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Win a Romantic Stay at the Pan Pacific London, A Haven of Serenity in the Heart of the City

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Freya and David‘s Jewish wedding at the Pan Pacific | Photo by Dominika Miechowska

I’m so delighted to be able to offer you the chance to win an overnight stay at Pan Pacific London, a stunning luxury hotel that combines Singaporean hospitality with London design!

If you’re looking for a luxurious and contemporary haven in the heart of London to host your Jewish wedding, look no further.

Located in the center of the City in One Bishopsgate Plaza, Pan Pacific London‘s location is unrivaled. Juxtaposing the best of old and new London architecture, One Bishopsgate Plaza showcases not only a modern bronze tower, but also the 144 year old One Devonshire House. Add in some serene Singaporean flair, and you’ve got the perfect backdrop for a Jewish wedding.

Freya and David‘s Jewish wedding at the Pan Pacific | Photo by Dominika Miechowska

Naturally, Pan Pacific London is known for its world-class service. The hotel’s events team are passionate about working with each and every couple to plan a day tailored to your individual needs and tastes. 

The hotel’s dedicated Event Emporium – the only one of its kind in the city – is an immersive experience that turns those important occasions into sensory experiences. Absolutely no detail is spared during inspirational one-on-one sessions; from the softness of the linen to the curation of personalised menus and the scent of the room, there are no limits other than your imagination. Pan Pacific London’s dedicated Celebrations Connoisseurs are ready and waiting to help you create a bespoke Jewish wedding that will exceed your wildest dreams. 

Focus on Wellbeing

Part of what makes Pan Pacific London special is its focus on bringing serenity and wellbeing to the bustling City. Nowhere is this better encapsulated than in the hotel’s world-class SENSORY Wellbeing, a destination floor dedicated exclusively to holistic health and featuring the most technologically advanced hotel gym and facilities in London.

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Things to Consider When You’re Planning a Jewish Destination Wedding in Mexico and the Caribbean

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Who doesn’t love Jewish destination wedding? Just imagine making it official in a tropical paradise like Mexico or the Caribbean, with the ocean breeze drifting through your chuppah – pure perfection!

That said, there are some extra considerations you’ll need to keep in mind when planning your Jewish wedding abroad – and we brought in our friends at Destination Weddings by Vacationeeze to walk you through them.

Vacationeeze is a family-owned full-service travel advisor specializing in destination weddings in Mexico and the Caribbean. They’ve helped many Jewish couples from all kinds of backgrounds create the weddings of their dreams, and they’ve got an awesome portfolio of top resorts who understand how to bring a Jewish wedding to life.

The team at Vacationeeze understands how important your Jewish wedding is, and they’ve shared with us some of the key things to consider when planning your special day. We’ll let them take it from here…

What type of ceremony?

One of most important decisions you need to make is about what kind of ceremony you want. Do you want a traditional Jewish ceremony, or something more personal with Jewish touches? Or maybe you’re interfaith?

Regardless, you’ll need to secure your officiant – whether a rabbi or cantor or otherwise. You might choose to fly out someone from home, or you can work with your planner or venue to help find a suitable local officiant who suits your needs. Not all locales will have a rabbi or cantor available – especially if you need one from a particular denomination – so this is something to sort out right at the start of your planning.

 

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Why a Wedding Podcast Is the New Must-Have Jewish Wedding Keepsake

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If you’re engaged, you’re almost certainly planning to book a professional photographer. You may well be looking for a videographer to capture your day in live action, too. But have you considered a wedding podcast?

Even if you’re an avid podcast listener, chances are you haven’t considered recording your own. But wedding podcasts are a new way to capture those precious wedding memories, from the beginning of your love story all the way through to the big day. 

And we love that Story Locker, a one-of-a-kind UK podcast recording service, has made it so easy and accessible for couples to craft a personal one-off podcast celebrating their love. It’s the perfect souvenir to cherish for years to come – and to share with family and friends so they can take part in all the love and joy of this exciting moment in your lives together – and they’ve got a special 15% discount for members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club!

Why Record a Wedding Podcast?

A wedding podcast is a fabulous new tool to capture the excitement and warm memories of your engagement and wedding. It’s a perfect complement to your wedding photography and videography, as unlike those more traditional means of capturing your special day, a wedding podcast allows you to capture more than just your wedding day itself. 

On your wedding podcast, you’ll have the chance to tell the whole story of your relationship from the very beginning. It’s a new and unique way to create a digital legacy in your own voice, one you’ll cherish for years to come. 

How It Works

With Story Locker, you can record a studio-quality personal podcast, recorded with a professional interviewer – no experience or access to cutting-edge recording equipment required! 

