Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

It’s all about the music – Sound Generation make good weddings exceptional…

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Well at least this years Oscars started well. Ahem. Obvious gaffe aside, there’s a reason why Justin Timberlake was asked to open the show with that *stunning* performance of Can’t Stop the Feeling.

Because it was fabulous and music is crucial to kick start and maintain an amazing night. Did you see the stars in the audience caught dancing? Jeff Bridges, Javier Bardem, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman among them – all shaking off the pre-awards tension.

But that’s the Oscars, so how important is music at a wedding? Well, if you want it to be a memorable one, then VERY. Music creates the atmosphere and galvanises the memories of your big day. It’s the heartbeat – coercing cheers, tears and driving the dance floor. And with that in mind, today I’m posting about a live music provider for weddings that you really must know about — Sound Generation.

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Why we heart Sound Generation

Sound Generation are a UK-based outfit that arrange some of the finest singers and bands to play at (good) Jewish weddings. Their acts — all of whom work full time in the industry – are highly sought after, having worked with global music stars including Beyonce, Rhianna, Ed Sheeran and Tony Bennett.

They have artists that cover all traditional Jewish wedding favourites, as well as harpists, pianists, jazz trios, DJs, string quartets, party bands, acoustic duos… you name it. Sound Generation’s acts are so impressive that they’re regularly seen performing at Ronnie Scott’s, Wembley Arena, the O2 and The Royal Albert Hall. This is the real deal folks!

And they so happen to have organised the music at the real wedding I chose to open 2017 with — the sensational Jewish wedding of Amy and Adam. 

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Just imagine the entertainment at YOUR wedding… what style are you leaning towards? Sound Generation can provide oodles of audible food for thought 

How about Louise? A phenomenally talented singer-songwriter who’s performed at Glastonbury and Isle of Wight Festival, is a regular at Ronnie Scott’s and Jazz Cafà©, and has supported the likes of En Vogue, George Benson, Roberta Flack, and The Stylistics.

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A big fat Jewish-Greek wedding with a Catherine Deane gown and a superb bridal entrance on the beach in Crete

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The only type of wedding that compares culturally to a Jewish wedding is, of course, a big fat Greek wedding. So, as you can imagine, a combination of the two makes for a pretty epic Mediterranean family-centric celebration!

Christina and Oryan tied the knot on the beach in beautiful Crete, owing to both the bride and groom’s Greek and Greek-Cypriot backgrounds, and the convenient short hop from Israel, where Oryan has family ties.

We adore the laid-back feel of this gorgeous destination wedding, with the bride making her grand entrance on donkey-back, the couple exchanging vows barefoot on the beach (with one notable moment as an exception) and Greek / Israeli food and dancing.

The pair kept things simple, with no bridal party and ensuring that everything had a natural, organic feel to it. We LOVE the simplicity of the wooden Chuppah with its delicate floral arrangements perfectly framing the view of the sea. Stunning.

Family played a huge role in the ceremony, with both of the bride and groom’s sisters being given a significant part to play.

Oh, and Christina’s Catherine Deane dress was simply perfect — elegant, bridal, flattering and beach-wedding beautiful.  

Christina and Oryan wrote up the story of their real wedding together as a couple, and we’re delighted to hear the story from both of their perspectives, so we’ll hand over to them now to tell us more…

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How we met

Christina and Oryan, the bride and groom: We met through mutual friends in NYC. We had both moved to New York in 2010 and had mutual friends in common through which we were introduced. We remained friends for several years before starting to date in 2014.

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A chic Israeli wedding with a Tali & Marianna gown at The Q, Galil Yam, Israel

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In true Israeli style, Liron and Rotem’s elegant outdoor wedding was all about family. For beautiful bride, Rotem, the only thing that truly mattered was having her loved ones around her as she married the man of her dreams.

With such a breathtaking venue, not much embellishment was needed. The wedding was tastefully understated, with a real focus on creating an amazing atmosphere, fabulous food and partying late into the night.

Glamourous Rotem looked every bit the red-carpet siren in her stunning Tali & Marianna gown, which was custom made for her by the Tel Aviv designer.

We love the story of the special video that Rotem’s father made for the happy couple — simply adorable and totally worth looking out for.

All of the joy, tears and laughter were captured by Smashing Supplier Dror Einav with whom Rotem and Liron had a special rapport.

