Advice + Planning Archives - Page 3 of 92 - Smashing the Glass

Virtual Bridal Fashion Week: Coronavirus Lockdown Edition

07/05/2020 by Emily Sacharin

Photo courtesy of Pronovias, stocked at Mirror Mirror London

Ordinarily, this time of year I’d be reporting back to you with all my hot takes from New York Bridal Market, bringing you the best of the best of the latest bridal fashions. The wedding industry’s answer to Fashion Week, Bridal Market is one of my favorites times of the year (or actually, two of them – like Fashion Week, it happens every April and October).

Photo courtesy of Katya Katya London

It didn’t happen this year. Obivously. As with so many, many eagerly anticipated events, Bridal Market fell victim to COVID-19. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some fab new collections to ogle: even though we couldn’t check them out in person, we’re actually totally obsessed with what we’ve seen of the latest collections.

Photo courtesy of Joyce Young

We weren’t able to feature as wide a lineup of designers and boutiques as we would normally, since a lot is still up in the air right now. But we’re grateful that a handful of our favorite boutiques and designers were in a position to share what they’re excited about for going forward. Top London bridal boutiques Mirror Mirror London and Morgan Davies Bridal, along with designers Katya Katya, based in London and Latvia, and Joyce Young, based in London and Glasgow, shared some absolutely swoonworthy styles I’m pretty sure you’ll fall in love with.

Photo courtesy of Jesus Peiro, stocked at Morgan Davies Bridal

Majestic Minimalism

How perfect is this Jesus Peiro number (style number 208, to be precise), soon to be stocked by Morgan Davies Bridal?! It also happens to be made of a new eco fabric made from recycled bottles, but more about that later!Continue Reading

10 Gorgeous Ways to Cover Your Shoulders Under the Chuppah

30/04/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Splendid cape cover-up from Ella and Matt’s Jewish Wedding. Image by Barney Walters.

What happens when you’ve bought the dress of your dreams, but later realize that you need some sort of coverup for under the chuppah? Maybe your Rabbi requested that your shoulders remain covered during the ceremony, or perhaps there’s a family member that expects certain traditions to be followed through.

Then again, maybe it’s a personal choice, and while you absolutely ADORE the dress you’ve picked out, covering yourself under the chuppah is something that is important to you personally.

I promise you don’t need to run out and return your dress for a long sleeve option—although a long sleeve dress is a great way to have the best of both worlds

A chuppah covering is not a death sentence for your dress! In fact, there are so many ways to use a cover up to your advantage and add a bit of personal flair and style to your bridal look.

Below are my top ten favorite ways and styles to bring modesty and your personality with you under the chuppah. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Sensational illusion sleeves from Natalie and Edward’s Jewish Wedding. Image by Ran Bergman.

1. Illusion Sleeves

Illusion sleeves seem like such an obvious fix, but it’s a classic for a reason. I love how glamourous adding illusion sleeves to your dress can look. It’s such a great idea to make sure that every detail of your dress shines through, while still maintaining a certain modesty. One of our own Smashing the Glass Bride’s looked sexy and gorgeous in TWO Lee Petra Grebenau gowns with stunning illusion embellishments.

Can You Postpone a Jewish Wedding Because of Coronavirus?

23/04/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Rabbi Paul Glantz officiating Laura and Gio’s wedding

We’ve been hearing that some of our STG Brides Club members have been getting pushback from friends and family when discussing the hard decision to postpone their Jewish wedding due to COVID-19.

You may even be getting messages from well-intentioned loved ones that it’s forbidden by Jewish law to push back your wedding date. But chances are, the people giving you flack about postponing are struggling to give you a solid reason for their objections.

So we wanted to clear things up for you once and for all. We chatted with our resident expert in all things Jewish law, Rabbi Paul Glantz (who has officiated many beautiful STG real weddings), and he says it’s 100% fine to postpone a Jewish wedding.

It’s absolutely fine to postpone a Jewish wedding for Covid-19

Although it’s true that there’s a strong custom not to postpone under normal circumstances, it’s just that: a custom. There’s absolutely nothing in halacha (Jewish law) prohibiting it. While some very strict rabbis are taking the stance that, even amidst the pandemic, Jewish weddings shouldn’t be postponed, it’s important to know that that’s a very strict interpretation.

Rabbis who are advising couples to avoid postponing may be relying on the tradition of not delaying joyous events – which, while a strong theme in Jewish law, absolutely does not override the stronger principle of pikuach nefesh, the idea that the preservation of human life takes priority over just about all other Jewish laws and customs. Given the danger of gatherings at this time, it’s pretty clear that by waiting to hold your wedding until the pandemic has receded, you are honoring pikuach nefesh – and there’s not much more Jewish than that!

