Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

A Liz Martinez Bride for a Summer Chic Jewish Wedding with an Epic Dance Party in Marbella, Spain

by

Destination Jewish wedding Villa Padierna Palace LOV Olivia Valere Marbella Spain_0039
Wow wow wow. This duo is just beyond… Stunning couple Claudia, who works in recruitment, and Nick, who works for Diageo, had the most exquisite outdoor summer destination Jewish wedding. The London-based pair opted to wed in sunny Marbella, Spain, and with guests coming in from every continent but Antarctica, the pair made a weekend of their celebration, with a full calendar of activities–including a henna party!

Claudia and Nick found the ultimate romantic setting for their chuppah in Villa Padierna Palace. Calling this breathtaking spot a hotel doesn’t do it justice; the place looks like a Tuscan palace that’s been airdropped in to the Costa del Sol.

Following the emotional ceremony, the pair threw an epic all-night dance party at one of Marbella’s top nightclubs, LOV Olivia Valere. Their guests were totally on board, dancing into the morning–with a break for the gorgeous sparkler-studded cake the couple arranged to have brought out at 1 a.m. to keep everyone going.

Bride Claudia said when she and Nick walked down the aisle with everyone clapping, she felt like she was at a celebrity wedding–and that’s exactly the vibe we got from this fab celebration. Claudia really did look like a movie star in her dreamy Liz Martinez gown, and photographer Barney Walters and videographer Gione Da Silva captured the day in all its glamor. Now over to the gorgeous Claudia!


Destination Jewish wedding Villa Padierna Palace LOV Olivia Valere Marbella Spain_0039 Destination Jewish wedding Villa Padierna Palace LOV Olivia Valere Marbella SpainDestination Jewish wedding Villa Padierna Palace LOV Olivia Valere Marbella Spain_0039Destination Jewish wedding Villa Padierna Palace LOV Olivia Valere Marbella Spain_0039 Destination Jewish wedding Villa Padierna Palace LOV Olivia Valere Marbella Spain_0039 Destination Jewish wedding Villa Padierna Palace LOV Olivia Valere Marbella Spain_0039
How we met

Claudia, the bride: We met at university, where we both studied French and were in the same project group, but we didn’t get together until we both lived in France almost 2 years later. We visited each other a few times and finally started dating. Three days later Nick met Claudia’s entire enormous family at her 21st birthday party in Paris and he got the seal of approval! We have now been together for 6 years!

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Real Jewish Brides – Charlotte: A Dress Shopping Guide For Mother Of The Bride + London Shopping Guide

by

Charlotte will be marrying James on 26th August 2018 at The Brewery, in London, UK.

THREE FACTS: (1) James proposed to Charlotte in Florence… on her parent’s 36th wedding anniversary (aaaah – we love that!)  (2) They are planning a Jewish urban-rustic wedding in East London (3) They have already decided on their wedding hashtags — it’s #dropitlikeitshart !


My top tips for Mother of the Bride (and Groom!) are as follows:

1. Let the bride be your guide

Follow the bride’s guidance for what should be okay to wear for colour, style and how formal the wedding is. Both the bride and groom will set the tone for the wedding, whether it is lounge suit for a sunny beach wedding, or more formal in a grand hotel setting. You are an integral part of the wedding, and you will want to look the part.

2. Do your research

Look at shapes that flatter you, and what will photograph well. The most flattering silhouette is A-line, as it will nip you in at the smallest part of your waistline and float away from the hips. It will suit all shapes.

Choose colours that aren’t too pale, whites, off whites, nudes or pale silvers as these will wash out under the lights in any setting, and will look too bridal as well. If the photos on the website are pale, it will look like that in real life! Also don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone when picking a dress shape. You want that wow moment as well, as you are an important part of the day!

Jewish-wedding-Duntreath-Castle-Blanefield-Scotland
Image by Ashley Coombes from Nicole and Jonny‘s Jewish wedding

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Martina Liana Bride for a Romantic Jewish Destination Wedding at La Catilina, Lake Iseo, Lombardia, Italy

by

Destination Jewish Wedding La Catilina, Lombardia, Italy_0050
There’s something about Italian weddings that just makes us want to hop on the next flight to Milan. That sunlight! Those lakes! And the olive groves! Manchester-based couple Lauren and Avi took full advantage of all of the above (and more!) after opting to marry abroad.

In search of a location with guaranteed good weather and no more than a few hours’ flight from the UK, they found their dream spot overlooking Lake Iseo in Lombardia, in northern Italy.

Their venue, La Catilina, has the most breathtaking views, and, ever the considerate hosts, the couple were also drawn to its shaded areas and air-conditioned reception rooms to keep their guests cool in that bright Italian sunlight.

Lauren and Avi’s wedding aesthetic was minimal and romantic; the pair wanted to complement the fantastic views rather than distract from them. They went for a soft color scheme focused on whites and pinks, reflected in the white and pink O’Hara roses adorning the tabletops and their lovely, simple chuppah (made from locally sourced timber!).

