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A Jewish Wedding in Blue and Purple at Stock Brook Country Club, Essex, UK

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When Becca, who works in a Jewish secondary school, and, Ellis, a pharmacist, started planning their UK Jewish wedding, they knew they wanted it to be a combination of both of their personalities and tastes.

That started with their color scheme: Ellis’s favorite color is purple, while Becca’s is blue, and so that became the basis for their wedding look – with some dashes of white interspersed.

Flowers were a key part of tying it all together, and the couple – who describe themselves as “completely clueless” about flowers – turned to Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Alexandra’s Florist, who brought their vision to life (including decorating their gorgeous floral chuppah!) and spent lots of time going over different flower types and colors until they were 100% happy. Don’t miss the lush florals in Megan Donati Photography’s wonderful images of the day!  

We loved hearing about Becca’s wedding dress shopping experience as a plus size bride – she began her search with trepidation, and while there were some bumps along the road we’re happy to report a very happy ending in the form of the traditional A-line gown of her dreams AND a fabulous boutique that made her feel totally at ease all through the process.

There’s so much more to this wonderful Jewish wedding, but we’ll turn you over to the couple for the rest…

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How we Met

Becca, the bride and Ellis, the groom: Hello! Becca and Ellis here, together known as Bellis! We had our Big Fat Jewish Wedding on the 30th of May 2022.

The story of us officially getting together is a 21st Century type of romance! We were both due to be going on Macnoar Israel tour in July 2011 and we already had a few mutual friends. Prior to going on tour, one of Becca’s friends broadcasted her pin over Blackberry messenger (lol trendsetters).  Ellis was already one of our mutual friends’ contacts, and he decided to add Becca.

We began talking over BBM as well as skyping regularly and decided to meet up before going away – we felt there may be something romantic there.  We officially met in person and had our first date on the 25th of June, 2011 (many moons ago) and have been together ever since – the rest is history! Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Martina Liana Bride for an Elegant Jewish Wedding at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane, London, UK

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Tash & Joel, Sheraton Grand Park Lane, London, UK

How gorgeous is Tash and Joel’s fabulous London Jewish wedding?! It’s 100% pure #weddinggoals… and of course it doesn’t hurt that the couple chose to work with some of our very favorite Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors.

First off, how wonderful are the photos by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Mike Garrard?! Tash and Joel chose Mike for his natural, candid style and the way he makes everyone feel comfortable and at ease – and did he ever do a perfect job of capturing the day!

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Alexandra’s Florist was responsible for the pair’s lovely flowers – don’t miss their exquisite floral chuppah! – and they can’t praise Alexandra enough for her patience and attentiveness in taking the time to show Tash and Joel lots of different designs and collaborating with them curate just the right look and feel.

Then there was Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Totem, who got the party started in their trademark fashion. The band’s beautiful voices and incredible energy came together to create an unforgettable atmosphere that had everyone on the dancefloor throughout the night.

Smashing The Glass recommended Vendor Toastmaster Jango kept everything together, ensuring the event ran smoothly, on schedule and all done with a cheeky smile and sense of humour.

Last but certainly not least, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Just Smile took charge of Tash and Joel’s production needs, and the couple raves about how they were not only always on hand to answer questions and give advice, but on the day they made the ballroom come alive and created an epic party atmosphere with their fab lighting.

There’s so much more to say, but we’ll leave the rest to Tash, who looked uber chic in Martina Liana…

Tash & Joel, Sheraton Grand Park Lane, London, UK Tash & Joel, Sheraton Grand Park Lane, London, UK Tash & Joel, Sheraton Grand Park Lane, London, UK
How we Met

Tash, the bride: Joel and I met on Jswipe, but we have known each other for years and years, so it was a welcomed match.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Rosa Clara Bride for an Elegant Ballroom Jewish Wedding at the Kimpton Fitzroy London, UK

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Chloe & Mike, Kimpton Fitzroy London, London, UK

There’s nothing like that feeling when a couple teams up with some of our very favorite Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors to craft an absolutely jawdroppingly stellar Jewish wedding – which is exactly what our Brides Club member Chloe, a senior internal account manager for an IT reseller, and Mike, who works as a group management accountant for a pharmaceutical company, did!

