centerpieces with lanterns, wood boxes, and... some kind of organic matter
more by GorgesViola
sticky invitation (and ketubah) wording situation
Chuppah building recipe!
more in Jewish
Jewish bride introductions!
Is it impolite... ?
more in Boards
Anyone heard of Duff Green Mansion? Vicksburg MS

Rehearsals, dinners, all that

posted 4 years ago in Jewish
  •  
    1.
    Member Icon
    Member
    348 posts
    Helper bee
    GorgesViola    10/26/08   Ithaca, NY

    Hi all,

    I know that traditionally there's no rehearsal for a Jewish wedding since the bride and groom aren't supposed to see each other. In the case of my brother and sister-in-law, this turned the pre-ceremony time into something of a comedy of errors (including the bedeken, because I was inside the space trying to set up with the other musicians). No one told me where to be at any point that day, and this was a problem since I was both a BM and playing some of the ceremony music...

    So because of that experience, and because I'm a control freak :-D, I really want things to be organized and calm the day of our wedding, even though we might have a DOC. I *especially* would like everyone involved feeling like they know what's going on and aren't just winging it. We're planning to spend the evening together the night before and have a rehearsal dinner, but the rabbi won't be there until an hour or two before the ceremony to sign the ketubah, talk through things, etc. Does anyone have any ideas of how to have a mini-rehearsal the night before? Our rehearsal dinner is going to be pretty big with many more than just wedding party and family, so I don't know if doing it in the rehearsal dinner space is ideal. Thanks in advance for your help!

     
    2.
    Member Icon
    Member
    6 posts
    Newbee
    morah      

    When my brother and sister-in-law got married, the rehearsal was something like an hour before the ceremony and (with the help of the DOC) the ceremony went off without a hitch.  Who's standing under the chuppah with you?  At my bros' (and at mine coming up), just the bride, groom, parents and rabbi stood under the chuppah.  With no one getting up to do any readings and with the bridal party processing then going straight to their seats in the front row, there really wasn't much choreography to the ceremony at all, so it was pretty easy.

    Maybe just typing up a list of the order of things for everyone and having a little chat with all involved the evening before would set your (and their) minds at ease?  

    I feel you on the control freak thing :)   

     

     
    3.
    Member
    363 posts
    Helper bee
    EK    October 12, 2008   Seattle, WA

    We're planning to do a quick rehearsal (without the Rabbi) on Friday afternoon and then having Shabbat dinner with just those involved in the ceremony.  The Saturday before will be the uf ruf and a lunch for family and we're not having a big rehearsal dinner.

    I'm sure you can just do a quick rehearsal on Friday afternoon if everyone is available, or Saturday before the rehearsal dinner.  Good luck! 

     
    4.
    Member Icon
    Member
    348 posts
    Helper bee
    GorgesViola    10/26/08   Ithaca, NY

    Thanks for the ideas! Morah, that sounds perfect and exactly what I would have wanted at my brother's wedding. Maybe I'll make a "cheat sheet" little notecard that they can keep in their pockets/purses so everyone knows their specific duties.

    I'm not sure yet about the chuppah - Mr.GV's family is out of the picture, so I feel weird with just my parents being up there, but I also had imagined that our wedding party would stand during the ceremony. But now that I think about it, it would be weird for our friends to be up there and not my parents. Hmm...

     
    5.
    Member
    2,466 posts
    Buzzing bee
    Janna19    June 7, 2008   New York

    The manager at our venue (and our day of coordinator) are running the rehearsal with us!  You can do a lot without the rabbi present

    Attachments

    1. Rehearsals, dinners, all that :  wedding rehearsal rehearsal dinner Img DSC02996_-_Copy.JPG (29.3 KB, 69 downloads) 2 years old
    2. Rehearsals, dinners, all that :  wedding rehearsal rehearsal dinner Img frontdetails.jpg (33.2 KB, 63 downloads) 2 years old
     
    6.
    Member Icon
    Member
    1,315 posts
    Bumble bee
    rebecca    September 13, 2008  

    Yep, our DOC is running the rehearsal for us. In fact, I'm not even sure we'll invite the officiant to the rehearsal dinner, given that she won't be running the rehearsal. That just seems strange for her to come all that way and not do the rehearsal (she doesn't do rehearsals). I would let your DOC walk you through it, if she's done a Jewish wedding before.

