Paperless Post Archives - Smashing the Glass

A Watters Bride for an Egalitarian Jewish Wedding with Fairy Lights and Sunflowers at The Oakley Court, Windsor, UK

21/01/2019 by Karen Cinnamon 1 Comment

Is this the perfect English country Jewish wedding, or what? We are totally obsessed with Miri and Jon’s sweet sunflower chuppah – not to mention the bride’s epic flower crown (which she opted for instead of a bouquet) and the charming table centers in repurposed whiskey bottles strewn with fairy lights. It was all the work of florist Gabriella Shem-Tov, who crafted the perfect colorful arrangements to complement the festival vibes and idyllic outdoor setting.

We also love that Miri, a project manager at the British Library, and Jon, community development director for Masorti Judaism in the UK, crafted an ultra-personal egalitarian ceremony totally in step with their values, where they circled each other, exchanged rings, and both smashed a glass.

Don’t miss Miri’s beautiful writeup, or Marianne Chua’s luminous documentary-style photography… and whilst you’re at it, you won’t want to miss our amazing FREE online event for Jewish and Jew-ish Brides happening later today called, ‘The Secrets to an Unforgettable Jewish Wedding”. Sign up here if you haven’t already – I can’t wait to see you there!

How we met

Miri, the bride: We had been friends for a few years but then accidentally went on a date, and were engaged a year later!

A Crystal Design Bride for a Romantic Destination Jewish Wedding with Moody Florals and Fireworks at Villa Montefiano, Fiesole, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

12/12/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

Today’s Jewish wedding is 100% pure dreamy-misty-eyed romance. The fact that it took place at a totally stunning venue in Florence doesn’t hurt, obviously. But the couple’s excellent (and elegant!) taste, along with the amazing team assembled by their stellar wedding planner, Rossana from The Knot in Italy, is what really made the day.

We’re totally in love with the moody glam look Andrea, an executive assistant/office manager, and Seymone, an attorney, cultivated. Between the lush florals (peonies and eucalyptus!), twinkly lights, and liberal use of candles – not to mention that subtly dramatic chuppah – every single detail is totally on point. Silvia Galora Photography and videographer Waterfall Visuals both captured the romance and visual splendor of the day absolutely exquisitely.

Oh, and did we mention that there were fireworks? And not just the metaphorical kind.

We’ll let Andrea, who looked stunning in her dreamy princess gown from Crystal Design, fill you in on the details…

How we met

Andrea, the bride: I met Seymone 5 years ago in the basement cafe of our then-office building. This is our story as told on our wedding website:

Andrea captured Seymone’s attention in the basement cafe at their old (now demolished) office building in Century City, CA. Seymone’s first words, “How’s the soup?” led him to finding out Andrea worked at the real estate firm on the 2nd floor.

The next day, Andrea would receive an edible arrangement and a card that read, “It was lovely meeting you in the cafe yesterday, hope the next time I see you is over dinner and drinks – SJ.”

After many adventures and years of getting to know each other Seymone popped the question on February 16, 2017.

A Milla Nova Bride for a Multicultural Outdoor Jewish Wedding at Hatzer Netzer in Netser Sereni, Israel

17/08/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

One of the things we love most here at Smashing the Glass is seeing the ways couples combine their cultures and traditions into their big days. It’s not always easy, whether you’re planning a Jewish wedding or a Jew-ish one, but we see couple after couple pulling it off in their own imitable style.

And today’s pair is no exception. Bronwyn, an occupational therapist and Tal, who is in sales, had two very different sets of traditions to combine: the bride is Ashkenazi and South African, while the groom is Sephardi and Israeli, with roots in India.

It was important to the bride and groom that both the ceremony and the party reflect their respective backgrounds, and we love the clever ways they made sure to give each other’s traditions equal billing on the big day.

During the ceremony, Bronwyn and Tal mixed and matched their favorite elements, holding a Sephardi chuppah with some key Ashkenazi elements: Bronwyn circled Tal seven times, and the duo took some time for themselves in a yichud room after the ceremony. At the reception, the DJ mixed South African beats with Indian tunes – plus some Israeli pop for good measure!

The other thing we adore about this wedding is Bronwyn’s dress: her long-sleeved lace gown by Milla Nova proves you don’t have to show a lot of skin to look dreamy as you walk down the aisle. We can’t get enough of this soft, romantic bridal style, and we love the way Smashing the Glass Recommended Vendor Herschel Gutman captured it – and everything else about this gorgeous day, from the emotion under the chuppah to the wild dancing at the reception (and he’s an amazing guy to boot!)

