“Do you officiate on Saturdays?” My many years of experience tell me that the question the couple is actually asking is, “Will you officiate at a wedding prior to the end of Shabbat/the Sabbath?” Here’s my response. Typically no, but... The Jewish tradition prohibits changes of personal status on Shabbat, meaning that for 25 hours—from sundown on Friday until after sundown at Saturday night—one cannot get married. A wedding on late Friday afternoon is fine; so is a wedding on Saturday night, after the sun has fully set and at least three stars are visible in the sky. At the halfway mark of an ..read more

Ani l'Dodi v'Dodi Li First published in April 2015, so many others have "reprinted" this particular entry of mine that it's high time I present here once again. Source and Meaning of the Verse Ani l’dodi v’dodi li—“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,” is excerpted from “The Song of Songs” (Chapter 6, Verse 3a). This verse, commonly associated with Jewish weddings and Ketubot (plural of Ketubah—the Jewish wedding contract), represents half of one verse among the eight chapters of The Song of Songs, a short book of poetry in the Bible attributed to King Solomon. But why is ani l’dodi v’do ..read more

I recently migrated my blog entries to a new platform and subsequently discovered that this entry had over 5,000 views! I guess it's high time I re-post this one! Let's roll back the meter on this entry and start counting again. Read on for the particulars about who can sign your ketubah. (And if the entry is helpful, please "like" it!) Your ketubah is your wedding contract. “Ketubah” derives from the Hebrew meaning “committed to writing.” Committing a wedding agreement to writing is a Jewish legal practice dating back 2,000 years and, as such, it's a prime example of the progressive nature o ..read more

At a traditional Jewish wedding, after the processional but before the actual start of the ceremony, the bride will circle clockwise around the groom seven times. Circling, or “hakafot” in Hebrew, is one of a number of public affirmations performed to attest to one’s consent, in this case, to be married. Other publicly observable acts involved in the wedding ceremony include the exchange of rings, sipping of wine from a Kiddush cup, acceptance of a handkerchief or napkin during the Ketubah signing (“kinyan”), and the breaking of the glass. Circling takes on a special meaning in that seven is ..read more

I'm going to estimate that upwards of 20 marrying couples come to me each year with with this question: Do we need both a marriage license and a ketubah? A civil marriage license and a ketubah serve different purposes but yes, you need both. The civil marriage license registers your marriage as legally valid and binding in the eyes of state and federal law. Participation in your spouse’s health care plan, distribution of benefits, filing of taxes, survivorship, and other matters are all contingent on you having this document. Your ketubah, on the other hand, certifies that you are married in ..read more

Like the marriage you are about to consecrate, choosing a ketubah is an exercise in tradition, creativity, personal preference, and sometimes, it’s just a matter of love at first sight. Your ketubah—that is, your Jewish marriage contract, should be an expression of your personal tastes (with respect to the artwork) and your aspirations for your life together (as represented by the text as it appears in Aramaic or Hebrew, and English). Choosing a ketubah also presents the opportunity for a couple to align thoughts and feelings with respect to art and expression in general. When choosing a ketu ..read more

While the summer might be wedding season for many people, you can renew your marriage vows anytime of the year. Be it your wedding anniversary, a special birthday, or some other important milestone in your lives together, a “Renewal of Vows” ceremony is a touching way to express your love and invite your family and closest friends to celebrate with you. Couples who’ve been married for five or fifty years (or any other period, for that matter) can, with a qualified officiant, arrange for a highly personalized Renewal of Vows ceremony. Children will often surprise their parents with a Renewal o ..read more

The chuppah is the single most recognizable symbol of a Jewish wedding—other than breaking a glass at the conclusion of the ceremony. What is a chuppah? A chuppah is a temporary structure similar to a canopy, under which the Jewish wedding rituals take place. The word “chuppah” is derived from the Hebrew meaning “cover.” The bride and groom, under the sheltering presence of the chuppah, but in full view of family and friends, enter the covenant of marriage. There’s lots of meaningful symbolism associated with the chuppah: Simple or ornate, the cover provided by the chuppah is symbolic of God ..read more

You’ll find any number of resources online with information about planning a destination wedding, and you should absolutely review those articles, and also speak with an experienced destination-wedding planner. Planning a destination Jewish wedding, however, is something that very few have written about. In this short posting I’ll identify those items that you might choose to add to your otherwise typical destination-wedding checklist. The secret to a successful destination Jewish wedding, like any wedding, is knowing what to consider and planning well in advance. Your Location: Do They Know ..read more

I recently migrated my blog entries to a new platform and subsequently discovered that this entry had over 5,000 views! I guess it's high time I re-post this one! Let's roll back the meter on this entry and start counting again. Read on for the particulars about who can sign your ketubah. (And if the entry is helpful, please "like" it!) Your ketubah is your wedding contract. “Ketubah” derives from the Hebrew meaning “committed to writing.” Commiting a wedding agreement to writing is a Jewish legal practice dating back 2,000 years and, as such, it's a prime example of the progressive nature of ..read more