Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Home > Jewish wedding photography > Page 11

Gabby & Gareth | Super-stylish and relaxed Jewish wedding at Katathani Beach Resort, Phuket, Thailand

by

Katathani Beach Resort Phuket Thailand Wedding_0028
This afternoon we are off to Thailand! I’m not exaggerating when I say that this wedding totally and utterly takes my breath away. The incredible natural scenery, the use of light, the feeling of warmth and joy that radiates from Hilary Cam’s delicious imagery… it’s all so very  stylish yet wonderfully informal.

Gabby’s bridal style and her mermaid-esque colour palette of turquoise,navy, purple and lime green are a dream, and there are lots of lovely personal touches to be inspired by too. My favourite is that at each table the couple placed an extra two chairs so that they could actually sit and eat or drink up close and personal with everyone of their guests. I’ve not heard of that before and I think it’s a really lovely idea.

Gabby and Gareth met  over 13 years ago at a house party in Sydney, Australia. She was on holiday from South Africa and they both new as soon as they set eyes on each other that they had met their match. Gabby says. “Gareth always tells me as soon as he saw me walk through the door he knew I was the one. I went back to South Africa and we kept in contact until I eventually immigrated a year later.”

Why not pour yourself a cup of Asian tea and savour this gorgeous W-day… oh and if you’re a destination bride-to-be, make sure you take in Gabby’s excellent device right at the end.
Katathani Beach Resort Phuket Thailand Wedding_0032
Katathani Beach Resort Phuket Thailand Wedding_0004
A ‘HOLIDAY’ VENUE AND A SENSE OF RELAXATION
Our wedding was at the Katathani Beach Resort in Phuket Thailand. We chose this destination for a few reasons. One being we both are originally from South Africa and still have lots of family and friends there. We also have family and friends in the UK, US and Israel. We wanted to be able to not only share our magical day with them but thought it would be an amazing opportunity to get people together who haven’t seen each other in years and have a holiday at the same time.

We wanted it to be relaxed like the beautiful surroundings and in terms of a colour scheme I took inspiration from my bridesmaids dresses (turquoise,navy, purple and lime green)

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Tslil & Maor | Super cool fancy dress Jewish wedding at Bikta Bayar, Carmel Forest, Israel

by

Fancy-Dress-Wedding
This morning  lovelies we’re jetting off to the land of milk and honey  for Tslil and Maor’s riotous  Purim inspired fancy dress affair. For those that don’t know,  Purim is a jolly  carnival-like Jewish holiday marked by parades and costume parties involving  everyone  dressing up to the max in masks and fancy dress outfits.

So any wedding that happens around Purim soaks up some of this  merriment, and obviously that means extra drinking, extra fun, and of course, lots of dressing up!  With Tslil and Maor’s  entertaining fancy dress theme and a great wedding  mindset (read their advice to others at the bottom of the piece to see what I mean) they  created an effortlessly cool wedding with a very warm  vibe. Yes, the two CAN go together.

You also need to know that  Tslil wore  not one but TWO sensational  dresses! What’s more she designed them both herself!  How immense is that?

Check out this joyous  day for yourselves that was captured in all its glory  by  Barak Aharon.  And if you love couple shots in the wilds of nature then you are in for a treat!
Fancy dress Jewish wedding at Bikta Bayar Carmel Forest Israel H

VENUE
We got married in Bikta B’Yaar in a place called Beit Oren near Haifa. We wanted a location surrounded by nature, but because the wedding was scheduled for winter we had to go with the inside option. Even though winter in Israel is known to have its warm days, we didn’t want to take a chance and planned an indoor event right from the beginning.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Mikah & Alex | Brunch themed Jewish wedding with lots of personal touches (and a juggling rabbi!) at the Berkeley Oceanfront, NJ, USA

by

Jewish Brunch Wedding at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel New Jersey 26
Who says weddings have to be afternoon or evening affairs? Late morning is absolutely open too–and  if your favourite meal of the day is brunch (like Mikah and Alex’s is) then you need look no further for inspiration for creating a really personal brunch wedding than right here.

