Jewish Wedding Music Questions

My FI and I are Jewish, but have not been that religious in recent years. We are having a traditional Jewish ceremony.

For the reception, I would like to have a short Hora and just my FI and I lifted on chairs. My FI and FIL's want to minimize all the Jewish traditional songs and dances because they think these seem either corny or commercialized. I am not mad at them, it's just their way of thinking. In any event, we compromised on doing just a little something.

Just to help me out, I would like to know what everyone else is doing. What Jewish songs and dances are you having? Are you doing a shortened version of the hora? Any chair lifting? Thanks for your help.

I am not religious, but I love that part of the reception so I am having as much of it as I can take. Also, both of us are the last children in our families to get married, and also the oldest in each family (which is strange) so we are having what is called a mazincah. actually it is considered a double mazincah.

This is when the parents wear funny wreaths on their heads and sit in chairs and all the guests congratulate them while music is playing in the background. I know that it sounds corny, but I saw it at my sister's wedding for the first time, when her in laws did it because her husband was the last to get married in their family. It was so cute and kind of touching.

We are also not religious people and our ceremony will have as little hebrew as possible, however every Jewish tradition we can think of will be carried out as much as possible. But not overboard. We are the kind of family that is Jewish by tradition but not really becasuse we are so into the whole religious thing.

I thnk it should be what you are all able to be comfortable with. If you are able to compromise on something then that is what you should do....and choose your battles carefully. I compromised on not having a temple wedding and my mother compromised by having any kind of food at the cocktail hour, but no shellfish etc, at the reception. We think it is silly but it makes her feel better and she is the one who is paying!

we are going to have a hora w/ chair lifting and a mezinke (fh is an only child, thus he his is the last child to get married...)

a hora and the chair liftings are expected and customary at a jewish wedding.
it is about celebrating u and your dh as husband and wife

you can ask your dj (or band) to not play a long version of the dance.

a mezinke is not necessary if your parents dont want to do one, or if neither of u are the last child to get married.

there is another one called the krenzel for the mother of the last daughter to get married, but hardly anyone but very traditional jews do this one.

we are doing the blessing of the challa (spelling is wrong I know) bread and the hora and the chair liftings
thats all

We did a 10 minute version of the Hora..def ask your Dj/band what they recommend. I'm sure they have it down.

If you really want it, you should have it. We are also not really religious but we were married in a conservative temple.

We did the hora in the beginning of the party to kick off the celebration.

We had both a Rabbi and Cantor officiate, so our Cantor sang the Sheva Bracha. Other than that, our ceremony music was secular and contemporary.

Our reception had a nice Horah (talk to your DJ or band, they'll take good care of you), and the blessings over the Challah and wine. No mazinke, even though I'm an only child. That was because my parents didn't think it was such an accomplishment to marry off one daughter.

I am having the Hora and mezinke. We are both the last children to be married off.

It's funny, the closer I get to the wedding..the more religious it becomes!