Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Luxe Winter Jewish Wedding Inspo at the Four Seasons Hampshire, UK

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You know what doesn’t get enough love? Winter weddings, that’s what. Sure, you don’t get the long daylight hours, and you might find your selection of flowers a tad more limited. But there’s something just so magical and cozy about holding your Jewish (or Jew-ish) wedding in this under appreciated season.

That’s why we’re so delighted that master wedding planner and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J decided to spearhead a gorgeous Jewish wedding-themed shoot that’s basically an ode to the winter wedding. 

Set at #STGvendor Four Seasons Hampshire, a gorgeous luxe countryside venue that’s not far from London but feels a world away, the shoot brought together a fantastic team of wedding professionals, including some other beloved #STGvendors like stationer Bigday Designs, makeup artist Philippa Louise, bridal boutique Mirror Mirror London, and Judaica purveyor Contemporary Judaica!

Being a classic country venue, Four Seasons Hampshire‘s obviously got beautiful gardens and grounds (how magnificent is the Walled Garden?!) – and Paulo Santo Photography took full advantage of that fact in capturing some sublime couples’ shots like the one above.  

But Michelle and her team really wanted to showcase the venue’s incredible indoor event spaces – and just how memorably they can be dressed up for a totally unique Jewish wedding. (If you want to see what Four Seasons Hampshire looks like for a summer wedding, check out the incredible Jewish wedding of Jessica and Philip that we featured a couple years back!)

Featuring jewel tones and luxe textures, this shoot is 100% pure winter magnificence. 

And as if we couldn’t love this shoot any more, Michelle even worked in one of our very own smash glass pouches – doesn’t get much better than that!

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A Pronovias Bride for a Sustainable Backyard Jewish Micro Wedding in Somerville, Massachusetts, USA

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Today’s fantastic couple, Alana and Leo, are always up for an adventure – whether that means marking their 10-month dating anniversary by taking part in The Amazing Race or retooling their plans for a three-day summer camp-style wedding extravaganza in the Berkshires to an intimate micro affair in their very own backyard!  

And do we ever love the way these two ended up leaning into their homey, sustainable low-pressure celebration. From a gorgeous simple chuppah built by a friend a wedding gift to a ketubah handcrafted by a designer friend featuring hand-pressed wildflowers from the couple’s own garden, this Jewish wedding is just chock full of meaningful touches.

We’re in love with Simi Rabinowitz’s luminous, joy-filled photos of the day. And though only a handful of the couple’s original guest list could attend in person, thanks to the professional live streaming services of Bob Antonelli friends and family around the world were able to take part.

Echoing the sentiments we’ve heard from so many couples who’ve married during the pandemic under circumstances very different than the ones they’d expected, Alana says, “We wouldn’t have done our wedding any other way. It was true to us, and felt like a real celebration of our friends and our neighborhood!”

Over to you, Alana!

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How we Met

Alana, the bride: We met on Tinder in January 2018! And then, right after moving in together six months after we met — all our friends thought we were crazy! — we did something even crazier and applied for The Amazing Race on a whim … and we were cast! It was such a whirlwind. We actually started the first leg of The Amazing Race on our ten-month anniversary!

Racing around the world together wasn’t what convinced us we were meant to be (we’d known that probablyyyy since our third date) but it was such an affirming experience. After you’ve done such wild things with someone and been in such high-stress situations, getting married is a no brainer. We got engaged on our one year anniversary at Walden Pond in Massachusetts.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Joss Couture Bride for a Romantic Jewish Wedding Weekend at Monate Lodge, South Africa

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How incredibly gorgeous is the Jewish wedding of South African couple Jess, an entrepreneur, and Dan, a financial director for a property company?! These two knew from the beginning they wanted to make their big day into a weekend away where they could kick back and enjoy the time with their family and friends, and they opted for a stunning game lodge highlighting South Africa’s stunning nature.

Jess and Dan kicked things off with a game drive and dinner in a candlelit cave in advance of their Sunday wedding, which took place outdoors right in the midst of the South African bush. To make the most of the scenery, the whole wedding, from chuppah to reception, took place outside (luckily, there was no rain!). We’re obsessed with the fact that the couple wed under a gorgeous 400-year-old (!) rock fig tree, and how special is it that Jess’s dad built the chuppah from scratch? And how beautiful are the luminous images from Agape Wedding Photography?

In the leadup to her wedding, Jess joined Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club, and we’re so touched by her wonderful words about the members club:

I have loved every minute of being part of STG Brides Club, the sense of community from total strangers, turned friends is just incredible. There is no better place to ask questions, share ideas, as well as wedding woes and wins than Brides Club! Dare I say the spin off from Brides Club, Smashing Life, is even better! None of us could bear the thought of leaving the community once we got married and it has become a place I often turn to for inspiration or advice.

Now we’ll turn you over to Jess…

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How we Met

Jess, the bride: We met on Tinder which was an absolute fluke because I was in another city at the time at my best friend’s wedding and Dan did not usually look outside a certain radius.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Real Jewish Brides: Maggie on Her Wedding Next Month!

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Maggie will be marrying Danny on 6th June 2021 at Stone House of St. Charles in St. Charles, Missouri. Click here to read all Maggie’s planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: (1) Danny proposed to Maggie on his birthday! (2) Maggie is in the process of converting to Judaism (3) Maggie is a member of STG Brides Club!


Well this may be my last blog post as a single woman, our wedding is just a month away! As the wedding gets closer, the more excited I have become. Now is this a common problem when looking at your upcoming wedding; deciding if you are more excited to marry the love of your life or to see all your friends and family in one place. I think especially after the pandemic this last year we are more excited than ever to see some of our vaccinated friends and family that we were not able to see for the last year.

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A Valentini Spose Bride for a Candlelit Winter Jewish Micro Wedding at the Kimpton Fitzroy London, London, UK

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We are so in love with the gorgeous Jewish micro wedding of Danielle and Rob at one of our very favorite London wedding venues: Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kimpton Fitzroy London in Russell Square!

Won over by not only the venue itself but also the fantastic team, Danielle and Rob had initially planned a 180-person wedding in the Kimpton’s stunning ballroom followed by a reception in the Mediterranean-esque Palm Court, scheduled for August 2020. Thanks to the pandemic, though, they ended up shifting their date to December and their guest count down to 30 and then just 15. But in spite of all the roadblocks COVID put in the couple’s way, they still ended up with the wedding of their dreams. In Danielle’s words, “Everything about our wedding wasn’t what we originally imagined, but we wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Danielle and Rob’s photos by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Mike Garrard are nothing short of magical. And in addition to taking some seriously great pictures, Mike also teamed up with the couple’s friends to pull off a fantastic surprise.

Since the 15-person limit meant the pair had to limit their guest list to family only, some of their friends got in touch with Mike and made a plan to surprise Danielle and Rob on the steps of the Kimpton, just after their ceremony. The couple thought they were stepping out for some couple shots, but instead they were blown away to see their friends standing outside to cheer them on! What an incredibly special moment.

There’s so much more we could say, but we’ll turn you over to Danielle, who looked exquisite in Valentini Spose…

PS Have we told you how much we love Kimpton Fitzroy London? OBSESSED!

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How we Met

Danielle, the bride: When I moved to London for work, I was looking for a flat share with a bedroom that wasn’t the size of a shoe box … Rob was renting his second bedroom out in his flat on a Jewish flat share website. I went to see the flat and Rob was so relaxed and easy to get on with it felt like a no brainer. We were friends & flat mates for years before one rainy evening we went for dinner after work and the rest, as they say, is history!Continue ReadingContinue Reading