Paperless Post Archives - Page 3 of 6 - Smashing the Glass

A Bride in a Green Reformation Dress for a Laid-Back Jewish Wedding on the Beach with a Modern Egalitarian Ceremony in Caesarea, Israel

09/03/2018 by Karen

Cool Wedding Alert! Hannah, an urban planner who hails from Melbourne, Australia, and Eitan, a contractor and Tel Aviv native, told their wedding planner and designer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Bebke, that they wanted their Jewish wedding to feel like the best day at the beach you’ve ever had.

And Bebke really, really delivered. Their day, in a stunning beach venue just north of Caesaria, is truly the ultimate chilled-out seaside bash.

Ever felt like the standard formal event doesn’t quite mesh with your sensibilities? Hannah and Eitan did, and they opted to skip out on the sit-down meal and instead make their day a constant stream of food, drinks, and dancing. We love how they opted to have all different kinds of food stations, from deli to wood-fired pizza to fish shawarma! Way to keep all your guests happy.

Another thing we adore about this wedding is the ultra-personal alternative Jewish ceremony Hannah and Eitan crafted, combining tradition with their egalitarian values. They wrote their own ketubah, had their siblings read not only the traditional seven blessings but also blessings they wrote themselves for the couple, and exchanged rings with each other.

Hannah looked radiant in her green Reformation dress, proving that you don’t have to wear white to capture that bridal elegance.

Photographer Alexey Kudrik came recommended by planner Bebke, and we’re in love with his elegant documentary style. These photos look like they’ve been snatched from a super cool editorial, but at the same time Alexey could not have captured the emotion of the day more exquisitely–just take a look at the photos of Hannah and Eitan under the chuppah. We’ll leave it to Hannah to fill you in on the rest.

How we met

Hannah, the bride: We met through a mutual friend when I was in Tel Aviv visiting for another friend’s wedding in 2015 – we ended up in the same group of people hanging out on the beach one weekend – and what started as a holiday fling ended in marriage, and now a baby on the way!

A Spine-Tingling Old City Destination Jewish Wedding at Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem, Israel

12/02/2018 by Karen

We have goosebumps – and after immersing yourself in today’s absolutely beautiful Jewish destination wedding in Israel, we’re pretty sure you all will too. It’s GORGEOUS!

Iliya and Gavin chose to forego a wedding in their native Sydney in favor of a spine-tingling service in Jerusalem. With a chuppah overlooking the Old City, the couple expressed their mutual love of the country and how much it meant to both of them.

We adore the spirit of this wedding as much as the gorgeous Jerusalem-inspired aesthetic – from the Western Wall wish jar (what a moving idea) to the dancing Nachmanim – everything about it felt just perfect.

Both successful lawyers, the pair flew many of their 110 guests to Israel to help celebrate their wedding, which was produced by none other than our much-loved Recommended Vendor, planners extraordinaire BE Group TLV who are also offering an amazing gift to all our VIB Members Club Brides (VIB is AMAZING – join here if you haven’t already!)

Iliya and Gavin wholeheartedly agreed that planning the wedding from such a distance would not have been possible without them.

Gorgeous bride, Iliya,

Iliya and Gavin are clearly both stunning souls, inside and out, and their devotion to each other is so clear in the breathtaking spread of photographs by Ronen Boidek and the moving, cinematic video by Nir Tenenbaum. Those speeches! We may be just a little bit second-hand in love.

And now, without further ado, we’ll hand you over to Iliya for the story in her own words – enjoy! (And by the way, didn’t she just rock the boho-chic look in her Rhonda Hemmingway gown? A-list-level stuff! )

How we met

Iliya, the bride: Gav and I attended the same Jewish day school in Sydney – but Gav was five years above me in school and we only met years after graduating. We met through mutual friends in 2013.

A Romantic English Country Garden Jew-ish Wedding at Northbrook Park, Surrey, UK

15/01/2018 by Karen

Today’s real Jew-ish real wedding is a very special one and we’re ridiculously excited about it, as lovely Caroline and Robbie were one of editor Karen’s fabulous consultancy couples and to see their wedding come to life has been a total and utter joy! One of our favorite things about Smashing The Glass is the way we so often feel involved, directly or indirectly, in our couples’ big days, and this is particularly true today!

In fact, Caroline and Robbie were so delightful to work with, that they are one of 12 very special guests at our ‘Your Jewish Wedding Your Way’ Smashing Summit on the 31st January 2018 which we are SO excited for! Mindy Weiss, Monique Lhuillier, Ron Ben-Israel, Galia Lahav‘s Chief Designer, Duke Photography, Bruce Russell, Blake Ezra, Food Story, and a whole host of wedding industry superstars will talk live, covering everything (and we mean EVERYTHING!) you need to know to plan your Jewish (or Jew-ish) wedding your way. It’s going to be unmissable so make sure you reserve your (totally free!) front seat today here.

So onto today’s truly fabulous totally dreamy and romantic English country garden Jew-ish wedding! Caroline and Robbie, with so many international connections, could have tied the knot in many places, but chose picturesque Northbrook Park in Surrey, an area with family connections for the happy couple.

Beautiful bride Caroline absolutely rocked her bold, unique and jaw-droppingly gorgeous Liz Martinez gown, with its stunning plunge neckline and layers of fairytale tulle.

There were no fewer than three of our much-loved recommended vendors involved in Caroline and Robbie’s wedding. The Function Band, who created magical moments with their music and kept the party going into the early hours, Philippa Louise whose epic makeup skills brought out Caroline’s best features and Rabbi Paul Glantz, who worked with the couple to create the perfect traditional Jew-ish ceremony.

