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A Vera Wang Bride for a Super Luxe Fashion-Forward Jewish Wedding at Mandarin Oriental New York, New York

08/12/2017 by Karen

Start spreading the news – because today’s NYC Jewish wedding is the dictionary definition of city chic!

A wedding set against the stunning New York skyline deserves nothing less than the very best vendors – and that’s exactly what happy couple, Marianna and Peter opted for. The celebration was held at the iconic Mandarin Oriental hotel, with floristry by the fabulous Bride & Blossom, who submitted today’s fashion-forward wedding to STG.

We’re totally enamored with the origami crane chuppah – what a great way to fuse wedding traditions from different cultures! We’re also all hearts for eyes over the unique all-red dà©cor scheme, and bold bridesmaids in black dresses. Absolutely sublime! Also take a look at that absolute centerpiece of a cake – we’re both in love with the visuals and very, very hungry!

Gorgeous bride, Marianna, opted for a classic fashionista outfit – a timeless Vera Wang gown with something-blue Manolo Blahnik. So luxe Carrie Bradshaw herself would weep with envy!

Of course, it’s an STG wedding, which means it’s more than likely one of our own was involved! Our brilliant Recommended Vendor, Bella Figura, provided the rose-gold, classic letterpress invitation design.

Photography was provided by none other than absolute wedding photography royalty, the Fred Marcus Studio. We’re massive fans here at STG, and it will soon become clear why as you look at the phenomenal spread of pictures.

We’ll leave you with Marianna for the rest of the details of her and Peter’s stunning big day. Take it away, Marianna!

The perfect NYC venue

Marianna, the bride: I knew I wanted to get married in our favorite city, New York. NYC is also home, having been born and raised here. I wanted a venue to showcase the skyline and central park. We also had our second date at Columbus Circle. Mandarin Oriental was the perfect venue.
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An Epic Super Luxe Romantic and Regal Jewish Wedding With an Eight-Foot Train and a Ten-Tier Cake at Thornton Manor, UK

11/08/2017 by Karen

Get ready, because you’re about to witness a real Jewish wedding like no other. We’re serious – you will never see another wedding like this one, in all of its grand and romantic glory.

Haley and Boston’s big day included an astoundingly theatrical and beautiful dress, with a regal 8ft tulle-embellished train, and a stunning 16ft veil, topped with a crown fit for a queen. The entire look was evocative of Swan Lake and past royal weddings, with an edge of high-fashion glamor. Ah-mazing!

Can we also take a moment to appreciate Haley and Boston’s literally larger-than-life ten-tier wedding cake? It was such an imposing centerpiece that the couple had to stand on a ladder to cut it!

As bride, Haley, had been planning her wedding since she was three years old, it was going to take one incredible planner / stylist to pull off her epic vision of a romantic, stately aesthetic, accented with gothic black (we love the bridesmaids in black!).

Enter our epically talented Recommended Vendor, Qube Events, whose spectacular work is evident in every image, and every frame of the gorgeous wedding video below, both shot by the awesome Jon Bird.

We just know you’re going to be absolutely adore this wedding as much as we did, so get ready to be blown away. Oh, and watch out for Haley’s very special surprise under the chuppah! All we’ll say is, that’s dedication! Enjoy!

How we met

Haley, the bride: My husband is a professor and coffee roaster/coffee owner and I was working for a non-profit organization. But I recently went back to school to complete my masters and then hopefully my PhD after.

A traditional, English venue

We got married at Thornton Manor. We loved the Manor because it was traditional and English, but had a intimate feel to it. I was also happily surprised when they allowed us to have a dry bar. They were the only venue that didn’t react when we said we wanted a dry bar.

This was a huge part of our decision, that we weren’t treated any differently because we didn’t want drinking at our wedding.
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An industrial-romantic Jewish wedding at London’s last lighthouse, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London, UK

15/05/2017 by Karen

Nicole and Daniel’s lighthouse / warehouse industrial-meets-romantic wedding is cooler than a polar bear’s toenails. FACT.

From the alternative, urban venue, to the dress designed by gorgeous bride, Nicole, the atmospheric lighting to the floating-effect Chuppah design, the bridesmaids in black to the groomsmens’ bow ties – everything about this big day looked picture perfect.

