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A Berta Bride for a Breathtaking Jewish Wedding Full of Flowers, Corgis, and Jewish History at Villa Arcadia, Johannesburg, South Africa

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While we adore ALL the wonderful Jewish weddings we feature here on STG, for our last post of the year we always try to select something with that little bit of extra wow factor. And if we say so ourselves, we’ve outdone ourselves with our ’22 pick. The fabulous South African Jewish wedding of Shari, who works in marketing and media, and Gavin, a musician, is truly one for the books.

First off the flowers… there really isn’t much we can say beyond WOW. From the Amalfi Coast-inspired floral chuppah to the artfully curated tabletops to the hanging arrangements – all we can say is do yourself a favor and scroll through the exquisite images by Shanna Jones Photography ASAP!

Just as stunning was Shari’s Berta gown. She knew “Demi” was the one for her the moment she set eyes on it, and purchased her dream dress from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Wedding Club in London, “who were absolutely incredible in organising it despite the distance from South Africa”!

We also love that Shari and Gavin opted to wed in a venue with Jewish history: dating back to 1903, Villa Arcadia was the first Jewish orphanage in South Africa, and it was instrumental in homing war orphans from Eastern Europe.

There’s so much more to say about this wonderful day – how sweet is it that the couple’s corgi, Nika, served as their flower girl?! – but we’ll let the bride take it from here…

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How we Met

Shari, the bride: We met very unexpectedly through mutual friends who were dating, we both went to his house with very low expectations. The only reason they thought to set us up was because Gavin was tall enough for me!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Joss Couture Bride for a Romantic Jewish Wedding Weekend at Monate Lodge, South Africa

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How incredibly gorgeous is the Jewish wedding of South African couple Jess, an entrepreneur, and Dan, a financial director for a property company?! These two knew from the beginning they wanted to make their big day into a weekend away where they could kick back and enjoy the time with their family and friends, and they opted for a stunning game lodge highlighting South Africa’s stunning nature.

Jess and Dan kicked things off with a game drive and dinner in a candlelit cave in advance of their Sunday wedding, which took place outdoors right in the midst of the South African bush. To make the most of the scenery, the whole wedding, from chuppah to reception, took place outside (luckily, there was no rain!). We’re obsessed with the fact that the couple wed under a gorgeous 400-year-old (!) rock fig tree, and how special is it that Jess’s dad built the chuppah from scratch? And how beautiful are the luminous images from Agape Wedding Photography?

In the leadup to her wedding, Jess joined Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club, and we’re so touched by her wonderful words about the members club:

I have loved every minute of being part of STG Brides Club, the sense of community from total strangers, turned friends is just incredible. There is no better place to ask questions, share ideas, as well as wedding woes and wins than Brides Club! Dare I say the spin off from Brides Club, Smashing Life, is even better! None of us could bear the thought of leaving the community once we got married and it has become a place I often turn to for inspiration or advice.

Now we’ll turn you over to Jess…

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How we Met

Jess, the bride: We met on Tinder which was an absolute fluke because I was in another city at the time at my best friend’s wedding and Dan did not usually look outside a certain radius.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Lee Petra Grebenau Bride for an Exuberant Jewish Wedding at Cavalli Estate, Cape Town, South Africa

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If we had to pick one word to sum up Isa and Daniel’s Jewish wedding, it would be “exuberant!” From the bright colour palate to that gorgeous chuppah, to the abundant florals to the joyful expressions on the face of the bride and groom – not to mention the wild dancing and the spirited beachside couple’s shoot captured so beautifully in photographs by John Armstrong and on video Vision on Fire – South African couple Isa, a doctor, and Daniel, a solicitor, went all in on their big day.

We’re obsessed with their vibrant colour scheme – the couple wanted to use warm, bright shades to create an inviting atmosphere reflecting the spirit of love and celebration that embodied the day, with liberal use of the bride’s beloved bright pinks. Even Isa and Daniel’s gorgeous ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor ByTessa incorporated the bright pink floral theme, and it could not be any lovelier.

