Everyone's seen the wedding in Fiddler on the Roof, right? (If you haven't, please remedy that ASAP. It's fabulous.) Motel and Tzeitel, friends from childhood finally fulfilling their promise to each other as they walk down the dirt streets of their impoverished little town to the lace canopy where they exchange a cup of wine & a ring, and listen to the rabbi while their parents sing a lament over how fast their children grew up and how sad it is and her sister and her crazy boyfriend wonder when it will be their turn (if it ever will be). And then everyone goes to the party where random guys dance with wine bottles on their heads, Tzeitel's ex-fiancé, the butcher, gives them a paltry gift (I could have said "poultry" but I spared you; IYKYK), and Tevye gets into a fight with him, and then couples dance together to the horror of traditionalists in the crowd. (And then everyone's homes get burned down by the anti-Semites from the other side of Anatevka.) You get the picture.

Well, that's all you need to know!

I'm kidding. For the most part, anyway. You're still wondering what on earth a Jewish wedding entails and strangely feeling the desire to sing about what you'd do if you were a rich man, so here are some answers. (About the wedding. I can't help you with your financial situations; that's a you problem, my friend.)

A Jewish wedding begins with signing what's called a ketubah, a binding document (NOT a bill of sale), which outlines the primary obligations of the groom to provide for, protect, and love his wife, in addition to other framework for the marriage. The bride must agree with the conditions in the document in order for the wedding to proceed; once she agrees, it's signed by the couple and two witnesses. The ketubah shows that the marriage is more than just a physical-spiritual union, but a legal and moral commitment as well.

The wedding continues with the bedeken, or veiling of the bride; this is essentially the equivalent of a first look in American weddings.

The groom is escorted to the bride (surrounded by her mother, mother-in-law, sisters, friends, etc.) by his father, father-in-law, brothers, friends, etc., usually to a traditional joyful tune. Upon reaching his bride, the groom offers a short blessing over her before veiling her face.

There are several different explanations for the tradition of the groom performing the veiling: to avoid a Jacob-Leah-Rachel situation (see Genesis 29); to show that he does not love the bride for only her outward appearance, but for her inner beauty (her character) as well; or to signify that even as they become one, they are still two distinct individuals.

After the bride has been veiled, the ceremony under the chuppah (the canopy) begins. The bride and groom are escorted in by both of their parents, the groom first, then the bride, so that the groom may greet his bride and bring her under the chuppah.

The chuppah represents many things in Jewish tradition. Our favorite symbolism is that it represents our new house, and therefore the new family we are creating.

The top is covered by a very large tallit (a prayer shawl), and the sides are open to demonstrate the couple's willingness to establish a home that is always open to guests.

Upon entering the chuppah, the bride begins to circle the groom seven times, often accompanied by both mothers.

in Judaism, the number seven signifies completion, referencing creation, when God declared His work complete on the seventh day. Since the wedding ceremony can be seen as a reenactment of creation, the seven circles are a beautiful depiction of the completion that occurs when the soulmates under the chuppah are bound together for eternity. "Just as the seventh day of creation was the Sabbath, the completion of the world, so do the seven circles signify the couple's completed quest for each other." - Chabad.org

The seven circles bring to mind the seven times Joshua and the Israelites circled Jericho before the walls surrounding the city crumbled, and they were able to capture it. In this same way, once the bride has completed the seven circles, all barriers between the couple are destroyed and their souls can be united.

There are two main parts of a Jewish wedding ceremony, the Erusin (betrothal) and the Nisuin (ceremony; we'll discuss this in a moment).

During the Erusin, the couple shares the first glass of wine. Wine is included as an allusion to Psalm 104:15, "...wine to cheer a man's heart..."; in Judaism, the occasions associated with joy (such as a wedding, the Sabbath, and the dedication of a baby) are all accompanied by a ceremonial cup of wine. Once the wine has been drunk by the couple, (the groom first, then the bride), the groom presents the bride with her ring.

The ring, representing the ancient custom of a bride price, has no stones, is made of only plain metal, and is owned by the groom. This way, the bride and the witnesses can see clearly the worth of the ring, proving that the groom is honest and integrous. After saying, "Behold you are consecrated to me by this ring in accordance with the law of Moses and of Israel.", the groom places the ring on the bride's index finger, and the first part of the ceremony is complete.

To differentiate between the betrothal and the ceremony, the ketubah is read aloud, handed to the bride, then placed in a safe place for the duration of the ceremony. (And often displayed during the reception as well.)

The ceremony then continues with the recitation of the Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings), usually given by family members or close friends, over a second cup of wine. Once the bride and groom have consumed the wine, a cloth-wrapped glass is placed under the groom's right foot. The groom stomps, shattering the glass among the crowd's shouts of "Mazel Tov".

The glass is included in the ceremony for a few different reasons, one of which is to remind everyone that even at the height of one's personal joy, one must still remember Jerusalem and her destruction, and long for the imminent return there. There is also a metaphor that the breaking of the glass represents the finality of the bond that has just been established. Just as broken glass is unable to be reconstructed, so too, we pray that this marriage lasts forever.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom make their way to a private room (yichud translates to "seclusion") for a few minutes of alone time; for some couples, this is the first time they've ever been alone together. Once the appropriate amount of time has passed, the couple rejoins the guests, and it's party time!