A very important part of the entire ceremony is the glass breaking act done by both the bride and groom. This is a very symbolic act that represents the destruction of the Temple but also a new era for the people. For a married couple, it signifies them breaking away from their old life and entering a more committed relationship with God.
A second rite that is done in this wedding ceremony is when the bride circles the groom. This is to symbolize that the bride and groom will now be joining each other in a more symbolic meaning. This is done with the bride walking around the groom seven times while they are both holding each others rings. Their eyes are connected the whole time until the act is done.
Now, it is very important to note that the actual marriage is broken down into two main acts with the first being the Eirusin. This is the act in which the bride and groom will change their marital statuses and the bride will acquire the surname of the groom. This act is hosted by the Rabbi in which he will let the couple share a cup of wine to unify the marriage.
After the first rite, the second main rite is the Kiddushin and the marriage proper. The first act is the giving of Kesef which is the wedding gifts or dowry in some cultures. From there, the shtar, which is the signing of marriage documents, is done with the witnesses there to see. The third is the biah or the sexual intercourse between the bride and groom for marriage consummation. However, this act is postponed and done through exchanging of wedding rings instead.
From there, a document known as the ketubah will be read by the Rabbi in which it will then be given to the bride. This is where the presence of their witnesses will signify the actual union of the couple. This is a part of the Kiddushin and is quite like where a priest will be uniting the couple through passages and prayers.
The final part of this service is the Nisuin or the public acknowledgement of this union. The last acknowledgement of this union is done by the recitation of sheva berachot. When this last document is recited, then publicly, this couple is now united in holy matrimony.
As one can see, there are a lot of symbolic practices that are done in this type of wedding. In fact, some of these practices date up to way back in history when Judaism first came to. Of course, while these rites are a bit tedious and long, they are very beautiful because of a deeper meaning that is hidden behind them.
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