We are absolutely in love with the quintessentially English garden micro wedding of Rebecca, a teacher, and Joel, an engineer. These two needed a convenient all-outdoor venue where they could throw a COVID-safe celebration – and fortunately, the school where Rebecca teaches happens not only to have a gorgeous garden but is also located just around the corner from the pair’s home.
With some help from their friends, Rebecca and Joel put together a beautiful day starting with a tisch and badeken in the couple’s own garden, followed by a procession down the street to their venue. Then there was the ceremony – which came together with lots of participation from not only those guests who were able to attend in person, but also some VIPs who joined in via the couple’s livestream. These included the bride’s parents, who were able to give the couple a blessing, and her brother, who sang to them as they stood under the chuppah.
Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow captured the day so perfectly in her emotion-filled photos – and Rebecca and Joel can’t stop raving about how much they loved working with a photographer who not only put them at ease on the day with her warm, easygoing nature but also just “gets Jewish weddings”!
Now over to Rebecca…
Garden Venue
Rebecca, the bride: We got married in the garden of the school where I work which is around the corner from our home. We picked this venue because it was beautiful, surrounded by an orchard, a vegetable patch, with easy parking and close by. It had a big green space where we had small marquees with tables that we used for lunch.
The chuppah was made out of bamboo and designed and constructed by my husband and his friends, and they built it onsite. The location was intimate and green and perfect.
A COVID Wedding
Our wedding was a COVID theme really. It was small and involved everyone there. Our friends volunteered to organise every bit of it – we were so incredibly lucky with their talent and spirit and commitment. My best friend sang us in and two others played guitar and sang as we walked around each other.
The wedding itself began in the garden outside our flat hours before with a tisch. My group of friends gathered around, sat on the grass with picnic blankets and each with a percussion instrument in hand. Invited to give a blessing or words of wisdom, we sat together singing sweetly.
A crowd of 30 gathered after an hour of singing to welcome Joel and his parents to the bedeken.
Joel lowered the veil on to my face, and the rabbi welcome the crowd gathered. We were then processed like a king and queen, along the streets to the school where we were to get married. Along the way others stopped to wave and hoot their horns and I had invited a group of my students to cheer and sing with us – that was so gorgeous.
As we approached the school, we waved goodbye to that crowd and walked in, hand in hand, to begin the wedding ceremony where a separate 30 guests were seated.
Invitations
As our wedding was small, we had an invite sent by email that I designed online and made into a pdf. We had a drawing of a tree and a bicycle, drawn magnificently by one of Joel’s friends in green and white.
Hair + Make-up
This was all low key as well – and we had our friends help us with all of this.
Dress
My dress was bought from Hobbs and then a very talented friend altered it and added sleeves. It was a tea dress to my knees.
Accessories
In my hair, I wore a piece of my mother’s wedding dress that my friend had made into a rose of material and then added a hair clip. It was in the back of my hair. The veil was precious and something special that I had inherited. I wore a special necklace and earrings that I had been given by my grandma.
Shoes
My shoes were flat and from Marks & Spencer! They were perfect!
The handsome groom
He was stunning. He wore a blue jacket and a pink shirt. He had a blue and pink tie with flamingos on it with a matching handkerchief. He wore cream coloured chinos and beautiful shoes.
Bridesmaids
My 9 year cousin was our bridesmaid and she wore a red dress of her own.
Ceremony
We had a very traditional ceremony with a lot of singing, and a lot of involvement from everyone. What made it stand out was the involvement from the people on the screen who were attending remotely. My parents gave us a blessing, Joel’s brother gave a dvar torah and my brother sang. It was really lovely despite the distance.
Ketubah
We wrote the text together with Rabbi Chaim Weiner who then did a lot of the Aramaic and Hebrew translation. It was an egalitarian halachic ketubah and our 2 dear friends witnessed it. It was designed in an Italian floral design done by Chaim Weiner.
Chuppah
As I mentioned, Joel built the chuppah and our friend designed and affixed the canopy. We had an amazing florist from Jennie Mann who did the flowers on the chuppah and enhanced its nature as a floral masterpiece.
Our Music Choice
We were walked in to ‘Anim Zemirot’ , a version by Dveykus. We walked around each other to Leonard Cohen’s ‘Halleluja’ to the words of Lecha Dodi.
My friend Miriam Margles wrote the music to the some of the other pieces we used in the ceremony. After, in the dancing, all of the music was prerecorded – traditional Jewish music recorded by Neshama, and then jazz for the lunch.
Flowers
Jennie Mann did all our flowers. My bridal bouquet matched Joel’s outfit perfectly. Izzy’s bouquet was a smaller version of mine and Joel’s button hole was a matching rose and superb.
Photographer
We couldn’t have asked for a more magical set of photos to be taken by a very talented photographer, Kate Swerdlow. She was easy going, warm, wise, and was so engrossed in the emotion and built such comfortable relationships with us so quickly.
Her photos captured the moment in such a memorable way for us all to look back on. Her use of light, her angles, her wide lens choice – her eye for detail – was exceptional. Use her – use her use her! She gets Jewish weddings and so is sensitive to rhythm and can anticipate the ritual and what is significant without too much explanation.
Food and Cake
Jonathan Robinson of Jasmine Events was our caterer and I would recommend him wholeheartedly. Especially the chocolate mousse!
Entertainment
Our friends read poems and sang songs and did funny skits!
Family
Our wedding was live streamed because of COVID. My parents and my brother were not able to be there, so we wanted to create a situation where we felt that they were there.
So we used an amazing AV company called Shock Productions who choreographed the day so that my parents and our family were on a large screen and so that they could see us. The cameras and mics were so tactfully and wisely placed and they were part of the entire day.
Honeymoon
We went to North Norfolk to stay in a beautiful place called the Cley Windmill which was magnificent.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Keep it simple. Include people and ask for help. We did everything outside so to not take any risk with people who were shielding or vulnerable. Don’t wait – we didn’t. You never know how life is going to throw you – so you have to make the most of it.
REBECCA & JOEL’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Kate Swerdlow Photography {offers 15% discount on an engagement shoot to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Venue – Local school grounds
Bride’s dress – Hobbs
Bride’s shoes – Marks & Spencer
Flowers – Jennie Mann
Catering – Jonathan Robinson – Jasmine Events
Ketubah – Rabbi Chaim Weiner
Rabbi – Rabbi Chaim Weiner
AV company – Shock Productions
Smash The Glass Pouch – Smashing The Glass Etsy Shop {or join Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club and get one for free!}
If you’re a Jewish or Jew-ish bride-to-be, you’ll want to join Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club. Guided by the world’s number 1 Jewish wedding expert, Karen Cinnamon, Brides Club is the private community for Jewish and Jew-ish brides that removes wedstress and indecision and gives you what you need to plan with confidence during these uncertain times. Join our Brides Club here.
