Cool Jewish Wedding Music Archives - Smashing the Glass

Win a Stay at the Kimpton Fitzroy London – Just by Watching Today’s Jewish Wedding Music Facebook Live!

22/06/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

Struggling to hit just the right notes when it comes to picking music for your Jewish wedding? Then I’ve got just the Facebook Live for you… and it’s happening TODAY, Tuesday, June 22!

At 7:15 pm GMT (2:15 pm EST/12:15 pm PST), I’ll be going live (click here to watch it) at one of my very favourite London venues, Kimpton Fitzroy London, with the fabulous Sensation Band, the world-class wedding entertainment outfit beloved by so many Jewish couples in London and beyond, and incredible catering by Adam Nathan Catering!

What’s more, one lucky person watching the Facebook Live will also win a FREE overnight stay at the Kimpton Fitzroy London for themselves and a guest! It’s super easy to enter but you’ve got to be watching live to find out what to do – and you have to enter whilst I’m live too!

A firm favourite with STG brides, Sensation Band is truly the very best (their version of Boi Kallah below has had more than 100,000 views on YouTube – you have to listen to it if you haven’t already!) – they’ll be not only performing some favorite pieces from their vast repertoire of Jewish music but also helping you choose the right tracks for YOUR Jewish wedding.

There’ll also be delectable nibbles on hand from Adam Nathan Catering, Kimpton’s preferred partner for kosher-style catering!

Interspersed with Sensation Band’s unforgettable Jewish music will be a live Q&A, where you can ask me, Sensation, and the Kimpton Fitzroy London weddings team anything you’ve ever wanted to know about either Jewish wedding music OR this in-demand Jewish wedding venue. Definitely not to be missed!

But that’s not all! Once we’ve wrapped up with Sensation, we’ll be launching straight in to Facebook Live #2 of the evening, a venue tour of the Kimpton Fitzroy London starting at 8:00 pm GMT / 3:00 pm EST / 12:00 PM PST.

And then, after the venue tour, I’ll announce the details of what you need to do to be entered in our competition to win a night’s stay at the Kimpton Fitzroy London for you and a guest!

The Songs You’ll Need for Your Jewish Wedding {Facebook Live with Kimpton Fitzroy London and Sensation Band}

15/06/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, June 22, at 7:15 pm GMT (3:15 pm EST/12:15 pm PST), I’m so as excited as I’ll be going live at one of my very favourite London venues, Kimpton Fitzroy London, with the fabulous Sensation Band, the world-class wedding entertainment outfit beloved by so many Jewish couples in London and beyond, and incredible catering by Adam Nathan Catering!

A firm favourite with STG brides, Sensation Band is truly the very best (their version of Boi Kallah below has had more than 100,000 views on YouTube – you have to listen to it if you haven’t already!) – and when it comes to Jewish wedding music, their knowledge is positively encyclopedic. And they’ll be sharing it all with us, as they perform a multitude of songs from different traditions that you may consider including at various points on your big day. Sensation is here to help you choose the right music for your Jewish wedding, so this is your chance to ask away!

There’ll also be delectable nibbles on hand from Adam Nathan Catering, Kimpton’s preferred partner for kosher-style catering – Adam Nathan is truly one of the best in the business, and we’re consistently blown away by both the quality and the creativity of everything he and his team cook up.

We’ll be filming live from Kimpton Fitzroy London’s magical Palm Court, complete with a soaring glass ceiling that floods the room with light, comfortable clusters of seating, and lots of gorgeous greenery — the vibe is conservatory meets lounge meets members club, and it is exactly as fabulous as it sounds. Intimate yet fun, hip yet classic.

Located oh-so-centrally in Bloomsbury’s Russell Square, the Kimpton Fitzroy London combines historic charm with modern luxury. It’s a mega-luxe, uber-stylish place, with every inch full of the chicest of contemporary details.

There’s no place like it for an urban glam Jewish wedding in London, and I can’t wait to take you along as I tour through all the stunning spaces on offer for your big day.

In between it all, we’ll be enjoying delectable canapés and drinks from Adam Nathan Catering, Kimpton Fitzroy London’s preferred partner for kosher-style catering.

The Songs You’ll Need for Your Jewish Wedding {Facebook Live with Kimpton Fitzroy London and Jonny Mosesson}

06/03/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 17, at 7:00 pm GMT (3:00 pm EST/12:00 pm PST), I’m so as excited as I’ll be going live at one of my very favourite London venues, Kimpton Fitzroy London, with the ridiculously talented Jonny Mosesson, the chazan I had at my own wedding!

A firm favourite with STG brides, Jonny is truly the very best – and when it comes to Jewish wedding music, his knowledge is positively encyclopaedic. And he’ll be sharing it all with us, as he performs a multitude of songs from different traditions that you may consider including at various points on your big day.

He’s here to help you choose the right music for your Jewish wedding, so this is your chance to ask away!

Interspersed with Jonny’s angelic singing will be a live Q&A, where you can ask me, Jonny, and the Kimpton Fitzroy London weddings team anything you’ve ever wanted to know about either Jewish wedding music OR this in-demand Jewish wedding venue. Definitely not to be missed!

But that’s not all! Once we’ve wrapped up with Jonny, we’ll be launching straight in to Facebook Live #2 of the evening, a venue tour of the Kimpton Fitzroy London starting at 8:00 pm GMT / 3:00 pm EST / 12:00 PM PST.

There’s no place like it for an urban glam Jewish wedding in London, and I can’t wait to take you along as I tour through all the stunning spaces on offer for your big day.

