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A Jewish Wedding in Pink at The Vale Resort, Pontyclun, Wales, UK

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Jess and Louis, The Vale Resort, Pontyclun, UK

We’re so excited to be publishing our first-ever Jewish wedding in Wales today! Though Jess, a primary school teacher, and Louis, a tax advisor, now live in London, Jess hails from the small but mighty Welsh Jewish community, and it was important to her to get married back home in South Wales.

They chose The Vale Resort in Pontyclun as the venue for their summery wedding weekend in pink, filled with tons of gorgeous blooms in all shades of the tone, and we can’t get enough of it. Neither could Jess – she loved planning her big day so much that she’s since launched a small business, The Wedding Desk, where she support couples who are planning their own wedding so that they can feel prepared and ready to hand over to their suppliers / on-the-day coordinator on the day!

Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Claudine Hartzel captured the day so beautifully – in Jess’s words, “She was just like having a best friend and supporter with us every step of the way. From our engagement shoot, we instantly felt at ease and comfortable in front of the camera and knew we were in for an absolute treat after receiving our engagement shoot photos. On the wedding day itself, Claudine and her team were everywhere but never in the way – she made sure every second was captured and her photos really show the emotion and positive energy of our special day.”

We also love that, in addition to their general wedding registry with The Wedding Shop, Jess and Louis also set up a Judaica registry with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Contemporary Judaica – such a smart way to make sure you’ll be gifted Judaica you’ll be proud to display in your home!

Now over to Jess…

Jess and Louis, The Vale Resort, Pontyclun, UK Jess and Louis, The Vale Resort, Pontyclun, UK Jess and Louis, The Vale Resort, Pontyclun, UK Jess and Louis, The Vale Resort, Pontyclun, UK

How We Met

Jess, the bride: Jess is from Cardiff and Louis is from Manchester but we both moved to London after university. We met during Covid on Hinge but after a couple of dates, we realised that both our families share very close family friends – turns out we were both at a lot of simchas together when we were younger and there’s lots of photos of us! We were also on an Israel trip together during uni but had no idea!

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A House of Savin Bride for an English Spring Garden-Inspired Jewish Wedding with Bridgerton Vibes at One Great George Street, London, UK

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Katy and Jordan, One Great George Street, London, UK

Gorgeous chuppah alert! If you love a floral chuppah, this is one Jewish wedding you’ve got to see. Londoners Katy, an advertising creative, and Jordan, who works in politics, describe the aesthetic of their big day at One Great George Street “as if Bridgerton and an English spring garden had a baby,” and we are all about it.

Katy’s colorful gown – she went for an exquisite handpainted dress from House of Savin, featuring beautiful pastel blossoms in shades of blue, lilac, pink, green, and white – formed the basis for the couple’s color scheme for both the chuppah and the entire day. Don’t miss it in the images by Ela Tatiana Photography!

Music was a huge priority for Jordan, and so the couple went for the best of the best: a 10-piece band from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Jam Hot Showband. The couple can’t stop raving about how incredible Jam Hot was to work with.

This wedding is chock full of fabulous details – there’s the irreverent Jewish wedding ceremony guide Katy and Jordan put together for their guests, and the duo’s surprise entrance to the song “Where Is My Husband” with Katy on mic and Jordan holding plastic water guns full of tequila – but we’ll let the bride herself fill you in on the rest…

Katy and Jordan, One Great George Street, London, UK Katy and Jordan, One Great George Street, London, UK Katy and Jordan, One Great George Street, London, UK Katy and Jordan, One Great George Street, London, UK

How We Met

Katy, the bride: Jordan and I met on Hinge in 2020 after the first Covid lockdown. But Katy was not the first David to meet Jordan.

Back in April 2019. A good 17 months before we matched on Hinge. Katy’s mum sends her a message…

“I met your future husband today.”

I reply with, “elaborate woman”

“Gorgeous guy…possibly working with us. We may offer him a job.”

“Name please”

“Jordan Newfield.”

Hmmmm. That name rang a bell. Ah yes. 4 months earlier we’d matched on Jswipe. Didn’t go anywhere though, because this ‘gorgeous guy’ ghosted Katy. He CLAIMS he went travelling. Huh. Yeah. Sure.

I’m sure you’re wondering, ‘Did Katy’s mum hire him?’ Well according to Jordan he never heard back. Still, Katy’s mum definitely called this one.

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A Magical Jewish Wedding at Sefton Park Palm House, Liverpool, UK

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Alex and Mark, Sefton Park Palm House, Liverpool, UK

Today’s Jewish wedding takes us to one of Liverpool’s most magical venues: Sefton Park Palm House. For bride Alex, a physiotherapist, and groom Mark, an optician, this iconic glasshouse had always been a dream setting – and it’s not hard to see why.