First off, these two opted to make it official at one of our most beloved London venues, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kimpton Fitzroy London in Russell Square. After taking one look at the hotel’s exquisite ballroom, they knew it was the spot for them – and scrolling through their beautiful photos by David Pullum Photography, can you blame them?!

Kimpton Fitzroy London is known not only for its dreamy interiors but also for its top-notch customer service, and indeed Chloe and Mike can’t stop raving about how amazing the events team was through the planning process – which included not one but two COVID postponements!

We’re delighted to report that the couple found a whole bunch of their other vendors through Brides Club – including fabulous videographer Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Denee Motion and swoonworthy florist Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Alexandra’s Florist. Speaking of Alexandra’s Florist – she’s the one responsible for the pair’s lush floral ketubah in shades of green and white, and how perfect is it?!

Chloe and Mike also opted to work with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Adam Nathan Catering, Kimpton Fitzroy London’s kosher-style catering partner, who was “a dream to work with” – and whose food is still getting rave reviews from guests!

Finally, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Toastmaster Jango “took care of absolutely everything on the day,” – so much so that one of Chloe’s top recs to engaged couples is to book yourselves a toastmaster of your own!

There’s so much more to be said about this wonderful day, but we’ll let Chloe – who looked positively ravishing in Rosa Clara – fill you in on the rest…

Chloe & Mike, Kimpton Fitzroy London, London, UK Chloe & Mike, Kimpton Fitzroy London, London, UK Chloe & Mike, Kimpton Fitzroy London, London, UK Chloe & Mike, Kimpton Fitzroy London, London, UK
How We Met

Chloe, the bride: Mike and I met all the way back in 2014 on a well-known dating app…(Tinder!). I had just graduated university and wasn’t looking for anything too serious, but when we met we just clicked. We are two totally different people! He’s very relaxed and chilled, and I’m the other end of the spectrum but somehow it works wonderfully!

We did long (ish) distance for over 4 years, with Mike living in Essex and me in Hertfordshire. The first few years were tough, with us only seeing each other twice a month. In 2018, Mike made the move to Hertfordshire where he rented a room in a house (on the same road as my parents) which made it so much easier from then on. It was that same year Mike came to me with the idea that he wanted to convert to Judaism, something that we had previously discussed but I never pressured him into. Having already had Jewish ancestry on his father’s side, it was something he was passionate about and wanted to realign his roots. After 18 months of conversion classes and shul on Saturday mornings, Mike converted at Radlett Reform Synagogue . It meant so much more to us standing under the chuppah on our wedding day, knowing that all his hard-work and dedication led us to that special moment, and I will forever cherish that.

We now live together in our house in Borehamwood, with our gorgeous rescue dog Rose! Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Jesus Peiro Bride for a Foodies’ Jewish Wedding Inspired by Italy at Offley Place Country House Hotel, Hitchin, UK

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Ella-Joel-Offley-Place-UK

We are SO thrilled to be featuring the gorgeous Jewish wedding of our beloved Brides Club member Ella today! Ella just happens to be a food photographer – and she and Joel, a finance analyst, are huge foodies, so naturally delectable eats played a big role in the couple’s day.

They’re also avid travelers, and despite getting married close to home in the UK, Ella and Joel chose “Amalfi lemon grove” as their theme, inspired by a favorite holiday. The pair worked with a fabulous team, including a whole bunch of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors, to make their dream a reality… and did they ever succeed! We’re positively drooling over Matt Parry’s exquisite photos of the day.  

When it came to food, it had to be Italian – and only the best would do. Ella and Joel chose to work with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Feast by Ed Shaerf, one of the most innovative names in the kosher food scene. Even though Feast is based in Manchester, in Ella’s words, “Their food is worth paying for their travel down south.” The menu included a sharing antipasti, orange polenta cake and lemon sorbet served in hollowed-out lemons for dessert, and even an Amalfi lemonade stand during the reception. No wonder guests are still raving about the food!

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Alexandra’s Florist brought Ella and Joel’s lemon grove dreams to life, and we are OBSESSED with the results. Alex even incorporated large leafy lemons – the bride’s favorite – into the floral arrangements! And how gorgeous is the couple’s floral chuppah?!

