Bedeken- The Medieval Jewish version of the “first look” tradition. Right before the Ketubah (the marriage contract) is signed and the ceremony begins, the groom sees his bride for the first time, traditionally with a lot of singing and dancing. The folklore behind the Bedeken is thought to be the biblical story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. In the story, Jacob is tricked into marrying Leah instead of her sister Rachel, due to the bridal veil concealing Leah’s identity.

The Bedeken is actually an ashkenazi tradition dating back to somewhere between the 12th and 15th century. Bedeken is a yiddish word, meaning “to veil”, or “to cover”. In more orthodox communities, the groom enters the room accompanied by all the men, who are singing and dancing enthusiastically, and places the veil on the bride himself so he can be certain that he is marrying the woman he intended to marry.

Our Bedeken- Sabrina, who is only partly Ashkenzi, always assumed the word Bedeken came from the Hebrew root word, Badak- to check or examine; as the ritual is essentially about the groom checking to make sure the bride didn’t get switched out for her sister right before the ceremony. David will enter the room, with his whole cohort, not just the men, and he will lift the veil to make sure Sabrina is the one wearing it. This is their first look at each other. Sabrina and David will then depart, with their witnesses and Rabbis, to sign the Ketubah and the guests will go get seated for the ceremony.

The Ketubah- The Jewish marriage contract. The couple is not officially married until it is signed, and not legally married in a court of Jewish law unless it is signed. Almost all other parts of the Jewish wedding are simply tradition, but the contract is a must. The Ketubah is written in Aramaic and traditionally outlines a husband’s obligations to his wife.

The Sheva Brachot (the 7 blessings)-

The Sheva Brachot are a set of traditional Jewish blessings recited under the chuppah (wedding canopy) and often repeated during meals throughout the week after the wedding. These blessings celebrate love, joy, the creation of humanity, and the couple’s future together. They connect the personal union of the bride and groom to the wider themes of community, continuity, and spiritual meaning in Jewish life. Even for those not familiar with the tradition, they are heartfelt expressions of hope and happiness shared with the couple.