Show Me Everything - Smashing the Glass

Real Jewish Brides: Gaby Talks Shoes And Bridesmaids Dresses

20/11/2018 by Smashing The Glass

Gaby will be marrying David on 26th May 2019 at Trinity Buoy Wharf, London, UK. Click here to read all Gaby’s planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: (1) Gaby and David met at work at an advertising agency in London (2) Gaby is Jewish and David is Christian, and they are planning an inclusive ceremony and party that will embrace both of their cultures (3) They are planning an urban luxe wedding in a converted London lighthouse – we LOVE the sound of this!

Six Month Countdown

I can’t believe I’m in the run up to the 6 month countdown! Considering I’ve already been engaged for over a year, the time is seriously flying by! People tell me I’ve got plenty of time which is true, but considering how quickly time is going, I know I need to use this time wisely to plan, prep and organise!

Image by Fred Marcus from Vlada and Joshua‘s wedding

A Pronovias Bride for a Glam Garden Party Jewish-inspired Wedding at Laura Ashley The Manor in Elstree, Hertfordshire, UK

19/11/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

Squeal! Proud mom moment… yes, another one of my beautiful blogging brides is married! I’m so sad to say goodbye to lovely Clare, but also delighted to share her GORGEOUS Jew-ish wedding with you today…. and my goodness doesn’t she look gorgeous?!

Clare, a nursery school teacher, and Chris, a planning manager for a property developer in London (#onclouddeeks), started off their Smashing The Glass journey with a session with me as part of my wedding consultancy service. We worked together to to help bring her vision to life for what would eventually become her spring garden-themed day, and Clare reports that gained some incredible vendor recommendations from this session too — awww – that’s the best news!

Neither Clare nor Chris is Jewish, but the couple have Jewish family and opted to incorporate some traditions they found especially meaningful. I love the modernized, personal rewriting of the seven blessings their friends and family read to them (some of the blessings guests came up with are pretty hilarious!) and, of course, the magical birch chuppah with lanterns and candles strewn around the base.

Speaking of candles… the couple made liberal use of luxe scented candles throughout the day, which not only made their venue smell amazing but also made for wonderful memories: Clare reports that every time she smells, say, Jo Malone’s ‘wild fig and cassis’ (one of her picks), it immediately brings her back to the big day. Such a clever idea!

Photographer Catherine Carter and videographer Jeff Woods captured all the emotion — not to mention the fab creative touches — to perfection, and Clare looked beyond stunning in the exquisitely beaded fishtail-style Pronovias dress she purchased from STG Recommended Vendor The Wedding Club in South Kensington (where she had “the most amazing experience” — not that we’re surprised).

Okay, enough from us… take it away, Clare!

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How We Met

Clare, the bride: We met in 2014 by swiping right!

Galia Lahav Bridal Fashion Show {Live from Browns Bride}

18/11/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

You might have noticed I’m just a little obsessed with Israeli bridal designers. It’s no secret that today Israel just happens to be home to a disproportionate number of top designers creating cutting-edge gowns that are truly works of art. And one of the best of the best is Galia Lahav.

I was lucky enough to snag Galia Lahav’s head designer Sharon Sever as a participant in my Smashing Summit at the beginning of the year – we chatted about style ideas for the fashion-forward bride.

This week I’ll be luckier still, because THE Galia Lahav herself will be chatting with me live on the Smashing The Glass Facebook page Friday, 23 November, and we’ll get to see some of the totally breathtaking designs from her fall 2019 collections.

One of the most sought-after bridal designers in the world, Galia Lahav began her career in the art world, and her background as an artist shines through in every piece that carries her name. She got her start in the bridal world creating custom gowns for brides in Israel over 30 years ago, and the rest is history. Based in Israel, Galia rarely makes international appearances, so this is a real honor for Smashing The Glass!

A Super Spiritual Enchanted Garden Jewish Wedding with an Epic Old City Photoshoot at Bezzela Hahar on Moshav Machasiya, Israel

16/11/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

You know we love it when a couple really focuses on bringing out the spiritual side of their Jewish wedding. And lucky for us, that’s exactly what Australian-turned-Israeli couple, Rachel and Yehuda, did in planning their traditional day.

Capitalizing on the beauty and holiness of their adopted home, this duo opted for a venue that just exudes Israeli charm. Bezzela Hahar’s stunning outdoor grounds made for the dreamiest enchanted oasis setting, between the lush greenery and abundant Jerusalem stone — and it could not have been more perfect for the couple’s ultra-meaningful sunset (!) chuppah.

Also amazing is the post-wedding nighttime photoshoot in Jerusalem’s Old City Gilad Mashiah orchestrated for Rachel and Yehuda. This spiritual pair wanted to conclude the celebration with prayers at the Kotel (Western Wall), which just happened to provide a backdrop for some truly, amazingly touching photos.

Oh, and we’re obsessed with the fact that the couple set up a live feed of their ceremony for friends and family who couldn’t make it in person. Such a wonderful way to keep your loved ones in the loop, especially if you have lots of family overseas like Rachel and Yehuda did. Their grandparents who weren’t able to travel even ended up holding a viewing party for their friends back home — awww!

Now over to Rachel, who lived out all her Disney princess fantasies and then some in her magical, modest Tali Shurin wedding dress…

An Enchanted Garden in Israel

Rachel, the bride: We got married at Bezzela Hahar on Moshav Machasiya. We were looking for a place with a beautiful outdoors for the chuppah, and seating space indoors, and Betsela Hahar immediately gave us the impression of an enchanted garden, whimsical and breathtaking. The location worked for us perfectly. It was convenient for our family in Bet Shemesh and Jerusalem.

An Isabelle Armstrong Bride for a Jewish Wedding with Killer Manhattan Views and an Orchid Chuppah at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, New York, New York, USA

14/11/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

There are no words for how obsessed we are with epic orchid chuppah. With lucite columns draped in strands of gorgeous flowers, it’s just SO dreamy. And don’t even get us started on the backdrop of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline.

It doesn’t get much more quintessentially NYC than the Jewish wedding of Vlada, who works in corporate banking, and Joshua, a corporate and bankruptcy litigation attorney (#2beepst). Between their venue — high atop the landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel — their magnificent New York skyline cake by none other than Ron Ben Israel, and the bride’s Isabelle Armstrong dress purchased from Kleinfeld.The couple even had a wedding announcement in the New York Times!

It wouldn’t be the ultimate NYC wedding without a touch of celebrity, and Kevin Osborne Band from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Hank Lane provided that and then some — Kevin is a backup singer for Billy Joel, in addition to being an awesome band leader in his own right.

Felix from Fred Marcus captured all the glam details and jawdropping views with aplomb, and Frank Ahn from Frank Ahn Films recorded the emotion of the day so well.

Okay, now over to the bride…