|
About Us Wedding Weekend Guest Info Photos Registry Ceremony
|
|
|
|
CEREMONY
This page provides some information on the Jewish elements of our wedding ceremony. We worked with our Rabbi to find ways to express what is important to us through Jewish traditions and rituals and create a meaningful and personal ceremony. If you can't join us for the wedding, or are just curious about our ceremony, this page is for you.
The Chuppah: The chuppah is a wedding canopy that traditionally sets the stage for a Jewish wedding. It is symbolic of the couple’s home and, in keeping with this idea, we built ours ourselves.
Circling: This is an old custom that has been taken to signify a ritual of magical protection, binding the bride and groom to one another, and connecting the bride and groom on a mystical level. We see it as a powerful act of definition – we physically create the space that we will share by walking two independent, complimentary and overlapping circles.
Kiddush: This is a prayer giving thanks for the fruit of the earth. It is a part of virtually all Jewish observance as a prayer of sanctification.
The Ketubah: The Ketubah is a wedding contract, and is a cornerstone of a Jewish wedding. We wrote, designed and created ours as a mission statement for our marriage as well as an acknowledgement of our strengths, desires and common goals. Signed beforehand, it will be presented and read during the ceremony by our good friends Frank & Kodiak Hieber.
Seven Wedding Blessings: The sheva b’rachot, or wedding blessings, locate the couple under the chuppah within the whole flow of Jewish history and theology. Judaism has no concept of individual redemption; we will each find Eden only when all human beings find Eden. The sheva b’rachot beneath the chuppah provides the community with a glimpse into that redeemed, peace-filled, love-blessed place and time.
Breaking of the Glass: This well-known tradition has many different interpretations. The one that resonates for us is that the shattered glass is seen as a reminder that although the wedding has provided a taste of redemption, the world is still in exile, broken and requiring our care. The glass is not only a reminder of sorrow but also an expression of hope for a future free from all violence.