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Chuppah ideas & styling for a modern Jewish wedding

05/08/2016 by Smashing The Glass

This is a guest post by Cora Norrey, Category Manager for Weddings at Not On The High Street
Above image taken from Lemor & Adam’s Jewish wedding by Maloman Studios

Styling your own chuppah can be a fantastic way to stamp your personality on your day, and is also a great way of figuring out what it is you want your day to look like. As the basic structure is set, how you dress it can really start opening up what you want your personal style to be.

rustic chic

Faux flowers and foliage can often evoke a shudder of fear among many, but the industry has come on leaps and bounds in recent years with faux flora often giving the real thing a run for its money. And in terms of value and peace of mind, artificial foliage and flowers will obviously last as long as you need and you can repurpose them in your home or garden later. Wrapping thick and luscious strands of foliage round the supporting poles can create a beautiful focal point and creating an asymmetrical look by concentrating the foliage on one side only, can really help modernise the look. You can then use the same flowers as styling throughout the day in bouquets, button holes and centre pieces really helping to create a strong coherent look.

Image: Lisa Rigby Photography

keepsake elements

The rustic look lends itself beautifully to the elegance of the chuppah. Using tree branches for poles, you can create a beautiful lasting keepsake by carving your initials and the date on one of the poles and displaying this as art in your home for years to come.

Left image: Taylor Lord Photography :: Right image: Gia Canali Photography

How to successfully mix two religions into one beautiful interfaith wedding ceremony

29/07/2016 by Smashing The Glass

This is a guest post by Lisa Johnson :: Above image taken from Jess & Alex’s Jewish-Catholic wedding

So, here we are in 2016 and mixed faith ceremonies are far from unusual or controversial, yet there still seems to be a lack of knowledge around the processes and variety of options that are possible.

As a wedding planner, as well as a celebrant, Karen asked me to put a guest post together with lots of ideas on how to blend two different religions into one beautiful ceremony for those of you fusing two different faiths into your wedding day. I’ve covered lots of ground, but if you have anything to add, or you have any burning questions, feel free to pop them in the comments box at the end of the post, and either me or Karen will do our best to answer them

Many couples decide to use two separate officiants — one for each religion; this could mean having a Rabbi and an independent celebrant conduct the ceremony. There are many Rabbis out there who are happy to conduct an interfaith ceremony and they will also have suggestions on how to incorporate your religion into a mixed faith ceremony.

Some religious ceremony traditions are much easier to incorporate into an interfaith ceremony and traditions unique to just one faith can be blended perfectly to make a balanced, beautiful ceremony.

For instance, if one of you is Catholic and one is Jewish, there are large parts of a Catholic mass that would work really well including certain readings and even the ‘peace be with you handshake’. This is when you engage in the sign of peace by shaking the hands of the people around you and saying, “Peace be with you.” Each handshake preferably includes a smile and at least one full second of eye contact.

Francesca & Andrew’s Jewish-Irish Catholic wedding. Click here to read their wedding story

In addition, many Catholic-Jewish couples choose to celebrate the beloved Christian tradition of the lighting of the unity candle with the celebrant reciting this exquisite saying from the Ba’al Shem Tov :

“From every human being, there rises a light, that reaches straight to heaven, and when two souls, destined to be together, find each other, their streams of light flow together and a single brighter light goes forth from their united being.”

Jewish – Muslim weddings are more complicated to arrange, but by no means impossible. The important thing is to remember to consult with your families along the way. This gives you and your family members time to process and address any concerns and prevents any surprise reactions on your big day and don’t forget to take family halal or kosher dietary needs into account for the reception.

So what about using a Rabbi and an Imam in your ceremony? It can be done — assess what prayers and traditions are typical for a Jewish wedding and Muslim wedding. Then, meet together with both to figure out the best options. The ultimate would be to have a beautiful ceremony, intertwining blessings from both religions and incorporating Hebrew, Arabic, and English.

