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Home > Wedding Dresses

How to Find the Perfect Dress for Your Jewish Wedding

30/06/2022 by Karen Cinnamon

Photo by Varna Studios

Wedding dress shopping… it’s one of the most exciting parts of wedding planning, yet it can also be one of the most overwhelming. For those of us who aren’t in a position to buy couture on the regular, wedding dress shopping will likely be a whole new world. There’s lots to learn – and, potentially, lots of pressures to navigate, too.

That’s why I’ve chatted with Maria Yiannikaris, cofounder of beloved London bridal boutique Mirror Mirror London, about some of her top tips for making your shopping experience as smooth as it can be. Mirror Mirror is one of the very best options for finding your dream dress in London – or even, dare I say it, the entire world!

And with over 30 years of experience running Mirror Mirror, Maria knows more about the ins and outs of wedding dress shopping than just about anyone. Plus, her ethos of helping each bride to look and feel her most beautiful, confident self on her wedding day couldn’t be any more aligned with ours here at Smashing The Glass!

Photo by Voyteck Photography

Do Your Research

Get a Sense of Your Preferred Styles

Figuring out what looks you like best -and which brands design them- will make it easier to decide which bridal salons to hit up. You can find inspo on Pinterest, in bridal magazines, in past real wedding features on Smashing The Glass, and on boutiques’ websites. And be sure to note any designers (and even style numbers) you’re particularly smitten with.

Knowing which designers you like and which don’t speak to you as much will also make it easier to figure out which shops to visit. A lot of boutiques will carry the full spectrum of styles – Mirror Mirror carries a fabulous range of 8 international designers, showcasing styles from classic minimalism to soft boho vibes or a truly opulent gow – but some have a more narrow focus. 

Photo by Voyteck Photography

Shop Your Closet

Well, not exactly. But taking a look at the clothes you already own can be helpful in trying to decide what silhouettes will work best for you. If there are certain similarities in a lot of the items you already own, let those elements guide you. It can also be helpful to think about physical features you’d like your dress to highlight.

Photo by Varna Studios

Brush Up on Dress Terminology

It’ll be easier communicating your preferences at appointments if you know a mermaid from an A line.

Photo by Varna Studios

Know Your Wedding Theme and Venue

Knowing your venue and vibe before you start shopping will make it easier to choose the right dress.

Photo by Varna Studios

Find Out about Religious Restrictions

If you’re having a religious ceremony, check with your rabbi to find out if there are any attire guidelines you’re required to follow, such as covering your shoulders for the chuppah. 

If you do find yourself in need of a chuppah coverup to add to your bridal ensemble, it’s smart to shop someplace where the team is experienced working with Jewish brides. Mirror Mirror, for example, has a wonderful, longstanding relationship with London’s Jewish community, and all of their stylists are well-versed in the needs of brides from Orthodox to Jew-ish.

Photo by Varna Studios

Figure Out Your Budget 

Before your first appointment, figure out how much you’re able to spend on your gown – and choose where to shop accordingly. For instance, Mirror Mirror offers gowns ranging in price from £1850 – £8000.

Photo by Varna Studios

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Facebook Live Recap: Jewish Wedding Checklist Essentials {with JScreen and FAB Styling}

23/11/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

I’m delighted to share with you my latest Facebook Live, all about two elements that I think are absolute wedding planning essentials: finding a gown you feel great in, and genetic carrier screening.

Last month, I chatted with Hillary Kener Regelman, Director of National Outreach at JScreen, a US-based not-for-profit at-home education and carrier screening program for Jewish genetic diseases, and New York-based bridal stylist Farrah Arrenson of FAB Styling, who specializes in helping busy brides find the dress of their dreams, stress-free. These two topics – dress shopping and genetic screening – are the ones I get the most questions about from brides, so I thought it made sense to bring them together into one fabulous session!

Hillary and Farrah are both incredibly knowledgeable in their respective fields, and they both care so much about keeping couples happy – with Farrah focusing on the big day, and Hillary focusing on the years to come after you make it official. 

I’ll start by summing up some of the bridal fashion wisdom Farrah shared with us!

ABOUT FAB STYLING

FAB Styling‘s Farrah Arrenson is devoted to providing brides with a custom-tailored dress shopping experience so that they can find their dream gown with minimum stress. She brings her own Jewish background plus work experience at some of NYC’s leading bridal salons (including Kleinfeld – yes, she’s been on Say Yes to the Dress!) to the table, and her full-service approach carries through to the wedding day itself, when she’s on hand to tend to your every need, keeping you happy, calm, and photo-ready throughout. No one knows bridal fashion like Farrah does.

Wedding planning is overwhelming, but finding your dress shouldn’t be. 

What should every bride know about before she starts looking for her dress?

First of all, Farrah wants brides to know that there’s a dress for everyone! That said, in order to find it, it’s important to be open-minded: what you think you want isn’t always what you’re going to end up with (in fact, Farrah reports this is the case for a whopping 9 out of 10 of her clients!). So don’t pigeonhole yourself – you might be surprised what dress you’ll fall in love with! 

I also love Farrah’s advice, when considering what styles to try on, to focus on what you love about your body and how you can accentuate that, rather than on the things you don’t like as much.

Ultimately, Farrah says, wedding dress shopping should be fun! Don’t let it stress you out, and trust your instincts.

What bridal fashion trends are coming up for 2022/23?

