Australia Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Martina Liana Bride for a Countryside Jewish Wedding at Mt Duneed Estate, Waurn Ponds, outside Melbourne, Australia

15/08/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

Oh we are positively swoooooning over today’s gorgeous Jewish wedding. Everything from bride Adi’s oh-so-elegant Martina Liana gown to Smashing the Glass Recommended Vendor Jeremy Blode’s artful photographs of the day positively exudes that laid-back Aussie chic we just can’t get enough of….

Adi, a solicitor, and Rod, a physical therapist, placed a premium on creating a beautiful record of their day, and did it ever pay off! Just look at those portraits of the duo walking off into the sunset. *Swoon.* The Jewish dancing shots are pretty unmissable, too. Adi says Jeremy Blode “has a gift for capturing the rawest and most beautiful moments,” and we could not possibly agree more.

To round out the documentation, Adi and Rodney brought in Videoboutique as videographer and Magnet-Me to provide ultra-creative wedding favors in the form of instant photo magnets! Adi loved the idea of a photo booth but wanted to keep her guests on the dancefloor having fun, and what a perfect solution she found. Instead of guests having to queue for a photo booth, a photographer walked around during canapés and dancing to snap guests’ photos, which were then printed out instantaneously to be taken home at the end of the night. LOVE!

Now over to Adi…

How we met

Adi, the bride: Funnily enough, Rod and I first met at a dingy Melbourne nightclub called Boutique. I may need prescription glasses to see almost everything in my day-to-day life; however, I managed to spot Rod (free from glasses) in the loud and dark nightclub. I pulled him out from the crowd and asked for his name and whether he was single. The rest is history.

A Needle & Thread Bride for a Laid-Back Outdoor Jewish Wedding at Spring Road Park and Leonda by the Yarra, Melbourne, Australia

11/07/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

We are ALL about bride Ashleigh’s ultra-romantic Needle & Thread dress today. That floral beading! So. Much. Pretty.

Ashleigh knew she wanted something low-key yet beautiful, and we’d say that’s a spot-on description of the style of her laid-back Jewish wedding to Brett.

If you’re in the market for a vintage-inspired dress, Needle & Thread is absolutely worth a look. They’ve got some fantastic, stand-out options for brides on a budget, and they also offer some fab styles for brides on the hunt for that ever-elusive modest wedding gown – check out Smashing the Glass Recommended Vendor Jeremy Blode’s many fab shots highlighting all the lovely detailing for evidence of this!

And aren’t Jeremy Blode’s images divine? Everything he seems to snap up just turns into wedding gold, and you’ll see precisely what I mean when you take a peek at the pretty below.

Ashleigh, an aspiring psychologist working as a program coordinator in the nonprofit sector, and Brett, a doctor, were set on holding their chuppah outside in nature, in their local park – so much so that they went through with their original plans even after an unexpected downpour the morning of the wedding! Love that dedication, guys! Now over to lovely Ash, who’ll fill you in on the rest…

How we met

Ashley, the bride: We met at a family friend’s bar-mitzvah when Ash was 15 and Brett was 17. We were seated on the same table and ended up in a competition on who would appear on the slideshow the most – Brett won.

An Outdoor Garden Jewish Wedding at Kamesburgh Gardens, Brighton, and Peninsula Docklands, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

02/05/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

Today’s real Jewish wedding is pure Aussie garden fantasy. The sunlight, the palm trees, the Jurassic Park-style giant ferns—we’re definitely down under! Bride Issie and groom Adam held their outdoor ceremony amidst the ultra-lush greenery of Kamesburgh Gardens and their reception at Peninsula, chosen as much for its ability to accommodate all 400 (yes, you read that right!) of their guests as for its gorgeous views of Victoria Harbour.

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Jeremy Blode Photography captured the energy and emotion of the day so well, zeroing in on everything from the breathtaking setting to the spirited Jewish dancing.

Speaking of that Jewish dancing – Issie’s dress, a bespoke gown by Vincenzo Pintaudi Couture, was designed with a super-smart feature: a detachable train. Issie wanted the ultra-dramatic look for her walk down the aisle that only a lovely long train delivers, but she was concerned about managing with it during the reception – especially the dancing. Vincenzo came to the rescue with a train attached to a belt, so that Issie could take it off post-ceremony and transform her glam gown into the perfect party dress.

