Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

A Rosa Clara Bride for a Country Chic Jewish Wedding at The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, UK

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We’ve seen some pretty cute table plans, but today’s Jewish wedding has got one of the very best: tangerines! Yes, bride Emma (who just happens to be a dietitian — how perfect, right?!) and groom Joseph (a citrus-living lawyer) had the clever idea to pin a paper “leaf” with each guest’s name and table number on one piece of fruit, and it was just the most adorable thing.

And that’s just one of the wonderful, personal touches these two incorporated into their wedding day in beautiful Harrogate, North Yorkshire, perfectly captured by Ruthless Images. There’s the quintessentially Yorkshire venue, the modern chuppah adorned with asymmetrical florals, the smoking shots served to guests on the dance floor (!) — and that’s just for starters.

The simple dark wooden frame was dressed with an asymmetrical floral design. Loose tendrils of soft ruscus and ivy trailed down.

Now over to Emma, who looked so classically elegant in Rosa Clara…


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How we met

Emma, the bride: Joe and I started dating after we sat next to each other on the plane on the way to our gap year, seats were allocated alphabetically — Emma Coupland was sat next to Joseph Davis! Seven years later Joe proposed to me with the help of my family dog (Joe put the ring on his collar!). It was adorable, my favourite boys together!

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Real Jewish Brides: Jaime Has Finally Got Engaged!

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Jaime will be marrying Varun on 26th October 2019 at Hummingbird Nest Ranch, California, USA. Click here to read all Jaime’s planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: (1) Jaime and Varun will be having a Jewish ceremony AND a Hindu ceremony – on the same day! (2) They’re planning a swanky but not stuffy wedding at one of our fave California venues, Hummingbird Nest Ranch! (3) Jaime is a member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club!


So much has happened since the last time I blogged and I cannot wait to share it with you guys!

In December Varun and I went to California for the holidays and to spend time with family. Our first stop was LA where we had a chance to relax and restore. We also had both sides of parents meet in Los Angeles where we could take them to see our wedding venue and meet our awesome wedding planner Jenny!

We then headed to San Francisco to spend time at Varun’s parents’ house before leaving for Hawaii for a little R&R.

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Find Your Perfect Jewish Wedding Stationery {with Paperlust}

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As a creative myself (yes, I ran a digital and branding consultancy before starting STG!), I’m passionate about design — and specifically about helping couples incorporate beautiful graphic design into their Jewish weddings.

Stationery of all stripes has a special place in my heart, and I’m always excited to find innovative new suppliers. And that’s why I’m so excited to introduce you to Paperlust today.

Founded in Melbourne, Australia, in 2014 with the goal of bringing custom stationery to design lovers worldwide while supporting local Australian artists, Paperlust offers custom designs for every occasion — especially weddings and engagements — and handles all the logistics (printing, packaging, shipping, delivery, customer support and more) so that their creative talent is freed up to do what they do best.

They offer a huge range of exclusive designs to suit all styles, with easy customization and printing options including letterpress, foil stamping, and digital — and the collection is constantly expanding, with new designs being listed every single day.Paperlust loves Jewish and Jew-ish weddings, they are truly a one-stop shop for all your wedding stationery needs, from engagement party invites to save the dates to wedding invitations and RSVP cards, menus to place cards and table numbers to orders of service, and beyond.

Though based in Australia, Paperlust works with clients all over the world, and they offer free worldwide express shipping for orders over $300 USD.

Read on for a few of my favourite looks…

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A Rosa Clara Bride for an Art Deco Jewish Wedding at Hackney Town Hall, London, UK

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We are seriously obsessed with the Art Deco style of today’s fabulous London Jewish wedding. Lara, who works in HR, and Dan, who plays guitar in the band London Grammar, drew inspiration from the architectural stylings of their venue, hidden gem Hackney Town Hall (seriously, check out their ceremony space — we’re in awe of all those glass walls, exposed brick, and high ceilings). We’re obsessed with Rebecca Goddard’s beautiful, natural captures of the day.

Lovely Lara continued the Art Deco theme with her gorgeous beaded gown from Rosa Clara, and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Blue Sky Flowers made the duo’s dream florals a reality, adding a bit of a wild side and an element of contemporary chic to the day.

Lara reports that one of the couple’s most enjoyable wedding planning tasks consisted of meeting wonderful Liz of Blue Sky Flowers at New Covent Garden flower market and walking around with her to pick their preferred flowers!

We’ll hand you over to the bride in a sec, but not before we make sure you’re aware that these two had one of the cutest interactive dessert station ideas we’ve seen yet: a pick ‘n mix stand, inspired by Lara’s favorite cinema snack, where guests could help themselves to an assortment of 16 types of sweets!

 

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How we met

Lara, the bride: Dan and I have been together for 10 years, we met at Nottingham University in 2009. For us this day felt so special as all our friends are so close to us both, so it felt like one big family in the room.

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Win a romantic night for two at the breathtaking Kimpton Fitzroy London, London’s hottest new luxury hotel

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I’m so delighted to offer you the chance to win an overnight stay in London’s hottest new luxury hotel: the fabulous Kimpton Fitzroy London.

I’ve attended some fab events at the Kimpton Fitzroy London since they opened, like the BertaF/W 2019 Press Launch last month, and opening of David Michael Bradford’s (who also happens to have photographed the wonderful wedding images in this post) Scribbled Art exhibition featuring a portrait of me!

Both these events were truly spectacular occasions that EVERYONE was talking about after (and rightly so!).

Located oh-so-centrally in Bloomsbury’s Russell Square, the Kimpton Fitzroy London combines historic charm with modern luxury. 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 their first London property.

And the outcome is truly exquisite, as you’ll see for yourself if you have a scroll through these photos. Every inch is full of the chicest of contemporary details.

It’s truly the most wonderfully special space, and I’m so excited that we’ve teamed up with the 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 to include:

  • 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 onsite restaurant Neptune
  • Breakfast the following morning,
  • Champagne afternoon tea in Palm Court
  • A 300tc bedlinen set by Tielle Love Luxury (you guessed it, the same luxurious linen used by Kimpton Fitzroy London)
  • The total prize value is £1300 !


A Jewish Wedding at the Kimpton Fitzroy

It practically goes without saying that the Kimpton Fitzroy London is an incredible venue for an urban glam Jewish wedding right in the heart of London.

With a capacity of up to 180 for a seated dinner and dancefloor, or 450 standing, it can accommodate a big bash, and the wonderful weddings team at the Kimpton Fitzroy London couldn’t be more knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Jewish weddings, with an experienced team with the highest five-star hotel pedigree from The Dorchester, The Savoy, and The Rosewood (to name but a few).

And guess what? The Kimpton Fitzroy London’s marketing manager, Ruthie Berkley, is an STG Bride herself! Her real Jewish wedding is coming to Smashing The Glass later this month and it’s a GOODIE! Watch out for it on Wednesday 20th March…

But back to the glorious Kimpton Fitzroy London: 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, 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.

I’m seriously in love with this space and it has got to be the best reception space to go with a ballroom wedding that I’ve seen in London. 

With 334 guest rooms, each featuring 300-thread-count linens, and warm decor that seamlessly blends heritage elements with 21st-century appointments, the Kimpton Fitzroy London is the perfect place for out-of-town guests to enjoy their stay in style too.

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