Advice + Planning Archives - Page 8 of 91 - Smashing the Glass

BIG NEWS: Announcing Smashing The Glass’s FREE unmissable event for Jewish + Jew-ish brides this Sunday Feb 19!

14/02/2023 by Karen

If you’re planning a Jewish or Jew-ish wedding, I’ve got some really exciting news for you! Yes — for the first time in two years I’m running a FREE online event where I’ll share the seven secrets to an unforgettable Jewish wedding this Sunday February 19!

During this interactive session, you’ll learn:

The one ingredient every memorable wedding must have
How to easily create a meaningful and inclusive ceremony
How to nail your guest list
How to maximize your wedding budget (whether it’s $ or $$$$$)
Plus, I’ll be around to answer your questions and offer support

Whether you’re planning a small budget wedding, a big super luxe party, or a destination dream , I’m excited to help you get plan your Jewish wedding your way.

Date: Sunday, February 19th, 2023 at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m UK

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE AND GET A REMINDER

Can’t wait to see you there!

During Bootcamp, I’ll be showing you exactly how to:

♥ Deal with any awkward family members

♥ Come up with creative wedding ideas for an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind wedding

♥ Maximize your wedding budge

♥ Nail your guest list

♥ Have a unique, modern ceremony with all the Jewish wedding traditions

♥ Find your perfect venue, and your ideal wedding vendors

♥ Make non-Jewish guests and family members feel included

And I’ll be answering every single one of your questions (however big or small!)

During Jewish Wedding Bootcamp, I’ll be answering all of these questions and more – and most importantly, I’ll be ready and waiting to help you out with every single one of your own wedding planning questions, no matter how big or small.

(And by the way you’ll benefit from Jewish Wedding Planning Bootcamp whether you’re using a planner or not — this is an absolute must-attend for every Jewish / Jew-ish bride-to-be!)

Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained – The Seven Blessings (Sheva Brachot)

08/02/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

All imagery by Blake Ezra Photography. This is part 5 of the 8-part Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained series.

We’ve made it through from waking up on the morning of the wedding to standing under the chuppah. One key part of the ceremony are The Seven Blessings, or as they’re known in Hebrew the Sheva Brachot.

Seven blessings are said (or sung) over a cup of wine, which the couple then drink from, giving them these blessings for the rest of their life together. Sometimes the Rabbi, or Chazan, will sing these blessings to the couple under the chuppah.

If you’re planning a wedding, an incredible way to make your service more personal and interactive, whilst also honouring those who are most important in your relationship, whether that’s a grandparent or the person who set you up on your first date, is to invite seven people each to give a blessing. Each one will come up to the chuppah, one-by-one, hold the cup of wine and say or sing their piece.

One other really beautiful touch is to invite those people bestowing the blessings upon the couple to also write their own blessing, something personal which can be read out after the official blessing in whatever language is understood by most guests, which may or may not be Hebrew or Aramaic!

Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained – The Chuppah

01/02/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

All imagery by Blake Ezra Photography. This is part 4 of the 8-part Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained series.

The word ‘chuppah’ is used in two ways. Firstly, it’s the Hebrew name of the canopy under which Jewish couples get married. Secondly, it’s also colloquially used as another word for ‘ceremony’. So if someone asks you “When’s the chuppah?” don’t assume they’ve lost all grasp of how to put a sentence together, they’re not asking when the canopy is, but when the ceremony starts.

So what is a chuppah? Why do Jewish couples get married underneath one? What do they do when they get there?

The chuppah, like many elements of a Jewish wedding, is beautifully symbolic. It symbolises the home that the couple will build together in their married life, and is open on all sides like the biblical tent of Abraham and Sarah, signifying that everyone is welcome and that everyone will be treated hospitably.

For readers of this blog, who may be planning their own Jewish wedding, the chuppah is also one of the great opportunities to personalise your ceremony. It can range from a massively decadent, custom-designed piece of floral artistry, to four friends holding poles, upon which sits a custom made quilt or Jewish prayer shawl, called a Tallit.

Why We Love Kimpton Clocktower Hotel for Manchester Jewish Weddings

26/01/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

If you’re planning a Jewish wedding in Manchester, UK, there’s no better place to do it than the fabulous Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, an extraordinary luxury hotel where Victorian grandeur meets contemporary elegance.

Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is such a breath of fresh air to have a venue option combining the chicest of surroundings with rich Jewish wedding expertise. Grounded in history matched with peerless contemporary style, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel’s events team has the knowledge and experience to ensure every aspect of your day runs flawlessly.

A JEWISH WEDDING AT KIMPTON CLOCKTOWER HOTEL

Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is truly the perfect venue for an urban glam Jewish wedding right in the heart of Manchester. Every inch of the property is steeped in 19^thcentury history: Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is housed in a magnificent terracotta Grade ll-listed building, complete with oak panelling, dramatic chandeliers, and high ceilings.

I’m obsessed with Kimpton Clocktower Hotel’s array of swoonworthy spaces filled with character, with plenty of options for building your perfect day whatever the size and style of your big day. For a big bash (we’re talking up to 700 guests!), there’s no place better than the majestic ballroom, perfect for entertaining and dancing the night away.

Or for something a bit more intimate, natural light pours through the stunning double-height windows of The Whitworth Rooms, creating magical moments for your wedding ceremony.

The intimate oak panelled Directors’ Suites offer a luxurious space for smaller celebration meals or your badeken, while the Post Room is the perfect location for a tisch.

Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained – The Badeken

25/01/2023 by Karen Cinnamon

All imagery by Blake Ezra Photography. This is part 3 of the 8-part Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained series.

The Badeken is one of my very favourite traditions of a Jewish wedding, both emotionally and photographically.

This is the ceremony where the groom veils the bride, the term comes from the Yiddish word ‘to cover’. It’s often the most emotional moment of a Jewish wedding, where the bride and groom see each other for the first time a few minutes before the main ceremony begins under the chuppah. Often a couple will have time apart before their wedding, the more religious the couple, the longer the amount of time apart, so this moment where their eyes meet for the first time on their wedding day is so special, and such an honour for us to photograph. Even without the religious significance of the badeken, many couples of all different faiths nowadays choose to do a ‘first look’ on their wedding day; it’s a special thing to do.

Usually only very close family and friends are involved in this process, as the wedding guests are seated for the chuppah and excitedly await the procession down the aisle. However, sometimes the couple choose to open the badeken to all their guests, allowing everyone to share in this electric moment where the groom is brought into the room to see his beautiful bride, often accompanied by his groomsmen and friends singing and clapping, as the atmosphere reaches fever pitch.