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Rachel & Nikki | Jewish lesbian wedding with a nature-inspired theme, at Temple Emanuel in Kensington, Maryland, USA

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Jewish-lesbian-wedding
Rachel and Nikki put together a Jewish wedding full of warmth and love with a very personal vibe. Their day was all about sharing, loving and being together, and they designed their entire ceremony so that every part of it was intentional and meaningful.  It was based on a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, with adaptations for their progressive values and the fact that they were two women.

One element I particularly love is that their processional to the chuppah was led by Nikki’s and Rachel’s 97-year-old and 87-year-old (respectively) grandmothers walking hand in hand down the aisle. Apparently there wasn’t a dry eye in the room from that moment on.

Sustainability was also central theme of their big day. For the centrepieces they chose bamboo, orchids, bonsai trees and succulents planted in driftwood. Guests were able to take these home with them and Nikki and Rachel said how wonderful it has since been to visit family and friends after the wedding and see the plants in people’s homes.

Rachel and Nikki are here to tell you more about their special day, along with images from Michael Temchine.

Temple Emanuel wedding
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Chitter Chatter with Anna MacDougall, Wedding Planner and your ‘Go-to Girl’ for all things weddings

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Anna-MacDougall
With the latest addition to our family there’ll be a few subtle changes to the schedule of the blog for the coming weeks while I’m adjusting to life with our new baby.

I’ll still be posting the very coolest real Jewish weddings every week, but there’ll also be a brand new feature running where I interview all sorts of inspirational women in the wedding industry whom I greatly admire. These women successfully combine running their own business with married life and in a lot of cases, raising a young family.

The series is called Chitter Chatter and the twist is is they have to answer my questions in just 140 characters or less….

Today I’m chitter chattering to Anna MacDougall, the ‘Go-to Girl’ for all things weddings. Simply put, she plans, preps, and provides the sense of calm you need if planning your wedding day becomes a little stormy. She’s one of the UK’s best wedding co-ordinators and I’m proud to also call her a guest writer for Smashing The Glass.

Anna lives in a small and crumbling (former) Chapel in Buckinghamshire with her husband Calum, and two dogs, Barley and Rufus. She runs her business full time from home, where the doors are always open for visitors.

What was your first job?

I guess my very first job was helping out at my granddad’s apple orchard during harvest. My first ‘real’ job was with an advertising agency.

Tell me more about your career before launching Bride & Glory

I worked in marketing and events for a London agency, mainly in and around Formula One. Lucky me, that also meant living overseas for a while.

What made you start Bride & Glory?

The realisation that today, couples plan their own weddings but have no one to hand over to so they don’t have to project manage the day itself.

What inspires you to keep growing and developing your business?

I can’t say this less cornily: the unwavering belief in the value my service offers and the sheer love I have for my job and my couples.

What obstacles have you overcome along the way?

Launching and running my own business has been the scariest thing I’ve done but what I’ve learnt through it is literally priceless.

Anna Macdougall
Image: CP Photography

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5 details to make your wedding totally ‘YOU’… without breaking the bank

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This is a guest post by  Aleisha McCormack

I Love (with a capital L) seeing all the ways couples can truly express themselves with crafty wedding details (and usually a bit of a sense of humour).

All of the following projects are simple to produce…no glue gun required and are fairly inexpensive…saying that, you can go to town with anything, so if your budget is high, attach diamonds to everything, or use nicer card.

 1.  Ask your guests to send in  their favourite party anthems on their RSVP cards

This is a 2 for 1 tip. If you aren’t having a DJ or band then this request helps you compile a song list that guarantees that everyone coming to your wedding will have a tune that will get them up out of their seats and grooving. The old will be happy because one of their songs might get a look in and you aren’t having to come up with a list (if that isn’t your bag).

