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Home > Elegante by Michelle J

A Galia Lahav Bride for a Relaxed Jewish Wedding with Party Vibes at the Wallace Collection, London, UK

10/10/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Today’s wedding is a special one for me to feature is it’s at the Wallace Collection where I got married!

And I love that when Daniella, a Lagree instructor, and Adam, who works in finance consulting, set out to plan their Jewish wedding, their top priority was for it to feel relaxed, like a big party.

And with the help of their amazing wedding planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J, the couple were able to make their big day at London’s Wallace Collection feel like exactly that! In Daniella’s words, Michelle “not only understood exactly what we wanted from our wedding but also managed to pull everything together in a very short time frame” – plus she helped make the less formal setup of the day (Daniella and Adam opted not to have a formal seated dinner and instead to have food stations and seating areas) flow perfectly.

Also key to those party vibes was the pair’s band, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Totem. Daniella and Adam opted for their DJ live offering, which kept everyone on the dance floor until the very end! As evidenced by Paulo Santos stunning photography, a fabulous time was indeed had by all.

Oh, and did I mention Daniella’s Galia Lahav gown yet? Read on for full details about it, and so much more…

 

 

 

 


How we Met

Daniella, the bride: We met over six years ago both working on the same consulting project in Manchester and two years later we moved together out to Hong Kong where we live now.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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Things to Budget for a Jewish Wedding That You May Have Overlooked

18/08/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Chloe and Danny‘s Tuscan Jewish wedding, planned by Michelle! Photo by David Bastianoni

This is a guest post by Michelle Jacobs. The founder of Elegante by Michelle J, Michelle  is a wedding planner with a niche specialisation in luxury destination weddings in Italy for UK and US based Jewish couples. Her mission is to create magical and memorable weddings for her couples, their families and their guests. Michelle has had the privilege of working at numerous Italian venues and has built fantastic relationships and effective collaborations with a whole host of talented and professional Italian wedding vendors. She is passionate about sharing all of her knowledge and experience to create your dream wedding.


One of the most challenging aspects of planning a wedding is budgeting. Figuring out how much you have to spend, breaking it down by category, and then continually monitoring your progress as you book each supplier… it’s a lot to think about!

But all that hard work can only go so far if you forget to include certain key items in your budget from the beginning. It’s like anything in life – you have to start with good foundations, otherwise it can all come tumbling down.

So, here are some examples for you of items that I commonly see omitted from an original budget document.

Jewish wedding Osea Island, Essex, UK_0041

Jasmin and Brett‘s Osea Island UK Jewish wedding, planned by Michelle! Photo by Claudine Hartzel

Ceremony Costs

Couples – when costing out their wedding – often look at the wedding reception costs only and forget about the main event!!  After all, your guests are joining you to witness your marriage.  Everything that follows is simply a celebration of this, and your marriage ceremony does come with its own costs.  These can include:

  • Synagogue membership fees (often a stipulation if the rabbi at your family Synagogue is marrying you)
  • Fees charged by the rabbi
  • Chazan, musicians and/orchoir
  • Sound system for the ceremony – not always available at the synagogue so if you are having musicians at your ceremony you might need to hire in a PA system.
  • Chuppah hire as well as the chuppah flowers
  • Any other ceremony decoration
  • Kippot and order or service booklets (if applicable or required)
  • Transport from the ceremony to the wedding reception (if you decide to provide this for your guests)
  • Chair hire and set up (eg for an outdoor ceremony at your wedding venue)
  • The cost of your civil wedding, which you will require in addition to your Jewish wedding 

Jewish wedding Great Synagogue of Florence and Villa di Maiano, Florence, Italy_0013

Paige and Richard‘s Jewish wedding at the Great Synagogue of Florence, planned by Michelle! Photo by David Bastianoni

Catering

Your caterer might have sent you an initial set of sample menus with per person pricing, but have they included:

  • Furniture hire if not available at your venue (ie tables and chairs) and do they charge extra to set these up for you
  • Linen upgrades (perhaps their per person cost includes for basic white linen and you would like to introduce more of a luxury feel or colour)
  • Tableware and glassware upgrades
  • Kitchen set up costs (if you are using a dry hire venue with no catering kitchen)
  • Transport costs for their team (if you are using a venue which is not local to their base)
  • “Crew meals” -you are not expected to pay to feed the caterers staff,  but you will need to pay to feed all of your other suppliers including your band, your photographers and videographers, your wedding planners etc.  Usually caterers will charge a reduced fee for a simpler meal, although you should expect to provide a hot meal as it is always a long day for the supplier team and a decent meal is considered essential.

