Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

Home > Kate Swerdlow Photography > Page 2

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

by

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…

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Martina Liana Bride for a Relaxed and Romantic Jewish Wedding at The Last Drop Village & Spa, Bolton, UK

by

We love it when a couple centers their Jewish wedding around friends and family – which is exactly what Justine and Elliott did, and we absolutely adore the way they brought their loved ones into the big day.

The couple live in Hertfordshire, but it was always a given that they’d marry up North near the bride’s hometown of Liverpool. One of Justine’s cousins, Rabbi Alby Chait MBE, officiated, and another cousin, Charles Chait, was the chazzan – how special is that?!

Justine and Elliott wanted to make sure all of their guests had a blast, and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Jam Hot Showband was the absolute perfect entertainment choice. Their 10-piece band was, in the bride’s words, “just WOW! The musicians, the energy and the organisation was outstanding. They had a quick room turnaround time from chuppah to main dinner which was seamless. Guests commented on how much they loved the band’s musical medleys and the dance floor was completely packed all night; we could not have asked for a better party!”

The duo chose another wonderful Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor, Kate Swerdlow, to photograph their day, and they couldn’t be any more thrilled with their choice. As Justine put it, Kate is “so creative and energetic, her photos are beautifully natural, not overly posed, and perfectly capture the essence of our day.”

Read on for all the details of this beautiful day in the bride’s own words…


How We Met

Justine, the bride: We met in 2017 after matching on JSwipe! I was studying Musical Theatre at drama school in Guildford, while Elliott, who had graduated from the University of Leeds, was working at a financial advisory firm. Elliott traveled to Guildford for our first date, and the rest is history! Seven years later, I am now the Director of Drama at an Independent School in Radlett, and Elliott is an Independent Financial Advisor. We live in Elstree & Borehamwood.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Summery Jewish Wedding with Lots of DIY Touches at South Hampstead Shul, London, UK

by

Eloise and Eytan, South Hampstead Shul, London, UK

We love it when a couple brings their personalities to their Jewish wedding – which is exactly what Londoners Eloise and Eytan did! Both arts and crafts fans, the pair opted to design all of the wedding stationery themselves, from the invitations and seating chart to thank you cards and place names.

The couple’s photographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow Photography, “captured every moment in just the right way and made us feel comfortable from the beginning of the process which started with our engagement shoot and gave us constant updates whilst editing our photos.”

We also love that Eloise and Eytan chose Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Noa Davies, a mega-talented harpist, to play at their wedding – first accompanying their band Neshama, and then as a duet with violinist Miriam Kramer during the reception.

Read on for all the other details of this very special day – including a live wedding painter and an adorable wedding post box decorated by the bride and groom!

Eloise and Eytan, South Hampstead Shul, London, UKEloise and Eytan, South Hampstead Shul, London, UK Eloise and Eytan, South Hampstead Shul, London, UK Eloise and Eytan, South Hampstead Shul, London, UK
How We Met

Eloise, the bride: We met on the Taglit trip Birthright in Israel on the coach from the airport to our first hotel. There were over 40 of us on the trip and somehow we found ourselves sat across the aisle from one another.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Stella York Bride for a Rom-Com Inspired Jewish Wedding at Chiswick House & Gardens, London, UK

by

Lucy-Joel-Chiswick-House-Gardens-London-UK

A rom-com inspired Jewish wedding?! Um, yes please! We love that today’s bride, Lucy, planned her wedding to groom Joel with inspiration from the romantic comedies she grew up on. In her words, “I always wanted my wedding day to give me and my guests that warm feeling inside I got from watching them as a little girl” – and we think she nailed it!

From the dreamy garden setting at London’s Chiswick House & Gardens to the fabulous chuppah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Happy Chuppah People to Lucy’s princess gown by Stella York to the wonderful music by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ambassador Band that kept guests on the dancefloor (including to two sings from The Parent Trap, one of the bride’s favorite films!), this day was picture perfect from start to finish.

And speaking of pictures – the photos by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow Photography were pretty darn perfect too! Lucy and Joel wanted someone who could capture authentic moments throughout the day, and Kate fit the bill perfectly. Kate also made them feel comfortable on the day – something that’s so important to factor in when choosing a photographer!

Now over to Lucy…

Lucy-Joel-Chiswick-House-Gardens-London-UK Lucy-Joel-Chiswick-House-Gardens-London-UK Lucy-Joel-Chiswick-House-Gardens-London-UKLucy-Joel-Chiswick-House-Gardens-London-UK
How We Met

Lucy, the bride: I am an Account Manager in Influencer Marketing and Joel is a Sales Director. We met on a dating app called Hinge in 2019 and met shortly after 3 days later. I immediately knew Joel was the one. We instantly clicked and it was a feeling I had never had with anyone before. We spent loads of time together before being intensely locked down during Covid. This only served to bring us closer together. We already wanted to spend every single day together and when Covid struck it meant we could and without external distractions. 

Continue ReadingContinue Reading

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

by

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.

Continue ReadingContinue Reading