Jewish Country House Weddings Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Jesus Peiro Bride for a Foodies’ Jewish Wedding Inspired by Italy at Offley Place Country House Hotel, Hitchin, UK

18/10/2021 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

We are SO thrilled to be featuring the gorgeous Jewish wedding of our beloved Brides Club member Ella today! Ella just happens to be a food photographer – and she and Joel, a finance analyst, are huge foodies, so naturally delectable eats played a big role in the couple’s day.

They’re also avid travelers, and despite getting married close to home in the UK, Ella and Joel chose “Amalfi lemon grove” as their theme, inspired by a favorite holiday. The pair worked with a fabulous team, including a whole bunch of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors, to make their dream a reality… and did they ever succeed! We’re positively drooling over Matt Parry’s exquisite photos of the day.

When it came to food, it had to be Italian – and only the best would do. Ella and Joel chose to work with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Feast by Ed Shaerf, one of the most innovative names in the kosher food scene. Even though Feast is based in Manchester, in Ella’s words, “Their food is worth paying for their travel down south.” The menu included a sharing antipasti, orange polenta cake and lemon sorbet served in hollowed-out lemons for dessert, and even an Amalfi lemonade stand during the reception. No wonder guests are still raving about the food!

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Alexandra’s Florist brought Ella and Joel’s lemon grove dreams to life, and we are OBSESSED with the results. Alex even incorporated large leafy lemons – the bride’s favorite – into the floral arrangements! And how gorgeous is the couple’s floral chuppah?!

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ambassador Band got everyone onto the dancefloor in their trademark style, and the couple loved working with Geoff in the leadup. Ella and Joel opted to work with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J as their on-the-day coordinator, and, in their words, “she basically came in as a guardian angel in the most stressful time.”

Now over to the bride, who looked super cool in her contemporary halter-top gown by Jesus Peiro…

How we Met

Ella, the bride: We first met at a pre-meet dinner for an Aish trip to New York. It was this random pizza place in a really touristy area in Leicester square. Joel turned up an hour late wearing a bright blue Fred Flintstone t-shirt. My first thoughts…who is this haha. He has always been a bit of a joker, actually one of the things that makes me love him the most is that he always makes me laugh.

We then went on the Aish trip a few days later and he became the best friend I could have ever asked for. A few months after the trip Joel told me he loved me as more than a friend, on facebook messenger…I was scaredy cat and told him I wanted him to stay as my best friend. 9 months down the line I realised I was ready to take the leap and told him ‘I was all good’…and we were 🙂Continue Reading

A Classically Elegant Jewish Wedding at Hazelton Manor, Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada

13/09/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

We’re so in love with the classic Jewish wedding of Mimmi, a makeup artist, and Justin, who works in finance! Being a wedding pro herself, it’s no surprise Mimmi pulled together an absolutely picture-perfect day, with everything from an ultra-elegant custom gown by Paloma Blanca to a stunning floral chuppah to magazine-ready photos by Lace & Luce.

While Mimmi always thought she’d do her own wedding day makeup, a month before the big day she realized it would be too stressful and made the smart decision to book Faces by Tess, who did a totally fabulous job while also freeing Mimmi up to focus on the spirituality of her special day.

We’re also obsessed with Mimmi and Justin’s exquisite paper cut ketubah, custom designed by the talented Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Noa Attias in Israel!

And did we mention that the couple opted to end their big day with a henna party, in honor of Justin’s Moroccan heritage? Obsessed!

We’ll let Mimmi and Justin fill you in on the rest…

Mimmi and Justin, Hazelton Manor, Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada

How we Met

Mimmi, the bride and Justin, the groom: Justin saw Mimmi at the library two years ago. He usually never approaches girls as he is really shy and conservative but this time he just had to approach her because she looked absolutely beautiful. Once he approached her there was no looking back.

A few months later Justin suffered a serious panic attack that landed him in the hospital, he had an existential crisis for 3 months and didn’t feel like the same person he once was. Mimmi was there for him during these 3 months, they got to know each other on a mental, emotional, and spiritual level. After these few months Justin knew what he had in front of him and wasted no time to propose with a beautiful custom designed radiant cut diamond. Six months later we are married!Continue Reading

A Galia Lahav Bride for a Tropical Jewish Wedding at Casali Del Pino, Rome, Italy

19/07/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

The fabulous Italian Jewish wedding of Hannah and Oscar, who both work in the clothing business and are launching their own jewellery line, combined two of our very favorite styles: Roman luxe and tropical boho.

