Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Plan the Egyptian Honeymoon of Your Dreams with SUNRISE Resorts & Cruises

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Royal Pool, White Hills Resort

Picking a destination for your honeymoon is one of the most fun parts of wedding planning. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and no doubt you want to go somewhere truly unforgettable. And while the usual suspects (looking at you, Maldives and Bali!) have lots to recommend them, there are so many wonderful honeymoon destinations off the beaten track – like Egypt.

While you may think of Egypt as a place to go to take in the history, the country also happens to be home to some truly stunning beach resorts on the Red Sea – and SUNRISE Resorts & Cruises are responsible for some of the very best, with properties to suit all honeymooning tastes. We’ll be looking at two of their most popular destinations for honeymoons, White Hills Resort and Meraki Resort.

Reception, White Hills Resort

White Hills Resort

 
White Hills Resort is the perfect spot for those couples in search of the perfect place to chill after all the craziness of the big day.

Sunrise Pool at White Hills Resort

At White Hills, you’ll be enveloped in up-to-the-minute serene luxury with a futuristic twist. 

Deluxe Swim Up Beach Front Room, White Hills Resort

They’ve got a stunning beach front, incredible pools, and the most soothing, spa-like guest digs.

The Beach at White Hills Resort

And of course, being the perfect chill-out destination, they’ve got a truly decadent spa to help you unwind.

Swim Up Pool, White Hills Resort

Every detail at White Hills is just SO sleek and stylish. 

Yades Greek Restaurant, Meraki Resort

Meraki Resort

 

 Meraki Resort, on the other hand, is all about the party, as an adults-only clubbing resort with daily themed parties. 

Utopia Beach Club Pool, Meraki Resort

It’s truly a one-of-a-kind spot, and just the place to go if you want to keep that party feeling going a little bit longer once the big day has passed. 

Ophelia Lobby, Meraki Resort

Meraki’s got a boho chic vibe, ensuring that whether you’re partying or lounging, you’ll be in the most stylish of surroundings.

Hall of Fame Jacuzzi Suite, Meraki Resort

Whichever resort you choose, you’re sure to make memories that will last a lifetime. Whether lounging in your room or hanging at the beach, you’ll be surrounded by unmatched luxury. SUNRISE Resorts & Cruises are known for their excellent customer service, and you can expect your every need to be met by the attentive staff.    

I know I’m tempted to run off and book an Egyptian holiday ASAP! There’s really no place chicer – or more Instagrammable – to celebrate your newly wedded status. 

Meraki Resort

FIND OUT MORE

Meraki Resort

Website | info@merakiresort.com

96A, Ra’s Nasrani, Sharks Bay, Sharm El Sheikh
South Sinai, Egypt

White Hills Resort

Website | info.wh@sunrise-resorts.com

96A, Ra’s Nasrani, Sharks Bay, Sharm El Sheikh
South Sinai, Egypt

SUNRISE Resorts & Cruises 

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SUNRISE Resorts & Cruises is a Smashing The Glass handpicked sponsor and this is a sponsored post. We only ever work with sponsors that we absolutely ADORE and would use ourselves. You can find out more about sponsored posts here.

Our Top 18 Hanukkah Gift Ideas for 2022

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Hanukkah’s coming up fast – it starts the night of Sunday, December 18! If you’re looking for a little gifting inspo – for your loved ones or yourself – we’ve rounded up some of our very favorite Hanukkah gift options for 2022. 

It seems like every year we’re treated to more and more Festival of Lights-themed goodies, from small Jewish business and big brands alike, and in 2022 the showing is stronger than ever – including our very own Jewish Joy Journal, the first ever Jewish gratitude journal (you can read more about it below)! 

We’re loving all the Jewish rep out in the world this Hanukkah season, and we’re so excited to share some of our top picks with you. There’s fun Hanukkah swag to suit all tastes and budgets, from sweets to fashion, music to home decor, and beyond…

Blue Glitter Dreidel Stud Earrings by Ariel Tidhar

This Hanukkah, dreidels aren’t just for playing with, thanks to these fun acrylic stud earrings, handmade in New York City.

Challah Board by Yaeli Vogel

This stunning challah tray’s got the perfect color palette for the Festival of Lights – but it’ll also look gorgeous on your Shabbat table all year round. 

Indigo Crystal Dreidel Knotted Headband by Lele Sadoughi 

A statement headband all blinged out for the Festival of Lights? Um, yes please!

Newport Salt & Pepper Set by Jonathan Adler

How good would these salt and pepper shakers look on your Hanukkah table?!

Rainbow Menorahs Glass Tray by Arielle Zorger

This stylish glass tray is the perfect thing to catch those candle wax drips as you light your menorah each night!

Jewish Joy Journal

Part goal planner, part gratitude journal, part non-judgmental Jewish BFF, The Jewish Joy Journal (written and created by ME!) will help us, as Jewish women, connect more deeply with our Jewish identity, achieve our goals, and increase our happiness, resilience, and productivity during challenging times.

