Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

An Idan Cohen Bride for a Colorful Modern Rustic Jewish Wedding at Hummingbird Nest Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA

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What. A. Wedding. We’re honestly STILL busy picking our jaws up off the floor from this one. One of our very favorite California venues, a truly breathtaking floral chuppah, colored smoke bombs, a magical, glittering gown from a fab Israeli designer… Jewish weddings don’t get much chicer than this.

Shaina and Shahab hit the bullseye when it came to combining their affinity for bold, bright, statement-making colors with the rustic-luxe vibes of the wonderful Hummingbird Nest Ranch. Their vibrant aesthetic really stands out from the pack — this is seriously one for the books! Photographer Katie Beverley did an epic job capturing all the gorgeous details and emotion of the big day.

Lucky Shaina just happens to be BFFs with mega-talented wedding planner Leora Soleymani of Best Bride (who did double duty as a bridesmaid on the day!), and we are totally blown away by how perfectly she pulled the vision for the day together.

Oh, and did we mention they picked the coolest ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com? They chose the beautiful papercut design because it features a gate that reminds them of the one at their venue! Love that.

There’s so much more we could say about this exquisite day, but we’ll leave it to the bride — who looked oh-so-stunning in the custom sparkly princess gown she worked with Israeli designer Idan Cohen to design — to fill you in on the rest.

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Hummingbird Nest Ranch 

Shaina, the bride: We got married at Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley. From long before I was even engaged, I knew I wanted to get married there. I wanted something different, something magical, something natural. The ambiance and surroundings made me feel at peace, it had so much to offer.

I had also never been to a wedding there so it was exciting and unique to me. I wanted a blank canvas where I could design from scratch, and that’s exactly what Hummingbird gave me the opportunity to do. The entire property is breathtaking, from the mansion to the field, you can create whatever you dream. Shahab knew it would be a lot of work, but wanted a happy bride and went with the idea!

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An exclusive first look at Emmy’s exciting new collaboration with Corinthia London {Live with Emmy}

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If you’re a regular STG reader, you might be aware that I’m just a little bit obsessed with Emmy London, my go-to source for breathtaking luxury bridal and event shoes and accessories. From pretty hand embellished beaded peep toes, to sky high stilettos adorned with Swarovski crystals and mother of pearl shell, Emmy London’s designs are the perfect accessory for your big day. 

While past collections have drawn inspiration from destinations and architecture all over the world. Emmy’s latest collection has its roots right here in London, at the Corinthia Hotel! Celebrating the brand’s local heritage, the brand-new Corinthia collection reflects the inspiring interior of this luxury space, which blends historical references and modern touches to perfection. 

Designer Emmy Scarterfield will be chatting with me live on our Smashing The Glass Facebook page this Tuesday, 5 March, showing off the new collection and walking us through the design process, from moodboard to first sketch to finished product. She’ll also be demonstrating how she applies her luxe trims to the shoes! Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Nurit Hen Bride for a City Chic Urban Jewish Wedding at 8 Northumberland, London, UK

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We knew we were going to love Francesca and Brad’s London Jewish wedding the moment we learned the couple found inspiration for their gorgeous white floral chuppah (the perfect place to put their Smash Glass pouch to use) right here on STG — do these two know the way to a wedding blogger’s heart, or what?!

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Francesca, who works in finance as head of customer service, and Brad,  who works for Linzi, his family’s shoe business, worked with some of our very favorite Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors, from the wonderful Mirror Mirror, where the bride found her fishtail Nurit Hen gown, to powerhouse band Totem — as Francesca says, “no one gets a party started like they do”!

And then there’s the couple’s wedding planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Rachel Flax. She brought their dreams of a fresh white ballroom aesthetic to life — and, even more importantly, took the stress right out of planning. So much so that Francesca’s top tip for other couples planning weddings is “get a Rachel Flax”!

Oh.. and did we mention that we love how these two met?! You never know where love is going to strike you…

Photographer Benjamin Toms and videographer AtMotion captured all the excitement of the big day so perfectly — read on for all the fun details from Francesca!


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How we met

Francesca, the bride: We had always known each other from school although we were in different years, but we met and started talking in a Tesco car park on my 17th birthday and have been inseparable ever since.

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Jewish Bridal Style from the Experts at The Wedding Club

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Image by Robert Shack from Lauren & Ross’s Jewish wedding 

The Wedding Club is one of my very favourite UK bridal retailers – I love their wonderful range of designers and luxurious spaces, I love their ultra-attentive customer service, and I love how much they love Jewish weddings!

One of the world’s leading bridal boutiques, The Wedding Club carries some of the world’s most exclusive British and international designers – including STG favorites like Suzanne Neville, Berta, Savannah Miller, Bliss Monique Lhuillier, and more – plus accessories from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Victoria Percival.

The Wedding Club caters to fashion-conscious brides – many of whom have featured in STG real weddings (we’re constantly getting rave reviews about the level of service!) – but they firmly believe that every bride should follow their heart, not the trends – which is SO in line with our philosophy of “Your wedding your way” here at STG. They want to help each and every bride find a dress that’s truly her, and I couldn’t possibly support that mission more. 

Photo by David Pullum from Hannah and Andrew’s Jewish wedding

They’re pros when it comes to working with brides going for modest styling – whether that’s for the whole wedding, or just to cover up a bit under the chuppah. They’ve got plentiful options with sleeves and higher necklines, and truly appreciate the beauty of modest bridal style. Plus they’ve got s serious knack for pairing stylish coverups with gowns is par for the course at The Wedding Club – they’re always on top of the latest trends and innovations.

Photo by David Pullum from Salena and Stefan’s Jewish wedding 

With two locations in London – the Knightsbridge showroom is filled with mega-glam gowns from the likes of Zuhair Murad, Caroline Herrera, and Berta Couture, while the South Kensington shop has a slightly more laid-back, boho slant with collections like Savannah Miller and Costarellos – and one in Birmingham, showcasing more classic styles from Suzanne Neville, Jenny Packham, and more, The Wedding Club’s got the full spectrum of bridal styles covered.

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Real Jewish Brides: Lindsay Talks About Her Dress, Save The Dates and Her Next Trip To Israel

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Lindsay, a member of Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club, will be marrying Dan on 25th August 2019 at Kochav Hayam in Caesarea, Israel. Click here to read all Lindsay’s planning posts to date.

THREE FACTS: (1) Lindsay and Dan were set up by Lindsay’s cousin! (2) They are planning an English-style destination wedding with a few modern twists in Caesarea, Israel. (3) Even though they are both Jewish, Lindsay is more interested in the religious element of the day than Dan, so they are working to balance tradition with their personal style – our favorite!


Finding the perfect dress…

The moment had finally arrived. The one I had been waiting for. Basically the main reason why I said yes – dress shopping! I could finally see all my Pinterest boards and pictures ripped out of magazines come to life.

In total, I went to five different dress shops. I had been told by many people not to visit too many, otherwise the choice is too overwhelming – which is absolutely true! After trying on what felt like 17,000 dresses in a hundred different shops, I finally found the one at Angelica Bridal in Islington.

Yes, the choice is overwhelming but I also absolutely loved the experience and really do wish I could just keep trying wedding dresses on forever – who doesn’t love sashaying round like a princess?!

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