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Tslil & Maor | Super cool fancy dress Jewish wedding at Bikta Bayar, Carmel Forest, Israel

28/05/2014 by Karen

This morning lovelies we’re jetting off to the land of milk and honey for Tslil and Maor’s riotous Purim inspired fancy dress affair. For those that don’t know, Purim is a jolly carnival-like Jewish holiday marked by parades and costume parties involving everyone dressing up to the max in masks and fancy dress outfits.

So any wedding that happens around Purim soaks up some of this merriment, and obviously that means extra drinking, extra fun, and of course, lots of dressing up! With Tslil and Maor’s entertaining fancy dress theme and a great wedding mindset (read their advice to others at the bottom of the piece to see what I mean) they created an effortlessly cool wedding with a very warm vibe. Yes, the two CAN go together.

You also need to know that Tslil wore not one but TWO sensational dresses! What’s more she designed them both herself! How immense is that?

Check out this joyous day for yourselves that was captured in all its glory by Barak Aharon. And if you love couple shots in the wilds of nature then you are in for a treat!

VENUE
We got married in Bikta B’Yaar in a place called Beit Oren near Haifa. We wanted a location surrounded by nature, but because the wedding was scheduled for winter we had to go with the inside option. Even though winter in Israel is known to have its warm days, we didn’t want to take a chance and planned an indoor event right from the beginning.

Mikah & Alex | Brunch themed Jewish wedding with lots of personal touches (and a juggling rabbi!) at the Berkeley Oceanfront, NJ, USA

21/05/2014 by Karen

Who says weddings have to be afternoon or evening affairs? Late morning is absolutely open too–and if your favourite meal of the day is brunch (like Mikah and Alex’s is) then you need look no further for inspiration for creating a really personal brunch wedding than right here.

And there are so many great reasons to serve brunch for your wedding food. It’s a great way to stick to your budget, a safe bet for picky eaters, and, hello…waffle bar!? And if you don’t think a brunch wedding can feel formal or special, Mikah and Alex’s w-day will totally prove you wrong. Grab your mimosa and ogle over Adia Photography’s gorgeous images, and watch out for some really fabulous touches like 14 different cakes for their table centrepieces (genius), ‘advice cards’ instead of a guest book, über-personal wedding favours, and best of all… a juggling rabbi!

HOW WE MET
Mikah, the Bride: Firstly, I have to say that since my friend’s Sarit & Ari’s wedding was posted on Smashing the Glass, I have followed your site religiously. I love it! Alex and I met online. In April 2010, I received an instant message from a law student on OKCupid. Alex listed one of his favourite books as Flowers for Algernon, and I was intrigued. At the time, I usually limited first dates to no more than 20 minutes. When Alex and I met in-person for tea a few weeks later in DuPont Circle, we had an immediate connection: not only did we go out for tea, he asked me out to dinner that same night, which I agreed to, and he walked me home. I always tell him that while the date was great, it was the fact that he grabbed my hand to hold it on the walk back to my apartment that made me swoon.

10 of the coolest London wedding venues

16/05/2014 by Karen

Image: Vowed & Amazed

UPDATED: September 2016

Today’s post is written by Deirdre from Chic & Boutique Wedding Venues. Deirdre curates only the coolest, hippest and most fabulous wedding venues, and I’m thrilled that she’s picked out 10 extraordinary London spots covering every kind of style, for capacities of 25 all the way up to 700!

Take your pick from these 10 London gems…

London is filled to the brim with beautiful, elegant and unusual wedding venues, but it can be difficult to make that final decision without a good filter. We’ve vetted and selected these 10 unique, chic and boutique venues, all located in London, and all as eclectic as the brides and grooms to whom we aspire to appeal. Tuck in to our list and find that perfect spot for your wedding!