And these two had a chuppah unlike any we’ve seen before – sure, there were stunning bright florals, but what really bowled us over is not the outside of this chuppah but the inside: Isa and Daniel decorated the underneath of the canopy with photos of their families through the generations, including those who couldn’t be physically present on the day – what a special way to literally envelope yourselves in the people who love you most!

There’s so much more to say about this wonderful wedding, but the time has come to turn you over to Isa, who looked nothing less than ravishing in her gown by beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Lee Petra Grebenau, working with the designer herself at her studio in Israel – we’re totally not surprised to hear Isa say that getting to work with the wonderful Lee made the dress decision a non-brainer…

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How we met

Isa and Daniel, the bride and the groom: In 2016, Isa was busy with her medical internship and Daniel was running around the court rooms with his law practice. A mutual friend sent Daniel Isa’s number. They had never crossed paths before their first date and it took Daniel an entire weekend to come up with “Hi Isa, a mutual friend sent me your number, would you like to go for a drink this week?” We eventually met on our first date and we ended up talking for hours and Isa had that smile. Daniel had to leave for Hong Kong but the talking continued. 

One year later Daniel arranged for Isa to meet him in Cape Town and they went to Babylonstoren wine farm under the false pretence that Daniel was on a media panel talking about high profile legal cases. Instead, Daniel popped the question and Isa, although a little suspicious, responded with Daniel’s favourite words “of course yes”

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A Vesselina Bride for a Romantic Boho Jewish Wedding at Hebrew Order of David Hall, Johannesburg, South Africa

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We’re obsessed with the romantic boho vibe Batia and Darren created for their gorgeous South African Jewish wedding. The bride, a makeup and lash artist, and the groom, a musician and sound engineer working in sales, crafted the most gorgeous day, filled with soft colours, plenty of succulents, and rustic wooden elements galore.

We love their sweet, simple chuppah – and it just goes to show you don’t need to go all out for something mega-opulent to create a gorgeous floral chuppah. A simple wooden structure wrapped in just the right amount of delicate roses and soft green vines – done! The bride’slate grandfather’s tallis formed the canopy, which is such a beautiful touch. Photographers Splendid Productions and videographers White Motion Films captured everything so perfectly.

Batia’s wonderful dress from Vesselina Pentcheva carried on the boho fairy tale theme, with a soft, flowy cut and wonderful 3D rose lace and hand stitched pearls. We’ll let her fill you in on the rest of the details of her wonderful day…

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How we met

Batia, the bride: We met at a mutual friends house 8 years ago and the rest is history! 

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A Vesselina Bride for an Edgy, Colorful Jewish Wedding at Fox Junction in Johannesburg, South Africa

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We’re experiencing some serious chuppah envy right now. Do you see that canopy? #chuppahgoals or what?! Dani, an interior designer, and Codey, an MBA student, wanted their wedding to be romantic but edgy, and nothing embodies that more than their fantastic chuppah.

Dani was inspired by the coolest piece of bold floral fabric she found at a local textile house, and she knew instantaneously that it would make the perfect chuppah topper. And was she ever right — the  bright colors against the black background are just so cool, and miles away from your typical all-white canopy.

The couple continued their theme of edgy, artsy brights and florals in their dà©cor — you’ve got to check out their epic tabletop dà©cor in Verve Films and Ryan Graham Photography’s captures of the day — and completed their uber-cool look with a neon sign featuring the lyrics to their song. What song, exactly? Read on to find out from beautiful Dani, who found the perfect blend of vintage and rock ‘n’ roll in her beaded lace dress from Vesselina…


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How we met

Dani, the bride: We met many years ago when we were around 11 or 12 at a Jewish summer camp (Habonim Dror). Through the years we remained good friends although we did not attend the same school. My husband even attended my bat mitzvah back in the day. We will both attest to the fact that we knew we were each other’s “one” and that marriage was inevitable between us. You can even say we were childhood sweethearts from the moment we met.

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