American Jewish Marriage
A wedding is basically a ceremony wherein two individuals are legally joined in matrimony. Wedding traditions and rituals differ greatly between cultures, religious groups, societies, and nationalities. Typically a wedding party consists of the bride and groom along with their family and friends. The wedding reception follows after the vows have been recited by the priest and it is a festive occasion. During this event, gifts and favors are exchanged between the guests and the couple as a sign of celebration, thanks for joining them in this union, and blessing them for their future life together.
In Hindu wedding traditions, the engagement ring is given to the bride by the groom to “seize” her if she chooses to be his wife. After the wedding, the engaged couple will depart from their residence and travel to the residence of the bride’s parents to wait for the “kitty” (or the ring) to be presented to them. They will then walk to the location where the ring is being prepared where the groom will hold the ring and give it to the bride. If the bride does not accept the ring, the groom must bring a gift or any other valuable object to prove that he loves her and that he desires to marry her.
Jewish weddings in America follow very specific traditions. The Jewish wedding ceremony is considered to be sacred by most of the Jewish people, who consider it to be a religious ritual. On the wedding day, the ceremony is attended by the family and close friends of both families. In most Jewish weddings, only a bridegroom is present at the ceremony; the rest of the guests wait for the “bridal chorus” to arrive. The bridal chorus is composed of musicians who recite a Hebrew song, which concludes with a dance routine by the maid of honor, the bridesmaids, and the men.
There are different Jewish wedding customs depending on the sect of Jews living in the couple’s country. Some couples have their wedding ceremonies in Israel, where they can enjoy all the luxuries of Israel at the same time. In these types of Jewish weddings, a wedding invitation is received by the family or the Friends of the bride and groom. Then the couple’s family travels to Israel for the wedding ceremony and reception. In many Jewish weddings, only the bridegroom is present at the ceremony, so there is no formal wedding reception following the ceremony. After the wedding, the family returns to America to await the marriage license and certificate.
Some Jewish couples choose to do their Jewish wedding ceremonies outside of the United States. In these cases, the rabbi performs the ceremony in a synagogue or temple. Many people choose to wed in New York City because it is the most popular Jewish community. Most Jewish couples who wed in America follow the Jewish wedding ceremonies described in the Bible, which are referred to as weddings. Each sect of Jewish immigrants has its own set of Jewish wedding customs.
Today, over half a million people worldwide marry in America. There are over half a million weddings each year in America alone. The Jewish population in America is growing, so it is expected that in a few years, Jewish marriages in America will surpass the number of weddings performed by Jews in any other country combined. As more Jewish people marry each year, the future of Jewish weddings in America looks very bright.