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A Berta Bride for a Breathtaking Jewish Wedding Full of Flowers, Corgis, and Jewish History at Villa Arcadia, Johannesburg, South Africa

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While we adore ALL the wonderful Jewish weddings we feature here on STG, for our last post of the year we always try to select something with that little bit of extra wow factor. And if we say so ourselves, we’ve outdone ourselves with our ’22 pick. The fabulous South African Jewish wedding of Shari, who works in marketing and media, and Gavin, a musician, is truly one for the books.

First off the flowers… there really isn’t much we can say beyond WOW. From the Amalfi Coast-inspired floral chuppah to the artfully curated tabletops to the hanging arrangements – all we can say is do yourself a favor and scroll through the exquisite images by Shanna Jones Photography ASAP!

Just as stunning was Shari’s Berta gown. She knew “Demi” was the one for her the moment she set eyes on it, and purchased her dream dress from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Wedding Club in London, “who were absolutely incredible in organising it despite the distance from South Africa”!

We also love that Shari and Gavin opted to wed in a venue with Jewish history: dating back to 1903, Villa Arcadia was the first Jewish orphanage in South Africa, and it was instrumental in homing war orphans from Eastern Europe.

There’s so much more to say about this wonderful day – how sweet is it that the couple’s corgi, Nika, served as their flower girl?! – but we’ll let the bride take it from here…

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How we Met

Shari, the bride: We met very unexpectedly through mutual friends who were dating, we both went to his house with very low expectations. The only reason they thought to set us up was because Gavin was tall enough for me!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Nicole Milano Bride for an Outdoor Oasis Jewish Wedding at El Cortijo San Francisco, Spain

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Anouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, Spain

London couple Anouska and Ben always dreamed of getting married in Spain… and even though they ended up delaying their fabulous Jewish wedding a whopping 3 times due to Covid, they eventually pulled off one of the most stunning Spanish weddings we’ve EVER seen!

The couple’s venue, El Cortijo San Francisco, was nothing short of magical – don’t miss it in the effortlessly elegant photos by Nora and wonderful video from Michel Maraver.

And the bride herself looked ever so glam in her Nicole Milano dress, which she found at beloved Islington bridal boutique and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Mirror Mirror. Anouska loved working with the wonderful Mirror Mirror team just as much as she adored the luxurious materials and dazzling embroidery on her exquisite gown. She also went for a handmade veil by Mirror Mirror, bespoke to match her gown – and was it ever gorgeous!

Keeping the party vibes going strong was important to Anouska and Ben, and so when it came time to choose a band for they went for the best of the best, flying out Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Sensation Band from London. The 10-piece band got the party started – and kept it going into the early hours of the morning – and Anouska and Ben can’t stop raving about their powerful vocals and awesome range of music.

There’s lots more to say about this very special day, but we’ll let Anouska take it from here…

Anouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, SpainAnouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, SpainAnouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, Spain Anouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, Spain
How we Met

Anouska, the bride: We met when we were in our early teens as we were both from the same place in Hale, Cheshire just outside Manchester. We dated a little in our 20’s here and there in between other relationships but it was very casual. And then in our early 30’s a close friend of Anouska’s started working with Ben at his then company and one day Ben enquired to this friend how I was doing as we hadn’t spoken in a while. This friend told Ben to ask me himself and so he did and the rest is history! We live in London with our 22-month-old little girl Anya and dog Buddy.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Rubin Singer Bride for a Musical, Autumnal Jewish Wedding at the Great Synagogue of Florence and Villa Corsini, Italy

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Get ready to be blown away by today’s Jewish wedding in beautiful Florence, Italy! Toronto-based couple Sveta and Sasha dreamed of making it official in the majestic Great Synagogue of Florence, and with the help of their wedding planner, Luba of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Primavera Dreams, crafted the most exquisite fall harvest-themed celebration in one of the world’s most unforgettable locations.

Luba worked with the duo to source their fabulous team of vendors – seriously, you MUST scroll through the elegant photos by Elena Foresto to take it all in – and brought their autumnal dreams to life, with a fabulous décor scheme incorporating pomegranates and apples – love it!

In her professional live, bride Sveta is the founder, president, and producer of Show One Productions, which organizes tours for famous musical and theatrical groups across the US and Canada. So naturally, when planning her own wedding, music was a big deal.

