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A Country House Jewish Wedding in White at Sopwell House, St Albans, UK

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We love a country house Jewish wedding – and Natalie and Josh’s big day at Sopwell House in St Albans is really something special! Natalie and Josh loved the gorgeous grounds and the private, remote feel – all while being an easy trip from London.

We’re obsessed with the couple’s super cool Lucite chuppah, adorned with gypsophila and hanging white roses – don’t miss it in the wonderful photos by MIKI Studios.

To make sure everything ran to plan on the day, Natalie and Josh turned to Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Toastmaster Jango. He made sure everything went smoothly so the bride and groom could relax and enjoy their day stress-free, and the couple give him lots of credit for making the day of their dreams a reality.

Now over to the bride, who’ll fill you in on all the details…

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How We Met

Natalie, the bride: We met on Hinge back in October 2020, when the covid lockdown curfew was 10pm!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Chana Marelus Bride for a Destination Jewish Wedding Making Judaism Cool at Casa 1536, Cartagena, Colombia

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Today, we’re flying away to the picturesque Old City of Cartagena, Colombia! Americans Paula and Aaron knew they wanted a destination wedding, and since Paula’s mom is Colombian and she grew up spending time in the country, Cartagena, with its charming Spanish colonial style, was an obvious choice.

We love that Paula and Aaron’s goal for the big day was to “make Judaism cool” and show their guests just how awesome a Jewish wedding can be. They certainly set a stunning atmosphere, between their breathtaking floral chuppah and the hundreds of candles they had hanging from the ceiling in the ceremony room.

The couple’s chazzan, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Choni G, also had a lot to do with the magical atmosphere – Paula and Aaron can’t stop raving about his wonderful performance throughout the celebration, from Havdalah to the badeken to the chuppah to the hora, and finally bentching.

To cap things off, Paula and Aaron paraded through the Old City following the ceremony – don’t miss the incredible imagery from Las fotos de Vale!

Now over to Paula, who looked so elegant in her gown by Israeli designer Chana Marelus...

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How We Met

Paula, the bride: It’s interesting – our paths crossed many times, but it was never the right time until Hashem said it was the right time. We both went to University of Florida and had many mutual friends. We both separately moved to Washington, DC (I moved for a job in tech consulting and Aaron moved for law school) and my roommate at the time knew Aaron and invited him over for a party they were having. They had a great conversation and most importantly, Aaron hit it off with Milo (my dog). Aaron eventually asked me out on a date and we started dating. After dating for 3 years, we embarked on our religious journey and became religious together. This culminated in our wedding in June 2023.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

An Amsale Bride for a Sunset Jewish Wedding with a Stunning Floral Chuppah at Lyndhurst Mansion, Tarrytown, New York, USA

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We are totally and completely obsessed with today’s breathtaking sunset chuppah! New Yorkers Sydney and Adam, who both work in the media industry, timed their ceremony so the sun would set at the exact moment they exchanged vows – and are the results ever stunning!

Lyndhurst Mansion, a historic estate overlooking the Hudson River in Westchester, was the perfect spot for the couple’s outdoor ceremony and tented reception – close to both bride and groom’s families, and featuring a beautiful landscape and garden. And Sydney and Adam’s exquisite floral chuppah fit the backdrop so perfectly!

When it came time to choose their photographer, the duo always knew Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Alex Knight and his team were the ones for them. Sydney had been a bridesmaid in a wedding Alex photographed and loved working with him – and that enthusiasm continued through to Sydney and Adam’s engagement shoot and the big day itself:

On a 95-degree day in September, Alex was energetic, patient, and creative — exactly what Sydney remembered, and flawlessly captured the easy love we have for each other, even while sweaty traversing through Brooklyn and Manhattan. Our wedding day was no different: the photo and video teams were so kind, and we had so much fun with our shoots around the grounds and throughout the day.

Sydney and Adam also used Alex Knight’s photo booth offering, InstaLux, which guests took full advantage of, and made a guest book where people could leave copies of their pictures along with messages for the couple. In that book, the photo team on-site also snuck in Polaroids of the bride and groom from the whole day, which was such a meaningful and heartwarming surprise for them.