And there are so many great reasons to serve brunch for your wedding food. It’s a great way to stick to your budget, a safe bet for picky eaters, and, hello…waffle bar!? And if you don’t think a brunch wedding can feel formal or special, Mikah and Alex’s w-day will totally prove you wrong. Grab your mimosa and ogle over Adia Photography’s gorgeous images, and watch out for some really fabulous touches like 14 different cakes for their table centrepieces (genius), ‘advice cards’ instead of a guest book, über-personal wedding favours, and best of all… a juggling rabbi!
Jewish Brunch Wedding at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel New Jersey B
HOW WE MET
Mikah, the Bride: Firstly, I have to say that since my friend’s Sarit & Ari’s wedding was posted on Smashing the Glass, I have followed your site religiously. I love it! Alex and I met online. In April 2010, I received an instant message from a law student on OKCupid. Alex listed one of his favourite books as Flowers for Algernon, and I was intrigued. At the time, I usually limited first dates to no more than 20 minutes. When Alex and I met in-person for tea a few weeks later in DuPont Circle, we had an immediate connection: not only did we go out for tea, he asked me out to dinner that same night, which I agreed to, and he walked me home. I always tell him that while the date was great, it was the fact that he grabbed my hand to hold it on the walk back to my apartment that made me swoon.
Jewish Brunch Wedding at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel New Jersey J

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Cheryl & Ernest | Super-special + meaningful Jewish wedding at The Long Center, Austin, Texas, USA

by

Jewish wedding at The Long Center Austin Texas USA 20
Sometimes I think we forget that a wedding is about more than just the Bride and Groom. Weddings are also about two families coming together; the start of a new generation — but also about appreciating the older generation who have loved you and supported you through the good and the bad times.

Cheryl and Ernest’s wedding is a real celebration of that. Their chuppah (pictured above — and isn’t it one of the most beautiful you’ve ever clapped eyes on?) is the most meaningful and moving one I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen many! It’s a tribute to Cheryl’s mother who tragically passed away just as Cheryl and Ernest were embarking on their wedding planning, and it’s exquisitely made out of Cheryl’s mother’s clothes and other momentous pieces including her grandmother’s wedding dress and a shirt her mum had kept of her grandfather’s after he had died.

How special is that?
Jewish wedding at The Long Center Austin Texas USA 60

I also have to mention that they dreamed up a brilliant idea for their ‘conversation starter’ escort cards — scroll down to see what I’m talking about — in fact these two made sure that they spoilt their guests with little treats here and there throughout their entire celebration ensuring that everyone had a day to remember.

Enough of me, I’m going to hand over to our gorgeous Bride, Cheryl, and the fabulous images of Daniel C. Photography, and let you lovelies experience this heart-warming, life-affirming, hearty big day for yourselves.
Jewish wedding at The Long Center Austin Texas USA 60Jewish wedding at The Long Center Austin Texas USA 60Jewish wedding at The Long Center Austin Texas USA 60

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Michal & Samuel | Intimate Israeli-Swiss Wedding at Kibbutz Ein Gev, Sea of Galilee, Israel, with the bride and groom in flip flops!

by

Israeli-Swiss Wedding at Kibbutz Ein Gev, Sea of Galilee, Israel 23
Michal and  Samuel met whilst traveling across  South America and dated long distance for some time,  flying back and forth between Switzerland (where Samuel is from) and Israel, until they decided to make a life  together  in Tel Aviv.

For their wedding they  wanted everyone to have an amazing, relaxed time and didn’t want anything too formal or stuffy. Their focus from the start was on food, drink and intimacy  and they  held their wedding where Michal grew up, and her parents still live, in a kibbutz in the north of Israel called Ein Gev  on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (or Lake Kinneret as it’s known in Israel).

It’s an amazing  kibbutz all about family and togetherness, with a  communal, peaceful and  natural atmosphere. This is the exact ambience that they wanted  for  their wedding, and is very much in the spirit of who they are. Michal in her own words even “went for the most untypical bride shoes – flip flops. April on the beach… who needs anything more?!”
Israeli-Swiss Wedding at Kibbutz Ein Gev, Sea of Galilee, Israel AIsraeli-Swiss Wedding at Kibbutz Ein Gev, Sea of Galilee, Israel
Samuel’s close family and friends flew in  from Switzerland, and  with the couple wanting  to bring a mixture of Israeli  and  Swiss culture to their wedding, Samuel’s family brought over Swiss wine, cheese and  meats for the party  (all spread out and packed in their suitcases)! They also had what I personally think is a  genius idea of an ice cream bar for dessert.

It’s a beautiful authentic wedding with the chuppah  taking place  just after sunset. Michal,  the Bride, is here to tell you all about it, along with images from the fabulous  Newman Photography.
Israeli-Swiss Wedding at Kibbutz Ein Gev, Sea of Galilee, IsraelIsraeli-Swiss Wedding at Kibbutz Ein Gev, Sea of Galilee, Israel 38

Continue ReadingContinue Reading