Going for your first-ever Jewish wedding? Be it strictly Orthodox or Reform Jew wedding, there are a bunch of wedding traditions, which you’ll certainly note in a Jewish wedding. A few of these might seem familiar to you, but it is better when you are aware of what to expect. In this manner, you’ll be better able to celebrate all the traditions.
Though most Jewish wedding ceremonies are fluid, they do have a certain basic outline. Some people like a personalized ceremony, wherein the officiant speaks to the couple and then lets out their story for the attendees. Wondering what more you should know for attending a Jew wedding? Here, we have come with some FAQs that you can start with.
What should one wear when going to a close friend’s Jewish wedding?
Alright, so for the wedding ceremony, the women are supposed to dress traditionally and wear attire, which covers their shoulders. Men, on the other hand, should wear Yarmulkasor or Kippahs, which adequately keeps their heads covered through the ceremony.
Are men and women supposed to sit away from each other?
Jane, an executive, who offers top-rated homework help services with EduWorldUSA, says that she recently attended an Orthodox Jew wedding of her friend, where it was customary for both women and men to sit separately. So, what happens in these Orthodox weddings is that even if you are a couple, you are to be seated separately on either side of the ceremony. However, if you are invited at an ultra-Orthodox Jew wedding, you might even find a tradition wherein both men and women celebrate separately, and there’s a partition between both of them. If you are going to a Reform Jewish wedding, such customs are a rare occurrence. So, it is better to find out the type of ceremony or the culture-rigidness of the Jew-family beforehand.
What is the duration of the Jewish wedding ceremony?
Typically, a wedding ceremony of the Jews lasts anywhere between twenty-five to forty-five minutes. However, it depends on how the couple likes embellishing the ceremony with music, rituals, and readings.
Are the Jewish wedding ceremonies conducted on Shabbat?
In most cases, the Jewish wedding ceremonies are not conducted on High Holy Days or Shabbat.
What gift are you supposed to bring?
Well, at a Jewish wedding, it is customary for you to bring along a gift, which is in accordance with the Jewish ritual. It could either be a customary Jewish gift or money. However, please note that the money should be an increment of 18 dollars. It is their holy number, which symbolizes the Hebrew word chai, which stands for life.
Now, let us take a look at some of the common traditions noted at a Jew wedding.
Aufruf
It is a Yiddish term, meaning ‘to call up.’ So, before the ceremony starts, the groom and the bride are called to the Torah to seek blessings. This is known as Aliyah. After Aliyah, the rabbi will grant blessings called misheberach. When the entire thing is happening, it is mandatory for all the members present at the congregation to throw candies at the couple. Candies are a sign of wishing the couple a sweet time together.
Fasting
In Jewish culture, the wedding day is the day of forgiveness. Asher, an expert offering assignment help services, with a platform called TAE, says on his day of the wedding he and his bride both chose to fast. So, as a ritual, the couples do not eat as they would on the Day of Atonement. The fasting has to go on till they have their first meal together following the wedding ceremony.
Ketubah Signing
In the Jew marriage culture, there’s a contract, which puts forth the responsibilities of the groom towards his wife. So, it is primarily the conditions that he would provide in the marriage. Following it, there are the protections and the rights of the bride and the framework if the couple decides to get separated. Teressa, a senior knowledge and resource hub executive of TrumpLearning, says that she just attended a Jew wedding last month, and their tradition of Ketubahs left her stumped. Well, it is not really a religious document, rather it is a pivotal part of the Jew civil law. This document has to be signed by the couple as well as the two witnesses, and the signing of the document has to be done before the ceremony starts. This document will be read out loud in the ceremony in front of the guests.
Bedeken
When the ketubah is being signed, the groom reaches out to his bride for bedeken, which is the veiling. First, he’ll look at her, and then he’ll again cover her face. Mia, an employee of TFTH, a top homework help agency, says that one thing that she loved about Jew weddings is Bedeken and its significance. Bedeken primarily signifies the fact that the groom is in love with his bride for her inner beauty. It also implies that both groom and brides will be two distinct individuals even after they tie a knot.