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A Lilian West Bride for an Autumnal City Jewish Wedding at the Pan Pacific London, London, UK

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Freya & David, Pan Pacific London, London, UK

Happy 2023! We’re starting off the new year with a bang in the form of a truly FABULOUS London Jewish wedding – prepare to be wowed by the super-stylish nuptials of Smashing The Glass Brides Club member Freya and David!

For their chic, urban, autumnal nuptials, these two chose one of our very favorite venues, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Pan Pacific London (which they found right here on STG!). Freya and David can’t stop raving about the stylish space and exquisite service – and once you have a look at the magazine-worthy photos by Dominika Miechowska, you’ll see why.

In Freya’s words, “Between their devoted venue floor able to be split in two for both the ceremony and reception in one place, and their incredible Singaporean menu, it was the perfect place for us. I cannot stress enough how fabulous the wedding team were – small things I had not even thought about, they had a plan for on the day. Nothing was too big of an ask and they made the day go off without a hitch.”

We loved following Freya’s wedding planning journey during her time in Brides Club, and we’re so thrilled that the group helped her find so many of her wonderful vendors, from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Dimitria Jordan, who designed the pair’s on-the-day stationery and signs, to Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Happy Chuppah People, who supplied their lovely chuppah, to Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ink With Intent, the artist behind Freya and David’s egalitarian ketubah illustrated with autumnal flowers.

This really is one very special wedding – read on for the rest of the story in Freya’s own words…

Freya & David, Pan Pacific London, London, UK Freya & David, Pan Pacific London, London, UKFreya & David, Pan Pacific London, London, UKFreya & David, Pan Pacific London, London, UK
How we Met

Freya, the bride: We met on Tinder! Dave was about to move to London for his masters degree and I was already here, working in legal research. We met up three days after he arrived from the US and simply did not want our first date to end; a casual coffee in Marylebone turned in to dinner and drinks in Shoreditch, which turned in to seeing each other at least five times a week.

After graduation, he had to go back to the US for work – so I followed and started my PhD in St. Louis in international law. Four years, a pandemic, another across the world move, and a ginger cat later, I feel so lucky to have spent nearly every single day since with my best friend.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Berta Bride for a Breathtaking Jewish Wedding Full of Flowers, Corgis, and Jewish History at Villa Arcadia, Johannesburg, South Africa

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Shari-Gavin-Villa-Arcadia-South-Africa

While we adore ALL the wonderful Jewish weddings we feature here on STG, for our last post of the year we always try to select something with that little bit of extra wow factor. And if we say so ourselves, we’ve outdone ourselves with our ’22 pick. The fabulous South African Jewish wedding of Shari, who works in marketing and media, and Gavin, a musician, is truly one for the books.

First off the flowers… there really isn’t much we can say beyond WOW. From the Amalfi Coast-inspired floral chuppah to the artfully curated tabletops to the hanging arrangements – all we can say is do yourself a favor and scroll through the exquisite images by Shanna Jones Photography ASAP!

Just as stunning was Shari’s Berta gown. She knew “Demi” was the one for her the moment she set eyes on it, and purchased her dream dress from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Wedding Club in London, “who were absolutely incredible in organising it despite the distance from South Africa”!

We also love that Shari and Gavin opted to wed in a venue with Jewish history: dating back to 1903, Villa Arcadia was the first Jewish orphanage in South Africa, and it was instrumental in homing war orphans from Eastern Europe.

There’s so much more to say about this wonderful day – how sweet is it that the couple’s corgi, Nika, served as their flower girl?! – but we’ll let the bride take it from here…

Shari-Gavin-Villa-Arcadia-South-AfricaShari-Gavin-Villa-Arcadia-South-Africa Shari-Gavin-Villa-Arcadia-South-AfricaShari-Gavin-Villa-Arcadia-South-Africa
How we Met

Shari, the bride: We met very unexpectedly through mutual friends who were dating, we both went to his house with very low expectations. The only reason they thought to set us up was because Gavin was tall enough for me!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Nicole Milano Bride for an Outdoor Oasis Jewish Wedding at El Cortijo San Francisco, Spain

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Anouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, Spain

London couple Anouska and Ben always dreamed of getting married in Spain… and even though they ended up delaying their fabulous Jewish wedding a whopping 3 times due to Covid, they eventually pulled off one of the most stunning Spanish weddings we’ve EVER seen!

The couple’s venue, El Cortijo San Francisco, was nothing short of magical – don’t miss it in the effortlessly elegant photos by Nora and wonderful video from Michel Maraver.

