POWERFUL WEDDING SYMBOLS

Symbolism throughout all time has played an important part in what holds a society, religion, or belief system together. These are signs, markings, and visual metaphors without words that stimulate and define the history of a people. We see symbols every day as we navigate our movements by them. They tell us to go, stop, or yield; we identify the brands we buy by the symbol or logo of a product. Symbols indicate that a parking spot is reserved for the disabled. We know which restroom to enter because of the universal symbol on the door. They are vital for every society to live together in the hope of harmony.

In a Jewish wedding—or any wedding for that matter—symbols fill the nuptial space the couple and their officiant create. The chuppah, kiddush cup, unity candle, the rings, aras, and lasso are some of the many symbols we rely on to communicate what is meaningful to us in a wedding.

One of my favorite traditions that uses a symbol happens at the end of the ceremony. The couple is wrapped in a tallit (also spelled tallis), the traditional Jewish prayer shawl. The rabbi and everyone present then bless the couple as they begin their life together.

When I explain this ritual, I say the tallit is an “outward expression of an inward attitude.” It visually expresses what is happening inside the couple, binding them together at the soul level and making them one. The garment is woven from many thousands of threads but becomes a single piece, symbolic of the Holy One, where there is no other.

As you plan your wedding ceremony, begin thinking, “What important symbols do I want in my ceremony?” Ask your rabbi, priest, pastor, or officiant to help create a story with symbols that explain the love and commitment you share. The symbol need not be religious. I once married a couple who met skydiving — their chuppah cover was a parachute. It was a perfect symbol for them.