Giorgio Armani Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Flora Bride for a Fairy Tale Destination Jewish Wedding at Cluny Castle, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire Scotland, UK

31/01/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

We love it when a couple goes out of their way to make their guests feel extra loved at their Jewish wedding – especially when they’ve traveled across the world to celebrate together. But today’s couple, Anna, an architect, and Nir, a PhD student in economics with an online tutoring business, Israelis who opted to wed in Scotland, really amped it up to the next level.

With an intimate crew of just 26 guests, who traveled from Israel, the US, and Canada, Anna and Nir went all out, planning not just a wedding weekend but a full wedding week of classic Scottish activities, from Highland games and clay shooting to visits to Loch Ness and distilleries – and castles.

Although given the venue – not only was the wedding held at the majestic Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Cluny Castle, but the guests were also able to stay at the castle for the entire week – it’s hard to see a need to leave the grounds of this stunning spot. Catom Photographers captured the splendid setting in all its glory – not to mention the love and emotion of the big day.

Anna and Nir couldn’t possibly have picked a better place to make their guests all feel like princes and princesses for the week – and in pursuit of this goal, they even hired makeup artists and hairstylists to take care of each and every one of their female guests on the wedding day!

Now over to the groom, who’ll fill you in on all the details…

Theme

Nir, the groom: The theme was a “fairy tale” and Scottish wedding. We tried our best to make sure each guest would feel like a price/princess for the entire week. We planned a schedule for the week so each day would include a classic Scottish activity: Highland games, distilleries, clay shooting, castles, Lochness etc. The guests even saw her majesty the Queen and Prince Charles from a very close range at the highland games.

An Alon Livne Bride for a Shabbat Dinner-Inspired Jewish Wedding with a Macrame Chuppah at Jonah Club, Netanaya, Israel

24/01/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

“When planning this wedding, we looked at it like the most epic Shabbat dinner we would ever throw.”

From the minute we read this line from STG Brides Club member Nikki, who works in marketing at a digital health startup (and also gives food tours and teaches yoga on the side), and Adam, who works in tech as an engineer, we were sold on their beautiful Jewish wedding.

Nikki and Adam, both Americans who met and live in Israel, wanted their wedding to be an occasion for their far-flung family and friends to come together and get to know each other – and get a taste of the couple’s life in Israel. And by the looks of the incredible photos and video from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Aya-Avi Photography, a husband and wife team handling photography and videography, they pulled it off with aplomb. Aya’s luminous photos really let the love between the pair for each other and for all their loved ones gathered together to celebrate them shine through.

We’re also in love with Nikki and Adam’s super cool macramé chuppah – and how awesome is it that they found their florist, Tom of Tomka Designs (we featured Tom and Matan’s own wedding on the blog a while back), right here on STG? The East Meets West boho style he worked with the couple to create for their chuppah area is truly beyond.

And we’re totally obsessed with Nikki’s bridal style, from her timelessly elegant gown from Israeli designer Alon Livne to her natural-with a-touch-of-glam hairstyle by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Yehonatan Yaeish – who not only styled the bride’s hair superbly but also brought great energy on the day.

There’s so much more we could say, but we’ll leave the rest to the bride… (and if you want to join Brides Club like Nikki did, click here (we’ve just released a few more free entry places – grab one before they all go!)

How we met

Nikki, the bride: We happened to move to Israel one week apart and met 6 weeks later on Bumble. We decided to meet 10 minutes after our first conversation began and got married 2 years and 4 days later.

An Essense of Australia Bride for a Sunset Jewish Wedding at Cochav Hayam in Caesarea, Israel

29/11/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

Okay, we just can’t even with that sunset chuppah. Truly the stuff Jewish wedding dreams are made of. But would you believe it if we told you that wasn’t even the most remarkable thing about the incredible wedding of STG Brides Club member (and blogging bride) Lindsay, an insight manager at a media agency, to groom Dan, an account manager working in corporate events?

So first of all, we’re OBSESSED with Lindsay and Dan’s table plan: they got a polaroid of every guest, then wrote a personal note on the back. These were all laid out for guests to collect as they came in and find their table numbers. Genius!

We’re also super inspired that these two worked with non-profit Israel Blooms, an organization that will collect flowers leftover at the end of the wedding and repurpose them into small arrangements that they distribute in hospitals and old age homes. What a meaningful (and easy) way to spread the joy of your big day!

The couple’s photos from Idan Canfi and video from Ruslan Shane are simply sensational, and we love that Lindsay and Dan opted to have a separate couple’s photoshoot a couple of days after the wedding – this allowed them to get some dreamy portraits without them having to take time out of the wedding for photos. Such a smart idea!

Oh, and did we mention that Lindsay and Dan are working with the incredible Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Abby Taubman of Colletts Travel to plan their honeymoon to Australia and Thailand next year?

Now over to the bride, who looked lovely in her Essense of Australia dress…

&amp;lt;span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;” class=”mce_SELRES_start”&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;

How we met

Lindsay, the bride: We met through my cousin’s wife. She was an old school friend of Dan’s and decided that we would be a great match – and she was right!

A Rustic Chic Family-Focused Jewish Wedding at Gedney Farm in New Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA

15/07/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

We love it when a couple puts friends and family at the center of their big day – and that’s exactly what Miri, a social worker at the Women’s Prison Association, and Dan, a doctor and is the assistant professor of pathology & cell biology/assistant director of clinical microbiology at Columbia Presbyterian, did.

Not to say that they didn’t pay attention to the aesthetics – it’s hard to go wrong in the beautiful Berkshires, and we’re in love with their gorgeous rustic venue. And that floral chuppah – so sweet and simple, yet so perfect! If you’re anything like us, Christopher Duggan’s wonderful photos will have you wishing you could transport yourself to Western Massachusetts ASAP.

The groom’s father officiated the wedding, and the bride’s father and uncle participated in the ceremony too. And we love that Miri and Dan divided up a modern version of the the 7 blessing among family so that even more of their relatives could participate!

We love that Miri opted to wear her mother’s 50-year-old wedding dress for the big day (with some tailoring and modernization to make it work for her body AND the 21^stcentury) – how special is that?

And the canopy on that gorgeous chuppah? It was taken from Dan’s mom’s wedding dress.

There’s so much more to say about this amazing day, but we’ll leave the rest to Miri…

How we met

Miri, the bride: We met on Tinder in 2014.

A Rosa Clara Bride for a Secret Garden Destination Jewish Wedding with a Willow Chuppah at The Q in Herzliya, Israel

22/10/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

Okay, HOW gorgeous is Hannah and Josh’s willow branch chuppah? Covered in the most exquisite, airy little blooms of baby’s breath and delphinium, it’s just so adorable we. can’t. even.

Hannah, a makeup artist and beautician, and Josh, a business development manager, knew the secret garden theme they chose for their Jewish wedding called for a very special chuppah.

Floral, obvs. Delicate, but distinctive. Impressive, but not overwhelming. Natural, but supremely artful at the same time. We think they knocked it out of the ballpark, don’t you? And photographer Haim Afriat captured it all so beautifully.

The secret garden theme extended way beyond the chuppah, too, and we love all the sweet details Hannah and Josh added in to make it come to life. While Hannah waited with her mother and soon-to-be MIL for Josh to come in for the badeken, the three ladies sat on a swing covered in roses. SWOON. And the place cards were keys, hanging by the entrance so that everyone took their own key to the garden as they entered the reception — so clever!

As if we needed another reason to be just a little bit jealous we didn’t get to attend this fab wedding ourselves, some of our all-time favorite wedding musicians, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Boutique Chupah Music (who Hannah just happens to have grown up with!).

Though the act is best known for their phenomenal chuppah music, Hannah and Josh opted to use Boutique Chupah Music all night long (well, technically until midnight when their venue banned live music…), and we’re totally not surprised to hear that they absolutely rocked the party.

And before we hand you over to beautiful bride, Hannah (who looked SO elegant in her Rosa Clara gown) make sure you sign up to our FREE online event: ‘How to create an unforgettable Jewish wedding with our founder and editor, Karen, happening on Monday November 12.

How We Met

Hannah, the bride: Josh and I started speaking on MySpace when we were 15 years old, after a year, one Saturday night we decided to meet up. We went to the same school, and at the age of 17 Josh asked if I fancied trying out a relationship. We have been together ever since.

We have stayed together through thick and thin. I went on a year out to Israel for 9 months, while Josh travelled the world. Josh then went to Leeds University for 3 years, and after 10 years of being ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ Josh popped the question on my birthday.

He surprised me with a trip to Amsterdam, took me to a Michelin restaurant and got down on one knee. We definitely are childhood sweethearts!