A few more thoughts on weddings, and Jewish weddings.
Apart from the usual drsses of the bride and mother of the bride and groom, and the flowers at the venue, and the wedding canopy, one item to admire is the bride's ketubah or marriage document.
The writing looks like Hebrew. It is written not in Hebrew but in Aramaic, which was the language of the poeple at the time of Jesus, pre-dating modern Hebrew and modern Arabic.
Ketubah from Yale University, USA. I found this picture in Wikipedia under Jewish weddings. The photo is in the public domain.
Apart from the usual drsses of the bride and mother of the bride and groom, and the flowers at the venue, and the wedding canopy, one item to admire is the bride's ketubah or marriage document.
The writing looks like Hebrew. It is written not in Hebrew but in Aramaic, which was the language of the poeple at the time of Jesus, pre-dating modern Hebrew and modern Arabic.
Ketubah from Yale University, USA. I found this picture in Wikipedia under Jewish weddings. The photo is in the public domain.
WEDDING LIST?
Timing
Give all guests directions from the wedding ceremony to the reception. You might find that a car leaves and a person gets left behind because they went to the toilet or could not find the designated car in the car park or could not find the person with the directions or did not hear the announcement of the venue.
If you have the reception at the same venue, five minutes is not enough time to allow people to proceed from the wedding ceremony to dinner.
Firstly, the ceremony could run late. Secondly people disappear to the toilet or stop to chat, stop to read noticeboards, make phone calls - even go out to the street to smoke a cigarette, get lost, one hundered people wait in line to read the seating plan and cross the room looking for their table, stopping to chat on the way.
Thirdly, a queue (Americans say line-up) to allow the Toastmasters to get announcement of each guest enterting the room and/or shaking hands with the bride and groom. Some will only stop half a minute to whispering congratulations. But a few will hand over envelopes or ask where to leave a gift, explain how they are related, add other queries, say why their spouse cannot atend or will be late, and tell their life story.
Will you have a wedding list or provide your joint bank account details?
VIDEO
Will you have a video and record the speeches and a few words from both sets of parents?
MUSICAL RECORD
Will you video a moment or two of singing or music playing by any talented family members? (Years later it might be your only video of them playing.)
GRACE
Do we need to know how to sing grace before and after meals with the rabbi. Which tune?
TABOOS AND OBLIGATIONS?
Any Orthodox or other rules we should know about? Groom's family sit on left? Women sit separately, upstairs, behind barrier? Such as not shaking hands with the rabbi? Not eating before grace said by rabbi. Nor interrupting the bride reading her prayers before the ceremony?
Signing by a rabbi.
Photo by Meshulam in Wikipedia under Jewish Weddings.
Signing
Signing as witness with our Hebrew names? Not signing as witness because we are closely related?
Women and Dancing
Not dancing before the couple start the dance? Women not entering area reserved for men?
Photo by Meshulam in Wikipedia under Jewish Weddings.
Signing
Signing as witness with our Hebrew names? Not signing as witness because we are closely related?
Women and Dancing
Not dancing before the couple start the dance? Women not entering area reserved for men?
Timing
Give all guests directions from the wedding ceremony to the reception. You might find that a car leaves and a person gets left behind because they went to the toilet or could not find the designated car in the car park or could not find the person with the directions or did not hear the announcement of the venue.
If you have the reception at the same venue, five minutes is not enough time to allow people to proceed from the wedding ceremony to dinner.
Firstly, the ceremony could run late. Secondly people disappear to the toilet or stop to chat, stop to read noticeboards, make phone calls - even go out to the street to smoke a cigarette, get lost, one hundered people wait in line to read the seating plan and cross the room looking for their table, stopping to chat on the way.
Thirdly, a queue (Americans say line-up) to allow the Toastmasters to get announcement of each guest enterting the room and/or shaking hands with the bride and groom. Some will only stop half a minute to whispering congratulations. But a few will hand over envelopes or ask where to leave a gift, explain how they are related, add other queries, say why their spouse cannot atend or will be late, and tell their life story.
STANDING AND SEATING
Where do I stand or sit in the ceremony? Do the mothers of the couple escort the bride in? Is there a ceremony rehearsal or floor plan? Do I have to say or read anything in Hebrew at any time? If so bring it to me so I can practise it.
Tips
Location and parking
We looked up the synagogue on google to see if we could work out the route and whether parking was available. That reminded us to ask about parking. On the internet I've seen wedding cars as well as funeral cars getting parking tickets, so it's as well to know the situation in advance and plan getting permission to park.
For security reasons access to the website is restricted and you have to log in with an email and password.
Angela Lansbury
Author and travel writer.
Tips
Location and parking
We looked up the synagogue on google to see if we could work out the route and whether parking was available. That reminded us to ask about parking. On the internet I've seen wedding cars as well as funeral cars getting parking tickets, so it's as well to know the situation in advance and plan getting permission to park.
For security reasons access to the website is restricted and you have to log in with an email and password.
Angela Lansbury
Author and travel writer.
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