Italy Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Love Letter to Italy: Jewish Wedding Inspo from a Beloved Destination Hit Hard by COVID-19 {with La Fete}

16/07/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Italy is one of the most beloved Jewish wedding destinations among #STGbrides and grooms – and there’s no wonder why. Between the landscape, the sunlight, and the food, this is a corner of the world like no other.

Sadly, it’s also one of the areas hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout March and April, the world looked on in horror as staggering death rates rocked the northern part of the country, with the pandemic’s epicenter squarely in the northern region of Lombardy.

Our hearts went out to our Italian friends and beloved #STGvendors, and we wished we could do more to support the wonderful Italian wedding community, who have opened their hearts to so many wonderful Smashing The Glass couples over the years.

So when international luxury wedding planner and #STGvendor La Fête let us know they’d about a gorgeous Jewish wedding-themed styled shoot they’d worked on in Tuscany, we couldn’t wait to feature it.Continue Reading

A Hayley Paige Bride for a Romantic Jewish Wedding at Villa Oliva, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy

02/03/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

What a wedding! If you’ve ever fantasized about jetting off to Tuscany to get married, the exquisite Jewish wedding of Stephanie and Dan, who did just that, is going to knock your socks off. In fact, it’ll probably do that even the thought of a Tuscan wedding has never even crossed your mind!

The couple’s wonderful planner, Michelle Jacobs of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante By Michelle J, took all the pressure out of planning while making sure the big day was as elegant, romantic, joyful, and memorable as it could possible be. And she connected the couple with their amazing roster of vendors!

Truly, these two used so many of the very best out there, from the amazing Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Totem – who Stephanie and Dan flew over from London because they wanted to make sure their big day featured some EPIC Israeli dancing, and if you know Totem you know they get the party going like no one else – to mega-talented stationer Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Bigday Designs (love the stationery suite they came up with!) to a gift list with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Prezola.

Photographer David Bastianoni and videographer Federico of Waterfall Visuals both captured the day so beautifully, and we love that they were committed as to capturing the love between the couple – including lots of sweet casual moments – as to featuring the beautiful setting and décor (looking at you, floral chuppah!).

If you’re wondering how you can make your wedding as awesome as Stephanie and Dan’s, don’t miss our Facebook Live with none other than Michelle Jacobs herself, all about creating an ultra-memorable experience for your guests. It’s happening this Thursday, March 5, at 7:30 PM GMT / 2:30 PM EST / 11:30 PST, right on the Smashing The Glass Facebook Page.

But for now, we’re going to turn you over to the lovely Stephanie, who looked simply ravishing in Hayley Paige…

Venue

Stephanie, the bride: We got married in Villa Oliva, near Lucca in Tuscany. I’ve always dreamed of having a romantic wedding abroad and, luckily, Dan saw the appeal. We picked Tuscany because we both love Italy – from the food and wine to the art, landscape and scenery.

Dan and I are both nature lovers, so the idea of getting married in a Tuscan garden really appealed to us. The venue we chose had several gorgeous gardens surrounding the villa and we fell in love.

We also wanted each area of the party to be a surprise for the guests, so we got married at the front of the villa; had the drinks reception behind the villa; and dinner and dancing was held in a large garden slightly further away from the property. The front of the villa had a beautiful grotto, which was the perfect backdrop for the chuppah.

We were very grateful for the support of our family and friends flying out to celebrate our special day with us. The guests were able to get to know each other at the welcome party and by the pool, so everyone was friendly at the main event. It felt like a big holiday!

An Atelier Acqua Chiara Bride for an Enchanted Forest Fairy Tale Wedding at Castello di Tor Crescenza, Rome, Italy

10/01/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

A lot of weddings draw inspiration from fairy tales. But the Jewish wedding of Benedetta, who works in sales, and Ilya, in finance, really takes it up to the next level. Seriously, we’re still picking our jaws up off the floor after scrolling through their incredible photos, which really look like they could’ve come out of the latest live action Disney blockbuster.

When the couple first met with their amazing planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Deborah Di Castro, they knew she was the one when, on hearing the bride’s vision, she said, “It will be exactly like going to Snow White’s wedding!” And honestly, we’d be hard pressed to come up with a better description ourselves. You don’t want to miss Antonio Carneroli’s incredible photos and Sesame Films’ moving vide of the day.

There’s no better spot for a fairy tale wedding than a castle, and so Castello di Tor Crescenza was a fitting choice of venue. The whole affair, from outdoor chuppah to indoor reception, had a distinctly enchanted forest feel to it, bursting with peonies, roses, and hydrangeas in all shades of pinks and reds, plus some artfully arranged berries and forest foliage. Abundant candles, crystal chandeliers, and metallics brought in more than a hint of Beauty and the Beast’s enchanted castle, too.

Oh, and did we mention that that the couple had a henna in honor of Benedetta’s Libyan heritage? Looks like so much fun!

We could go on and on about this dreamy day, but we’ll leave it to the bride, who looked ravishingly romantic in her custom gown from Atelier Acqua Chiara, to fill you in on the rest…

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How we met

Benedetta, the bride: Ilya and I met in South Africa during a holiday with friends. We immediately felt a connection and became friends straight away, and that friendship turned into a relationship very early on!

A Galia Lahav Bride for a Jewish Wedding at Villa di Maiano, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

04/11/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

There’s nothing like a Tuscan Jewish wedding. And we’re totally obsessed with the incredible nuptials of London-based couple Chloe, who works in PR, and Danny, who’s in property.

The couple’s incredible planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J, helped them bring the day of their dreams to life – not the easiest feat when planning from abroad! Michelle set them up with many of their fantastic vendors – like photographer David Bastianoni and videographer Waterfall Visuals– and suggested their picturesque venue, Villa di Maiano.

With grounds straight out of a Renaissance painting and epic views of Florence, this is a venue that doesn’t need much help to shine. But even so, Michelle knocked it out of the ballpark with her incredible chuppah setup – and the table décor’s pretty fantastic too.

There’s so much more to say about this gorgeous wedding, but we’ll leave the rest to the bride – who could not have looked more elegant in her Galia Lahav gown, which she worked with beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Browns Bride to customize…

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How we met

Chloe, the bride: We met at Glastonbury for the first time about 5 years ago but we only started dating 2 years ago.

A Bright and Fresh Outdoor Jewish Wedding at Villa Grabau, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy

02/08/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

Planning a destination wedding from abroad is no easy feat. Just ask Jessica, who runs her family’s restaurant, and Jared, a lawyer. Luckily they had an awesome planner on site, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Luccaorganizza, to help them work out the details of their dreamy Jewish wedding in Tuscany.

Planners Benedetta and Simona directed them toward their incredible venue, Villa Grabau, and it’s easy to see from Foto Cortopassi‘s pics why the couple fell hard for it. It’s exactly the sort of dreamy spot you probably imagine when you think of Tuscany. Jessica and Jared wanted to keep things light and fresh, and the team at Luccaorganizza did the perfect job bringing their vision to life.

We love that the pair crafted a Jewish ceremony that was personal and meaningful to them, zooming in on elements that were meaningful to them – like a ketubah decorated by the bride’s best friend – and skipped ones that didn’t – they opted out of having a chuppah.

Now over to the bride…