Monica Vinader Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Mary Poppins-Themed Jewish Wedding at Bevis Marks and Behind the Bike Shed, London, UK

03/01/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Happy 2020! Seeing as this is our first real Jewish wedding feature of the year, we wanted to make it something really special – and we found just the thing. Emma, a product manager, and Pete, a data scientist, wanted a wedding that showcased their love of London in a fresh, unexpected, and whimsical way – and did they ever hit the jackpot when Emma realized her love of Mary Poppins was the perfect theme to center it all!

The couple’s wedding planner, the amazing Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante By Michelle J – whose experience, knowledge, and knack for handling wedding logistics seamlessly made it easy for the duo to stay focused on the fun details and creative touches – helped them transform their dream into reality, crafting a Mary Poppins-perfect day that always stayed classy and never veered into the cheesy or childish.

Bringing in iconic touches like kites, umbrellas, carpet bags, lampposts, chimneys – for example, Emma and Pete had a giant table plan where the numbers were kites and everyone’s names were hanging down on the bows – and fun details like cocktails with Poppins-inspired names, the whole team really went all in.

And nowhere is this more evident than in the choice to center the reception décor around a totally incredible balloon arrangement by Balloonista, who the couple’s planner connected them with. Working with Emma and Pete’s wedding colours and theme, Balloonista created a stunning, one-of-a-kind overhead installation featuring balloons, and, in true Mary Poppins style, hanging umbrellas too.

The amazing photographer STG Recommended Vendor Claudine Hartzel did a great job capturing all the special moments and details of the day, as did videographer Marco Windham.

And speaking of STG Recommended Vendors – we love that Emma and Peter opted to work with so many of them, from Philippa Louise Makeup, the force between the bride’s glam bridal look, to the mega-talented Jonny Mosesson, who not only sang beautifully during the chuppah but also went above and beyond helping the couple choose their music.

Now over to the gorgeous bride, Emma…

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Bevis Marks to Bike Shed

Emma, the bride: Pete and I both come from fairly traditional Jewish backgrounds but are also quite liberal in our thinking and outlook on life. Our wedding had to be a balance between honouring our families’ perspective and the Jewish tradition that we love while keeping true to our values, lifestyle and quirky taste.

We always knew we wanted to have a London wedding and something that captured the way we live together now, which is very much about living in London Bridge and spending a lot of time around the City and East London.

We knew we wanted to have a wedding in a synagogue – we both grew up going to synagogue and being in a venue that was part of Jewish life and connected to years of simchas felt like it would make the service more spiritual for us.

In this respect we got so lucky to be able to get married at the historic Bevis Marks. I had seen a friend get married there years ago and the beauty of the synagogue left such a strong impression on me that it was the first place I thought of when we got engaged. Bevis Marks is also a short walk from our flat so it fitted perfectly with our idea of a local London wedding. We loved getting more involved in the community as we prepared for the wedding.

A Sassi Holford Bride for a Scottish-Jewish Wedding at Bait al Hayam, Tel Aviv, Israel

18/10/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

We love seeing couples find unique, personal ways to merge their backgrounds in their interfaith Jewish weddings – and did Gabby, a doctor, and Jason, an aircraft engineer, ever pull it off! These two had the most delightful Jewish-Scottish destination wedding in Israel, with the perfect combination of the bride’s Jewish and Israeli identity and the Edinburgh-born groom’s Scottish heritage.

With a hora AND a bagpiper, a groom in a kilt, plentiful use of tartan (we’re obsessed with the tartan kippot!), and a meaningful personalized ceremony combining Jewish and Scottish traditions (officiated by Chen BenBrit Shapira, who the couple found right here on STG), this wedding is pure Scottish-Jewish perfection.

Gabby and Jason’s photographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ori Carmi, captured all the emotion and the special details of the day so perfectly – and also made the couple feel completely at ease on camera, plus delivered super quick turnaround after the big day!

Now over to the bride, who looked fantastic in Sassi Holford…

How we met

Gabby, the bride: We met in my favourite pub by the River Thames in Barnes on a beautiful March evening just as the sun was setting over the river, and the rest is history.Continue Reading

A Leanne Marshall Bride for a City Chic Jewish Wedding with a Rose Gold Chuppah at Dartmouth House, Mayfair, London, UK

24/10/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

This has got to be one of the very most ‘Smashing The Glass’ weddings we’ve EVER blogged. Featuring our very own blogging bride Jennifer, a whole slew of STG Recommended Vendors — from Camilla J Collins, who did Jennifer’s fantastic hair and makeup, to Monica Vinader, who designed the bride’s gorgeous necklace, to childcare from Safe and Sound Events — and of course our own-brand Smash Glass pouch, we’re totally in love with this elegant day.

Jennifer, a photographer with years of wedding industry experience, and Charlie, a solicitor, obviously had some insider knowledge that helped them make their big day so epic — for instance, photographer Paul Toeman just happens to be a close colleague and friend of the bride — but nonetheless they report finding tons of inspo and guidance on STG, from choosing their music to crafting the ceremony.