Sarah & Ben’s Jewish-Muslim wedding. Click here to read their wedding story

10 Stylish Judaica Pieces For Your Home

03/06/2016 by Smashing The Glass

This is a guest post by Andrea Cohen

In 1984, the same year Miami Vice premiered on American TV and Frankie Goes to Hollywood was getting us all to ‘RELAX’, I was a 13 year old Bat Mitzvah. I spent almost every other weekend that year attending another friends’s Bat Mitzvah, and sneaking out of her service to peruse the temple’s Judaica collection. I was a budding artist and designer on a search for objects that were new, clever, modern and inspiring. Would there be anything in those vitrines that I’d like to see on my holiday or Shabbat table?

Uh, no, not really…

Suffice to say I was an unimpressed tween, disappointed by the short range of Judaic styles on display. As far as I could tell back then, modern Judaica fell into three general categories:

1. Chagall inspired colourful designs
2. Brightly colored geometries reminiscent of Agam’s work
3. Cold and severe steel or silver minimalist works

Where were the warm, modern, tasteful menorahs, seder plates, and kiddush cups for design-savvy Jewish girls like me?

32 years later I’m still asking the same question.

Stylish Modern Judaica. Does it really exist?

There are many talented Judaic artists working today, but there is still limited contemporary Judaica available that reflects the tastes of young, modern, urban, assimilated Jews. However, there are a handful of Judaic pieces that would bring me joy to have in my home–works that reflect my personal style and aren’t a throwback to the 1980s (or 1880s). Any of them would also make an excellent wedding gift. So here are my top 10 picks for my favourite modern Judaica, with links to where you can find them.

1. Futura Seder Plate by Jonathan Adler $150

Smashing Wedding DressÂ Details: Sleeves

23/02/2015 by Karen

Left: The Duchess of Cambridge by Hugo Burnand / Right: Olivia Palermo — Oliviapalermo.com

by Karen Whybro

One of the most common things we are asked for at the boutique is a dress with sleeves. Thank goodness for Kate Middleton who brought sleeves back in a big way! And since Olivia Palermo showed us that covering up doesn’t have to mean dressing down, wedding dresses with sleeves have been a huge hit. With so much choice out there right now, how do you choose a sleeve which will suit you and your wedding?

Think fabric and vary length

There’s more than one type of sleeve and the choice of length and fabric can change the look entirely. From half cap to full length, the length of sleeve can change the feel and appearance of a gown and the bride within. If, like a great deal of women, your arms aren’t the favourite part of your body, where a sleeve ends will affect how you look and feel on the day.

Monique Lhuillier dress by The Chriselle Factor via Bridal Musings

Modest Wedding Dresses for Modern Brides

21/11/2014 by Karen

Image: Poetica 2014 collection from Divine Atelier via Bridal Musings

Further to requests from readers for more wedding dress ideas on the blog, and from some in particular who were struggling to find modest (or tznius) wedding dresses that were also fashion forward and bang on—trend, I called upon the expertise of Karen Whybro, owner of the legendary Rock The Frock bridal boutique.

Rock The Frock specialises in British—designed and made wedding dresses for brides who want to wear something that truly reflects their personality, so not surprisingly, Karen really knows her stuff. She’s picked out some styles that you’re going to love, alongside some great tips for what to think about when embracing ‘modest’ for your wedding day.

Oh, and by the way, the real Jewish wedding featured earlier this week with beautiful bride, Magda, is a sensational example of how to nail the ‘modest’ look.

Nothing evokes the regal beauty of Grace Kelly like a modest wedding dress…

High necklines, full length sleeves, feminine lace and rows of ivory buttons conjure images of elegance, style and romance for the ultimate in wedding day attire. And, thanks to Kate Middleton reviving the modest wedding dress with her spectacular Sarah Burton gown, the choice among bridal designs is as broad and breathtaking as ever. Whether you love the traditional vintage style or prefer something more modern, this round-up of beautiful dresses showcases the best in modest masterpieces!

Kate Middleton on her wedding day in her Alexander McQueen ‘modest’ wedding gown. Image: FBStop

Here are my top tips for choosing modest for your wedding day:

Consider fabrics

There’s no doubt that lace is feminine, elegant and graceful but all-over lace isn’t everyone’s preference. If you’re longing for something less fussy and more simplistic, consider a silk or satin skirt with lace detailing to the bodice and sleeve.