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.
When, under traditional Jewish law, you can get married and when you cannot, where to hold a wedding, and whom to invite
Who can officiate at a Jewish wedding? How do you find them, and what should you ask?
Three innovative and creative wedding practices, including a two-act play as wedding ceremony
This article articulates principles of Jewish ritual as the author uses them to create a same-sex Jewish wedding
An alternative to the ketubah which explicitly rejects the language of kinyan (acquisition) in favor of the mutual language of covenant
A couple’s first-person account of the process of creating their wedding ceremony
A blessing to be read to two women under their huppah
Kathy, Joyce, and their rabbi found innovative ways to rework the traditional wedding ceremony to suit their needs as two women
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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