of the wedding.

For the children, we had little white teddy bears and child-size kippot. Everyone got a keepsake to remember our special day.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081
Heartfelt speeches

There were so many special moments from the day, but I suppose the stand-out ones would be walking down the aisle to my waiting groom, in that spectacular setting, with all my family and friends, and of course, our beautiful son, Joey.

The speeches were brilliant – my father, the best man and the groom. They were funny, heartfelt (and not too long!). During my husband’s speech, our son Joey came running over to him and he picked him up and involved him by letting him speak into the microphone – a gorgeous moment (one made possible because he was speaking without a script – I’d always recommend this if possible). At the end of his speech he surprised everyone, including me, by presenting me with a framed collection of photographs of us, mapping our relationship, and, mounted in the center, were the actual train tickets from the first time he came down to meet me in London.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081 Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0081
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding

My advice would to try not to get too stressed out about all the little details in the lead up, because as important as they are, the things that make the wedding are the emotions, the love and the little spontaneous moments which you cannot plan or organize.

Jewish destination Kempinski Hotel, Marbella, Spain_0059OK
Steph & John’s little white book

Photographer – Jeremy Standley
Videographer – Antonio de Perez
Wedding planner – Sunshine Weddings
Venue – Kempinski Hotel
Bride’s dress and veil – Pronovias
Bride’s shoes – Jimmy Choo
Hair + Makeup – Liza Mayne and Glamorous Hair Marbella
Flowers – Deseos
Invitation – Simcha Invitations
Music – Quike Navarro, Nicolas and Mike and Simone
Cake topper – Lucy’s toppers
Photobooth – Funky Photobooth Spain 

Share this post:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Outdoor, Real Jewish Weddings, Jewish Destination Weddings, Jewish Garden Weddings Tagged With: Fashion Forward, Kempinski Hotel wedding venue, Simcha Invitations, Grey, Jimmy Choo, Pronovias wedding dress, Spain, Marbella wedding, Jeremy Standley Photography, Spanish weddings

You might also like...

  • A Pronovias Bride for a Party-Vibe Destination Jewish Wedding with an Epic Chuppah at Finca La Concepcion,  Marbella SpainA Pronovias Bride for a Party-Vibe Destination Jewish Wedding with an Epic Chuppah at Finca La Concepcion, Marbella Spain
  • A Pronovias Bride for a Sunshine-Filled Jewish Destination Wedding at Marbella Club, SpainA Pronovias Bride for a Sunshine-Filled Jewish Destination Wedding at Marbella Club, Spain
  • A Louise Marie Bride for a Sunshine Party Jewish Wedding at Finca La Concepcion, Marbella, SpainA Louise Marie Bride for a Sunshine Party Jewish Wedding at Finca La Concepcion, Marbella, Spain
  • A Gemy Maalouf Bride for a Destination Jewish Wedding at Villa Tiberio, Marbella, SpainA Gemy Maalouf Bride for a Destination Jewish Wedding at Villa Tiberio, Marbella, Spain
  • A Liz Martinez Bride for a Summer Chic Jewish Wedding with an Epic Dance Party in Marbella, SpainA Liz Martinez Bride for a Summer Chic Jewish Wedding with an Epic Dance Party in Marbella, Spain
  • A Berta Bride for an Ultra-Romantic Destination Jewish Wedding in White at Finca La Concepcion, Marbella, SpainA Berta Bride for an Ultra-Romantic Destination Jewish Wedding in White at Finca La Concepcion, Marbella, Spain

About Karen

Loves great design, cityscapes, berry cocktails, and the word “yes”. Founder and editor of Smashing The Glass. Follow me @SmashingTheGlass

Jewish Weddings by Country

Vendors We Love

Weddings by Colour


Jewish Wedding Gift List


Awesome Jewish Gifts

Vendors We Love

Get posts directly into your inbox

Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.

Liberty London
Monica Vinader
Kate Spade UK Limited
Biscuiteers Baking Company
Mr And Mrs Smith Honeymoons

Today’s Top Posts

  • A guide to the Jewish Wedding Ceremony and Order of Service under the chuppah
    A guide to the Jewish Wedding Ceremony and Order of Service under the chuppah
  • A Jewish Wedding Full of Personal Touches at Mt Princeton Hot Springs Resort, Colorado, USA
    A Jewish Wedding Full of Personal Touches at Mt Princeton Hot Springs Resort, Colorado, USA
  • Breaking The Glass – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #7
    Breaking The Glass – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #7
  • Dates in 2023, 2024 and 2025 to avoid for a Jewish wedding plus a 12 Month Wedding Planning Monthly Checklist
    Dates in 2023, 2024 and 2025 to avoid for a Jewish wedding plus a 12 Month Wedding Planning Monthly Checklist
  • A Reform Jewish Wedding - a guide to an egalitarian ceremony under the chuppah
    A Reform Jewish Wedding - a guide to an egalitarian ceremony under the chuppah

Subscribe by Email

Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.

Connect

Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Twitter
Advertise
Mailing List
Email Karen

Receive Smashing The Glass posts via Email

Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.

closeClick Here To Get The Ultimate Jewish Wedding Checklist

All content © Smashing The Glass 2023