The chuppah is a canopy set up with four poles at the front of the ceremony. The chuppah represents the shelter and privacy of the home that the bride and groom will create following their marriage. The home is central in Jewish life — it is the place where we grow up, learn to share and love.
The ketubah is an ancient document — a marriage contract of sorts — that specifies the bride and groom’s commitments to eachother. It is signed by two appointed witnesses, who must not be blood-related family members to the bride and groom.
The custom of the bride circling the groom seven times has been interpreted as the symbolic building of a wall of love around the relationship of the bride and groom. Seven represents the most sacred of all numbers in Judaism and also symbolizes wholeness and completeness. Modern couples choose to update this ritual by circling around each other three times and then a final figure of eight.
The Seven Blessings (Sheva Brachot) are given by the rabbi, or other people that the couple wish to honor. These blessings are very ancient and set the bride and groom into a wider social and sacred context. Modern couples opt to ask seven special people in their lives to give a blessing as they enter into their new marriage.
The conclusion of the ceremony is marked by the groom stamping on a glass and smashing it underfoot. It is the official signal to cheer, dance, shout “Mazal Tov!” and start partying! There are various other explanations depending on whom you ask. Some of them are that it: 1. is a representation of the fragility of human relationships; and a reminder that marriage will change your life (hopefully for the good) forever. 2. is a break with the past: the marriage is to last as long as the glass remains broken, ie. forever. 3. symbolizes the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem some 2000 years ago. 4. symbolizes a hope that your happiness will be as plentiful as the shards of glass.
The hora is a traditional dance performed at Jewish weddings where the newlyweds are lifted into the air while their family and friends dance in circles around them. During the hora, the couple each holds one end of a handkerchief or napkin to signify their union. Even if you’ve never danced the hora, it is easy to catch on! We hope to see you all on the dance floor!