Ceremony Sequence

Perhaps more than any other event in your life, your wedding ceremony serves as a public statement about what’s important to you. There is no “right” or “wrong” wedding ceremony.

Religious Ceremonies
Whereas the proclamation of marriage vows and declaration of marriage is a legal function in our country, the wedding ceremony has traditionally been a religious event.

If the two of you belong to the same congregation, your wedding may naturally be held at your place of worship. If you come from different religious backgrounds, you’ll both need to investigate your own feelings, as well as those of your families, before deciding on how to shape your ceremony. Talk to wedding officiants of each faith for ideas about including rites or traditions important to you both. If you arrive at a standstill with family or church officials, consider having your wedding on neutral ground, in a mansion, park, or at home. It may be possible to have officiants from both traditions perform your ceremony rites at your chosen location.

Civil Ceremonies
There are more civil-ceremony options available to couples than the simple courthouse weddings of the past. All Minnesota judges, retired judges, and court administrators are empowered to perform marriage ceremonies anywhere in the state. A ceremony performed by a judge can be formal or informal and will include all the necessary legalities in addition to whatever religious messages and music you wish. Or, it may be a purely secular ceremony with contemporary writings and your favorite music. It may be performed anywhere: at the judge’s home, in a mansion or reception hall, aboard a riverboat, or at the courthouse. In a formal setting, you might ask the judge to wear a judicial robe. Discuss your wishes with the judge in advance. As with clergy, expect to provide the judge a reasonable gratuity for his or her services.

Jewish Wedding Traditions
The Jewish wedding incorporates many traditional Jewish rituals, as well as traditions from the lands in which the Jewish people have lived.

The marriage ceremony takes place with the bride and groom under the Chuppah, a wedding canopy supported by four poles. The Ketubah is the legal marriage contract that specifies the responsibilities of the bride and groom. It is witnessed and signed and is often a work of art that hangs in the couple’s home. The seven blessings, called “Sheva B’rachot,” are said. These blessings thank God for the beauty of this moment and the splendor of life. The wedding ceremony concludes with the groom breaking a glass beneath his foot. This act is a reminder, even at a time of great joy, of the destruction of the temple in ancient Jerusalem and the subsequent suffering of the Jewish people. It is also a reminder that human relationships are fragile and must be treated with respect and love.