We’ll let the bride fill you in on the rest of the details of this very special day…

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Sydney, the bride: We met through Bumble and worked at the same advertising agency without realizing we were only a few desk rows away. When I swiped right and saw the same company on Adam’s profile, my message to him was, “It’s a good thing we’re not on the same team, or this would be awkward.”

We met for coffee for our first date during a work day in June, and after learning more about our very similar backgrounds and love of being silly together, it was clear that we were something special. Four years later, Adam proposed in Brooklyn — close to our first home together — with his late maternal grandmother’s engagement ring.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Julie Vino Bride for an Elegantly Ethereal Jewish Wedding Featuring a Sunset Chuppah at The Trask, Tel Aviv, Israel

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There’s nothing like a Jewish wedding on the water, and Adina and Maurice’s is truly something special. Adina, who made aliyah from Canada, and Maurice, who hails from England, found their dream venue in Tel Aviv’s The Trask, which they loved for its urban chic vibe with breathtaking views and a beachy twist – not to mention the opportunity to have an outdoor chuppah on the rooftop!

Drawing from their different backgrounds, Adina and Maurice’s wedding was a reflection of their shared values, traditions, and love for the fun, vibrant lifestyle they’ve adopted since coming to Israel. Featuring a sunset chuppah and fun personal touches like a custom Mad Libs game telling the couple’s story, this was a truly special day.

The couple’s photographer, the incredibly talented Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Jossef Si, captured all the love and emotion of the day exquisitely. In Adina’s words,

Jossef has a unique gift for not only taking photos but truly capturing emotions. Every image felt alive, reflecting the joy, love, and magic of the day. His meticulous attention to detail, creative vision, and ability to catch candid, heartfelt moments left us deeply impressed and grateful for his work.

Now over to the bride, who looked radiant in her gown by Julie Vino…

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Adina, the bride: We met during Starguest’s luxury Passover program in Engelberg, Switzerland. My family joined their ski program in the Alps for the holiday, and needless to say, we became “that program couple.” Although we brushed past each other at first, by the second night seder, sparks flew.

Our first interaction happened when I asked Maurice for a caffeinated tea to get me through the evening. He flustered to present the full selection. Despite his busy schedule, Maurice always carved out time for me. Our first dates included snowy walks through the village, mountain hikes, and cozy after-hours dinner dates in the ballroom. Those magical moments set the foundation for our love story. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Veni Infantino Bride for an Interfaith Winter Jewish Wedding at The Rosewood London, UK

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Kirsty and Dean, Rosewood London, London, UK

We love a good winter wedding – and the fabulous London celebration of Kirsty, a Pilates instructor, and Dean, who works in technology recruitment, ticks ALL our boxes!

Opting to wed in November, the duo knew they didn’t want a typical all-white winter wedding, so they went for a soft color palette featuring nudes, blush pink, and gold, and warmed the room with candles everywhere. Their stunning venue, the Rosewood London, made for the perfect backdrop for this elegantly cozy day.

To make the day of their dreams a reality, Kirsty and Dean turned to Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J’s Piccolo premium coordination service, which brought all the suppliers together in the leadup and on the day, so that everything ran seamlessly and the bride and groom could enjoy their wedding stress-free.

Another Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor, Big Day Designs, created Kirsty and Dean’s wonderful invitations. They wanted something relatively simple and minimalistic but that didn’t look the same as everyone else’s – and did Big Day ever come through: many of the guests reported that it was the nicest invitation they’d received!

Photographer Lynn Shapiro captured all the details of the day so beautifully, and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Denee Motion handled the videography with their usual aplomb – don’t miss their fabulous trailer!

We also love that Kirsty and Dean set up their chuppah canopy such that it was rigged to the ceiling, so that after the ceremony they could remove the poles and repurpose it as a fabulous floral chandelier to enjoy all night long!

Read on for more on this very special day in the bride’s own words…


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How We Met

Kirsty, the bride: We met at a golf club in Chigwell, watching the Champions League final in May, 2021. Dean moved to Chigwell from Australia around eight years ago and quickly slotted in with his English cousin’s group of friends – the same group of friends that Kirsty grew up with. They started speaking, saw each other a few times within the crowd over the next two weeks, went on a date and the rest is history!Continue ReadingContinue Reading