What is a Jewish wedding?
A Jewish wedding is the ceremony that joins two people in marriage according to Jewish tradition, rich with ancient symbols: the couple stands under a chuppah (wedding canopy), a ketubah (marriage contract) is signed and read, blessings are recited, and the groom breaks a glass to close the ceremony. Together these elements express the covenant of marriage, the home the couple will build, and the joys and responsibilities they take on. Every custom carries meaning layered over centuries.
What are the key parts of a Jewish wedding?
- The chuppah — an open canopy symbolizing the couple's new home, open on all sides like Abraham and Sarah's tent.
- The ketubah — a marriage contract spelling out the husband's commitments to his wife, signed by witnesses and read aloud.
- Kiddushin and nisuin — the two stages of the ceremony (betrothal and marriage), including the ring and the Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings).
- Breaking the glass — closing the ceremony, traditionally recalling the destruction of the Temple even amid great joy.
Why break a glass at the happiest moment?
Breaking the glass is the wedding's most famous image. Among its meanings: even at the peak of personal joy, Jews remember the brokenness still in the world — the destruction of Jerusalem's Temple — tying private happiness to the larger story and hopes of the Jewish people.
In short: a Jewish wedding joins a couple under the chuppah with the ketubah, blessings, and the breaking of the glass — each symbol expressing covenant, home, and the Jewish story.
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