We’ll pass you over to Rotem now for all the details on her and Liron’s big day. Take it away, Rotem!

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How we met

Rotem, the bride: We met when we both were in the Israeli navy. We were a group of friends from the base that hung out together a lot of nights and one night he called me to come visit him on his ship. I came as a friend and didn’t really think about him like that, but the rest is history: I just fell in love.
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Review of Sassi Holford’s Twenty17 Collection, Occasionwear, and Mother Of The Bride collections – plus a Facebook Live chat with the designer herself

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All images by Kate Nielen

One of the best things about being a wedding blogger is, undoubtedly, that I get to go and gaze at exquisite wedding gowns — for my job! For that reason and many others, including the impulse to share cutting-edge bridal fashion with you guys, I’m really passionate about promoting incredible bridal designers.

Sassi HolfordSassi Holford EveningwearSassi Holford With that in mind, it was a real treat to be invited to the 2017 Open Day of the one and only Sassi Holford, a leading international designer with a plethora of awards and accolades, earned over 35 years in bridal design. As the official blogger I wanted to get ALL the coverage so I asked Sassi if she would do a Facebook Live showcasing her designs and talking about current wedding trends.

With the opportunity to interview such a wedding world heavyweight, I came dressed for the occasion (even wearing a floral dress to echo one of Sassi’s most sublime designs, and my Emmy London shoes) — and armed with questions.

Sassi Holford_ Sassi Holford_0231Sassi Holford_0252Despite a couple of small hiccoughs with the live feed, it was a fabulous experience, which you can catch up with above — and a couple more at the end of the post. (Also, a very special thank you and shout out to Pamela and Andrea, who did my makeup to perfection).

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A rustic Jewish wedding with an abundance of flowers and a Sophia Tolli dress at Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire, UK

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Everyone — stop what you’re doing right now and take a moment to stare at this stunningly floral Chuppah in all its glory. As far as Chuppah game goes, this is seriously top notch: we can’t stop gazing at that abundance of cascading flowers — too beautiful for words!

Now that we’ve got that out of our system: Jade and Adam’s Jewish wedding at the achingly rustic-cool Soho Farmhouse was packed with personalised detail. From the fabulous pink and white floral arrangements that adorned the reception to the incredibly sweet and thoughtful favours created by the couple and their families, no stone was left unturned.

To match the venue, the couple opted for a rustic theme, and this was captured in the stunning photography and incredible wedding video by  Andrew James Photography and Gorgeous Films respectively.

We love Jade’s idea of incorporating small, framed photographs of her late grandparents in her bouquet — a wonderfully personal way to honour departed loved ones. We ADORE her personalised Converse (and when we say personalised, these are something else, go and look now now now!). The speeches sweepstake is a fantastic way to keep guests entertained, a late-night greasy spoon van is absurdly clever (pre-empt those hangovers) and the doggy vodka ice luges in the shape of beloved family pets at a vet’s wedding? Bravo.

Oh, and we literally squealed with excitement when we saw the couple had replicated the bottle dance from Fiddler on The Roof — there are not enough adjectives in the world for how enthusiastic we feel about this.

Before we hand over to Jade, one thing she said is really worth highlighting. When it came to makeup, Jade said that she felt like the best version of herself, which is such a beautiful, empowering thing and we just love her for it. Over to Jade for the full story.

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How we met

Jade, the bride: Adam and I met through my work. I am a veterinary surgeon and I was his family vet.

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An authentic experience at Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire

Getting married at 36 years old, I no longer wanted the Scottish castle wedding I had dreamed of at 24. Adam and I knew we wanted something different: more us, less formal, more fun, and so when we saw Soho Farmhouse online we were delighted. It was a new venue at the time and the whole Soho House experience just appealed to us. Even though it was still a work in progress at the time of booking, we loved it and instantly knew that it was the perfect venue for us.

I loved that you left your car at the entrance, the only way to get around was by milk float, bicycle, horse or on foot. It felt like I was in another world and it made me instantly relaxed. The bespoke wellies and bicycles with name tags, the ability to collect your own eggs from the chickens, sitting on hay bales at the Chuppah, the outdoor baths, the endless cowshed shampoo and conditioners in the shower, your own personal farm hand… The list goes on! I wanted something different – I like being a bit different – hence why I have a black engagement ring.

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