Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Epic wedding photography guaranteed

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John-Nassari
Whenever  John Nassari gets behind the lens, true wedding magic ensues. The phenomenal UK-based photographer uses his  keen artistic eye, and editorial background, to capture the character and personality of his  couples, creating extraordinarily striking, truly timeless photos.

His  work really speaks for itself. I could tell you all about how he is an  internationally recognised, award-winning, insanely talented photographer. Or maybe I could mention his  passion and ability for capturing weddings in a unique and pioneering  way. All of that is 100% true but none of it tells you nearly as much as you’ll learn from looking  at his imagery.

John NassariJohn Nassari
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Ravit & Sam | Elegant & Intimate Israeli ‘white wedding’ at Beit Andromeda, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel

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ISRAELI-WEDDING
I always feel a flutter of excitement whenever I blog  an Israeli wedding. Perhaps it’s because I’m half Israeli and spent all my childhood summers, and the first 3 fabulous years of my twenties there, or maybe it’s just because it’s such an enthralling  and entertaining place and this vibe is embodied in all of the big days that take place there.

Regardless Ravit and Sam’s white-themed destination do is no exception. They’re a super stylish couple from Toronto, with really great taste. I’d like Ravit’s emerald green Mahnolo Blahnik shoes AND her floral hairpiece please. And Sam looks dapper in his tux and Ferragamo shoes. Grooms, take note — this is a great look!

The beautiful images come from Alexey Kudrik  who has captured all of the love and details.  BE Group TLV, STG’s latest Smashing Suppliers, were  the meticulous wedding planners  (just read what the bride has to say about them  at the end of the post).

Sit back and enjoy your invitation to the sun with Ravit & Sam’s wonderful Israeli  wedding.

Israeli 'white wedding' at Beit Andromeda, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Ilana & Josh | Daytime Jewish Farm Wedding at South Pond Farms, Pontypool, Canada

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DAYTIME-JEWISH-WEDDING
You can tell from the way that Ilana  and Josh  approached the planning and styling of their Jewish wedding that they’re a creative, authentic, laid-back (and eco-friendly!) couple.

They  chose to hold their ceremony outdoors, a brave move with the sometimes  temperamental weather,  but it definitely paid off as it meant that they could marry underneath a beautiful outdoor chuppah, created  by Ilana’s dad  using her  grandmother’s floral table cloth,  surrounded by greenery and with a breathtaking, uninterrupted view of the rolling  hills.

I adore this wedding for so many reasons —  it’s  full of natural and rustic details, from the seasonal handpicked wild blooms, to the incredible cakes lovingly made by Josh’s sister-in-law, to  the  meaningful family heirlooms for the chuppah and kiddush cup, and the homemade jam favours that doubled up  escort cards.

I also love Ilana’s delicate,  pretty Pronovias  dress — perfect for a daytime wedding — and Josh’s  dapper sartorial choices, and of course the dreamy portrait shots by Ash Nayler. Ash also put together a gorgeous wedding film, shown  at the end of the post, which I must admit brought a tear to my eye.

I think you’ll love it too…

Ilana  and Josh  have written their wedding report together —  it’s really lovely to hear from a Groom who had so much input into the big day.

Daytime Jewish Farm Wedding at South Pond Farms, Pontypool, CanadaDaytime Jewish Farm Wedding at South Pond Farms, Pontypool, Canada
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Roupa & Marcus | central London Jewish Hindu ‘HinJew’ wedding at The Criterion, London, UK

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Jewish-Hindu-wedding
As a huge fan of glorious  colour, multi-cultural weddings are such a visual treat for me and I love all the creative  ways that our  interfaith couples fuse their varying cultures, ceremonies and traditions into one magical blended  feast.

Today’s couple are a prime  example, and Marcus, the groom, puts  it brilliantly, “Quite simply we amalgamated both religions, building the symbolic chuppah/mandap and so weaved together a merry religious dance come ceremony.”

Roupa and Marcus’s wedding is extra special because it has two ceremonies and three (yes THREE!) gowns. So there’s thrice  as much wedding pretty for you, and it all takes place in the heart of London at the super opulent Criterion.

But I digress… Marcus and Roupa planned their spectacular, yet very laid back day in incredibly timely fashion, and in a very authentic,  creative way. Marcus says, “Roupa  was the planner, I was the protagonist and thorn in her side and together we planned a wedding from booking the venue to wedlock in around 12-14 weeks. We brought 160 guests together from all over the world, requesting the soothing colours or cream, ivory or  beige to be worn… apart from us! With the opulence of the Criterion, I added brilliant blues and greens, whilst Roupa wore gold and green, mauve, and a luscious red for her three outfits.”

You can understand why I love this wedding already, right? And I haven’t even told you about the  Brazilian carnival dancers, the Blues Brothers style entrance up to the chuppah / mandap, the thoughtful home-made wedding favours, not to mention the  the  DJ playing Mauritian  Sà©ga!

Roupa, our inspirational  bride, provides the full inside story  below, whilst all  the stunning photography is by  Matt Parry.

Jewish Hindu ‘HinJew’ wedding at The Criterion, London, UK
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Top 20 songs to play immediately after smashing the glass at a Jewish wedding!

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Breaking-The-Glass
Image by Dave & Charlotte

There’s no doubt about it, one of the theatrical highlights of any Jewish wedding is when the groom stamps his foot and smashes that glass (is it any surprise that it’s the Jewish wedding tradition this blog is named after?!).

For me, the breaking of the glass is THE moment of a Jewish wedding. With cries of ‘mazal tov’, cheering, clapping and hollering, it’s a great time to play your favourite party song to kickstart the celebrations, smooch your beloved for the first time as man and wife, and joyously embrace your loved ones.

You may want to choose a tune that’s personal to you as a couple, or perhaps something brilliantly traditional like Siman Tov U Mazal Tov or Hava Nagila, but if you want to pump up the party atmosphere, choose any one of following 20 songs.

The first 10 tunes are my top picks, whilst the following 10 come courtesy of Maya Bechor from Zebra Music, who’s an expert at gently encouraging couples to step out of their comfort zone of ordinary “wedding music”.

All 20 tunes are also handily compiled in this Spotify playlist for your entertainment pleasure.

Oh… and for the perfect accessory for smashing the glass, you’ll want one of our own-brand smash glass pouches!

Are there any other ‘breaking the glass songs’ you’ve you heard that really got the party started? Let me know in the comments section below!

1. Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Stevie Wonder


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