What happens under the chuppah?

Answer 1

A chuppah is a wedding canopy used at Jewish weddings. It is symbolic of the home to be built by the couple. Open on all sides, it can be a tallit or decorated cloth held aloft on four poles by relatives or friends. Escorted by their respective parents to the chupah, the bride and both sets of parents along with the grandparents circle the groom seven times as he continues to pray. Under the chupah, the groom and bride wear no jewelry to show that their commitment is not based on material possessions.

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Answer 2

Just as in every area of life and tradition, modern people are updating established ways of doing things, and even the Jewish wedding ceremony isn't immune.

Whatever else happens during the procedure, the following elements are indispensable under Jewish law. If these don't take place, the marriage isn't valid:

-- The groom presents the bride with a gift (of at least a certain value), and makes a public statement making clear to her that the gift is presented for the purpose of marriage. The presentation is legally witnessed by two qualified witnesses. The gift is customarily a ring, but that's not required.

-- A legal contract (ketubah), detailing the groom's responsibility to provide for the bride's requirements and necessities (signed earlier by the groom and by two witnesses) is read publicly, and then presented to the bride.

the Seven Blessings are recited, and a cup of wine is shared.

Often included but not required: Greetings, thoughts, an appropriate Torah lesson for the occasion, presented by a Rabbi.

Almost always included but not strictly required by law: The groom crushes a glass underfoot.

After the Chuppah, required by law: The bride and groom go to a private room

and spend some time together inside, while the closed door is guarded by a

trusted individual, both to prevent any intrusion until they're ready to come out,

and to be able to confirm, if anyone asks, that they spent time in there together

undisturbed.

Note:

Although most secular laws require the presence of some judicial official or member of the clergy at a wedding, in Jewish law, the Rabbi doesn't 'marry' the couple, and the ceremony doesn't even require the presence of a Rabbi. The bride and groom marry each other.

Answer:

The Orthodox wedding has four parts. The first two parts are under the Chuppah (wedding canopy).

Before the ceremony gets underway, the two families meet and agree upon tanaim (what their respective financial support to the couple will be). This may take place at any time before the wedding.

Just prior to the chuppah, the groom, led by the parents, approaches the bride and places a veil upon her which will remain during the chuppah. This is based on a tradition from Jacob.

The first part of the wedding: under the chuppah, the groom gives an item of value (customarily a gold ring) to the bride and, in Hebrew, declares his intention to marry her (see Tosafot commentary, to Talmud Ketubot 3a). Then a blessing is said (Talmud, Ketubot 7b). Technically, this actually constitutes the binding stage of the engagement, and in ancient times was usually done separately from the wedding ceremony.

Between the first and second parts of the wedding, the Rabbi customarily reads aloud the ketubah (marriage contract).

The second part of the wedding: the seven wedding-blessings (see Talmud, Ketubot 8a) are sung over a cup of wine, and the bride and groom take a drink from the cup. Then a glass or plate is broken, to symbolize that even in this happy time, we remain aware of the Destruction of the Temple (see also Tosafot commentary, to Talmud Berakhot 31a).

The third part of the wedding: the bride and groom retire in privacy for several minutes to a room. This constitutes a symbolic consummation and finalizes the formal portion of the marriage. During this seclusion they break the fast which they observed on their wedding day.

The fourth part of the wedding: the couple then enter the adjacent wedding hall, and the festive meal is served to the assembled guests amid a lot of music and dancing (see Talmud, Ketubot 17a).