Some Jewish Wedding Rituals You Need To Know

Posted by Galaxy Studios on October 31st, 2022

Are you attending your first Jewish wedding? You will see some Jewish wedding traditions, whether strictly Orthodox or Reform. Some might sound familiar, but knowing what to anticipate and the significance of what you're watching will make you even more prepared to celebrate. So let us explore some interesting Jewish wedding rituals to know.

Aufruf 

Aufruf means "to call up" in Yiddish. Before the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom are summoned to the Torah for a blessing known as an aliyah. Following the aliyah, the rabbi will give a blessing known as misheberach. At that time, congregation members typically throw candy at the couple to wish them a happy marriage.

Fasting 

Because the day of a wedding is regarded as a day of forgiveness, some couples choose to fast on that day, just like they do on Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement. After the ceremony, the couple will fast until they eat their first meal together.

The signing of the Ketubah 

The ketubah is a Jewish marriage contract that lays out the groom's responsibilities to his bride. It specifies the marriage conditions he will provide, the bride's rights and protections, and the framework in the event of a divorce. Because Ketubahs are a part of Jewish civil law rather than religious documents, there is no mention of God blessing the union. Before the ceremony, the couple and two witnesses sign the ketubah, which is then read to the guests during the ceremony. A reliable Jewish Wedding Videographer can capture this moment in the best possible manner. 

Bedeken 

During the ketubah signing, the groom approaches the bride for the bedeken or veiling. He covers her face after looking at her. This demonstrates that he is in love with her for her inner beauty and that they will continue to be different people even after marriage. Additionally, according to a biblical tradition, Jacob was tricked into marrying the veiled sister of the woman he loved. This kind of deception is impossible if the groom does the veiling himself. A Jewish Wedding Photographer must covers these precious moments.

The Walk to the Chuppah 

In Jewish ceremonies, the processional and recessional order is slightly different from that of traditional ceremonies held in non-Jewish countries. According to Jewish custom, the groom's parents walk him down the aisle to the chuppah, the altar under which the couple exchanges vows. The bride and her family then follow. Traditionally, the bride, groom, and rabbi are joined by both sets of parents as they stand under the chuppah during the ceremony.

Ring Exchange

Traditionally, Jewish brides wear a metal (gold, silver, or platinum) wedding band without stones. The bride's ring was regarded as the item of value or her "purchase price" in ancient times. They could only value the ring by looking at its weight, which would change if there were stones in the ring because the vein that runs from your forefinger directly to your heart is why the rings in some traditions are worn on the left forefinger.

Conclusion

Thus many intriguing wedding rituals can be found in a Jewish Wedding. So we explored these here to quench the curiosity of interested readers.