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A Caroline Castigliano Bride for an Elegantly Romantic Summer Jewish Wedding at The Queens Hotel, Leeds, UK

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Sophie and Joe, The Queens Hotel, Leeds, UK

Get ready for a seriously joyous Jewish wedding! Sophie, a nail technician, and Joe, a chartered surveyor, had the most wonderful celebration at The Queens Hotel in the bride’s hometown of Leeds.

The couple’s vision for their big day was romantic elegance with a modern, summery twist – and tons of personality and warmth. We love their Perspex chuppah, adorned with soft florals in shades of pink, white, and peach, and how special is it that Sophie’s 91-year-old grandpa read the couple’s ketubah aloud?

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor XS Showband brought the party to life in their inimitable signature style, and Guy Barzily’s incredible voice sounded all the right notes during the chuppah and the Israeli dancing – in Sophie’s words,

From start to finish, XS Showband were phenomenal, the energy was electric, and the dance floor was never empty, even during dinner and benching!

We were thrilled to hear that the couple found their photographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow, right here on Smashing the Glass. As Sophie says,

Her photography style is so natural and full of emotion, and she was absolutely perfect for us. From our very first meeting, we knew she would capture our day beautifully, and she did just that. Kate caught every angle, every moment, and every emotion, creating the most stunning gallery that allows us to relive our wedding day over and over again.

Read on for all the details from Sophie – who looked simply smashing in her Caroline Castigliano gown…

Sophie and Joe, The Queens Hotel, Leeds, UKSophie and Joe, The Queens Hotel, Leeds, UK Sophie and Joe, The Queens Hotel, Leeds, UK Sophie and Joe, The Queens Hotel, Leeds, UK

How We Met

Sophie, the bride: We first met through mutual friends when we were 11, but we really got to know each other when we started at the same school in Year 8, aged just 12!

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An Elegant Country House Jewish Wedding at Fennes, Essex, UK

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Carla and Ben, Fennes, Braintree, UK

We love a country house Jewish wedding, and Carla and Ben’s is simply divine! Essex’s Fennes was the dreamiest spot for this very special day, with its timelessly romantic vibes and picturesque grounds.  

The verdant outdoor environs made the ideal backdrop for the couple’s striking acrylic outdoor chuppah, delicately adorned with white flowers – the juxtaposition of the contemporary chuppah design with the traditional style of the venue is just perfection.

When it came time to choose a photographer to capture their special day, Carla and Ben knew that only Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow would do. In the bride’s words, “Kate has been a part of my family events since my bat mitzvah in 2011. Having her as my wedding photographer 14 years has been so special to me and my family and we couldn’t be more grateful to her. She captured our day perfectly, we smiled all the way through looking back at our wedding pictures and we love them so much.”

We’re also delighted that the duo found the colorful ketubah of their dreams – which now adorns the walls of their bedroom – through Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ketubah.com.

Read on for the full story of this magical day in Carla’s own words…

Carla and Ben, Fennes, Braintree, UKCarla and Ben, Fennes, Braintree, UKCarla and Ben, Fennes, Braintree, UKCarla and Ben, Fennes, Braintree, UK

How We Met

Carla, the bride: We met on a dating app!

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A Self Portrait Bride for a Jewish Wedding All about Chesed at Allerton Shul and Palm House Sefton Park, Liverpool, England

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Danielle and Paul, Palm House Sefton Park, Liverpool, England

We’re in love with the theme Danielle, a vet, and Paul, an A+E consultant doctor, chose for their Jewish wedding. In the bride’s words, “The theme was chesed, loving kindness/thoughtfulness, as we wanted to throw a party to thank our friends and family for supporting us over the years as singles. We and they have waited a very long time for this day!” How beautiful is that?

And that’s just the start of the wonderful personal touches that made this wedding so special. Danielle and Paul chose not just one but two venues with serious significance: they had their chuppah at Allerton Shul, where the rabbi and rebbetzin who introduced them work, and for the reception they moved on to The Sefton Park Palm House, which Danielle’s father was instrumental in restoring – a glazier, he donated almost 4000 panes of glass for it!