With its soaring Victorian glass, lush greenery, and light-filled botanical beauty, the Palm House has that rare quality of feeling both grand and intimate at the same time. It made the most breathtaking backdrop for Alex and Mark’s chuppah, and later transformed into the perfect space for an unforgettable reception.

Music was a huge part of the atmosphere, and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor The Twentysomethings absolutely delivered. From Jesse singing the couple’s dream songs at the chuppah to keeping the energy going all night long, the band helped create the most incredible party atmosphere.

We’re also so delighted to feature the beautiful work of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Kate Swerdlow, who captured the day so perfectly. With her deep knowledge of Jewish weddings, Kate knew exactly where to be for every key moment – from the emotion of the chuppah to all the joy of the evening that followed.

Now over to gorgeous bride Alex…

Alex and Mark, Sefton Park Palm House, Liverpool, UK Alex and Mark, Sefton Park Palm House, Liverpool, UK Alex and Mark, Sefton Park Palm House, Liverpool, UK Alex and Mark, Sefton Park Palm House, Liverpool, UK

How We Met

Alex, the bride: Mark and I met on J Swipe.

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A Lee Grebenau Bride for a Timelessly Elegant and Deeply Personal Jewish Wedding at the Rosewood, London, UK

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Eli and Zac, Rosewood, London, UK

Today’s London Jewish wedding is filled with tons of beautiful personal touches, and we are here for it. Bride Eli, a nutritionist and Zac, a lawyer, met while living in Israel – and while they’ve since moved back to the UK, so much of their day was shaped by their time in Tel Aviv (including Eli’s choice to wear Israeli designer Lee Grebenau).

The pair wove in so many elements that felt uniquely them, from modern Hebrew music that, to a hand-designed ketubah crafted by the groom’s father and filled with symbols from the couple’s life together, to fresh fruit layered into the floral design as a nod to both the bride’s work as a nutritionist and the duo’s shared love of food. Catch all the gorgeous details in the wonderful photos from Susie and Harley of Barker Evans and trailer by Denee Motion!

We also love that Eli and Zac opted to work with Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor XS Showband, who, in Eli’s words,

completely exceeded every expectation. The band were nothing short of sensational. From the moment the dancing began, the energy in the room was incredible and it never dipped for a second. The dance floor stayed full all night, exactly as we had hoped, and so many guests have since told us it was one of the best wedding bands and parties they had ever experienced.

We also worked closely with Fran from XS on all the production, including the dance floor, staging and lighting. She was an absolute pleasure to work with, genuinely lovely, hugely helpful and incredibly professional. The entire team made everything feel seamless from start to finish, which meant I felt calm and relaxed knowing it was all in safe hands.

Now over to Eli…

 

Eli and Zac, Rosewood, London, UK Eli and Zac, Rosewood, London, UK Eli and Zac, Rosewood, London, UK Eli and Zac, Rosewood, London, UK

How We Met

Eli, the bride: We met at a wedding in Israel. Zac had moved from London to Tel Aviv a year earlier, and I was just about to make the move myself. What followed was an incredible year living in Israel together before we eventually decided to return to London to be closer to our families.

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A Gemy Maalouf Bride for a Classic Winter Jewish Wedding at Banking Hall, London, UK

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Claudia and Aaron, Banking Hall, London, UK

We love a London winter wedding, and Claudia and Aaron’s is really something special! Claudia, a wellness coach and personal trainer, and Aaron, a consultant, had the chicest December Jewish wedding at the iconic Banking Hall. The character-packed venue was the perfect spot for their classic black tie affair – and we’re obsessed with the stunner of a staircase!

Featuring a simple, chic chuppah adorned with white florals and greenery, an absolutely breathtaking Gemy Maalouf gown, and the most wonderful personal touches (Claudia and Aaron wrote personal notes to each of their 175 guests, which they placed on the tables as place cards!), there’s so much to love about this gorgeous day. Don’t miss all the magical details in the photos by Pippa Mackenzie and video by Lewis of Lightbulb Films.

When it came to music, Claudia and Aaron opted for Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor XS Showband, and they couldn’t be any more thrilled with their choice. In Claudia’s words, “They were just unbelievable. Every meeting with Fran and her team was perfect and they also did our production too which made the process feel really seamless. The band absolutely smashed it and our guests still reminisce how amazing they were.” They even brought Claudia’s grandad on stage to sing “New York, New York,” one of the highlights of the whole evening!

Read on for the rest of the story in Claudia’s own words…

Claudia and Aaron, Banking Hall, London, UK Claudia and Aaron, Banking Hall, London, UK Claudia and Aaron, Banking Hall, London, UK Claudia and Aaron, Banking Hall, London, UK

How We Met

Claudia, the bride: Aaron and I grew up in the same area, lots of mutual friends, same parties, rival schools but never crossed paths until our early 20s when we were both on JSwipe and matched. The rest is history.

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