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Facebook Live Catch Up: Luxe Wedding Dress Trends for 2018/19 – Live from Mirror Mirror London

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Back in January we filmed our first big Facebook Live of 2018, and boy, was it one for the records!

Live-broadcasting from one of the world’s most gorgeous bridal boutiques, London’s Mirror Mirror (a much-loved Recommended Vendor), I was lucky enough to meet with co-founders Maria and Jane, sisters-in-law who started their business 29 years ago out of a shared passion for artisan bridal fashion.

These two inspirational ladies, who I got to know after noticing that so many of our STG Real Brides bought their gowns from Mirror Mirror, are both designers and stockists of some of the hottest international bridal designers, including Nurit Hen, Hayley Paige, YolanCris, Gemy Maalouf, and Atelier Pronovias. So who better to talk us through the top luxury wedding dress trends for 2018/19?

We had the amazing Roberta Facchini Photography on hand to sneak some behind-the-scenes photos. She was a joy to work with, and I’m absolutely delighted to share the images she snapped with you!

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Is the Buddymoon the New Honeymoon?: Here’s Why You Should Consider Bringing Your BFF’s Along for the Ride {with Mr & Mrs Smith}

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Your honeymoon should be the trip of a lifetime. Of course you want to capitalize on the chance to spend quality time with your new spouse, but what if you brought some of the other most important people in your life along for the ride too?

Today we’re talking about how you can have it both ways with Elise Tagatac, who heads hotel partnerships for Mr & Mrs Smith, the award-winning boutique-hotel booking business boasting a collection of more than 1,000 boutique and luxury hotels (all hand-picked and anonymously reviewed).

A travel club for true hotel connoisseurs, Mr & Mrs Smith is a brand that I’m absolutely obsessed with. Mr STG and I planned our own honeymoon (to the Bellevue Syrene on the Amalfi Coast!) with Mr & Mrs Smith, and we were just bowled over by the ridiculous beauty and off-the-charts service. Ever since, they’ve been our go-to when searching for a weekend getaway destination, and they’ve never let us down — on the contrary, they continue to surpass our expectations time and time again.

Photo courtesy of Elise Tagatac

As the head hotel hunter for this fab company, Elise knows more about planning the ultimate honeymoon than just about anyone. So what did she do for her own honeymoon?

Elise had the absolutely genius idea to split her big trip into two: the first half was a buddymoon — a holiday to a romantic destination with a group of friends — where she, her new husband, and their crew took in the splendor of India. The second half saw the newlyweds taking off solo, first to take in some of India’s most romantic spots, and then for private island paradise in the Maldives.

I just love the idea of a buddymoon, and it’s one that’s been gaining popularity among newlyweds. It’s not only a great way to include some of your nearest and dearest in a very special experience, but it can also lead to super savings in the form of group discounts, shared villas, and so on.

And given that a honeymoon is usually a fairly long trip, dividing it up between group time with your buddies and one-on-one romance with your honey, as Elise did, makes perfect sense. Her honeymoon hit the perfect combination of togetherness and alone time, adventure and relaxation, with Mr & Mrs Smith’s unwavering commitment to absolute luxury underlying every step.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Real Jewish Brides – Amanda: My Final Week of Wedding Planning!

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Amanda will be marrying Adam on 25th March 2018 in a Jewish wedding at Braxted Park, UK.

THREE FACTS: (1) Amanda & Adam met outside in a bar in Tel Aviv (2) Adam has a ridiculous sense of humor (as described by Amanda!) and we love him all the more for it (3) Amanda & Adam’s wedding is 100% focused on all the people and things that mean the most to them. You can click here to read all Amanda’s planning posts to date.

So here we are. My final post and the last week in my wedding planning journey. For those of you wondering, I most certainly did not follow all of the advice in my previous post and as a result, we’ve experienced a fairly stressful two weeks, culminating in a bout of flu in the Yaffe-Parker household at the end of last week!

I have no doubt that some of the virus can be attributed to the two and a half day stag do that Adam endured in Budapest, but I’m fairly certain this was more than man-flu! Fingers crossed that the terrible cough I’ve been listening to for the last 10 days disappears before the ceremony!

Jewish-Wedding-Villa-Padierna-Marbella-Spain_0015Image by David Pullum (STG’s Recommended Vendor) from Salena and Stefan‘s Jewish wedding in Spain

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Dancing the Hora: Everything You Need To Know

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Israeli Dancing Wedding.jpg
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.

The-Hora
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.

Hora dancing wedding
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.

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

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Live with Caroline Castigliano from her London Flagship Store – this Wednesday 14 March with Smashing The Glass

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Caroline-Castigliano
What an INCREDIBLE Facebook Live we have coming up for you tomorrow, Wednesday 14th March — live from London’s most exclusive retail district, Knightsbridge!

Yes we’ll be live streaming from Caroline Castigliano‘s London flagship store in the heart of the Capital, talking to the designer herself, and showcasing her latest gowns that we are totally and utterly OBSESSED with. What a treat!

Caroline-Castigliano
This will also be  your chance to ask Caroline all your wedding dress questions, as well as talking all things bridal trends and fashion. Nothing is off the table so ask away!

 
Comment live during the broadcast, or submit a question in advance by emailing karen@smashingtheglass.com

Tune in live this Wednesday 14th March 2018, at 1:00pm GMT (that’s 8:00am EST, 2:00pm in Europe, and 3:00pm in Israel) on facebook.com/smashingtheglass.

To be reminded just before we go live, click ‘GOING’ here. We can’t wait!Continue ReadingContinue Reading