Jewish Weddings in Jackson Hole

Preparing for a Jewish Wedding

Too much time can easily be spent preparing for the wedding and too little time preparing for the marriage.

The months before a wedding are an ideal opportunity for a couple to talk about the life they are about to build together. What kind of home do you want to create? What Jewish traditions are important to each of you? How will Shabbat and Jewish holidays fit into your lives? What values do you hope will shape your family?

These conversations can be especially valuable when a couple comes from different backgrounds or has had different experiences with Jewish life.

Rabbi Mendelsohn can meet with couples before the wedding to discuss these questions, explain Jewish traditions, and help them prepare for the ceremony and for the Jewish home they hope to build.

The wedding itself is a new beginning. The Jewish tradition gives that beginning great spiritual significance.

The Jewish Wedding Ceremony

The traditional Jewish wedding ceremony contains a number of distinct elements, each with its own history and symbolism.

These may include:

• Kabbalat Panim
• Signing the ketubah
• Badeken, the veiling of the bride
• The procession to the chuppah
• The chuppah
• Blessings over wine
• The giving of the wedding ring
• The reading of the ketubah
• The Seven Blessings, or Sheva Brachot
• Breaking the glass
• Yichud, the private time immediately following the ceremony

Rabbi Mendelsohn can walk couples through the ceremony and explain what happens at each stage so that they understand not only what they are doing, but why they are doing it.

The Chuppah

The chuppah is the canopy beneath which the Jewish wedding ceremony takes place. It represents the home that the bride and groom are beginning to build together.

The chuppah is open on all sides, reflecting the idea that a Jewish home should be open and welcoming to family, friends, guests, and community.

The bride traditionally circles the groom beneath the chuppah. The number seven carries significance throughout Jewish tradition and represents completeness and the cycle of creation.

Whether your wedding ceremony takes place in a synagogue, at a private venue, or outdoors against the backdrop of the Grand Tetons, the chuppah remains the heart of the Jewish wedding ceremony.

The Ketubah

The ketubah is the traditional Jewish marriage document.

Far more than a decorative piece of wedding artwork, the ketubah is a legal document outlining the husband's responsibilities toward his wife. It has played an important role in Jewish marriage for centuries.

The ketubah is traditionally signed before the chuppah ceremony, in the presence of witnesses, and is then read during the wedding.

Couples often choose a ketubah that reflects their own style while maintaining the traditional Jewish text and significance of the document.

The Wedding Ring

The ring has a central role in the Jewish wedding ceremony.

Under the chuppah, the groom gives the bride a ring in the presence of witnesses and recites the traditional Jewish declaration of marriage.

The ring used for the ceremony traditionally has a simple form, without stones or elaborate settings. Its simplicity allows the focus to remain on the act taking place beneath the chuppah.

Because the ring is an essential part of the Jewish marriage ceremony, couples should discuss the ring with the officiating Rabbi well in advance of the wedding.

The Seven Blessings

The Sheva Brachot, or Seven Blessings, are recited under the chuppah.

The blessings speak about creation, humanity, Jerusalem, joy, love, friendship, and the celebration of bride and groom.

It is customary to honor family members and friends by giving them the opportunity to recite these blessings. Rabbi Mendelsohn can discuss the various honors and ways that family and friends may participate in the ceremony.

Breaking the Glass

At the conclusion of the chuppah ceremony, the groom breaks a glass.

Even at the happiest moments of Jewish life, Jewish tradition asks us to remember that our personal joy exists within the larger story of the Jewish people.

The broken glass recalls the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. It brings a moment of remembrance into the celebration and expresses the hope for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and a world of peace and wholeness.

Once the glass is broken, everyone can finally say: Mazal Tov!

Yichud

Following the public wedding ceremony, Jewish tradition provides the newly married couple with a few private moments together. This is known as Yichud, meaning togetherness or seclusion.

After the excitement and anticipation of the chuppah, these few quiet moments give the bride and groom an opportunity to pause and take in what has just happened before joining their guests for the celebration.

Yichud also has an important place in the traditional Jewish marriage ceremony.

A Jewish Destination Wedding in Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole is a special place to gather family and friends for a wedding. Couples travel from around the country and beyond to celebrate against the backdrop of Wyoming's mountains, open spaces, and natural beauty.

For couples planning a Jewish destination wedding in Jackson Hole, Chabad Jewish Center of Wyoming can help with the Jewish aspects of the wedding and provide guidance as you prepare for the ceremony.

You do not need to live in Wyoming to reach out.

If you are bringing your family and friends to Jackson Hole for your wedding, Rabbi Mendelsohn would be happy to speak with you about your plans.

Family and Friends

A Jewish wedding is not only the joining of two individuals. It is also the beginning of a new family and a moment shared with the families and friends who have helped shape the bride and groom.

There are many opportunities to include loved ones in a Jewish wedding ceremony, from signing the ketubah to accompanying the bride and groom to the chuppah and receiving honors during the Sheva Brachot.

Rabbi Mendelsohn can help you think through these arrangements and determine how your family and friends can participate in a way that fits the traditional ceremony and your own family.

Building a Jewish Home

The wedding day eventually comes to an end. The marriage is only beginning.

Jewish tradition places great emphasis on the home a couple builds together. The engagement period is therefore an important time to discuss the kind of Jewish life you hope to create.

Will Shabbat have a place in your home? How will you celebrate Jewish holidays? What Jewish traditions do you want your children to grow up with? How will you balance the traditions each of you brings from your own family?

These are not questions that need to be answered overnight. They are part of the ongoing conversation of building a Jewish home.

A wedding can be the beginning of that conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions