6 American Wedding Traditions You Need to Know

The Ketubah is an ancient document and is a marriage contract that lays out the commitment that the couple has to each other. It is signed by two Jewish witnesses, neither of whom can be blood-related family members of the couple. We spoke with wedding experts to discuss three popular ceremony styles — legal, symbolic, and religious — and weigh the pros and cons of each. Keep reading to learn the intricacies of each ceremony style — and figure out which one may be right for you. Hawksworth says she and her partner did not contact this council soon enough – they “left that quite late” – so were only given two choices of times for when they could get married. As such, she advises contacting them as soon as you have had your marriage approved by your local council.

Maybe you’re the couple who’s hand-selected every hors d’oeuvres, main, side, dessert, and drink situation. Or, perhaps you just told the chef to “handle it” and called it a day. Either way, now is the time to stamp your approval on a completed menu that fits your budget, tastes, and timing. At this point, you’ve asked your caterer to talk through the most important planning questions. The tasting has become increasingly important as more and more couples choose to customize everything from their signature cocktails to their desserts.

Wedding Readings for Spring Weddings

Let’s hope you were able to control yourself scrolling through our DIY inspiration and only have a few projects to tackle at this point. Get to crafting—and make it anything but lame with good friends, good music, good food, and good breaks regularly. Bible verses are often an obvious choice here, but there are plenty of nonreligious options, too. If you’d prefer designated readers to choose their own, make sure to give them as much guidance as possible.

• Remember, it’s your day, and if you don’t feel like partying the whole night, you shouldn’t.
• At the second blessing, the couple is sanctified together in Kiddushin.
• It involves applying henna designs on the bride’s hands and feet, accompanied by lively music, dance, and laughter.
• However, a traditional statement of vows is also common in Christian wedding ceremonies.

Your guests – The more guests you have, the longer your ceremony might take, especially if you have a large wedding party. Creating an elaborate escort card display is such a fun way to include guests in your small-scale wedding. Opt for an arrangement with handwritten touches or use items that double as favors. Bonus points if you engrave the objects with your joint initials and wedding date, so your group will have a permanent reminder of your special day.