The word chuppah literally means "canopy" or "covering." During the ceremony, Nick and Tricia will stand under a four-legged structure covered by cloth. A chuppah has four corners and a covered roof to symbolize the new home the bride and groom are building together. In some ceremonies, the four corners are held up by friends or family members throughout the ceremony, supporting the life the couple is building together (don't worry guys, we won't do that to you). The canopy is often made of a tallit, or prayer shawl, belonging to a member of the couple or their families. Tricia's tallit, which she received during her Bat Mitzvah (a coming-of-age ceremony wherein a young adult is called to read from the Torah for the first time) will adorn the top of our Chuppah. To some, the chuppah represents the presence of G-d presiding over the union, or a home with open walls, to allow love and faith to flow freely within the marriage.

At the end of the ceremony, a glass wrapped in a cloth will be placed in front of Nick. As he crushes the glass with his foot, join us in shouting "MOZEL TOV" as the Bride and Groom share their first kiss as a married couple. Few things have only one meaning... The broken glass reminds us of two tragic events in Jewish history: the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago. Even at the height of our personal joy, we recall the pain and losses suffered by the Jewish people and remember a world in need of healing. Jewish scholars believe that that before soulmates were born, they existed as a single soul. As they entered the world the soul was split into two halves, destined to find each other in this life. The only antidote to fragmentation is unity and the deepest unity is experienced at a wedding. Every wedding is a healing, a mending of one fragmented soul. In this way, the wedding represents a rebuilding of Jerusalem in miniature. Our sages teach us, “Whoever celebrates with a bride and groom, it is as if he rebuilt one of the ruins of Jerusalem.” Finally, some think the fragility of glass also suggests the frailty of human relationships and reminds us that we must treat our relationship with special care. Others believe the breaking of the glass is a representation of the commitment to stand by one another even in hard times.