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Bringing Jewish Joy to the Wedding Industry with the UK’s First-Ever Jewish Wedding Industry Lunch at Manchester’s Kimpton Clocktower

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Last month, I was honored to co-host the UK’s first-ever Jewish wedding industry lunch with beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kimpton Clocktower Hotel Manchester. The day featured incredible kosher catering by another wonderful #STGvendor Feast by Ed, plus so much more from some of the North of England’s top wedding professionals. 

While I’ve been to some wonderful wedding industry events in my time running Smashing The Glass, none has ever made me feel totally seen as a Jewish woman in the business – and I was lucky to find wonderful partners who are just as committed to inclusivity and representation as we are here at Smashing The Glass. 

With the event taking place in Manchester, we decided to focus on the UK’s Northern Jewish wedding scene, and it was so special to be able to bring some of the biggest names in Jewish weddings from Manchester and beyond together in one (totally breathtaking!) room.

We worked with an extraordinary team of vendors who made it a day to remember: Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow Photography captured the beautiful images in this post; Giraffe Flowers was the mastermind behind the gorgeous florals; wonderful live calligraphy by Inkspiration Artist; and String Infusion provided the soundtrack.

Let me walk you through the whole wonderful day – which was truly a celebration of Jewish joy, made possible by such an incredible team of Jewish and non-Jewish wedding vendors alike.

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13 Inspirational Jewish Wedding Photos

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Image: Ben Kelmer Photography

It takes someone really special to capture all the magic of a Jewish wedding. The traditions, the emotion, the dancing – a Jewish wedding day is pretty full-on from start to finish, and you want to make sure you pick a wedding photographer who can keep up!

Luckily, we know plenty of amazing Jewish wedding photographers – the kind who know exactly what a badeken is without you having to explain a thing – and we asked 13 of them to share a favorite Jewish wedding snapshot with us. So get ready to feel ALL the feelings!

1. Miki Studios


See more work by MIKI Studios

2. Herschel Gutman Photography


See more work by Herschel Gutman, who also offers 10% discount to Brides Club members.

3. Ben Kelmer Photography


See more work by Ben Kelmer Photography, who also offers 10% discount to Brides Club members.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

An Outdoor Pandemic Jewish Wedding at Ham Polo Club, London, UK

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Sarah and Josh, Ham Polo Club, London, UK

We’re in love with the gorgeous Jewish wedding of Sarah and Josh, who show that it’s possible to have a totally fabulous wedding even as we’re still making our way out of the pandemic.

The couple chose their London venue, the beautiful green Ham Polo Club, specifically so they could hold the festivities outdoors, with plenty of room to space everyone out safely. This meant they were able to have the most guests possible – along with the least COVID worries.

Luckily, Sarah and Josh love the outdoors, the setting was right up their alley. We’re obsessed with the gorgeous photos by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow Photography – in Sarah’s words, Kate “captured the best moments so subtly, and was so lovely to work with.” We couldn’t agree more!

The couple also give credit to their fabulous band, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Shir Music, for creating an amazing atmosphere – which positively shines through in the fab pics of the Israeli dancing!

Now over to the bride…

Sarah and Josh, Ham Polo Club, London, UK

Sarah and Josh, Ham Polo Club, London, UK
How we met

Sarah, the bride: We met at summer camp aged 16.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A DIY Jewish Garden Micro Wedding in London, UK

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Rebecca-Joel-UK

We are absolutely in love with the quintessentially English garden micro wedding of Rebecca, a teacher, and Joel, an engineer. These two needed a convenient all-outdoor venue where they could throw a COVID-safe celebration – and fortunately, the school where Rebecca teaches happens not only to have a gorgeous garden but is also located just around the corner from the pair’s home.

With some help from their friends, Rebecca and Joel put together a beautiful day starting with a tisch and badeken in the couple’s own garden, followed by a procession down the street to their venue. Then there was the ceremony – which came together with lots of participation from not only those guests who were able to attend in person, but also some VIPs who joined in via the couple’s livestream. These included the bride’s parents, who were able to give the couple a blessing, and her brother, who sang to them as they stood under the chuppah.

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow captured the day so perfectly in her emotion-filled photos – and Rebecca and Joel can’t stop raving about how much they loved working with a photographer who not only put them at ease on the day with her warm, easygoing nature but also just “gets Jewish weddings”!

Now over to Rebecca…

Rebecca-Joel-UK Rebecca-Joel-UK Rebecca-Joel-UK Rebecca-Joel-UK
Garden Venue

Rebecca, the bride: We got married in the garden of the school where I work which is around the corner from our home. We picked this venue because it was beautiful, surrounded by an orchard, a vegetable patch, with easy parking and close by. It had a big green space where we had small marquees with tables that we used for lunch.

The chuppah was made out of bamboo and designed and constructed by my husband and his friends, and they built it onsite. The location was intimate and green and perfect.Continue ReadingContinue Reading