The pandemic has caused significant changes. Pesach is very different, services are being streamed, and Seder is a serious departure from the norm. Weddings too are being rescheduled with our expectations changing every day.
We’re proud to help those of you who have had to reschedule weddings. We are offering to reprint your ketubah free of charge with the new date. If your wedding date is uncertain, you can put your ketubah order on hold until you have a date. We hope these options help minimize your stress right now.
If rescheduling is not an option and you see this as an opportunity to get creative and let love in during dark times, there is a potential solution for you. This may sound outlandish, but you could consider a home wedding during these indifferent times. It’s small, intimate, and not unheard of—in fact, home weddings could become quite a common trend in the immediate future. Infact, the wave is already upon us!
The Home Ceremony
It’s true that you can’t have the guest list, or reception, or much of what we expect in a typical Jewish wedding. However, we consulted a Rabbi who explained that, as these are dire times, there is a permissible way to conduct a wedding with only two witnesses. (Full Statement Here)
A minimized wedding still consists of the bedeken, chuppah ceremony, and Sheva Brachot. Naturally, there’s less togetherness after the ceremony, but it can be done. The ketubah can be signed before the bedeken, read at the chuppah, and the groom can then hand it to the bride. We also recommend you don’t worry about framing your ketubah until after the pandemic is over.
You will have to be creative about how to get friends and loved ones involved. You could register and pay with Zoom to remove their time limit on a session, or you could record the ceremony so your family can watch it at their own pace. During times like this we see the creative types coming to the fore. Of course your safety and the safety of those around you is always the priority, but on social media we are seeing heartwarming videos of spouses holding signs outside their partners hospital window. We are seeing driveby celebrations for sick kids who are celebrating their birthdays. We are going to our balconies and standing on the streets to cheer on our health care workers. If you want to marry the love of your life, you can do so in the comfort of your own home! Just follow the important safety precautions and abide by our rabbis instructions.
A Very Contemporary Wedding
We wanted to feature a beautiful bride and groom who tied the knot recently in an intimate ceremony at their home. Showcased by Smashing The Glass, the couple had planned a full-sized wedding and needed to change it within 10 days as the pandemic got underway.
“We simplified. Moved the ceremony to one of the most sacred places we know- my mother’s garden”
What they ultimately created was a micro-wedding. They cut their guest list from 120 to just 8. They recorded the whole ceremony for friends and family, and Facetimed with their siblings afterwards. Every couple dreams of a perfect day that they will never forget, it certainly seems as though this will be something to tell their grandchildren about and we just love the fact that they couldn’t go another minute without being Mr & Mrs. They chose Temma Gentles’ lovely Gingko Spiral ketubah. Great choice, and mazel tov!
Adjusting to New Realities
If nothing else, the example above shows that love can transcend difficult times, and that it can overcome any limitation. Ultimately, the greatest beauty of a wedding is the love it celebrates, and though it’s not easy to downsize, it is still a possibility.
Of course for the majority of you rescheduling is the best option and as previously discussed we are here to help with our various initiatives. But we just wanted to shed light on something a little special that might inspire some of our readers.
We also want to pay homage to other businesses, such as SkreenAdz, who are also adjusting their services and helping out with fundraising efforts to respond to the ongoing pandemic. A New York based wedding service provider, Events360ny, is going the extra mile to help innovate and provide tips for couples who would like to marry in their home.
Finally, Chag Pesach Sameach! Wishing everyone a joyous Passover from our family to yours!