    Attachments

    1. Rehearsals, dinners, all that :  wedding rehearsal rehearsal dinner Img CIMG1401.JPG (54.7 KB, 90 downloads) 2 years old
    2. Rehearsals, dinners, all that :  wedding rehearsal rehearsal dinner Img CIMG1399.JPG (41.8 KB, 74 downloads) 2 years old
    3. Rehearsals, dinners, all that :  wedding rehearsal rehearsal dinner Img CIMG1396.JPG (41.8 KB, 75 downloads) 2 years old
    4. Rehearsals, dinners, all that :  wedding rehearsal rehearsal dinner Img CIMG1400.JPG (54 KB, 82 downloads) 2 years old
    5. Rehearsals, dinners, all that :  wedding rehearsal rehearsal dinner Img CIMG1403.JPG (59.3 KB, 72 downloads) 2 years old
    6. Rehearsals, dinners, all that :  wedding rehearsal rehearsal dinner Img CIMG1402.JPG (59.6 KB, 75 downloads) 2 years old
     
    7.
    Member Icon
    Member
    65 posts
    Worker bee
    akimbo      

    I feel you on the confusion about how to time things.  I love the tradition of not seeing my fiance the night before the wedding, so we are going to try to have a rehearsal during the day at our ceremony site, then a rehearsal luncheon with family and out of town guests.  In the evening we will separate until we see each other at our ketubbah signing the day of our wedding!

     
    8.
    Member Icon
    Member
    294 posts
    Helper bee
    ju1244    11/1/08   New York City

    My Rabbi is not coming to my rehearsal only because he is in such high demand!  I am meeting with him beforehand, we are making a play book and we will rehearse from it, Anything else you are asking for trouble!  PS the tradition of not seeing a fiancee the night before is not a jewish one!  

     
    9.
    Member Icon
    Member
    348 posts
    Helper bee
    GorgesViola    10/26/08   Ithaca, NY

    ju1244 - it's a Jewish custom (mostly only followed in Orthodox circles these days, though sometimes by others) to spend the entire week before the wedding apart. I can't imagine! But my brother and SIL, who are Orthodox, did and were "allowed" to talk on the phone and e-mail, I think. So traditionally there's no rehearsal that includes both the bride and groom... I've seen people do it with a stand-in for one of the two (usually the groom).

     
    10.
    Member Icon
    Member
    177 posts
    Blushing bee
    yiska    September 14th, 2008   Minnesota

    I believe it's an Ashkenazi custom to spend the week apart--Sephardim sometimes arrive at the wedding together. 

     
    11.
    Member Icon
    Member
    294 posts
    Helper bee
    ju1244    11/1/08   New York City

    To GorgesViola I think we are confusing "jewish custom"  "commanded to do so" in the Torah, Yes my rabbi talked to me about he and his wife being in the same room and people the whole night saying oh look this way or oh dont look that way.  Sounds like a lot of fun but not going to happen for me.  Anyway Orthodoxy is not the gold standard-I tell myself that almost every day.

     

    Reply

    You must log in to post.





    Visit our sister sites eHarmony
    Online Dating
    eHarmony Advice
    Dating Advice
    Project Wedding
    Wedding Songs
    JustMommies
    Pregnancy Calendar
    Copyright 2004-2012, Weddingbee.com
     

    Find your vendors on Weddingbee

    Real reviews from brides in your area!

    Favors by Weddingbee

    • Favors by season

    Shop Now ยป

    Find Registry Find Registry Find Registry

    More
    User Posts Today
    MissBoPeep 89
    beargoose 54
    hisgoosiegirl 51
    ndreighton 51
    Mrs.KMM 46
    BetterSherm 42
    akp0702 41
    stardustintheeyes 36
    Beckster329 36
    MrsPom 35

    Jewish

    User Posts Today
    hermitcrab 2
    Petite_Fraise 1
    More