A Galia Lahav Bride for a Magical Private Island Jewish Wedding at Osea Island, Essex, UK - Smashing the Glass

Looking for an ultra-memorable venue for your Jewish wedding? How about renting out your very own PRIVATE ISLAND?! That’s what today’s nature-loving couple, Jasmin and Brett, did – their big day took place on the magical Osea Island, a private island off the coast of Essex. Trust us, you don’t want to miss Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Claudine Hartzel’s epic photos of this dreamy day that is full-to-the-brim packed with incredibly talented STG Recommended Vendors.

It all came together with a little help from the wonderful (and multitalented) James Alexander from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor and legendary band Totem, who the couple worked with to plan their big day – and yes, Totem also gave one of their unforgettable performances during the wedding. And how cool is it that, on the coordination end, James brought in none other than master planner Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Michelle Jacobs from Elegante by Michelle J ?

One special touch we’re totally obsessed with: knowing that they wouldn’t be able to talk to each and every one of their 300+ guests, Jasmin and Brett decided to write a little ‘message in a bottle’ (so perfect for the private island venue, right?!) to thank each of their guests for being there.

And how sweet is it that the couple’s rabbi surprised them during the ceremony by calling the bride’s grandfather to read the pair’s beautiful ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubata?

Jasmin knew she wanted to wear an Israel designer, and she found the gown of her dreams – a one-shouldered fantasy of blush tulle and glitter from the inimitable Galia Lahav– at beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Browns Bride in London.

Also, are Jasmin’s luscious locks giving anyone else serious hair envy? Anyway, we’ll hand you over to her now…

How we met

Jasmin, the bride: My husband and I first crossed paths at a mutual friend’s restaurant and the rest is history 🙂

Private Island

We got married on Osea Island, a private island off the coast of Essex. It is such a magical place that you have to see to believe! We knew it was for us as soon as we drove over the incredible causeway that lead to the island – it was the only venue we went to see!

Rustic Wedding Weekend

I think the venue itself was very ‘us’ so as soon as people arrived on the island they entered our world! We love nature, being outdoors and rustic decor and luckily our venue had all of these elements and more!

For guests who stayed all weekend, there were bikes to explore the island on, a treasure hunt for the kids (and adults), nature trails, donkeys, a beach, swimming pool, the list goes on… We kept the decor very simple as we loved the style on the Island and did not want to take away from it in any way.

We used James Alexander from Totem to plan the event, he was a pleasure to work with and no idea was too big for him! He understood our vision and brought it to life and shared our love of the venue – he also happens to have the best band around! James’ team were incredible, including Michelle (from Elegante by Michelle J) who helped make the weekend run smoothly, no mean feat with 300+ guests in attendance!

Hair + Makeup

My brilliant hairdresser Sarrah Hamid did my hair in loose waves as this is a style I know I will never get bored of! Kate Silver did my makeup on the day and made me feel calm and relaxed throughout. She used natural tones on my eyes and lips and I did not have to touch my makeup all night.

A Galia Lahav Dress

I had a few ‘must-haves’ when looking for my wedding dress, these were that I did not want to wear white and that I wanted to wear an Israeli designer. My mum, mother-in-law and I looked in so many bridal boutiques before I found ‘the one’ at Browns Bride in London.

I did not have a style in mind but knew when I saw this particular Galia Lahav dress that it was the dress for me! It was one shouldered, asymmetric and featured the most stunning glittered design under layers of blush coloured tulle. To top things off I left a trail of glitter when I walked in it which made me feel like a princess!

Blush Tulle Veil

My veil was made by Galia Lahav at Brown Bride. I wanted something understated and opted for the same blush tulle as my dress. My mum bought me a beautiful pair of earrings to wear on the day as my ‘something new’.

Wedding Choos

I searched far and wide for my wedding shoes and ended up purchasing a pair of nude block heeled Jimmy Choos (I couldn’t wear stilettos as part of the wedding day was outside and I didn’t want to get stuck!). They were very uncomfortable so after the ceremony I changed into a backup pair of block heels that I wore until the early hours!

