Schedule

B'dekkin: Veiling

4:45 pm

The groom and his guests come to greet the bride, and place her veil over her face. This will be the first time the groom has seen the bride in a week, as there is traditionally a week of complete separation leading up to the wedding, creating a deeper sense of anticipation in the bride and groom. The tradition of the groom lowering the veil come from the biblical story in which Jacob is tricked into marrying Leah instead of Rachel. By the groom seeing the bride before she dons the veil he ensures that it is truly the woman he loves before the ceremony continues.

Procession to the Chuppah

5:00 pm

At this point all guest will proceed to the seating area for the ceremony. Jewishly this is the combination of the engagement (keddushin) and the marriage (nissuin). After the groom arrives at the wedding canopy, the bride will come down the aisle and then circle him 7 times. The bride circling the groom represents her building a wall around him to protect him from various temptations and evil influences in the world. In addition the circles also show the shifting in the bride and grooms primary allegiances, which are now to each other as opposed to their families.

Chuppah: Marriage Ceremony

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

There will be several sections of the wedding recited in Hebrew as follows: 1. The rabbi welcomes everyone, and then sings Mi Adir, a song about God's splendor. 2. A blessing is said over a cup of wine in order to sanctify the day. 3. The betrothal blessing. The betrothal originally took place significantly before the wedding itself so it involves the rules for the couple during the time of the engagement. 4.The rabbi will read the Ketubah. 5. The exchange of rings. The giving and accepting of the ring, and the statement of the "Harey aht m'kudeshet li" phrase are the binding moment in a Jewish wedding. The ring is placed on the index finger during the exchange in accordance with a customary belief the the index finger is connected to the heart.

Sheva Brachot + Breaking of the Glass

6:00 pm

Seven blessings will be recited over a cup of wine by members of the family and community. The breaking of a glass by the groom is the final act of the wedding ceremony. The glass is shattered in order to remind us that while we are at a joyous event, there is still much sadness in the world.

Yichud: Seclusion

6:00 pm

Directly after the completion of the ceremony the bride and groom go to a secluded area for 10 minutes before joining their guests at the reception. This is a time to enjoy each other's company as newlyweds and have a quick snack, as they will have been fasting all day.

Separated Dancing, Cake and Hors D'oeuvers

6:15 pm - 7:00 pm

To the dance floor! We will celebrate our wedding with some traditional Jewish dancing. Women will dance with the bride on one side of the mechitza (divider) while men will join the Groom on the other side. There will also be refreshments and the bride and groom will cut the wedding cake!

Seudah: The Meal

7:15 pm - 8:00 pm

Let's eat!

More Dancing

8:15 pm

After the meal, the blessing after the meal will be said, and the mechitzah will be removed from the dance floor. The bride and groom will have the opportunity to dance together for the first time.