Jewish weddings

Chuppah

The ceremony itself will happen underneath a chuppah, or wedding canopy. The four poles we will be using are borrowed from Sarah and Gidon Felsen, and were made by Sarah's father. The poles were used Sarah and Gidon's wedding ceremony in Boulder, Colorado last June. The chuppah is symbolic of our future home together.

Kippot

Jewish males wear a kippah, a head covering, at all religious ceremonies. We will have kippot (the plural) available at the ceremony for those who wish to participate in this tradition.

Ketubah

This is the Jewish wedding contract. Before the wedding ceremony, immediate family will gather with the bride and groom in a separate room for the ketubah ceremony. One of the important parts is that the ketubah will be signed by one close friend of Kathleen's and one of Dan's. These witnesses are making a commitment to watch over the marriage.

Badeken

At the start of the ceremony, Dan will place Kathleen's veil over her face. One aspect of the symbolism is that the marriage is not based on physical appearances, but rather on character and beliefs.

Kiddush

There are two cups of wine used in the ceremony. We will be using a silver kiddush cup (wine cup) given to Dan at his birth. Wine is often used as a symbol of joy in Jewish weddings. The first cup is recited with the kiddush blessing, which is a blessing of sanctification.

Rings

In the Jewish tradition, wedding rings are plain gold bands, each worth at least one shekel (an old form of currency), as specified in the ketubah. The fact that there are no stones reminds us of beauty in simplicity and also ensures that the bride is not being duped with cubic zirconium. The moment the rings are exchanged is the official moment when Dan and Kathleen are married.

The Seven Blessings

After the rings, the so-called seven blessings are recited over the second cup of wine. These are prayers of rejoicing and praise for Gd.

Breaking the Glass

At the very end of the ceremony, a glass is placed on the floor, which Dan will (hopefully) shatter with his shoed foot. This reminds us, for instance, of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. There is an extremely funny joke that this is the last time Dan will put his foot down.

Mazel Tov

At the breaking of the glass, it is appropriate to shout "Mazel Tov" (congratulations)!

Yichud

Immediately after the ceremony, Dan and Kathleen will be escorted to a private room to spend a few short moments alone together before the reception. It is at this point that we will also break our fast, which has been gonig all all this time.