Jewish Wedding Ceremony in Venice

Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist are the four main groups within the Jewish religions, with Orthodox being the strictest in following Jewish law. Conservative falls in the middle while Reform and Reconstructionist adherents are the most liberal of the four.

Some of the differences between the traditions are as follows: In the Orthodox interpretation the rabbi will not marry divorced persons unless they have a religious as well as civil decree. The men and women are seated in separate areas of the synagogue. Even though the conservative ceremony is less rigid in adhering to the Jewish law, many of the traditions are the same as the Orthodox. With both, service is in Hebrew and English. Neither a Conservative nor Orthodox rabbi will officiate at a marriage of mixed faiths. The wedding attire is very conventional. The men wear caps or yarmulkes in these ceremonies. Another similarity is that the ring is placed on the index finger of the bride’s right hand during the ceremony (it may be switches to the left hand after the ceremony). The ceremonies are preformed under a chuppah by a rabbi. The chuppah is a canopy, which symbolizes cohabitation and consummation.

The Reform service is usually in Italian though some Hebrew may be used. The ceremony is generally performed under a chuppah, but this is not mandatory. Men may wear yarmulkes, if they desire.

The ceremony begins and ends with the blessing of the wine, and the bride and groom taking a sip from a joint cup. The exchange of rings in the Jewish ceremony has slightly different significance in that it represents the exchange of material goods, which must take place in order to validate a Jewish wedding.

The Ketubah is a marriage contact, usually finely decorated that lists the bride’s rights in the marriage. It is given to the bride after the ring exchange, and then she usually hands it off to her honor attendant for the rest of the ceremony.

The ceremony ends with the reciting of the seven blessings. The bride and groom drink the blessed wine from a glass; the glass is wrapped in a napkin and then smashed beneath the groom’s foot. Many times, mazel tov is said at the end of the ceremony. This means good star or good position of your stars, which, over the years has come to mean good fortune.

The bride and groom then withdraw for a few minutes of seclusion, known as the Yichud. It is a few private moments in which the bride and groom have an opportunity to savor their new union. In the past, the bride and groom withdrew to consummate their marriage, but luckily that’s no longer the case!

 The Jewish wedding may take place at any time, other than on the Sabbath, major festivals, or other holy days. It may not take place during the forty-nine days between Passover and Shavuot, with the exception of the thirty-third day.

- Homepage - MDV - Beauty - Ceremonies - Civil Hall - Contact - Documentations - FAQs - Favors - Flowers - Form - Gondola - Honeymoon - Hotels - Invitations - Tuxedos and Gowns - Links - Music - Palazzos - Photogallery -  Castles -  Scottish Wedding -  Cruise -  Prices - Services - Photography - Searching Terms - Restaurants - Settings - Terms&Conditions - Transportations - Murano Glass -  Costumes and Masks -  ROME - Rome Weddings -  Musica a Palazzo-  Site Map -