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A Valentini Spose Bride for a Candlelit Winter Jewish Micro Wedding at the Kimpton Fitzroy London, London, UK

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We are so in love with the gorgeous Jewish micro wedding of Danielle and Rob at one of our very favorite London wedding venues: Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kimpton Fitzroy London in Russell Square!

Won over by not only the venue itself but also the fantastic team, Danielle and Rob had initially planned a 180-person wedding in the Kimpton’s stunning ballroom followed by a reception in the Mediterranean-esque Palm Court, scheduled for August 2020. Thanks to the pandemic, though, they ended up shifting their date to December and their guest count down to 30 and then just 15. But in spite of all the roadblocks COVID put in the couple’s way, they still ended up with the wedding of their dreams. In Danielle’s words, “Everything about our wedding wasn’t what we originally imagined, but we wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Danielle and Rob’s photos by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Mike Garrard are nothing short of magical. And in addition to taking some seriously great pictures, Mike also teamed up with the couple’s friends to pull off a fantastic surprise.

Since the 15-person limit meant the pair had to limit their guest list to family only, some of their friends got in touch with Mike and made a plan to surprise Danielle and Rob on the steps of the Kimpton, just after their ceremony. The couple thought they were stepping out for some couple shots, but instead they were blown away to see their friends standing outside to cheer them on! What an incredibly special moment.

There’s so much more we could say, but we’ll turn you over to Danielle, who looked exquisite in Valentini Spose…

PS Have we told you how much we love Kimpton Fitzroy London? OBSESSED!

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How we Met

Danielle, the bride: When I moved to London for work, I was looking for a flat share with a bedroom that wasn’t the size of a shoe box … Rob was renting his second bedroom out in his flat on a Jewish flat share website. I went to see the flat and Rob was so relaxed and easy to get on with it felt like a no brainer. We were friends & flat mates for years before one rainy evening we went for dinner after work and the rest, as they say, is history!Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Why Quarantine is the Perfect Time to Nail Down Your Bridal Beauty Routine

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Photo courtesy of Susan Yates

One good thing about quarantine? It’s the perfect time to squeeze in some self care and make sure your skin and hair are in tip-top shape for your wedding day… even if right now you’re not 100% sure when that will be. 

To find out the best ways to go about it, I chatted with a panel of our resident beauty experts, consisting of London-based makeup artists Szilvia Balog and Susan Yates, Israel-based makeup artist Keren Rimon, and Israel-based hairstylist and makeup artist Liat Ben Shimshon. All agree that this is a great time to prioritize taking care of yourself, and they’ve shared some great tips on things you can do right now to get your skin and hair wedding ready. 

Photo courtesy of Liat Ben Shimshon 

Don’t Stress About Your Skin

First off, our experts agree that the stress we’re all facing right now can trigger a whole host of skin issues, from irritation to acne. Try not to worry about it if your skin is looking a little worse for the wear lately – more stress won’t do you any good – and remember that, like coronavirus, this will pass.

Photo courtesy of Szilvia Balog

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

One of the best things you can do for your skin is staying hydrated! Liat Ben Shimshon recommends drinking at least one and a half liters of water per day, plus making sure to eat lots of veggies and fruits for both their liquid content and vitamins. And Susan Yates – who admits to regularly checking in with her brides to make sure they’re drinking enough water as they prep for their weddings – attests that “the difference in skin is incredible when a bride has upped her water game in the run up to the big day.”

Keren Rimon‘s makeup for Shelly and Harel’s wedding | Photo by Noa Magger

Treat Yourself

Times are tough right now. That means this is the perfect time to pamper your skin – and yourself. In addition to your daily routine, Susan Yates recommends “supercharging your skincare on a weekly basis with a pampering session; exfoliating, massaging, moisturizing, using those eye masks, face sheets, and whatever you have readily available. Don’t forget it’s not just your face on show on the big day – remember those elbows, hands, arms, and of course your chest and neck. You want everything to be gorgeous, hydrated and glowing!”

Szilvia Balog’s also a big fan of self care via face mask: “On days when I dedicate extra time for pampering, I put face masks on while I’m doing some other activity like meditation or even housework – just be mindful not to appear on a conference call with one by accident! Whoops!” She also recommends a gentle scrub every few days to get rid of impurities stuck in the pores.

And Keren Rimon recommends not neglecting your regular hair and makeup routines – even if you’re not leaving the house. Feeling good about yourself is key to keeping your spirits up in this weird rollercoaster of a time!

Photo courtesy of Szilvia Balog

Nail Down Your Bridal Style

Keren Rimon thinks this is the perfect time to think about what kind of look you want for the big day – take advantage of the time to browse Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram and see what speaks to you.

Photo courtesy of Szilvia Balog

Spring clean your makeup stash

Susan Yates says, “Now is the time to make like Marie Kondo and declutter your makeup and skincare. Date check your products (oh hey mascara from 2017, I see you). Purge anything that doesn’t serve you well, flatter you, or work for your skin.  And anything you haven’t used in 18 months, bin. Be. Ruthless. Group products into your everyday ‘go-to stash’ for easy access and keep separate to your less used products. This will not only make your day to day routine much more efficient but the whole process can be therapeutic.”

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An Anna Georgina Bride for a Foodie’s Dream Winter Jewish Wedding at the Corinthia Hotel, London, UK

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Welcome to the glorious winter Jewish wedding of Smashing The Glass Brides Club member Rebecca, an event coordinator, to groom Danny, a plumber.

In addition to an absolutely mouthwatering menu (HOW delicious do Chiko Photography’s incredible captures of the food look?), we love the fact that, in memory of a close friend, they opted not to have any flowers at the wedding, and instead to donate the money they would’ve spent to Chai Cancer Care. Not only is this incredibly moving, the alt décor they came up with – focused on candles and tealights for the tables – looks so good we’d hardly even have noticed the absence of flowers if they bride hadn’t brought it to our attention!

We’re also in love with Rebecca’s perfect wintry glam bridal look, with a dreamy longs-sleeve gown by Anna Georgina and impeccable makeup by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Susan Yates – who Rebecca praises for taking the time to understand each bride’s preferences AND, crucially, her skin type as well.

Now over to the bride!

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Luxurious Surroundings

Rebecca, the bride: We got married at Corinthia, London – working in events I wanted to choose somewhere that a) I haven’t worked at a lot, I didn’t want to associate my wedding with work and b) somewhere totally luxurious. I may work in hotels, but I don’t often stay at them, so I checked in the day before with just my siblings and parents, it was such a treat and we had the best time just the six of us.

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Join Me at Kimpton Fitzroy London’s Winter Wedding Soiree!

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I’m so thrilled to announce that one of my very favourite London venues, Kimpton Fitzroy London, is hosting a fantastic Winter Wedding Soiree on Friday, 7 February, from 3:30 to 7:00 PM – and I’d love to see you there!


Indulgence Bar®  by STG Vendor GC Couture will be at the Soiree!

Set amidst the central London hotel’s Grade II listed ballroom and stunning Palm Court, this is going to be the ultimate winter bash party.


Design and Styling by STG Vendor Steven Duggan Events – they’ll be at the Soiree!

There’ll be live music all evening, circulating champagne and canapés, exquisitely crafted sweets by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor GC Couture, delectable cocktails – and it’s all FREE.

And some of our very favourite Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendors will be in attendance, including Sensation Band, Hayford & Rhodes, GC Couture, Steven Duggan Events, Victoria Percival, Susan Yates, and Dimitria Jordan – do come meet them and check out their wonderful work firsthand, along with many other talented wedding suppliers!

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