Reporting live from bridal fashion week, Farrah could not have been better positioned to fill us in on what’s hot and what’s not! She reports that styles are fashion-forward this year, with emphasis on sharp lines; clean, striking silhouettes; and richly detailed fabrics. Farrah’s seeing lots of statement sleeves (and lots of detachable sleeves too – a great option for brides who need to cover up for the chuppah). Modest brides rejoice: high necklines are coming back! And for the edgier brides, crop tops and hi-lo hemlines are in. 

What’s in for chuppah cover-ups?

Farrah’s favorite chuppah cover-up of the moment is something she affectionately refers to as “the doughnut” (love the name!) -basically, tons of tulle wrapped around the bride’s shoulders to provide coverage. She’s also seeing boleros, shawls, fur stoles for winter weddings, and even white leather jackets! She reports that capes – which were having a serious moment a couple years back – are out (but if you love the look, don’t let that stop you! Your Jewish wedding, your way!).

Which designers are great for modest brides?

For brides looking for modest gowns, Farrah especially loves Designers: Sareh Nouri, Rita Vinieris, Ines Di Santo, and Anne Barge – both for their timelessly elegant styling, and the fact that all of them are great when it comes to customizations.

What are some awesome options for affordable bridal attire?

Farrah’s favorites for brides on a budget are BHLDN (Anthropologie’s bridal brand) and Net a Porter’s bridal section (yes, believe it or not, their bridal stuff’s surprisingly reasonably priced – and also a great choice for brides on a tight timeline). 

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The Hottest Wedding Dress Trends for 2021/22 {Instagram Live with Mirror Mirror}

13/07/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

With weddings on their way back in a BIG way, it’s time to get excited about bridal fashion again! And to help us do exactly that, I’m turning to the best of the best: this Thursday, July 15, at at 8 pm GMT / 3 pm EST / 12 pm PST I’ll be going live on Instagram with Maria Yiannikaris, owner of beloved London bridal boutique Mirror Mirror and designer of in-house bridal line Mirror Mirror Couture, all about what’s going to be in as we get back into the swing of weddings!

Image courtesy of Pronovias

Maria’s got the scoop on some of the season’s hottest gowns: she’ll be giving us the very first reveal of some luxe pieces from Pronovias’s exquisite EDEN 2022 line, modeled by members of the fab Mirror Mirror team!

Image courtesy of Yolancris

She’ll also be sharing some dresses from Yolacnris’s new collection, plus an exclusive first look at a brand new Mirror Mirror Couture style (so fresh off the presses we can’t even share a photo with you yet)!


Image courtesy of Yolancris

We’ll also be chatting about how to make your dress your own, whichever style you choose – Mirror Mirror are the absolute masters customization, so whether you need some tweaks for a little extra coverage under the chuppah or whatever else, they’ve got you!

Image courtesy of Pronovias

We’ll be chatting in real time, so you can ask Maria and me anything you want during our live broadcast, or you can submit a question in advance by emailing karen@smashingtheglass.com. 


Tune in this Thursday 15 July, at 8 pm GMT / 3 pm EST / 12 pm PST to instagram.com/smashingtheglass

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How to Find Your Dream Dress During Lockdown {Instagram Live with Mirror Mirror}

24/02/2021 by Karen Cinnamon

Photo by Stuart Wood

Are you a bride-to-be wondering how you’re going to find the dress of your dreams while in lockdown? There’s no question that wedding dress shopping is a different experience right now than it used to be. But even without being able to go into shops, it’s still possible to shop effectively – and even have fun doing it! No one knows this better than our friends at Mirrror Mirror London, one of our very favourite luxury bridal boutiques in the UK (and a beloved Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor).

Photo by Stuart Wood

This Monday, I’ll be going live on Instagram with Maria Yiannikaris, owner of Mirror Mirror and designer of in-house bridal line Mirror Mirror Couture, about what you should know before you begin wedding dress shopping, what you can expect, and what extra considerations you may need to keep in mind.

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Good News: Some of Our Favourite London Bridal Boutiques Are Reopening!

11/06/2020 by Karen Cinnamon

Jewish wedding Villa Tiberio Marbella Spain_0044

This news has Team STG almost as excited as Olivia and Paul after they smashed the glass! Olivia found her STUNNING Gemy Maalouf gown at Mirror Mirror, which reopens 4 July

As lockdown regulations loosen throughout the UK, we’re reaching an exciting milestone for the wedding world: bridal boutiques are starting to reopen! Over the next month, some of London’s very finest – including Morgan Davies Bridal, Katya Katya, The Wedding Club, Andrea Hawkes, and Mirror Mirror – will start seeing brides for in-person appointments again for the first time in months, and we are ready for it!

The experience will look a little different than before – like most places these days you can expect plenty of masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and social distancing measures, and boutiques are taking a variety of extra safety measures including the following:

  • Limiting each bride to one guest – although most boutiques are more than happy for you to Facetime the rest of your crew so they can participate virtually
  • Requesting that brides bring their own shoes to try on with gowns, and that the bride’s guest help dress her rather than a member of the team
  • Disinfecting fitting rooms and common areas between appointments
  • Steaming and sanitizing gowns between appointments

But one thing’s going to be just the same, and that’s the absolute magic of finding the dress of your dreams. That, and the absolutely above and beyond service all of these wonderful shops provide for each and every bride. Read on for the details.

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