Olmaya wedding venue Archives - Smashing the Glass

An Irena Burshtein Bride for a Surprise Jewish Wedding at Olmaya, Jerusalem, Israel

04/05/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

So we’ve seen surprise Jewish weddings where the bride and groom spring their plans on unsuspecting guests day of. But we’re pretty sure this is the first ever wedding we’ve seen planned entirely by the groom, as a surprise for the bride!

When South African couple Gemma, a PhD student in virology, and David, who has his own business developing properties, set off on their trip to Israel, the bride had no idea what her soon-to-be groom had in store for her. Gemma thought she was just off on holiday, but turns out David had actually spent the past 11 months secretly planning a whirlwind engagement (at the Kotel!) and wedding!

Unbeknownst to Gemma, David even coordinated with the couple’s friends and family from around the world, who all flew in for their surprise bash. We’re obsessed with David’s venue pick of Olmaya, with its jawdroppingly epic views of Jerusalem’s Old City, and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Luz Weddings Photography captured it all so exquisitely – we’re in love with their gorgeous shots of the breathtaking outdoor chuppah!

Gemma looked so ravishing in her Irena Burshtein gown, you’d never guess she had only one day to choose it – between her whirlwind engagement and wedding! The amazing team even managed to turn around her alterations in three days.

This is one unique wedding, and we’re so excited to let Gemma fill you in on all the details…

HOW WE MET

Gemma, the bride: We met in 2013 after being set up on a blind date by our mothers. Not the most romantic story, but quite a funny one. Moms do know best!Continue Reading

A Millanova Bride for a Destination Jewish Wedding with a View at Olmaya, Jerusalem, Israel

13/04/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Who’s ready to book a flight to Israel as soon as lockdown ends? Team STG definitely is, and you just might be too after you finish drooling over Lauren and Anthony’s stunner of a Jewish wedding.

The London-based pair picked their venue Olmaya, based on its breathtaking views of the Old City of Jerusalem – which just happens to be the place these two became friends AND got engaged. Best chuppah backdrop ever, or best chuppah backdrop ever? We’re pretty sure you’re going to be just as obsessed with the incredible photos by Haim Afriat and video by Avichai Weschsler as we are.

We’re also in love with Lauren’s gorgeous Millanova dress, which she found at Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Wedding Club’s Birmingham location. The bride had spotted her dream dress on Instagram three years before the big day – before she even got engaged – but, Millanova not being a widely available brand in the UK, was struggling to track the style down until she found out about a trunk show at The Wedding Club – and the rest is history!

Lauren loved the lace fishtail gown just as much as she hoped she would, and she can’t stop raving about her fab experience working with the team at The Wedding Club. In her own words, “I looked forward to every fitting, and wish I could go there every day as it was honestly the best experience.” Lauren capped her look off with a sleek high ponytail (perfect for that Israeli heat!) styled by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Yonatan Yaeish, who not only totally got the bride’s vision but also made sure her ‘do didn’t budge all day.

Over to you Lauren!

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How we met

Lauren, the bride: I work in marketing in a Jewish charity and Anthony is a director of fundraising and development at a Jewish charity. We met at the JLE, but became friends on a trip to Israel. It was on a balcony overlooking the Kotel where the journey began, and the journey is never ending.

We got engaged on a balcony overlooking the Kotel too, and the next day after the wedding, we took all our guests to the Kotel for a special Kotel experience, we had musicians, a hand held chuppah and danced and sung our way to the Kotel, it was very special.

A Samantha Sleeper Bride for an Enchanted Garden Winter Jewish Wedding at Olmaya in Jerusalem, Israel

17/04/2019 by Karen Cinnamon

Every so often we come across a Jewish wedding that’s truly unlike any we’ve seen before. And that describes fashion designer Jordana (while she works on launching her own line, Luzhi, she’s running travel-inspired Etsy shop Luzhi Foudre) and IT worker by day, foodie by night Uri’s big day to a tee. We know words like “magical” and “enchanted” get thrown around a lot in the wedding biz, but this one truly is all that and more.

The lucky bride just happens to be the daughter of a phenomenal wedding planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Penny & Co. Events, so it’s no surprise Jordana’s “out of the box” (in her own words) celebration was one for the books.

First off, we’re totally obsessed with the flowers – from the bride’s big, bold, bright bouquet to the show-stopping table centers, the lush, wild vibes are off-the-charts amazing. This wedding took place in the middle of winter, but you’d never know it thanks to mom’s ingenuity – which encompassed everything from hanging greenery to custom green velvet tablecloths.

And the couple’s enchanted garden chuppah is truly like no other we’ve seen (and we love that the couple were seated underneath it during dinner afterward – such a smart way to make the most of this special structure). You’ve simply got to see Sigala Photography’s inimitably stylish snaps and Reouven Photography’s moving trailer for yourself.

As a bona fide fashionista herself, it’s no surprise that Jordana went for something totally unique – and totally gorgeous – for her big day. Mega-talented NYC-based designer Samantha Sleeper created a bespoke two-piece design consisting of a simple slip dress and a detailed overlay, inspired by the bride’s favorite designers, Valentino and Rodarte. We’re obsessed with the cool capelet back – and the couture feathered headband the designer gifted Jordana to complement her wedding day look.

Take it away, Jordana!

How we met

Jordana, the bride: Uri and I were very close friends for a few years prior to dating. I always saw him as being exceptional in every way and would even often set him up! It took me some time to open up to the idea of us being together, but as soon as I did I knew he was the exact right guy for me. You never know 🙂

An Emotional Destination Jewish Wedding Overlooking Jerusalem at Olmaya, Israel

28/07/2017 by Karen Cinnamon

Here at STG HQ, we have to admit that we welled up a LOT while putting together today’s real Jewish wedding. From bride, Jenna’s moving words about their choice to marry in Jerusalem, overlooking the old city, to groom, Jacob’s heart-stopping speech about his love for Jenna, we’re sure there wasn’t a dry eye at the wedding (and there certainly wasn’t one here).

Their history together explains why. Not a lot of couples can make a long-distance relationship work, but Jenna and Jacob were so sure that they were meant to be, that they did everything in their power to ensure that they could be together.

The wedding itself looked effortlessly beautiful, with the surroundings and Jenna’s stunning wedding ensemble speaking for themselves. Also, while we’re gawking, we definitely wouldn’t mind one of those Nutella cupcakes!

The intense adoration, which is such a rare find in this life, is so evident in the beautiful spread of photos, taken by much loved STG Recommended Vendor, Luz Weddings, who photography weddings in the UK, USA

We’ll hand over to Jenna for her beautifully eloquent and tear-jerking writeup of her and Jacob’s wedding – we’re sure you’ll join us in wishing them a long and blissfully happy life together.

How we met

Jenna, the bride: Jacob is from Switzerland and I am from Australia. We met in Israel, as both of us were studying at Tel Aviv University as law exchange students.