Wedding Blog: BD**2 -1 (Part 2)

[gsabc]

We then met the event coordinator, who obviously had done this before (duh!) and led us through things with the skills of a drum major leading the band onto the field. The venue was being set up for this day's weddings, interesting for the decorations. One had place cards held by what looked like starfish. The other's cards were in small silvery frames with a big red bow on the corner. These looked pretty but pricey. Our standard cards were fine.

My mother and sister showed up partway through the rehearsal, along with the rest of Sis's family. These include the couple for the next family wedding, planned for next May. I made the mistake of commenting that their wedding may be the next time we see BD. This sets off the tears from GW. "Don't go there" becomes her mantra for the day.

We were shown where to walk outside to the patio where the chuppah and chairs would be set up, working around the tent set up for today's festivities there. Little did we know... Naturally, HS got the tough role. As the only usher, he had to march out with MotG, then go back and do the same with MotB, AKA GW, AKA Mom. I was actually a little confused, because the rabbi had given us a procession order, where to stand, and such, but the coordinator didn't ask for or mention it. Hey, she's the professional, what do I know? The only part left uncertain was where the ASL interpreter would stand. That would work itself out just beforehand, so no big deal.

Slightly bigger deal regarding the ceremony. BD has a ketubah, a Jewish marriage contract, which is supposed to be signed by the rabbi, bride and groom and two witnesses before the ceremony. If that's true, then FSIL will see BD in her gown at that time. Technically, the signing is the start of the ceremony, but GW is stitious ("I'm not superstitious, just stitious" - Ed Crankshaft) about the groom seeing the bride in her gown before the actual ceremony. I can't recall when we signed ours. It may have been afterwards. We're sweating the small stuff here.

A bit of trivia about the ketubah: historically, it's a wedding contract which requires the groom to pay the bride some amount, often large, if they divorce. It was a way for Jews to make sure that the groom is serious about the marriage, that divorced women have the wherewithal to survive in a partriarchal society, and to deliberately put up a barrier to divorce. The signed document was given to the bride, who would often give it to her mother for safekeeping. Who better to make sure that the alimony payment is made than the angry former mother-in-law? In modern times, it's more of an affirmation of the couple's love for and commitment to each other. This is the design BD chose: http://www.modernketubah.com/ketubahs.php?design=2. I don't remember which text they used - I think it was one of the interfaith ones listed - but it was in both Hebrew and English.

[Appa23]

LOL at GW's reaction to the bride and groom seeing each other before the ceremony.

We probably did an hour's worth of photos prior to our wedding. Fifteen years and going strong.

You mentioned many, many posts ago that neither BD not SIL were very religious. I am wondering if the ketubah, chuppah, and use of a rabbi signals that they decided to "try" Judaism as their shared faith.