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Home > Birdy Grey

A Gemy Maalouf Bride for a Jewish Wedding Inspired by Italy at Loseley Park, Guildford, Surrey, UK

31/10/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Get ready to be blown away by the seriously stunning Jewish wedding of Jessica and Ross. The pair, who live in Surrey, initially wanted to get married on Lake Garda in Italy, but opted to stay closer to home due to the uncertainty of the pandemic.

In the end, they put together a one-of-a-kind wedding at Guildford’s Loseley Park that combined the very best of English countryside chic and Italian glam, and we are OBSESSED. From naming all our tables after favorite towns around Lake Garda, to playing Italian classical music, to serving Aperol Spritz followed by a four-course Italian meal for dinner, the Italian theme carried through the day.

Even Jessica’s exquisite gown stuck to the Italian theme: with the help of the wonderful team at beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Mirror Mirror Bridal, she made it official in the ‘Capri’ gown by designer Gemy Maalouf, which she knew was the one even before she got engaged! The dress, featuring a V-Neck, A-Line style and plenty of intricate beading and 3D flowers, was an absolute knockout – and Shamel at Mirror Mirror Bridal “was an absolute angel in turning the dress into ‘my’ dress.” Don’t miss it in the luminous pics by Meg from Wild Fern Photography!

Another thing we love is that in lieu of a traditional gift list, Jessica and Ross set up a contribution found for their honeymoon with Prezola, since they didn’t need anything for their home but dreamed of an amazing honeymoon (they’re going to Thailand in January!) and loved the idea of having their family and friends be a part of it.

There’s so much more to say about this wonderful wedding, but we’ll let Jessica take it from here…


How we Met

Jessica, the bride: We met on Tinder almost 7 years ago in December 2015. It was the time between Christmas and New Year so were both bored at home with nothing to do so happened to be swiping. A couple of days after we matched, we met on a typical London rainy night on London Bridge. As we lived on opposite ends of London – Ross being in south London and me living in north-west London, it seemed like the only suitable place between us.

We walked along the Thames in the pouring rain trying to find somewhere to have a drink. I remember Ross ordering a vodka and diet coke and was horrified, but he still managed to charm me. (Now we can happily share a bottle of wine together, I’ve taught him well!) We spent the whole night talking, not wanting it to come to an end. We met again for our second date just two days later and have been inseparable ever since. We haven’t gone one day without speaking to each other since that first date.

We fell in love over a shared passion for good food, love of dogs, and travel. I certainly wasn’t a sports enthusiast, but we quickly fell in love nevertheless.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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A Grace Loves Lace Bride for a Desert Jewish Wedding at The Lodge at Ventana Canyon, Arizona, USA

16/05/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Jenna-Mat-The-Lodge-at-Ventana-Canyon-Arizona-USA

Today we’re featuring the wedding of a very special Smashing The Glass Brides Club member Jenna! You see, way back in the Before Times, Jenna hosted the very first NYC Brides Club meetup – a challah bake at her place in Brooklyn, which, as a mega-talented baker, she also led!

During the pandemic, she and now-husband Mat (who’ve got a super cute how-they-met story, by the way) relocated from NYC back to their shared hometown of Tucson, Arizona, where they also held their wedding – and while I know the New York Brides Club crew misses Jenna’s generosity and baking prowess, after taking a look at the gorgeous landscape featured in She.We Studio’s photos, can you really blame her?!

Even before Jenna and Mat’s move back to the Southwest, they always knew they wanted their wedding to reflect the beauty of the region where they met and grew up. Their main requirement in a venue was epic mountain views, their ketubah featured watercolor mountains reminiscent of Tucson’s, their invites featured prickly pear cacti – Jenna’s bridal bouquet even featured succulents! And she found the perfect lightweight gown for Arizona climate at Grace Loves Lace, too.

There’s so much more to say about this wonderful wedding, and we’ll let Jenna tell you all about it in her own words – but before we do, we’ve got to share her kind words about her time in Brides Club:

“I joined the Brides Club because Smashing the Glass really is the only resource out there for modern Jewish weddings. The Brides Club was a way to have that same community I was seeing from other wedding resources, but with the added bonus of people actually understanding questions related to a Jewish wedding.  What I didn’t know was that I would meet so many wonderful women and make so many amazing friendships, which was especially helpful when Covid hit and caused so many of us to change or cancel our plans.  I honestly couldn’t have weathered two postponements without being surrounded by my friends and having Karen there for mental and emotional support.”

Awww! Doesn’t get much better than that, does it? Take it away, Jenna!

Jenna-Mat-The-Lodge-at-Ventana-Canyon-Arizona-USA Jenna-Mat-The-Lodge-at-Ventana-Canyon-Arizona-USA Jenna-Mat-The-Lodge-at-Ventana-Canyon-Arizona-USA Jenna-Mat-The-Lodge-at-Ventana-Canyon-Arizona-USA
How we Met

Jenna, the bride: I am a data analyst, currently working in retail, & Mat is a customer success manager in tech.  We actually met back in 1994 (we weren’t even two years old yet) at a tumbling class at a local park’s rec center.  We reconnected throughout life, as we both grew up in Tucson, AZ and belonged to the same synagogue (I even stole Mat’s birthday for my Bat Mitzvah date), but we happened to both be at a mutual friend’s high school graduation party (who ended up being our wedding videographer) one summer.

