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An Anne Barge Bride for an Elegant Jewish Wedding Featuring Tradition with a Twist at Temple Emanu-El, Closter, New Jersey, USA

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Yael and Josh, Temple Emanu-El, Closter, New Jersey, USA

We love it when a couple puts their own spin on their Jewish wedding ceremony – which is exactly what Yael, an enterprise relationship manager at LinkedIn, and Josh, a vice president at Alphasights, did when planning their big day at Temple Emanu-El in Closter, New Jersey.

The couple’s Judaism was central to their day, and we adore the way they put their own spin on classic traditions. Working with their rabbi, Yael and Josh crafted a bespoke ceremony that was totally them – including circling each other 3.5 times each, having women involved in the ketubah reading and Sheva Brachot, and having Yael say a statement of betrothal to Josh.

Amy Sims Photography captured the day so beautifully, and the couple’s videographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kiss the Bride Films, caught all the love, emotion, and energy of the day in their unmissable trailer.

This wedding was full of so many special touches – from an ice sculpture shot tower to a 45-minute hora set to Yael’s ultra-elegant Anne Barge gown purchased at Kleinfeld – but we’ll turn you over to the bride for the rest of the details…

Yael and Josh, Temple Emanu-El, Closter, New Jersey, USAYael and Josh, Temple Emanu-El, Closter, New Jersey, USA Yael and Josh, Temple Emanu-El, Closter, New Jersey, USA Yael and Josh, Temple Emanu-El, Closter, New Jersey, USA
How We Met

Yael, the bride: The short answer is Hinge. The longer answer is that Yael saw Josh on Hinge and noticed he went to Vanderbilt, where her best friend Hannah went. Figuring Jews at Vanderbilt must know each other, Yael sent a screenshot of Josh’s profile to Hannah, who gave Yael a thumbs up and said “he’s one of the good guys.” We both work in Account Management.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

5 of Our Favorites: DIY Jewish Weddings Full of Ideas and Inspo

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Emily and Brant, Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas, USA

Emily and Brant‘s DIY Jewish Wedding at Kimpton Fitzroy London | Photo by Caitlin McWeeney Photography

Welcome back to “5 of Our Favorites,” where we showcase five breathtaking Jewish weddings each week, all curated around a special theme. This week, we’re celebrating creativity and personal touches with 5 of our favorite DIY Jewish weddings.

DIY weddings offer couples the chance to bring their vision to life, with every detail thoughtfully crafted by their own hands or with the help of close family and friends. From homemade decor to hand-built chuppahs to personalized favors and even home-baked wedding cakes, these weddings reflect the unique personality and love of the couple, creating a truly intimate and meaningful experience. Whether it’s an elegant outdoor affair or a cozy indoor celebration, these DIY Jewish weddings are full of heart, charm, and inspiration.

We can’t wait to share these beautiful, handcrafted celebrations with you and offer some ideas for incorporating your own personal touches into your big day!

Leah and Alex‘s DIY Jewish Wedding | Photo by Alex Gordias

Leah and Alex’s Literary Jewish Wedding with DIY Touches at the Bride’s Parents’ Family Home in Falmouth, Massachusetts

We love it when a couple makes their Jewish wedding 100% truly THEM. And that’s exactly what Leah and Alex did in their literary-themed backyard wedding, which celebrated the pair’s love of reading, family, and of course their beloved cats!

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Leah and Alex‘s DIY Jewish Wedding | Photo by Alex Gordias

Their wonderful wedding planner, Luba Gankin from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Primavera Dreams, helped them pull all these strands together to make one ultra-memorable day. We can’t get enough of all the fun details like centerpieces made of old books and escort card bookmarks made of recycled book pages – plus the super colorful chuppah canopy, made from a piece of traditional Egyptian wedding tent cloth the bride brought back with her after spending three years living in Egypt!

Leah and Alex‘s DIY Jewish Wedding | Photo by Alex Gordias

Oh, and did we mention that the bride – who looked lovely in her wedding dress from BHLDN – baked the wedding cake (for 150 guests) herself?!

Emily and Brant, Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas, USA

Emily and Brant‘s DIY Jewish Wedding | Photo by Caitlin McWeeney Photography

Emily and Brant’s Jewish Wedding Full of Wildflowers, Tacos, and DIY at The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas

We always love featuring the gorgeous Jewish wedding of one of our Brides Club members – and that goes doubly for bride Emily, who was a beloved member of our Smashing Life community for Jewish women for years prior to her engagement to groom Brant. During her engagement, Emily was the absolute DIY queen of Brides Club, and we loved following along with all her fabulous projects. 

