Handheld chuppah and breaking the glass.

Hey Adelhaide!

In the weddings I've attended I usually see the chuppah already set up before the ceremony begins. However it can be held by four poles carried by members of the wedding party - this article explaining 14 Jewish Wedding Traditions will break that down for you. As for the breaking of the glass this is typically done just before the kiss, and either just the groom, or both of you can step on it. This article about Jewish weddings will tell you more about the history and tradition behind this. There are other ideas in those articles too, such as the tradition of circling the groom, or the way the procession is typically ordered in a Jewish ceremony.

But the best person to ask for advice is your officiant. They will know the best way to incorporate these traditions into your ceremony structure and will know just what to say to weave them in seamlessly.

Congratulations on your wedding - it's sooooo soon!! Can we see your chuppah? What triggered the last minute inspiration to include these?

My parents in-law said they were hoping my now husband remembered some wedding traditions. (He was pretty oblivious to ceremonial details until the actual ceremony, which he enjoyed.) I'd considered adding the elements before and wanted my parents-in-law to feel included. So knowing someone else would enjoy them was my motivation. Our officiant also was pretty good at seamless incorporation. Here is a picture of our chuppah. Thanks so much for the articles and advice!