DIY wedding ideas
Free printable and image: United With Love

2.  Use free  printables

There are some wonderful free printables going around on the interwebs that are editable and super fun. One idea that I really have been digging is the quirky FAQ and fact lists about the couple that are being put on the back of menus and ceremony programs. This may sound pretentious but done in the right way, it can be a lot of fun, particularly if you reveal some little titbits about yourselves that even close friends might not know. Cheryl has 469 teaspoons from around the world. Michael has seen Ace of Bass in concert 6 times. OK, Cheryl and Michael are losers but you get the picture.

DIY wedding ideas
Image: Etsy

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Anna & Jon | City chic Jewish wedding full of personal touches, at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, King’s Cross, London, UK

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Anna and Jon’s inspired Jewish wedding  at London’s St Pancras Renaissance Hotel  is super special, but before I tell you  all about it I quickly want to remind you  that  you only have until Thursday night  to enter STG’s amazing competition to win a luxurious overnight stay for two at this ravishing  venue.

The prize includes champagne and strawberries, dinner for two, butler service, an in-room bath ritual, a history tour of this magnificent building, as well as  breakfast the following morning, so don’t delay…  enter the competition right here!

Now, back to Anna and Jon.

Nineteen years after the Spice Girls belted out Wannabe on the iconic staircase of the St Pancras hotel, Anna and Jon put their own quirky stamp on this treasured central London landmark.

Theirs really was a STG type of wedding — creative, brimming with personality and totally idiosyncratic.

Not many weddings include a running theme of monkeys and robots — yes, really — or have a 10.30pm fried chicken break to fuel their guests.   And most couples would have to end the night when they reach the music curfew set by the venue, but not Anna and Jon, who simply, but brilliantly just switched to a silent disco.   Inspired.

Their big day was infused with the bride and groom’s personality and charm and this was most evident with the Jewish ceremony itself which they personalised in such a thoughtful way through their choice of song and readings.   And I think this is the first time I’ve seen both the bride and groom smash the glass simultaneously.   So good they did it twice! (take a look at  James & Lianne Photography‘s  fab shot)

They also managed another individual twist when it came to the budget — they saved money on the bride and bridesmaid’s outfits, of all people.

As Anna’s dress was so exquisite, she bought a very uncomplicated head veil online, for a third of the price it would have normally cost in a wedding boutique and she saved on simple high street accessories.   Meanwhile the bridesmaids’ dresses were bought in the January sales.

And every single one of them looked impeccable.

I’ll let Anna fill you in on the rest and please do read to the end for her “how we met” story!

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel Wedding

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Chitter Chatter with Nova Reid, editor and founder of Nu Bride

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Nova-Reid
Image:  David H Photography

With  the latest addition to our family there’ll be a few subtle changes to the schedule of the blog for the coming weeks  while I’m adjusting to life with our new baby.

I’ll still be posting the very coolest  real Jewish weddings  every week, but  there’ll also be  a brand new feature running where I interview all sorts of inspirational women in the wedding industry whom  I greatly admire. These women successfully combine  running their own business with married life and in a lot of cases, raising a young family.

The series is called Chitter Chatter and the twist is is they have to answer my questions  in just 140 characters or less….

Today I’m chitter chattering to the super  amazing  Nova Reid of  Nu Bride. Nova is very special to me – we are BBFs (Best Blogging Friends) and I was literally beaming  with pride when she won her  Wedding Blog Award last year for recognition of her  work to inspire and encourage a more visually inclusive UK wedding industry.

Nu Bride, often described as more than just a wedding blog, was launched in 2012 during Nova’s own wedding planning  and  is a beautifully curated resource that  is informative and inclusive, whilst offering advice and guidance for the modern bride. She lives in London with her husband, David.

What was your first job?

Retail Assistant at Dolcis shoes. Paid £2.40 an hour. (See, I always had a thing for shoes!)

Tell me more about your career before launching Nu Bride

Busy, varied and eclectic! From professional singer and actress to a holistic therapist

What made you start Nu Bride ?

Inspired by my own wedding planning and the lack of inspiration for women who looked like me in wedding magazines.

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