A wedding is more than a beautiful celebration; it is the beginning of a sacred partnership. Jewish tradition offers a powerful framework for honoring love, commitment, and the building of a shared life, while still leaving plenty of room for personal expression. This page is for couples of all genders and sexual orientations who want a ceremony that is both deeply rooted in Judaism and authentically their own.

Every couple brings a unique story, set of values, and vision for their wedding day. The goal is to create a ceremony where you feel seen, supported, and joyfully celebrated—whether your event is large or intimate, traditional or creative, indoors or outdoors, in a synagogue, on a farm, or in your own backyard.

Working with couples

Planning a Jewish wedding can feel exciting and overwhelming at the same time. From the first conversation, the focus is on listening: to your story, your hopes, your questions, and any anxieties you may have about the process. Together, we explore what elements of Jewish tradition are most meaningful to you and how they can be woven into a ceremony that feels true to who you are.

Support includes:

• Helping you understand the structure and options within a Jewish wedding.
• Guiding you through choices about rituals, language, and music.
• Coordinating with planners, venues, and other professionals as needed.

The aim is to craft a ceremony that honors each person and any families or communities that are important to you.

Ceremony elements and rituals

A Jewish wedding has a number of traditional elements, but there is much flexibility in how they are expressed. Together, we can decide which ritual pieces you want to include and how to shape them in language and practice that reflects your relationship and values.

Some of the central elements often included are:

• Kabbalat Panim / Pre-ceremony welcome: Time to greet guests, sign the ketubah, and center yourselves before the ceremony.
• Ketubah (marriage covenant): A written document that reflects your commitments to one another. Today, couples often choose or create egalitarian texts that speak in their own voice.
• Bedeken (veiling): An optional moment of intimacy and blessing before the public ceremony, reimagined by many couples in gender-inclusive ways.
• Chuppah (wedding canopy): The symbol of your new home together. This can be simple or elaborate, indoors or outside, traditional fabric or something created by family and friends.
• Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings): Ancient blessings that can be chanted in Hebrew, shared in translation, or adapted with contemporary readings that highlight joy, community, and hope.
• Rings and declarations: The core moment of mutual commitment, often including language affirming equality and partnership.
• Breaking the glass: A powerful closing ritual, layered with meaning—from remembering brokenness in the world to embracing the fragility and preciousness of love.

Each of these rituals can be explained to your guests during the ceremony so that everyone present—Jewish and non-Jewish alike—can follow along and feel included.

Inclusive and affirming approach

Love shows up in many forms, and Jewish tradition has the depth and flexibility to honor them. This wedding work is explicitly affirming of LGBTQ+ couples and families, interracial couples, and anyone who may not see themselves reflected in more traditional settings.

Inclusivity here means:

• Using language for God, people, and partnership that aligns with your beliefs and identities.
• Crafting rituals in ways that do not assume gender roles or traditional family structures.
• Being attentive to the needs of guests of all backgrounds so that everyone feels welcome and respected.

If there are sensitive dynamics—around family, religion, or community—those are handled with care and confidentiality, always prioritizing your safety, dignity, and emotional well-being.

Personalized ceremony design

No two ceremonies should look exactly alike, because no two couples are the same. After getting to know you, a custom ceremony outline is drafted that includes your chosen rituals, readings, music, and any involvement of family or friends.

Together, we can:

• Incorporate personal elements such as stories, poetry, or favorite texts.
• Decide how much Hebrew and how much English you want, and how much explanation to offer for guests.
• Create moments for parents, children, or community members to participate if that feels right.

You will always have the opportunity to review and refine the ceremony so that by the time the wedding day arrives, the flow feels familiar, comfortable, and meaningful.

Preparation and premarital conversations

Rabbinic support for a wedding is not just about the ceremony itself; it is also about the relationship at the center of it. In the months leading to the wedding, there are several meetings or sessions for:

• Learning about Jewish wedding traditions and their meanings.
• Discussing communication, conflict, finances, family expectations, and spiritual life.
• Exploring what it means to build a Jewish home together in a way that fits your life.

These conversations are warm, open, and nonjudgmental—designed to give you tools and language you can use long after the wedding day is over. For interfaith or culturally blended couples, there is also space to talk about how you plan to honor multiple traditions and communities.

The wedding day experience

On the day of your wedding, the goal is for you to feel present, grounded, and able to fully enter the moment. Practical support includes coordinating timing with your planner or venue, ensuring that ritual items (wine, glass, ketubah, rings, chuppah) are in place, and helping everyone involved—witnesses, family, friends—understand their roles.

During the ceremony, clear explanations and gentle guidance help you relax into the experience. The tone is joyful, sincere, and accessible: rooted in tradition without feeling stiff or distant. Guests are invited not just to watch, but to truly share in your simchah, your joy.

After the wedding

A wedding is a beginning, not an ending. The relationship with your rabbi does not need to stop once the last glass is cleared and the music fades. Many couples choose to stay in touch, marking other milestones in their lives, seeking learning opportunities, or reaching out for guidance during challenging times.

Support can include:

• Blessings for a new home or family.
• Learning opportunities for couples or families.
• Ongoing pastoral or spiritual conversations as life unfolds.

Connect about your wedding

If you are beginning to imagine your wedding—or even if your plans are already underway and you are still seeking the right officiant—you are invited to reach out. Share a bit about your story, your preferred date and location, and the kind of ceremony you envision. We can then set up a time to discuss in more detail.

Together, a Jewish wedding ceremony can be created that honors your love, your identities, and the sacred path you are choosing to walk together.