Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

The Crawleys: Fab Photographers for Your Destination Jewish Wedding

by

Your destination wedding is a once-in-a lifetime experience. And you want to make sure you find just the right team to capture every exhilarating moment. Enter The Crawleys.

The Crawleys are a husband-and-wife team, consisting of Liam and Bee – and they’re the masterminds behind some truly fantastic real Jewish weddings here on STG.

From the wonky little cottage they call home in the Delamere Forest in the north of England, they’ve been shooting weddings all over the world since 2002 – that’s 600 and counting! 

They were voted 2019 UK Wedding Photographer of the Year by The Wedding Industry Awards.

They are true travelers at heart, and they’ve got tons of experience working in Spain, France, and Italy. They especially love working in Spain, where they’ve been shooting since 2012 – the sea, the sun, and the quaint villages have totally stolen their hearts.

But they’re also always down for branching out somewhere a bit more exotic – they’ve shot in Thailand, Kenya, and Malaysia, to name just a few.

Destination weddings are a huge part of their business, and they’re willing to go wherever you need them!

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Galia Lahav Bride for a Magical Private Island Jewish Wedding at Osea Island, Essex, UK

by


Looking for an ultra-memorable venue for your Jewish wedding? How about renting out your very own PRIVATE ISLAND?! That’s what today’s nature-loving couple, Jasmin and Brett, did – their big day took place on the magical Osea Island, a private island off the coast of Essex. Trust us, you don’t want to miss  Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Claudine Hartzel’s epic photos of this dreamy day that is full-to-the-brim packed with incredibly talented STG Recommended Vendors.

It all came together with a little help from the wonderful (and multitalented) James Alexander from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor and legendary band Totem, who the couple worked with to plan their big day – and yes, Totem also gave one of their unforgettable performances during the wedding. And how cool is it that, on the coordination end, James brought in none other than master planner Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Michelle Jacobs from Elegante by Michelle J ?

One special touch we’re totally obsessed with: knowing that they wouldn’t be able to talk to each and every one of their 300+ guests, Jasmin and Brett decided to write a little ‘message in a bottle’ (so perfect for the private island venue, right?!) to thank each of their guests for being there.

And how sweet is it that the couple’s rabbi surprised them during the ceremony by calling the bride’s grandfather to read the pair’s beautiful ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubata?

Jasmin knew she wanted to wear an Israel designer, and she found the gown of her dreams – a one-shouldered fantasy of blush tulle and glitter from the inimitable Galia Lahav– at beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Browns Bride in London.

Also, are Jasmin’s luscious locks giving anyone else serious hair envy? Anyway, we’ll hand you over to her now…

Jewish wedding Osea Island, Essex, UK_0041Jewish wedding Osea Island, Essex, UK_0041

Jewish wedding Osea Island, Essex, UK_0041Jewish wedding Osea Island, Essex, UK_0041
How we met

Jasmin, the bride: My husband and I first crossed paths at a mutual friend’s restaurant and the rest is history 🙂

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Real Jewish Brides: 1 Month To Go for Rebekkah and Her Final To Do List

by

Rebekkah will be marrying Jakob on 11th July 2019 at The Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada. Click here to read all Rebekkah’s planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: (1) Rebekkah and Jakob were introduced by mutual friends while Jakob, who is from Germany, was in Rebekkah’s hometown of Calgary on a specialized work visa. (2) They are getting married at a beautiful mountain resort in a national park in Alberta, Canada! (3) Rebekkah is a “very satisfied member” (her words) of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club!


Final post, but still lots to do

Walla my final post! What a journey wedding planning has been for me and I am almost sad to see the time go so fast. Being able to watch other brides navigate through Smashing the Glass along their wedding planning experience has been such an inspiration and has really helped me appreciate the journey.

Next month all my wedding logistics won’t matter and I’ll be married to the man of my dreams, till then however I have lotttttssssss to do.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Monique Lhuillier Bride for a Glam Jewish Wedding at The Pierre Hotel, NYC, USA

by

Jewish wedding The Pierre NYC USA_0020
We love it when a couple lets the location of their Jewish wedding inspire their choices for the big day. And today’s wonderful couple, Jessica and Jonathan, did just that. First off, they chose NYC’s iconic The Pierre Hotel as their venue, and let the city chic vibes set the stage for their aesthetic.

