Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

An Alessandro Rinaudo Bride for an Israeli-Italian Jewish Wedding at Villa Miani, Rome, Italy

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We love it when a couple combines their backgrounds to make for one ultra-memorable Jewish wedding. And how cool is it that bride Rinat, who speaks fluent Hebrew, and groom Carlo, who’s Italian decided to swap languages for their speeches as a surprise for their guests?!

And then there’s the swoonworthy, ultra-romantic Italian venue, Villa Miani. Once the residence of a noble family, we couldn’t imagine a dreamier spot for an outdoor wedding. Photographer VD Image captured the day SO perfectly!

We’re also obsessed with Rinat’s two very different but equally fantastic bridal looks, both from Italian designer Alessandra Rinaudo Bridal Couture. Starting with a romantic two-piece number combining a princessy full skirt with the most delightful guipure lace top for the chuppah and switching into a lighter, sparklier mermaid style for the reception, Rinat was one radiant bride from start to finish.

Now over to you, Rinat!

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An Italian Wedding

Rinat, the bride: We got married at Villa Miani in Rome. The villa was originally the residence of a noble Venetian family and up until the beginning of the century was still an exclusive country house. We found the location very romantic and  elegant with open-air terrace, garden and fantastic halls. We had no doubt as we saw it, we felt that it was the finest setting for an unforgettable wedding.

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A Reem Acra Bride for an Ultra-Personal Jewish Wedding at St John’s Wood Synagogue and the Grand Connaught Rooms, London, UK

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There’s something about seeing a couple’s faces as they stand under the chuppah – and when they walk up the aisle after smashing that glass! No matter how many Jewish weddings we see, it never, ever gets old.

And today’s couple, Sophie, a solicitor, and Andrew, a company director, are no exception: the love exuding from each and every single shot by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor MIKI Studios – not to mention their ultra-moving trailer – makes us feel like our hearts are positively glowing (and we’re totally not surprised to hear the bride’s report that Mick and Ash of MIKI Studios were a dream to work with!).

Indeed, creating a celebration all about love and emotion was at the heart of Sophie and Andrew’s plans for the big day. The emphasis the pair put on their chuppah – from prioritizing fabulous music by a mega-talented Hebrew singer to the beautiful off-white floral and green foliage embellishment they chose for their exquisitely elegant chuppah structure itself – is truly beautiful, and we also love that they opted to hold their ceremony at St John’s Wood Synagogue, where Andrew has attended his whole life – such a wonderful personal touch!

And HOW stunning is Sophie’s Reem Acra gown? Truly the stuff wedding dress dreams are made of.

Now over to you, Sophie!

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A Synagogue Wedding

Sophie, the bride: We had our ceremony at St John’s Wood Synagogue followed by dinner and dancing at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London.  Andrew has always been a member of St John’s Wood Synagogue and it meant a lot to him to get married there.

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Real Jewish Brides: Alexandra on New Hobbies

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Alexandra will be marrying Ian in May 2021 at La Corte Dei Messapi in Ostuni, Puglia, Italy. Click here to read all Alexandra’s planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: THREE FACTS: (1) Alexandra and Ian are planning an intimate black-tie destination wedding for 60 of their nearest and dearest in Puglia, Italy. (2) Alexandra is Jewish, and Ian is in the process of converting to Judaism. (3) Alexandra is a member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club!

I am a person who was constantly on the move when things were open. There is nothing I love more than running from a movie to a museum to dinner. Just spending the day sitting in my apartment made me nervous to think about, let alone do. I did not like ever being tied down to a space, and when the quarantine began, I was honestly terrified. How was I going to spend all of my time indoors!?
 
So I did what I usually do — I began to research. But instead of looking for something to do out in the city, I was looking for what to do in my home. During this period, I also had to come to grips with the lack of control I now felt with the pandemic and moving the wedding. I needed to take control of the things I could. 

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A Destination Jewish Vineyard Wedding with Breathtaking Scenery at Eureka Estate, Durbanville, Cape Town, South Africa

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Today’s fab Jewish wedding is giving us serious travel FOMO! Smashing The Glass Brides Club member Hannah, the head of weddings at Jimmy Garcia Catering in London, and Darren, the general manager of a bar in Chancery Lane, chose to wed in the groom’s home country of South Africa in no small part thanks to the nation’s positively breathtaking scenery.

And their decision to wed at a vineyard in Cape Town’s magnificent wine region did not disappoint! As an events professional in London, the bride felt strongly that she wanted her own wedding to be very different than the ones she works on – and we’re pretty sure this stunner of a big day fits that bill. Where else can you have your chuppah overlooking lush valleys of grapes amidst rugged mountain ranges?! We’re obsessed with the captivating imagery from photographer Gavin Casey and videographer Josh Hundermark.

Naturally, we love all the personal touches these two put into their big day – there’s WAY too many to list here, but we’re especially enamored with the tequila bar (with a neon sign that read “Until death do us party”)!

Now over to Hannah, who has the kindest words to say about her time in Brides Club:“I was surrounded by like-minded ladies, each creating their own unique weddings all around the world, and it was hugely comforting.” Doesn’t get much better than that!

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How we met

Hannah, the bride: We were invited to a charity dinner hosted by one of our mutual friends. We had never met, and this all changed when Darren asked this friend of ours to point out one girl at the event, that knows how to have fun. Our friend pointed me out and with such confidence, he made a beeline in my direction and captivated me with his South African accent and charm.

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A Maggie Sottero Bride for an Italy-Meets-England Interfaith Jewish Wedding at The Italian Villa, Poole, UK

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Sarah-Jayne and Emile, The Italian Villa, UK

Dreaming of Italy but grounded by lockdown? Take some inspiration from Sarah-Jayne  and Emile, who brought their love of the country to the UK in their (pre-COVID) interfaith Jewish wedding. Between their decision to wed at Poole’s The Italian Villa – a dead ringer for a Tuscan escape – adelectable Italian menu, and homemade limoncello favors, they truly created a little Italian oasis in Dorset!

We also love the way these two crafted a ceremony that was truly THEM. Their Jewish ceremony – officiated by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Paul Glantz, The Wedding Rabbi (who they found via Smashing the Glass!) – featured plenty of egalitarian touches: instead of the bride circling the groom the traditional 7 times, Sarah-Jayne and Emile each circled each other 3.5 times and did a badeken where not only did the groom veil the bride but the bride gave the groom a kippah in return – the pair even wrote and delivered a speech together!

These two were also ultra-attentive to their guests’ comfort and enjoyment, going out of their way to include special touches like a board game area and personalized kids’ packs for each child in attendance, featuring toys, snacks, coloring, and treasure hunts! All the love and joy of the day – not just the couple’s, but everyone’s – comes through so strongly in the beautiful photos from Ben Minnaar Photography and video from Mulhern Media.

There’s so much more we could say about this wonderful wedding, but we’ll leave the rest to the bride, who looked lovely in Maggie Sottero…

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How we met

Sarah-Jayne, the bride: We have been together ever since our winter ball in our first year of university. We were in the same halls and we had the most incredibly extravagant winter formal in a huge circus tent, complete with a fun fair, acrobats and real snow.

A rather drunk, but cute guy approached me (my now husband) and said he remembered me from a go-kart social months earlier and he had thought about me since as I had given off dream girl vibes, rather flattered I added him on social media and 10 years later (including 3 long distance) here we are. We got engaged in the Gili Islands on the beach at sunset, whilst visiting his brother and sister-in-law. We had a long engagement of 3 years to save up and we are so excited for everything to come in married life!

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