I think there might be some confusion regarding the custom of marrying
outside under the Huppah (Wedding Canopy) under which the bride and groom
are married. This custom can be traced back to biblical times and reminds
us of the tent ceremony to bring the bride into the grooms tent (Genesis
24.67). The Huppah is meant to symbolise the future home of the young couple.
It was (is) customary for weddings to take place in front of the synagogue
under the canopy of heaven. Some couples prefer to marry at nightfall in
order to see the stars.
I understand the custom of marrying outside is an Ashkenazi one and
Sephardic (Spanish & Portuguese) Jews do not follow this custom for reasons
of their history.
kind regards
Anita Benson
London UK
Sally Bruckheimer <sallybruc@...> wrote:
Since you have an invitation to the reception and not to the marriage
itself, my guess is that the marriage took place elsewhere. Niagara Falls,
Maryland, elopement to someplace away >from the parents' knowledge? If the
family were immigrants, the father of the bride would normally decide who
the groom would be; perhaps the bride and groom did not actually have the
father's blessing - until it was too late.
Jewish marriage custom is that it is a public, originally outdoor, ceremony,
hence the chuppah as a sunshade. The actual ketubah was a contract signed by
the husband and the father of the bride beforehand. The ceremony itself is
rather brief and would not be separate in time, at least, >from a reception.
What actually happened in this case is different....
Marie Lubman wrote:
I am looking for the marriage certificate for Isaac (Ike) ABRAHAMS and
Mary FISCHER. I have a copy of the invitation to their wedding reception as
well as the program book/dance card for the reception. The date was Dec 28,
1890...
Could it be that in the excitement of their marriage and it being right
before New Year's Eve, they forgot or never reported it? Would they have to
had request for a marriage license before getting the certificate (or is
this something they didn't do in the early days?)
MODERATOR NOTE: Discussion of Jewish customs is appropriate in this forum as
long as it is relevant to Jewish genealogy.
