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A Caroline Castigliano Bride for a Classic and Elegant Jewish Wedding at The Biltmore, London, UK

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Ella-and-Josh-The-Biltmore-Mayfair-UK

Who could use some extra Jewish joy right about now? We certainly could – and that’s why we’re bringing you the beautiful London Jewish wedding of Ella and Josh. The bride and groom, both business owners, brought SO much love and emotion to their big day, and we hope you’ll feel as inspired as we do by their ultra-moving photos by Robert Shack and video by Andrei Weddings.

The Biltmore in London was the perfect setting for Ella and Josh’s timeless and traditional Jewish wedding, and their classic décor, filled with white florals and abundant greenery, complemented the space so exquisitely – as did Ella’s gorgeous modern gown by Caroline Castigliano.

Music is such a big part of the atmosphere at a Jewish wedding, and Ella and Josh couldn’t be more thrilled with their choice of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Matzoh Boys. In Ella’s words, “They were fantastic! The atmosphere was just the best – they really brought the London and Manchester crowd together. We loved their Israeli music sets especially and the chuppah was beautiful.”

Read on for all the details of this very special day in the bride’s own words…

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How We Met

Ella, the bride:  We met through mutual friends – I was living in Birmingham and Josh was in Manchester. 

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A Caroline Castigliano Bride for a Whimsical English Countryside Jewish Wedding at Langley Park, Cotswolds, UK

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Alice-Micael-Langley-Park-Cotswolds-UK

We couldn’t think of a better way to close out the year than with the fabulous English countryside Jewish wedding of STG Brides Club member Alice, who works in advertising, and Micael, founder and CEO of a licensed medical cannabis producer!

The pandemic forced these two to postpone four times, and to make a pretty drastic pivot in locale from Israel to the UK – but you’d never know it from how absolutely picture-perfect their big day turned out! While COVID meant a long-haul destination wedding wasn’t in the cards, Alice and Micael opted to keep that destination feel by booking Langley Park in the Cotswolds for an all-weekend bash.

Alice was a member of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club during her wedding planning, and we’re so touched by her kind words about the group:

The biggest thing in Brides Club was the support network. During the pandemic, it felt as though we would never have a wedding. It was very reassuring to be amongst people going through the same thing and there were lots of resources to help navigate through it the best way possible! We also got a discount with the brilliant Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Big Day Designs, who printed our invitations. It was the first Jewish wedding for the majority of our vendors and Smashing the Glass was great for giving them all the information they needed.

We’re absolutely obsessed with the glam photos by Elena Popa and second shooter Emily Rose Hamilton – can you believe it was their first time photographing a Jewish wedding?!

There’s so much else to say about this beautiful day – from the surprise South African touches Alice added for Micael, who had lots of guests from home who sadly weren’t able to attend in person due to the pandemic; to the incredible private badeken the pair shared after not seeing each other for a full week; to the sweet custom illustrations Alice and Micael commissioned from The Millustrator. But we’ll leave it to Alice to fill you in on all that…

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How we Met

Alice, the bride: We usually just say long story! But we met in 2009 at a party in London. He is South African and was visiting his cousins who live in London. He never actually spoke to me on the night but later messaged me on Facebook. We dated long distance for several years whilst he was at university in Israel. He finally moved to London and we had a few make ups and break ups before getting engaged in 2019.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Caroline Castigliano Bride for a Jewish Wedding Bringing the Outside In at Manor of Groves, Hertfordshire, UK

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Emma & Nate, Manor of Groves, Hertfordshire, UK

Dreaming of an outdoor Jewish wedding but nervous about unpredictable weather? How about making it official in a glass-walled and roofed, sundrenched conservatory? That’s what Anna, a therapist, and Nate, who works in the life sciences industry, did when they chose the Manor Suite at the Manor of Groves, Hertfordshire, as their venue – and we’re in love with the results!

The pair’s big day truly felt like it brought the outdoors in – and the couple played it up even further by choosing a color scheme of green, white, and yellow, reflecting the verdant surroundings visible outside. The natural florals and birch chuppah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Happy Chuppah People – adorned with wild-looking greenery and florals – completed the look. Matt Heath Photography did a perfect job capturing the natural vibes of the day – not to mention the fabulous light!

We’re also in love with Anna’s gorgeous, classic gown from Caroline Castigliano, which she wore with an added lace topper for the chuppah. We could go on and on, but we’ll let the bride take it from here…

Emma & Nate, Manor of Groves, Hertfordshire, UK Emma & Nate, Manor of Groves, Hertfordshire, UK Emma & Nate, Manor of Groves, Hertfordshire, UK Emma & Nate, Manor of Groves, Hertfordshire, UK

How we Met

Anna, the bride: We first met on Jswipe in January 2017 where we had our first date at Doodle Bar in London. We drew a portrait together on the chalk walls where Nate drew himself and I drew me and it formed one face. Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Caroline Castigliano Bride for a Jewish Wedding in Pink and Gold at Alpine Country Club, Demarest, New Jersey, USA

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Nicki & Ricky, Alpine Country Club, New Jersey, USA

We’re so delighted to be sharing the Jewish wedding of Smashing The Glass Brides Club member Nicki, a life sciences consultant, and Ricky, an options trader! Last year we featured the couple’s fabulous micro wedding – planned in just two weeks! – and it’s such a treat to share their bigger celebration with you now.

By the time the big day rolled around, Nicki and Ricky had already been married for ten months. So they decided to change things up, making this wedding more a celebration of their love than a traditional wedding. Rather than repeating the Jewish ceremony, this time around they had prayers celebrating their love.

Nicki is lucky enough to be the daughter of mega-talented wedding planner and Smashing The Glass Recommended VendorSusie of Pink House Productions, and naturally her mom took charge bringing the day together. Among other things, we’re in love with what Susie did with the table designs, all in the couple’s wedding colors of pink and gold – don’t miss them in the gorgeous photos by Mark S. Kornbluth!

In Nicki’s words, “We were so beyond happy to finally be able to celebrate with our friends and family even if it was a little smaller, ten months later, and in a different place than originally intended.”

Now over to the bride, who looked ever so elegant in Caroline Castigliano…

Nicki & Ricky, Alpine Country Club, New Jersey, USA Nicki & Ricky, Alpine Country Club, New Jersey, USA Nicki & Ricky, Alpine Country Club, New Jersey, USA Nicki & Ricky, Alpine Country Club, New Jersey, USA
How we Met

Nicki, the bride and Ricky, the groom: We were set up by mutual friends in July 2016. Ricky was living in Philly and Nicki was living in NYC and our first date happened when we were both out in the Hamptons for a weekend.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

New York Bridal Market Spring 2020 Recap {and Top Bridal Trends for 2019/20}

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Reem Acra | Photo courtesy of Reem Acra

Hello from New York! Emily here, reporting back from New York Bridal Fashion week on all the hottest Spring/Summer 2020 collections.

Grace Loves Lace | Photo courtesy of Grace Loves Lace

Bridal Market happens twice a year in NYC, in April and October (you can check out my recap of last October’s highlights here).

Yaniv Persy | Photo courtesy of Yaniv Persy

The April show is known for being a little lower-key than October’s, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t tons of fantastic new looks on display.

Halfpenny London | Photo courtesy of Halfpenny London

Because there definitely were.

Phuong My | Photo courtesy of Phuong My

Spring 2020 is looking to be a season of extremes, with clean hyper-minimalist gowns vying with some of the most opulent dresses you could ask for, dainty feminist looks like puffed sleeves and bows neck and neck with androgynous pieces like pants (and even shorts!) and fitted jackets.Continue ReadingContinue Reading