In between it all, we’ll be enjoying delectable canapés and drinks from Adam Nathan Catering, Kimpton Fitzroy London’s preferred partner for kosher-style catering.

Win a Performance from Balagan Roaming Band That ALL Your Wedding Guests Will Be Talking About!

14/01/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

We’re so excited to announce something totally new from the team behind Sensation Band… Balagan, the first and only roaming acoustic band in the world that offers Jewish wedding music sets – this is seriously the ULTIMATE in live Jewish wedding entertainment!

We’ve long been fans of Sensation Band, who’ve been bringing music from the biggest stages around the world to Jewish and Jew-ish weddings in London and around the world. Since launching five years ago, they’ve worked with some of the most creative and talented vendors around and entertained tens of thousands of guests in some of the coolest venues across the globe ( and of course we’ve featured Sensation in so many gorgeous real Jewish weddings here on Smashing The Glass over the years).

Now, with Balagan, they’re ready to crank the fun factor up to 11. Offering a 5-6 piece band consisting of singing guitarists, saxophone, percussion, and even an unmissable sousaphone! The band can roam around singing, dancing and interacting with guests during reception drinks, dinner, or during your party set.

Win a show stopping Performance from Balagan Roaming Band

We’re teaming up with Balagan to offer one lucky couple a chance to win a 5-piece Balagan acoustic roaming band to play at their wedding, free of charge! This is a truly incredible prize, worth over £3000 – so if you’re getting married between 1st March 2020 and 1st March 2021, read on to find out how to enter!

Why Choose a Roaming Band?

The greatest feature of a roaming band like Balagan is that it is designed from the outset to be fully mobile and fully personalized, so it’s perfect for receptions, dinner music or regular parties where the band can roam from table to table.

The band members are all highly talented musicians with outgoing personalities – they love getting in amongst the crowd and getting the party started.

The Jewish Wedding Set

Balagan is the only roaming acoustic band in the world (that we know of!) that offers Jewish sets. Fronted by an Israeli folk singer, you get truly authentic Israeli music brought to life in an immersive and fun way never seen before (why oh why weren’t Balagan around when I had my wedding?!).

This is an amazing alternative to the traditional format of having a band performing the Israeli set on stage – with Balagan you are in amongst the music. The band can also perform on a central podium with guests gathered around for dancing.

An immersive experience

Balagan gets everyone involved and makes the experience as immersive and participative as possible. They often suggest providing guests with personalised drums and tambourines, so even if they don’t know the words to the songs on the set list they can help create the music!

Why We Love Balagan for Jewish Weddings

You can’t beat the fun factor of a roaming band – Balagan creates an intimate, informal atmosphere guaranteed to get your guests talking
As a roaming band, Balagan connects with guests and tables in a totally personalized way that will make each and every attendee feel effortlessly comfortable and engaged in the celebration from the very beginning
Roaming bands are great in situations where there are specific sound restrictions, and Balagan can play acoustically without issue even where there are sound limiters in place
Without the need for a stage or any sound equipment, Balagan can work in pretty much any space available, no matter how small or large
And they also work with a range of budgets, depending on your needs
Give your guests a huge surprise by introducing the band out of nowhere with a guerrilla/flash mob entrance, guaranteed to get the whole room on their feet
Balagan can go fully wireless, so you get all the advantages of being fully mobile and acoustic, but you still get a big sound, mixed by a sound engineer

Dancing the Hora: Everything You Need To Know

15/03/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

Image: Blake Ezra Photography (Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor)

What is, hands down, the most fun and exciting part of any Jewish wedding? In the immortal words of Anthony from Sex and the City, the answer is: “the hora! THE HORA!”

The hora (sometimes called Jewish Dancing or Israeli Dancing) is a highly energetic Israeli circle dance, and guests are supposed to put as much vigor and enthusiasm into it as they would on their own wedding day. Danced to klezmer music, it’s usually the part of the wedding where you’ll see the happy couple lifted on chairs (equal parts exhilarating and terrifying), or being thrown about on a sheet!

At religious, Orthodox Jewish weddings, men and women dance the hora separately, with a dividing wall, while Reform, Liberal and Jew-ish weddings tend to keep the party in one place.

It’s an amazing challenge for any photographer, to capture the mayhem, and frankly, at this point, brides can forget about their hair and makeup, because things are going to get sweaty!

So, given how integral the hora is to a real Jewish knees up, how do you make it happen? Here are some tips to getting everybody at your wedding involved in this boisterous and brilliant tradition.

Image: David Pullum Photography (Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor)

Kick off with klezmer music

If your budget can stretch to it we highly recommend a live band. Whether it’s a live band who can play some klezmer classics, or a traditional klezmer band, it’s all in the music. If live entertainment is a little out of budget, we advise putting together a klezmer playlist or asking your DJ to dedicate a special portion of the evening to it.

There are many traditional melodies to choose from. If you’re not sure where to start, YouTube is a great source of inspiration for hora songs. This video alone is a medley of some of the most popular songs to dance the hora to, to get your playlist going.

Image: York Place Studios ( Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor)

Learn some basic hora steps

Chances are, if you’re having a Jewish or Jew-ish wedding, that you’re probably already a somewhat accomplished hora dancer. However, if you’re a little unsure of what happens when you dance the hora, why not brush up before the big day?

Whether you find a local Israeli dance class or teacher to help you out, or you use one of the many YouTube tutorials available, make sure you’re confident enough to whip up enthusiasm among your guests. They will, after all, be following your lead.