Weddings & Commitment Ceremonies

Bride and groom smiling at each other during an outdoor wedding ceremony, with an officiant in the background.

Although you might not find “something blue” on Ritualwell, you will find much that is “borrowed,” “old,” and “new.” Jewish tradition is rich in wedding customs, and we have attempted to bring you some samples from this delightful smorgasbord. You will find pre-wedding customs such as ten’aim (engagement), during which it is customary for the mothers of the couple to break a plate, the bedecken (the veiling of the bride and modern alternatives), and the tischen (literally, “tables,” where grooms and/or brides receive blessings and enjoy other rituals immediately prior to the wedding ceremony). You will also find several complete wedding ceremonies along with a breakdown of the constituent parts and alternatives for them, various ketubot (wedding contracts), ideas for tzedakah (charity), and much more. We also explore weddings and ceremonies not envisioned by the rabbis of old—interfaith marriages and weddings and commitment ceremonies between partners of the same sex.
 

Latest Rituals

“I wanted a way of acknowledging and bringing my own queerness into the wedding ceremony”
Two hands gently holding each other resting on a patterned gray blanket.

“So dear this daughter / As she prepares to immerse”

Silhouettes of two people sitting on a dock by a calm lake during sunset, reflecting on the water.

“May you join together in songs of praise, songs of joy and songs of sorrow.”

A couple in wedding attire walks hand in hand across a grassy hill with mountains in the background.

Non-Theistic Jewish Wedding Blessings

Two people share a playful moment on a bridge, smiling and standing close, with a cityscape in the background.

“Your love is running honey”

A joyful couple laughing while sitting inside a tent in the outdoors.

God is loving another

Three heart-shaped leaves hanging from strings against a blurred background, each leaf showing natural imperfections.

A small, adapted wedding during COVID-19

Bride and groom at an outdoor wedding ceremony, surrounded by greenery and flowers.
two women's hands
two mens hands with wedding rings
white flowers

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

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The Reconstructionist Network