Before Ceremony
Prior to the ceremony the couple and immediate family gather to sign the ketubah, or the Jewish marriage contract, which outlines the couple's commitment to each other. It is signed by the rabbi, bride, groom, and two witnesses.
Ceremony
Daniel and Shayma will be married under a chuppah, which is a canopy supported by four posts. It is open on all four sides, signifying hospitality. The chuppah symbolizes the home that the couple will make together.
Ceremony
Traditionally, the bride circles the groom seven times under the chuppah symbolizing her protection of her husband. The number seven symbolizes completeness and perfection. In a contemporary update, many couples (including Daniel and Shayma) choose to circle each other three times, adding one final circle together.
Ceremony
During the ceremony, the groom places the ring on the right index finger of the bride. The pointing finger is used so that the bride will more easily be able to show the witnesses that she received the ring.
Ceremony
Before the ceremony comes to an end, Daniel will step on and shatter a glass wrapped inside a bag. The most common interpretation of this tradition is that the breaking of the glass reminds us of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago and of the fragility and preciousness of life and relationships. When the glass breaks, wedding guests should shout "mazel tov" to wish the couple congratulations and good luck.
After Ceremony
Following the conclusion of the ceremony, the bride and groom will spend a few minutes alone in a private room to celebrate their first few moments together as a newly married couple.
Reception
The Hora is a traditional Jewish dance that everyone is invited to participate in! At the beginning of the song, Daniel and Shayma will be hoisted up on chairs while everyone else joins hands and dances the grapevine around us in a giant circle. Once the people holding us get tired, they will set us down and we will grab people from the outer circle to join us on the inside. It is easy to learn the steps, and we hope that everyone joins us on the dance floor for this experience.