Jewish Weddings: Traditions Across the Movements

The elements most Jewish weddings share

Across the movements, a few symbols show up again and again:

• The chuppah — a canopy, often held on poles, representing the new home the couple is building together.
• The ketubah — a written marriage document, historically outlining the groom’s obligations to his bride, signed before the ceremony.
• Sheva brachot — the seven blessings recited under the chuppah, often shared among multiple family members or friends.
• Breaking the glass — a moment near the end of the ceremony, commonly understood to recall the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the idea that joy is tempered with awareness of the world’s brokenness.

How each of these is handled — the wording of the ketubah, who stands under the chuppah, who breaks the glass — is where the movements begin to differ.

Orthodox weddings

Orthodox weddings follow traditional halachic (Jewish legal) requirements closely: a ketubah in traditional Aramaic text, two kosher witnesses, and a ring given by the groom to the bride as part of the legal act of kiddushin (betrothal). Many Orthodox couples observe a period of separation before the wedding and the bride’s immersion in a mikvah (ritual bath). Orthodox authorities do not perform interfaith weddings, and same-sex marriage is not recognized within traditional halachic frameworks, though individual families and communities navigate these realities in their own ways.

Conservative weddings

Conservative weddings typically retain the traditional chuppah, ketubah, and sheva brachot, often with an egalitarian ketubah text and a double-ring ceremony where both partners exchange rings. Conservative rabbis, through their movement’s standards, have generally not officiated interfaith weddings, though this is an area of ongoing conversation within the movement. Conservative rabbis may officiate same-sex weddings, a practice that has grown since the movement’s leadership opened the door to it.

Reform weddings

Reform Judaism gives individual rabbis significant discretion, so ceremonies vary widely in how much traditional structure they keep. Egalitarian, double-ring ceremonies are the norm, ketubah texts are often personalized, and many Reform rabbis do officiate interfaith and same-sex weddings — though this is ultimately each rabbi’s individual decision rather than a single movement-wide mandate.

Reconstructionist weddings

Reconstructionist Judaism tends to emphasize personal meaning-making within a traditional framework, so couples often work closely with their rabbi to adapt or reinterpret customs — rewriting ketubah language, choosing which blessings to include, or designing a ceremony that reflects both partners’ backgrounds. Reconstructionist rabbis have generally been open to officiating interfaith and same-sex weddings.

Customs that cross movement lines

Some traditions — like the bedeken (veiling ceremony), a tisch (pre-ceremony gathering), or a mikvah visit — were once associated mainly with more traditional communities but have been embraced across the spectrum in recent years as couples look for ways to add depth and meaning to their celebration. It’s increasingly common to see a Reform or Reconstructionist couple choose a mikvah visit, or a Conservative couple hold a tisch, simply because it resonates with them personally — proof that these customs belong to the whole community, not to any one movement.

Planning the celebration itself

Once you and your officiant have worked out the ceremony, the planning shifts to logistics. Many couples start their vendor search in Jewish events listings to find caterers, photographers, and musicians who already understand the flow of a Jewish wedding — from the tisch through the chuppah to the horah. Out-of-town guests need somewhere to stay, and short-term rentals near the venue can make a wedding weekend far easier on family. Couples settling into their first home together often turn to real estate listings to find a place near the community they want to build their life in, and connecting with a synagogue or havurah through community explorer is a natural next step after the wedding itself.

Some families also mark the simcha with an act of chessed — donating leftover flowers or food, or supporting a couple starting out with fewer resources — and chessed listings can connect you with organizations doing that work locally. Wedding vendors, officiants, and planners are welcome to add a listing, and couples looking to hire can browse jobs and services for everyone from a calligrapher to a klezmer band.

When in doubt, ask

Because so much of Jewish wedding practice depends on the officiating rabbi, the couple’s own backgrounds, and local custom, the most reliable source of guidance is always the clergy member performing your ceremony. What’s described here is the general range of practice — your own wedding may reasonably differ from any single description above.

By the HeimishMart Community Desk — HeimishMart is the community marketplace for Jewish homes, jobs, and local life across North America.