Jewish Wedding Program Wording
A Jewish wedding ceremony is infused with tradition, symbolism, and ritual, some of which we have explained below.
Ketubah: The Marriage Contract
The ketubah is the Jewish marriage contract, outlining the responsibilities of the bride and the groom. The ketubah confirms that (Bride's name) and (Groom's name) willingly accept each other and assume obligations to one another. One of the oldest elements of a Jewish wedding, the ketubah dates back over two thousand years. Prior to the ceremony, (Bride's name) and (Groom's name) signed their ketubah in the presence of two witnesses, family, and close friends.
Choson’s Tisch: The Groom’s Table
The groom’s table, “choson’s tisch”in Yiddish, is where guests gather to rejoice with (Groom's name), partaking in singing, dancing and drinking, while sharing words of the Torah. It is also customary that the ketubah be signed at the tisch.
Bedeken: The Veiling of the Bride
The bedeken is the veiling of the bride. After the ketubah is signed, (Groom's name) lowers the veil over (Bride's name's) face to acknowledge that he is marrying his beloved, unlike the patriarch Jacob who married Leah, rather than his true love, Rachel.
Chuppah: The Wedding Canopy
The wedding ceremony takes place under the chuppah, a canopy supported by four poles. The chuppah symbolizes the new home that (Bride's name) and (Groom's name) will create as husband and wife. The four sides are open, recalling the tent of Abraham and Sarah, which was always open to visitors.
The Kiddushin: Betrothal
The first part of the wedding ceremony begins with the blessing over the wine, a traditional Jewish symbol of simcha (joy). (Bride's name) and (Groom's name) will share their first cup of wine, symbolic of the simchot they will share in their marriage. Then (Bride's name) and (Groom's name) exchange rings. In Jewish law, the ring is placed on the index finger of the bride’s right hand, which stems from the ancient belief that the index finger is directly connected to the heart.
Nissuin: Nuptuals
The second part of the ceremony consists of the recitation of the Sheva Brachot, seven blessings. The blessings include a blessing over the wine, the creation of the world and for the bride and groom as individuals and as “beloved companions”, united in joy and gladness, laughter and song, dancing and jubilations, love and harmony, peace and friendship.
Breaking the Glass:
Following the Sheva Brachot, (Bride's name) and (Groom's name) again drink from the cup of wine… (Groom's name) will then break a glass with his foot. The custom of breaking the glass has many interpretations. A broken glass cannot be mended; likewise the promises made by (Bride's name) and (Groom's name) are irrevocable. In this context, the glass is broken to protect the marriage with an implied prayer, “As this glass shatters, so may our marriage never break.”
Yichud: Togetherness
After the bride and groom leave the chuppah, they spend a few minutes alone in seclusion known as yichud. These few moments will give (Bride's name) and (Groom's name) the opportunity to recognize the sanctity of their new life together.
Festive Meal:
It is considered a mitzvah (the fulfillment of a divine commandment) to rejoice with a bride and groom on their wedding day. As the couple enters the reception hall to join their guests in a festive meal, they are met with singing, dancing and music. The meal begins with the Hebrew blessing over the challah.
Kippah: Yamulke
Commonly known by its Yiddish name, Yamulke, the Kippah is the skullcap worn as a humbling reminder that G-d is always above us.
Mazel Tov!!