We always love seeing what wedding pros choose for their own big days. On one hand, they’ve got a leg up knowing all the ins and outs of the industry. But on the other, when you’re surrounded by amazing wedding vendors day in and day out, how do you choose?!
Today’s beautiful bride Laura is a London-based wedding planner, and we’re not surprised that she and Moshi, a financial adviser, picked a whole roster full of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors for their beautiful destination wedding in Rome: from ultra-creative videographer Denee Motion (love that drone footage!) to a 10-piece band by the amazing Totem to a beautiful, colorful ketubah by artist Veronique Jonas from Ketubah.com, they went for some of the very best of the best.
And then there’s Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Italian Wedding Company. Being a planner’s planner is no easy job, but Stefania and Vanessa handled it with aplomb, helping Laura realize the wedding of her dreams despite her planning from abroad and speaking not a word of Italian.
Photographer Paul Toeman captured all the emotion of the day – not to mention the gorgeous setting – so perfectly, and we can’t get enough of the couple’s adorable wedding hashtag, #moshandbecks.
We’ll let Laura, who looked stunning in Suzanne Neville, fill you in on the rest…
How We Met
Laura, the bride: He was sitting next to a friend’s husband one year and asked who was sitting next to his wife. After cancelling what would have been our first date and re-connecting a year later, we met up and the rest is history!
Roman Holiday
We got married at the Great Synagogue in Rome followed by a party at Villa Miani. I’m a wedding planner in London so didn’t want to feel like I was going to work on the day! We both love Italy – it’s so romantic and the food is simply amazing!
We originally planned to get married in Florence but after viewing some venues there, and then seeing Villa Miani, we just fell in love with the venue and location. Rome is also far easier to get to (many more flights a day from various London airports and also flights direct to Tel Aviv where our rabbi came from, and Moshi’s sister and her family).
When Wedding Planners Get Married
I am a wedding planner by trade so had very clear ideas about what I wanted but speak no Italian whatsoever! I originally started speaking to a lady who I didn’t feel was on the same page as me, which is when I found Stefania Zen. She absolutely understood what I wanted to create and she helped me with translating emails, suggesting suitable authentic suppliers and pulling everything together in collaboration with one another. On the day Stefania and Vanessa took over and co-ordinated everything, allowing me to fully relax and leave the running order to other professionals for a change!
Everyone that knows me knows I love the colour blue, so it came as no surprise that the bridesmaids were in blue dresses and we also matched the kippot to these. We didn’t have a theme but I wanted something elegant and timeless, nothing too modern that when we look back we might regret.
We wanted all the elements to feel personal so instead of table numbers, each table had a photo of the two of us. Each escort card has a photo and guests had fun trying to find their tables and match their photos. My mum bought Mr and Mrs chair signs and painted them silver to match everything else, which made for some sweet photos.
Décor-wise, the venue and views of Rome spoke for themselves and needed very little dressing. We wanted a truly authentic experience and based on the food and setting, I think we managed to achieve this.
Silver and Navy Invitations
I like clean, easy-to-read invites that are more traditional. Darren at Invitation London created a logo for us (in a font we loved) for our engagement party the previous year and we followed this through into our invite, edging them in silver with navy blue text on white card with a very subtle leather print.
Hair + Makeup
I always think brides should look like a more beautiful version of themselves on their wedding day. I normally wear grey, silver, and blue eyeshadows but didn’t feel these were very bridal so stuck to more neutral tones to look fresh.
I found Janita Helova on Instagram and had a trial with her on a trip to Rome for our food tasting. She was so professional and friendly and I knew she would be a great person to have around on the day. Janita did my hair and make up and also my mum’s.
I found Anna Ushakova also on Instagram for my bridesmaids and for my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. She bought a team of 3 people with her and everyone was happy with how they looked.
A Suzanne Neville Dress
My dress was from Suzanne Neville. I knew quickly that her designs and beautiful corsetry would flatter my figure and bust. I tried on some of Suzanne’s dresses at other shops before deciding to visit her flagship store in Knightsbridge – which ended up being the right decision. They were able to tweak existing styles and change lace from one dress to another and also customise the tiny belt on the corset to really make it unique. Suzanne Neville actually measured me at my toile fitting too so the whole experience was really personal and friendly.
Lace and Jewels
My veil was Helen Martin, purchased at Suzanne Neville so they could match the lace edging to my dress. I loved the fact is was so long and went over my train – it felt very regal and made for some lovely pictures.
