Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Set Up the Jewish Wedding Gift List of Your Dreams with Contemporary Judaica

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Raw Silk Hand Woven Small Tallit by Yair Emanuel and Modern Kiddush Cup and Plate in Silver by Nadav Art |Photo by Stuart Wood Photography from Bringing the Hamptons to the UK: Jewish Wedding Inspo on Osea Island

It’s no secret that Contemporary Judaica is my very favourite source for stylish, modern Judaica in the UK. But did you know that they also offer a fantastic wedding gift list service (complete with international shipping)?

Trace Chanukiah in Clay by Via Maris

Easy to set up and manage online, with a Contemporary Judaica gift list you’ll have an unrivaled choice of gifts from over 50 Judaica artists worldwide, not to mention full flexibility and exceptional service.

Acrylic Solid Challah Board and Magnetic Matching Knife

Offering kiddush cups, shabbat candlesticks, challah boards, mezuzahs, havdalah sets, seder plates, smash glasses for under the chuppah that can be turned into keepsake art, and so much more, a Contemporary Judaica gift list is the perfect way to ensure you receive Judaica gifts you know you’ll love, the kind that will enhance the Jewish home you’re building together for a lifetime.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Laure de Sagazan Bride for an Interfaith Jewish Wedding at Newburgh Priory, West Yorkshire, UK

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Talia-and-Mike-Newburgh-Priory-North-Yorkshire-UK

We love seeing a couple plan their Jewish wedding, their way – and that’s exactly what today’s lovely couple Talia and Mike did! Combining their religions and backgrounds into one beautiful day was top priority for these two – Talia is Jewish and Mike is Christian – and that’s exactly what they did.

The pair opted to work with a celebrant, rather than have a civil wedding, so that they could mix their cultures and faiths into a one-of-a-kind ceremony that truly reflected their partnership. We’re also obsessed with their gorgeous interfaith ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush – and naturally the couple loved the experience of working with artist Rachelle. Don’t miss it – and all the other gorgeous touches – in the luminous photos from Chris Milner.

For music, Talia and Mike went for Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Shir – who’d played at Talia’s bat mitzvah years earlier! The couple wanted Israeli dancing but were worried that their mostly non-Jewish guests might not be into it. With Shir in charge, those worries were totally unfounded – the band led three amazing dance sets that got everyone dancing, and afterward guests couldn’t stop raving about how much fun it was!

Now over to the bride, who looked effortlessly chic in Laure de Sagazan…

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How we Met

Talia, the bride: We met at the University of Manchester where we both studied medicine. We actually initially met 10 years ago in our first tutorial group in first year but only became a couple at the start of our third year. We now both work as doctors, and have moved to Leeds, and now London since then.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Join Our Live Chat on Jewish Wedding Checklist Essentials {with JScreen and FAB Styling}

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There’s so much to keep in mind in the midst of planning your wedding. And I’m so excited to tell you about my upcoming Facebook Live, where I’ll take a deep dive into two elements that I think are absolutely essential: finding a gown you feel great in, and genetic carrier screening.

This Thursday, October 7, at 5:00 PM GDT / 12:00 PM EST / 9:00 AM PST, join me for an interactive chat on Facebook with Hillary Kener Regelman, Director of National Outreach at JScreen, a US-based not-for-profit at-home education and carrier screening program for Jewish genetic diseases, and New York-based bridal stylist Farrah Arrenson of FAB Styling, who specializes in helping busy brides find the dress of their dreams, stress-free.

These are two of the topics we get the most questions about, and so we’ve decided to put them together in one blockbuster event! Dress shopping is for your fairy tale moment. Genetic carrier screening helps ensure your happily ever after continues through your married life. What happens after you hang the dress up and you’re ready to start your future is where JScreen comes in.

This is going to be an incredible opportunity to get all your questions on both of these topics answered by the experts, so please do join in!

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Jewish Bride Spotlight: Danielle Trainis

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Danielle  is a member of our Brides Club for Jewish and Jew-ish brides, and we’re so excited for her wedding plans!