Bronwyn will fill you in on the rest…

How we met

Bronwyn, the bride: We met via Jswipe. Love at first swipe!

A Chana Marelus Bride for a Pretty in Pink Fairy Tale Jewish Wedding at Ein Chemed, Jerusalem, Israel

20/07/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

We just cannot get enough of today’s Jewish wedding. We see a lot of beautiful weddings here at STG, but this one is really and truly unlike anything we’ve encountered before. Bride Daniella always wanted “a fairy tale princess wedding,” and she and groom Natan went ALL OUT to make it happen.

It didn’t hurt that this is pretty much the ultimate industry insider wedding – wedding planner Adena Mark at A to Z Events just happens to be the mother of the bride, and Daniella herself is a bridal makeup artist. So it’s safe to say this mother-daughter duo knew what they were doing.

Between the knockout pink flowers on the ultra-romantic chuppah, the pink chiffon arches lining the entrance, and the pink sweets table, this wedding really was, this was the kind of Jewish wedding that would do Cinderella proud. You’ve got to check out Shabi Kedem’s photos of it all.

And then there’s that dress. We love that Daniella wasn’t afraid to make a bold choice, bypassing traditional white for a sparkly pink princess gown she custom designed together with Chana Marelus. With intricate floral beading and a huge, poufy skirt, this is the kind of gown that absolutely takes center stage. Now over to lovely Daniella…

How we met

Daniella, the bride: Natan and I grew up in the same small community, so it’s amazing we didn’t meet earlier than we did. We met on my 15th birthday through some mutual friends. Through the years we were close friends and hung out in the same social groups but we both dated other people through high school.

During my post-high school year of National Service and while he was waiting for his draft date into the IDF, we found ourselves hanging out just the two of us more often and talking on the phone for hours until morning. One night rather than directly asking me out, he tricked me into a date. I thought we were meeting with our big group of friends but when he picked me up alone I discovered he had asked everyone else not to come. Unbeknownst to us, they followed us and joined us for sushi dinner and then just he and I went back to his place, watched a movie, and carved a watermelon into a shark.

We’ve been together through his entire 3.5 year army service, an earthquake in Nepal, too many family losses, and lots of celebrations, and throughout it all, we never doubted the strength of our relationship. Four and half years later he finally popped the question and, now, 5 years later we share a last name 😊

A Graces Loves Lace Bride for a Rustic Outdoor Jewish Wedding at Acacia Ridge Winery, Yarra Glen, Yarra Valley, Australia

04/04/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

Today’s super cool couple dreamed of a destination Jewish wedding at a winery in South Africa. When logistics got in the way, Lori, a medical student, and Josh, an accountant, found the next best thing: a venue in their home country of Australia that feels a world away from bustling Melbourne.

Lori and Josh knew from the beginning that they wanted a pared-down day with the focus on only the things that mattered most to them: a fun, chill day with the people they love the most, great food and drinks to keep the party flowing, and, above all, the ceremony.

Fun as the reception was, there’s no question that the highlight of the couple’s day was looking out from under their chuppah and seeing all the people they love supporting them in their marriage. As Lori says, “It’s the people that make the wedding, not the things.”

That’s not to say the duo skimped on the details. In honor of their love of Japanese and Mediterranean food, their day boasted sushi and sashimi stations, plus a souvlaki bar – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg of their foodie fantasy!

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Jeremy Blode Photography did such a fabulous job capturing the raw emotion of the day. He made Lori and Josh feel totally comfortable, both in the lead-up to the wedding and on the day itself, and they’re in awe of not only his passion for his work and uncanny ability to capture authentic moments but also his people-wrangling skills!

And even better, wonderful Jeremy, who works in both Australia and Italy, is also offering a 10% discount on any package to members of our VIB [Very Important Bride] Club!

He’s just one of many handpicked vendors offering discounts or free gifts to members of our Club (who also receive around-the-clock support and advice from my team and me, plus all kinds of cool bridal extras and goodies.) If you haven’t joined yet, don’t delay as we’ll be closing membership for this quarter shortly!

Beautiful bride Lori claims to have hated wedding dress shopping, but it’s hard to believe given how effortlessly lovely she looks in her Grace Loves Lace gown, don’t you think?! Now over to her…