I decided against wearing a necklace as the dress had enough design that I didn’t want to draw attention away from it. I wore diamond earrings which I had received as a gift from my parents several years ago and my engagement ring. I bought a small sparkly hair slide from David’s Bridal as I felt my up do needed a bit of sparkle.
Ironically, my dad, who is a jeweller, had lent me a gorgeous diamond eternity bracelet to wear once I removed the sleeves of my dress later in the evening but I was so in the moment, I forgot to put it on!
Jimmy Choos
After looking in several different shops and online and not getting anywhere, I convinced my parents to visit Jimmy Choo in New Bond Street with me! They have a bridal section upstairs and I have heard from lots of my own brides in the past that they are comfortable.
I ended up with a shoe called Talia in silver, so I can wear them again with other evening dresses. Moshi is 6ft 3 so I opted for a 10cm stiletto, which most married friends looked horrified when I told them! In the end, I kept my shoes on all night – I danced in them, I jumped around in them, I climbed the stairs in them and they were surprisingly comfortable, so I definitely made the right choice.
The handsome groom
Moshi did lots of eye rolling when I started nagging him several months before the wedding about finding a suit! Sure enough, the second suit he tried on was exactly what he was looking for (men are so lucky!).
He chose a lovely mid blue Barutti suit from Tuxlux and a white shirt with pale blue tie. I went with to his fitting and really admired the colour he had chosen – he looked very handsome! He chose brown brogues (which with size 15 feet is harder than it sounds!) and a matching belt. After I had initially seen the outfit, he didn’t let me attend any other fittings which meant there was still a surprise on the day when I first saw him in a perfectly fitting version of the suit.
Bridesmaids in Blue
I had five adult bridesmaids and one flower girl – our seven-year-old niece. The adults all wore a deep blue Dessy dress, all choosing their own styles. We were all amazed at how the colour suited them all and they all really liked the dresses (which I know is rare!).
One bridesmaid has even worn her dress to another wedding since which is a real compliment! Our flower girl wore an ivory dress from David’s Bridal and we made a belt out of the same fabric as the adult bridesmaid dresses so she matched them and she also had white and blue flower clips in her hair.
Adding Florals to the Chuppah
The chuppah itself cannot be changed or touched at the shul. Instead, we chose to frame it by adding floral arrangements to the tops of the pillars with cascading flowers at the front.
Roman Traditions
The Great Synagogue is a breathtaking building. It is also the oldest functioning shul in the world and as a result, they are very strict on their own traditions and ways of working. At times, this was very challenging but, in the end, did make it even more of a special and unusual ceremony.
We used my great grandfather’s kiddush cup from his wedding in 1934 and we got married using Moshi’s mum’s wedding ring. Moshi’s father passed away six years ago so we wanted to use something during the chuppah which meant he was there with us. Moshi also had photographs of his dad in his jacket pocket. One of our witnesses was a friend who had flown in from Miami so that was really personal for us.
We got our ketubah from Ketubah.com from the artist Veronique Jonas – it is very colourful and incorporates lots of symbols like a chuppah, Shabbat candlesticks, and the skyline of Jerusalem.
Rome Synagogue have very unique traditions and lots of our guests told us after that the most moving part of the ceremony was when my brother opened the ark and we ascended the steps, got covered with Moshi’s tallis, and the rabbi blessed us.
Stand By Me
Having worked in the industry for many years, I was particularly moved that Moni Tivony, who I have known (worked with and become friendly with), sang at our chuppah. He sang ‘Boi Beshalom’ accompanied by the organ during my entrance and ‘Ayshet Chayil’ whilst I circled Moshi.
Moshi and the bridesmaids walked into the choir of Rome Synagogue. Moni did the most magnificent version of ‘Im Esh Kachech’ just before Moshi smashed the glass and sang us out of the Shul to ‘Mazel Tov’ too! Later, during the party, our first dance was ‘Stand by Me‘ as Moshi has always really liked it!
Peonies and Roses
Having met a couple of Italian florists, I simply loved Andrea Patrizi. He was flamboyant, creative, and knew exactly what I wanted to achieve. He was also familiar with the various restrictions at the synagogue which made it easy to liaise with him. I was very definite on only wanting to use blush, ivory, and cream flowers, without greenery. Andrea has tablestands from which flowers can be hung with crystal chandeliers in the centre and used mirror discs at the base scattered with rose heads and candles.
My bouquet and the bridesmaid bouquets were full of peonies and roses and were just amazing – I loved them! As the night got darker the flowers came into their own on the tablecentres as they were spot lit from above. Andrea also created amazing displays for the reception food station and our escort card table that were better than I could ever have imagined and were really a focal point.
