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Ros & Alex | Contemporary cool Jewish wedding with 50’s and 60’s touches, at The ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), London, UK

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London Theme Wedding at the ICA
Ros and Alex mixed contemporary and vintage styling to perfection, and I adore the sleek modern venue they chose: The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). It’s an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square, and is one of the capital’s most beautiful contemporary spaces. I am beyond excited to be blogging what I believe is the only Jewish wedding ever to have taken place there, and a totally jaw-dropping one at that.

Ros’s wedding report is one of the loveliest I’ve ever read so if you can get 5 minutes with a cuppa to sit and read Ros’s words as well as ogle over the stunning photography from Especially Amy I promise you will fall in love with this wedding story. Ros also gives some excellent money-saving tips at the end in her ‘advice to other brides’, as well as some super useful planning advice.

There’s lots to love but I am particularly taken with Ros’s beauty and style and the London theme details such as the London Underground map table plan, and miniature black cabs and double-decker buses on the tables.

Here is their story…

London-themed contemporary cool Jewish wedding at The ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), London
London-themed contemporary cool Jewish wedding at The ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), London
HOW WE MET
Ros, the Bride: We met at Bristol University in September 2002, as Fresher’s living in the same student halls. Our first date was breakfast at a greasy spoon cafe down the road! Alex popped the question in February 2011 at the boutique Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City before whisking me off for dinner and cocktails. We have always loved New York, so it was perfect. That night, the lights on the Empire State shone for us in the snow. After a lot of planning and juggling of dates, we married 18 months later.

London-themed contemporary cool Jewish wedding at The ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), London
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Amanda & Brian | Romantic elegance Jewish wedding at the Rosewood London

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Rosewood-London-wedding
I hope you are ready for elegance and sophistication this Monday afternoon folks. Amanda  and Brian’s  gorgeous wedding has more than a touch of class about it and I’m delighted to be blogging  the first ever wedding to have taken place at the the coolest new hotel kid  on the block, the  Rosewood London  in High Holborn.

And as for the photography well….I don’t know how on earth Amanda  and Brian  ever chose what to put in their album, I was in raptures over the shots of the stationery and the rings before I even got to the delicious details and all important ceremony and party shots.

There’s a bride and groom that positively exude the whole happy-ever-after. There’s an  utterly mesmerising chuppah. There’s laughter and crazy dancing  and guests having the time of their lives. There are stunning portrait shots. It’s essentially a whole LOT of city chic glamour  people, all courtesy of the genius that is  David Pullum.

Oh and then there’s THE dress.
It’s breathtaking.

Just before I hand over to Amanda for her wedding report,  I must just add  that I was  thrilled  to hear that she  was inspired to make a bride’s speech after reading an article in the Times, in which I was quoted,  that talks about how the modern day bride is finally breaking her silence. I certainly feel that when you put your heart and soul into the planning, you do want to express yourself and say something… Amanda, being a rocking STG bride, has more to say on the  subject (and so much more!) in her heartfelt and  detailed write-up below.
Romantic elegance Jewish wedding at the Rosewood Hotel Covent Garden London_0037 Romantic elegance Jewish wedding at the Rosewood Hotel Covent Garden London

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Mikah & Alex | Brunch themed Jewish wedding with lots of personal touches (and a juggling rabbi!) at the Berkeley Oceanfront, NJ, USA

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Jewish Brunch Wedding at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel New Jersey 26
Who says weddings have to be afternoon or evening affairs? Late morning is absolutely open too–and  if your favourite meal of the day is brunch (like Mikah and Alex’s is) then you need look no further for inspiration for creating a really personal brunch wedding than right here.

