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Michaela & Zac | Destination Jewish Wedding at the Great Synagogue of Rome and the St Regis, Rome, Italy

08/03/2016 by Karen

Destination-Jewish-Wedding-at-the-Great-Synagogue-of-Rome-and-the-St-Regis Rome-Italy
The extraordinary city of Rome was the inspiration behind Michaela and Zac’s regal, yet oh-so-fun, destination wedding with guests flying in from the UK, USA, Israel, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, and France, to share in the love for this gorgeous American couple.

The magical city of Rome appealed to Michaela and Zac, not only because of the far-flung nature of their guest list, but also because they had their first official date in Rome in January 2010 — how wonderfully romantic!

There are some really gorgeous Italian accents punctuating this wedding. Take the epic wedding transport — a teeny tiny mint green Italian Fiat 500 — and the choice of the legendary St. Regis Rome for the reception (originally a grand Roman palace dating back to 1894). Then there’s the jaw-dropping Great Synagogue of Rome where Michaela and Zac chose to have their ceremony (which was officiated by none other than the Chief Rabbi of Rome). Michaela says:

Zac and I both grew up in families that engaged in what we jokingly call “synagogue tourism.” If there was an old or interesting synagogue in whatever town or city our family was visiting, we had to stop by–whether for Shabbat services or a tour. We have continued that habit as a couple (and expanded it to touring places of worship of many other faiths, too), so the idea of getting married in a historic synagogue was something that felt very well-suited.”

And I must just hero worship Michaela’s mum. She not only designed Michaela’s phenomenal gown, she also created the bridesmaids dresses AND an incredible surprise gift for Michaela – a custom made and beaded clutch that depicted the couple’s beagle, Loki. He’s a major part of their lives (he even has his own Facebook page) and they were so disappointed that he wasn’t able to be involved in their wedding, so this really was the perfect gift. What a mama!

Thank you David Bastianoni for submitting this very special Jewish wedding packed full of personality. Every picture looks as though it’s from a fairytale and pitter patter doesn’t even begin to explain what my heart is doing right now… I hope you enjoy this wedding as much as I did.

Destination-Jewish-Wedding-at-the-Great-Synagogue-of-Rome-and-the-St-Regis-Rome-Italy

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“My best Jewish wedding photo” by Cotton Candy Photography

06/03/2016 by Karen

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 Gemma from Cotton Candy Photography

Cotton-Candy-Photography

‘The Parents’ by Cotton Candy Photography

Ooh this was tricky. I initially picked a dance floor shot as the dance floors at Jewish weddings are bonkers and amazing. However, I opted for this one instead. It’s not got the fanciest backdrop, it’s not even the best shot I have ever taken but it really makes me smile. This is the bride’s father and mother and the grooms father’s reaction to seeing their two children get married. The bride and groom’s parents were friends before the couple were even born, so they both grew up together and were in each others lives since birth. The two best friends and two dads both look so proud that their children are choosing to spend the rest of their lives together, it just feels like such a wonderful moment.”

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Friday Night Recipes #1 – Yummy roast chicken

04/03/2016 by Karen

Friday Night Dinner Shabbat recipes
This is the first in a monthly series of exciting  Friday Night dinner recipes that I thought might be fun for you to  try out on your beloved, as well as other loved ones in your life.  I don’t know about you, but I’m  always looking for inspiration for what to cook for Mr STG, as well as recipe ideas for when  it’s more than just the two of us for dinner.

Quite often our parents, in-laws and siblings join us for Friday nights, and it’s up to my hubby (who does most of the cooking in our house) to rustle up a beautiful dinner. I’d love to get back into cooking and contribute more in the kitchen,  so  I asked  Mark Frankel, a dear friend and talented masterchef, to share some modern takes on the traditional Shabbat meal / Friday night dinner.

I’ll be posting a brand new recipe of his on the first Friday of every month and these  dishes will be  perfect for busy souls who want tasty family dishes that don’t take all day to prepare.

I’d love you to try out the  recipes and share your  results on  Instagram using the hashtag #SmashingFridayNight. It would be so great to see your creations and of course I’ll be sharing mine too!

So let’s  hand over to Mark, our new resident chef, who is kicking off the series  with his take  on the perfect roast chicken. I mean… how could he we start the series with anything else?! This dish is perfect for when the family come over on Friday night, or for the weekend of your  wedding.

I can’t wait to see how you get on… Happy Friday!

Friday Night Dinner Shabbat Recipes Roast ChickenFriday Night Dinner Shabbat Recipe Roast ChickenFriday Night Dinner Shabbat Recipe Roast ChickenFriday Night Dinner Shabbat Recipe Roast ChickenContinue ReadingContinue Reading

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Jodie & Joel | Woodland-style rustic Jewish wedding at Luton Hoo, Hertfordshire, UK

29/02/2016 by Karen

Woodland-style-rustic-Jewish-wedding-at-Luton-Hoo
Happy 1st of the month  everyone! I hope that 2016 has been kind to you so far and that your wedding planning is going brilliantly.  If you haven’t booked  your wedding photographer yet, you might want  to enter our win your wedding photography competition with Claudine Hartzel, the brilliantly  talented camerawoman behind today’s gorgeous  Jewish wedding. Have a read of what the bride had to say about working with Claudine, further down the page — you’ll see that  if you’re the lucky couple to win this competition you’ll be starting the celebrations early!

So onto this beauty of a W Day. Although set just outside London, Jodie and Joel wanted to create a woodland-style wedding amongst  the lush gardens, lakes and waterfalls  of the beautiful  Luton Hoo  in Hertfordshire.  Initially Jodie, who runs her own mobile juicing business, wanted to get married in the middle of a forest so this setting was a perfect compromise. The table centres by  Platinum Raspberry  are particularly exceptional, and really bring the woodland theme to life.

This is a truly  inclusive wedding with family and friends involved every step of the way, from Jodie’s  step-brother singing a prayer under the chuppah (to the Indiana Jones theme tune no less), to  one of Jodie’s  oldest friends singing  Ellie Goulding’s  How Long Will I Love You   for the couple’s  first dance. Jodie’s  mum had secretly arranged  this as a surprise along with a few other  touches    – how thoughtful  is that?

Jodie has  some brilliant advice for all of you at the end of the post — I particularly love ‘Remember to say prayers for everyone you love as you circle  your groom —  it makes the ceremony that much more meaningful’.

Not only do we have the lovely images from Claudine Hartzel, but we also have the film from  Bloomsbury Films, which includes a heart warming speech from Jodie’s mum.  Without further ado, I give you Jodie and Joel.

Woodland-style rustic Jewish wedding at Luton Hoo
how we met

Jodie, the Bride:  Joel was one of my martial arts instructors. I later found him on Facebook, gave him my number, and the rest is history!

We got married in the grounds of beautiful  Luton Hoo  in Hertfordshire, just outside London. We just fell in love with the gardens — there was a lake and a waterfall and it was surrounded by trees and greenery. Initially I wanted to get married in the middle of a forest so this was a perfect compromise.

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“My best Jewish wedding photo” by Chris Mann

28/02/2016 by Karen

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  Chris Mann.

Chris-Mann

‘We did it’ by  Chris Mann

I always enjoy shooting Jewish weddings (even though they are usually quite hectic!) and this image is my  favourite because it’s a special moment just between the couple. I normally do a short portrait session with the couple during the reception – and often I pause halfway through the shoot and make some excuse about “having to change the battery in my camera”. What I actually want though is to give them a moment to themselves. It’s usually the first time they’ve had since the ceremony to just be together and think “wow, we did it!” – and of course I am ready to take the picture of that moment.”

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