Same Sex Jewish Ceremony
Ketubah signing /Marriage license signing
Convocation:
Welcome! We are gathered here today to share in a celebration of love, and to join together forever the hearts of Marisa and Jennifer. Today in the presence of family and friends, Marisa and Jennifer stand before you bound by their love for each other, and the desire to share this expression of their love with you and with the world. We, their families and friends, form a community of love that together we may support and encourage them on this day and for all their lives. Surrounded by loved ones whose joy and prayers are with you, you stand at this chuppah, a symbol of your new home.Its four sides are open, symbolizing the importance of community and of participation in each other’s lives. May your friends and family always fill your home.May your home be a shelter against the storms, a haven of peace, a stronghold of faith and love.
Invocation:
The first Wedding Blessing said under the Chuppah is a very special prayer for joyous occasions, called the Shehechyanu.The Shehechyanu expresses our gratitude for being able to celebrate new occasions.
Please join me in reciting the Shehecheyanu
Blessed are you, creator of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and permitted us to celebrate this joyous occasion.
Memorial:
We would like to honor and remember those who could not be here with us today. Especially:
Though we cannot see you,we know you are hereas we begin a new chapter in our lives. Today we pause to reflect upon those who have shaped our character, molded our spirits and touched our hearts. May this moment of silence be a reminder of the memories we have shared; a representation of the everlasting impact you have made upon our lives.
Address
There is a passage by Daphne Rose Kingma, called Real Love, that I would like to share with you today:
“In each of us there is a tremendous longing for love. The love we desire is not only the euphoric butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling of new romance, but also the ineffable consolation of being deeply known, received, and cared for, the profound sense of peace and security of spirit that come from being deeply connected to another human being.True love asks that we alter our perspective about ourselves, the people we love, the world, and the human condition; that we learn things we are perhaps reluctant to know, or didn’t imagine we needed to know. It invites us to stretch as well as to reach, to nurture as well as to receive. It asks us to be kind, to be real, to be imaginative, thoughtful, attentive, intuitive, disciplined, daring. For it is in loving, as well as in being loved, that we become most truly ourselves.”
Marisa and Jennifer have found the gift of love in each other, they have found that special person who provides them with peace, love and comfort
Marisa and Jennifer’s relationship has evolved through all the joys, challenges and changes of life into this beautiful and loving partnership that you see before you today.
They have invited you here today because you are their dearest family and friends.
Many of you have traveled long distances to be here and for that Marisa and Jennifer are truly grateful.They would like to send out their heartfelt thanks to you for your continued love, support, and encouragement throughout their lives.
When I met with Jennifer and Marisa, I asked them to tell me about each other, what they loved about each other, and what is important to them in marriage? WhatI could see from talking with them was that over time they had grown together and they have provided balance for each other.They learned that communication; patience, understanding, passion, and laughter were vital to their relationship. But what holds all this together the core of their relationship is the strong love that they have for each other.
In Yiddish, there’s a word: “beshert” which means, It is meant to be.Marisa and Jennifer are each other’s beshert!They are a perfectly right fit for each other, they are meant to be!
Consecration
Marriage is an honorable estate, instituted in antiquity and revered since all time as the noblest of human relationships. It is therefore not to be entered unadvisedly, but reverently and consciously. Into this holy estate these two persons come now to be joined.
I ask you both, as you stand in the presence of your family and friends, to remember that love, loyalty and compassion alone will prevail as the foundation of a happy and enduring home. No other human ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred than those that you will now assume. If these sacred vows are kept honored and kept close to your hearts, and you endeavor to always live according to the best that is within each of you, your life together will be full of joy, peace and love.
Consent/Intent
Marisa and Jennifer, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage? Will you love and honor each other in marriage for the rest of your lives?
Marisa and Jennifer respond: I will.
Vows:
I Jennifer, take you Marisa to be my wife, my partner, and my best friend. I vow to love you unconditionally and without hesitation. I promise this day to share my life with you, to respect you, grow with you, and support you, through all of life’s challenges and celebrations. Today, and every day forward, I choose you to be my wife and I will love you all the days of our lives.
I Marisa, take you Jennifer to be my wife, my partner, and my best friend. I vow to love you unconditionally and without hesitation. I promise this day to share my life with you, to respect you, grow with you, and support you, through all of life’s challenges and celebrations. Today, and every day forward, I choose you to be my wife and I will love you all the days of our lives.
Blessing of the Rings:
The Circle is a perfect figure, without beginning, without end, with no area of weakness. It is a symbol of the Cycle of Life, of birth, death, and rebirth. These rings shall serve as a physical reminder of your vow, and that all things begin and end and begin again, as is the nature of life itself. These rings will remind you that life goes on, that moments pass, yet your love is constant.
