Jewish

The Jewish wedding

The Jewish wedding rite has an indisputable charm: it is rich in symbolism and its function is engaging and full of customs, including rituals, songs, and litanies with a Middle Eastern flavor. The bride’s dress is strictly white, while the groom can wear a tallit, the traditional blue-striped white prayer shawl. A Jewish destination wedding in Italy can maintain the Italian touch and Jewish traditions on various aspects of the wedding: florists and designers can ideate a personalized Huppah, artisans can create handmade Ketubah and, above all, kosher catering that can serve delicious dishes Italian and kosher wines.

The Jewish wedding ceremony

Before the wedding ceremony begins, the groom goes to the bride’s room to see her before she covers her face with the veil. This tradition is based on the biblical episode of the patriarch Jacob, who married the wrong woman because her face was covered with a veil.

The ceremony takes place under a fabric canopy, Chuppah, or Huppah, a symbol of the future home of the couple, and is celebrated in front of a rabbi. It consists of a cloth or a sheet, sometimes a tallit. The rabbi begins by blessing a glass of wine that is delivered to the couple’s parents, to give it to their respective children. The exchange of rings is not a Jewish tradition, but, before reading the Ketubah, the groom will deliver the ring he intends to give to the bride to the Rabbi.

The Ketubah is then read by the rabbi and signed by the couple: a document that reports the financial obligations assumed by the husband towards his wife on the occasion and during their marriage, obligations that derive from Jewish law. Finally, the rabbi recites, on a second cup, the seven blessings that will protect marriage.

The couple drink from the glass which is then placed on the ground and broken by the groom, to remember the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, or according to other interpretations, to drive out the demonic spirits. A popular belief says that the groom who fails to break the glass on the first try will be dominated by his wife.

The party of a Jewish wedding

After the rite, the banquet will begin, with the blessing of Challah, the traditional braided bread, symbolizing the union of families: at this point, the couple will only have to celebrate their most beautiful day with relatives and friends, with good food and traditional dances. In fact, a fundamental aspect is the dances that take place throughout the reception: guests get to dance in front of the couple to entertain them.

The “hora”, one of the most important Jewish wedding traditions, is a cheerful dance that usually takes place immediately after the bride and groom enter the venue or after the first dance. While traditional Jewish music plays, guests dance in a circle, and the couple is seated on chairs and suspended in the air, where they can hold both sides of a handkerchief or a cloth napkin. The celebrations last until late!

Where to plan a Jewish wedding in Italy

Italy is the perfect country for a Jewish wedding since Florence, Venice, Naples, and Rome all have suggestive synagogues with a rich historical past. It is also possible to tie the knot under a chuppah in one of the wonderful private venues with breathtaking views, secret gardens, or impressive rooms, which can be found throughout Italy.

By organizing a Jewish wedding in Italy you can see the civil effects of this majestic religious ceremony recognized regularly, as Judaism is one of the religions that has achieved agreements with the Italian State. The rabbi of the synagogue he belongs to, or the one chosen to celebrate the wedding, takes care of the bureaucratic part preceding the wedding. It is also possible that the couple brings their rabbi to celebrate their wedding in Italy, in this case, it will be necessary to previously celebrate the civil wedding, this can happen both in Italy and in the country of origin.