Jewish Wedding FAQs

Question

What is a Ketubah?

Answer

Prior to the wedding ceremony, we will be signing a Ketubah, or Jewish marriage document, surrounded by our immediate family, two Jewish witnesses and the Rabbi. The Ketubah lists the date of our marriage, our names and details what we expect from one another throughout our marriage. The Ketubah is then signed by the bride and groom, the Rabbi and the witnesses. Once the Ketubah is signed, it will be presented at the wedding ceremony and later will be displayed in our home.

Question

What is a Chuppah?

Answer

The Chuppah is the traditional canopy which we will stand under, with the Rabbi, for the duration of the wedding ceremony. This canopy has four poles, is draped in cloth and is open on all four sides. The cloth and four poles represents the Jewish home that we will build together and the openness of the Chuppah represents that our home will be open to all guests.

Question

What is the Sheva B'rachot?

Answer

The Sheva B'rachot, or the "Seven Blessings," focus on joy, celebration and love and are recited by family and close friends during the wedding ceremony. The Seven Blessings begin with a blessing over a glass of wine and progresses to readings by friends and family to celebrate joy, peace, love and companionship.

Question

Why does the groom break a glass?

Answer

At the end of the ceremony, Nathan will stomp on a glass. There are many explanations as to why we break a glass in Jewish weddings. Our favorite explanation is that before the bride and groom were born, their souls were one. Once we were born, G-d tragically shattered our souls into two parts and it became the mission of the two souls to find one another and reunite. During the wedding ceremony, the two souls reunite, and the once painful experience of our souls being apart is now a celebration that that separation brought our souls closer than ever before. Our souls were able to develop and make achievements separately, and then find each other and reunite on a deeper level at our wedding. We then break the glass at the wedding and everyone proclaims "Mazel tov" (congratulations) because the joining of our souls is celebratory and the fact that our souls were actually once separated and "broken" was what allowed us to be who we are as individuals and as husband and wife.