Elegante by Michelle J Archives - Smashing the Glass

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.

Luxe Winter Jewish Wedding Inspo at the Four Seasons Hampshire, UK

25/05/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

You know what doesn’t get enough love? Winter weddings, that’s what. Sure, you don’t get the long daylight hours, and you might find your selection of flowers a tad more limited. But there’s something just so magical and cozy about holding your Jewish (or Jew-ish) wedding in this under appreciated season.

That’s why we’re so delighted that master wedding planner and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J decided to spearhead a gorgeous Jewish wedding-themed shoot that’s basically an ode to the winter wedding.

Set at #STGvendor Four Seasons Hampshire, a gorgeous luxe countryside venue that’s not far from London but feels a world away, the shoot brought together a fantastic team of wedding professionals, including some other beloved #STGvendors like stationer Bigday Designs, makeup artist Philippa Louise, bridal boutique Mirror Mirror London, and Judaica purveyor Contemporary Judaica!

Being a classic country venue, Four Seasons Hampshire‘s obviously got beautiful gardens and grounds (how magnificent is the Walled Garden?!) – and Paulo Santo Photography took full advantage of that fact in capturing some sublime couples’ shots like the one above.

But Michelle and her team really wanted to showcase the venue’s incredible indoor event spaces – and just how memorably they can be dressed up for a totally unique Jewish wedding. (If you want to see what Four Seasons Hampshire looks like for a summer wedding, check out the incredible Jewish wedding of Jessica and Philip that we featured a couple years back!)

Featuring jewel tones and luxe textures, this shoot is 100% pure winter magnificence.

And as if we couldn’t love this shoot any more, Michelle even worked in one of our very own smash glass pouches – doesn’t get much better than that!

Bringing the Hamptons to the UK: Jewish Wedding Inspo on Osea Island

21/10/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Eight months into the pandemic, and I think most of us are experiencing some serious wanderlust. So today, we’re taking you on a little holiday to the Hamptons, navigated by master wedding planner and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J, who spearheaded this gorgeous Jewish wedding-themed shoot!

Wait, sorry, this actually isn’t the Hamptons – despite what you might assume from the chilled out ocean backdrop, the soft beachy color scheme, and the Adirondack chairs! But we ARE headed off on a fabulous journey that will be of particular interest to all of you UK couples out there dreaming of an immersive destination wedding but hesitant to make plans abroad, thanks to Michelle and a fantastic team of wedding professionals, including some other beloved #STGvendors like stationer Dimitria Jordan, makeup artist Katy Angelidi, florist Gabriella Shemtov, and bridal boutique Mirror Mirror London, and Judaica purveyor Contemporary Judaica!

Today’s destination is actually the UK’s magical Osea Island! A small, privately owned island just off the Essex coast and accessible via a tidal causeway (and only a little more than an hour from London!), Osea Island is offered for exclusive hire for weddings and special events – and it’s truly a venue like none other.

Michelle and her team fell in love with the cool, casual vibe and Hamptons-style interiors abundant on Osea Island – and she should know, as the planner involved with this incredible Jewish wedding featured on STG last year – and we’re betting you will, too.

There’s something incredibly calming about these exquisite photos, courtesy of Stuart Wood Photography – thanks to the idyllic setting, tranquil coastal color palette, and sophisticated yet understated design scheme – and who couldn’t use a little bit of that right now?

Even though Osea Island isn’t far from London at all, it really does feel like another world – and as such, it’s absolutely the perfect option for couples in the UK who want the feel of an immersive destination wedding without the hassle (and, in COVID times, uncertainty) of international travel.

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How to Create a Memorable Experience for Your Guests {Facebook Live Recap with Michelle Jacobs}

26/05/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

I’m so excited to share with you my latest Facebook Live with the incredible luxury wedding planner Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J. Based in London with a focus on destination weddings and wedding weekends, Michelle is truly one of the best when it comes to working with Jewish and Jew-ish couples to craft standout wedding experiences (and is a favourite among STG brides!), and I was lucky to be able to chat with her at The Wedding Gallery in Central London about ways to make your wedding pop while at the same time keeping everything accessible for guests.