Kensington Roof Gardens, London W8 (max. capacity 500)

Flamingos and Mandarin ducks thrive in an abundance of nature on the roof of number 99 Kensington High Street, – super cool, right?! In the heart of London there’s an oasis of ‘wow’ for when you want to create a wedding with charm, originality and elegance. Have a look at this real wedding at Kensington Roof Gardens as an example!

The Gardens include The Spanish Garden, based on the Alhambra in Granada which has a distinct Moorish flavour; The Tudor Garden which uses red brick walls and four Tudor style arches to take you back to another age, and The English Woodland Garden which blooms with colour when thousands of narcissus, crocus, muscari, snowdrops, and bluebells burst into life every Spring. The English Woodland is also where the birds live including Mandarin and Carolina Wood Ducks which are native to the Southern hemisphere as well as the star resident Flamingos.

You can tie the civil knot in its stunning indoor wedding venue and then have your religious ceremony in one of the beautiful gardens with a traditional chuppah. The Roof Gardens is also great for small or large weddings as it can host standing receptions for up to 500, sit down dinners for 200 or a more intimate wedding for only 50.

London’s Kensington Roof Gardens is a venue that gives you the best of both worlds: a garden setting with a convenient central London location.

Kensington Roof Gardens | 99 Kensington High Street | Kensington | London W8 5SA | +44 (0)20 7368 3974

Kew Gardens, Richmond, Surrey (max. capacity 400)

Kew’s Palm House is a vast, light, lofty space that accommodates enormous tropical large palms, boasts 16,000 panes of glass and is considered the most important surviving Victorian iron and glass structure in the world. The Palm House is a truly original backdrop for your wedding that could take place in one of the four following venues on offer at this multi-venue location.

First is Cambridge Cottage, which is the former royal residence of the Duke of Cambridge. Within the cottage grounds is the Duke’s Garden which is perfect for outdoor drinks, photographs, summer barbeques and garden parties. A chuppah would look perfect here too.

The Garden comes with the Drawing Room, licensed for civil ceremonies for up to 80 guests and the adjoining Gallery housing beautiful botanical artwork which can also accommodate 80 guests for a sit down dinner. Alternatively both rooms and the garden can be hired for a standing reception of 150.

There’s also the Nash Conservatory which is licensed for civil ceremonies for up to 200 guests. If desired, the Nash Conservatory and lawn may be used to erect a chuppah for a religious ceremony, followed by pre-dinner drinks before moving on to the Orangery for an evening wedding dinner and dance.

Other venues available for hire at Kew Gardens include The Princess of Wales Conservatory and The Orangery.

Kew Gardens | Royal Botanic Gardens | Kew, Richmond | Surrey, TW9 3AB | +44 (0)20 8332 5641

Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch, London EC1 (max. capacity 900)

I’m literally obsessed with this spanking new venue in the the heart of the old East End of London, Shoreditch.

Once the Old Street Magistrates’ Court and Police Station—where notorious East End gangland brothers Ronnie and Reggie Kray were once held, this Grade II listed Baroque styled building has been transformed into a £40million luxury hotel, the Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch.

Steeped in history, the 128-room Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch offers guests a rather more comfortable stay than the cells which held the notorious Kray twins, as well as a heated indoor swimming pool, a 196-seat cinema, a luxury spa, a bowling alley and a sky terrace overlooking London.

Five of the notorious former magistrates’ court’s cramped 5ft x 15ft cells have been transformed into a bar area, and guests can have a tipple in the spot where the Krays appeared at their first criminal hearing in 1965.

The holding areas, three of which are named after local criminals, still have their metal reinforced doors in tact and one even features a hard bench and commode used by prisoners.

With a maximum capacity of 900 and with so many luxury and unique facilities this stunning hotel is the perfect venue for a large wedding, honeymoon or hen/stag weekend; it’s in a great central location to boot.

Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch | 335 – 337 Old St | Shoreditch | London EC1V 9LL | +44 (0)20 3310 5555

Bush Hall, Shepherds Bush, London W12 (max. capacity 375)

When you think of a Dancehall you think of London and one of its most popular music scenes. And when you check out Bush Hall you know this was, and still is, the most decadent Dance Hall of its day.