We’re obsessed with the couple’s stylish, modern wedding trailer from another amazing STG Recommended Vendor Denee Motion, as well as their fab DJ Live from STG Recommended Vendor The Function Band, who got even the non-Jewish guests enthused about the Israeli dancing and kept everyone dancing right through to the end.

And the day was full of so many beautiful details, from the rose gold chuppah to the blush florals to the couple’s super cute hashtag #ballblatts, an amalgamation of their surnames.

If you want your wedding to be as memorable as Jennifer and Charlie’s, make sure you sign up to our FREE online event: ‘The secrets to an unforgettable Jewish wedding’ with our founder and editor, Karen, happening on Monday November 12 it’s going to be unmissable!

Now let’s hand over to the bride, who looked stunning in her blush dress from Leanne Marshall.

How We Met

Jennifer, the bride: Charlie and I met when we were 17 years old. We shared our first kiss on the tennis courts in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Six months later, I was cruelly dumped in the window seat of a coffee shop in full view of every school girl and boy in Highgate Village.

Ten years later, having successfully avoided each other — despite living in the same postcode — our paths crossed once again in the Steeles pub on Haverstock Hill. All it took was one misinterpreted pat on the knee for Charlie to think I was interested (again) and before I knew it we were on our second ‘first’ date.

One month later we went away on holiday together, where I essentially forced Charlie to be my boyfriend. Our history allowed us to skip those first few awkward months of dating. There were no doubts about where our relationship was going. We share such similar values and goals; it was as if we were meant to grow up apart to meet again at the right time in our lives.

An Oscar de la Renta Bride for a Super Luxe Italian Garden-Themed Jewish Wedding at The Dorchester, Park Lane, London, UK

18/10/2017 by Karen

There’s only one appropriate word to describe Sophie and James’s Italian-style Jewish wedding day: bellissimo!

Yes, if you breathe in deeply, you can almost smell the stunning Italian-inspired herb garden this creative couple reconstructed in their London venue, you can almost taste the limoncello, the bombe desserts, the gelato station… sorry we drifted away for a minute! I think we can all agree that wedding planners, Banana Split, know a thing or two about creating an incredible, immersive experience.

Sophie and James had their ceremony (conducted by none other than THE Chief Rabbi Emeritus, Lord Jonathan Sacks) at the place their relationship began, Norrice Lea Synagogue, under an ah-maaaazing olive-tree chuppah.

The party really got started at super-luxe venue, The Dorchester, which was transformed into an Italian heaven, with ludicrously wonderful floral arrangements by Wild at Heart. Seriously, a recipe for divine decor.

Let’s take a second to swoon over beautiful bride Sophie’s stunner of an Oscar de la Renta gown, altered especially to fit her vision – and what a vision she looked!

There’s so much to love about today’s big day, from a singing groom to a rapping dad (YES!) but we don’t want our writeup to be longer than Sophie’s! So we’ll take a minute to appreciate the absolute photography GENIUS that is our Recommended Vendor and Smashing The Glass regular, Blake Ezra Photography. We have been lucky enough to feature Blake on many, many occasions, and he has knocked it out of the park yet again with today’s sublime spread of images.

Videographer AtMotion provided the beautiful wedding film below – and if groom James’s speech doesn’t make you well up, then we don’t know what will! Enjoy, and remember, Pin your gorgeous hearts out!

How we met

Sophie, the bride: We actually grew up around the corner from each other, but being a few school years apart, our paths never crossed. Our fathers trained as accountants together, and both our mothers went to the same hairdressers and regularly chatted.

Our fathers share a best friend, Wayne, who approached James in shul during the Kol Nidrei service and told him that he had just had an epiphany — that he had the perfect match in mind. He told James he should take me out on a date, and the rest is history.
Continue Reading

Just in time for Valentine’s Day – Monica Vinader’s new Nura collection

04/02/2017 by Karen

Valentine’s Day is just over a week away! While I’m sure you’ve all already lovingly selected and wrapped your Valentine’s Day gifts (ha!) I thought I’d offer a last-second helping hand, for anyone who might still be in a bit of a panic.

One of the best things about blogging is that I get to really shout about my very favourite brands. It’s absolutely no secret that I’m a MASSIVE fan of jewellery brand, Monica Vinader. I mean really, it’s not a secret. I really love Monica Vinader. I mean really, really.

I love that the jewellery is luxurious but still within the realms of affordability, I love the subtle and chic aesthetic, I love the ease of personalisation — did I mention I heart Monica Vinader?

Nura Heart Bracelet (left) and Nura Heart Necklace (right)

I also have personal and sentimental reasons for my Monica Vinader obsession. A Monica Vinader fiji bracelet played a big part in my own relationship history. The now Mr. STG bought me the bracelet as a birthday present just weeks into our relationship, and it was a defining moment for me as I began to realise the potential for our wonderful future together. He has bought me several cherished pieces throughout our relationship, each one a souvenir of a dearly held memory

Nura Heart Necklace

So imagine my excitement when I heard about the launch of the latest collection, Nura. A perfect choice for Valentine’s Day given the heart-shape motif running through the collection, the fact that each piece is embedded with ethically-sourced diamonds — oh and the reasonable price point.