There are just so many cool things about this wedding, but I think my favorite is the way these two did their badeken. They had a deeply intimate setup, involving their families in a really beautiful way and making for a dramatic reunion between the pair, who followed the traditional Jewish custom of staying apart for a full week (!) leading up to the wedding. Read on for all the juicy details….

How we met

Issie, the bride: Adam is a doctor and I am a nurse, very cliché we know! Much to everyone’s surprise, we didn’t meet in the hospital setting. We had a mutual friend who introduced us while we were still studying our respective degrees and the rest is history!

A Graces Loves Lace Bride for a Rustic Outdoor Jewish Wedding at Acacia Ridge Winery, Yarra Glen, Yarra Valley, Australia

04/04/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

Today’s super cool couple dreamed of a destination Jewish wedding at a winery in South Africa. When logistics got in the way, Lori, a medical student, and Josh, an accountant, found the next best thing: a venue in their home country of Australia that feels a world away from bustling Melbourne.

Lori and Josh knew from the beginning that they wanted a pared-down day with the focus on only the things that mattered most to them: a fun, chill day with the people they love the most, great food and drinks to keep the party flowing, and, above all, the ceremony.

Fun as the reception was, there’s no question that the highlight of the couple’s day was looking out from under their chuppah and seeing all the people they love supporting them in their marriage. As Lori says, “It’s the people that make the wedding, not the things.”

That’s not to say the duo skimped on the details. In honor of their love of Japanese and Mediterranean food, their day boasted sushi and sashimi stations, plus a souvlaki bar – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg of their foodie fantasy!

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Jeremy Blode Photography did such a fabulous job capturing the raw emotion of the day. He made Lori and Josh feel totally comfortable, both in the lead-up to the wedding and on the day itself, and they’re in awe of not only his passion for his work and uncanny ability to capture authentic moments but also his people-wrangling skills!

And even better, wonderful Jeremy, who works in both Australia and Italy, is also offering a 10% discount on any package to members of our VIB [Very Important Bride] Club!

He’s just one of many handpicked vendors offering discounts or free gifts to members of our Club (who also receive around-the-clock support and advice from my team and me, plus all kinds of cool bridal extras and goodies.) If you haven’t joined yet, don’t delay as we’ll be closing membership for this quarter shortly!

Beautiful bride Lori claims to have hated wedding dress shopping, but it’s hard to believe given how effortlessly lovely she looks in her Grace Loves Lace gown, don’t you think?! Now over to her…

How we met

Lori, the bride: We met through a mutual friend at a nightclub in Melbourne six years ago.

A Pronovias Bride for a Super Spiritual Outdoor Jewish Wedding at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne, Australia

19/03/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

Could we pretty please order up some of the brilliant Australian sunshine on display in today’s super personal, super spiritual Jewish wedding? This winter thing is getting awfully old here in the Northern Hemisphere!

Bride Liron, a lawyer, and groom Jason, a writer and product manager at an international education company, believe that people should come away from your wedding “feeling like they just had a glimpse into your love,” and that’s exactly the effect their beautiful day had on us.

The couple infused their outdoor wedding at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne with so much of themselves, and you can really feel the love and intention they put into each step.

How awesome is it that Liron and Jason hand-built their own chuppah?! No mere DIY project, the couple viewed it as symbol of the home they are building together, and they took the time they spent constructing it as a chance to discuss the kind of family life they want together. Isn’t that so lovely? Not to mention that the simple white fabric canopy they chose was the very definition of simple elegance under the eucalyptus trees at their gorgeous outdoor garden ceremony.

Another way the artsy pair connected with each other and their guests on the day was to perform some of the music themselves! In addition to joining in on an acoustic set during the reception, the performed two songs for their guests—as if just getting married weren’t nerve-wracking enough for one day!

Liron looked like a bombshell in her elegant Pronovias gown, with vintage Hollywood waves to match. Photographer Free The Bird and videographer C2 Films really captured the authenticity and spirituality of the day. Now over to the bride…

How we met

Liron, the bride: we met at university (we both studied law). I was involved in the Jewish students’ club and on this particular day we had a stall at the orientation carnival, giving away challah and selling memberships. Jason came by to grab a piece of challah… he walked away with the phone number of his future wife.