And there are so many great reasons to serve brunch for your wedding food. It’s a great way to stick to your budget, a safe bet for picky eaters, and, hello…waffle bar!? And if you don’t think a brunch wedding can feel formal or special, Mikah and Alex’s w-day will totally prove you wrong. Grab your mimosa and ogle over Adia Photography’s gorgeous images, and watch out for some really fabulous touches like 14 different cakes for their table centrepieces (genius), ‘advice cards’ instead of a guest book, über-personal wedding favours, and best of all… a juggling rabbi!
Jewish Brunch Wedding at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel New Jersey B
HOW WE MET
Mikah, the Bride: Firstly, I have to say that since my friend’s Sarit & Ari’s wedding was posted on Smashing the Glass, I have followed your site religiously. I love it! Alex and I met online. In April 2010, I received an instant message from a law student on OKCupid. Alex listed one of his favourite books as Flowers for Algernon, and I was intrigued. At the time, I usually limited first dates to no more than 20 minutes. When Alex and I met in-person for tea a few weeks later in DuPont Circle, we had an immediate connection: not only did we go out for tea, he asked me out to dinner that same night, which I agreed to, and he walked me home. I always tell him that while the date was great, it was the fact that he grabbed my hand to hold it on the walk back to my apartment that made me swoon.
Jewish Brunch Wedding at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel New Jersey J

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Erica & Jared | Breathtaking Lower East Side Jewish winter wedding at the Angel Orensanz Foundation, New York City

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Jewish wedding at the Angel Orensanz Foundation New York City 46
The majority of submissions that land in my inbox are from photographers, which is wonderful as I get to sample all the most creative and inspiring new photography and Jewish weddings out there. However there is something very special about receiving an excitable email from a recently married couple, bursting to tell me all about their big day (especially when they’ve drawn inspiration from Smashing The Glass in the run-up to their wedding!). I recently got an email just like this from Erica all about her sensational Lower East Side W-day, and it was only made better by the fact that this venue has to be one of the most jaw-dropping I’ve ever seen.

Some say that there is something theatrical about a wedding… well if that’s the case, today’s venue is the perfect stage. It’s the phenomenal Angel Orensanz, the oldest surviving synagogue in New York City. With a Beethoven inspired atmosphere, some scintillating kaleidoscopic creations by the lighting designers, lots of Jewish traditions, and  Brett Matthews‘ immense photography, your eyes are in for a treat with this New York knockout!
Jewish wedding at the Angel Orensanz Foundation New York City 0 Jewish wedding at the Angel Orensanz Foundation New York City 28 Jewish wedding at the Angel Orensanz Foundation New York City B Jewish wedding at the Angel Orensanz Foundation New York City 14
VENUE
Erica, the Bride: I heard about this Smashing The Glass through endless searching of the internet for inspiration for Jewish weddings. I didn’t want a cookie-cutter wedding and wanted as much individuality as possible, which is how I came across the blog.

We chose to get married at The Angel Orensanz Foundation, and decided upon this venue because of its beautiful architecture and deep-rooted Jewish history (it was built in 1849 and is the oldest surviving synagogue in New York City). The first time I saw the space, I was sold. It didn’t hurt that Sarah Jessica Parker got married there and often frequents the space. I love aesthetically satisfying spaces with culture and tradition. The juxtaposition of the gothic/cathedral look and the modernity of the art space they hold on the third floor seemed really exciting to me and I knew that the photos would last me a lifetime.

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Hayley & Kollen | Vintage gold-glam Jewish wedding at 333 Collins St & Myer Mural Hall, Melbourne

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Vintage glam Jewish wedding at 333 Collins St and Myer Mural Hall Melbourne 10
Hayley  and Kollen  are one  super-gorgeous and stylish duo  and their couple shots are just so full of warmth and affection. I’m adoring Hayley’s  glam-vintage  bridal style and watch  out for  her adorable flower girls who just exude personality, her  sassy bridesmaids (I need their dresses in my life!) and the couple’s beautiful letterpress modern-vintage invitations.

This is  a beautiful wedding with a stylish  copper and gold  colour scheme and it’s celebrated in not one, but two sumptuous venues. The whole shebang  was documented in style by  the supremely talented  Adrian Tuazon  so come on… let’s take a look.
Vintage glam Jewish wedding at 333 ollins St and Myer Mural Hall Melbourne
Vintage glam Jewish wedding at 333 ollins St and Myer Mural Hall Melbourne
TWO GLAM-GORGEOUS VENUES
Hayley, the Bride: Our  ceremony was held at 333 Collins St and our  reception was at Myer Mural Hall in Melbourne, Australia. We wanted a wedding in the city and something different and grand. Both venues were exactly that and had a similar majestic and grand feel. We fell in love with both venues as soon as we saw them.

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