And indeed, she and Sasha put together an epic lineup, from Klezmerata Fiorentina, who played traditional Jewish music for the ceremony and then for the kiddush, to Maria Dal Rovere band for the cocktail reception and the after-party, to opera performances by Anna Sanchina and Georgy Chkareuli over dinner and roaming band Gypsy Queens. The couple also had their friend, the fabulous DJ Vamos, fly in from Ontario to perform during their multi-day celebration.

This wedding was chock full of so many wonderful touches – including Sveta’s bespoke  dress by New York fashion designer Rubin Singer, clowns flown in from Paris, fireworks, and even a late night gelato cart – but we’ll let the bride fill you in on the rest…

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How we Met

Sveta, the bride: Thanks to some lucky stars, we met in Toronto a few years ago.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Suzanne Neville Bride for an Enchanted Forest Wedding that Brought the Outdoors In at Battersea Arts Centre, London, UK

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Taryn & Louis, Battersea Art Centre, London, UK

Get ready to be wowed by today’s epic London Jewish wedding! Taryn and Louis – both newly qualified doctors who planned their big bash while finishing medical school (!) – put together the most incredible day meshing their two dreams of a chuppah with outdoor enchanted forest vibes and a good old fashioned formal seated dinner in an elegant ballroom.

With their chuppah taking place in a marquee in a family friend’s garden, followed by a reception at the Battersea Art Centre, Taryn and Louis kept their wedding aesthetic consistent throughout the day, bringing those magical woodland vibes to both segments of the day seamlessly – don’t miss the wonderful photos by Blake Ezra!

The pair wanted their wedding invitations to introduce people to the feel of the day, and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Bigday Designs was the perfect partner in doing just that. In Taryn and Louis’s words, they “were a joy to work with – the process was so smooth and fast even though we wanted to see what felt like hundreds of proofs before print” – and incorporated a watercolor-inspired floral design drawn by Taryn’s sister into the invites too!

Taryn and Louis are self-identified foodies, so finding a kosher caterer who could craft a unique and delicious menu for their big day was a top priority. They found the perfect fit in Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Dvash, who sat down with the couple and planned the menu from start to finish, catering to their tastes and considering every detail. In the couple’s words, “They were so accommodating in creating dishes based on our experiences and preferences and we ended up with a menu that we were totally in love with.”

There’s so much more to say about this fabulous wedding – for instance, how stunning does Taryn look in her dress from Suzanne Neville?! – but we’ll let the couple take it from here…


Taryn & Louis, Battersea Art Centre, London, UKTaryn & Louis, Battersea Art Centre, London, UK Taryn & Louis, Battersea Art Centre, London, UKTaryn & Louis, Battersea Art Centre, London, UK
How we Met

Taryn, the bride and Louis, the groom: We are Taryn and Louis. We have known each other for over ten years and have been together for the last seven! We met at secondary school and were great friends for several years, before we started dating in our final year of school.

We are now both doctors, we both attended medical school in London – at two different universities and we finished our final exams and graduated one month before our wedding. Finishing medical school and planning a wedding at the same time was a huge task but we are so pleased that everything ran smoothly, giving us the most magical day.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Galia Lahav Bride for a Relaxed Jewish Wedding with Party Vibes at the Wallace Collection, London, UK

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Today’s wedding is a special one for me to feature is it’s at the Wallace Collection where I got married!

And I love that when Daniella, a Lagree instructor, and Adam, who works in finance consulting, set out to plan their Jewish wedding, their top priority was for it to feel relaxed, like a big party.

And with the help of their amazing wedding planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J, the couple were able to make their big day at London’s Wallace Collection feel like exactly that! In Daniella’s words, Michelle “not only understood exactly what we wanted from our wedding but also managed to pull everything together in a very short time frame” – plus she helped make the less formal setup of the day (Daniella and Adam opted not to have a formal seated dinner and instead to have food stations and seating areas) flow perfectly.

Also key to those party vibes was the pair’s band, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Totem. Daniella and Adam opted for their DJ live offering, which kept everyone on the dance floor until the very end! As evidenced by Paulo Santos stunning photography, a fabulous time was indeed had by all.

Oh, and did I mention Daniella’s Galia Lahav gown yet? Read on for full details about it, and so much more…

 

 

 

 


How we Met

Daniella, the bride: We met over six years ago both working on the same consulting project in Manchester and two years later we moved together out to Hong Kong where we live now.Continue ReadingContinue Reading