Elegant Museum Jewish Wedding Inspo at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK - Smashing the Glass

Here at Team STG, we love a museum wedding (even our founder Karen had one!). And when it comes to Jewish weddings, museum venues don’t get much better than Oxford’s Ashmolean. The Ashmolean Museum, set in the heart of Oxford – the city of dreaming spires – is a magnificent venue for Jewish weddings. The neo-classical architecture, iconic entrance, grand sweeping staircases and opulent galleries offer a wonderful range of stunning and romantic spaces, each offering its own unique backdrop for your special day.

And we’re obsessed with this stunning styled shoot the Ashmolean events team put together showcasing their Jewish wedding prowess – featuring amazing Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors Rachel Flax Events, Liv and Luc, and Contemporary Judaica (all of which happen to be run by fabulous Jewish women!).

Dating back to 1683, the Ashmolean is the oldest public museum in the world. Displaying half a million years of art and history, all of the museum’s galleries are licensed for daytime and evening ceremonies. Opt for an intimate celebration during the day, or wait until the museum’s magnificent tall blue doors close to daytime visitors, when the Ashmolean can be exclusively yours for an impressive evening reception complete with dinner and dancing.

Since the Ashmolean joined the STG community last year, we’ve been so impressed by their commitment to hosting stunning, unique Jewish weddings.

In the words of Wendy Ball, Head of Events at The Ashmolean, “From our initial conversations with Emily (client relations at STG), we knew we’d found a perfect fit! STG are renowned for helping couples create ‘Your Jewish (or Jew-ish) Wedding, Your Way’ and we are a world-class museum, that values the art of telling human stories across cultures and across time. Adding to this an experienced, diverse and passionate team of event professionals who take time to really listen to couples, getting to know their stories and wishes, we have helped create many memorable and unique celebrations.”

Whether an intimate ceremony with loved ones, an Oxford city elopement, or a luxury wedding reception, the Ashmolean’s spaces, inside and out, provide a stunning and romantic backdrop for a wedding.

In the words of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Rachel Flax, who masterminded the mood board behind this shoot, “The Ashmolean is a great venue for weddings as it has a great mixture of modern and traditional spaces to host celebrations. There is a romantic feel throughout the venue with each space offering a unique backdrop and their grand sweeping staircases and stunning galleries offer fantastic photo opportunities for couples.”

What sets the Ashmolean apart is the team’s exceptional attention to the guests’ experience. Their friendly and professional team of wedding event assistants deliver the highest quality of customer service, so wedding guests feel well looked-after. The team are also knowledgeable about the Ashmolean’s world-class collections and are able to entertain guests by showcasing the incredible objects and pieces of art around them. They are great at revealing the sensational and fun or quirky facts not mentioned on the labels!

We also love that the Ashmolean offers a discrete and professional live streaming service, making it easy to include all your loved ones who can’t be there in person. Wherever they are in the world, your friends and family can join in the excitement and emotion as if they were with you in the room. You’ll even receive a copy of the stream to keep after the day is over!

Since it isn’t always possible for couples and wedding planners to visit the venue in person, the Ashmolean has created a virtual 360^o walk through of its wedding spaces that gives you a real sense of being in this iconic Oxford landmark. Alongside practical information, such as suggested layouts and capacities, the tour also includes innovative hotspots, which highlight objects and paintings from the Collection that speak of romance, love and devotion.