How to Plan a Jewish Wedding

Jewish weddings can vary a great deal depending on whether the bride and groom are Orthodox, Conservative or Reform in their beliefs. But there are some important Jewish traditions that many bridal couples want to uphold.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Wedding Gowns
• Flowers
• Wedding Rings
• Wine Glasses
• Huppah

1. Select a location - a synagogue or temple, club, hall, restaurant, or hotel.

2. Have a ketubbah (wedding contract) prepared. This describes the rights and responsibilities of the bride and groom.

3. Include all members of your immediate families in your wedding party. Typically, the parents of the bride and groom walk them down the aisle.

4. Have a huppah, or wedding canopy, in place for the ceremony.

5. Have yarmulkes (skull caps) on hand for guests who do not bring their own.

6. Allow time prior to the ceremony for a veiling ritual, in which the groom places the veil over the face of his bride after confirming she is indeed the woman he plans to marry.

7. Use plain gold wedding bands, without any engraving or stones, for an Orthodox wedding. Place the ring on the index finger of the right hand. Following the ceremony, modern brides move the ring to the left hand.

8. Ask wedding guests to read the seven blessings.

9. Bring a glass for the groom to break at the conclusion of the ceremony. This reminds people of the destruction of the temple and also calls attention to the fragility of life and the need to care for relationships, which can be broken beyond repair.

10. Following the ceremony, the bride and groom retire to a separate room where they can be alone and eat some food (usually broth) before rejoining their guests at the reception. This period is known as yihud, or union.

11. Make sure the reception site has enough room for circle dancing. (See Related eHows.)

Tips & Warnings

• The bride's family and friends sit on the right side and the groom's on the left.

• Jewish weddings may not be held during the Sabbath, which runs from Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown. Most Jewish weddings take place on Saturday night or on Sunday.

• A huppah is traditionally a solid piece of fabric held up by four poles. It may be made from any kind of fabric, including embroidered velvet with fringe, but is often made out of a prayer shawl. A huppah may also be formed of flowers.