The handsome groom

Brett wore a midnight blue suit and dark brown shoes from Hugo Boss. We chose a Hugo Boss tie with tiny blush flowers on it for him to wear on the day (I loved that this would tie in to the colour of my dress without him knowing!).

Bridesmaids in Grey

I had 6 bridesmaids in total! I wanted them all to feel their best on the day and loved the idea of them all wearing a different dress to one another. We decided on pale grey and they selected the styles they liked – they looked amazing!

Ceremony

Our rabbi made the ceremony extra special by calling up my grandfather to read our ketubah to us – this was such a lovely surprise and something I will never forget. The best moment of the whole wedding for me was when Brett smashed the glass, everyone started dancing afterwards and we had a mini celebration!

English Garden Flowers

We used the lovely Bud Flowers who were super easy to work with! I did not have specific flowers in mind, but asked them to create an English garden feel using a combination of traditional flowers and wildflowers. I also asked for loads of foliage!

Photographer and videographer

We used Claudine Hartzel to photograph our wedding as we both really liked her style and had heard great things about her from family and friends! She was so easy to work with and helped put us at ease when we felt awkward in front of the camera! Galaxy Video captured the day on film and created the most amazing wedding video for us.

Marshmallow Cake!

So, I didn’t want a cake (as I think it rarely gets eaten) but my husband really wanted one so we compromised and had a marshmallow cake! It was made up of gorgeous gourmet marshmallows in a variety of flavours and meant that people could grab pieces whenever they fancied! Our wedding weekend was catered by James Zimmer. James created delicious dishes that were perfect for our laid back vibe.

Entertainment

We had Totem perform on the day of our wedding. We also had a string quartet entertaining guests during the reception and the full band performing all evening – they were faultless! Brett (from Totem) is a friend of my husband and sang our first dance for us which made it extra special. We also had a photobooth provided by our friends at Megabooth during the dancing so that people could take a little memento home with them!

Message in a bottle

With 300+ guests attending the wedding, I knew we weren’t going to be able to talk to everyone so I decided to write a little message and create a ‘message in a bottle’ to thank each of our guests for being there to share our day with us! We also provided flip flops and heel protectors so that our guests could explore the island comfortably!

Lunch in an old bomb factory

We wanted to create a relaxed vibe on the day, and breaking with tradition, decided to provide a buffet style lunch before the wedding kicked off for all our guests in an old bomb factory on the island! This was followed by the ceremony, a beachfront reception, dinner and dancing and an after-party for our friends and family that were staying overnight! We had a midnight feast on another part of the island with fire pits, smores and dancing until the early hours!

Minimoon

My husband organised a stunning surprise mini-moon for us in the Lake District and then on to Scotland, where we hiked in the mountains and ate A LOT of good food!

Advice to couples currently planning their wedding

When the day arrives you wont be thinking about the flowers or decor, so try not to get too caught up on the little things! As someone who doesn’t like big events, I was pushed outside of my comfort zone for my own wedding and I am so pleased I did as it was out of this world! I’d also say the more bridesmaids the merrier, as they are often the ones that help you on your big day (and help keep you sane!).

Jasmin & Brett’s little white book

Photography – Claudine Hartzel {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Planning, Production and Live Music – James Alexander and Totem {offers Moni Tivony and 2 musicians for your ceremony complimentary to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Wedding Co-ordination Assistance – Elegante by Michelle J {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Bride’s dress and veil – Galia Lahav found and fitted at Browns Bride {offers a veil worth £ 250 to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Ketubah – Ketubata {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Photobooth – Megabooth {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Videography – Galaxy Video {offers complimentary 60-second Instagram teaser to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Venue – Osea Island
Bride’s shoes – Jimmy Choo
Groom’s attire – Hugo Boss
Hair + Makeup – Sarrah Hamid and Kate Silver
Flowers – Bud Flowers
Catering – James Zimmer
Smash glass pouch – Smashing The Glass Etsy Shop ({or join Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club and get one for free!}