Fashion Forward Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Super Luxe Laduree-Fuelled Interfaith Jew-ish Wedding at the Shangri-La, Paris, France

20/04/2018 by Karen Cinnamon 2 Comments

There’s SO MUCH to love about today’s stunner of a Jew-ish wedding, but I’m particularly obsessed with how they incorporated one of my all-time favorite patisseries into their day…

New York-based Melissa, who works in luxury marketing, and William, in finance, opted to wed in Paris, where William lived for many years. The city played an important part in the development of their relationship – as did one of its most delicious exports, Laduree.

Known for the tastiest macarons around (seriously, once you try one of theirs you won’t want to bother with any others), as well as exemplary presentations of classic French pastry, Laduree has long been a favorite Parisian haunt of the couple’s. So much so that when William proposed – in the City of Love, naturally – he did so over a bag of Laduree goodies (seriously, we love this guy!).

In a nod to their engagement, the pair opted to forgo cake in favor of something quintessentially French: a croquembouche. But not just any croquembouche. A rose lychee flavored croquembouche from Laduree. I’m positively drooling over here just thinking about it!

Instead of a traditional guest book, Melissa and William asked their guests to sign a Laduree macaron book. Each page featured a different flavor, and guests could choose one to sign. Oh, and the favors? Laduree macarons, in a selection of the bride and groom’s favorite flavors.

Even their venue, the mega-opulent Grand Salon at the Shangri-La Hotel, kind of resembles one of Laduree’s beautiful salons (although unlike my local Laduree, the Shangri-La comes complete with a straight-on view of the Eiffel Tower). The place is just dripping with old-school Parisian glamour.

Claire Morris Photography and videographer Zen Film Works captured the day beautifully – you’ve got to see the portraits of the couple at iconic spots all around Paris.

It was important to Melissa, who is Jewish, and William, raised Catholic, to find a ketubah vendor who offered texts suitable for interfaith couples, and they ended up with a beautiful papercut from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com.

Now I’ll turn you over to Melissa could not have looked more elegant in her showstopper of a gown, custom designed for her by Sharon Wilkes (who we adore, and just happens to her best friend’s mother).

How we met

Melissa, the bride: We originally met in the summer of 2006, while we were both participating in a summer pre-college program at Georgetown University following our junior year of high school. As I was from New York and William was from Paris, seeing each other after the program was quite unlikely, but we were smitten with each other.

We kept in touch on and off for the next 5 years, and resumed speaking after a long hiatus around February 2011 when William, who was working in finance but had retained his teenage passion for writing, had written a short story and asked me for my thoughts.

In May of 2011, I had just graduated early from university and was traveling through Europe, while William was on a summer break from his master’s program in Paris. William asked me to meet him for a spontaneous trip in southern Spain, and I said no at first, nervous about seeing him after all those years.

But in my heart I felt that I should go, and a few weeks later I flew to meet him in Andalusia, where we spent five days traveling together and began to fall in love. After the trip, we decided to give things a real shot and began dating long distance. This lasted for four years, with me in New York and William in Paris and London, before William could finally move to New York in June 2015.

A Monique Lhuillier Bride for an Ultra-Luxe Jewish Wedding with an Ombre Floral Chuppah at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, California, USA

16/04/2018 by Karen Cinnamon 4 Comments

Today’s wedding is 100% pure #chuppahgoals. In fact, everything about this wedding is #GOALS! Davina and Faraz chose to marry at the ultra-elegant Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, and Butterfly Floral transformed the hotel’s ballroom into an absolute floral wonderland.

And then there’s the ombre chuppah. Starting with hot pink roses at the bottoms of the super cool curved columns (a totally awesome, unique design feature), the flowers fade gradually to light pink and then to white. An enormous ring of white roses frames the talit in the center – and, as a sweet detail, there are even little roses hanging from the top of the chuppah, under the talit. Totally jaw-dropping.

Between that chuppah, the bridal party entrances (SO good – watch the film below!), the stunning pink rose table runners (they really are beyond), Davina’s Swarovski-encrusted Louboutins and dress of dreams, and the floral fabulousness, this wedding is pure STG Luxe and we LOVE it!

Videographer David Medill produced a wedding video not to be missed – as much for the raw emotion of the ceremony and ketubah signing as for the wild dancing!

Speaking of wild dancing, music was ably handled by Liv Entertainment, one of our VIB [Very Important Bride] Vendors, offering a 10% discount to members of the VIB Club. They’re just one of many handpicked vendors offering discounts or free gifts to members of our club (who also receive around-the-clock support and advice from my team and me, plus all kinds of cool bridal extras and goodies). If you haven’t joined yet, don’t delay as we’ll be closing membership for this quarter next Thursday April 26th!

Photographer Jessica Claire did simply the most outstanding job of capturing the couple’s dreamy day, and they can’t stop raving about her fantastic energy and sweet personality. This fab photographer, who works in California and New York, also is another of our VIB Vendors, offering a $250 discount on any wedding package only to members of the VIB Club.

I’m sure you’re impatient to see some more of the couple’s fantasy florals by now, so I’ll turn you over to bride Davina, who looked like a princess in her stunning strapless lace Monique Lhuillier gown (which she bought in Paris!).

A Hollywood Wedding

Davina, the bride: Faraz and I got married at the Beverly Wilshire on Wilshire Boulevard. It has always been one of my favorite hotels because of its elegance both from outside of the hotel and inside the ballroom. Not to mention, Pretty Woman (one of my favorite movies of all time) was filmed there!

A Viktor & Rolf Bride for an Artsy, Urban Jewish Wedding with a Surprise Theme at Kastiel Events, Tel Aviv, Israel

13/04/2018 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

It’s a super exciting Fri-yay as today’s wedding is definitely inside the top 10 coolest, most creative Jewish weddings we’ve EVER blogged!

Super artsy Israeli couple Adi and Dan married at Kastiel Events in Tel Aviv, and with both of them being architects and photographers (you can check out their work at AnD Photography) it was extra important to them to get their wedding photography and videography just right.

Photographer Ronen Boidek and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor videographer DreaMe Photography delivered (and then some!) with ultra-stylish documentary-style captures of the day.

Adi and Dan’s wedding video by DreaMe is truly worth a watch – it’s chock full of awesome ideas, from pop-up invitations to a stunning Viktor&Rolf dress chosen because it reminded the bride of Japanese architecture to a reverse order (in which food came first, then the ceremony, then an epic party) to carrying the rings in a Polly Pocket house (in a nod to the bride’s favorite childhood toy – how sweet?!).

Oh, and those rings? Designed by Adi and Dan themselves – I wasn’t exaggerating when I said they were super artsy – and each spouse’s ring has a hole in the shape of the first letter of the other’s name.

But the piece de resistance is a surprise theme – revealed to guests only once they showed up at the venue – showcasing the bride and groom’s creative sides. Gorgeous Adi reveals all in her write-up of this exceptional day…

How we met

Adi, the bride: We met when I was planning on studying architecture, and was contemplating where to do it. Dan just got back to Israel after finishing architectural studies in Milan, Italy. We were friends for a few years, went on photography day trips, and at some point took a trip to Ibiza, and a month after we got back, we decided to become more than that.

An Angelo Lambrou Bride for a Glamorous Destination Jewish Wedding at Villa Cimbrone, Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy

11/04/2018 by Karen Cinnamon 2 Comments

Today’s destination Jewish wedding is serious #venuegoals. NYC-based Nejla (@acutestyleaddict), a personal stylist, and Alex, who works in finance, married at Villa Cimbrone in Ravello, on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast in Italy. The couple visited Ravello just after getting engaged, and the minute they set foot in their venue they knew it was where they would wed.

And can you blame them? You have GOT to see the views from this place. It’s literally smack dab in the middle of the swoon-worthy Amalfi Coast, right on the water. We could not possibly come up with a dreamier setting. And that’s not even mentioning the villa itself, where the meal was held – it dates back to the 12th century (!), and the dining setup seriously looks right out of the castle from Beauty and the Beast.

With such a stunning venue, Nejla and Alex understandably wanted to let the natural beauty of their surroundings take center stage. As such, they kept their décor simple, with a focus on local, in-season flowers in pink and white.

Photographer and videographer Gianni Di Natale got the most exquisite shots of the day; his photos (not to mention the gorgeous highlights video) really make you feel like you’re there.

But don’t let all that fool you into thinking this wedding was all about the looks – far from it. The couple put serious effort into planning their ceremony, which was especially meaningful given that Nejla completed her conversion to Judaism weeks prior. They flew their rabbi out from New York, and, because the wedding began at sundown on Saturday night, they incorporated a Havdallah service into the ceremony. With the sunset over the coast on one side and a sea of loving faces on the other, it could hardly get any more perfect.

Amazingly, though, that wasn’t even the duo’s favorite part of the wedding. According to Nejla, it was surpassed by their joy at Alex’s grandmother, Edna, being present to celebrate with them. It was especially poignant, as the wedding marked Grandma Edna’s first time in Europe since she left as a young girl after the war.

Nejla being a personal stylist, it’s only natural that she went ultra chic on the day, in a custom couture gown in blush silk by Angelo Lambrou. She’ll fill you in on the rest…

How we met

Nejla, the bride: We met through friends several years ago but didn’t start dating until about 4 years ago.

A Vera Wang Bride for an Elegant Jewish Wedding in the Hamptons, Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, New York, USA

09/04/2018 by Karen Cinnamon 1 Comment

We see a lot of beach weddings at Smashing The Glass, but this one really goes all out with the seaside theme! NYC-based Jessica (@jessschein) and Evan (@evanschein) wanted to get married in Montauk in the Hamptons, their go-to weekend getaway from their hectic lives in the city. They chose Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa for its extraordinary views of the ocean – and the stunning sunsets over the water. Totally stunning, right?!

Jessica and Evan wanted to keep their day open, airy, and focused on the gorgeous setting. To complement their surroundings, the pair opted for a very nautical white and navy blue color scheme.

You’ve got to check out their out-of-this-world” blooms all in white – there’s something so dramatic about keeping the flowers to a single color.

And Jessica and Evan’s chuppah for their outdoor ceremony continued the theme – light and airy, it was adorned with the most beautiful white flowers – hydrangeas, orchids, and more – with sheer white side panels, so as not to interfere with the ocean view in the background. Doesn’t it look romantic against that backdrop?

Photographer A Day of Bliss did a wonderful job documenting the day, and the couple sing their photographers’ praises not only for their flawless shots but also for being fantastic to work with on the day. Videographer Keith Brady Media captured the feel of the day perfectly too!

Jessica looked so elegant in her lace fit-and-flare Vera Wang gown, with an exquisite long train. She and Evan wanted their day to be sophisticated and chic with modern flair, and it really was. Now over to the bride…

How we met

Jessica, the bride: “I am so happy my teacher is going to be my Aunt!” – (Evan’s 8-year-old niece, and yes, Jessica’s former preschool student) said, the night Jessica and Evan got engaged.

Our story began in October 2012, on a little known dating site, called JDate. However, I was already part of Evan’s family – he just did not know it yet!

Let’s rewind…

I came across Evan’s profile, and after going back and forth with the usual 21 questions, we realized it was a very small world. It turned out that I was a preschool teacher at the school Evan’s niece attended. But wait, there’s more… Evan’s niece did not just go to the preschool where I taught, I was actually Evan’s niece’s teacher – 2 years earlier!

Evan told me that he needed to get his niece’s approval before committing to a date. (I thought to myself that the chance of going on their first date lay in the hands of a 4-year-old!) As it turns out, I got an A+ rating, his niece saying, “Miss Jessica was the best teacher ever!” This was a fact confirmed by Evan’s brother and sister-in-law, who later admitted they always wanted to set me up with Evan. The rest is history!