Michelle helped Emma and Pete plan a Mary Poppins-themed wedding – talk about a Jewish wedding that’s totally them! Photo by Claudine Hartzel

Venue

Do make sure you check your venue hire contract carefully.  In particular you need to consider:

  • What time are your suppliers allowed access,and if earlier access will be required is this possible and will they charge extra for it
  • Likewise the breakdown and de-rig at the end;how long do they allow for this,  is it a sufficient amount of time and if not, will there be an extra fee for a later finish
  • What time must your wedding end; can you extend for a fee?And if so, how much?
  • Which spaces are included?Does this include for all of your requirements including a green room for the band and other suppliers (ie photographers and videographers), a room for your Tisch, a room for your Bedeken?  Is there any extra charge for additional rooms?

destination-Jewish-wedding-at-Villa-Oliva-Lucca-Tuscany-Italy

Stephanie and Dan‘s Jewish wedding in Tuscany, planned by Michelle! Photo by David Bastianoni

Flowers

A florist might provide you with a ball-park cost for decorating your Chuppah and for your table centrepieces, but does the fee include:

  • Delivery and set up
  • Returning at the end to collect the vases, candelabras, tea light holders etc and break down the chuppah
  • Breakages of vases, tea light holders etc

Claudia & James, Royal Myconian Hotel, Mykonos, Greece

Claudia and James‘s Jewish wedding in Mykonos, planned by Michelle! Photo by Anna Roussos

Entertainment and Production

You have decided on a band and agreed a fee with them.  But I am afraid that is not all.  Their fee may or may not include their sound system, but it definitely won’t include:

  • Stage
  • Dance floor
  • Lighting

If you book a large showband they will have certain requirements regarding their stage and lighting so do make sure you talk to them about these things sooner rather than later and build them into your budget.

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Top Jewish Wedding Planning Tips

18/07/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Jewish wedding Osea Island, Essex, UK_0041
Jasmine & Brett’s wedding featured on Smashing the Glass | Photo by Claudine Hartzel

So you’re planning a Jewish wedding – mazal tov! Wedding planning is exciting, no question, but it can also be seriously overwhelming. There’s so much to learn, so much information to sort through and, in many cases, so many opinions to contend with. 

But having the right tools goes a long way! And that’s why we tapped into our fabulous network of wedding planners to share their top tips for a smooth wedding planning journey. Read on for some essential Jewish wedding wisdom!


Charlotte from La Fete says

Make sure that you are really clear with your parents from the start on their involvement in your big day. Are they expecting certain things – do you have any non-negotiables? The clearer you are earlier on, the easier and smoother the whole process will be. 

Rebecca & Emmanuel, Villa Luisa, Seville, Spain

Rebecca & Emmanuel‘s wedding featured on Smashing The Glass | Photo by Juan Luis Morilla

 Michelle from Elegante by Michelle J says

We are very fortunate that the Jewish marriage ceremony is very poignant and meaningful;  so my advice to all of my couples is to make it especially so,  the highlight of your wedding day. It’s all too easy to get caught up with the dinner florals, the entertainment, the food and of course they are important (and as a wedding planner I also love to get caught up in all of these details). But everyone is gathering together to witness the two of you entering into the commitment of marriage. So this should be considered “the main event”. Everything else that follows is a celebration of the beautiful wedding that your guests have had the privilege of witnessing.

Chloe & Danny‘s wedding featured on Smashing The Glass | Photo by David Bastianoni

Yana Andreev from Craspedia Events says

Create an email account that will be designated for wedding things only. That way you’ll have all the corespondence in one convinient location, you both have access to and it won’t mix with work and personal stuff. 

Jewish wedding Bayaar, Hadera, Israel

Shelly & Harel‘s wedding featured on Smashing The Glass | Photo by Noa Magger

Luba from Primavera Dreams says

My #1 tip for a destination Jewish wedding: Make sure that your planner knows the traditions, understand the particularity of a Jewish wedding and can actively help to source what may be needed (from chuppah and rabbi to challah, to kosher food and wine, etc. if needed). Or it may cost you a lot of money and stress.

Rita-Daniel-Granite-Links-Quincy-MA-USA
Rita & Daniel‘s wedding featured on Smashing the Glass | Photo by Tatiana Blanco Photography 

Dyana from Dyana Dessar says

Do remember why you are getting married, because you love each other!  it is not a military manoeuvre and whilst it is important to have a good timeline don’t sweat the small stuff, stop take a moment and take the day in as it will be over all too soon, and to make sure it all runs smoothly employ a professional wedding planner! 


