We’re super psyched to be featuring our very first Jewish wedding with the amazing acoustic roaming band and Smashing The Glass RecommendedVendor Balagan! This incredible group – formed by another beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor, Sensation Band (who also performed, keeping the dance floor packed all night long in their signature style) – is the UK’s first and only roaming band to offer Jewish sets, and we can’t get enough of the fun, personalized vibe they bring to any big day.
STG Brides Club member Ella, a project manager at a branding and digital agency, and Matt, head of data at a life insurance start-up, say booking Balagan was the best wedding planning decision they made, and we’re not at all surprised – they are a truly incredible group!
And until February 7, you have the chance to enter to win an epic performance from Balagan for your very own wedding! Head over to this post for full details.
So obviously the music at this wedding earns top marks… but believe it or not, that’s only the tip of the iceberg of this wonderful day. First off, we can’t get over the fact that Matt built the couple’s birch wood chuppah as a tribute to his late grandfather who taught him about woodwork (and how sweet is it that after the wedding the pair donated it to a nearby synagogue for other couples who may need it?).
And then there’s Ella’s impeccable bridal style. She found her gorgeous dress at Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Morgan Davies, who worked with her to combine two Jesus Peiro dresses into the style of her dreams. Ella’s got nothing but rave reviews about the team at Morgan Davies – and the result could not have been any more perfect. We’re also obsessed with the tulle Savannah Miller cape the bride wore to cover her shoulders during the Orthodox ceremony.
Photographer Barney Walters (who the couple found right here on Smashing the Glass) and videographer Ben Foster captured this beautiful wedding so perfectly – it’s really not to be missed. Do read on for Ella’s full writeup – there’s far more good stuff going on than we have room to mention here!
How We Met
Ella, the bride: Matt and I met on none other than Tinder. When I came across Matt back in 2015, Tinder said we had around 90 friends in common which I assumed was a glitch with the app. It turned out we grew up around a mile away from each other and did have many friends in common. We must have both been at various parties in the past but had never met.
When we matched I messaged two close friends to ask what they thought of him and they both said he was a real mensch. One week later we’d been on our first date and that was that! Because of all of our mutual friends there were definitely more than a few people walking around our wedding claiming that they’d made the shidduch.
