Israel Archives - Smashing the Glass

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 Inbal Raviv Bride for a Boho-Chic Seaside Jewish Wedding at Trask, Tel Aviv Port, Israel

06/04/2018 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

We don’t even know where to start with today’s gorgeous wedding! The hanging flowers? The market-style food service? The fruit kayak?! (Yes, you read that right!)

Bride Chen and groom Yair had one of those quintessentially cool Israeli seaside Jewish weddings, at Trask at the Tel Aviv Port – but with a twist. Or several.

For starters, how awesome are the hanging wildflowers over the tables?! And let’s not even get started on the gorgeous pastel florals topping the couple’s chuppah, or the scattered bouquets of fresh herbs that dotted the venue.

And how sweet is it that the two families teamed up to write Chen and Yair a song, which they performed on the day as a surprise for the couple?

And back to that fruit kayak. Everything about Chen and Yair’s market-themed food setup is just fab – they had tons of stations, plus a cocktail car, a beer car, and a candy buffet – but the fact that they stuffed a real-life, full-size kayak with watermelon, grapes, mangoes, passionfruit, and more for their guests to dip into during the night makes this wedding truly one for the books.

Chen was the picture of chill, boho chic in her Inbal Raviv wedding dress, and People Photography captured the day beautifully. And we can’t get enough of her single piece of succinct and on-point wedding planning advice: “Marry the right guy.” Take it away, Chen!

How we met

Chen, the bride: We met at college, but we didn’t get together until 2 years after we finished studying.

A Suzanne Neville Bride for a Super Chic Seaside Jewish Wedding at Rosh Hashanah, Bait al Hayam, Jaffa, Israel

30/03/2018 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Can you believe it’s Erev Passover this evening? How did that happen already?! And what are you doing for seder night tonight? I’m on holiday and we’re having our Seder in Tel Aviv, celebrating with my family in Israel, so it seems appropriate to post a gorgeous Israeli wedding today!

And today’s real Jewish destination wedding fully embraced another beautiful Jewish holiday: Rosh Hashanah.

London-based bride Jamie, a PR and marketing manager for a cancer charity, and groom Joel, who works in finance, opted for a chic outdoor destination wedding in sunny Jaffa, Israel, during the High Holiday season.

Opting to marry at gorgeous seaside venue Bait al Hayam, the couple had an outdoor rooftop chuppah overlooking the city of Jaffa and the sea, with the party in a beautiful air conditioned room beneath – a big deal given the Israeli climate!

In honor of Rosh Hashanah, Jamie and Joel had mini honey pots and apples at each place setting – isn’t that sweet?! We love that this couple incorporated Jewish tradition into their day in ways that were totally authentic to them.

For instance, even though, as Ashkenazi Jews it would have been customary for them to have their badeken separately from the chuppah, they chose to do it on the aisle, because that’s what spoke to them.

And the pair opted to follow the Jewish tradition of not seeing each other in the week leading up to the wedding… that takes some real dedication!

Their wedding also had some incredibly cool touches inspired by sources other than Jewish tradition: for one, as part of their entertainment they had a flower stall where guests could have flower wreaths, bracelets, hair slides, and boutonnieres made! Isn’t that lovely? And a great alternative activity if you’re not into some of the more standard options like photo booths.

Photographer Ronen Boidek captured the day in all its effortless elegance and the insanely talented STG Recommended Vendor Portnoy Brothers brought emotion out of all of the guest through their incredible acoustic sound and beautiful traditional songs. We can’t recommend the Portnoy Brothers enough, one of our absolute favourites! Jamie, who looked super glam in her old Hollywood-style silk Suzanne Neville gown (seriously, we’re all a little bit obsessed with it at STG Towers), will fill you in on the rest.

Hag Sameach – enjoy your matzoh ball soup wherever you’re celebrating this evening!

