Plan a Jewish Wedding Perfectly
The Jewish wedding is a revered mix of traditional values, religious beliefs, and a lot of fun as well. If you are in the business of wedding planning, or you have been tasked with handling a Jewish wedding in all its entirety, it is of the utmost importance that you take time to know more about their traditions. What is expected? What you can do to organise the perfect Jewish wedding ceremony without a hitch?
Dress Code: Keep the Themed Clothing Reserved for the After Party
While attending the wedding ceremony, all guests are supposed to follow a particular dressing protocol. Therefore, if you have any themes planned, it should be in line with the following, or the plan should wait until the ceremony is over and the after-party begins:
- Women can wear almost any dress, but their shoulders must be covered properly during the ceremony, especially if it’s in the synagogue
- Men can wear suits or tuxedos, but their heads should be covered with a yarmulke.
### Seating Arrangements
As a wedding planner, one of your primary responsibilities is to ensure the seating arrangements are meticulously organized. When planning a Jewish wedding, there are specific traditions and rules to adhere to, which must be carefully considered and arranged in advance.
1. **Separate Seating for Men and Women**: In Jewish weddings, it is customary for men and women to sit on opposite sides of the wedding aisle, even in more liberal settings. This tradition is important and should be respected.
2. **Partition Requirement**: For weddings following strict religious protocols, a physical partition (mechitza) may be required to separate men and women during the ceremony. It is essential to discuss this with the bride and groom to understand their family’s level of observance and whether they wish to have a partition in place.
Ensuring these seating arrangements meet the specific needs and traditions of the families involved will contribute to a respectful and well-organized wedding ceremony.
Arrange for Candies
After the Aliyah blessing ceremony is over, the rabbi will proceed with the misheberach blessing ceremony. At that time, the guests are supposed to have enough candies to throw at the couple so that they can have a marital life as sweet as those candies.
Being the wedding planner, you will need to make sure that every guest has a decent amount of candy to throw during the misheberach. Watch out for the children eating some beforehand!
Find a Jewish Wedding Band for Hire
A typical Jewish wedding ceremony can take 30 minutes to an hour. Once the couple has finished sharing their first meal together during the yichud phase, all guests, the family members, relatives, the bride and the groom are supposed to celebrate by performing the hora. This a form of circular dancing that everyone present engages in, with the tunes of a Jewish wedding band playing traditional music.
There are hardly any better Jewish wedding bands than Jam Hot for the hora and even the mezinke (the parents’ dance). Jam Hot are an international show band. Just visit their website and watch their previous performances both as a Jewish wedding band for hire, as well as a show band for all types of wedding celebrations.
These are all important facts, but there could be more, depending on how orthodox the families or even one of the two families are. Talk to them. Get to understand the rituals and expectations well before arranging anything. Even if you are a Jew yourself, there is a chance that you might not know about certain family customs beforehand.
Many thanks to Emily Roberts for this article.
How to Plan Your Perfect Wedding – Espace is your perfect Jewish wedding planning partner