Emily and Brant, Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas, USA

Emily and Brant‘s DIY Jewish Wedding | Photo by Caitlin McWeeney Photography

In Brides Club, Emily couldn’t get enough of the supportive community, inspiration, and helpful resources. In her words,  

The encouragement and support was also invaluable as my mom passed 9yrs ago, and I just didn’t know who to ask about some of the important things. Coping with decisions I would normally ask my mom is also where Karen and her monthly sessions made me feel less alone – I could again, brag or problem solve or just talk weddings. Karen and the other Brides Club members stepped in, in a way, where I was missing my mom. 

Honoring her mom was a big part of Emily’s wedding planning vision – and the couple’s stunning venue, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, was chosen in part because Emily had fond memories of visiting with her mom during her student days at The University of Texas at Austin.

Emily and Brant, Wildflower Center, Austin, Texas, USA

Emily and Brant‘s DIY Jewish Wedding | Photo by Caitlin McWeeney Photography

We’ve also got to tell you Emily’s hilarious ketubah story. She won her gorgeous tree ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ink with Intent via a Smashing The Glass giveaway – before she was even engaged!

We adore everything about this very special wedding, from Emily’s DIY prowess to the chuppah built by the groom to the taco menu.

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A Multicultural Nigerian-Jewish Wedding at LJS and Dyrham Park, UK

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Justin-and-Emma-Dyrham-Park-Hertfordshire-UK

We love it when a couple crafts a one-of-a-kind wedding that truly reflects both of their backgrounds and the life they’ve built together – which is exactly what London couple Emma, an investment analyst in finance, and Justin, who works as a senior manager in digital marketing, did.

Emma and Justin’s shared Jewish faith plays a central role in shaping the way they live, so it was only natural for them to choose to hold the religious part of their wedding at their beloved shul,  LJS in St. John’s Wood.

The next part of their day was focused on celebrating Emma’s Nigerian heritage: after the chuppah, everyone moved on to the reception and vibrant Nigerian cultural ceremony at Dyrham Park, a beautiful country house and golf club located in Hertfordshire. The Igbo-Arochukwu cultural wedding featured a wine carrying ceremony, a symbolic moment where the bride carries wine from her father to present to her groom, followed by the blessing of the marriage. The evening also included performances from Ekombi dancers, paying tribute to Emma’s maternal Oron-Nigerian heritage. Helen Weir captured the day so beautifully from start to finish – don’t miss her exquisite imagery!

Now over to Emma…

Justin-and-Emma-Dyrham-Park-Hertfordshire-UK Justin-and-Emma-Dyrham-Park-Hertfordshire-UKJustin-and-Emma-Dyrham-Park-Hertfordshire-UK Justin-and-Emma-Dyrham-Park-Hertfordshire-UK

How We Met

Emma, the bride and Justin, the groom: We met towards the end of the Covid lockdowns, as restrictions began to ease in late 2021, through the dating app Hinge. Our first date was at the Patch Bar near Moorgate, where we ended up trying karaoke and exploring central London. The rest, as they say, is history! Continue ReadingContinue Reading

5 of Our Favorites: The Most Fabulous London Jewish Weddings

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Ivi-and-Ben-Kimpton-Fitzroy-London-UK

Ivi and Ben‘s London Jewish Wedding at Kimpton Fitzroy London | Photo by Fire & Ice

Welcome back to “5 of Our Favorites,” where we curate five beautiful Jewish weddings centered around a unique theme. This week, we’re celebrating the elegance and charm of one of the world’s most iconic cities (and STG’s home base) with 5 of our favorite Jewish weddings in London.

London is a city that seamlessly blends history, culture, and modern sophistication. Whether it’s a grand affair at a historic venue, an intimate celebration in a chic urban space, or a glamorous reception in one of the city’s finest hotels, London is full of opportunities for fabulous Jewish weddings.

We can’t wait to share these incredible weddings with you and offer some inspiration for your own London celebration!