Michelle is just so full of wedding wisdom, and if you’re working to create a one-of-a-kind, ultra-memorable day everyone will enjoy (and honestly, who isn’t?), this Live is 100% worth your time. Starting with the premise that happy guests are what make or break a wedding’s atmosphere, Michelle’s got tips that apply to weddings of any budget and style.

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

Focus on Guest Experience

We started off by chatting about how you can make sure your guests have a fantastic experience at your wedding from start to finish. This starts from the moment you send out those invites: pumping your guests up for your big day is step 1 to creating a killer atmosphere on the day.

How to do it? First off, if you’re getting married somewhere far off or out of the way, make sure they know how to get there and what kind of arrangements you’ve made to help get them home (or back to their hotels) at the end of the night.

Second, if you have guests who may not have attended a Jewish wedding before, make sure to keep things accessible for them. Creating a wedding program outlining and explaining the elements of the ceremony is a wonderful way to do this. It’s also thoughtful to let guests know in advance about anything that might catch them off guard, like if they’ll be asked to wear kipper, or if you’ll be having separate dancing or separate seating for the ceremony.

Another type of guest who might need some special looking after? Anyone attending alone who doesn’t know any of the other guests. One idea is to assign a group of people to take care of your solo guests on the day (and seat them all together); another is to start a Facebook group for your guests in advance of the big day so they can get to know each other a bit beforehand!

A Hayley Paige Bride for a Romantic Jewish Wedding at Villa Oliva, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy

02/03/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

What a wedding! If you’ve ever fantasized about jetting off to Tuscany to get married, the exquisite Jewish wedding of Stephanie and Dan, who did just that, is going to knock your socks off. In fact, it’ll probably do that even the thought of a Tuscan wedding has never even crossed your mind!

The couple’s wonderful planner, Michelle Jacobs of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante By Michelle J, took all the pressure out of planning while making sure the big day was as elegant, romantic, joyful, and memorable as it could possible be. And she connected the couple with their amazing roster of vendors!

Truly, these two used so many of the very best out there, from the amazing Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Totem – who Stephanie and Dan flew over from London because they wanted to make sure their big day featured some EPIC Israeli dancing, and if you know Totem you know they get the party going like no one else – to mega-talented stationer Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Bigday Designs (love the stationery suite they came up with!) to a gift list with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Prezola.

Photographer David Bastianoni and videographer Federico of Waterfall Visuals both captured the day so beautifully, and we love that they were committed as to capturing the love between the couple – including lots of sweet casual moments – as to featuring the beautiful setting and décor (looking at you, floral chuppah!).

If you’re wondering how you can make your wedding as awesome as Stephanie and Dan’s, don’t miss our Facebook Live with none other than Michelle Jacobs herself, all about creating an ultra-memorable experience for your guests. It’s happening this Thursday, March 5, at 7:30 PM GMT / 2:30 PM EST / 11:30 PST, right on the Smashing The Glass Facebook Page.

But for now, we’re going to turn you over to the lovely Stephanie, who looked simply ravishing in Hayley Paige…

Venue

Stephanie, the bride: We got married in Villa Oliva, near Lucca in Tuscany. I’ve always dreamed of having a romantic wedding abroad and, luckily, Dan saw the appeal. We picked Tuscany because we both love Italy – from the food and wine to the art, landscape and scenery.

Dan and I are both nature lovers, so the idea of getting married in a Tuscan garden really appealed to us. The venue we chose had several gorgeous gardens surrounding the villa and we fell in love.

We also wanted each area of the party to be a surprise for the guests, so we got married at the front of the villa; had the drinks reception behind the villa; and dinner and dancing was held in a large garden slightly further away from the property. The front of the villa had a beautiful grotto, which was the perfect backdrop for the chuppah.

We were very grateful for the support of our family and friends flying out to celebrate our special day with us. The guests were able to get to know each other at the welcome party and by the pool, so everyone was friendly at the main event. It felt like a big holiday!