Guide to Wedding Ceremonies for Interfaith Couples

The links in the outline below will lead you to information about the various ceremony components and what they mean.

Modern-day Interfaith-Jewish Wedding Order

This can be adapted to your preferences, your officiant's or officiants' needs or family preference.

1. Signing of the Ketubah prior to the huppah ceremony, usually half an hour or so before the scheduled wedding start time. Or during the ceremony.
2. Huppah Ceremony
   1. Processional
   2. Circling
   3. Acknowledgement of Different Faiths
      1. Blessing Over the Wine
      2. Shehecheyanu
      3. Blessing over Huppah
   4. Poems, Prayers and/or Reading
   5. Reading of the Ketubah
   6. Unity Candle
   7. Exchange of Vows
   8. Ring Exchange
   9. Seven Blessings
   10. Benediction
   11. Breaking the Glass
   12. The Kiss! (THIS ONE IS UP TO YOU!)
   13. "MAZEL TOV!"
   14. Recessional
3. Yichud
4. Wedding party--Typically includes blessing over bread and blessing over wine offered by family and friends, as well as the wedding couple and their parents being lifted up in chairs, a Hora dance and possibly a Mezinke dance.

Other Information

• Sample Rituals
• Tips for Inclusive Wedding Ceremonies
• What Makes a Wedding Jewish?
• Timing and Location of a Jewish Wedding
• Jewish Wedding Dress: Special Concerns
• Finding a Rabbi or Cantor to Officiate at an Interfaith Wedding
• Key Differences Between a Jewish and Christian Wedding
• Common Ground for Jewish-Christian Weddings
• Potential Obstacles in Planning a Jewish-Christian Wedding Ceremony
• Seven Questions to Consider Before Meeting With Your Interfaith Officiant
• Recommended Books
• Acknowledgements

The Guide to Wedding Ceremonies for Interfaith Couples is also available in PDF and Word formats.