New West End Synagogue and One Marylebone, London, UK

Ella and Matt‘s London Jewish Wedding at New West End Synagogue and One Marylebone | Photo by Barney Walters

Ella and Matt’s Elegant Jewish Wedding at New West End Synagogue and One Marylebone, London, UK

Ella and Matt’s fabulous Jewish wedding took place at two of London’s most iconic venues: they held their chuppah at the  fabulously ornate 19th-century New West End Synagogue in Bayswater before moving on (vto One Marylebone in Great Portland Street for the reception 

Following the ceremony our guests were taken to the reception venue in classic London buses. Finding the party venue was a much tougher challenge than the search for our shul. 

Ella and Matt‘s London Jewish Wedding at New West End Synagogue and One Marylebone | Photo by Barney Walters

We love that Ella and Matt chose to work with amazing acoustic roaming band and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Balagan! This incredible group – formed by another beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor, Sensation Band (who also performed, keeping the dance floor packed all night long in their signature style) – is the UK’s first roaming band to offer Jewish sets, and we can’t get enough of the fun, personalized vibe they bring to any big day.

STG Brides Club member Ella and Matt say booking Balagan was the best wedding planning decision they made, and we’re not at all surprised – they are a truly incredible group!

Ella and Matt‘s London Jewish Wedding at New West End Synagogue and One Marylebone | Photo by Barney Walters

So obviously the music at this wedding earns top marks… but believe it or not, that’s only the tip of the iceberg of this wonderful day. First off, we can’t get over the fact that Matt built the couple’s birch wood chuppah as a tribute to his late grandfather who taught him about woodwork (and how sweet is it that after the wedding the pair donated it to a nearby synagogue for other couples who may need it?).

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Ivi and Ben‘s London Jewish Wedding at Kimpton Fitzroy London | Photo by Fire & Ice

Ivi and Ben’s Jewish Wedding at Kimpton Fitzroy London

There are so many gorgeous hotels beloved by London Jewish couples, but our all-time favorite has got to be Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kimpton Fitzroy London, where Ivi and Ben held their magical Jewish wedding. 

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Ivi and Ben‘s London Jewish Wedding at Kimpton Fitzroy London | Photo by Fire & Ice

We’re proud to say that Smashing The Glass Brides Club member Ivi found Kimpton Fitzroy London right here on STG, and from the beginning, the couple fell head over heels for everything about this venue, from the way it combines opulence with warmth to the gorgeous high-ceilinged ballroom where the chuppah took place to the ultra-attentive personalized service the staff provided every step of the way. Ivi describes the Kimpton Fitzroy as an “absolute gem,” and we couldn’t agree with her more!

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Ivi and Ben‘s London Jewish Wedding at Kimpton Fitzroy London | Photo by Fire & Ice

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New to Smashing The Glass for March ‘25

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Photo by Christian Gideon Photography 

Here at  Smashing The Glass, we’re constantly thrilled to bring together the best wedding professionals who understand the unique needs of Jewish and Jew-ish couples. This past month, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming some incredible new Recommended Vendors to our community, and we can’t wait for you to get to know them! 

Elmley Nature Reserve | Kent, UK

If you’re looking for a stunning countryside venue that’s an easy trip from London, we’re in love with Elmley in Kent. An exclusive venue offering complete privacy and a breathtaking setting, Elmley is set within 3,300 acres of unspoilt wilderness.

Hold your chuppah outdoors with incredible views or in Elmley’s listed 18th century barn. There’s plenty of on-site accommodation for family and friends, from the luxurious Kingshill Farmhouse to gorgeous cabins, so you can make a fabulous wedding weekend of it. Plus,  you can bring in the kosher caterer of your choice – and with no corkage fees, you can bring in your own drinks too!

07494790291
weddings@elmleynaturereserve.co.uk
www.elmleynaturereserve.co.uk
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Location: Isle of Sheppey, Kent

Maegan’s Makeup | Based in Vancouver, BC

We’re totally and completely obsessed with Maegan’s Make-Up‘s sophisticated, natural bridal style. Based in Vancouver, BC, Maegan loves Jewish weddings just as much as we do. She loves nothing more than seeing her clients light up with confidence and a vibrance that truly shines from the inside out.

With many years of experience working in London’s Jewish community, she’s also in the UK every London Fashion Week doing makeup for shows and is available for February and September weddings locally!

16047107825
Willing to travel: Yes

Are you a wedding vendor looking to get the word out about your work to Jewish and Jew-ish couples? If so, we’d love to chat about bringing you on board – just email emily@smashingtheglass.com to find out more!