Israel Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Super Spiritual Enchanted Garden Jewish Wedding with an Epic Old City Photoshoot at Bezzela Hahar on Moshav Machasiya, Israel

16/11/2018 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

You know we love it when a couple really focuses on bringing out the spiritual side of their Jewish wedding. And lucky for us, that’s exactly what Australian-turned-Israeli couple, Rachel and Yehuda, did in planning their traditional day.

Capitalizing on the beauty and holiness of their adopted home, this duo opted for a venue that just exudes Israeli charm. Bezzela Hahar’s stunning outdoor grounds made for the dreamiest enchanted oasis setting, between the lush greenery and abundant Jerusalem stone – and it could not have been more perfect for the couple’s ultra-meaningful sunset (!) chuppah.

Also amazing is the post-wedding nighttime photoshoot in Jerusalem’s Old City Gilad Mashiah orchestrated for Rachel and Yehuda. This spiritual pair wanted to conclude the celebration with prayers at the Kotel (Western Wall), which just happened to provide a backdrop for some truly, amazingly touching photos.

Oh, and we’re obsessed with the fact that the couple set up a live feed of their ceremony for friends and family who couldn’t make it in person. Such a wonderful way to keep your loved ones in the loop, especially if you have lots of family overseas like Rachel and Yehuda did. Their grandparents who weren’t able to travel even ended up holding a viewing party for their friends back home – awww!

Now over to Rachel, who lived out all her Disney princess fantasies and then some in her magical, modest Tali Shurin wedding dress…

An Enchanted Garden in Israel

Rachel, the bride: We got married at Bezzela Hahar on Moshav Machasiya. We were looking for a place with a beautiful outdoors for the chuppah, and seating space indoors, and Betsela Hahar immediately gave us the impression of an enchanted garden, whimsical and breathtaking. The location worked for us perfectly. It was convenient for our family in Bet Shemesh and Jerusalem.

A Limor Rosen Bride for an Ashkenazi-Yemenite American-Israeli Jewish Wedding at Bayit Al Hayam in Jaffa, Israel

09/11/2018 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

We are totally and completely obsessed with Stacey and Elkana’s GORGEOUS wedding at Bayit Al Hayam. The views of the Mediterranean are just BEYOND, and the Tel Aviv skyscape isn’t too shabby either. That perfect seaside chuppah is totally the stuff our wedding dreams are made of.

But don’t be fooled – even though the aesthetics of this fab day are totally contemporary, this couple packed a ton of tradition into their wedding too. Blending Stacey’s American Ashkenazi background with Elkana’s Israeli Mizrachi heritage was key during planning, and we’re in love with the results: the hora AND traditional Yemenite dances; music from both traditions (in addition to contemporary American and Israeli hits); a traditional (and super moving – don’t miss Roman Balashov’s exquisite photos) Mizrachi badeken in the aisle.

And lest you think good old America traditions were neglected, we love that these two planned a pre-wedding “Cake and Cocktails” night just for the Americans in attendance, featuring American-style wedding speeches, a heartfelt exchange of personal vows by the couple, and, of course, wedding cake! What a great way to incorporate some of these fun traditions that didn’t quite fit into the Israeli style of the wedding itself.

If you’re looking for some tips on how to plan a wedding that reflects you and your spouse-to-be, as well as this wedding reflects Stacey and Elkana, make sure you sign up to our FREE online event: ‘The secrets to an unforgettable Jewish wedding’ with our founder and editor, Karen, happening on Monday November 12. It’s going to be totally unmissable, with some really fantastic a-ha moments!

Okay, now we’ll hand you over to the bride, who could not possibly have looked any cooler in her boho-chic gown by Limor Rosen…

How we met

Stacey, the bride: From our wedding site:

“Elkana will tell you that the moment he met Stacey he knew he was going to marry her. For Stacey it was a love story that fell into place as she was planning to go back to Chicago. But something about Elkana was different, and she fell hard.

Fast forward to countless Euro trips, America adventures, swims in the Mediterranean, walks with Mack, cartons of Ben and Jerry’s, and Elkana got down on one knee to ask Stacey to spend the rest of her life with him.

The answer was easy, of course… this was the fairytale she only dreamed of. Our story is truly one from the books. It’s unique, it’s different, it’s two completely different worlds joining as one! Our wedding is not only a celebration of our commitment to spend the rest of our lives together, it is a time to bring together the most important people to us, in the most incredible city in the world, and share our lives with you and the love we share!”

A Vera Wang Bride for a Romantic Destination Jewish Wedding at the Hilton in Tel Aviv, Israel

05/11/2018 by Karen Cinnamon Leave a Comment

Dreamy chuppah alert! We’re totally obsessed with Sharona and Eyal’s fantastic chuppah, draped in hanging white flowers atop translucent columns. And we’re not not obsessed with the fact that it all went down outside, overlooking the ocean, during a picture-perfect sunset. PERFECTION!

