Choosing a Chuppah for Your Wedding

Chuppahs are an important element of the Jewish wedding ceremony and are often an integral feature of interfaith weddings. Chuppahs are almost always used in outdoor Jewish weddings and are also a focal point for indoor ceremonies of all faiths.

The chuppah is significant for what it symbolizes—the unification of the bride and groom and the “home you will build together. It is open on all sides to signify that your home will be open and welcoming.”

Under the Chuppah

The wedding party including the bride, groom, parents, and the officiant stand under the chuppah for the ceremony. Sometimes, other members of the party (such as the best man and the maid of honor)will join them.

It’s traditional for the fabric to be a single piece with no supporting structures—but trends are changing and many couples opt for floral chuppahs, or combinations of natural and fabric designs; some are hand held with maple or birch branches and are carried during the ceremony; others are more solid structures. The chuppah often becomes a precious family heirloom.

Jewish Romance and Wedding Ceremonies

Susan and Itay Avny, of www.chuppah.ca, recount that they made their first chuppah for their own wedding—and launched a business that has grown to supply this important element of Jewish romance and wedding ceremonies in the GTA and throughout much of Ontario and into Quebec. “We realized that other couples, besides us, wanted a reasonably-priced option that they could customize to match the theme and personality of their ceremony.”

Susan and Itay have been in business for seven years. “We love to work with couples  to create an artistic, and reasonably priced service that is as personal and stress-free as we can manage—and as our own was—once we hit on the idea of designing and creating exactly the chuppah we wanted to be married beneath!”