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ambassador Band got everyone onto the dancefloor in their trademark style, and the couple loved working with Geoff in the leadup. Ella and Joel opted to work with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J as their on-the-day coordinator, and, in their words, “she basically came in as a guardian angel in the most stressful time.”

Now over to the bride, who looked super cool in her contemporary halter-top gown by Jesus Peiro…

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How we Met

Ella, the bride: We first met at a pre-meet dinner for an Aish trip to New York. It was this random pizza place in a really touristy area in Leicester square. Joel turned up an hour late wearing a bright blue Fred Flintstone t-shirt. My first thoughts…who is this haha. He has always been a bit of a joker, actually one of the things that makes me love him the most is that he always makes me laugh.

We then went on the Aish trip a few days later and he became the best friend I could have ever asked for. A few months after the trip Joel told me he loved me as more than a friend, on facebook messenger…I was scaredy cat and told him I wanted him to stay as my best friend. 9 months down the line I realised I was ready to take the leap and told him ‘I was all good’…and we were 🙂Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Maggie Sottero Bride for a Jewish Micro Wedding at St Michael’s Manor, St Albans, UK

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Like so many couples, Melissa, a social worker, and David, a sales executive, had to completely rethink their Jewish wedding due to COVID. And indeed, scaling down from 170 guests to just 15 is no small feat. But with the help of some of our very favorite Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors – not to mention the wonderful community of Jewish and Jew-ish brides-to-be inside our Brides Club – the pair managed to pull off the most incredibly beautiful day we could imagine.

Melissa also happens to have been the lucky winner of a competition we ran with #STGvendors The Happy Chuppah People and Gabriella Shemtov, and we’re in love with the beautiful floral chuppah they teamed up to assemble for the couple – as well as with Melissa’s beautiful, bright bridal bouquet, also by Gabriella Shemtov. Another wonderful #STGvendor, Alexandra’s Florist, put together autumnal bridesmaids bouquets and table flowers, interspersed with greenery and floating candles. Don’t miss the incredible images by Chris Douglas Photography!

The tight restrictions on guest count meant only close family could attend in person, but Melissa and David opted to livestream their day so that all of their friends and family could watch in real time. The pair worked with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Event Capsule, whose three-camera set up with live editing it meant that everyone watching from home felt like they were there in the room – in fact, some guests told the couple afterward that they had a better view from the comfort of their screens than they would’ve had they attended the big pre-COVID wedding in person!

Even with all the safety restrictions (no hora!), music was essential to Melissa and David’s vision of their day – and we’re so glad they connected with #STGvendor LDN Entertainment.com, whose micro wedding trios could not be more perfect for a celebration like this one. Despite the hora ban, LDN did a reduced simcha set and the newlyweds jumped around on their own, while their guests clapped and sang along from their seats!

There’s so much more we could say, but we’ll let gorgeous STG Brides Club member Melissa – who looked fab in Maggie Sottero – fill you in on the rest…

Oh, and PS, if you’re dealing with COVID-related planning drama – or just feeling unenthused and uncertain about how to proceed – sign up for our Bye Bye Coronacoaster, Hello Action Plan workshop on Sunday, February 21. It’s guaranteed to help you gain clarity about how to move forward with your big day, even under the most uncertain of circumstances. Slots are limited, so sign up today!

Melissa and David, St Michaels Manor, St Albans Melissa and David, St Michaels Manor, St Albans Melissa and David, St Michaels Manor, St Albans
How We Met

Melissa, the bride: We met at a mutual friend’s baby’s Christening. After the Christening, we all went back to the family’s home for a BBQ and got chatting. It was Dave’s sense of humour that attracted me to him and we spent the evening laughing about stupid things that no one else thought were funny. A few weeks later Dave was working at Silverstone and I was visiting my parents (who live near Silverstone) for two weeks and we met for a drink and then dinner locally.

We spent so much time talking at the pub, that we forgot about our dinner resevation and turned up late. Dave’s a huge car fan, and picked me up in a covertible car, he asked me if I was okay with the roof down (although I’d spent ages doing my hair), I reluctantly said yes; he jokes that this was the moment he knew I was the one. 

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