If you have recently received an invitation to attend a Jewish wedding, you would probably be quite perplexed with the way they conduct their marriage rituals. Although all cultures from various parts of the world largely influence the art of the marriage union and can greatly differ from one region to another, it can prove to be quite rewarding to study some of these traditions to develop better perception and appreciation. In the case of the Jewish wedding traditions, it is practically teeming with highly meaningful rituals that provide the deepest purpose and significance to all Jewish weddings.

According to the ancient Jewish wedding traditions, the chatan or the groom and the kallah or bride should not only pay attention to the temporal and material aspects of their future married life but most importantly to the religious, moral and spiritual readiness to undertake the complexities that the marital union would bring.

Based on the Jewish wedding traditions, the dawn of the wedding day heralds holiest and happiest day in the life of a person who is about to wed. It is quite customary for two engaged couples not to see each other for about a week be fore the wedding. A Kabbalat Panim or a special party will be held just before to the wedding ceremony where both mothers of the groom and bride are required to stand before the guests and break a plate to signify the seriousness of the union and commitment of their offspring. A Badeken will soon follow this ritual, where the groom will cover the bride with a veil, which is believed to convey the importance of the beauty of the soul rather the physical attributes of the woman as well as effectively presents the very idea of humility. This is done in the presence of the groom’s friends and family, who will accompany him as he proceeds to the chamber of his bride. This may be considered as one of the ancient Jewish wedding traditions that symbolize the groom’s strong commitment to provide protection and aid to his wife.

In the Jewish wedding traditions, the ceremony is ideally conducted under a canopy or locally known as the chupah, which is regarded to be the symbol of a home lovingly built and shared by man and wife. More often than not, the ceremony is held right under the canopy of stars and the couples are not allowed to wear any type of jewelry, especially if they are under the chuppah. This is mainly because the couple’s commitment should not be based on the worldly possessions but should solely rely on them as an individual and as a couple.

Two cups of Jewish wines are used during the ceremony, with the first cup signifying the blessing of the betrothal and the next cup is drank shortly after the vows are recited. Wine is generally regarded as a sign of joy for Jewish people and is associated with Kuddish or the prayer of sanctity often recited during festivals. Wedding rings are generally required to be in plain gold without any stones or blemishes. Once the groom places the ring on the right finger of the bride, the couple is considered to be legally married at that very moment. They will then be asked to sign the marriage contract known as Ketubah that is usually presented in Aramaic text. This will explicitly symbolize the groom’s commitment to his marital responsibilities as a loving husband and provide shelter, food and protection to his wife.

As you might have already gathered, every action and ritual included in the ceremony has some symbolic meanings that an uncultured eye will have a difficulty in discerning. Understanding the significance of every ritual will help you understand just how Jewish seriously regard every marriage union along with the emphasis on the responsibilities that goes along with it.