Competitions Archives - Smashing the Glass

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

Win the Ultimate NYC Wedding at Carnegie Hall

03/10/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

Photography by Andre Maier / Planning by Andrea Adelstein, NYLUX Events

Are you looking to plan the ultimate New York City wedding? Something at an iconic venue in the heart of the city, with killer views of the magnificent skyline? Perhaps you’d even like to wed at a legendary cultural hotspot?

Photography by Andre Maier / Planning by Andrea Adelstein, NYLUX Events

All that and more is possible at one of our very favourite NYC Jewish wedding venues, Carnegie Hall. One of the world’s most iconic performance spaces, Carnegie Hall also happens to be home to a variety of fantastic event spaces, from a killer rooftop terrace to a private dining room with historic fixtures to rooms with dramatic windows showcasing Central Park.

Photography by Andre Maier / Planning by Andrea Adelstein, NYLUX Events

And right now, our friends at Carnegie Hall are running a competition for one lucky couple to win their dream wedding at this amazing venue!

Win the World’s Most Lavish Kosher Dessert Display from Luxury Cake Purveyors GC Couture

23/07/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

GC Couture’s kosher Indulgence Bar^®

I’m SO excited to offer you the chance to win the hottest new innovation on the kosher catering market for your very own wedding – an ultra-Instagrammable Indulgence Bar^® from international luxury cake purveyors GC Couture. Say what?!!! I know! What a show-stopping (not to mention off-the-scale delicious) detail to add to your big day that EVERYONE will be talking about!

Introducing the Indulgence Bar^®

A new design concept created by GC Couture, an Indulgence Bar^® is the perfect way to bring some serious wow factor to your wedding. An assortment of luxe sweet treats from cookies to cake pops to macarons to brownie bites to cupcakes (and so much more) – not to mention an exquisite centerpiece cake or macaron tower – catered to serve anywhere from 30 to 500 guests (and beyond), an Indulgence Bar^® is truly a sight to behold.

Wow Factor

An Indulgence Bar^® is a bespoke production, designed for each couple to fit with the theme and colour scheme of their day. With four options to choose from, Bebe, Petit, Classique and De Luxe, an Indulgence Bar^® is the sure-fire way to impress your guests whatever the grandeur of your occasion. They’re also perfect for corporate events, private parties, bar and bat mitzvahs, and baby showers.

Kosher Couture

GC Couture are known for their amazing designs, attention to detail, and exemplary level of service – and no request is too much for them. With ten years of experience in the luxury cake market, we’re thrilled that GC Couture have recently opened a dedicated kosher production kitchen, endorsed and under the guidance of the KLBD.

No one else is doing anything quite like their lavish Indulgence Bar^® under the highest kashrut standards, so this is a really exciting innovation to the market.

Win a romantic night for two at the breathtaking Kimpton Fitzroy London, London’s hottest new luxury hotel

05/03/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

I’m so delighted to offer you the chance to win an overnight stay in London’s hottest new luxury hotel: the fabulous Kimpton Fitzroy London.

I’ve attended some fab events at the Kimpton Fitzroy London since they opened, like the BertaF/W 2019 Press Launch last month, and opening of David Michael Bradford’s (who also happens to have photographed the wonderful wedding images in this post) Scribbled Art exhibition featuring a portrait of me!

Both these events were truly spectacular occasions that EVERYONE was talking about after (and rightly so!).

Located oh-so-centrally in Bloomsbury’s Russell Square, the Kimpton Fitzroy London combines historic charm with modern luxury. Originally built in 1898 (on the site of Emmaline Pankhurst’s onetime home — how’s that for a bit of feminist history to add to your wedding?!), Kimpton Fitzroy London undertook a two-year, £85 million refurbishment of the hotel before opening it in April 2018 as their first London property.

And the outcome is truly exquisite, as you’ll see for yourself if you have a scroll through these photos. Every inch is full of the chicest of contemporary details.

It’s truly the most wonderfully special space, and I’m so excited that we’ve teamed up with the Kimpton Fitzroy London to offer one lucky couple (and you can be single with a plus one, engaged or married to enter) an unbelievable prize to experience the luxuries of the hotel to include:

An overnight stay in a luxury corner suite
Champagne and sweet treats on arrival
Pre-dinner cocktails in Fitz’s Bar
3-course dinner with a bottle of wine in the stunning onsite restaurant Neptune
Breakfast the following morning,
Champagne afternoon tea in Palm Court
A 300tc bedlinen set by Tielle Love Luxury (you guessed it, the same luxurious linen used by Kimpton Fitzroy London)
The total prize value is £1300 !

A Jewish Wedding at the Kimpton Fitzroy

It practically goes without saying that the Kimpton Fitzroy London is an incredible venue for an urban glam Jewish wedding right in the heart of London.

With a capacity of up to 180 for a seated dinner and dancefloor, or 450 standing, it can accommodate a big bash, and the wonderful weddings team at the Kimpton Fitzroy London couldn’t be more knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Jewish weddings, with an experienced team with the highest five-star hotel pedigree from The Dorchester, The Savoy, and The Rosewood (to name but a few).

And guess what? The Kimpton Fitzroy London’s marketing manager, Ruthie Berkley, is an STG Bride herself! Her real Jewish wedding is coming to Smashing The Glass later this month and it’s a GOODIE! Watch out for it on Wednesday 20th March…

But back to the glorious Kimpton Fitzroy London: The centre of the property — at least when it comes to weddings — is the ballroom, a grand event space perfect for a standout Jewish ceremony followed by a beautiful reception, boasting a private entrance on Bernard Street, original 19^th-century architectural details, a full wall of windows, and a mezzanine gallery.

And the adjoining Palm Court is the most magical backdrop for reception drinks, 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.

I’m seriously in love with this space and it has got to be the best reception space to go with a ballroom wedding that I’ve seen in London. Oh, and did I mention that Kimpton Fitzroy London is offering Smashing The Glass readers 20% off ballroom hire for weddings booked before 31 August 2020 (blackout dates apply)?!

And if you’re a member of Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club (our members club for Jewish and Jew-ish brides) the Kimpton Fitzroy London are generously offering you 25% off ballroom hire for weddings booked before 31 August 2020 (blackout dates apply) and an upgrade to a luxury Corner Suite on your wedding night!

With 334 guest rooms, each featuring 300-thread-count linens, and warm decor that seamlessly blends heritage elements with 21st-century appointments, the Kimpton Fitzroy London is the perfect place for out-of-town guests to enjoy their stay in style too.

Win Your Luxe Wedding Stationery from E.Y.I. Love

29/01/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

Happy Tuesday! And your Tuesday’s going to 100% turn into a happy one (if it isn’t already) in the form of a wonderful competition we’re running with our friends from E.Y.I. Love, a fantastic Glasgow-based luxury wedding stationer and beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor, who work with stylish Jewish couples all over the world.