All of the delightful decor details and happy moments were captured by fabulous photographer Philippa James.

It’s finally beautiful Caroline’s turn in the spotlight on the Smashing The Glass pages – please give her a very warm welcome!

How we met

Caroline, the bride: Robbie and I met five years ago in Sydney, Australia. I was a backpacker on a year’s work and holiday visa, while Robbie was working there as a junior doctor for the year. We met completely by chance in a nightclub in Sydney’s famous Surrey Hills neighbourhood, and the rest is history!

We spent our first three years together traveling the world, including a few months’ journey on the Trans-Siberian Express through China, Mongolia and Russia, and living in Australia and South Africa. Two years ago, we relocated back to Robbie’s hometown of London and have been here ever since.
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A BHLDN and Mordechai Avraham Bride for a Magical Forest Egalitarian Jewish Wedding at Tzel Hadumim, Neot Kdumim, Israel

24/11/2017 by Karen

We are totally in love with Esther and Yoni’s magical forest wedding venue, Neot Kdumim, which we’ve featured before on STG. Saying “I do” under the stars just sounds too dreamy and romantic — we can’t even!

Beautiful bride, Esther, couldn’t decide between a beautiful BHLDN number and a vintage lace boho gown by Mordechai Avraham – so she chose both! We are very much on board with this decision, and it perfectly tied together their laid-back-meets-formal vibe.

Esther accented the bohemian vibe with natural-look makeup and fresh flowers in her hair, making her the walking centerpiece of the whimsical forest wonderland. Guests were also adorned with flower crowns, which doubled up as favors, making everyone who attended a living part of the dà©cor. Divine!

Surrounded by natural beauty, Esther and Yoni kept things simple, with sweet floral accents adorning the chuppah and a much bigger focus on their egalitarian, highly personalized Jewish ceremony. We love these priorities, and it’s no secret that we’re always huge fans of consciously gender-equal weddings.

Phenomenal photographer, and much-loved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor, Ben Kelmer, captured the story of the day, and was met with absolutely glowing praise by the happy couple and their families. Looking over the stunning spread of images below, it’s easy to see why.

The vibe was also beautifully captured in the spine-tingling wedding video below, provided by Studio Polly.

It’s Esther’s turn to take over the blog to tell us all about her and Yoni’s unbelievably beautiful big day. Take it away, Esther!

Getting married under the stars

Esther, the bride: We got married in Tzel Hadumim; the wedding venue in Neot Kdumim. We wanted a place that was relaxed and fun, but also worked with the more formal direction our families were into, and this place perfectly combined the best of both worlds.

I also really wanted to get married outside and not in a hall. Tzel Hadumim has all the amenities of a hall, but it’s in the middle of a forest, under the stars. We also live in Jerusalem and it was only 40 minutes away, so it was pretty convenient.
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A Yolan Cris Bride for a Wonderfully Quirky Jewish Wedding at Aynhoe Park, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK

20/11/2017 by Karen

Today’s real wedding comes with two separate, but equally valid, trigger warnings: the first is that it’s incredibly beautiful, and may result in you filling up your living room with Bubblegum Balloons, because they’re just so pretty. The second is that Olivia and Paul’s Jewish wedding day is deeply moving, and you may wish to grab a box of tissues before you read on.

OK (we’re reaching for the first tissue here), how many childhood sweethearts actually make it to their big day? We’re guessing not that many, which makes Olivia and Paul truly special. The loved-up pair have been together since they were 14 years old. 14 years later, they finally said ‘I do’, which we think is just amazing. To have grown up together and still be just as in love half a lifetime later is something else.

Olivia and Paul were also dealt a devastating blow with the loss of Paul’s mother, Debra, a few months before the wedding. There are no words for the impact of losing someone so loved, and honoring her memory was a huge and vitally important part of the day. Debra managed to be part of the preparations, and had even visited the venue, which was so important to the couple.

And what a venue! We have been waiting to feature an Aynhoe Park wedding in forever! A private residence in Oxfordshire filled with stuffed animals, quirky artwork, sculptures, and an array of curiosities, we are more than obsessed with it for a wedding venue!

We also love the Bubblegum Balloons adorning the ceiling, and the sprawling, whimsical floral arrangements throughout (including that chuppah!! WOW!!) to the romantic candlelight clusters.

The entertainment was also varied, from wonderful musical acts to a snakeskin-clad contortionist and burlesque dancer respectively. There was not a moment of the day that was not utterly unique and special – doing it their way and then some.

Speaking of which, Olivia looked every bit the bridal beauty in her absolutely stunning Yolan Cris gown – absolutely awe-inspiring stuff and, as they say, total goals.

Not one, but TWO of our beloved Recommended Vendors were a part of this gorgeous wedding, with chazan Jonny Mosesson gracing the ceremony with his beautiful voice and fabulous videographers, Imaginarium Cinematography, capturing the most sweet and gorgeous wedding video.

We’ve gone on long enough – it’s time for Olivia to take over and take in those exceptional images from the wonderful Chiko Photography.

Get ready to fall in love and steal a million ideas, because we guarantee that’s how this is going to go.

How we met

Olivia, the bride: We met through one of my best friends when we were just 13/14. She invited me to a party at Paul’s house and we became really friendly.

We starting going out not long after and never looked back so 14 years later our wedding was a long time coming for our family and friends!
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