Then there’s the swoon-worthy portrait session in Central Park with Nate from The Day capturing the glorious scenery (not to mention the glam couple!) photographically and Reuben Hernandez from The Day on video.

Jessica and Jonathan even made “best of NYC” welcome picnic baskets for their out-of-town guests, filled with favorites like Le Colombe coffee, rosé wine, Murray’s cheese snacks, and black and white cookies.

And while this has nothing to do with NYC, we love how they had their orchestra arrange customized music for each person walking down the aisle, to evoke their meaning to the couple, or a special memory. So special!

We’ll let Jessica, who looked stunning in her soft, romantic Monique Lhullier gown, fill you in on

Jewish wedding The Pierre NYC USA_0020Jewish wedding The Pierre NYC USA_0020Jewish wedding The Pierre NYC USA_0020Jewish wedding The Pierre NYC USA_0020
The Pierre

Jessica, the bride: We got married at The Pierre Hotel in New York City. We are both originally east coasters with the majority of our family living in New York and Connecticut so figured NYC was not only logistically easiest but we also loved the idea of getting married in the city we call home.

We chose The Pierre as the venue because Jessica’s grandfather always said it’s the best and papa knows best! Also, we love the French flair of the hotel and even though it is an iconic New York City hotel, it very much felt like a private, intimate venue.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Monique Lhuillier Bride for a Modern Rustic Jewish Wedding at The Grove Hotel, Chandler’s Cross, Hertfordshire, UK

by


It’s always a special day when we get to blog the real Jewish wedding of one of our wonderful Brides Club members, and today it’s Sami’s turn!.

Sami and Toby (#happilywebberafter) had the most wonderful big day, and we’re so thrilled to be able to share it with you. We’re also totally blushing at Sami’s kind words about the club:

“It was so heart-warming to have lots of lovely ladies around you sharing the build up and excitement. I feel like it is one big family and everyone wants the best for everyone else and their wedding!”

We think Brides Club is pretty special too – and the doors are open for new members to join (we now have almost 200 members!). Do come on in and join us too! If you’re planning a Jewish or Jew-ish wedding, it’s truly an incredible resource and community and we are offering 30 free days to every bride-to-be if you join before this Monday 11 June!

But back to Sami’s wonderful wedding – we’re pretty jazzed that she and Toby worked with so many of our very favourite UK-based Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors, from the amazing Jonny Mosesson, who sang during the chuppah (and we totally agree with Sami’s description of him as having the voice of an angel!) to The Function Band, who created an electric atmosphere that kept everyone dancing from start to finish, and videographer Denee Motion, who not only captured the emotion and energy of the wedding so perfectly (don’t miss their trailer!) but also developed a wonderful friendship with the couple over the buildup to their wedding.

We’re thrilled that Sami had a fantastic experience shopping for her Monique Lhuillier gown at Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Wedding Club – she’d had a preventative double mastectomy prior to the wedding, so it wasn’t a given that wedding dress shopping would be smooth sailing. In fact, Sami’s experience was so wonderful that since the big day she’s left her old job in fashion buying to work for The Wedding Club, where she’s now store manager and runs operations for both of their London boutiques!

As joyful as this wedding was, the fact that Sami’s mum tragically passed away from cancer 5 and a half years prior cast a bittersweet shadow. We love that Toby bought Sami a locket with a photo of her mum to attach to her bouquet so they could still walk down the aisle together – what a meaningful touch.

There’s so much more to this fab celebration, but you’ll have to read Sami’s beautiful writeup (and immerse yourself in Paul Toeman’s wonderful photos) for the rest…



How we met

Sami, the bride: Toby and I met in a club in Birmingham, he was in his first year of university and I was on my gap year. We got on straight away, although at the time I was with somebody else. It started as an incredibly strong friendship, and after a year and a half (by which time my other relationship had ended), it turned into love, and we haven’t looked back since. 

Continue ReadingContinue Reading