Each community has a designed way of handling traditional wedding rights which are inclined to their religious teachings. Among the Jews, wedding ceremony has a lot to do with Judaism. The rituals begin by the separation of the bride and the groom where they are allowed to interact with their relatives. The groom is required to recount his past few days as well as being ridiculed by the male counterparts. This is then followed by the signing of the contract which is basically a promise from the groom to the bride. The contract is signed by the groom with the witnessing of two of his male friends. It is however optional for the bride to sign and if it has to be done, then arrangements have to be done and accompanied lines added to the contract (Wiener & Wiener 57).
After the contract has been signed, there is the unveiling of the veil where the groom has to check and confirm that the bride presented is the one he had courted. This is done in relation to the biblical times where Jacob was given the wrong bride and had to work for an extra seven years for the right one. To prevent the occurrence of such instances, the Jews allow the groom to verify his bride. As the unveiling is done, the bride places yarmulke on the groom. After the unveiling ceremony, the couple enters the huppah which is a traditional tent that offers covering for the couple. This is where the rest of the ceremony is conducted. There is no specific requirement for the shape and size of the huppah, all this depends on what the couple desire (Satlow 104).
Inside the huppah, the bride goes in circles around the groom seven times to signify the seven blessings of marriage. According to the Jews culture, seven is a number of completeness. When the bride circles the groom seven times, it implies that they are complete in marriage and that they tap all the blessings that come with marriage. In some cases, the groom and the bride circle each other just to bring about balance. This is then followed by blessing the wine and exchanging the rings. The groom slips a ring in the index finger of the bride and vice versa, the finger is considered to be having a vain that connects directly with the heart (Maye 65).
The seven blessings are then recited which include a prayer for Jerusalem and declaring peace and prosperity in the marriage. The ceremony also includes breaking of the glass which in some instances is done consistently by the bride and the groom. This is usually to symbolize the fact that marriage is a new phase of life that has to be embraced by the couple. This also symbolizes the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem as well as the fragile nature of human relationships (Grossman 150). This also marks the beginning of the party time for the guests.
The last ritual is the seclusion of the bride and the groom. During this moment, the bride and the groom are left alone for up to fifteen minutes just to gaze at each other. This is done away from the crowd and cameras. It is just for the couple who need to get a glimpse at each other and just celebrate the fact that they are married (Diamant 188). They also get to share their first meal together and officially begin their journey as husband and wife.
Works cited
Diamant, Anita. The New Jewish Wedding, Revised. California: Simon and Schuster, 2007.
Grossman, Grace. Romance & Ritual: Celebrating the Jewish Wedding. Michigan: Skirball Cultural Center, 2001.
Maye, Gabrielle. The Creative Jewish Wedding Book: A Hands-On Guide to New & Old Traditions, Ceremonies & Celebrations. New York: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2009.
Satlow, Michael. Jewish Marriage in Antiquity. London: Princeton University Press, 2001.
Wiener, Nancy & Wiener, Rabbi. Beyond Breaking the Glass: A Spiritual Guide to Your Jewish Wedding. New York: Central Conference American, 2012
