Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

I am about done with all my vendors. So now all we have left is to order flowers , my dress, tuxs and gifts for the bridal party. So, we are starting to think, wow, do we really want to get lifted in the chair when they do the Hora, what are all of you doing? I am so afarid of hitting my head or falling out of the chair. Yikes!!! Maybe it is because we have a year and a half to go and too much time on our hands. Opinions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Re: Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

i am actually not jewish but FH is and i have a feeling no matter what i say, i'm getting lifted. one of my (many) wedding nightmares is falling off the chair and landing with my dress over my head! the last wedding i was at the bride did fall off the chair but she just kind of slid forward and didn't get hurt and was an extremely good sport about it. i plan to just hold on to the sides of the chair as tightly as i can until its over.

Re: Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

you don't have to get lifted if you don't want to! i got lifted at my bat mitzvah and it wasn't so bad. It's over before you know it!

Re: Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

It is kinda fun............even though I was screaming and wouldn't hold the napkin that my husband was waving at me. I was to busy holding on to the sides of the chair. My nonjewish husband got a kink out of it as did the whole wedding. Plus it got everybody up on the dance floor right away.

Re: Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit scary especially wearing a big wedding gown. The part that scares me the most is when you are supposed to hold the napkin with you new Husband. I am just hoping that the guys that lift me are strong and not drunk!!
I think that you will be so caught up in the moment that you won't feel any fear. However both sets of parents have expressed their desire to NOT be lifted up on the chairs.

Re: Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

LOL - great thread!

I have been lifted before at my brother's Bar Mitzvah and wedding and although I thought it was so much fun, all the pictures/video of me show pure terror!!!!!!!!! So I'm looking forward to it, but sure my face will show something completely different.

I can see being nervous about it though - my brother's MIL fell off! She was also dancing in the chair waaaaaaay too much, so lost her balance. But I don't really like her, so it was funny...(sorry my mean streak is showing)...good luck and have fun with it, just hold on!!!

Re: Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

I would opt for not being lifted, I have been to 2 Jewish weddings this year and both of them the Bride, only the Bride, fell off the chair. My fiance is Jewish and we will definately not be lifted!

Re: Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

I'm actually not Jewish -- but I've been to many weddings that featured the Hora --> in particular my friend and his wife are both small - so they were terrified they'd get launched through the ceiling. So the bride's mom told the reception hall that they had to have two chairs with arms on them for the Hora, figuring that they could hold on to the chair & not slide off as easy --> Well the hall ended up getting them two enormous wing chairs --> the men could barely get them off the ground!

Just a thought to bear in mind... Anyway, like I said, I'm not Jewish - but even as a 'Shiksa' (sp?) I can appreciate the tradition and I know that at the weddings I've been to - it really was a moment that really brought everyone together in celebration --> of course that's easy for me to say since my butt will stay firmly on the ground!

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Re: Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

Now I'm getting scared. I just assumed (stupidly) that no one ever fell. I may reconsider going up

Re: Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

Neither DH or I am Jewish, but his family is from Spain and there is a Spanish artist who does a Spanish version...and they pay it at all their parties and we get into a circle and play a simon says with his uncle....

so we did it at the wedding and I told the maitre d that we are not doing the chairs...but it could have been fun, just not part of our tradition...

I have never seen a bride fall, but I guess it would depend on who's lifting her...

Re: Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

Don't worry about it … I did it and had to go uop twice because we forget the Napkin. Just make sure the people who are lifting tilt the chair back very slighly…believe me it helps….My dad actually fell off but they really did not have him that far off the ground...It was fun.. and the pictures ares great...

Re: Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

I'm not Jewish, but my ex is. I've gone to lots of his family weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, and I've been up on that chair! I wasn't afraid, usually there are a bunch of guys holding you up so the odds are they won't drop you. It's actually a lot of fun (IMO).

Years ago, we were at a wedding where the groom bonked his head on the ceiling and cut himself. He had to leave the reception to get stitches! Fortunately, the hospital was nearby and they took him right away so he was able to the wedding with plenty of time to celebrate. After that we all learned it helps to raise your hands/arms over your head when they are lifting you so your hands hit the ceiling before your head!!

Enjoy. I think it's a fun tradition. The dance floor is always packed for this-and nothing beats seeing great aunt Sally up in the air!!!

Re: Jewish Brides... Are you afraid to be lifted in the chair?

Interfaith bride here... DH is Jewish. The Hora was on my Do Not Play List!!

I absolutely refused to get up on a chair!! Fortunately, my DH understood and didn't push it!! Quite frankly, I'm no lightweight and unless they had a 6-legged chair w/ a seatbelt I wasn't gonna do it!

The thought of it, over 10 months later still cracks me up!! Oh Lordy, my family would have been laughing for years.

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Re: I think it's hysterical!

Pepper -
LOL!!!!!!!!

Re: I think it's hysterical!

Well, I went up in the chair -- it was a big crowd pleaser although I was terrified well in advance of the wedding as well. My husband had the napkin held up, but there was no way I was letting go of the bottom of the chair!!!