Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Have you saved your space at our FREE Virtual Party for Jewish + Jew-ish Brides-to-be? It’s this Sunday!

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Have you heard the big news?! I’m hosting a free virtual Jewish Wedding Planning Party, exclusively for brides, this Sunday June 20 and it’s going to be EPIC!

There’ll be presents, and partying, music and (virtual!) drinks, but most importantly I’ll be teaching you exactly how to:

♥ Maximize your wedding budget (whether it’s $ or $$$$$)

♥ Handle unwanted opinions(to get the result you want without hurting anyone’s feelings)

♥ What to ask your vendors when you’re planning a wedding during coronavirus (we’ll talk contracts too)

♥ Craft your perfect Jewish or Jew-ish wedding ceremony + make all your guests feel included (whether they’re attending virtually or in person)

♥ Come up with creative wedding ideas for an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind wedding

And I’ll be answering every single one of your questions (however big or small!) 

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR FREE PLACE AND GET A REMINDER

My online Jewish Wedding Planning Party is all about helping you cut through the overwhelm and have the wedding you really want, stress-free (or as close as you can get).

This is for you whether you’re planning a Jewish or Interfaith Jewish wedding, and whether you’re using a planner.


I’ll be ready and waiting to help you out with every single one of your own wedding planning questions, no matter how big or small.

(And by the way you’ll benefit from the Jewish Wedding Planning Party whether you’re using a planner or not — this is an absolute must-attend for every Jewish / Jew-ish bride-to-be!)

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Real Jewish Brides: Samantha on Feeling Optimistic

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Samantha will be marrying Brian on 9th October 2021 in Nags Head, NC. Click here to read all Samantha’s planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: (1) Brian proposed to Samantha on July 3rd on the beach (2) Samantha + Brian met on JSwipe (3) Michelle Obama was part of the proposal!


I think it was in early May that, for the first time since starting to plan our wedding, I felt optimistic that it would actually happen on the date we selected, the way we want it to happen, with all the people we want to be there!

Getting engaged in July 2020, during the height of the pandemic, it was hard to find that optimism sometimes.  My dad, who works in health policy, told me he felt confident that things would be ok by Fall 2021, but there were so many setbacks and the area we live (Washington DC) was so slow to reopen that I had a lot of doubt, for a long time.

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The Songs You’ll Need for Your Jewish Wedding {Facebook Live with Kimpton Fitzroy London and Sensation Band}

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Mark your calendars for Tuesday, June 22, at 7:15 pm GMT (3:15 pm EST/12:15 pm PST), I’m so as excited as I’ll be going live at one of my very favourite London venues, Kimpton Fitzroy London, with the fabulous Sensation Band, the world-class wedding entertainment outfit beloved by so many Jewish couples in London and beyond, and incredible catering by Adam Nathan Catering!

A firm favourite with STG brides, Sensation Band is truly the very best (their version of Boi Kallah below has had more than 100,000 views on YouTube – you have to listen to it if you haven’t already!) – and when it comes to Jewish wedding music, their knowledge is positively encyclopedic. And they’ll be sharing it all with us, as they perform a multitude of songs from different traditions that you may consider including at various points on your big day. Sensation is here to help you choose the right music for your Jewish wedding, so this is your chance to ask away!

There’ll also be delectable nibbles on hand from Adam Nathan Catering, Kimpton’s preferred partner for kosher-style catering – Adam Nathan is truly one of the best in the business, and we’re consistently blown away by both the quality and the creativity of everything he and his team cook up.

Kimpton-Fitzroy

Interspersed with Sensation Band’s unforgettable Jewish music will be a live Q&A, where you can ask me,  Sensation, and the Kimpton Fitzroy London weddings team anything you’ve ever wanted to know about either Jewish wedding music OR this in-demand Jewish wedding venue. Definitely not to be missed!

We’ll be filming live from Kimpton Fitzroy London’s magical Palm Court, complete with a soaring glass ceiling that floods the room with light, comfortable clusters of seating, 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.

But that’s not all! Once we’ve wrapped up with Sensation, we’ll be launching straight in to Facebook Live #2 of the evening, a venue tour of the Kimpton Fitzroy London starting at 8:00 pm GMT / 3:00 pm EST / 12:00 PM PST.

Located oh-so-centrally in Bloomsbury’s Russell Square, the Kimpton Fitzroy London combines historic charm with modern luxury. It’s a mega-luxe, uber-stylish place, with every inch full of the chicest of contemporary details.

There’s no place like it for an urban glam Jewish wedding in London, and I can’t wait to take you along as I tour through all the stunning spaces on offer for your big day.

In between it all, we’ll be enjoying delectable canapés and drinks from Adam Nathan Catering, Kimpton Fitzroy London’s preferred partner for kosher-style catering.

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A Mia Pava Bride for a Vintage Garden Backyard Jewish Wedding in Bet Shemesh, Israel

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Jodi and Yoseph, private residence, Israel

Having doubts about a backyard wedding? So did today’s bride, Jodi. But Jodi and Joseph’s incredible wedding just goes to show a well-planned wedding at home is NOTHING like your average lowkey barbecue.

Israeli couple Jodi, a student at Hebrew University and the director of a program called Here Next Year, a Nefesh b’Nefesh organization that supports teenagers who are making Aliyah during their gap year in Israel, and Yoseph, who’s currently serving in the IDF, had initially planned a big Thanksgiving 2020 wedding at a gorgeous venue in Israel. But when it became clear that their original plans wouldn’t work out, they moved their date up to October and changed their venue to Yoseph’s backyard.

With the help of planner and florist Penny & Co Events, the space was transformed into the vintage garden fantasy of Jodi’s dreams, with tons of orange and pink flowers amidst lush greenery, beautiful lights and candles, and vintage styled furniture. Every inch is positively dreamy – don’t miss the incredible photos by mega-talented Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman Photography (who also happens to be the very first vendor the couple booked when they got engaged)!

There’s so much more to say about this glorious day, but we’ll leave the rest to Jodi, who looked stunning in Mia Pava… Before we do that, though, just a reminder that our virtual Jewish Wedding Planning Party is coming up on Sunday, June 20! In addition to, well partying, our founder Karen Cinnamon will answer all your burning wedding planning questions, plus guide you through everything from what to ask your vendors as you plan during the pandemic to creative ideas on how to make your wedding unforgettable. This event is free, but slots are limited – so sign up to claim yours today!

Jodi and Yoseph, private residence, IsraelJodi and Yoseph, private residence, IsraelJodi and Yoseph, private residence, IsraelJodi and Yoseph, private residence, Israel
How we Met

Jodi, the bride: We met through a mutual friend named Yonatan. Yoseph grew up with him and  I had gone out with him once. About a year after I met him, Yonatan texted me – “I know your husband.” The rest is history 🙂Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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

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Rafaela-Dan-Down-Hall-Hotel-Spa-in-Essex

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 ReadingContinue Reading