Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Galia Lahav Bridal Fashion Show {Live from Browns Bride}

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You might have noticed I’m just a little obsessed with Israeli bridal designers. It’s no secret that today Israel just happens to be home to a disproportionate number of top designers creating cutting-edge gowns that are truly works of art. And one of the best of the best is Galia Lahav.
I was lucky enough to snag Galia Lahav’s head designer Sharon Sever as a participant in my Smashing Summit at the beginning of the year – we chatted about style ideas for the fashion-forward bride.

 
This week I’ll be luckier still, because THE Galia Lahav herself will be chatting with me live on the Smashing The Glass Facebook page Friday, 23 November, and we’ll get to see some of the totally breathtaking designs from her fall 2019 collections. 

One of the most sought-after bridal designers in the world, Galia Lahav began her career in the art world, and her background as an artist shines through in every piece that carries her name. She got her start in the bridal world creating custom gowns for brides in Israel over 30 years ago, and the rest is history. Based in Israel, Galia rarely makes international appearances, so this is a real honor for Smashing The Glass! 

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A Super Spiritual Enchanted Garden Jewish Wedding with an Epic Old City Photoshoot at Bezzela Hahar on Moshav Machasiya, Israel

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You know we love it when a couple really focuses on bringing out the spiritual side of their Jewish wedding. And lucky for us, that’s exactly what Australian-turned-Israeli couple, Rachel and Yehuda, did in planning their traditional day.

Capitalizing on the beauty and holiness of their adopted home, this duo opted for a venue that just exudes Israeli charm. Bezzela Hahar’s stunning outdoor grounds made for the dreamiest enchanted oasis setting, between the lush greenery and abundant Jerusalem stone — and it could not have been more perfect for the couple’s ultra-meaningful sunset (!) chuppah.

Also amazing is the post-wedding nighttime photoshoot in Jerusalem’s Old City Gilad Mashiah orchestrated for Rachel and Yehuda. This spiritual pair wanted to conclude the celebration with prayers at the Kotel (Western Wall), which just happened to provide a backdrop for some truly, amazingly touching photos.

Oh, and we’re obsessed with the fact that the couple set up a live feed of their ceremony for friends and family who couldn’t make it in person. Such a wonderful way to keep your loved ones in the loop, especially if you have lots of family overseas like Rachel and Yehuda did. Their grandparents who weren’t able to travel even ended up holding a viewing party for their friends back home — awww!

Now over to Rachel, who lived out all her Disney princess fantasies and then some in her magical, modest Tali Shurin wedding dress…

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An Enchanted Garden in Israel

Rachel, the bride: We got married at Bezzela Hahar on Moshav Machasiya. We were looking for a place with a beautiful outdoors for the chuppah, and seating space indoors, and Betsela Hahar immediately gave us the impression of an enchanted garden, whimsical and breathtaking. The location worked for us perfectly. It was convenient for our family in Bet Shemesh and Jerusalem.

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An Isabelle Armstrong Bride for a Jewish Wedding with Killer Manhattan Views and an Orchid Chuppah at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, New York, New York, USA

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There are no words for how obsessed we are with epic orchid chuppah. With lucite columns draped in strands of gorgeous flowers, it’s just SO dreamy. And don’t even get us started on the backdrop of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline.

It doesn’t get much more quintessentially NYC than the Jewish wedding of Vlada, who works in corporate banking, and Joshua, a corporate and bankruptcy litigation attorney (#2beepst). Between their venue — high atop the landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel — their magnificent New York skyline cake by none other than Ron Ben Israel, and the bride’s Isabelle Armstrong dress purchased from Kleinfeld.The couple even had a wedding announcement in the New York Times!

It wouldn’t be the ultimate NYC wedding without a touch of celebrity, and Kevin Osborne Band from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Hank Lane provided that and then some — Kevin is a backup singer for Billy Joel, in addition to being an awesome band leader in his own right.

Felix from Fred Marcus captured all the glam details and jawdropping views with aplomb, and Frank Ahn from Frank Ahn Films recorded the emotion of the day so well.

Okay, now over to the bride…

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How We Met

Vlada, the bride: We were introduced by a mutual family rabbi named Joseph Potasnik.

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Smashing The Glass’s All-New Brides Club is Open! (Plus a FREE smash glass pouch for every Bride today!)

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I’ve got some big news today: I’ve officially opened the doors to Smashing The Glass’s all-new Brides Club, the members-only secret community for planning your perfect Jewish or Jew-ish wedding, your way, whilst keeping planning stress to a minimum.

And I’ve got an unbelievable 24-hour bonus for the quick action-brides who sign up today… read on!

I first opened my private, members-only Club for Jewish and Jew-ish brides earlier this year, and based on what I’ve learned from my founding members I’m now opening our bigger, better, even more ‘smashing’ Brides Club!

Inside Brides Club I’ll help you plan an unforgettable wedding, make decisions with clarity and confidence, keep family and friends happy, make the most of your wedding budget, and, most of all, ensure that planning your wedding is as fun and stress-free as the day itself.

JOIN HERE + GET INSTANT ACCESS TO BRIDES CLUB TODAY! 

The Club has been totally transformed, with all-new resources to make sure your day is a smashing success. Whether or not you’re using a planner, whether you’re just engaged or a month out from the big day, Brides Club is your go-to spot for all the ‘Can’t Plan Without’ Jewish wedding resources, support, straight-talking advice and handpicked discounts you need to ensure you have an unforgettable Jewish (or Jew-ish) wedding.

My community gives you access to my step-by-step advice, checklists, and resources for planning your perfect Jewish wedding, that not only saves you time and money, but also keeps everyone around you happy.

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REMINDER: The Event of the Year for Jewish and Jew-ish Brides is TODAY {and it’s FREE!}

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Karen Cinnamon Smashing The Glass_1224You probably won’t be surprised to hear I’ve been up since 4am preparing for today’s The Secrets to an Unforgettable Jewish Wedding FREE online event and Q&A — I’m just SO ridiculously excited for it!

That’s because I’m a million percent confident you’ll walk away knowing exactly what you need to do to ensure you have an unforgettable wedding — the wedding you really want (whilst keeping everyone around you happy). And I can’t wait to show you EXACTLY how!

My free event is taking place TODAY! Monday November 12, 2018 @ 3:00 PM EST (that’s 3pm New York, 12pm Los Angeles, 8pm London, 10pm Israel)

Oh… and did I mention that there’ll be surprise goodies that only attendees can get their hands on too?!

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE AND GET A REMINDER

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