Why Quarantine is the Perfect Time to Nail Down Your Bridal Beauty Routine

16/04/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Photo courtesy of Susan Yates

One good thing about quarantine? It’s the perfect time to squeeze in some self care and make sure your skin and hair are in tip-top shape for your wedding day… even if right now you’re not 100% sure when that will be.

To find out the best ways to go about it, I chatted with a panel of our resident beauty experts, consisting of London-based makeup artists Szilvia Balog and Susan Yates, Israel-based makeup artist Keren Rimon, and Israel-based hairstylist and makeup artist Liat Ben Shimshon. All agree that this is a great time to prioritize taking care of yourself, and they’ve shared some great tips on things you can do right now to get your skin and hair wedding ready.

Photo courtesy of Liat Ben Shimshon

Don’t Stress About Your Skin

First off, our experts agree that the stress we’re all facing right now can trigger a whole host of skin issues, from irritation to acne. Try not to worry about it if your skin is looking a little worse for the wear lately – more stress won’t do you any good – and remember that, like coronavirus, this will pass.

Photo courtesy of Szilvia Balog

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

One of the best things you can do for your skin is staying hydrated! Liat Ben Shimshon recommends drinking at least one and a half liters of water per day, plus making sure to eat lots of veggies and fruits for both their liquid content and vitamins. And Susan Yates – who admits to regularly checking in with her brides to make sure they’re drinking enough water as they prep for their weddings – attests that “the difference in skin is incredible when a bride has upped her water game in the run up to the big day.”

Keren Rimon‘s makeup for Shelly and Harel’s wedding | Photo by Noa Magger

Treat Yourself

Times are tough right now. That means this is the perfect time to pamper your skin – and yourself. In addition to your daily routine, Susan Yates recommends “supercharging your skincare on a weekly basis with a pampering session; exfoliating, massaging, moisturizing, using those eye masks, face sheets, and whatever you have readily available. Don’t forget it’s not just your face on show on the big day – remember those elbows, hands, arms, and of course your chest and neck. You want everything to be gorgeous, hydrated and glowing!”

Szilvia Balog’s also a big fan of self care via face mask: “On days when I dedicate extra time for pampering, I put face masks on while I’m doing some other activity like meditation or even housework – just be mindful not to appear on a conference call with one by accident! Whoops!” She also recommends a gentle scrub every few days to get rid of impurities stuck in the pores.

And Keren Rimon recommends not neglecting your regular hair and makeup routines – even if you’re not leaving the house. Feeling good about yourself is key to keeping your spirits up in this weird rollercoaster of a time!

Photo courtesy of Szilvia Balog

Nail Down Your Bridal Style

Keren Rimon thinks this is the perfect time to think about what kind of look you want for the big day – take advantage of the time to browse Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram and see what speaks to you.

Photo courtesy of Szilvia Balog

Spring clean your makeup stash

Susan Yates says, “Now is the time to make like Marie Kondo and declutter your makeup and skincare. Date check your products (oh hey mascara from 2017, I see you). Purge anything that doesn’t serve you well, flatter you, or work for your skin. And anything you haven’t used in 18 months, bin. Be. Ruthless. Group products into your everyday ‘go-to stash’ for easy access and keep separate to your less used products. This will not only make your day to day routine much more efficient but the whole process can be therapeutic.”

How to Stay Calm in an Era of Uncertainty {Tips from Psychotherapist Pam Custers}

02/04/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

If you’ve got a wedding in the works, chances are you’re pretty worked up right now. Even if you’re not facing the possibility (or reality) of having to postpone the day you’ve spent months or years planning for, this is a rough time for everyone.

Because a lot of us are struggling with anxiety right now, last week we brought amazing psychotherapist Pam Custers into our Brides Club to talk us through navigating the Coronavirus crisis as an engaged couple. She and I went live on Facebook and talked about why the current situation is so frightening and what we can do to stay calm. Pam’s generous advice was so helpful I didn’t want to limit it to just our Brides Club members, so I’m sharing her plan of action in this post.

Read on for an action plan from Pam.

1. Accept That Life Throws You Curveballs

The harsh reality this pandemic is awakening some of us to, according to Pam, is that life throws us curveballs. How we manage them is a benchmark for how we manage life.

The current moment is a real test for us to find out how flexible we can be, and how we can manage, at a time when our lives are so deeply disrupted. Times of uncertainty make us feel incredibly disempowered – and that’s now how anyone wants to feel.

Under normal circumstances, being a bride- or groom-to-be is often a very empowering experience – we get to make plans to create the day of our dreams, and while all that choice can be overwhelming, it’s also exhilarating.