First off, you can choose whether you want to record your podcast before the big day, with a focus on your story as a couple from first date to engagement and wedding planning, or after, which means you’ll be able to include memories of your wedding day itself, too. 

You’ll also have a chance to decide whether you’d like to record a 45-, 60-, or 90-minute podcast. 

Then, you’ll get to choose one of Story Locker’s top-tier professional interviewers – who’ve worked at the BBC, Radio One, The Guardian, ITV, Channel, 4, Heart FM, Sky, Netflix, Capital FM and more – to record with you. You’ll have a chance to schedule a 30-minute video call with your chosen interviewer so you can get to know each other prior to recording. 

You’ll record your wedding podcast from the comfort of your own home (you’ll need a laptop or a desktop PC with either a Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser), and Story Locker will send you a studio microphone and headsets (which are yours to keep). A tech producer will ensure quality and attention to detail. 

Then, the best part: you’ll receive your very own professionally edited wedding podcast, complete with a curated music overlay, plus two soundbites from your podcast to share on your socials! Your podcast will be stored safely in your own Story Locker, along with show notes and photos illustrating your love story. 

You’ll have the opportunity to make changes to the recording if you wish – and once it’s all finalized, you’ll be able to share your podcast with friends and family, via a dedicated QR code Story Locker will supply. 

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Giveaway: Win a Yamakopter, the Original Novelty Kippah with a Spinning Propeller!

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We love a fun spin (pun totally intended) on Jewish tradition… and no one does it better than the team behind Yamakopter, the original novelty kippah with a spinning propeller!

The creativity and whimsy Yamakopter brings to the traditional Jewish head covering is so special, and we’re thrilled to be teaming up over on our Your Jewish Life Instagram to give away one Yamakopter each to FIVE lucky winners!

Perfect as a fun Hanukkah gift or an easy Purim costume – or a great way to get kids (or adults!) excited about this aspect of Jewish tradition – every Yamakopter is handmade with love and includes a free sticker and hair clip.


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Yamakopters are handmade in the US from high-quality suede material and a drone-quality propeller. They come in Rainbow, Blue, Red, or Black – and each of our lucky winners will be able to pick the color combo of their choice! Please note that due to small parts, Yamakopters are not suitable for young children.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Jewish Joy + Positivity ✡︎ | Karen Cinnamon (@yourjewishlife)

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Your Name, Your Way: Everything You Need to Know about Changing Your Name in the UK 

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Lyubov and Juan‘s Jewish wedding | Photo by Fergie Medar Photography 

If you’re a bride-to-be, chances are people have started asking you whether you’re planning to change your name once you’re married. Even today in 2023, when changing your name is very much a choice, this can be a fraught topic. 

But the good news is, it is a choice. And you’ve got lots of options, far beyond just keeping your original name or changing over to your spouse’s. Personally, I opted to stick with “Cinnamon” professionally, but double barrel with my new surname legally and in my personal life. 

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Ella and Joel‘s Jewish wedding | Photo by Matt Parry 

I sat down with NameSwitch, who I wish was around back when I got married, to go over the most popular choices and some of the things you might want to consider as you make your decision. NameSwitch are the only UK based company to offer such a unique name-changing service that makes it so much easier.

No one knows more about the ins and outs of changing your name in the UK than NameSwitch – and if you do decide to make a change, their streamlining service can save you hours of research and admin. NameSwitch’s extensive knowledge and liaison with government bodies ensures you get it right the first time, and their UK-based customer service team is always on hand to help. And as a Smashing The Glass reader, you’ve got access to a £5 discount off any NameSwitch  package – just enter the code “SMASHING-FIVE” at checkout. 

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Amy and Andrew‘s Jewish wedding | Photo by Mike Staff Productions 

9 of the Most Popular UK Name Change Options

These days, we’re lucky to have such a range of choices when it comes to changing your name (or not). I’ve put together a list of nine of the most popular choices, from double-barrelling to picking a totally new surname for the both of you. 

  1. Keep your given name.
  2. Take your spouse’s name.
  3. Have your spouse take your name.
  4. Take your spouse’s name legally, but keep your given name professionally.
  5. Make your given surname your middle name and take your spouse’s last name.
  6. Take each other’s surname as your middle name.
  7. Double-barrelling your names.
  8. Blend your last names into a new hybrid name.
  9. Create a totally new last name.

Obviously, some of these options are more common, while others – like creating a totally new last name for the two of you – may raise a few eyebrows. But the most important thing is to make the choice that feels right to you and your partner – after all, this is the name you’ll proudly carry for the rest of your life!

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Darah and Yoni‘s Jewish wedding | Photo by Michael Segal

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