How are Jewish spouses chosen?

Answer 1

The same way non-Jewish people select their partners. They choose them.

Among some orthodox communities (but not all), shiddukh (שידוך), or matchmaking is still practiced. In some modern orthodox communities this term is used to refer to being set up on a date for the purpose of marriage.

Answer 2

One contributor's personal beliefs

Jewish wedding ceremony happen under a thing called "Chupa" which is some kind of blanket held with 4 poles, during the ceremony, the rabbi will host it, and will guide the groom to say the right things, then, the rings will be put on the husband's and the wife's finger, the ring must be worth at least a "pruta", which is a very cheap price, and "pruta" is an old coin, and there are also suppose to be at least 2 witnesses to the ceremony. and then the husband willl say "im eshacachech yerushalaim,tishachach yemini, tidabek leshoni lecheki,im lo ezcarchi, im lo aale at yerushalaim al rosh simchati!", or in simple English transalation "if i will forget you Jerusalem [Israel's capital, the most sacret place to the Jewish people], i will forget my right [the side, no like right and wrong], my tongue will stick to [a certain part in the mouth, i don't know how to say in English], if i wont remember you, if i wont put Jerusalem on the head of my joy!", [Note: this is not the what the groom says in a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony] after the groom says that he breaks a glass in a memory for the fall of the Temple.

Traditional Jewish Wedding CeremonyThe Jewish marriage ceremony has multiple parts, they are (according to orthodox tradition):

Kabbalat Panim

The bride and groom stay in different rooms. The bride sits on a "throne" that is usually on a small stage and receives her guests. The groom is surrounded by the male guests who sing and toast him.

Ketubah

Before the public ceremony, a private ceremony is held where the groom and two witnesses sign the ketubah (marriage contract), in most non-Orthodox communities the bride also signs the ketubah. The language used for ketubot is Aramaic and it outlines the groom's responsibilities to the bride. At this point the couple are considered married.

Badeken

The groom is escorted by the male guests to the bride, all the while the men sing, and he lowers the veil over the bride's face.

Chuppah

The public ceremony takes place under the chuppah, a canopy that represents the home the couple will build together. Traditionally, the chuppah was a tallit (prayer shawl) held over the bride and groom by four people, today it can still be a tallit but there are many alternatives. The groom and bride are escorted to the chupah by both parents. The bride then circles the groom 7 times where she is symbolically building the walls of the couple's new world together.

Kiddushin

Two cups of wine are used during the ceremony over which blessings are said and the bride and groom drink from the first cup.

Giving of the Ring

Marriage becomes official when the groom gives something of value to the bride. The ring must be whole (no breaks) and should be plain gold without any jewels.

The groom says to the bride: "Behold, you are betrothed unto me with this ring, according to the law of Moses and Israel." He then places the ring on the forefinger of the bride's right hand.

Ketubah

At this point the ketubah (marriage contract) is read. The ketubah is signed by two witnesses and becomes the property of the bride.

Sheva Brachot

There are seven blessings that are said over the second cup of wine, after the blessings are said, the bride and groom drink some of the wine.

Breaking the Glass

This is probably the most famous part of a Jewish wedding ceremony. A glass is placed on the floor and the groom steps on it to break it. This represents the sadness over the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Yichud

The bride and groom are escorted to a private room and are left alone together for a few minutes. This represents their new status of living together as husband and wife. The couple is usually given something light to eat at this point too.

Seudah

The festive meal. While the bride and groom are spending time alone together, the guests will move to the reception room/hall where the meal is held. At this time, the guests will line up on either side of the entrance to welcome the bride and groom with large amounts of fanfare. It's considered a mitzvah (good deed) to bring happiness and joy to the bride and groom so guests will dance, perform tricks, etc to make the couple laugh and entertain them. After the meal, the Birkat Hamazon (Grace after meals) is sung and then the Sheva Brachot are repeated.

Answer 3

There is a specific phrase that is said in front of 2 witnessed and a contract is signed in front of those witnesses as well.