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A Jewish wedding often begins with the engagement, with the signing of tenaim or a celebration called a "vort" in some communities. Before the wedding, the bride goes to the mikveh.
On the day, the couple stands under the chuppah, a symbol of the home they will build. The groom gives the bride a ring, the ketubah (marriage contract) is read, and seven blessings, the sheva brachot, are recited.
The ceremony ends with breaking a glass in memory of the destruction of the Temple, followed by the celebration. During the following week, sheva brachot meals honor the newlyweds.
In a shidduch, the path to marriage is often shorter and more structured than in an ordinary relationship. After a few dates, both people usually know whether their values, level of practice and life plans align. Then come meeting the families, the decision to get engaged (a vort or tena'im depending on tradition) and planning the wedding itself.
This pace is not imposed: everyone moves at their own speed. But because both people are explicitly looking to marry, there is far less of the uncertainty that surrounds relationships “going nowhere”.
A Jewish wedding takes place under the chuppah, the canopy symbolizing the future home. The ketubah, the marriage contract written in Aramaic, is read and given to the bride; the groom places the ring on her finger with the traditional formula, and the seven blessings (sheva brachot) are recited. The ceremony ends with the breaking of a glass in memory of the destruction of the Temple.
Each family adds its own customs: a henna night in many Sephardic families, the bedeken (veiling of the bride) among Ashkenazim, the choice of melodies and officiating rabbi. Discussing them early avoids misunderstandings later.
In Israel, Jewish marriage goes through the Chief Rabbinate, which requires proof of Jewish status and civil status, a step new immigrants should plan for. In the US and Canada, the religious ceremony is paired with a state or provincial marriage license. In the UK, synagogue marriages are registered under specific arrangements, and in France the civil wedding at the town hall must precede the religious one.
Our city pages cover these practicalities locally, for example getting married in New York or in Jerusalem.
Couples often find marriage simpler when both people knew, even before meeting, what they wanted from a Jewish home. How central are Shabbat and the holidays? Which school for the children? Living near family, or making aliyah? Thinking this through makes it easier to recognize the person who shares the same vision.
It is also what makes a ShidduchMatch profile effective. To get started, read about the shidduch process and our first date tips.
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Jewish tradition gives the first year of marriage special importance, the shana rishona, a time for the couple to build their home and relationship. The week after the wedding is marked by sheva brachot meals with family and friends. Talking before the wedding about how you want to spend that first year, where you will live and how you will balance work and family, helps start on solid ground.
It is the Jewish marriage contract, setting out the husband's commitments to his wife. It is read under the chuppah.
For many Sephardi families, a henna evening comes before the wedding. It is not a religious requirement but a beautiful tradition.
That is exactly what ShidduchMatch is for: serious dating with marriage in mind.
It varies widely: a few months in religious communities, often a year or more elsewhere. What matters is that both people share the same goal.
No, ShidduchMatch focuses on meeting; our matchmakers can point you to local resources once the relationship is well established.
Of course. Just discuss in advance which customs each of you wants to keep.
According to halacha, no; if this applies to you, indicating it avoids introductions that could not lead to marriage.
The first year of marriage, which tradition dedicates to building the couple's relationship and home.