We love how the pair, who had been together for 15 years before saying ‘I do’, took everything in their stride. When their photographer disappeared on them, they found two more, with just days to go (kudos to James Frost, and a second shooter, Benjamin Wheeler, for stepping in and saving the day). When the lights went out during their meal, they ran with it, calling it atmospheric, and continued by candlelight. If they can cope so calmly with wedding day mishaps, then they’re truly prepared for the rollercoaster ride that is marriage.

This is genuinely a wedding to feast your eyes on, but also read Nicole’s brilliant writeup (and check out her Instagram, @nicolelevypr) and take a few minutes to watch the gorgeously cinematic wedding video below, by Our Further Project.

Over to beautiful bride, Nicole, for the full report.

How we met

Nicole, the bride: Daniel and I met at a mutual friend’s engagement party nearly 15 years ago, and we’ve been together ever since. We got engaged in 2014, so I guess you could say we’ve taken our time with the whole marriage thing.

I have my own fashion PR company Nicole Levy PR, which Daniel helps me run, and he is also an IT Director for another company.

A black-tie-meets-rustic Masorti Jewish Wedding at Manor by the Lake, Cheltenham, UK

08/05/2017 by Karen

Tissues at the ready, folks, because if you don’t well up within the first 30 seconds of Sam and Jonny’s stunning wedding video (just below) then you’re made of stone!

Sam and Jonny met on the job as lawyers, and their meeting of minds blossomed into true love. Together, they planned every detail of their black-tie-meets-rustic wedding, and ensured every element, from the Masorti ceremony, where the couple circled each other and smashed the glass together, to the bride’s speech, and even this write up, was completely equality driven.

The moving celebration was captured on film by Velvet Wedding Studio, and in beautiful stills by our much-loved STG Recommended Vendor, Blake Ezra – and what a stunning job they both did.

Sensational bride, Sam, looked every bit the A lister in her show-stopping Louise Marie gown – and she did an astounding job with her own makeup. What a beauty!

Sam and Jonny did a beautiful job describing their big day in detail, so we’ll pass you over to them now (note how well they talk about each other’s big day experience – a masterclass in marital listening).

How we met

Sam, the bride, and Jonny, the groom: Jonny and Sam first met briefly at a law firm, on a law summer placement scheme in 2009 (whilst actually competing for a job!). Jonny and Sam then became close friends whilst attending law school in London, but it wasn’t until they worked at the same firm, when they became more than just friends.

Jonny and Sam got engaged in April 2014. Jonny proposed in a photo booth, and the couple plans to return to the same photo booth annually to capture each year of marriage.

Spectacular destination wedding at Ronit Farm, Kfar Shmaryahu, Herzliya, Israel

27/09/2016 by Karen

I promise you what you’re about to see is truly epic. This folks is how to do a super cool, super chic lavish destination wedding in Israel.

Montana and Justin, from South Africa, married at Ronit Farm (Havat Ronit), one of Israel’s most dazzling wedding venues. What’s more, the clever team at Danny Marx brought to life something I have never seen before: Montana had decided that she wanted to walk down the aisle to the chuppah while everyone was already seated at their tables, so all the guests were seated at one giant ‘S’ shaped table that also served as the ‘catwalk’ down to the chuppah (I mean REALLY!).

There are so many things I love about this wedding that I’d be here until midnight listing them all for you but I will say that I love a bride who chooses a black colour scheme (so different) and 17 bridesmaids dressed in black! I also love that the couple chose the same first dance song as Montana’s grandparents had. Her grandparents have been married for 60 years and joined them on the dance floor for the first dance. So special, right?

Montana and Justin certainly know how to throw a party. And throw a club-like Ibiza-style party they did, complete with pyrotechnics, dancers covered in lights, fire flames… THE LOT! Just wait until you see the photos by Eran Beeri and Eyal Gaziel and wedding film by Aleksey Malev.

Oh and I love the array of favours handed out… from selfie sticks to fans to sandals to hip flasks filled with different cocktails that guests could enjoy on their coach ride home. See? I told you this wedding is EVERYTHING!

Montana and Justin, take it away…

How they met

Montana, the bride: Justin and I met when we were 14 years old. We were in the same class in our first year of high school. We were best friends and over the years it developed into a love story. We dated on and off throughout high school and reconnected again after school when we were 22. The rest is history — we have never looked back!

Choosing to get married in Israel

We got married at Ronit Farm in Israel. We attended a wedding there a few years ago and I decided then and there that I would get married there. As a South African, it is hard to have a local wedding that is special and different so we thought a destination wedding would be best. And what better place to get married than in Israel!