Interfaith ceremony- need some Jewish help!

weddingbells2010

Hi Ladies!I am having an interfaith ceremony with a deacon and a rabbi.  My fiance is Christian, and I was raised "ambiguously"- my mom is catholic and my dad jewish, but kind of liberal and we sort of just "celebrate" holidays by having family time... so I'm not fully educated on some jewish customs and traditions.I was wondering what things I can do to incorporiate some judaism into our ceremony.  If I understand correctly, breaking the glass is something the groom usually does- if he is not jewish, is it still appropriate?  Also, in catholic ceremonies, friends or family members typically read a passage related to marraige from the bible.  We'll obviously choose from the Old Testament, and the rabbi has offered to help our readers select something appropriate for both faiths... what else can I do?Thanks for the advice!

october010bride

Yep, its fine is the groom breaks the glass. You could also have the rabbi read the 7 blessings, or maybe one of your readers read them. The 7 blessings are an integral part of any Jewish ceremony. Here's an english translation: [A] and [B] I now bless you with these traditional blessings.(Hebrew before English for each blessing)Blessed are you, God, who created life.Blessed are you, God, who created loving people.Blessed are you, God, who unites loving couples.Bless these two who stand before you as you blessed the first couple in the Garden of Eden.Blessed are you, God, who grants the joy of marriage.May we all see the day when the world will echo with the sounds of feasting and singing. Praised is love, blessed be this union. This cup of wine is symbolic of the cup of life. As you share this cup of wine, you promise to share all that the future may bring. As you drink from this cup, so may you draw contentment, comfort and happiness from your own cup of life. May you find life's joys heightened, its bitterness sweetened, and all things hallowed by true respect, companionship and love.Also, I recommend talking to the rabbi and see what he says. Since he's officiating your ceremony I assume he does interfaith ceremony's frequently so he might have some nice suggestions.

october010bride

Oops, that posted too soon. Sorry about the typos! Ceremonies... not cermony's. haha, not sure why the angel face and beer mug came up.... so weird!

2dBride

You might want to check out [url=http://sites.google.com/site/2dbride/ceremony/ceremony-text]our ceremony text[/url].  Although ours is being conducted by a rabbi, my FI is not a member of any religion and was brought up with the traditions of the Church of England being her idea of a wedding.  The service therefore avoids any specific sectarian references.

heatherjsmith

Check www.interfaithfamily.com - they have a great wedding guide for interfaith weddings. The link to the guide is http://www.interfaithfamily.com/life_cycle/weddings/Sample_Ceremony_Structure.shtml Best of luck!