In the five fabulous years since Smashing The Glass’s inception, having lovingly blogged hundreds of incredible real Jewish weddings, we have always ALWAYS wanted to blog a Jewish wedding from Santorini (surely one of the most magical places on earth) and today the day has finally come. and seriously guys… this wedding is EVERYTHING.
It’s a destination Jewish wedding that has us absolutely picking our jaws off the floor. Australian couple Katie, who works in PR, and Aaron, a commercial airline pilot for Virgin Australia, wanted a spectacular backdrop for their once-in-a-lifetime day, and so they chose to marry on the sun-drenched Greek island of Santorini. And did it ever deliver! HannaMonika Wedding Photography’s images from the day are just beyond.
Every photo is its own little work of art — and a whole bunch of them could’ve easily been plucked from the pages of a super-glam travel magazine. Take a scroll through, and we guarantee you’ll be fighting the urge to book yourself a ticket on the next flight to Greece. And don’t even get us started on Orriss Films‘ Hollywood-perfect trailer – seriously, Katie and Aaron look like absolute movie stars, and every scene is shot so exquisitely.
We just can’t get enough of photographers Hanna and Slavomir’s style: bright and crisp, romantic and modern. They could not have done a better job of capturing the amazing light and colors of Santorini. The blue skies, the whitewashed houses, the lush greenery of the chuppah… yep, we’re smitten with this one.
Oh, and did we mention that beautiful Katie — who looked so effortlessly summer chic in her Jadore dress — was an avid Smashing The Glass reader in the lead up to her wedding? She reports that she found the blog especially useful for Jewish music inspo for the horas and the procession. So glad we could help, Katie! Now over to the bride…
How we met
Santorini
A Wedding Planned by the Bride
I didn’t use a wedding planner. I have my own PR and events company so am familiar with organizing all different scales of events. So planning a wedding wasn’t daunting to me. I wanted something simple, timeless, and chic, so stuck with a white color palette with accents of gold and greenery.
Luxe Invitations
We had our invitations printed on an extra-thick textured stock, and they were each sent with the RSVP card tied on with black raw leather string. We sealed envelopes with custom gold wax seals that had our initials on them.
Hair + Makeup
Luckily for me, my sister is a professional makeup artist in Australia, and she knows exactly what I like.
A Jadore Dress
My dress was by an Australian label, Jadore. It was actually a ball gown, not a wedding dress. I had seen a photo of it online and thought that the style would suit my body shape, so called them to find out where I could try it on. I tried all different styles and price points but felt the most like “me” in this one. It was simple but with details that made it a little bit more special, like the lace split at the back.
A Last-Minute Veil
I wore a veil as is customary in a Jewish ceremony. It’s what changed my dress from being a ball gown to feeling like an actual wedding dress.
Sophia Webster Shoes
I went with white Sophia Webster heels with a high stiletto heel. Not skyscraper though! I knew I’d have to be wearing them for a while, and on uneven Santorini ground, so I was reasonably sensible. I did change into a pair of simple gold heels later on.
The handsome groom
He looked very handsome! How lucky I am! He wore white linen and pastel blue, with a pop of brighter blue and tan details. Mostly Hugo Boss and Australian brand Calibre. We really wanted to keep things feelings and looking light and summery, not too formal.
Bridesmaids in Lace
My sister Bonnie and Aaron’s sister Yvette were my bridesmaids. They wore beautiful lace dresses by Australian designer Thurley. I’m obsessed with the sleeve details on their dresses! Conveniently, the lace matched the lace on my dress.
A Leafy Chuppah
I wanted lots of greenery! With all of the white surroundings, I thought lush greenery would look fresh and pretty (and not too formal). Pietro from Fabio Zardi sent me ideas of what he could do that fit the brief, and it was spot-on. He did such an amazing job. We loved our chuppah.
An Accessible Ceremony
A lot of our guests weren’t Jewish and some had never been to a Jewish wedding before, so it was a new experience to them. Everyone seemed interested in the traditions and customs, so it was nice to share that. We created custom programs outlining each stage of the ceremony so that it made a bit more sense. Everyone embraced it, which was very special!
A Jerusalem Ketubah
Higher Love
We played a beautiful song, a remake of an oldie, to walk down the aisle, called Higher Love by James Vincent McMorrow, followed by a lovely version of Lecha Dodi for the hakafot.
We didn’t do a first dance; we went straight into horas upon our arrival at the reception.
Peonies Galore
The bouquets were white peonies. My favorite. Flowers on the chuppah and tables were a mixture of peonies, roses, and hydrangeas mixed in with lush greenery. Pietro and Fabio Zardi are responsible for our beautiful flowers.
Our Fabulous Photographer
…and videographer
Entertainment
We kept it simple with a DJ. Being in Santorini I wasn’t 100% confident with the selection of live music so felt more comfortable using a DJ and selecting our own playlist.
Crystal Favors
The wedding favors doubled as place settings. I had stunning large slices of Agate crystal made with gold trims, and had each guest’s name handwritten in calligraphy on each slice by an Australian artist, Paige Tuzee. I liked the idea of something special that people could take home with them and keep from our wedding day.
Carrying them from Australia to the other side of the world was the most difficult part, haha; they were HEAVY and bubble wrapped so imagine going through security with a suitcase full of them in Israel and Athens. I got stopped every time! But they made it there in the end.
Converting to Judaism
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Honestly, the best thing to do is be relaxed and know that some things are beyond your control, and it’s almost a guarantee that not absolutely everything will run to plan.
Katie & Aaron’s little white book
Videography – Orriss Films
Reception venue – Pantelia Suites Rooftop
Bride’s dress – Jadore
Bride’s shoes – Sophia Webster
Groom’s attire – Hugo Boss, Calibre and Omega
Bridesmaids – Thurley
Flowers – Fabio Zardi
Calligraphy – Paige Tuzee
Ketubah – Ray Michaels
