Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

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“My best Jewish wedding photo” by Jez Dickson

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A weekly series where  I ask some of the world’s best wedding photographers to pick out their favourite shot from their Jewish wedding portfolio. This week it’s the turn of  Jez Dickson.

Jez-Dickson

‘The Moment’ by  Jez Dickson

The one thing that strikes me about any Jewish wedding I shoot is how close and tight knit everyone is and how much joy and celebration is afforded towards the couple. This image is not your groom in the sky ‘hero’ shot which tends to attract more comments and plaudits but one that illustrates what a Jewish wedding stands for.

The Bride &  Groom had originally planned to get married  in Israel but unforeseen circumstances meant a re-locate at just ten days notice to Rosewood London  and this moment was the culmination of not only a job well done by all in pulling it off, but it also marked the end of a rather brilliant surprise flash mob performance by the whole wedding! Unbeknown to bride and groom, everyone in attendance had been roped into the practice and perfect it prior to the big day and it went down a storm.

Moments are what create great photographs. The depiction of a true moment in time will always override perfectly composed or technically flawless images and for me this image represents a moment when everything clicked. I was just lucky enough to witness it!”

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Friday Night Recipes #3 – Beef Stew with rice (a.k.a. a brilliant recipe for busy bees!)

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Friday-night-dinner
Eating is a necessity, but cooking truly is an art. With the busy lives we lead nowadays, trying to keep up with never-ending life goals means that a lot of us  find it hard to dish out delicious meals after a hard day’s work in the rat race.

But the good news is that not every amazingly scrumptious dish takes an insanely long time to prepare. The thought of spending hours in the kitchen slaving over food after an honest day’s work, leaves most of us deflated, frazzled and drinking the wine we should actually be cooking with. Sometimes, all you need are good quality ingredients, and a trusted slow cooker followed by a hearty appetite with enchanting family or dinner guests.

Today’s  alternative Friday night dinner  recipe is just that.  It’s  perfect for you and your loved one(s), a big family gathering, and  even  the Friday night before a wedding celebration as  the  recipe actually allows you to spend  plenty of time with your family, friends and guests. The slow cooker takes on the brunt of the work involved, making it  the perfect end-of-the-week recipe.

This is the third  in our monthly series  of brilliant Friday night recipes. If you missed Mark’s  earlier culinary  delights, they’re right here.

beef-stew-recipe

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A Justin Alexander Bride for a bagel-themed Jewish wedding at Bevis Marks + Andaz London Liverpool Street, London, UK

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Justin-Alexander-Bride-for-a-Jewish-wedding-at-Andaz-London-Liverpool-Street
Todays couple had a bagel themed wedding, inspired by their surname, with bagels brought in from the legendary Beigel Bake in Brick Lane… I mean, could this Jewish wedding get any better?!

Well yes it could when Shaun Taylor is behind the lens, and my goodness aren’t his images beautiful? What’s more, the bride and groom found him via Smashing The Glass. Nicola & Simon told me,

We love your blog as it showcases the best weddings, but not by budget, size or glamour — you go after the individual personality of the wedding and the touches, which we really like. We found Shaun Taylor through your site via an advertising banner. We saw his work and it was exactly what we were after.”

Well that does make me happy! Nicola & Simon got married in Bevis Marks, the oldest synagogue in the UK, and a stone’s throw from their reception venue, The Andaz, in the City of London. The bride wore a sensational fishtail Justin Alexander dress, and looked absolutely incredible. Her bridesmaids rocked Jenny Packham, and just wait till you see the Jewish dancing images – off the scale!

Oh.. and they also had the most wonderful hashtag printed inside their kippot ‘#BestKuppleEver’.

This is SUCH a lovely wedding, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

A Justin Alexander Bride for a Jewish wedding at Andaz London Liverpool StreetA Justin Alexander Bride for a Jewish wedding at Andaz London Liverpool Street_0154

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“My best Jewish wedding photo” by Ash Nayler

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A weekly series where  I ask some of the world’s best wedding photographers to pick out their favourite shot from their Jewish wedding portfolio. This week it’s the turn of  Ash Nayler.

Ash-Nayler

‘A  Modern Orthodox Jewish wedding’ by  Ash Nayler Photography

This was one of my first Modern Orthodox Jewish weddings. I was nervous to be shooting most of the photos after dark and, in the winter. Although I photographed  many lovely portraits of the couple, I feel this image represents so well the fullness, the anticipation and the huge celebratory feeling of Jewish weddings.

If I remember rightly, whilst I shot this photo, I got stepped on, bumped, and had my camera knocked around, but it was worth it! “

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Have you considered an Unplugged Wedding?

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UNPLUGGED-WEDDINGS
This is a guest post by Anne Kleinberg

An unplugged wedding is when you ask your family, friends and guests to turn off their phones, tablets, cameras and other digital distractions during the ceremony and / or reception.

After your wonderful wedding is over, the recollections of your big day will be etched into your heart and mind forever. While no doubt you will have myriad photos and films to look at again and again, it will be the memories that you carry within you that will be the most exceptional: the gleam in your father’s eye; a loving touch on your shoulder; the admiring glimpse of someone you haven’t seen for ages — those will be your most treasured mementos.

With all the planning, there’s an element you may not have considered which can affect the atmosphere. It’s the question of how you want to treat the use of digital devices at the wedding. It might be a phone buzzing (assuming your guests have the sense to turn off the ringers), a camera clicking or an iPad blocking the view. People today have a tendency to be so totally involved with their devices that they often miss the real life experiences happening around them.

There are endless examples on the Internet as to how devices have interfered with the sanctity of the marriage ceremony. I live in Israel and while I know this is by no way common elsewhere, here in the Levant it is perfectly acceptable to be on your phone before, during and after the ceremony. I actually witnessed a man answer a call and speak on his phone as he was walking up to the chuppah to bless the couple and offer one of the Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings). No one but me seemed horrified.

unplugged wedding
Images top to bottom: David Bastianoni | Chris Giles Photography | Chris Giles Photography

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