Jolanda & Jack‘s wedding featured on Smashing the Glass | Photo by The Love Hunters

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How to Handle Wedding Planning Stress, Anxiety, or Overwhelm {Instagram Live Recap with Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J}

10/05/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

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A post shared by Jewish Wedding Inspiration + Advice (@smashingtheglass)


Who’s having a hard time with wedding planning stress or overwhelm right now? ???? If that’s you, my latest Instagram live is an absolute must-watch. 

I spoke with the wonderful Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J, all about how to handle wedding stress, overwhelm, and anxiety – not to mention all those (often unwanted) opinions!

Michelle is the ultimate Jewish wedding planning expert, and I love sharing her knowledge and expertise with you. A London-based planner focusing on destination Jewish weddings – both abroad and in the UK – she’s passionate about creating magical experiences for couples and their families and guests.

Chloe and Danny‘s Tuscan Jewish wedding, planned by Michelle! Photo by David Bastianoni

All About Overwhelm 

In this Live, Michelle and I talk through some easily actionable tips to make your wedding planning as fun and stress-free as possible. We opened the discussion with a focus on wedding overwhelm – something that very often comes up when Michelle first speaks with her couples. It’s especially common at the beginning of a couple’s wedding planning journey, but even all the way through overwhelm can be a big issue.

Michelle shared some great tips on how to deal:

Remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint – it’s true there’s a lot involved in planning a wedding, but no one’s expecting you to do it all at once.

Michelle also recommends that before you get started you sit down and have a conversation with your partner about what sort of wedding you really want and what your priorities are. The clearer a picture you have of what you’re aiming for, the easier it will be to figure out next steps and make choices. 

Jewish wedding Osea Island, Essex, UK_0041

Jasmin and Brett‘s Osea Island UK Jewish wedding, planned by Michelle! Photo by Claudine Hartzel

Getting Clear on Your Priorities

In terms of figuring out what it is that the two of you want – Michelle strongly believes that every wedding should reflect the couple behind it, so she’s a big supporter of looking inward before you look outward. First have a think about what you two like to do, what your home is like, what your ideal day out would be, and after you’ve done that start looking at Instagram, Pinterest, Smashing The Glass’s real wedding archives etc. 

Some things to think about: Do you want a country or city wedding? Small or large? Local or destination? Casual or formal? Ballroom or barn? Those are the big-picture issues. You’ll also need to have a sense of how much you want to spend so you won’t waste your time looking at vendors and venues that are out of your price range – or a venue that’s the wrong size for your crowd. It’s smart to share this vision with your family upfront and get everyone on the same page before you dive into planning. 

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A Sassi Holford Bride for a Gothic Fairy Tale Halloween Wedding at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London, UK

21/04/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Candy-Sam-St-Pancras-Renaissance-London-UK

There’s nothing we love like seeing a couple put their own totally unique stamp on their Jewish wedding – which is exactly what today’s couple, Candy and Sam, did! These two opted to get married on Halloween, and they let the date serve as inspiration for their gothic fairy tale-style day, low on pumpkins and skulls but high on haunted house vibes and tarot card styling.

Candy and Sam found the perfect partner to bring their vision to life in wedding planner Michelle Jacobs of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J. Michelle totally got their unique vision, and she introduced the pair to so many of their amazing suppliers – including Pippa Mackenzie Photography, who captured these incredible images. The duo can’t stop gushing about Michelle’s amazing service, throughout the planning process and on the day too.

 The couple chose Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Rabbi Paul Glantz as their officiant, and they loved that he encouraged them to write their own personalized ketubah text – which they then read aloud from during the ceremony!

For entertainment, Candy and Sam chose Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Totem’s gospel choir and full live band, a choice that resulted in an awesome party. In Candy’s words, “The music was one of the huge successes of the night, during dinner we had a huge party break out and the band and guests went wild. People were dancing on chairs, people’s shoulders and even the windowsills. It was outrageous in the best way possible.”

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Adam Nathan Catering provided the couple’s kosher-style catering, and he was incredibly flexible and easy to work with, despite having a lot of opinions to take into account! Candy and Sam loved the way he brought everyone’s ideas together to create a totally delicious meal.

There’s so much more to say, but we’ll leave the rest to the bride, who looked smashing in Sassi Holford… 

Candy-Sam-St-Pancras-Renaissance-London-UK Candy-Sam-St-Pancras-Renaissance-London-UK Candy-Sam-St-Pancras-Renaissance-London-UK Candy-Sam-St-Pancras-Renaissance-London-UK
How we Met

Candice, the bride: We met at The University of Leeds in our third year. Sam then moved down to London so that we could carry on seeing each other and we began our careers. Sam pursued a role in television and is now a TV Director launching a food and wine show whilst I am a Creative Director at a creative agency specialising in social media.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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