Usually held on a Sunday, Jewish weddings are not permitted on Saturday because it is the Jewish holy day. The ceremony is held in a synagogue and is conducted by a rabbi. During the ceremony, bride and groom stand under a canopy to signify the new home they will share. The canopy is closed on top but open on all sides to signify that all are welcome inside. Similar to a Christian ceremony, the rabbi will read from the scriptures and discuss the meaning of marriage. Then the rabbi will bless a glass of wine and give it to the bride and groom to share as a symbol of their joy.
After sharing a glass of wine, the marriage contract - ketubah - is read aloud to the congregation. The bride and groom sign the contract and the groom will give his bride a gold ring. Jews believe that a wedding ring not only symbolizes marriage, it also represents a new link in a long chain reaching through many generations back to Abraham (the father of the Jews) and his wife Sarah.
After the marriage contract has been signed and the ring has been given, the rabbi blesses the couple seven times, one time for each day of creation. A wine glass is then wrapped in cloth, like the Jewish glass breaking pouch shown above, and the groom stamps on the glass to break it. The bride and groom step out of their canvas-covered altar (the huppah), the congregation calls out "Mazal Tov!" which means good luck and congratulations. A wedding reception follows - with food, drink, music and dancing. The food must be kosher, which can include all fruits and vegetables, beef, sheep, goat, fish (with fins), chicken, turkey and duck.
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