How to include Jewish Heritage in Wedding?

I'm (mostly) Italian and FH is Jewish. I joke that without even trying to we're throwing 'My Big Fat ____ Wedding' (Where the blank is another word that starts with G, but means Italian, not Greek).

We're getting married at a really Italian place, the food is Italian, the favors will probably be something kind of Italian related..we've kicked around spoon rests that say 'Cucina Italiana' on them, Espresso sets, and vino, etc etc.

FH joked 'I don't want them to think I'm converting to Italian!'

We're doing an interfaith ceremony. We will have a ketubah which will be displayed at the RH, we plan to do the Jewish blessings over bread./wine at the reception and of course, the hora.

Are there other ways to include Jewish heritage in the wedding?

Are there any Jewish hymns or songs that are good to include in the ceremony?

THanks!

You are actually doing some really great things.

For the ceremony you can do some simle things:

You always have wine as part of the ceremony. If you are not getting amrried by a Rabbi skip this.

You can get married under a chuppah. Thats ANY kind of covering over your heads to indicate your new home together. This can be simole of elaborate. We are using my grandfathers Tallis (prayer shawl) as our Chuppah.

Also, it is jewish tradition to use a plain gold band for the wedding ceremony placed on your left pointing finger. The ring should have NO holes or jewles in it. This represents a whole life together (there are many interpretations)

But the BIG one is having your DH break a glass at the end. THAT would be the best way to incorporate his Jewish heratage.

You can also order Yarmulkes with your anmes and wedding date for the ceremony. The Jewish side would really apprecaite that.

During the reception you have it down. Hora, blessing over wine and bread, and lift on chairs.

FM me with any questions. I am having a very traditional jewish ceremony.

Thanks!

We are going to do the wine, I think..maybe? I don't know.

Instead of a huppah, we're going to use Doug's dad's tallis for part of the ceremony.

And we're going to have the yarmulkes as well, and the breaking glass. Such an iconic moment!

how bout dancing the hora at the reception?

We have the same issues. We are trying to combine both traditions too. We are having a chuppah and sharing the cup of wine, and of course breaking the glass but we are also looking at different readings/prayers to add. I found a great website: http://www.interfaithfamily.com/life_cycle/weddings.shtml
They have a bunch of sample ceremonies and information.
HTH!
ps We actually got our DJ to do a mix of the hora and tarantella.

DH is Roman Catholic (and Italian) and I was raised Jewish (my dad is Roman Catholic though - and comes from a BIG Italian family). My Jewish heritiage is VERY important to my mom and I didn't want to over look it of course. We did a couple things during the ceremony for both sides to incoproate throughout the day both backgrounds.

The the ceremony:

-We had a chuppah
-both my parents walked me down the aisle (you can ask FH if he wants his parents to walk him down the aisle)
-We had Yamakahs
-DH broke the glass
-We played Ave Maria
-We did the unity candle

The reception:

-We did the Hora
-We did the Tarentella

The RH was VERY Italian with atmosphere, food, decor, etc but we didn't go too much into the religion. We didn't want to confuse the guests, as well as stop to do something for the Italians and then stop to do something for the Jewish guests and back and forth. I think you have it pretty good with everything, no need to add anything else, unless he wants to walk down the aisle.

Check out this site for the glass, we will be getting one of these instead of using a light bulb!
http://www.judaism.com/search.asp?nt=CLCO&sctn=622&startPlace=0

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Posted by ourwedding9510

DH is Roman Catholic (and Italian) and I was raised Jewish (my dad is Roman Catholic though - and comes from a BIG Italian family). My Jewish heritiage is VERY important to my mom and I didn't want to over look it of course. We did a couple things during the ceremony for both sides to incoproate throughout the day both backgrounds.

The the ceremony:

-We had a chuppah
-both my parents walked me down the aisle (you can ask FH if he wants his parents to walk him down the aisle)
-We had Yamakahs
-DH broke the glass
-We played Ave Maria
-We did the unity candle

The reception:

-We did the Hora
-We did the Tarentella

The RH was VERY Italian with atmosphere, food, decor, etc but we didn't go too much into the religion. We didn't want to confuse the guests, as well as stop to do something for the Italians and then stop to do something for the Jewish guests and back and forth. I think you have it pretty good with everything, no need to add anything else, unless he wants to walk down the aisle.

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When during the ceremony do you play ave maria? I am jewish, FH is catholic...i think this will be nice to do.

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Posted by JaneMC

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Posted by ourwedding9510

DH is Roman Catholic (and Italian) and I was raised Jewish (my dad is Roman Catholic though - and comes from a BIG Italian family). My Jewish heritiage is VERY important to my mom and I didn't want to over look it of course. We did a couple things during the ceremony for both sides to incoproate throughout the day both backgrounds.

The the ceremony:

-We had a chuppah
-both my parents walked me down the aisle (you can ask FH if he wants his parents to walk him down the aisle)
-We had Yamakahs
-DH broke the glass
-We played Ave Maria
-We did the unity candle

The reception:

-We did the Hora
-We did the Tarentella

The RH was VERY Italian with atmosphere, food, decor, etc but we didn't go too much into the religion. We didn't want to confuse the guests, as well as stop to do something for the Italians and then stop to do something for the Jewish guests and back and forth. I think you have it pretty good with everything, no need to add anything else, unless he wants to walk down the aisle.

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When during the ceremony do you play ave maria? I am jewish, FH is catholic...i think this will be nice to do.

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I've seen this done when the bride brings flowers to Mary and flowers to the moms

Commonly included in Jewish weddings is a line from Song of Solomon:

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.

Some jewish couples incorporate this line into their vows.

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Posted by Nic814

Commonly included in Jewish weddings is a line from Song of Solomon:

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.

Some jewish couples incorporate this line into their vows.

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We are including this too, just not sure where yet!

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Posted by christine12

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Posted by Nic814

Commonly included in Jewish weddings is a line from Song of Solomon:

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.

Some jewish couples incorporate this line into their vows.

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We are including this too, just not sure where yet!

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Some people use this for the ring exchange isntead of in addition to the haray aht

Sorry, I am only seeing this now.

We did a poem about marriage and then we did a lighting of the unity candle because we liked the symbolizism of it. During the unity-candle lighting we played Ave Maria. It was a very nice ceremony and incorporated both religions.