Bride Lauren looked positively radiant in her lace Martina Liana gown with a statement train, and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Hebrewear supplied kippot and benchers for the guests.

Since Lauren and Avi both work for photography and videography studio Flix’n’Pix–in fact, Avi co-founded it with his brother!–so there was never any question as to who was going to capture their day. Take a look at the photos, and I think you’ll agree they did a fantastic job. Now over to Lauren, who’s shared a delightful writeup of her day.

Destination Jewish Wedding La Catilina, Lombardia, Italy_0050Destination Jewish Wedding La Catilina, Lake Iseo Lombardia, Italy_0050Destination Jewish Wedding La Catilina, Lake Iseo Lombardia, Italy_0050Destination Jewish Wedding La Catilina, Lake Iseo Lombardia, Italy_0050
A Stunning Lakeside Venue

Lauren, the bride: We knew we wanted to get married abroad with guaranteed weather and no more than a few hours on a plane for our guests to travel. We chose to look at venues in Italy and found our perfect venue overlooking Lake Iseo. Apart from the breathtaking views at La Catilina, it also had multiple shaded areas and air-conditioned reception rooms for our guests to gather to enjoy drinks and nibbles while we had our wedding photographs.

 Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Garden-Themed Jewish Wedding with an Allure Bridals Gown at Duntreath Castle, Blanefield, Scotland, UK

by

Jewish-wedding-Duntreath-Castle-Blanefield-Scotland
Today’s Scottish stunner of a Jewish wedding is right out of a fairy tale. Nicole and Jonny’s day at Duntreath Castle in Scotland was chock full of dreamy florals, with the elegant grounds and gardens serving as a stunning backdrop to the festivities.

These two made the most of their Scottish setting, with a piper greeting guests as they arrived at the castle, creative Scottish-themed canapà©s (mini glasses of Irn-Bru, anyone?!), and a whisky bar featuring bottles of malt from each of Scotland’s whiskey regions. Love it!

The couple planned their wedding all the way from Sydney. Luckily, Nicole’s parents in Glasgow had just retired at the time of the couple’s engagement, and they were able to devote themselves to wedding planning fulltime!

From meeting with vendors in the couple’s place to building the chuppah–Nicole’s dad made it from scratch, and her mum turned her own wedding dress into the canopy! This wedding was truly a family affair…

Photographer Ashley Coombes documentary-style work captured the day perfectly. Now over to Nicole to fill us in on all the details.

Jewish-wedding-Duntreath-Castle-Blanefield-ScotlandJewish-wedding-Duntreath-Castle-Blanefield-Scotland

Jewish-wedding-Duntreath-Castle-Blanefield-Scotland Jewish-wedding-Duntreath-Castle-Blanefield-Scotland
How We Met

Nicole, the bride: We met through close friends who introduced us.
Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Martina Liana Bride for a Beachy Jewish Wedding in Delray Beach, Florida, USA

by

Jewish wedding Delray Beach , Florida USA_0023
It’s always a pleasure to write up the wedding of one of our Real Jewish Brides, and today’s is no exception! We love that Dawn and Harley made their Jewish wedding all about family and friends. With a “basketball team-sized” wedding party, friendors aplenty, a delicious kosher pareve cake from Smashing The Glass Recommend Vendor Ana Paz Cakes to include kosher-keeping guests, and plenty of family participation in the ceremony, the couple’s day was truly centered around the people they love.

Dawn, a career counselor, and Harley, an online entrepreneur, chose to hold their elegant beach-themed wedding at the Delray Beach Marriott in Delray Beach, Florida, out of deference to their many out-of-town guests.

Their day was captured beautifully by Jack Bates Photography, which is owned by a friend of the couple. Their videographers were also friends–Shelley, the female half of the husband and wife duo behind Gibson Production, even did double duty as a bridesmaid!

And did we mention that Dawn chose her gorgeous Martina Liana gown a whopping 14 months before the wedding?! She made an appointment on a whim after learning about an end-of-season sale, and, despite having barely begun her search, knew she’d found the one.

We’re sad to say goodbye to Dawn here on STG, but we’re sure you’ll enjoy reading about the day in her own words!

Jewish wedding Delray Beach , Florida USA_0049

Jewish wedding Delray Beach , Florida USA_0023

Jewish wedding Delray Beach , Florida USA_0023
How we met

Dawn, the bride: in the summer of 2013, Harley and I both joined JDate. He was moving to South Florida by himself from Montreal and looking to make a connection, and I may have been a bit bored in graduate school looking for some Jewish romance! Although neither of us actually lived in Palm Beach County at the time (he still had a few more weeks in Montreal, and although I am originally from Palm Beach I had one more year of graduate school in North Florida), we both indicated that we were from the area and showed up in each other’s searches. We began messaging, Facebook-ing, texting, and Skype-ing (to ensure that neither one was a 60-year-old cat lady) every day until we finally met on June 24th, 2013… just hours after he had officially moved to the United States!

Continue ReadingContinue Reading