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A Jasmine Bridal Bride for a Jewish Wedding with a View at The Venue at Greenbriar Estate, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA

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Madison-Jacob-The-Venue-at-Greenbrier-Estate-Gatlinburg-Tennessee

When you choose to get married in a spot with breathtaking natural scenery, it just makes sense to let your setting take the lead as you plan your day. That’s what Madison, who’s pursuing a PhD in social work at the University of Texas at Austin, and Jacob, who works for a tech startup, did in crafting their Jewish wedding at The Venue at Greenbrier Estate outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, overlooking the majestic Smoky Mountains National Park.

When planning their classically elegant day, they took their cues from the magic of the mountains that surrounded them, choosing a blue and green color palette and working with

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Brit Colors to design a custom ketubah depicting a sun rising over the mountains – as a nod do their venue, and also a beautiful symbol of the beginning of their life together as husband and wife. The ketubah turned out, in Madison’s words, “more beautiful than anything we ever imagined” – don’t miss it in the wonderful photos from Mandy Hart!

We also love the emphasis Madison and Jacob put on involving their families in their day. They involved loved ones in their ceremony and rented two cabins across from the venue, where they stayed with their respective families prior to the wedding. Even their choice to marry amidst the Smokies was inspired by Jacob’s family’s deep connections to the national park.

This day was just packed with so much joy – read on for Madison’s recounting of the full wedding…

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How We Met

Madison, the bride: We met at The University of Alabama in our first year. After being friends for a year we started dating and have been together ever since!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Thankful for Being Jewish

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It’s the day before Thanksgiving and even though I’m British and don’t celebrate myself, I love that the Jewish values of togetherness, connection and gratitude are infused into this holiday.

Gratitude is something that was instilled in me from a young age by my late mother, and I’ve been focusing on it even more so in the last year since she died, as I’ve worked on my new Jewish Joy Journal.

That even when the biggest challenges of your life show up you still can find so many things within yourself to be grateful for.

And it’s not just grieving the loss of my one-in-a-billion mother that has been challenging this last year.

The layer of being Jewish in a non-Jewish world has started to feel more challenging over the past year too.

My Jewishness is such a huge part of my identity, and while I’m committed to fighting Jew hatred, I can’t help feeling it’s more important than ever to make sure we don’t let antisemitism define our Jewish identities.

There’s so much meaning and beauty to be found in Judaism – and the more I focus on all there is to love about being Jewish, the more grateful I feel to be part of this community.

If you’re ready to feel the most contented, calm and resilient you’ve ever felt, despite any challenges facing you, the Jewish Joy Journal is the perfect tool – and, after selling out in the pre sale, it’s now on general sale – the perfect Hanukkah gift for yourself or loved ones!

Part goal planner, part gratitude journal, part non-judgmental Jewish BFF, this journal will fill your life with daily joy, purpose, and nourishing Jewish values – all the things that will help you fall in love with your life – and with being Jewish in ’22 and beyond!

This 6 month journal is designed to help you connect more deeply with your Jewish identity, achieve your goals, and live a more fulfilling, joy-filled life.

The Jewish Joy Journal will help you:

  • ✔ Reconnect with who you truly are – Jewishly, professionally, and personally
  • ✔ Feel happier and more resilient
  • ✔ Plan and track progress towards your biggest goals

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An Ava Rose Hamilton Bride for a Rustic Country House Jewish Wedding at Merrydale Manor, Manchester, UK

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Lillie-Conor-Merrydale-Manor-Manchester-UK

We’re in love with London couple Lillie and Conor’s rustic country house Jewish wedding! The pair wanted to wed in countryside splendor near the bride’s hometown of Manchester, and did Merrydale Manor ever fit the bill!

The couple decided to keep their décor simple, playing up the rustic greenery of their surroundings, and we especially adore what they did with their chuppah – check it out in the photos by Rob Clayton.

When it came to music, Lillie and Conor knew they needed a knock out band with lots of Jewish wedding experience. In the end, they settled on Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ambassador Band, and they couldn’t be more thrilled with the choice they made. From the chuppah, where Yair from the band sang Lillie and Conor down the aisle with melodious Israeli classics, to the party, where Ambassador Band’s 9-piece kept the dance floor packed, the music set the tone of the day so perfectly.

We were also delighted to hear that Lillie and Conor decided to set up their wedding gift list with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Wedding Shop – but we’ll leave it to the bride herself to share more about that, and all the rest of the details of this fabulous day…

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How we Met

Lillie, the bride: We met back in the summer of 2012 where we were both spending the season working at a summer camp in California, but it wasn’t until we both decided to return to the same summer camp the following year that we got together! I am a marketing manager for a charity and Conor is a food taster for Tesco working in their insight team. Continue ReadingContinue Reading