Nestled in the heart of Shepherds Bush, the Hall is a jewel in the crown of West London proper. Built in 1904, it was a grand dance hall through the Roaring Twenties, subsequently suiting various purposes thereafter including soup kitchen duty during WWII and a Mod rehearsal space for the likes of The Who. Since then it has been lovingly restored to its former glory as an Edwardian dance hall.

Even more cool is that Bush Hall is still an independent live concert venue boasting Adele, Amy Winehouse and Florence & The Machine as previous performers.

This amazing ‘hall’ doubles up as a unique and elegant wedding reception space offering a wide range of options, allowing you the versatility to tailor the event to your own requirements. This could include wedding receptions of up to 180 seated guests or a fun and funky drinks reception until the early hours…

A wedding licence isn’t held, however blessings, chuppahs, and private ceremonies are welcomed.

Bush Hall | 310 Uxbridge Road | Shepards Bush | London W12 7LJ | +44 (0)20 8222 6955
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Cheryl & Ernest | Super-special + meaningful Jewish wedding at The Long Center, Austin, Texas, USA

13/05/2014 by Karen

Sometimes I think we forget that a wedding is about more than just the Bride and Groom. Weddings are also about two families coming together; the start of a new generation — but also about appreciating the older generation who have loved you and supported you through the good and the bad times.

Cheryl and Ernest’s wedding is a real celebration of that. Their chuppah (pictured above — and isn’t it one of the most beautiful you’ve ever clapped eyes on?) is the most meaningful and moving one I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen many! It’s a tribute to Cheryl’s mother who tragically passed away just as Cheryl and Ernest were embarking on their wedding planning, and it’s exquisitely made out of Cheryl’s mother’s clothes and other momentous pieces including her grandmother’s wedding dress and a shirt her mum had kept of her grandfather’s after he had died.

How special is that?

I also have to mention that they dreamed up a brilliant idea for their ‘conversation starter’ escort cards — scroll down to see what I’m talking about — in fact these two made sure that they spoilt their guests with little treats here and there throughout their entire celebration ensuring that everyone had a day to remember.

Enough of me, I’m going to hand over to our gorgeous Bride, Cheryl, and the fabulous images of Daniel C. Photography, and let you lovelies experience this heart-warming, life-affirming, hearty big day for yourselves.

Michal & Samuel | Intimate Israeli-Swiss Wedding at Kibbutz Ein Gev, Sea of Galilee, Israel, with the bride and groom in flip flops!

29/04/2014 by Karen

Michal and Samuel met whilst traveling across South America and dated long distance for some time, flying back and forth between Switzerland (where Samuel is from) and Israel, until they decided to make a life together in Tel Aviv.

For their wedding they wanted everyone to have an amazing, relaxed time and didn’t want anything too formal or stuffy. Their focus from the start was on food, drink and intimacy and they held their wedding where Michal grew up, and her parents still live, in a kibbutz in the north of Israel called Ein Gev on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (or Lake Kinneret as it’s known in Israel).

It’s an amazing kibbutz all about family and togetherness, with a communal, peaceful and natural atmosphere. This is the exact ambience that they wanted for their wedding, and is very much in the spirit of who they are. Michal in her own words even “went for the most untypical bride shoes – flip flops. April on the beach… who needs anything more?!”

Samuel’s close family and friends flew in from Switzerland, and with the couple wanting to bring a mixture of Israeli and Swiss culture to their wedding, Samuel’s family brought over Swiss wine, cheese and meats for the party (all spread out and packed in their suitcases)! They also had what I personally think is a genius idea of an ice cream bar for dessert.

It’s a beautiful authentic wedding with the chuppah taking place just after sunset. Michal, the Bride, is here to tell you all about it, along with images from the fabulous Newman Photography.

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Image: Vowed & Amazed

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