Photographer
I work with lots of photographers and there was a lot of pressure about who to choose! Paul Toeman had photographed my brother’s wedding (which also featured on STG!) and I just loved what he did for him. I’ve known Paul for many years and feel very comfortable around him so I chose Paul and Sophie from PTP Photography and I absolutely made the right choice! I LOVE the way they were able to capture the whole atmosphere and I can’t wait for our album to arrive!
Videographer
Again, Denee Motion filmed my brother’s wedding. I have worked with Denis and Max for many years and just find them super creative and highly discreet and professional. They interspersed drone footage to really set the scene and we love our trailer as it brings back all the memories of the day.
Italian Food
I found Marianne from Dream Cakes in Rome on Instagram. Initially, we wanted a slightly more novelty cake than a traditional one and she has made many! She is also British which made communication much easier!
We did a cake tasting the same day we flew out for our main food tasting and chose a different flavour for each tier: white chocolate with raspberry with white chocolate buttercream, red velvet with cream cheese frosting (Moshi’s favourite!) and vanilla sponge with Oreo buttercream. The bottom tier of our cake had the colosseum in fondant and then we had a personalised cake topper made by Lucy from Lucy’s Cake Toppers (found on Etsy) of a bride and groom in a Roman chariot and the groom dressed as a gladiator! She also make two figurines of our cats to sit on a different layer of the cake. Bringing in elements of Rome and our cats were Moshi’s ideas and they both went down really well when people saw the cake!
Relais Le Jardin are the in-house caterers at Villa Miani. The food was amazing and people are still talking about the pasta course and the lamb chops! We gave our guests 4 main course choices prior to the wedding and then had a large dessert buffet, so we ensured there was something for everyone. We served pizza and cannoli as midnight snacks, sticking to an authentic Italian menu throughout.
A Live Band
We had Totem, who I have known and worked with since they started out. They were absolutely amazing and completely smashed every dance set as well as all background sets. We had a 10-piece live band and then a DJ with musicians for the afterparty. They completely understand the right music to get everyone up and dancing and Brett learnt An Evening in Roma, especially for my mum.
Fans and Flip Flops
We didn’t want any gimmicks but we also wanted to be practical! We gave out personalised fans for the ladies during the chuppah as it was very hot and later in the evening gave out flip flops for those with aching feet!
Speeches
Coincidentally both the best man and groom’s speech started the same way and both made jokes about how I’d only allowed them limited time! The best men spoke all about Moshi and then claimed they had run out of the allotted time when it came to me!
Involving our families
We involved my brother by making him an usher and his wife, my sister-in-law, was a bridesmaid. My brother opened the ark during the chuppah, which was a really touching moment and Moshi’s sister’s children were our flower girl and page boy. We made sure I danced with my dad and Moshi with his mum during the evening.
It was quite a white sky during the reception and there was a lovely moment when the sun poked through the clouds just as our family pictures started. For me, one of my favourite moments was our first dance, where we had a couple of minutes without interruption to take in the day together.
A Minimoon on the Amalfi Coast
We stayed in Rome for three days after the wedding, relaxing with friends who stayed out there. We then did a mini moon to Capri and Positano. As we were already in Italy, and neither of us have been to the Amalfi coast before, that’s how we decided! We had many restaurant recommendations and we both ate our weight in pasta/pizza for four days! It was amazing spending time just the two of us and being able to relax, with all wedmin behind us!
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Try to arrange as much as you can as early as you can. This makes you feel like things are under control and doesn’t cause last minute panic. Also, be flexible. Things happen, plans change, but don’t let anything bother you. Just smile and really be present to get the most out of your special day. Having a planner to co-ordinate the day is also vital in my experience. You do not want to have any of the concern or responsibility as a guest at your own party.
Laura & Moshi’s little white book
Photography – Paul Toeman
Videography – Denee Motion {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Wedding planner – Italian Wedding Company {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Band + Chazan / Chuppah Singer – Totem {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Ketubah – Ketubah.com {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Venue – Villa Miani
Bride’s dress – Suzanne Neville
Bride’s veil and accessories – Helen Martin and David’s Bridal
Bride’s shoes – Jimmy Choo
Groom’s attire – Tuxlux
Bridesmaids – Dessy
Hair + Makeup – Janita Helova
Flowers – Andrea Patrizi
Catering – Relais Le Jardin
Cake – Dream Cakes in Rome
Cake topper – Lucy’s Cake Toppers
Invitation – Invitation London
Kippot – Hebrewear
Well written Karen. Thank you. Denis x