It turned out that Mat was going to be in the same freshman business mentorship program at our local university I had been in the year prior (I was a grade ahead of Mat in school) and was planning to attend the orientation that following week (University of Arizona is a large school with multiple orientation dates).  A few days later, I got a Facebook message from Mat saying “I got your book.”  Somehow, Mat got the book we read in the business mentorship program that I had signed – out of 60 from my year and 60 in his incoming year and of all orientation dates, he got my book!  When school started, I invited Mat to our school’s Chabad welcome back barbeque for free kosher food, and the rest is history (although, it would take us until March of the following year to start dating).Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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A Leanne Marshall Bride for an Oceanfront Jewish Wedding at Casa Marina Resort, Key West, Florida, USA

25/04/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Kimberly-Darren-Casa-Marina-Resort-Key-West-Florida-USA

We always say there’s nothing like a Jewish wedding on the beach – well, today’s couple, Kimberly and Darren, went one better and planned a full-fledged wedding weekend away from it all in beautiful Key West!

Chill island vibes, a chuppah on the beach, ‘20s Spanish-style architecture galore, all so beautifully photographed by Karrie Porter Photography – what could be better?!

And we’re obsessed with the couple’s gorgeous ketubah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com. Kimberly and Darren picked a design by artist Shell Rummel, featuring an infinity symbol with the phrase “I Carry Your Heart” from the poem by EE Cummings – and as it turns out, the couple have a line from that same poem engraved inside of their wedding bands! So special.

Before we hand you over to the bride – who looked so elegant in Leanne Marshall – we’ve got to say we love that one of her main bits of advice to future brides and grooms is to book a day of coordinator! We are BIG fans of handing off logistics on the day to a pro so that the two of you can relax and enjoy the day, and we’re always so glad to see couples going this route.

Over to you, Kimberly!

Kimberly-Darren-Casa-Marina-Resort-Key-West-Florida-USA Kimberly-Darren-Casa-Marina-Resort-Key-West-Florida-USA Kimberly-Darren-Casa-Marina-Resort-Key-West-Florida-USA Kimberly-Darren-Casa-Marina-Resort-Key-West-Florida-USA
How we Met

Kimberly, the bride: Darren and I met at a restaurant we were both working at. I had just graduated college and was serving, Darren had just come back to Florida after serving in the IDF and was a line cook. We had seen each other but didn’t go on out first date until after working together for a few months. Darren messaged me on Facebook and we discussed a mutual interest in poetry and writing. On our first date, I actually brought a collection of some of my favorite poetry books for Darren to read!

After dating for a year in Florida we decided on adventure and moved across the country to Denver, CO with our two cats. There Darren finished law school and I began a career in nonprofit work. Fast forward to now and Darren is a civil litigation attorney and I am in marketing for a nationwide nonprofit.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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A WTOO by Watters Bride for a Star Wars-Themed Jewish Wedding at Sterling Hills Golf Club in Camarillo, California, USA

04/04/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Adina & Adam, Sterling Hills Golf Club, Camarillo, CA, USA

We love it when couples add fun personal touches to their Jewish weddings – so naturally we got curious when we heard that Adina and Adam incorporated their shared love of Star Wars into their big day. While keeping the overall vibe classically elegant, the pair worked in fun, small touches: themed signature cocktails; Adam’s cufflinks and tie clip were shaped like the Millennium Falcon; the DJ even played some Star Wars music during cocktail hour!

And the couple’s gorgeous ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush is so out-of-this-world beautiful, it looks like it came from a galaxy far, far away. Adina and Adam chose artist Rachelle’s Midnight Lagoon design, and they love having a ketubah that’s also a beautiful piece of artwork.

Even Adina’s wedding dress shopping experience kept the sci fi magic going: she found her uber-elegant WTOO by Watters at Lorien Bridal Boutique, a boutique catering to nerdy brides who want to live out their Disney princess/Harry Potter/Star Wars dreams – how fun is that?

You can tell from Jenina Simplicio Photography’s beautiful, natural photos that this day was truly filled with joy at every moment – we’ll turn you over to Adina for all the details…

Adina & Adam, Sterling Hills Golf Club, Camarillo, CA, USA Adina & Adam, Sterling Hills Golf Club, Camarillo, CA, USA Adina & Adam, Sterling Hills Golf Club, Camarillo, CA, USA Adina & Adam, Sterling Hills Golf Club, Camarillo, CA, USA
How we Met

Adina, the bride: While the story of how we met isn’t that unusual for the 21st century, the fact that we didn’t meet until 2017 is! Both of us attended the same Jewish elementary school in Los Angeles, just two grades apart. Adam carpooled with my best friend Melissa to school for 6 years! Then in college, I met Adam’s sister Romy at a mutual friend’s birthday party and stayed friendly for years. When we came across each other’s profiles on J-Swipe on New Year’s Eve 2016 and saw we had mutual friends, I reached out to Melissa and Adam reached out to Romy to see if we should go on a date. 11 days later, we met up at a local bar and the rest is history!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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