NY WEDDING RABBI LEV HERRNSON​

Planning Your Destination Jewish Wedding

As this question seems to come up a lot, I've decided to re-post this blog entry from 2015. Please read on to learn about these two important documents! 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 ma

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

Ani l'Dodi v'Dodi Li So many others have "reprinted" this particular entry of mine that it's high time I present here once again. (First published in April 2015) 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

Things to do and things not to do when planning your Jewish wedding

Why break a glass at a Jewish wedding? It’s a custom that’s defined Jewish weddings for centuries. Breaking the glass is the last act—other than a kiss under the wedding canopy—that is performed in public, thus confirming the happy couple’s mutual consent to spend the rest of their lives together. But why a glass? Presumably a spare drinking glass was easily found at wedding celebrations, even centuries ago. As for the custom itself, that’s a matter of history. Ancient Hi

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 op

Why break a glass at a Jewish wedding? It’s a custom that’s defined Jewish weddings for centuries. Breaking the glass is the last act—other than a kiss under the wedding canopy—that is performed in public, thus confirming the happy couple’s mutual consent to spend the rest of their lives together. But why a glass? Presumably a spare drinking glass was easily found at wedding celebrations, even centuries ago. As for the custom itself, that’s a matter of history. Ancient Hi

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,

While every wedding is magical, festive and beautiful, there’s something special about a wedding that takes place outdoors. Flowers, shrubbery, manicured lawns and a green forest as a backdrop, together with a refreshing breeze and a sunset in the distance all add to the majesty of the ceremony. Still, an outdoor wedding is vulnerable to changes in weather that can undo months of planning. My comments below address concerns that are specific to a planning an outdoor Jewish

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 o

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’dodi li associated with Jewish weddings? W

Many couples choose to distribute a wedding program or booklet at the onset of their Jewish wedding ceremony. Do you need a booklet at your wedding? No, certainly not. Might you be glad that you chose to compile and hand out a program at your wedding? Your guests might greatly appreciate your efforts if you choose to do so. Why might a Jewish wedding program be welcome? A wedding program provides something for guests to read while they wait for the ceremony to start; Guests

Yichud means “singularity” or “consolidation.” In the context of the Jewish wedding, however, yichud means “seclusion” and refers to 10 to 15 special minutes immediately after the ceremony. As you make your way out of the room where the ceremony took place, Jewish tradition dictates that you scamper off to a private room—usually where the bride got dressed and primped prior to the ceremony. There you’ll remain in yichud—undisturbed seclusion, for a short time. In yichud,

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 op

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 the eyes of the Jewish community

After having invested weeks or even months to painstakingly select just the right ketubah, take care not to ruin it. The pen you use to sign your name might contain ink that will bleed, run or even feather, ruining your art piece right before your eyes. Some ketubah sellers provide you with a pen and even a scrap of the same paper from which your ketubah is made. You can then test out the feel of the pen and also be assured that the ink won’t ruin the document. If your ketu

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 Judaism! A ketubah can be as simple as a text on a 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper, or as elaborate as a custom, hand-calligraphered piece of art to be framed and then displayed in your new home. In either case, the follow

Your rabbi will ask you to bring a bottle of kosher white wine to the wedding. No, s/he’s not planning on drinking a few l’chayims with you. The wine is for the blessings under the chuppah (wedding canopy). It doesn’t need to be the best vintage, just white and kosher. Why white wine? During the ceremony, if the wine spills, splashes or splatters, and a drop or two lands on your dress, your gown won’t be ruined. Why kosher wine? This is your big, Jewish day. It’s a Je