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Home > Claudine Hartzel Photography

13 Inspirational Jewish Wedding Photos

04/07/2022 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment


Image: Ben Kelmer Photography

It takes someone really special to capture all the magic of a Jewish wedding. The traditions, the emotion, the dancing – a Jewish wedding day is pretty full-on from start to finish, and you want to make sure you pick a wedding photographer who can keep up!

Luckily, we know plenty of amazing Jewish wedding photographers – the kind who know exactly what a badeken is without you having to explain a thing – and we asked 13 of them to share a favorite Jewish wedding snapshot with us. So get ready to feel ALL the feelings!


1. Miki Studios


See more work by MIKI Studios


2. Herschel Gutman Photography


See more work by Herschel Gutman, who also offers 10% discount to Brides Club members.


3. Ben Kelmer Photography


See more work by Ben Kelmer Photography, who also offers 10% discount to Brides Club members.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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A Nicole Milano Bride for a Jewish Wedding Inspired by Musical Theatre and the Tottenham Hotspurs at Deene Park, Corby, UK

01/11/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

Miri-and-Danny-Deene-Park-UK

We’re totally and completely obsessed with the fabulous Jewish wedding of Miri, an ex-performer-turned-singing-teacher, and Danny, who works in financial risk – and not just because they worked with some of our very favorite Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors!

These two planned a wedding inspired by two of their biggest loves (aside from each other, of course!): music, and especially musical theatre; and football team Tottenham Hotspurs! While this might seem like an eclectic combo, Miri and Danny pulled it off to perfection – they even got their wonderful stationers, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Big Day Designs, to design them a custom wedding logo based on the Spurs emblem of a cockerel balancing on a football – only instead of a cockerel, there was a music note!

Music being a big deal, the band was the very first thing these two booked – they slotted everything else in around it! Who did they choose? None other than Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor XS Showband! In Miri’s words, “Not only did XS tick all of the boxes, but they were so flexible and helpful with all the extras and personal touches I had arranged with friends, colleagues and pupils singing throughout the day – as well as my own surprise number that I performed!”

As always, we’re in love with the luminous, emotion-packed photos from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Claudine Hartzel Photography – Claudine’s visual storytelling skills are second to none, and scrolling through her beautiful images we feel as if we were right there with Miri and Danny.

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Fews Marquees – who the couple knew they wanted to work with even before they settled on their venue – just happened to be the chosen marquee supplier for Deene Park, where Miri and Danny eventually opted to make it official. And they did SUCH  a fabulous job.

Finally, how gorgeous is Miri’s Nicole Milano gown, purchased for 50% off(!) as a sample from beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Mirror Mirror in Angel? Needless to say, the fab team at Mirror Mirror perfectly customized the dress to Miri’s every specification.  

There’s so much more we could say about this exquisite day, but we’ll let the bride tell you the rest…

Miri-and-Danny-Deene-Park-UK Miri-and-Danny-Deene-Park-UK Miri-and-Danny-Deene-Park-UK Miri-and-Danny-Deene-Park-UK
How We Met

Miri, the bride: We met on J-Swipe; amused that I must have ‘completed’ all the single Nice Jewish Boys in North West London, I extended my location settings to Paris. No, this wasn’t a long-distance Parisian courtship. I immediately realised that this would create more hurdles, rather than less. So I gave up on France. Instead, I  lowered the age range on my dating profile (by two and a half years). Turns out, I hadn’t actually completed all the NJBs after all.  #Danny

His words regarding our first meeting :
“Miri greeted me with a hug that was befitting of a long lost friend and the first half an hour or so was somewhat of a sensory overload, as I took in both how beautiful Miri looked and how quickly she spoke.”Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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The Songs You’ll Need for Your Jewish Wedding with Kimpton Fitzroy London and Sensation Band {Facebook Live Recap}

22/07/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

I’m so excited to share my latest Facebook Live from one of London’s very best Jewish wedding venues, the glorious Kimpton Fitzroy London, featuring favorite Jewish wedding songs performed by our friends from Sensation Band, the world-class wedding entertainment outfit beloved by so many Jewish couples in London and beyond. 

We had such a fantastic team come together to make this event happen, including Adam Nathan Catering, who provided delicious canapes for our live audience of Smashing The Glass Brides Club members; Adrian Stone, who provided his videography services; Claudine Hartzel, who took all the gorgeous still shots of the event you’ll see here; LiT, who handled livestreaming and production; JF Styling, who styled the gorgeous chuppah under which Sensation performed; and Dimitria Jordan, who designed personalized stationery gifts for our wonderful Brides Club attendees!

Sensation Band have performed at hundreds of Jewish weddings of all kinds, and what they don’t know about Jewish wedding music isn’t worth knowing – plus, of course, they’re incredibly talented musicians! So it was really a treat to have them here with us, performing and sharing some of the wisdom they’ve gleaned from their many years of Jewish wedding experience. Sensation prepared a set list of classic songs you might consider incorporating into your Jewish ceremony – both traditional versions and some very contemporary twists! (Scroll to the foot of the post for all the names of the tracks and time stamps).

Processional Tracks

With Guy on vocals and Jason on keyboard, we started with a selection of songs that are popular choices for the groom’s processional. First, we heard “Vehi Sheamda,” featuring lyrics from the Passover Haggadah; then Omer Adam’s “Modeh Ani,” a popular Israeli track; next, “Yesimcha Elokim,” a more traditional choice, and finally, “Meheira,” which takes its lyrics from the Sheva Brachot. 

Hebrew or English?

Then we took a break for some audience questions, and a really important one came up: Can you use English (or whatever language) music in your ceremony, or does it all need to be in Hebrew? Sensation and I agree, this one really depends so much on your officiant – so be sure you discuss it with them. Sensation mentioned that they often set traditional Hebrew lyrics to popular contemporary tunes, which can be a great option – especially if you’re required to use Hebrew music but have your heart set on something different.

Welcoming the Bride

Then Guy and Jason performed their next track, the traditional Israeli love song “Erev Shel Shoshanim.” They suggest it as an option for the grandparents’ processional, and it’s also a popular option for brides to walk down to!

Next up was Boi Kallah, sung to the tune of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” – taken from Lecha Dodi, the lyrics are all about welcoming the (Shabbat) bride, so it’s an awesome choice for welcoming a non-metaphorical bride, too!

Then, continuing the theme of setting traditional songs to modern tunes, Sensation performed another version of “Meheira,” this time set to the tune of “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman.

Wrapping Things Up

They followed that up with “Eishet Chayil,” traditionally sung on Friday nights, about the woman of valor. This track is often played during the circling. First, Guy and Jason did a traditional rendition; then they changed things up by performing it to the tune of Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are”!

Then we were treated to “Mi Adir,” a blessing for the newly married couple, to the tune of “You Raise Me Up” by Westlife. Next was “Im Eshkachech,” traditionally sung just before the breaking of the glass, first sung to the tune of popular track “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav,” then the more traditional version. 

Next it was time for “Siman Tov Mazal Tov,” the lively tune that’s usually sung right after the smashing of the glass!

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Whimsical Country House Jewish Wedding Inspo at Hylands Estate, Essex, UK

15/07/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

There’s nothing like finding an undiscovered gem of a Jewish wedding venue – and even more so when it’s under an hour from London! We’re so glad Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J – the organizer behind this gorgeous shoot – took some of her pandemic downtime to scout out gorgeous Hylands Estate in Essex. 

As of yet, it’s not really on the Jewish wedding radar – but we’re guessing that’ll change fast after these stunning images go out into the world. Hylands was truly the perfect setting for this beautiful, whimsical shoot, which brought together an amazing team, including Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors photographer Claudine Hartzel, bridal boutique Morgan Davies Bridal, stationer Dimitria Jordan, makeup artist Katy Angelidi, chuppah supplier The Happy Chuppah People, florist Gabriella Shemtov Floral, harpist Noa Davies, and Judaica purveyor Contemporary Judaica.

When Michelle discovered Hylands Estate, she was surprised it hadn’t yet made its way onto the Jewish wedding scene, since it ticks so many boxes for couples looking for a dreamy English countryside wedding. Between the exquisitely renovated stately manor house, breathtaking grounds, availability for dry hire (which means you can bring in your own kosher caterer) and convenient location in Chelmsford, just 45 minutes from North London, what’s not to love?

And speaking of things to love – we are totally and completely obsessed with this stunner of an Ersa Atelier wedding gown provided by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Morgan Davies Bridal. 

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A Lee Petra Grebenau Bride for a Winter Jewish Micro Wedding at Home House, London, UK

26/04/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

Amelia and Shaun, Home House, London, UK

Get ready to be blown away by the positively breathtaking Jewish micro wedding of Amelia, a senior women’s fashion buyer, and Shaun, head of mining sales for a procurement company!

Like most 2020 couples, Amelia and Shaun went through a couple changes of plan (and date) – but the wedding they eventually pulled off, an intimate 15-person gathering in December, could not have been any more gorgeous. Home House, a venue built from three Georgian townhouses, was the absolute perfect spot for the couple’s moody winter wedding, adorned with dark florals, amber lighting, and over 1,000 candles.

And thanks to the dream team of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Claudine Hartzel, who perfectly captured all the emotion (not to mention the wonderful details) of the day in her photos, and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Denee Motion, who worked his magic on the couple’s wedding video, we feel as if we were right there with them.

And can we talk about how stunning Amelia looks in her gown by Israeli designer Lee Petra Grebenau?!

Now over to the bride…

Amelia and Shaun, Home House, London, UK Amelia and Shaun, Home House, London, UK Amelia and Shaun, Home House, London, UK Amelia and Shaun, Home House, London, UK
How we Met

Amelia, the bride: My best friend Jade was dating Shaun’s brother Andy and introduced us to each other about 11 years ago now.

He actually cancelled our first date! But pulled it out the bag when we actually went out properly. The rest was history and Jade is now my sister in law – she also planned the wedding!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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