While the couple’s gorgeous venue, Casali Del Pino, is pure classic Roman splendor, with all the elegance, muted tones, and gently verdant outdoor spaces that entails, their décor was all exotic flowers and enormous topical leaves. Don’t miss the couple’s chuppah in the photos by Roberta Perrone – Hannah and Oscar wanted it to make them feel as if they were standing in the midst of a tropical jungle, and we think they hit the mark exactly right!

We’re also obsessed with Hannah’s stunner of a gown from Galia Lahav, the Georgia dress. As you’d expect from the beloved Israeli designer, it’s uber-glam, and we can’t get enough of the floral detailing, not to mention ALL the sparkles.

We’ll let Hannah fill you in on the rest…

How we Met

Hannah, the bride: We met years ago, when we were little kids during a summer camp in Italy! I arrived from Rome and he arrived from Milan.. it was love at first sight, but it took us a few years to get closer.Continue Reading

A Suzanne Neville Bride for an Elegant Winter Jewish Micro Wedding with a Wild Backstory at Down Hall Hotel & Spa, Essex, UK

11/06/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

By now we’ve heard lots of incredible pandemic wedding stories, but we’re pretty sure Brides Club member Rafaela, and Dan’s takes the (wedding) cake. These two had originally planned a big black-tie wedding at another venue for April 2020 – until COVID got in the way. They initially deciding to postpone for a year, but with Dan’s dad being terminally ill and his health declining, Rafaela and Dan ended up pushing their date forward by three months – and planning their intimate December 2020 wedding with just two weeks’ notice!

You might think that’s enough drama for one wedding – but it doesn’t stop there! With just 48 hours to go, the couple’s original venue had to cancel on them due to changes to the UK’s regional tiering system. Several frantic phone calls later, Rafaela and Dan secured a new venue, Down Hall Hotel & Spa, located in an area with lighter COVID restrictions, just 24 hours before the chuppah!

It was a tight turnaround, but the hotel’s incredible staff and the couple’s vendor team made it happen – you’d never know from Joab Smith’s absolutely stunning photos that it all happened at the very last minute!

There were a few hiccups along the way – not the least of which being that on the morning of her wedding, Rafaela was left without a hair stylist and makeup artist! Luckily, as a member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club, Rafaela was able to muster Brides Club’s collective resources to secure the perfect last-minute booking. And as Rafaela transitioned her wedding from spring to winter, a fellow Brides Club member lent out her bridal fur shawl to keep Rafaela warm and in style during the outside photos – how incredible is that?! Don’t miss the ultra-emotional trailer from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Denee Motion, who is so beloved by our Brides Club members – and for very good reason!

Speaking of which… if you’re feeling in need of a little guidance as you navigate your big day, reserve your spot for Smashing The Glass’s virtual Jewish Wedding Planning Party today! There’ll be partying, presents, and music, plus our founder Karen Cinnamon will be on hand to help you figure out everything from making the most of your budget to dealing with challenging family dynamics and beyond – and to answer any and every question you might have.

There’s so much more we could say about this unbelievable wedding – like, how amazing is Rafaela and Dan’s chuppah? And how exquisite does Rafaela look in her Suzanne Neville gown?! – but we’ll let the bride take it from here…

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How we Met

Rafaela, the bride: I am from Brazil and moved to the UK around 15 years ago, where we met! We have been together around 4 years and despite having grown up in different parts of the world, we are both very similar and have many mutual interests! Dan proposed from a helicopter in the summer of 2018 and we were wedding planning ever since! Continue Reading

A Lyn Ashworth Bride for a Classic English Countryside Jewish Wedding at the Four Seasons Hampshire, UK

04/06/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

We are absolutely in love with the gorgeous Jewish wedding of Zoe, a primary school teacher, and William, a senior buyer! Mostly because it was positively stunning, and a little bit because they worked with some of our very favorite Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors to make their day a smashing success.

First off, Zoe and William opted to wed at #STGvendor Four Seasons Hampshire, one of the very best spots for a luxe Jewish wedding with those dreamy English countryside vibes that’s not too far from London but just far enough that you can make your wedding into a memorable weekend getaway, like these two did.

We also love that creative bride Zoe painted a floral design for the wedding invites and stationery, which Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Big Day Designs worked into their wonderful designs for the couple.

For entertainment, Zoe and William opted for incredible Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ambassador Band, and as always they brought the party atmosphere and then some!

Then there’s Zoe’s gorgeous Lyn Ashworth dress, which she found at Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ann Louise Bridal – and she can’t stop raving about their fantastic selection and service!

From start to finish, this wedding is truly a delight – do have a scroll through the gorgeous pics by Promise Photography and Zoe’s wonderful report!

How we Met

Zoe, the bride: When we first got together we both played along with the we met through mutual friends story but actually it was Tinder! It just shows that dating apps can work and William happily revealed to all our wedding guests the truth in his speech!Continue Reading