Israeli wedding are deeply meaningful, filled with traditions that go beyond a typical celebration. Each ceremony holds centuries of history and cultural significance. As a wedding photographer, I have witnessed firsthand the meticulous planning that ensures a seamless day, allowing each bride’s unique style to shine.
The Symbolic Chuppah
The Israeli wedding ceremony takes place under the chuppah, a marriage canopy derived from the book of Joel 2:16. Israeli wedding symbolizes the bride leaving her father’s house to enter her husband’s home as a married woman. The chuppah, often adorned with a tallit (a fringed prayer shawl worn during services), represents the couple’s new life together.
The Groom’s First Look and the Veiling Ceremony
Before the main service, the groom is escorted to see the bride. She wears a veil, a tradition rooted in the biblical story of Jacob and Rachel. This custom ensures the groom recognizes his bride before their union, emphasizing the sincerity of their commitment.
Signing the Ketubah
The groom agrees to the ketubah’s terms in front of two witnesses. This Jewish marriage contract outlines his responsibilities, including providing food and clothing. Modern ketubot are often bilingual (Hebrew and English) and focus on egalitarian principles. Some couples personalize their ketubah with artistic calligraphy or unique designs.
Exchanging Vows and Rings
Under the chuppah, the couple recites their vows. The groom gives the bride a plain wedding ring, symbolizing a simple and beautiful marriage. This unadorned ring reflects the hope for an unbroken and harmonious union.
The Sheva B’rachot: Seven Blessings
Family members or close friends in Israeli wedding recite the Sheva B’rachot, seven blessings celebrating love, joy, and the couple’s shared future. These blessings remind the newlyweds that marriage encompasses both happiness and challenges.
Breaking the Glass
Following the blessings, the groom breaks a glass underfoot, symbolizing the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Some couples opt for creative alternatives, like shattering glasses together. This moment marks the official conclusion of the ceremony and leads to joyous cheers of “Mazel Tov!”
A Festive Wedding Celebration
After the chuppah, the couple enjoys a lively wedding feast with music, dancing, and joyous festivities. Traditionally, men and women dance separately at first, but once older guests leave, mixed dancing often begins. Unique traditions like the Krenzl—where the bride’s mother wears a floral crown while daughters dance around her—and the Mizinke, honoring the parents of newlyweds, add unforgettable moments to the celebration.
Israeli wedding blend deep-rooted traditions with personal touches, creating a rich and memorable experience. Every element, from the chuppah to the glass-breaking, reflects a beautiful legacy of love, faith, and commitment.
Either the priest or designated family members and friends recite the seven riches known as Sheva B’rachot. These gifts are about love and joy, but they also serve as a reminder to the handful that their union likely include both joy and sorrow.
Following the Sheva B’rachot, the pair will tear a cup, which is customarily done by the man. He did be asked to kick on a crystal that is covered in material, which symbolizes Jerusalem’s Temple being destroyed. Some couples decide to go all out and use a different sort of item, or even smash the glasses together with their hands.
The couple likely love a colorful marriage dinner with song, dancers, and celebration following the chuppah and torres brachot. Men and women are separated at the start of the bride for talking, but once the older guests leave, there is typically a more animated event that involves mixing the genders for dancing and meal. The Krenzl, in which the bride’s mother is crowned with a wreath of flowers as her daughters dance around her ( traditionally at weddings of her last remaining children ), and the Mizinke, an event for the newlyweds ‘ parents, are two of the funniest and most memorable traditions I’ve witnessed.