Exchanging of Rings: Hebrew and English
There is no greater statement of devotion in Judaism than Ani L’Dodi V’Dodi Li – I am my Beloved, and my Beloved is Mine.
Marisa & Jennifer will now declare their devotion for each other.
Jennifer, as you place this ring upon Marisa’s finger, speak to her these vows:
Marisa, I give you this ring as a token of my love and devotion with all that I am and all that I will ever be with these words: I am my beloved and my beloved is mine.
Ani L’Dodi V’Dodi Li.”
Marisa, as you place this ring upon Jennifer’s finger, speak to her these vows:
Jennifer, I give you this ring as a token of my love and devotion with all that I am and all that I will ever be with these words: I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.
Ani L’Dodi V’Dodi Li.”
The SHEVA BRACHOT (Seven Blessings)
The following is said under the Chuppah over a full cup of wine or grape juice:
1. ברוך אתה ה’ אלהינו מלך העולם, בורא פרי הגפן .
Blessed is the ruler of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine
2. ברוך אתה ה’ אלהינו מלך העולם, שהכל ברא לכבודו.
Blessed is the glory of all creation.
3. ברוך אתה ה’ אלהינו מלך העולם, יוצר האדם.
Blessed is the creation of the Human Being
4. ברוך אתה ה’ אלהינו מלך העולם, אשר יצר את האדם בצלמו, בצלם דמות תבניתו, והתקין לו ממנו בניין עדי עד. ברוך אתה ה’, יוצר האדם.
Blessed is the design of the Human Being, united in heart and the search for love.
5. שוש תשיש ותגל עקרה, בקיבוץ בניה לתוכה בשמחה. ברוך אתה ה’, משמח ציון בבניה.
Blessed is the joy of our gathering. May rejoicing resound throughout the world as the homeless are given homes, persecution and oppression cease, and all people learn to live in peace with each other and harmony with the earth.
6. שמח תשמח רעים האהובים, כשמחך יצירך בגן עדן מקדם. ברוך אתה ה’, משמח חתן וכלה.
Let these loving companions rejoice. May their joy be as paradise on earth.
7. ברוך אתה ה’ אלהינו מלך העולם, אשר ברא ששון ושמחה, חתן וכלה, גילה רינה, דיצה וחדווה, אהבה ואחווה, ושלום ורעות, מהרה ה’ אלקינו ישמע בערי יהודה ובחוצות ירושלים, קול ששון וקול שמחה, קול חתן וקול כלה, קול מצהלות חתנים מחופתם, ונערים ממשתה נגינתם. ברוך אתה ה’, משמח חתן עם הכלה.
Blessed is the creation of joy and celebration, Bride and Groom, delight and cheer, love and solidarity, peace and companionship. Blessed and praised is this love and this marriage.
ברוך אתה ה’ אלוהינו מלך העולם בורא פרי הגפן
Brides drink the wine
Wedding Blessing
So many gifts we are offered today. The gift of bearing witness to the union of Marisa and Jennifer, to their love and commitment they have expressed in the presence oftheir families and friends. We wish them all the happiness the world has to offer and bless them throughout their lives together. May you never take each other for granted but always experience the wonders of your union.
May your love consist not only in gazing into each other’s eyes, but also in looking outward in the same direction. May your life together be a source of strength and inspiration to yourselves, your families and your friends.May you always concentrate on making each other happy and secure in your commitment to one another and always rely on your ability to keep the promises you have made to one another today throughout the thick and thin of life’s experiences. And may you always be in love.
Breaking of the glass explanation: Brides will break glasses
Marisa and Jennifer have chosen to honor a tradition that is a part of their Jewish heritage; the breaking of the glass. There are many symbolic meanings to this ritual, but today we envision the breaking of the glass as the shattering of your old lives, your old paths, your individual path, into a new path together, a new beginning!
For those of you witnessing this for the first time it is appropriate to clap, yell, or shout Mazal Tov! when the glass is broken
Brides are wrapped in a Talit
Priestly blessing:
יְבָרֶכְךָ יהוה וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ:
May the Lord Bless you and guide you
יָאֵר יהוה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ
May the Lord shine his face upon you and be gracious to you
יִשָּׂא יהוה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ
וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם:
May the Lord lift up his face to you and give to you peace.
Pronouncement of Marriage:
Marisa and Jennifer, it gives me great honor and pleasure to now pronounce you legally married.
Breaking of Glass
The Kiss:
You may now start your life together with a kiss.