Inside Brides Club, I personally help you to minimize wedstress and overwhelm, and maximize your wedding budget. Oh – and every Brides Club member gets a free smash glass pouch (designed by me) for under the chuppah posted out to them too. Mazal Tov!

Come and join Brides Club too – for advice, discounts, community, sisterhood… and your sanity!

ABOUT DANIELLE

Where are you from? London, England
What do you do for a living? I work as a Global Community Manager for a non-profit called Moishe House
How did you meet your partner? We met on Tinder!
Where did you go on your first date? To a secret hidden away cocktail bar, and then to Wagamama’s for Japanese food…. And then back to the cocktail bar because we didn’t want the date to end!
When did you first know you were in love? It was a rainy london day and I planned a surprise date night to this ‘winter wonderland’ themed place. I was cold so went to get out my gloves and told him not to laugh or judge me for wearing leather gloves. He laughed and said he might judge me, as he pulled out his own pair of leather gloves! I knew then that he was the one!
How long had you been dating when you became engaged?Nearly 2 years (he proposed to throw me off the hint about 5 days before our 2 year anniversary whilst we were away in Santorini!)
What date are you getting married and where?  May 1st 2022 at Micklefield Hall
 

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Win a Romantic Night for Two at Kimpton Fitzroy London

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There’s no place like Kimpton Fitzroy London for a Jewish (or Jew-is wedding). If you’ve been following Smashing The Glass for a while, that won’t come as any surprise – you may remember the epic live Jewish music event we put on there over the summer, and then there are the exquisite real Jewish weddings we’ve featured on the blog.

But Kimpton Fitzroy London isn’t only a wedding venue – it’s also an incredible luxury hotel, located oh-so-centrally in Bloomsbury’s Russell Square, and the absolute perfect place to spend a romantic night. 

That’s why I’m so excited that we’re teaming up with 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.

The lucky winner will be treated to a truly swoon worthy stay including all of the following:

  • 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 brand new restaurant Galvin Bar & Grill
  • Breakfast the following morning
  • The total prize value is £1300 !

Read on to find out how to enter!

All about Kimpton Fitzroy London

Kimpton Fitzroy London’s combination of historic charm and modern luxury makes it an incredibly elegant spot – and did we mention the Bloomsbury location is unbeatable? We also love that the property is equally suited for an intimate micro wedding or a celebration with up to 200 guests, and everything in between. 

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 the first Kimpton property in the UK.


A Jewish Wedding at Kimpton Fitzroy

Did we mention that the wonderful weddings team at Kimpton Fitzroy London is incredibly knowledgable and enthusiastic about Jewish weddings? We can’t say it any better than real Jewish bride Ivi, whose incredible wedding we featured on STG earlier this year:

The Kimpton Fitzroy is an absolutely rare gem – its glamorous opulence yet intimate warmth sets it worlds apart from the conventional swanky hotels a stone’s throw away in Mayfair. What we treasured the most is the loving way Jen and all of the hotel’s staff made us feel like royalty on our big day. No requests were too big or too small, we were met with smiles and genuine well wishes all day, we truly felt the hotel’s joy and pride of hosting us on the most special day of our lives. We are still pinching ourselves that we managed to get married in such an exceptional and luxurious venue. The Kimpton Fitzroy London will eternally be special to us and we cannot wait to return to spend our first wedding anniversary there!

Ivi and Ben’s Jewish wedding at Kimpton Fitzroy London  | Photo by Fire & Ice

We also love that, depending on your specific needs, you’ll have your pick of a range of delightful spaces – from the dramatic ballroom to eight-intimate rooms and four restaurants and bars, all flooded with natural light and historic details at every turn. With a capacity of up to 180 for a seated dinner and dancefloor, or 450 standing, it can accommodate a big bash.

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 19th-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, an outdoor terrace, 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.

Ivi and Ben’s Jewish wedding at Kimpton Fitzroy London  | Photo by Fire & Ice

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