Like everything about this gorgeous wedding, it was the perfect mix of romantic and modern. Take Sharona’s choice of a positively princess-worthy Vera Wang gown for the ceremony, followed by a decidedly contemporary Zuhair Murad number for the reception.

We also love the way this pair fused their two backgrounds: Sharona’s Sephardic, and Eyal’s Ashkenazi. They wanted to make sure their musical choices honored both sides, so they started off with traditional Ashkenazi music for the Israeli dancing, then switched over to an Israeli singer, and, to make sure the couple’s contemporary tastes got some airtime, ended the evening with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor DJ Teta, who being one of the very best in the business, kept the dancefloor packed until 2AM!!

Oh, and did we mention that they had a super cool pre-wedding henna party, a Sephardic tradition meant to bring good luck? If anyone ever wants to invite us to one of these, we’re ALL IN – just saying!

Before we turn you over to Sharona, if you haven’t already, don’t delay signing up to our FREE online event: ‘The secrets to an unforgettable Jewish wedding’ with our founder and editor, Karen, happening on Monday November 12 – it’s going to be totally unmissable for anyone currently planning a Jewish or Jew-ish wedding, and places are filling up fast!

How We Met

Sharona, the bride: My husband is in real estate and I am an accountant. We met when I was 19, on my husband’s 20th birthday in Israel. Our mutual friend invited me to his birthday party where we met. A day later he messaged me on Facebook and the rest is history.Continue Reading

A Botanical Chic Destination Jewish Wedding with a Flashmob at Gioia Mia in Nashonim, Israel

02/11/2018 by Karen Cinnamon 1 Comment

We first discovered today’s wedding on Instagram when we posted this amazing video… 👇🏽Goosebumps right?

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A post shared by Jewish Wedding Blog (@smashingtheglass) on Sep 24, 2018 at 1:27pm PDT

The gorgeous bride, Kim, got in touch with us and here we are, a month later with the whole wedding on Smashing The Glass (and what a stunning W Day it is!)

We LOVE a good Jewish wedding flashmob. Usually they’re planned by the couple as a surprise to their guests, and that’s pretty cool. But you know what’s even cooler? Guests planning a flashmob as a surprise for the couple!

Kim and John’s best friends managed to stealthily gather all the guests’ emails, and before the big day they emailed one and all a video of a dance they were instructed to learn so they could break it out en masse when Happy by Pharrel Williams came on!

We’re obsessed with all the touching surprises the couple’s family and friends planned for them, and the flashmob is just the tip of the iceberg. There was also a time capsule from the couple’s BFFs, a surprise musical performance by the bride’s family, and a sweet video from the families with recordings of good wishes and humorous remarks to the newlyweds. Awww!

Oh, and did we mention Kim, an Israeli-Swiss trader, and John, a Dropbox salesman from Belgium (they currently live in Ireland – how’s that for international?!), also happened to put on a totally gorgeous day?

Full of natural greenery (including some super cool boho wreaths hanging from the ceiling in the reception space), it’s one of those perfectly, effortlessly elegant Israeli celebrations we can’t get enough of. Photographer Jen Sladkov took the most beautiful, natural pictures, capturing everything from the botanical details to the wild dance party!

If you suspect your family and friends may not be quite so creative as Kim and John’s, you and your spouse-to-be might be left to your own devices when it comes to making your wedding super unique and memorable. But no worries, we’ve got you! Just sign up to our FREE online event: ‘The secrets to an unforgettable Jewish wedding with our founder and editor, Karen, happening on Monday November 12. It’s going to be unmissable!

Okay, now over to Kim, who looked absolutely beautiful in her dress from Emanuel Brides…

How We Met

Kim, the bride: John and I met 7 years ago. I have an aunt who lives in Belgium, and I went to visit my cousin while John was in the Israeli army (he volunteered for one year). It turned out we were in Belgium in the same time, because he had some time off.

We have a friend in common who I was supposed to see, but we had reschedule and it turned out the only day she could see me she’d be with a friend of hers visiting from the army who she couldn’t cancel on. I told her no problem, we could all hang out together. That was John.

We clicked immediately. We spoke on and off for a year. When he finished the army I had a trip planned with friends to Belgium so we agreed to meet (it was January 2013). We met and I came back telling my parents I have a boyfriend.

We dated long-distance for 4 years while he was studying business in Nottingham, and I was studying psychology in Geneva. After 4 years we decided we wanted to move in together and that’s when we ended up in Dublin. He proposed 7 months later, and now we’re married. ☺

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!