Jewish weddings have many traditions and must include certain practices which follow Jewish law. Traditionally and historically a Jewish wedding included two stages the first stage was the kiddushin, meaning betrothal, and the nissuin, which is the marriage.
There are quite a few steps to a Jewish wedding. First, before the wedding ceremony, the marriage contract, or ketubah, must be signed in the presence of two witnesses. The wedding contract outline all the obligations the husband has to his wife. These marriage contracts are often written on elaborately illuminated manuscripts. The marriage contract, or at least parts of it, is then read aloud at the start of the ceremony, under the chuppah, as a was to both separate and transition from the engagement to the marriage ceremony. The chuppah is a wedding canopy and is meant to symbolize the home that the couple will build together. Another tradition that is still kept in many communities today is that of the unterfirers. This is the practice of the two fathers leading the groom down the aisle, and the two mothers leading the bride. During the ceremony there are also the seven blessings, and the breaking of the glass at the end of the ceremony. The seven blessings, or sheva brachot, are seven blessings that are recited by either the rabbi or selected honored guests. Being selected to recite a blessing is considered a great honor. After these blessings are delivered the groom drinks wine from a cup, and then the bride drinks from the same cup. At the end of the ceremony, the groom crushes the wine glass by stomping on it, and the guests shout 'Mazel Tov' to congratulate the new couple.
There are many other traditions though that have either been forgotten or adopted. After the wedding meal is finished, and the Birkat Hamazon, grace after meals, has been said, there is the tradition of the bride and groom each taking a glass of wine and pouring it into a third glass to symbolize their union and the creation of their new, combined, life. This tradition has become more uncommon, as has the yichud, which was the Ashkenazi practice of leaving the bride and groom alone for 10-20 minutes directly after the wedding ceremony to complete the wedding ceremony. There is also the common practice of lifting the bride and groom in chairs during the reception, and dancing around with them. This practice is a more contemporary addition. It is possible to place it in with the various traditional dances of Jewish weddings, such as the hora, mitzvah tantz, the gladdening of the bride, or the mizinke.
No matter whether a family is reformed, conservative, orthodox, ashkenazi, or sephardi, Jewish wedding traditions are abundant, and you can be sure, that many will be included in the wedding ceremony.
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