How we met

Jamie, the bride: I always knew of Joel… I lived with his brother at university, but I met Joel properly once I moved to London, at a friend’s birthday. He carried me out of the bar over his shoulder and we’ve never looked back! 😉

A Superhero-Themed Jewish Wedding during Hanukkah, Grace, Rishon LeZion, Israel

23/03/2018 by Karen

Today’s Jewish wedding has got to be one of the most purely fun we’ve blogged. Rita (@ritalove14), a physiology student who works with high school students with special needs, and Tal, who works in media marketing, adore the Marvel Universe. How much, exactly? So much that they chose to theme their wedding around their love of superheroes!

And they really went all out! Their invitations featured a custom drawing of the pair as superheroes, the rest of their stationery cleverly carried on the theme, and at their reception they had all kinds of superhero props, from masks to balloons to Captain America armor!

As if that weren’t fun enough, Rita and Tal also had a balloon artist making glow-in-the-dark balloon sculptures and hats for their guests on the dancefloor! Plus, they made their two dogs (decked out in little bride and groom costumes!) part of the action. Photographer Yarin Taranos and videographers Aviv & Tali really captured the spirit of the day.

The pair chose to get married on the first night of Hanukkah, considered an auspicious time to wed in Jewish tradition. This gave Rita and Tal an opportunity to work the holiday into their wedding in some memorable ways: during the ceremony, Rita’s grandfather lit the menorah, and then their rabbi led the whole crowd in songs! And as favors, they gave out glittery boxes shaped like candles that were stuffed with chocolate gelt—as well as a tiny superhero figure, naturally!

Rita was the absolute MOST laidback bride: her primary objective in choosing a dress was to find something comfortable she could dance in, her shoes—glittery VANS—were chosen for the same reason, and she wasn’t even planning to hold a bouquet, until at the very last minute, on the day, she asked her driver to pick one up! She’ll fill you in on the details of her totally super day.

A Brand New Venue

Rita, the bride: We got married at Grace. It’s a new, urban venue, and we were one of the first couples who to book our wedding there! The newness was a bit scary, but we were so impressed with the staff and the appearance that we decided to book.
Continue Reading

A Berta Bride for a Hi-Tech Forest-Themed Jewish Wedding at Lago, Tel Aviv, Israel

16/03/2018 by Karen

Nature meets up-to-the-minute technology in today’s breathtaking Israeli Jewish wedding. Shirin, a teacher, and Shai, an engineer, joined their passions for the outdoors and for the latest in multimedia design. The Tel Aviv-based couple chose to wed at Lago, a gorgeous contemporary venue (named for the beautiful lake on the property) that pairs spectacular outdoor scenery with an indoor space equipped with 3-D video mapping technology.

Designer Hilit Gordon loaded the space with oodles of verdant greens and white florals—we’re talking about some truly massive arrangements here—for a forest chic vibe, with stunning boughs of greenery hanging from the ceiling in a super sophisticated touch.

As if all that weren’t dramatic enough, the venue’s tech capabilities meant that the couple were able to have a fab VJ, Gil Valdman, project a custom-designed image of a forest on the walls with the 360° video mapping. What a cool surprise for the guests as they walked into the hall after the ceremony!

This couple’s story really highlights the difference a great planner can make in crafting an amazing day (without making yourself crazy in the process!). Shirin and Shai quickly decided to turn to a wedding planner to help them realize their vision, and they found the perfect match in Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Naama Raicher.

Along with her colleague Yael Kfir Frumkes, Naama helped the couple work out all the details to make their hi-tech forest fantasy come true. According to Shirin, Naama and Yael made the process relaxing and stress-free—how often do you hear a bride use those words to describe wedding planning?!

In addition to their primary photographer, Nitzan Gur of Love Marriage, the couple’s planners encouraged them to bring in a second photographer, Liat Federman, who specializes in shooting interiors to make the most of their breathtaking décor. Yet another point for Naama and Yael—Shirin and Shai are so glad to have Liat’s stunning photos of the venue in all its glory. Rounding things out was videographer Roma Nerom of Nerom, who captured the day in live action.

Beautiful bride Shirin wanted a dress that made her feel like a princess yet was still comfortable to dance all night in, and she found her perfect match in a sparkling rose-gold Berta. And now it’s over to her to fill you in on the details of her exquisite day…