When it came time to choose a photographer, Danielle and Paul went with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow, and they can’t stop raving about how wonderful she was. In Danielle’s words,  “She took time to understand our situation, gave us some fantastic ideas, and pulled off all of our requests. We didn’t want photographers everywhere on the day, and somehow, although our guests barely noticed her, she captured thousands of incredibly beautiful moments alone. She is a truly talented professional, she knows a Jewish wedding inside and out, was a joy to work with, and our photos are completely stunning.”

Read on for the rest of the story in Danielle’s own words…

Danielle and Paul, Palm House Sefton Park, Liverpool, England Danielle and Paul, Palm House Sefton Park, Liverpool, EnglandDanielle and Paul, Palm House Sefton Park, Liverpool, EnglandDanielle and Paul, Palm House Sefton Park, Liverpool, England

How We Met

Danielle, the bride: We were introduced by our Rebbetzin.

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A Martina Liana Bride for a Colorful Jewish Wedding Celebrating Joy at Tatton Park, Cheshire, UK

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Rachel and Stuart, Tatton Park, Manchester, UK

There’s nothing like an English country house wedding, and we absolutely adore Rachel and Stuart’s! Tatton Park, located near the groom’s hometown of Manchester, made for the perfect backdrop to this very special day – which included a wonderful outdoor chuppah on the grounds.

We love the couple’s focus on joy, beauty, and Judaism in crafting their big day – and how great is it that they made it a family affair, between Stuart’s uncle serving as the chazan and Rachel’s uncle designing the beautiful handmade ketubah! For good measure, Rachel herself designed the invitations, featuring a picture of the venue she painted.

When it came time to choose someone to capture their wedding, Rachel and Stuart chose Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow. In the bride’s words,

 I loved her relaxed style, which really captured beautiful, natural moments. Kate was also so lovely to work with – our engagement shoot at Aldenham Country Park was so much fun because she made us feel at ease and brought out the best in us. Our wedding photos are just beautiful, and I especially love how she captured the venue and all the little details so perfectly.

Cat Film Service handled videography, and the couple can’t get enough of their modern style and the way they captured the essence of the day.

Now over to Rachel, who looked so glam in her off-the-shoulder fitted Martina Liana gown…

Rachel and Stuart, Tatton Park, Manchester, UKRachel and Stuart, Tatton Park, Manchester, UKRachel and Stuart, Tatton Park, Manchester, UKRachel and Stuart, Tatton Park, Manchester, UK

How We Met

Rachel, the bride: We meet on Jswipe!

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A Jewish Wedding with an Alice in Wonderland-Inspired Color Scheme at the Edwardian Radisson, Manchester, UK

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Sophie and Adam, Edwardian Radisson, Manchester, UK

We love a good Manchester wedding, and Sophie, a teacher, and Adam, a business consultant, had a truly fabulous one! As a proud Mancunian, Sophie always knew she wanted to get married in her hometown – and the Edwardian Radisson’s central location was perfect for giving out-of-town guests a real feel for the city.

Inspired by a holiday in Las Vegas where they loved the Alice in Wonderland theme at the Bellagio conservatory, Sophie and Adam opted for a similar color scheme of teals, pinks, and purples, and we love the way the couple opted to line their aisle with trees for a magical woodland vibe.

Sophie and Adam chose Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow to photograph their day, and they couldn’t be more thrilled with their choice – take a scroll through Kate’s beautiful imagery and you’ll see why!

Sophie and Adam, Edwardian Radisson, Manchester, UKSophie and Adam, Edwardian Radisson, Manchester, UKSophie and Adam, Edwardian Radisson, Manchester, UKSophie and Adam, Edwardian Radisson, Manchester, UK

How We Met

Sophie, the bride: We met on Hinge after I saw one of his photos was of him with an elephant. Elephants are my favourite animal so I had to give him a like. Our first date was at Puttshack (mini golf) and the rest is history…

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