A chuppah is a marriage canopy that is meant to represent the new home the bride and groom are building together. It is characterized by four open sides that symbolize welcoming hospitality and the inclusion of their community into their lives.

As the ceremony comes to an end, the groom will be asked to step on a glass and shatter it. The breaking of the glass is a pivotal ritual in Jewish weddings known to hold multiple meanings. The most notable is that it commemorates the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and acknowledges that joy should always be tempered with remembrance. The act also serves as a reminder that relationships can be fragile, and it is important to handle one another's feelings with care. A third interpretation of the tradition is that it demonstrates that throughout a marriage, there will often be sorrow as well as joy, thus the breaking of the glass is a show of commitment to stand by one another even in hard times. The cloth holding the shards of glass is collected after the ceremony, and many couples choose to have it incorporated into some sort of memento of their wedding day.

Shouting "Mazel tov!" is one of the most well-known Jewish wedding rituals. Once the ceremony is over and the glass is broken, you will hear guests cheer "Mazel tov!" Mazel tov has a similar meaning "good luck" or "congratulations." The direct translation is actually closer to wishing the couple the very best best for the future. There's no better time to say "mazel tov" than at the end of the wedding ceremony or during the celebration itself!

The Hora is a high-energy, traditional circle dance performed at Jewish wedding receptions to celebrate the union of the new couple. It is set to a lively, Klezmer-style folk song, Hava Nagila which translates into let's rejoice and be happy. All guests are invited to form concentric circles on the dance floor and perform the dance by stepping to the left or right (depending on which way your circle is moving - they often alternate by circle) then moving the opposite leg behind the first and continuing this pattern in crisscross steps in a fast, joyous motion. The couple is invited to the center of the innermost circle and raised upon chairs while they connect with one another holding a handkerchief signifying their union. Once the bride and groom are lowered down, immediate family members, the bridal party and friends often come together to spin one another around in celebration.