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Whimsical Country House Jewish Wedding Inspo at Hylands Estate, Essex, UK

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There’s nothing like finding an undiscovered gem of a Jewish wedding venue – and even more so when it’s under an hour from London! We’re so glad Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J – the organizer behind this gorgeous shoot – took some of her pandemic downtime to scout out gorgeous Hylands Estate in Essex. 

As of yet, it’s not really on the Jewish wedding radar – but we’re guessing that’ll change fast after these stunning images go out into the world. Hylands was truly the perfect setting for this beautiful, whimsical shoot, which brought together an amazing team, including Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors photographer Claudine Hartzel, bridal boutique Morgan Davies Bridal, stationer Dimitria Jordan, makeup artist Katy Angelidi, chuppah supplier The Happy Chuppah People, florist Gabriella Shemtov Floral, harpist Noa Davies, and Judaica purveyor Contemporary Judaica.

When Michelle discovered Hylands Estate, she was surprised it hadn’t yet made its way onto the Jewish wedding scene, since it ticks so many boxes for couples looking for a dreamy English countryside wedding. Between the exquisitely renovated stately manor house, breathtaking grounds, availability for dry hire (which means you can bring in your own kosher caterer) and convenient location in Chelmsford, just 45 minutes from North London, what’s not to love?

And speaking of things to love – we are totally and completely obsessed with this stunner of an Ersa Atelier wedding gown provided by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Morgan Davies Bridal. 

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Jewish Newlywed Spotlight: Leslie Welsbacher

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Leslie is a member of Smashing Life, our community membership club for Jewish + Jew(ish) women. 

 

ABOUT LESLIE

Where are you from? Beverly Hills, Michigan
What do you do for a living? Compliance Officer for a long term community nursing company
How did you meet your partner? We met on J-Swipe even though he wasn’t officially Jewish at the time
When did you first know you were in love? We had a significant issue and we broke up for a month. During that time, everyone told me I would get over him and move on. But I felt like this was different. I didn’t feel like my life would be the same without him.
 

The Hottest Wedding Dress Trends for 2021/22 {Instagram Live with Mirror Mirror}

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With weddings on their way back in a BIG way, it’s time to get excited about bridal fashion again! And to help us do exactly that, I’m turning to the best of the best: this Thursday, July 15, at at 8 pm GMT / 3 pm EST / 12 pm PST I’ll be going live on Instagram with Maria Yiannikaris, owner of beloved London bridal boutique Mirror Mirror and designer of in-house bridal line Mirror Mirror Couture, all about what’s going to be in as we get back into the swing of weddings!

Image courtesy of Pronovias

Maria’s got the scoop on some of the season’s hottest gowns: she’ll be giving us the very first reveal of some luxe pieces from Pronovias’s exquisite EDEN 2022 line, modeled by members of the fab Mirror Mirror team!

Image courtesy of Yolancris

She’ll also be sharing some dresses from Yolacnris’s new collection, plus an exclusive first look at a brand new Mirror Mirror Couture style (so fresh off the presses we can’t even share a photo with you yet)!

Image courtesy of Yolancris

We’ll also be chatting about how to make your dress your own, whichever style you choose – Mirror Mirror are the absolute masters customization, so whether you need some tweaks for a little extra coverage under the chuppah or whatever else, they’ve got you!

Image courtesy of Pronovias

We’ll be chatting in real time, so you can ask Maria and me anything you want during our live broadcast, or you can submit a question in advance by emailing karen@smashingtheglass.com. 

Tune in this Thursday 15 July, at 8 pm GMT / 3 pm EST / 12 pm PST to instagram.com/smashingtheglass

A Tali Shurin Bride for a Jewish Wedding with a View at Olmaya, Jerusalem, Israel

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Adina-Aaron-Olmaya-Jerusalem

We’ve heard of so many couples who’ve had to scale back their Jewish weddings last-minute due to changing COVID restrictions. Not so much couples who’ve been able to upsize their weddings at short notice because restrictions were relaxed – but that’s exactly what happened to Israeli couple Adina, a social worker in a hospital in Jerusalem, and Aaron, who works in high tech as a solutions architect.

They’d initially planned a small wedding in the groom’s parents’ garden, because that’s what was permitted when they firmed up their plans. But then, ten days before the wedding, some of Israel’s restrictions were lifted, and the couple’s wedding planner, Debbie Nussbaum, managed to move the proceedings to Jerusalem’s stunning Olmaya, which is not only a gorgeous venue with stellar views but also allowed the Adina and Aaron to double their guest list!

Still, not all the important people in the couple’s lives could be there in person – most of all, their beloved grandparents in London and Sydney. However, thanks to the wonders of Zoom, the far-flung grandparents on both sides were able to livestream a bracha to the couple during their ceremony!

As always, we’re absolutely blown away by all the energy, emotion, and love shining through in every single image from the couple’s photographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman – Adina was so impressed after seeing pictures he’d taken at friends’ weddings, she knew she wanted him to photograph her wedding even before she met Aaron!

Now over to the bride, who looked so elegant in Tali Shurin…

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How we Met

Adina, the bride: We met at a mutual friend’s wedding a month and a half before the first corona lockdown. The next wedding we went to together was our own!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Jewish Bride Spotlight: Erin Millender

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Erin is a member of our Brides Club for Jewish and Jew-ish brides, and we’re so excited for her wedding plans!

Inside Brides Club, I personally help you to minimize wedstress and overwhelm, and maximize your wedding budget. Oh – and every Brides Club member gets a free smash glass pouch (designed by me) for under the chuppah posted out to them too. Mazal Tov!

Come and join Brides Club too – for advice, discounts, community, sisterhood… and your sanity!

ABOUT ERIN

Where are you from? New York
What do you do for a living? Corporate Attorney
How did you meet your partner? A mutual friend’s birthday party
Where did you go on your first date? Minetta Tavern
When did you first know you were in love? When I made it six months without being annoyed by him? LOL. And when he spent months helping me move my elderly father across the country to live closer to me. Mensch!
How long had you been dating when you became engaged? 2.5 yrs
What date are you getting married and where?  September 5, 2021 in NYC

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