Last night at 11:34PM it was decided that my first Jewish Wedding Ceremony would take place in Grand Prairie at 10AM in the morning.   Today, we are going to revisit traditions of the Jewish Wedding Ceremony that can be catered or personalized for any couple.  As I headed to the location with Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney, we discussed Interfaith Marriages and Religious traditions.

 

The Kippot (or Yarmulkes) are skullcaps worn at Jewish Weddings as a symbol of humility and respect. 

The Kippot is available in a number of colors and styles and very easy to find on the Internet. 

 I had studied various ways of the breaking of the glass and the Groom and it was decided to wrap the glass in a pillow case at the end of a ceremony.  The Chuppah (or huppah) is the bridal canopy the couple stands under during the Jewish Wedding Ceremony.  It literally means “that which covers of floats above,” and is said to be a spiritual place.  As long as a Jewish Marriage is performed under a Chuppah, the wedding can take place at any location, from a synagogue to a beach to your own backyard.  Today’s wedding was held under a porch at the home of a relative.

Luckily, I had kept my loaned floral designs in my SUV from a previous wedding and set about decorating the porch area and handing out corsages and boutenniers to the family members present to add a touch of beauty to the ceremony. I wrapped festive ribbon throughout the porch and a very special heirloom was added to honor a departed family member who was with the couple in spirit.

 Often the Chuppah Cover is adorned with cloth and flowers and is the center of where the ceremony takes place.  The couple honored the final ritual in a Jewish Wedding Ceremony with the breaking of a glass.  Breaking the glass is said to represent the destruction of the Temple.  It can also symbolize warding off evil spirits.  Traditionally, the Groom steps on the glass while the wedding guests yell “Mazel Tov!”  Some couples have two glasses they break simultaneously. 

 The Jewish Wedding Ring is an unadorned solid gold band.  The circle represents the wholeness of the marriage, and lack of stones or piercings represents an unbroken union. 

 The Kiddish Cup has a special place under the Chuppah for a beloved part of the ceremony- the wine! 

 Congratulations and Mazel Tov!  Best wishes to this couple as we travel to our next event in Fort Worth, Texas… 

 Wendy M Wortham