And the bride herself looked ever so glam in her Nicole Milano dress, which she found at beloved Islington bridal boutique and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Mirror Mirror. Anouska loved working with the wonderful Mirror Mirror team just as much as she adored the luxurious materials and dazzling embroidery on her exquisite gown. She also went for a handmade veil by Mirror Mirror, bespoke to match her gown – and was it ever gorgeous!

Keeping the party vibes going strong was important to Anouska and Ben, and so when it came time to choose a band for they went for the best of the best, flying out Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Sensation Band from London. The 10-piece band got the party started – and kept it going into the early hours of the morning – and Anouska and Ben can’t stop raving about their powerful vocals and awesome range of music.

There’s lots more to say about this very special day, but we’ll let Anouska take it from here…

Anouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, SpainAnouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, SpainAnouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, Spain Anouska & Ben, El Cortijo San Francisco, Spain
How we Met

Anouska, the bride: We met when we were in our early teens as we were both from the same place in Hale, Cheshire just outside Manchester. We dated a little in our 20’s here and there in between other relationships but it was very casual. And then in our early 30’s a close friend of Anouska’s started working with Ben at his then company and one day Ben enquired to this friend how I was doing as we hadn’t spoken in a while. This friend told Ben to ask me himself and so he did and the rest is history! We live in London with our 22-month-old little girl Anya and dog Buddy.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Rubin Singer Bride for a Musical, Autumnal Jewish Wedding at the Great Synagogue of Florence and Villa Corsini, Italy

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Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy

Get ready to be blown away by today’s Jewish wedding in beautiful Florence, Italy! Toronto-based couple Sveta and Sasha dreamed of making it official in the majestic Great Synagogue of Florence, and with the help of their wedding planner, Luba of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Primavera Dreams, crafted the most exquisite fall harvest-themed celebration in one of the world’s most unforgettable locations.

Luba worked with the duo to source their fabulous team of vendors – seriously, you MUST scroll through the elegant photos by Elena Foresto to take it all in – and brought their autumnal dreams to life, with a fabulous décor scheme incorporating pomegranates and apples – love it!

In her professional live, bride Sveta is the founder, president, and producer of Show One Productions, which organizes tours for famous musical and theatrical groups across the US and Canada. So naturally, when planning her own wedding, music was a big deal.

And indeed, she and Sasha put together an epic lineup, from Klezmerata Fiorentina, who played traditional Jewish music for the ceremony and then for the kiddush, to Maria Dal Rovere band for the cocktail reception and the after-party, to opera performances by Anna Sanchina and Georgy Chkareuli over dinner and roaming band Gypsy Queens. The couple also had their friend, the fabulous DJ Vamos, fly in from Ontario to perform during their multi-day celebration.

This wedding was chock full of so many wonderful touches – including Sveta’s bespoke  dress by New York fashion designer Rubin Singer, clowns flown in from Paris, fireworks, and even a late night gelato cart – but we’ll let the bride fill you in on the rest…

Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-ItalySveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy Sveta-Sasha-Villa-Corsini-Italy
How we Met

Sveta, the bride: Thanks to some lucky stars, we met in Toronto a few years ago.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Michal Motil Bride for an Intimate Destination Jewish Wedding at Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete, Greece

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Dyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete

Buckle your seatbelts and get ready for a trip to beautiful Crete, where Israeli couple Dyana, a private chef and entrepreneur, and Asaf, who works in tech, tied the knot with 33 of their nearest and dearest.

In addition to picking an absolute knockout of a location for their Jewish wedding, Dyana and Asaf also did the most amazing job crafting a one-of-a-kind day that was totally them. Though neither are religious, the pair wanted to incorporate Jewish customs into their civil ceremony in a way that felt authentic to who they are – and we adore how they handled the custom of the Seven Blessings.

Rather than go the traditional route, Dyana and Asaf opted to assign 7 loved ones each to create a blessing for the couple in their own words, inspired by the original. Needless to say, the honorees came up with some truly beautiful remarks, and Dyana and Asaf loved how personal these bespoke blessings made their ceremony!

Another wonderful personal touch was Dyana and Asaf’s hand painted ketubah by Rachelle of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Delicate Brush! The duo loved working with Rachelle, and can’t stop raving about how helpful she was in working with them to customize the text to be specific to their relationship – plus, obviously, the finished product is totally stunning! Don’t miss it in the photos from Alex Dobrovolsky.  

There’s so much more to say, but we’ll leave the rest to Dyana, who looked so boho chic in her dress by Israeli designer Michal Motil…

Dyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete Dyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete Dyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, CreteDyana & Asaf, Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Elounda, Crete
How we Met

Dyana, the bride: Asaf and I met June 2015 on birthright. He was the Israeli soldier and I was the young American who just graduated college looking for a summer adventure. We met and pretty much the rest is history. Continue ReadingContinue Reading