A rabbi is not needed to sanctify a Jewish marriage. Nor are stuffed chicken breasts, flowers or a big honeymoon. But the few halachic requirements and the many special customs that mark the day make a Jewish wedding a uniquely Jewish affair.
“I love to do weddings,” says Rabbi Naphtali Burnstein, spiritual leader of Young Israel of Cleveland, which is Orthodox. “You bring together a husband and a wife and you create a new Jewish home.”
Many of the marriage customs are ancient in origin, some dating back to Adam and Eve, Burnstein notes. It is said God personally adorned Eve and brought her to her groom, acting as Eve’s attendant.
The metaphor of God’s relationship to the Jewish people is often employed to explain Jewish wedding customs. When these customs are observed, it is a way of connecting the young couple to all of Jewish history and the entire Jewish community.
Here is an outline of the events occurring at a traditional wedding. In Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist ceremonies, some or all of these customs may be observed. They also may be altered slightly to reflect more egalitarian practices or to more accurately reflect the couple’s level of observance.